bowtie_dude

Thats horrible.

As bad as I hate to bring it up, you can get bluetooth integration, 30gig capacity music player, and CD ripper in the Lancer GTS for $20k. So all these luxury cars that have it don't really seem all that special BECAUSE of it.

Do you two share a vehicle?

LMAO, he blew the camera over. But it did sound pretty damn good.

Damn, I thought it was new pictures and information. That site has been on there for quite a while.

The Cobalt's cheap-o interior may keep me out of one as an owner, especially with alternatives like the new Lancer or Astra.

I think it would be a shame to see Mitsu go, especially now that they have a couple of good products with the Outlander and Lancer.

$18k doesn't seem all that unreasonable for what you get. Bluetooth handsfree phone integration, automatic climate controls, etc etc. I don't buy base model anything.

I was worried about Mitsu, too. But the new Outlander and Lancer have really painted a brighter picture for their future in the US. I don't think they'll pull out anytime soon. And the local Mitsu dealer is also sells Buicks, GMCs, Hyundais, Nissans, and Infinitis.

The Lancer GTS has made it onto my test drive list for when I eventually get around to getting a new car. The only thing that would push me to a Cobalt Sport is if the Lancer's 152hp mated with a 5-spd just can't cut it performance-wise. The Lancer GTS is already a better looking car with a nicer interior and better standard features than a Cobalt Sport (current SS). The only thing the Cobalt has over it is the 170hp 2.4L engine. At least for $18k, which is how much the GTS trim costs.

And when can we expect to see the new Cobalt?

I agree. People keep comparing it to the Bangle BMWs, but its much less pronounced. Its not nearly as bad as this Or this

It does bear a heavy resemblance to this:

Rarely have I read something more poorly written from a supposed professional news source.

Often, I find myself trying to dig up an image gallery for a vehicle that was announced several months ago. Digging through search pages and whatnot just to find a decent picture of the interior (because, for some reason, decent pictures of GM vehicles are hard to find on the intertron). I was thinking that maybe there could be a separate page, forum, stickied thread that links to all of the image galleries we have. Would make it a lot easier to view some often hard-to-find pictures of vehicles. This could also include image galleries for other makes as well, if someone wanted. Just a suggestion! Thanks!

Thats hilarious. Someone photoshop Hades into a Ram Megacab.

Heh, that little symbol on the chrome surrounding the O/D button looks like a smiley face. :]

I still think its funny Chrysler got purchased by a company named after the giant 3-headed dog that guards the way into Hades.

Won't affect it. Anything larger than 8,000lbs GVWR is exempt from CAFE and that pretty much includes all their full-size BOF vehicles, light- and medium-heavy-duty vehicles.

