hyperv6

I suspect Ford will bring the larger Ranger here in the future and it may replace the F 150 or at least off set it. Ford is up to something here and have shown they are willing to take risk in the name of sales and MPG. The Turbo 6 was a gutsy call and it paid off well. While one MPG does not sound like much it adds up over the numbers they move. Also they charged more for these truck and I am sure each showed more profit over the V8. I still think this Colorado is a little larger than I would like to see. I think the original S 10 size was right and made it something you could buy and just beat around town in and haul nearly anything you needed to haul. They were cheap to buy, cheap to run and was as much a car as a truck.

If all goes as planned the Holden SWB will be here in 2014 after the new Vette. It will be for all intents a updated GXP G8. It will have more power and I hope a little lighter. GM people are calling it a Camaro SS with 4 doors. It will be V8 only and with the coming CAFE issues they only plan to import in small numbers. At one time I was told don't expect it in numbers greater than 10,000. But if the Cruze keeps selling well and the Bu takes off and bumps the MPG for Chevy thses numbers could go up if there is enough demand. As for the Ute. Well it has been on and off so many times until they start unloading them I would not count on it yet. With Lutz back we may have a chance with him backing Mark R on this. But I suspect Cadillac will take up most of Lutz time. The Omega will have his hands all over it.

Your glass is half full while mine is half empty. It is all in what and how you see it but it all amounts to the same thing. I see what they share as a plus as often it has made it easier to keep these cars running and on the road where many others sit a rot. The hard mechanicals an bits are what keep em going not the trim. I know it is damn impossible to get some of the trim bits and the original engines are harder to find but like many a GTO out there if you can't find a non wore out Pontiac Rear the Chevy will bolt in till you find one.

Do not underestimate Ford. They are not in bad shape by anymeans. They are doing ok with their cars and right now they have public opinion on their side. That is something you can just go out and add to a car you have to earn it. Right now GM still suffers in this area and still has to earn it. The public can be swayed and fooled easily if they like you.

There was a good Skylark? I have been in a 61 many times and it was not that great of a car. the era of the Skylark was 65-72. Mostly 65-67 and 70-72. It was a nicer Chevelle. Special / Skylark pulled Buick out of the sales fire in '61 and after. Buick was #3 in '55, #9 in '60 and back up to #5 by '65. These Skylarks were Buicks, not 'nicer Chevelles'. Or were Chevelles 'crappier Skylarks'? Not everything General Motors has done can be distilled into tweaks on Chevrolets. They may have fooled you but not everyone. LOL! While GM did not share as much back then as they did in the 80's these cars were more alike than many like to think. But on the other hand it make restoring them much easier. They may have not been identical twins but they were sisters. The unibody GM cars in 61 was more a sister to the Corvair only with a front engine. Its not a sin as they all did it. The Mustang was a Falcon under the skin too. It is amazing how many of those Toyota Astons are being sold. Proves there is a still a sucker born every min. Hmmm I bet they are selling most of them to the French.

The Cruze is a good looking car. Better looking the squid like Focus, bland Corolla or the overly raked Civic. Not that its perfect, the black plastic trim trying to fake a C-pillar window and the overly generic tail lamps being leading thumbs downs. But, the front and side views are class leading gorgeous and that certainly helps. The interior is neat, tidy and good looking. There are a few too many hard plastic, but at least they are well textured and the competition is not lacking of hard trim pieces either. The one thing I don't like about the new Bu (compared to the Cruze) is that the Bu seems more cluttered in its design. To me, clean and sleek is beautiful. Unnecessary lines are not. The C pillar bothered me to at first but it has faded somewhat from my view, It would have looked better as a small glass. As for the BU. I have not seen it so I will wait but in some respect I agree on the clutter but that could change in person. The present Bu is nice and had a great c pillar and sweep to the roof but the sides are just too understated. The roof sweep is something you really can see and feel when you wash the car. You really understands the curve and how well it looks. Then I get the rear and it is like they just ran out of money and time. The rear trunck lid and tail lights could have used a little more work. I hope the present cars looks good in person.

Sorry if you are out of the main stream here. While most of us here will have more appeal to the coming Chevy/Holden SS RWD sedan it is cars like the Malibu that if sold in great numbers make the fun cars possible. The fact is this is the kind of car the general public goes for in great numbers and while it may not be the enthusiast favorite we need to cheer it on to help us get what we want. Some of us get the big picture and understand large auto companies can not live on performance car or even large cars only anymore.

There was a good Skylark? I have been in a 61 many times and it was not that great of a car. the era of the Skylark was 65-72. Mostly 65-67 and 70-72. It was a nicer Chevelle.

