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I just realized today marks 14 years that I've been on the Cheers and Gears forum. I found it in 2005 when everyone was hypothesizing about the then new LaCrosse and I was approaching needing a new car. Three years later, I bought that car. But I'm still here ...

Thanks @ccap41 While waiting on my lift gate actuator, I spot this at Bell Ford...

Congrats on the new ride! I've grown more and more fond of the Flex. When it first came out I absolutely hated it's styling. It always felt awkward but, maybe with my change in lifestyle with age and home ownership, it grew on me to the point where I would have bought one had I been able to find one packaged the way I liked it.. refreshed and AWD but as @surreal1272 mentioned, it was ecoboost only(which I also would have wanted) and then the prices jump pretty quick. Oh and also after having Sync3, it would have had to have been a 2016+.. Not cheap ones. I almost never like dark blue vehicles with black wheels/accents but I think this looks great. Maybe I just love the blue that much or maybe it actually works but I'd love this one:

That’s my line of thinking on it. I have been ashamed to admit that I have a thing for wagons. 8 years in a Magnum and now this pretty much confirm it lol. Really, the main draw is the 82 cubic feet of space with all the seats down. Now sure there is another CUV or SUV that can touch that without going up to a Tahoe or Expedition. The box shape absolutely helps here and confirms why I think bean shape CUVs and CUV coupes are a waste of space. Hell, I just like the old school beach cruiser look of it more than anything else. I get that Ford wanted the Explorer back in the fold and that’s one of the reasons why the Flex was left to die but they should have pushed both, in an ideal world of course.

My ‘14 Grand Cherokee has 20s, and I’ve been happy with the Michelin Defenders I put on it a couple years ago. Been very good the last 3 winters. Beautiful weather today, 65 degrees. Took a drive up the coast this afternoon to a beach and stopped at several parks along the coast on the way home.

I'm still yet to see a GT in person...

This was yesterday: I needed some rubber seals for some metal ridges in the engine bay where they had come undone and/or were missing. I think I found them. I went to the junkyard where you pull your own parts. What may look like a mess is really organized ... by brands, row numbers, etc. Very interesting. Olds 88 being pulled into inventory - probably has a 3800 there for the picking ... What the hell? Are you intrigued? It's sad that a 2005 LaCrosse would devolve into this kind of condition "Come on baby light my Fiero" (the 100 in blue means row 100) $ 6 for my parts. I've already snapped them into place.

Saw this on Christmas Day. Where else but in a church parking lot, given how damn near perfect it is for its age. Early '90s? Beautiful full-size Olds Custom Cruiser wagon (with possible "Vista" roof). Those were the days.

Sharp Flex @surreal1272. Always liked them because they are so distinctive looking...kind of a modern traditional station wagon form in a world of CUVs.

Never thought I say it- but the Flex has grown on me....love the thing now! Congrats! Looks good in Silver! Took one to Chicago with my boss to Chicago.....handled that trip with comfort and class! ? Keep us updated on her!

2015 with 88K miles on it. It’s the SEL FWD (AWD models are tough to find unless its a EcoBoost) and is loaded. Did get an extra 3 year 50K Mile warranty on it for a little piece of mind. The only issue is the rear lift gate Actuator (the large single arm beneath the rear lift struts. I noticed it was bad (liftgate would open a few inches and then back down indicating the problem) so I got an extra $300 off while the actual part is $120 and easy as pie to replace. Other than that, everything seems to work well. Have to say that I never thought I would love heated seats but my back was thanking me for it earlier. Will post some more pics when the weather isn’t so crappy. My only real concern is my chewing through those twenty inch tires lol.

“Trucks in middle America,” Barra said, “will be one of the areas last disrupted.” What an evil statement.

I defected back to the Germans this Christmas... got myself an Audi A8L 4.0T. The car sold new for 109. But at 4 years and 40K miles as a Certified Pre-Owned, it is $31.6K making it an exceptional value. This is in part due to the SUV craze and in part due to the fact that car enthusiasts are generally gravitate to the S-cars, the M-cars, the V-cars and the AMGs. This left the traditional flagship sedan with low demand and fantastically bad residual values (71% depreciation in 4 years). It is no S8 Plus for sure, but it is brisk enough.

Nice..those were a 2 year only model with the whale Caprice body, '91-92.

I should clarify that second sentence. I have NEVER been ashamed to admit that I have a thing for wagons.

More on this later.

Car and Driver updated their Malibu CVT test drive article with real test times and they rewrote part of the article to give it some actual honest to goodness praise. And they did not trash the CVT, they seem to be ok with it. https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a22835282/2019-chevrolet-malibu-rs-cvt-driven/ extra 10k-15k-20k

The more Hyundai/KIA push easy credit to sell their vehicles, the more often people are upside down on their car loans because the residual values hit the skids early and often. Yes, GM and Ford should keep a few sedan models around, but sedans do not sell at the numbers like they used to. GM should simply sell the best sedans given the segment that currently exists. Since Buick may no longer sell sedans in the USA anymore, Chevy should make and sell the BEST Malibu and the BEST Cruze possible and take the fight to Civic/Corolla and Camry/Accord.