Blake Noble

Is it wierd that I miss Isuzu being in the U.S.?

Threads like these are bad for my Heep fever. I'll never manage to cure it with all of these muddin' pics. Seriously, though, nice ZJ. I'm not suprised it did well off road, two-wheeler Jeeps are underrated. No crap about it, I need another XJ in my life.

The 130R is a car that I not only want, but sort of need considering the instability of gas prices. cue rant The Alpha platform and manual gearbox would make for an engaging driving experience while the augmented four-pot and light curb weight would offer top-notch economy. It's a win/win situation, no compromises. So what if it has a small handful of styling flaws? What car doesn't? That said, it isn't an ugly car by any stretch of the imagination. The Code 130R wasn't all about show like it's counterpart. This car was and would be all about the hardware, about the experience of driving. A production Tru140S would look good when you finally arrived somewhere, but the Code 130R would make getting somewhere much more fun. The Code 130R is big on "smiles per gallon." It would be a true modern classic, something memorable. It's a car with solid substance. I know some of you won't like me saying this, but the Tru140S would ultimately amount to the world's cheapest penis extention, like all cars built on style and style alone. I really hope GM builds a car similar to it. While it wouldn't be enough to completely tear me away from ChryCo, it would be enough to get me behind the wheel of a new GM car. At the end of the day, that's what counts.

Who's Mike? Who's Adam? <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CUCi4vcH_Og" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Someone tell me ... <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9nLhe2yj5fQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

My car is not a defining aspect of my indivduality, I see it rather as an extention or partial embodiment of it.

It's official: GM admits the refreshed Acadia's rear side glass, liftgate spoiler and glass, and rear quarter panels are all shared with the Outlook. I wouldn't make a big deal over it. I doubt a casual buyer will notice which parts are the same. I think GM actually did a pretty smart thing here. This was a highly effective way to overhaul the Acadia's exterior with a very small investment. The tooling was already there and the old Acadia would've looked out of place in the current GMC lineup with just a new grille. The new Acadia's styling changes borrowed from the Outlook bring it more in line with GMC's current offerings and, coincidentally, make it appear like something of a "big brother" to the Terrain (the square wheel openings and wrap-around rear glass). There's no denying the Outlook was the sharpest of the Lambda CUVs from a rear three-quarter view, either. This also allows GM to recoup some of the costs that were spent on the Outlook's tooling. GM only sold something like a total of 70,000 Outlooks during it's four year production run. On the other hand, GM sold about 70,000 Acadias in 2007 alone, so yeah. This one's kinda obvious. EDIT: Thinking about it, this was a very American Motors-like decision for GM.

G. Noble Editor/Reporter CheersandGears.com Friday, 10th February, 2012 If you're waiting for the sting of high gas prices to go away soon, you may be in for one hell of a long wait. Gas prices are back at a national average of $3.48 a gallon -- a whole 36 cents more than the average during February of last year -- and are set to climb an entire 60 cents or more by May. Tom Kloza of the Oil Price Information service expects prices to top out at $4.05 a gallon, although some markets could see prices go even further beyond that. "I think it's going to be a chaotic spring, with huge price increases in some places," said Kloza. Of course, gas prices do tend to rise somewhat going into the warmer months because of increased demand. Refiners also switch to seasonal formulas which can tack on an extra 15 cents a gallon according to Brian Milne of Televent DTN, an energy tracking service. It's been about five years since we last witnessed national average prices reach these levels. In 2008, average prices climbed to a record-setting $4.11 a gallon. We came dangerously close to toppling that record last April with the national average going up to $3.98, but prices starting dropping soon thereafter. With the current economic climate in the U.S. unstable, we can't help but to wonder what effects these near record prices will ultimately bare. Source: USA Today View full article

My advice regarding GM's commitment to beige? That's easy. Root for GM, support Chrysler. Yeah, yeah I know. GM has to build cars for people other than enthusiasts, blah, blah, frickin' blah. Well, Chrysler found a way to build cars that not only appeal to our fellow moron--err--mainstream countrymen but also appeal to diehard petrolheads like many of us here. When you realize Chrysler is a smaller company than GM as well and somehow making it all work, you have to wonder what's GM's excuse? Don't get me wrong. I'm still keeping a close eye on what GM does with the Alpha and Omega platforms, but I have my doubts a car like the Code 130R concept will wonder into showrooms since it's pretty much just me that likes it. Anyway, back to the Acadia.