Or that people will buy anything if the deal is sweet enough.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...rticleId=120686 Road Tests First Drive: 2008 Buick Enclave A twice-around-the-clock test-drive in Buick's next big thing By Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit Date posted: 05-08-2007 What can be accomplished in 24 hours? Well, one could run the entire length of the annual Le Mans endurance race. One could fly from Los Angeles to London, by way of Tokyo. Or one could even finish an entire dinner in Italy — well, almost. We have chosen instead to spend our 24 hours test-driving the 2008 Buick Enclave. We were unable to get an Enclave from Buick, since the company's official media test-drive won't happen for another couple of weeks. But the 2008 Enclave, Buick's most significant new vehicle in years, is already on sale, so we took matters into our own hands and secured a test vehicle from a Detroit-area Buick dealer. Although General Motors discontinued its 24-Hour Test-Drive Program a couple of years ago, we learned that if you ask nicely a salesman will let you have a vehicle for a day. So let's see: 24 hours minus dinner equals 23 hours. Twenty-three hours minus giving the child a bath equals 22 hours. Subtract a little time for sleep and various other assorted bits of personal business, and we figure we'll have a solid 12 hours in the SUV that Buick says carries the brand's new face and is its most significant introduction in many years. Hey, that's more driving time than manufacturers typically give on a first-drive opportunity. New Blue Eyes Though General Motors would have the world believe that the Enclave (along with its fraternal twins the Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia) represents a dramatic, new concept in motor vehicles, it doesn't. People movers with carlike unibody platforms and SUV pretensions are nothing new. Some German and Japanese makers are well into their second-generation versions of such vehicles. What is new, however, is the concept of compelling, cohesive styling from Buick. The Enclave concept vehicle that appeared at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show proved to be a surprise hit. And the production vehicle maintains all of the concept's graceful lines and voluptuous curves. Even the fake portholes and the headlights with the blue rings made it to production. The Enclave comes in two trim levels: the base CX and feature-laden CXL. Both versions are equipped with the same 3.6-liter V6 matched with a six-speed automatic. Both come standard in front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive available as an option. The dealer loaned us a front-wheel-drive, base-level Enclave CX, and even its boring silver paint and painted 18-inch wheels couldn't completely conceal the Enclave's beauty. At an MSRP of $32,295, our test vehicle carried zero options. The window sticker noted that the company cut $495 from the price because this CX has a second-row bench seat instead of the second-row captain's chairs. It Ain't "Mini" Anything! Simply looking at photographs can't give you a sense of the Enclave's dimensions. Like many natives of Michigan, the Enclave is a massive, bulky thing. It's an impression backed up by the specifications. The front-drive Enclave weighs in at a whopping 4,780 pounds. Throw a couple passengers and a small piece of luggage into the back and you'll be driving a vehicle that presses the pavement with more than two-and-a-half tons of shiny mass. An Enclave with the optional all-wheel-drive system starts at two-and-a-half tons. Because General Motors has given up on minivans, the Enclave must take the place of those not-so-mini people movers. And this requires size. At 118.9 inches, the Enclave's wheelbase is only a couple inches shorter than the extended-wheelbase version of the outgoing minivans and almost 3 inches longer than the full-size, V8-powered Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon utes. Thanks to its unibody construction and independent rear suspension, however, the Enclave offers more maximum cargo capacity than the thirstier Tahoe, 116.2 cubic feet to 108.9. And for passengers in the standard third row, the Enclave offers almost 8 inches more legroom than does the Tahoe. Sweet Marshmallow Fluff And while the 275-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 has a heavy load to carry, the Enclave isn't slow. A mechanically identical Saturn Outlook that we tested ran to 60 mph in 8.2 seconds, and we anticipate the Enclave will