hyperv6

These have proven to be good buys cost wise but the Catch 22 on Kia and Optima have been the service issue later in the cars life. I have been getting a rash of owners of many of these Korean cars looking into timing belts and other related service parts. They are finding that they are expensive to repair from 60,000 miles and on. One example I have found are the timing belts. They are recomending from the MFG to change them around 65,000 miles from what I have been told. Though many drive them farther the risk comes in that if the belt lets go it takes the valves as it is not a interference fit engine . They also are told to replace the water pump at the same time as you have to remove the timing belt to get to it too. Most have bene quoted $500-$600 for this service. Many drive on but if it breaks no warranty coverage for this kind of damage. When looking at many cars today few people consider some of these hidden cost items that in some cases can add up in price. Several workers have sold off the Hyundai's and Kia's as they did not want to invest that much in a car they may not keep that much longer any how. Most also needed other service items too. Not so much here but in many of the magazine reviews I wish they would list many of the major must service items on these cars that are requied under 100,000 miles. This is one area GM often leads in but seldom promotes. I remember our old Fiat that required belt changes at 25,000. We went 26,000 and was very glad we has a extra low mileage engine in the garage. It was ugly.

V12's and 10's will all fade away accept from the highest end sports cars like a Enzo replacment. Turbo V6 and V8 and TuRbo V8 engines will be more common in the low volume flagships of most makes. What Cadillac has to do is make a car of the highest qulity in class. It needs to be as quiet as they can make in inside. Styling needs to set it appart not only from the other makes but also from the standard Cadillacs. Power needs to be more than it needs in the top option. Ride and handling needs to be the best it can be. Weight needs to be cut to give added perfromance and better handing. Technology also needs to be perfect and no goofy pain the ass things. It should be leading and usable. Flagships are to make a statment and Cadillac needs to lead in all these areas. The one thing this car needs to do is offer things to level the others don't and not share much of anything with other common models. Little as possible needs to be seen or noticed coming from any other lesser GM car.

The Cadillac will sell but we have to think in electric car volumes. It may sell about the same as the Volt at best. The Tesla and Fisker are more toys for the wealthy to play look at what I have. They are priced well beyond for what you get but most of these guys also have a Bently or Benz in the garage too. The appeal of the Cadillac will be that it will be cheaper than the other two. It also will have a dealer network in every city vs the others that have to be flat bedded to where ever you can get it fixed. Finally the Cadillac is a car that you really can drive. Run out of power and you still make it home. Like it or not the GM system is the best sorted one out there right now and offers the best option till better batteries come along. The only issue killing the Volt is cost but GM knew that as anyone informed knew that too. GIven time the cost will come down. Also with the changes coming for gas engined cars to meet 53 MPG their cost will go up. The electric car market is only just past the birth stage and will take time to grow and develope. If there were no market of any vehicles we would see little to no growth as we have for nearly 100 years. If there is a market people will invest in it. The company that makes a battery or power system that delivers will be the next Apple. Crack this tough nut and the cash will flow in. The reward is there but it will take time and money to reach it. The ELR will be pushed as a Luxury coupe with great perfomance and very good handling. The torque will help with the performance and the battery weight will help in ride and handling. It will not be termed a sport coupe but a sporty couple, Performance will be expressed not implied.

Nice to see that we made the top ten. I know to this point Zero defects or issues. What more could you ask for. Note I am picky and will even visit if there is a TSB on my system at work. Often I am the one that lets the dealer know there is a TSB. http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2012/11/top-10-most-reliable-american-cars.html

I agree it is kind of odd in some ways and normal in others. The front and rear are fine but the side view is not what you expect out of a Buick. Long low and sleek are no longer what Buicks are about. If it increases sales and profit I say go for it. To be honest it is just hard to package great styling into a small package as you have so much less to work with. Just look at the Smart, IQ and Spark.

Now you can shut this deal down when you need it off that is not an issue. Also there is a button on the side of the shifter to choose what ever gear I want in a manual mode. It is not there for performance driving. Note they just built the1 millionth Nox/Terrain 2010. I feel many do not really understand how well this vehicle is selling. Very Cool to hear they built the millionth unit. I assume you meant 2012? I was just shocked they sold 90,000 Terrains last year. That is a hell of a lot of GMC's for not being a pick up truck.

No as they are counting from the model year they started this design. Hell they don't even make a million Camrys a year. The only thing sold in those numbers are trucks and they have to count all sizes and shapes to make that. Either way that is a good number for any car in 3 years and a very good number in this segment. I know it is greater than GM ever expected. THis only puts more presusre on the new Delta II based model that is coming.

Weren't the transmissions for FWD cars only? Or was there to be a rear drive version as well? Both. Is there an echo in here? LOL!

The market is classing the cars anymore. The Impala is what the full size will be. I suspect the larger rwd cars may get a new handle since they will be less in number. The Impala could be a little wider and the Malibu could be a little longer like the last version. But they are looking to cut weight and this is the cheapest way to do it.

This is another case where someone needs to see and sit in the car before they pass judgment. Sit in the back of a Lacrosse and then a Regal and even Stevie Wonder can tell the difference. The same will apply here. Also the level of options and trim run the price of the Impala up even more than the Malibu. Finally with the coming SS sedan there is no need to make a FWD SS Impala. The Impala is just not intended to be that kind of car. Now if they drop the VF sedan in a few years I could see a Impala SS.