While it looks different, I think at least the new center IP was definitely based around the skeleton of what we had in the Outlook. For example, notice how the old Acadia's interior didn't have a pop-up storage section. The Outlook, on the other hand, had one and for 2013 the Acadia does as well. Also notice how the old Acadia had three, tall center HVAC vents and has changed over to a simple two vent design, like the Outlook. That suggests to me that perhaps the center HVAC ducts are similar to, if not the same as, the Outlook's. The instrument cluster and IC hood is pretty much the same as the old Acadia's, though. 2013 GMC Acadia Denali interior: 2007 Saturn Outlook interior: 2007 GMC Acadia interior:

Come to think of it, I have to wonder if some the dirty parts of the Outlook's interior formed the basis for the new Acadia's interior.

It took Ford that long to notice all of the teasing? Dodge was doing it a couple of weeks before Chevy jumped in on the fun. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zXM63MLgkaA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Chevrolet has revealed its new Cruze station wagon today, ahead of its scheduled reveal at the Geneva Auto Show next month. Set to go on sale this summer, the new wagon (or estate, if you'd prefer) adds a third bodystyle to the Cruze lineup to go alongside the sedan and hatchback in European showrooms. Chevy's new small wagon is 184 inches (4,675 mm) long, making it longer than either the sedan or hatch. Inside, the wagon offers 17.6 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats up and a nice 52 cubic feet with the seats folded down. Outside, new taillights flank the wagon's rear and the Cruze's new schnoz will make its official debut on this newest variant. Buyers get a choice of three different gasoline (1.4L turbo, 1.6L, and 1.8L) and two different diesel (1.7L and 2.0L) engines. Holden will eventually get a Lion-badged version but as for us here in America? Don't count on it for the time being. Hit page two for the press release. World premiere for Chevrolet Cruze station wagon • Station wagon is the third variant of world's favorite Chevrolet • New engine line-up includes sporty turbo and frugal diesel • Refined design and new technologies • MyLink: cutting edge smartphone infotainment system The Chevrolet Cruze station wagon is all set for its global premiere at the 82nd International Geneva Motor Show early next month. The station wagon, the latest bodystyle of Chevrolet's most popular nameplate, complements the sedan and hatchback versions, which together have combined sales in excess of one million vehicles globally since the carline was launched in 2009. "The Cruze station wagon caters to an important market segment. It ticks all the boxes for European drivers in terms of distinctive design, dynamic driving, space and economy," said Chevrolet Europe President and Managing Director Susan Docherty. The new station wagon features generous storage space and a choice of powerful and efficient engines as well as the state-of-the-art Chevrolet MyLink onboard infotainment system. The new and improved engines will be available on the entire Cruze line-up starting summer 2012. In addition to the current 1.6L and 1.8L gasoline engines, a new 1.4L turbo gasoline, a new 1.7L diesel and an improved 2.0L diesel engine complete the powertrain offer. The 1.4L gasoline, 1.7L diesel and 2.0L diesel engines come with start-stop technology as standard. All engines are Euro 5-compliant. The station wagon, at 4,675 mm, is slightly longer than the hatchback (4,510 mm) and sedan (4,597 mm) models. Load space ranges from 500 liters up to the window line in the rear to nearly 1,500 liters up to the roof top with the rear seats folded down. Refined design and new technologies The station wagon is immediately recognizable as a new variant of the best-selling Chevrolet Cruze. The exterior design features a tapering single arch roofline and comes with roof racks as standard, providing convenience while maintaining a poised and sporty look. A number of exterior and interior styling changes are being introduced in 2012 for all Cruze models. These include a remodeled front fascia, modified head-lamp interiors and fog lamps, and new wheel styles on the exterior and refinements to the center console and a greater choice of seat finishes for the interior. New Cruzes are equipped with keyless entry, allowing access the vehicle with the key safely tucked away in a bag or pocket. Additionally, the system allows the engine to be turned on or off by pressing a button without the need to insert the key into the ignition. A brand-new Chevrolet infotainment system, called MyLink, is being introduced in higher trim levels in the Cruze line-up and in the Chevrolet Aveo as of summer 2012. It brings owners' smartphone capabilities into the vehicle. MyLink aggregates content from the smartphone onto the seven-inch diagonal high-resolution full-color touch-screen display. Once the smartphone is connected, personal playlists, photo galleries, phone books, videos and other stored media and data, such as a special navigation app, can be accessed though the infotainment system touch-screen. View full article

It seems that Roger might be right. GM dusted off the Outlook and made it into a new Acadia. Here's the rear-quarter view of the Outlook: Here's the rear-quarter view of the Acadia, pre-2013: Here's the rear-quarter view of the 2013 Acadia: Aside from the obvious wrap-around rear glass, the rear quarter panels, liftgate, and shape of the taillights are all pretty much the same as what you got on the Saturn.