Considering the apocalyptic state of the economy, not a bad thing for Buick, my friend! Astra coupe may come back as a Verano Coupe...I just hope they market it right this time. Astra was a sweet little car, shame it never took off for GM! The Astra never took off as no one knew about it. Saturn did Saturn adds on TV but never really featured the car in media print of broadcast. I have said this for a long time as I still get people asking me what kind of car is that when they see one and are shocked it was a Saturn. Bob Lutz in his book verified what I had been thinking as he stated the Astra had no chance with no marketing money left for Saturn. He points this out in his book.

Well I owned a 88 S-10 With Tahoe Trim and a 97 loaded extended cab Sonoma with a ZQ8 suspension. Both trucks went over 100,000 miles for me with nary a interior issue. The GMC is yet on the road today in FL still with a perfect original interior, The first Colorado I got in had seats that looked like they were out of a 1982 Camaro and this is not a good thing. The door panels flexed as I pulled on the door pulls and that with the cheap plastic did not inpress me as this was a upscale model too. The ZQ8 Colorado I drove the passenger seat back shook and viberated to the point you could see it as you drove down the road. These were things I never saw out of my Sonoma ZQ8 even when I autcrossed it. On a tight track I could out run a LT1 Z28 if we were both on street tires. Even one of my bosses bought one and had nothing but issues. He even got the crew cab with leather and has seat issues with the materiral. When they did this truck and jacked the price I tried to love it and worked hard for a long time to accept it but just never could. I did not want a full size but for the money a Truck sales discounted Silverado LT is a much better truck vs a similar priced Colorado. I paid $11K for my S10 and sold it for $5K after 10 years and 100,000 miles. The Sonoma stickered at $22K and I bought it new for $17K then sold it 11 years later with 100,000 plus miles to the first buyer 3 hours after I put it up for sales for $5,500 in late 08. I looked at the price of the Colorado and used ones and could see I would never see any kind of resale on it like I had gotten with the other trucks. I think Ford did the right thing even though they keep a old truck around a lot longer than they should have buy keeping the price and size of the truck down. The Colorado and Dakota were just too big and too close to a half ton in price to make it appealing. I just had a Colorado crew the other day to drive. The bed is a waste as I could hardly get a home yard mulcher in it. The rear doors were so narrow I would have been happier with a extened cab. I do love the I 5 but it was never great on gas and heavy. It was a much better engine power wise than either of my 4.3's. Sorry I wanted a Colorado but just could not bring myself to buy one. I tried really hard and just could not pull the trigger.

I bet in a year in a half they will have a blue. GM seems to be playing the color game on their car more so than ever. They do a limited runs on colors and changed pretty regular anymore.

I got in one at Detroit before they hit the market. I told the guy from GM that I would not trade them my 97 Sonoma even for it. I tried to like it and I hoped they would improve it but by 08 I needed a new Vehicle and I chose a HHR over the Colorado at to this day have no regretts. I never could figure out the waste of time putting the V8 in and not addressing the real issues. The I 5 was good enough for the average buyer but the styling and interior needed major help from the start. I would love to see this new truck be of the quality the new GM cars are showing and be a hit on the market. The key is going to be the pricing. The problem is they charged so much for the last Colorado and then discounted the Silverado so much you had to be a fool to buy the smaller truck.

Sorry I don't see the Cruze as an embarassment. If sales are any sign I think few people are having issues with the car as it is right now. While it may not post the best numbers it is close enough that the public is happy enough to buy a ton of these so far. Now if they put an SS on the door Yes I would have agreed with the term embarassment. In time we will have more and better engine options including a Diesel. As for body styles I think a 5 door in this class would do well. I wonder if GM will move this way or do they have a replacment for the HHR out there that would negate a 5 door hatch. People like their wagons a little more truck like anymore here. The HHR sold in great numbers.

They build the colors that sell. Dealers don't often buy slow moving colors anymore. If there was a greater demand for green and yellow we would have them. Sometimes it takes odd things. If there was a yellow Robot in Transformers There would be a yellow Buick.

These colors are some of GM's most popular on most models. Most Lacrosses are these colors too. I think if they could ad a dark deep blue it also would be popular. Blue always seems to be a second or third year addition to most GM cars.

The only color I see missing are a Blue. GM just has not offered many blues in the last 10 years on many car in their first years. I guess they could add yellow but I don't know if the take rate would make it worth while.

Well not entirely true. The Regal was always planned for sale in China. The Saturn was just going to be the Insignia we see today with the name scratched off. With the death of Saturn, GM just took the Chinese fascia and put it on the Opel. I was speaking only of the American market. This was to have been a Saturn and nothing more here. Once Saturn was gone it opened it up for Buick here to fill the show room at a time they needed more product fast. It was a fast cheap fix for Buick and also worked with the plans to let Opel move up market and share models with Buick.

I've seen it, touched it, and sat in it. You'll like it. The "Camaro inspired" stuff on the exterior plays out a lot better in person than it does in photos. I think I will. I try not to judge too much till I see it anymore. The new styling often is so much better in person. The Cruze did not excite me when I first saw it but it have really grown on me and I think it is as good as many cars out there. Smaller cars are so hard to design. Too little they look cheap too much they look over done. In my mind the Sonata is a good example just a little too much and a Camry is just too little. I think the new Malibu will stike a balance between them both.

