Drew Dowdell

uh... how do I bid on contracts at GM?

what he said! It's been a week... I'm still not comfortable in the Avalanche.

I love the new Escalade. I sat in one at Detroit auto show. I have never owned or for that matter driven an SUV until last Saturday when I bought my Avalanche. Here is my take on SUVs after driving my CTS and Cutlass Supreme for the past 6 years: 1. I don't feel safer at all. I feel tippy and ungainly. 2. I drive fast not because I'm a fast driver, but because I feel like I'm moving slowly. 3. The Avalanche is extremely useful for me in my new business venture. Now that I have it, I really must have it nearly every day. The catalyst for purchasing "Hercules" was me trying to get 8 foot long pieces of trim into the CTS at home depot and having to rest them on the dash. I feel the basic premise of your average SUV driver/buyer thinking they'll be safer in an SUV is substantially flawed. Sure they might be slightly safer in an accident, but given the choice of the Avalanche or the CTS in a hairy driving situation and I'll take the CTS every time because I can actually avoid the accident in the first place. Thankfully the CTS has a good safety rating and so many airbags that if I were to be in an accident, I'll probably survive. Conclusion: For 99% of the buyers who buy an SUV for "safety" alone would be better off in a Subaru, Volvo, 500/Montego or Impala. Not only could they avoid accidents easier, they would be safer in one of those cars if an accident did occur.

GM will sell all of their shares of Isuzu to Ken Yackamack who lives down the street from GM headquarters for a total of $240 dollars in cash and a book of free Vente Latte Starbucks coupons good only at the Ren Center Starbucks. When asked for comment Mr. Yackamack said, "I own me a car company now! I wonder if that means I can get a free car."

I had a Jeep Wrangler Extreme from Hertz when I was in Florida two weeks ago. They were out of Mustang convertibles, so they gave me that.

That would make a very nice Buick.

Nope, just a nordicware cake pan. They have lots of patterns. I've been slowly collecting them as they go on sale at TJ Max. I have a pan that makes six small roses about the size of a very large cupcake. Chas and I decided that flowers were too expensive around valentines day, so I made him roses <french vanilla cake with red food coloring> instead. I used a small heart shaped pan to make green "leaves" for the roses. Arranged it all out on a platter, a *bam* I've got flowers for my honey on Valentines day. I earned big points for that one. :AH-HA_wink: I can do some great dinners, but my best work is always on the dessert tray.

Cooking with Drew: Triple chocolate cake, dark chocolate layer, white chocolate layer, milk chocoalte layer... with white chocolate almaretto iceing. Home made pound cake with a full pound of butter. Maple rum glaze and powdered sugar topping Dark chocolate tart with almaretto icing and crushed almonds on top

Toyoguy goes when his engine suddenly sludges up and stalls in front of a speeding GM Hybrid bus. Camino is attacked by a pack of wild puppies.

Heck, even a Lucerne over the Hyundai. At least I have the size, comfort, and class of a Buick. Which is more respected when you pull up to the valet? Hyundai or Buick? Besides, the Azera looks like a chinese regal knock off.... at least with the Lucerne, you'd get a real Buick.

We edited the letter for clarity. Thank you for your input

They found our key in another vehicle on the lot... we don't know if it was a car for sale or another customer's car.

We're sending this to the general manager of our VW dealer:

If they can get a NorthStar or a supercharged Northstar in there, they can fit a 4.8 litre <pushrod most likely> diesel engine. They can get the 5.7 in the CTS, they can get a 4.8 in the STS.

I'll take an STS with a 4.5 litre diesel please!

I just want it available, doesn't have to be standard. And by segment, I mean the high luxury set. That means everything from an STS to an Escalade, or a 5-series to an X7<guessing>. For about $100 it's just something an automotive journalist can lose his cookies over while writing about GM products. Give 'em less to complain about I say.