I don't think I would say those renderings are close, but who knows?

I know it wasn't you. I don't remember if I was belligerent in any way towards your posts and I personally don't think that I was, but if I was then I didn't mean to be. Threads like these, though ... what can I say? They scare the piss out of me. Like I said in one of my earlier posts (which I have taken down), I've loved cars since I was just old enough to say a coherent sentence. I always looked forward to getting my license growing up. I always aspired to own a car that was fun to drive when I was a kid. Sad to say, but there isn't much in my life that I'm truly passionate about. A future without cars around to drive, love, hate, praise, and bash is a future that I just do not want to be a part of, sorry. There's also no changing the fact that I'm proud to be one of the few out there in my generation who still feels that way. I make no apologies for who I am. You love or like me, or you don't and you stay the hell away from me and out of my way. So do I get confused about someone who could care less about the concept of driving a car? Well, yeah. There's no avoiding the fact you'll have to get behind the wheel of a car at least once in your life. Acting apathetic about driving and treating it like a chore is only going to make you drive poorly, I think. Find some reason, some way to make it fun regardless of what you're driving. You only live once. Life is too short to not to get the most out of every last second you get. That doesn't mean I want to seek someone who could care less out and put their head on a pike. I guess I might be a little daft but I'm not quite that daft. /endresponseandfirstrant I'll be fair and say if there's anything at all in that article I agree with it's that the price of insurance, gas, and a decent car does make it difficult for someone my age to get behind the wheel. I don't think any of that should be an excuse, though. If you're like me and you live in a rural town a car is essential. It's how you get to class, it's how you get to work. If you don't have something to drive, you're dead weight. No one's going to chauffeur your ass around, especially when you can't chip in for gas. Sure, it may be convenient to live in an urban area, but I personally would prefer not to. I value my own personal space, not to mention it's costly to pay for a decent apartment with a minimum wage job in a large city. You can't just wake up one day and suddenly make enough money to pay for any sort of car and any sort of apartment when you're trying to get on your feet. You choose one and go from there. It's almost impossible to have it both ways. In another post I had up earlier, I said that any financial problems I'm dealing with was due to my own ineptness with money and my lack of effective foresight and planning, not because I have ownership of a car. I stand by that statement. I'll admit I'm wrong if someone wants to show me how with some concrete evidence and not the click of a dumbass button. I know I should post this thought elsewhere, but I should let it be known I have no issue with the idea of favoriting posts. This current negative/positive rep system, on the other hand, makes this place a little too much like Reddit at times for my liking. If you read something you don't like, you have other options rather than clicking that stupid, childish, yellow-assed little button. You can: Do the first adult thing by engaging someone in an intelligent debate. It's okay if it gets heated as long as you aren't going to escalate things into an outright flame war. Choose to put the author of the post on your ignored user's list. Sure, you might look like an idiot with your fingers in your ears all the time, but as long as you're happy then who's to judge? Do the other adult thing and simply quit reading the post when you feel a little upset but not upset enough to do anything affirmative about it. It can't be that hard to quit reading something. I always manage to make myself quit reading stuff that I vehemently disagree with when I'm lurking TTAC.

Well I see I've managed to offend a few of the resident clowns around here by all of the negative points on my posts. Sorry my opinion differs from yours. Sorry for being myself. Just to make ya'll happy, I've taken down most of my posts in this thread. Also, since I'm so inclined to please everyone tonight, you can just go ahead and down rank this post into oblivion too since I know you won't agree with it and can't be bothered to respond to it as an intelligent adult. And hey! Before I forget, while you're at it you can just go find my other 11,923 posts and rank all of those down too. I wonder why I even bother to stick around this place sometimes.

Unless I can beam myself between point A and point B (and come out completely intact when I arrive there) with a magic wrist-watch, the automobile is about as good as it's going to get. And I'm just fine with that. For the record, a self-driving car, despite the fact it is Satan incarnate, is still a car. It still has four wheels, something that powers them, and is road-going. A bus, by technicality, is also an automobile as well.