I am not overly excited here yet but then again I have not seen one in person yet. The Cruze was ok but in photo's I worried it may not enough. But then again It has hit the mark with the public. I hope too this will also hit the mark. Once I saw the Cruze on the road in better trim and colors it really is a nice looking package. One thing to note since Wellborn has taken over the cars that have come from his staff all look better in person than in photos. They are much more sculpted and the shapes show better when you see them. Now like the Sonata it looks better in a Photo but in person it just has too much going on with the styling for a car of it's size.

The two cars are similar in some areas while different in other areas. The Buick is aimed at a little different class. The Sonata is not as quiet, has a engine that is not as refined in sound and vibration etc. There is a reason the Hyundai is cheaper and the Buick is heavier, it is in the details. I bet 10 years from now the Buick is in better shape and will have better resale. The real truth is the Regal is a gap filler till Buick can get what they need. This car was well on the way to being a Saturn till they died. Buick needed product fast and this was on the shelf. A few tweeks to a decent car and they had a new product in the showroom. The Regal as we know it will be gone sooner than most models as I expect a car to far advance the Buick line will be not too far off. Just as the ATS is the first of the post chapter 11 Cadillacs we have yet to see any post Chapter 11 Buicks yet. It is too soon to judge Buick too harshly. Keep in mind that GM has not called this a true sports sedan and it is right now a sporty sedan. I get the many see turbo and assume that means it is full blown performance car. That is not the case anymore. Why the Sonata may have a faster Turbo it is not a M3 killer nore is it even close to their best seller. It is just an option and is like the GS a sporty sedan with more power.

The side impact reports for the Regal and Optima are the same. So now can we move on to long term durability? They may crash the same but the public preception will be different if they compare. Most people go by how things sound and feel vs how they rate. As for long term that is to be determind. Based on the past GM cars and Hyundai I would give GM an edge here. They may not all look pretty but many are still on the road 25 years later in the harshest weather areas of out country. When was the last time you saw a 20 year old Hyundai in the midwest? I mean even one that is just park in a drive way disabled? Now how many Corisca, Lumina's, Baretta's, GM H bodies etc to you still see rolling along? I have have several friends dump they Hyundais well before the warranty was out as they were just having too many issues with non warranty parts. Two lone dumped them for used HHR's and could not have been happier. Hyundia has improved over the early years but they do save cost in many areas and it does catch up with the cars. GM cut corners in the past with paint and interior. THey did invest well in drivetrains and the old cars show this as the interior looks like crap but the car keep on running and running with little issues.

just a mild aside. a customer today that came in and bought a Kizashi, was at a Heeyoondye dealer in the service dept after doing a sonata test and another customer at that place mentioned to go try a kizashi. my point is that it was apparently apparent to the customer that the quality of the hyundai once you experience it is something that gives you second thoughts.......... Slam the rear door on a Optima. It is the worst sound in the industry this side of Lada. slam the door on a regal and its immediately evident why the regal weights a lot more...... I bet the Regal has better odds of being on the road yet in 20 years vs the Kia here on Ohio roads.

For the Lada a old Fiat can sub in for it. Or Yugo. Is suspect the Lacrosse will be right after the small SUV/Minivan or what ever they call it appears. GM will not let many of these cars get stale like they used too.

I not aware of this. If there was it never got very far.

LULZ! That's why there is the saying "Never own a BMW that isn't under warranty!". Ask Nick about his 5-series..... VW's are atrocious with all kinda interior bits falling off. My ex's Passat had a smooth engine that ran well... but the rest of the car fell apart around it. I think the key to happiness w/ BMWs or other German cars is the 3 yr lease. Drive it a few years then get another one. That's what friends of mine do that have BMWs and Benzes. That way you never have to deal w/ expensive out-of-warranty issues. So even if Cadillac builds to a more durable standard (and I submit that they already do, it still won't matter. They already do have what I consider a more durable car and it does not matter as many in this class feel they are not as good and the image is less than the others. Many in this class think that if you drive a Cadillac you are either cheap or can't afford the German car. Cadillac did have a Beer image in a champagne class. They are working out of it but still have work to do. You have to earn image. The real joke is how many year BMW owners had tool kits in their trunk. They thought it an badge of honnor and a added touch when the truth is they needed it to keep it running. PRECEPTION COUNTS! One thing we all need to remember here. Dan Akersons goal is to restore Cadillac to world standard again. He even went to the lenghts of bringin Bob Lutz back with out asking him to leave Lotus. GM is really for once serious on Cadillac and we will soon start to see the real results in the next few years. The ATS is only the first shot and an entry level one at that. As the new cars come and the prices climb we will see a level of Cadillac we have not seen in decades.