do about the same. If you've been reading only sport-sedan road tests lately, this will seem slightly slower than a large mountain. However, in our comparison test of 2006 minivans, not one of them could do the deed in less than 9 seconds. So slow is relative. More important, the Enclave feels plenty quick enough. This is in part thanks to the engine's respectable 251 pound-feet of torque. Our one powertrain quibble is that the six-speed automatic transmission is too eager to upshift and too lax about downshifting. This is no doubt designed to optimize fuel economy. The EPA estimates a front-drive Enclave will return 16 mpg city and 24 mpg highway. According to the vehicle's trip computer, our very green example averaged 16 mpg in mixed driving. Regardless of how many miles the Enclave will roll on a gallon of regular gas, each mile will likely pass by quietly. The Enclave glides around town as quiet and smooth as Buick would have you believe it is. The engine sends just a faint vibration through the steering column and pedals under acceleration. Otherwise, the Enclave driver is almost completely isolated from the outside world — in a mostly good way. The softly tuned suspension and the tall tire sidewalls smother all but the biggest bumps. The four-wheel disc brakes respond to the pedal smoothly and progressively. And wind noise is nearly nonexistent. As you might expect, driving the Enclave quickly down a curvy road is something like ushering a very drunk friend down a hallway. There's lots of weight lunging left, then right. There's nothing spooky or unpredictable about the way the Enclave handles. It just doesn't want to be rushed. And we're not sure that handling prowess is very high on our list of things we require from an eight-passenger vehicle. We suspect we'd be much more interested in keeping our passengers comfy and quiet. This the Enclave will do. Near (If Not Beyond) Precision Unlike many recent Buicks, the Enclave's cabin feels upscale. Its surfaces are low-gloss and the various panels fit together nicely. Unfortunately, Buick appears to have spent its entire allotment of interior money for those in the front two rows. By the time the company got to the third row, the designers had only enough money left for a single, almost featureless piece of hard plastic as wall decoration. Luckily, getting to the third row is easy with what Buick calls "Smart Slide" second-row seats. With one pull on a fat plastic lever, the seat bottom flips forward and the seat back slides forward, pushing the seat bottom to the back of the front seat. It's easier to do than to describe. It's a clever solution. The mechanism is occasionally balky and the lever feels cheap. And those third-row passengers do at least get the same roof-rail-mounted airbag protection as the second-row folk. These two bags are part of the six-airbag arrangement that's standard on all Enclaves; the standard OnStar Automatic Crash Notification system will call an advisor if an airbag does blow. But standard traction control and stability control with rollover mitigation should help reduce the chances of testing those airbags. Buick has made some odd choices for standard equipment convenience items. For example, our front-seat passenger wondered why all Enclaves come with a standard power-operated rear hatch, but she had a manual control for her seat recline. Also we'd prefer a power-folding third-row seat more than a power-operated rear hatch. But a power third row isn't even offered as an option. Other than semi-cheesy velourlike upholstery, the CX feels nicely equipped. Standard goodies include power windows, remote keyless entry, HID headlights, automatic three-zone climate control, a sassy wood-and-leather-covered steering wheel and a decent stereo that includes an auxiliary input for your MP3 player. The CXL brings standard leather upholstery, fully power-adjusted front seats that are also heated and 19-inch wheels for $34,990. Add the optional navigation system, the articulating headlamps, remote vehicle starter, ultrasonic parking assist, rear-seat DVD, power sunroof, rearview camera, and you'll push well past the $40,000 mark. In the Enclave Still, that price represents a good value in the luxury crossover market. And while the 2008 Buick Enclave might need some further refinements to bring it all the way to a Lexus RX-level of execution, that we can bring ourselves to mention the Lexus in the same sentence as the Buick illustrates what a huge improvement the Enclave is compared to previous Buick people movers.