If anyone needs a good indicator of what this upcoming Jeep will amount to, read up on the old JJ program. Call it a hunch, but I don't think this new "small" Jeep will have a Trail Rated offering. While that would prove to make a more capable and much better Liberty, the old SJ (Wagoneer), XJ (Cherokee), ZJ (Grand Cherokee), and WJ (GC 2nd-gen) Jeeps would still leave it in the dust off-road. It certainly wouldn't touch a CJ, TJ, and YJ Wrangler or even the JK Wrangler off-road, either. There's no denying it, Jeep has slowly been going soft over the years after the Daimler buyout. It started with the KJ Liberty then the WK Grand Cherokee. Solid front axles were thrown out the window along with the simple, durable, and lightweight QuadraLink suspension in favor of independent front-suspensions. They had absolutely no good reason for the switch either. Sure, some ignorant reviewers in the automotive media bitched about how "old tech" they both seemed on paper, but then again at the same time no one -- auto journalist, consumer, or otherwise -- was really complaining about how a XJ Cherokee or WJ Grand Cherokee handled on-road. No one also denied the fact they handled far better than other SUVs in their class. That all also begs the question: who in the hell buys a Jeep for its on-road behavior anyway? A traditional Jeep's on-road behavior didn't stop hundreds of thousands of owners of mega-dollar luxury cars from parking a Grand Wagoneer in their garage in the 1980s. If it was good enough for someone who drove an 300SEL, then I fail to see the problem. There's also no denying that there was nothing wrong with the old 4 liter inline-six. Instead of replacing it with the questionable Power Tech 3.7 V6 and that old boat-anchor they took out of the minivans, they should have just engineered a new motor with the 4.0's block as a starting point. I'll also say this right here and right now, the JK Wrangler is a slightly overweight caracature of the old YJ and TJ Wrangler. I know I've said before that it's the only industrial-strength Jeep left and I stand by that statement (it's for sure the only Jeep left that's capable of taking any terrain you can throw at it), but I can't deny the old YJ and TJ were much, much more involving to drive and far less forgiving. I remember driving a 2003 TJ Wrangler with the 4.0L I-6 and a five-speed row-your-own once and it was and still is the most involving four-by-four I've ever driven by far. It's always communicating to you, always demanding your attention. You can feel the engine working in front of the transmission in a TJ, all of the cogs meshing into one another when you change gear, the clutch engaging and disengaging with every up and down shift. When you don't disengage the clutch perfectly in a TJ, it'll tell you so. A TJ's firm suspension isn't punishing, but it's always letting you know through the seat of your pants what road surface you're driving on. A brand-new JK is so civilized in comparison it's almost apathetic. You don't have the same man-and-machine relationship in the JK like you do in the TJ. Don't get me wrong, though. I think an all-season, fuel-efficient, four-cylinder Jeep runabout like the MK Patriot is a fine and perfectly needed addition to the Jeep line-up. But that doesn't mean Jeep should offer medium, large, and extra large sizes in it.

I have to disagree with you. I came within inches of buying a 2007 Freedom Drive I Patriot Sport and while I did think the interior plastics were a little flimsy and lined with razor blades, the design was nice and functional with okay panel tolerances. Newer models have much better interior materials, so any complaints about the plastics are now moot. While I have never been a fan of the Compass' design, I don't see what's wrong with the Patriot. If you liked the old XJ Cherokee then there's a lot to like about the Patriot's styling.

It's going to be much more of a soft roader than the current KK model. For starters, two-wheel drive models will be front-wheel drive instead of rear-drive. That's understandable since it'll be based on the CUSW Plus platform. Four-wheel drive models will have a setup similar to the Freedom Drive II system on the MK Jeeps, so that means no two-speed transfer case ... or a transfer case at all, for that matter. There are rumors that the next-gen Liberty will carry the Cherokee moniker, but I'm personally not betting money on it.

Yep, along with what mudmonster just said, this so called "small Jeep" is even smaller than the MK Patriot and its upcoming replacement.

I don't know, but I can tell you it was locked. :/

Indeed the Caliber and third-gen Sebring were rubbish, but the Neon? I don't know if I'd be inclined to say it was a flop. The first-generation Neon was the sole American compact car the press really loved in the '90s until the first-generation Ford Focus came along. While the second-gen Neon lost the coupe bodystyle, it fixed most if not all of the first-gen car's major faults and provided the basis for the first SRT-4. The SRT-4 was anything but a failure. The Neon wasn't in anyway Diamler-influenced, either. Okay ... I don't want to go any further with the Pontiac stuff, but I have to know in what way do you think Pontiac isn't historic? Trust me, I don't think that. Like I said on the previous page: What else needs to be said? Well, unless I'm mainly responding to a post about the Dart or Dart SRT-4, I'm bowing out of this thread for a bit.