Uh, the 5.3 is extremely quiet. I tried to start the 5.3 in my Avalanche this morning when it was already running. Since when does sticker price on a GM vehicle matter?

With a 300C, I have a hemi and rear or all wheel drive and people still stop me to ask if it's a bently. With a Lucerne, I have understated panache, 275hp V8 that is *still* one of the best V8s around, plenty of room for the golf clubs and a ride quieter then lexus. With a Maxima I have a sport tuned FWD sedan that can haul butt. With a TL I have the same as a Maxima with a touch more class. The rest I can't really justify over a Camry because they'd come down to personal preferance...and in my case I'd prefer any of them over the Camry. The Camry has been burned into my head as the car my boss gets as a rental when his Benz is in the shop. Bobby Rahal, the local big benz dealer in my area uses mid-level Camrys as courtasy cars for their Benz customers.

CD and I looked this over the day he shot the pics. The suspension width hasn't changed. It's just much wider tires. The exhaust is modified. It looks like a street legal version of the CTS Racer

Every car has it's nit-picks, including the new Escalade. The 2007 Escalade is still best in class, nit-picks and all. That said, there is media bias, it isn't a myth. Examples: Last months C&D that cited "japanese durability" as a highpoint on a Mitsubishi Eclipse. C&D naming the new 3-series top mid-sized sport sedan when 1. it broke down on them three times, 2. It was the smallest of the bunch, bordering on compact, 3. The Lexus essentially had the same performance numbers. CR listing the new Impala's reliability as questionable while giving an "undetermined" to the new Sonata. CR listing the CTS's reliability as "poor" based on the 3.2 engine, an engine that hasn't been offered for sale in over a year and which about 5% of CTS's sold the prior year were equipped with. Motor Trend's car and truck of the year.... when there were clearly better options. Ignoring anything regarding Mercedes reliability. In this regard automobile "journalists" have attention defic..... OOOOhh.. 3 pointed star! <with appologies to Fly> edit: sorry for grammer/spelling... I'm extremely tired.

As someone who shops in this segment, the bluetooth thing is really a glaring omission. It's not a deal breaker for me, but such a minor <$100> feature should be at least and option. It's something that would put the Escalade over the top and no Toyoguy could say "see it doesn't even have bluetooth". It's a minor detail that shouldn't be overlooked simply due to the nature of the customers this type of vehicle attracts. Put bluetooth on as an unpackaged option and I guarentee you 90% of Escalades sold would have it. You guys can explain it away all you want but it's still something Lexus has and Cadillac doesn't. As far as the battery issue with bluetooth. You buy a car charger plug it in inside the center console where GM thoughtfully put a power point, pair the phone with the car, shut the console, and off you go. There, no battery issues. P.S. My phone runs for 3 days between charges with the BT always on.

This is bound to happen as greater globalization of GM happens. They are consolidating platforms so much but still keeping fairly different brand "feel". As things get consolidated they need less people. 10 years ago they had: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, N, U, W, Y, Z in just the car Bodies Now they have Delta, Epsilon, Kappa, G/K, Sigma, Theta, U, W, Y U and W are being dropped and being replaced with Lamda and Zeta<supposedly>. G/K is probably in it's final generation. GM has moved from 15 car platforms to 9 while keeping up a fairly decent lineup. Sure Buick and Pontiac are a little starved right now, but as the Zeta and Epsilon II move in to replace W-bodies and G/K bodies those holes will be filled. 6 less entire car platforms definately warrent some layoffs. I feel bad for the people who are being let go, but I think this is a needed move for GM even if it were making money.

I'm guessing the Caravans they used to drive came up on lease and GM offered a better deal to Xerox.

I pretty much agree that the Montana should be "taken behind the barn and shot" also. strangely, I see more Relays and Terrazas then I see Uplanders <not counting that one Xerox rep I see driving an Uplander nearly every day>. I've seen one montana CSV ever and it had an enterprise sticker on it.