Also, GM needs this amount of attention to detail everywhere. Leather-wrapped grasp on the column shifter? Last place I would have expected that.

Notice what I bolded and italicized. How did the Tundra manage a .2 second quicker 0-60 with less published hp but more published weight?

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...icleId=120718#8 Road Tests Full Test: 2007 GMC Sierra Denali The luxury truck you didn't know you wanted By John Pearley Huffman, Contributor Date posted: 05-14-2007 At this moment, the 2007 GMC Sierra Denali is the most powerful pickup in regular production that money can buy. Dodge let the insane Ram SRT-10 fade away last year, Ford hasn't built the beloved F-150 Lightning since 2003 and the newly muscular Toyota Tundra is more than 20 horsepower behind. In fact the only open-bed contraption that matches the Sierra Denali pony-for-pony is the Cadillac Escalade EXT, which shares GM's 403-horsepower, 6.2-liter OHV V8 and six-speed automatic transmission. But the short-bed Escalade EXT with its coil-spring live axle might as well be a wimpy sport-utility, while the GMC Sierra Denali has a separate 5-foot-9-inch cargo bed behind its four-door crew cab, plus a pair of beefy leaf springs supporting its rear axle. And while the Cadillac is rated for just a 1,362-pound payload and can tow only 7,600 pounds, the Sierra Denali can handle up to 1,719 pounds and tow 8,500 pounds. The 2007 GMC Sierra Denali is GM's top-of-the-line luxury pickup, but it emphasizes the truck part of the equation as much as the luxury part. It's for well-heeled buyers with an indulgent sense of comfort and convenience who nevertheless insist that a truck retain its ability to do hard physical labor. Think of it as the perfect truck for the contractor who actually loves his job and happens to have hit the Lotto. And just bought a boat. Familiar Pieces, Not So Familiar Quality Most of what makes up the Sierra Denali's substance has been seen before on other GMC trucks and SUVs. The basic frame, body and cargo box all come from the regular Sierra Crew Cab. The interior is practically a direct lift from the front two-thirds of the Yukon XL Denali's cabin. And the engine and transmission come straight out of the Yukon Denali. It's all familiar stuff, but it's also all the best stuff GM installs in any truck. At first glance, the Sierra Denali's only unique elements are the massive, plastic front grille done in blindingly bright fake chrome, the deep, front bumper cover incorporating large circular driving lamps, and the unique 18-inch wheels. (Optional 20-inch wheels were fitted to this test vehicle.) Previous editions of the Sierra Denali came only with all-wheel drive, but the new 2008 model is offered with either two- or four-wheel drive. And to maximize confusion (at least through 2007), GMC is also selling the previous-generation, all-wheel-drive Sierra Denali alongside this new one — one name, two very different trucks. All these good pieces are put together with noticeable care in the new-generation Sierra Denali. Every body seam on the test truck appeared perfectly aligned; the doors shut with authoritative thuds and fit closely and evenly to the body; the plastic surfaces in the interior were well textured, neatly shaped and there was no sign of casting flash; the leather upholstery was both supple and neatly stitched; and nothing fell or broke off. While the reliability of GM's new trucks and cars is yet to be proven, it's obvious that the company has recently taken a massive step forward in the precision of its assembly practices. Hallelujah. The Luxury of Power The GMC Sierra Denali is the only pickup available with GM's 6.2-liter Vortec V8, and you'll understand its personality as soon as it starts and settles into an idle with a delicious burble. This isn't a hard-edged performance machine like a Lightning or Ram SRT-10, but instead a truck with a sophisticated, sweetly composed drivetrain. The engine pulls seamlessly from just off idle to its 6,000-rpm redline and is perfectly matched to a six-speed automatic transmission that shifts with velveteen smoothness. There's a small switch on the column-mounted shift lever for manual shifts, but left to its own devices, this 5,309-pound two-wheel-drive truck hauls to 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds and rips through the quarter-mile in 15.0 seconds at 92.1 mph. This is much quicker than the Lincoln Mark LT, which takes 9.6 seconds to get to 60 mph and then reaches the quarter-mile in 17.1 seconds at 80.9 mph. It's even noticeably quicker than the Cadillac Escalade EXT that gets to 60 mph in 7.0 seconds and runs the quarter-mile in 15.5 seconds at 90.6 mph. But the GMC Sierra Denali is not the quickest truck on the market. That title is held by the new Toyota Tundra with its 381-hp, 5.7-liter V8. In our testing, the four-wheel-drive Tundra Double Cab pounds to 60 mph in just 6.3 seconds and runs the quarter-mile in 14.8 seconds at 93.7 mph, even though it weighs 328 pounds more than the Sierra Denali. Sometimes power isn't enough to guarantee dominance. Or maybe either GMC or Toyota or both are wrong about the power numbers they're publishing. A True Luxury Interior, a True Truck Ride With its dash, front seats and door panels all taken straight out of the Yukon XL Denali, the Sierra Denali's interior is easily the most comfortable and luxurious GM has ever put into a pickup truck. Those front seats are relatively flat, but almost infinitely adjustable, exceptionally well upholstered, and heat up with Toastmaster-brand efficiency on cold mornings. Also, the bin between those seats can swallow armfuls of cargo and is elegantly capped with leather to form the center armrest. As in the Yukon Denali, the dashboard itself looks as if it has been lifted from a luxury sedan. The center stack is topped by GM's relatively straightforward navigation system and below that are the occasionally frustrating dual-zone ventilation controls. The fake wood is so good that you can get away with telling your passengers that it's real. In short, the comprehensively equipped Sierra Denali offers an excellent driving environment. And the backseat is roomy enough so that if the kids can't get comfortable back there, they should have moved out of the house and signed contracts with the Denver Nuggets long ago. But a luxury environment isn't the same thing as luxury manners. The Sierra Denali rides like the pickup truck it is, and there's significant impact harshness from the rear suspension when you drive over bumps and divots, while the steering feels numb and uninteresting. With massive P275/55R20 Goodyear Eagle LS2 tires at each corner, there's plenty of adhesion to keep the truck balanced in the slalom even with the StabiliTrak stability control system turned off, and the truck's admirable 57.9-mph performance shows it. At the same time, the mix of low-profile tires and a heavy-duty truck suspension is always an uneasy one. This is particularly apparent on California's concrete freeways where the rear end can bounce along with the undulations to produce an agonizing harmonic that makes it impossible to have a conversation inside the cab. Bring Your Own Bedliner With a base price just five bucks shy of $40K and an as-tested price of $45,370, the Sierra Denali ought to come with everything and then some. After all, any truck that costs $45 grand ought to be two trucks. But among the equipment that should be aboard, but isn't, is a bedliner of any sort, a chrome exhaust tip of some sort and a sort of opening rear window. GMC lets its dealers grab some additional profits by fitting the bedliner and exhaust tips themselves, but GM's engineers should be clever enough to engineer a sliding rear window that also includes an in-glass defroster. Ultimately, however, the GMC Sierra Denali is a confident, muscular and yet sweet-natured luxury machine that rides and works like the pickup truck it is. It's not the only pickup truck GMC sells, but it might be the best one. The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.