I really don't think that was totally honest. Lets face it if they thought it was a really good idea they could have redone the nose if needed. But that is just my feeling,. I tend to thing the Nox moving to the Delta II is the real reason. Mark could not really say anything on this as all that is known for sure is what platform it will be on. With it going to Delta II should make it smaller and lighter. It also by my estimate will only have a 2.5 and 2.0 Turbo with no V6 option. They need to get more MPG out of this thing and that is the only way they will do it. I love my Terrain but it is too damn heavy for what it is. Very solid but too heavy.

This was one of those vehicles where GM catched hell for making it a Buick but if they had made it a Chevy would have caught hell for being too expensive for a Chevy. It is where it needs to be and will do well.

Now you can shut this deal down when you need it off that is not an issue. Also there is a button on the side of the shifter to choose what ever gear I want in a manual mode. It is not there for performance driving. Note they just built the1 millionth Nox/Terrain 2010. I feel many do not really understand how well this vehicle is selling.

You have to have a console. Where would they put the donut holder?

The problem is so many just think they need it never having driven many of the FWD, Stability Controled, Traction Controled and Antilock braked cars of today. Where I live and drive we have about as bad of road conditions as most will see east of Lake Tahoe and west of Buffalo and we all get around pretty well here less a few idiots that just can't drive even with AWD.

My Toronado can make it through fairly deep snow just fine thanks. I have pushed snow with the air dam on my HHR with no problem with only all season tires in the snow belt of the great lakes. .

They should like it in China. They like things that have faces in their design. The Steering wheel was the one thing I did take from the photo's that needed changed ASAP. I am not sure who is designing GM's Wheels but they have missed the mark in a few cars. THe first wheel in the Camaro was the worst.

I would have to agree there should have been better HVAC for the rear seat. The little vents under the front seats just do ot flow any AC unless you used bi level. The noise she hears Is just amplified becaue of the size and shape of the interior. I know they could have insulated it more but how much weight would it have added vs gain in road noise. 90% of the owners have the radio up to the point is is a non issue. What you report is mostly what my wife has found.

Weren't the transmissions for FWD cars only? Or was there to be a rear drive version as well? From my understanding there were going to be both.

Chevy often offers a LT2 package with a special package that often includes the V6, larger wheels, chome duel exhaust and a few other options. We got this on the Malibu much cheaper and pretty much had a LTZ for a lot less and only missing the multi disc changer, power passenger seat and a few other odd options. I suspect we will see this as production gets going and they start to play the marketing games. They did a similar package on the Terrain too. This time it was called the chome and technology package and it offer a big cut on price for the V6, Chrome Package, 19" wheels and NA/audio system.

The transmissions are coming as GM and Ford have joined forces for them. The TT V6 will mostly be used in the Cadillacs for the most part. As of now I would be suprised if they are used in anything else than the Camaro and maybe a C8 or later Vette. The TT V6 will not be in the Impala or Malibu or any other Buick at this point. That could change but GM is not saying any more.

This is also a great example of how wheels can effect the look of a car in a positive way or negitive way. This was very true on my 04 GP. We had the 5 spoke option wheels in chome vs the standard 10 spoke painted wheels. My wife and I were always getting stopped and asked about the car and they ll said the wheels were the stand out feature. I never though much of the 04 styling as did most people but the wheels made it much more acceptable in their eyes. In this case it improved the car. Now in other cases I have seen a great looking car suffer from poorly styles wheels. Also the tutone interior here makes a car look much more expensive vs a single tone. These duel tone interirors are one of the greatest improvments they could hace done to any of there cars. My Terrain in the Brick and black looks very nice and my HHR in the black and red make a world of difference in the look of a very cheap interior. Presentation of anything is key above all things.

Please don't take it that way. It is proof they can take an entry level car and make it look much more than a entry level car. As it is the Sonic is already nicer than most in class. All I mean from my comment is they have taken a base model car and made it look so much better even yet. They have made ti not look cheap in any way.

Proof you can make silk out of a sows ear. GM could turn the segment on its ear [no pun intended] if they were to produce and price this well in the segment. This is proof a economy car does not have to look like a rental.

This is nothing new here. Many of us have already stated GM needs a specail V8 for the new flag ship sedan and what ever variation they may come up with. At this point it really matter little if it is a DOHC or based on the LT1 The one key element is that it can not just be some engine plucked from the Pick up trucks or Corvette As I have stated here many times it needs to have it's own tune and set up. Also it needs to be dressed up and with real polished/powdercoated aluminum and stainless bits and not just have some plastic cover slapped over it. If you want a car to be more you have to give it more. Also you want Cadillac to be more than a fancy Chevy you need to give them more or something different. So far the cars have been doing that with the ATS and CTS now it is time for the engines to start doing the same starting with the LTS. Anything less than a specificCadillac tuned and dressed engine in the LTS will be a mistake. If you want the car to be special then damn well make it special. I think they dropped the ball on the Eco Turbo in the ATS as they should have given it more power and torque vs the GS.