Croc

LOL smoking keeps the hunger in check.

Oh please. Biodiesel will happen, there's no reason for it not to. Current diesel engines can run biodiesel without any modifications other than a software reprogram. Any other alternative fuel requires major modifications to existing components. Hydrogen is not likely as there is no supporting infrastructure. Ethanol is unlikely as it really doesn't alleviate the problem and isn't a practical solution. Biodiesel has the existing infrastructure through diesel and gasoline distribution, and because of the ease of which to convert to using biodiesel, there is no real hurdle for it. The oil is going to run out. When is the only variable. What will happen if we do not have alternative fuels developed when the oil does run out? We cannot have our heads buried in the sand forever.

Oh no...now I can't speak for Northie on this, but I'm no "frat boy." Our chapter is constantly getting compliments from non-Greeks as "not being like a typical frat" or "a lot different than [the speaker] expected a frat to be." We're also the most liberal house on the row, and one of two with a democratic president. The other 15 are all conservative headed by republicans.

The walking is key. I've dropped serious poundage just by adding a 45-minute, 3-mile walk around my neighborhood every evening as part of my daily routine. Not only does it give me time to decompress and relax, but it knocks off 300 calories.

Because as originally launched, the SRX was a sales dud. So the V-series was not developed. Had it launched as it is currently appointed, it would have sold much better and probably would have had a V-series developed.

Exactly...and when rebates/incentives put the two cars in the same price range, then it becomes a "which size car for the same money" equation. If the Impala were a nicer car, with better materials, this would not be an easy, lateral comparison. These two cars should not be priced so closely together. This is very similar to the CTS/STS problem--the CTS is infinitely nicer, nearly the same size, yet priced cheaper. The STS is supposed to be a larger, more expensive car, but it lacks the craftsmanship of the CTS. Hence, the STS will die soon.

Well, I think the styling is actually fairly similar:

Yes, because of "price." The only objective reason to buy an Impala over a Malibu is if the Impala has a great deal that makes it a question of "which size car for essentially the same money?" I'm curious as to why your buddy feels this way. Was it because he got a lot of car for his money? The reason I ask is because I've always wanted to like the G6, especially in coupe form. That said, I never can because of the cheap interior. I actually think the plood trim cheapens the interior more than if it were silver-painted plastic because the placement and application has always struck me as cheap. I've heard it drives well, and the exterior styling is pretty sharp, but I demand a good interior, and while a step up from a Grand Am, the G6 just is not competitive when cross-shopped to the alternatives...unless you get a crazy deal on it.

Look at a Mazda3...if you can fit that into your price range, those are great cars that get great mileage.

The 9-3 is an Epsilon--I'm 99.9% sure of that. Also, I'm fairly confident that the 9-3 sells as it does because of poor SAAB dealership penetration, which is why GM wants to group SAAB with Cadillac and HUMMER. The 9-3 is a genuinely great piece of engineering, and I am always surprised by how nice the interiors are when I check them out.

I'm very much a skeptic on more "homeopathic" remedies for medical issues, but since the pain is due to a bulging disc, and the chiropractor I found says he has successfully treated those while acknowledging herniated discs generally require surgery, I figure this guy isn't a quack. The ones that I disregard are those who claim manipulating the spine can cure everything. Really? Appendicitis can be cured by switching vertebre around? ORLY?

What part was opinion? That the products I listed were described as half-baked and non-competitive? Those points are easily corroborated by numerous reviews and sales numbers. It is also a fact that one of GM's biggest internal struggles is releasing competitive product that has not been dumbed-down by the group-think of executives and focus groups. Interior cost-cutting is the biggest issue, though lately GM seems to be doing better about that. Yes, I do have some passion here on GM...after all, I am a GM fan. That said, it is hard to like this company sometimes, especially when they keep making the same mistakes year after year, and then wonder why the hell the product sits on lots. It really isn't that difficult to understand from a consumers' point of view, why the Toyota Camry has outsold the Malibu for years. The new Malibu, however, is damn good, and the fact that it has a 40% conquest rate, the majority of which being Camry trade-ins, is testament to that.

Hehe...yeah. You're used to that one, huh Northie? Theta Chi -> Date A Guy...Phelta Guy though...kinda lame, but similar to Delta Chi. At USC, the gayest fraternity is Beta Theta Pi. They have a lot of gay guys in that house, and one of the funnier stories was from one of my brothers who was playing basketball on their hoop with a couple of Betas, and one of the Betas started talking about shoe shopping, and how excited he was to go buy some shoes with a couple of his bros. No clue if he was one of the gay members, but it was really funny...My brother was like "Yeahhhhhh...we usually go to the beach to hang out, but whatever floats your boat..."

Hey BV...what kind of mileage are you aiming to get?

Dunno how you feel about chiropractors, but I found this on the net: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Chiropractors-9...-nerve-neck.htm Might want to give it a shot?

Dunno how you feel about chiropractors, but I found this on the net: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Chiropractors-9...-nerve-neck.htm Might want to give it a shot?

I'll say...but if that's how he usually presents himself to people, no real surprise there

I really don't know about this. They were actually pretty standard from my experience with them. I've been looking for a pic of them, but haven't found one yet. I really fail to see what is so objectionable about them, though.

Yeesh.

OK I'm gonna be honest...I read the first two sentences of that and got tired of the wall of text. Chill, man. No "pissing contest" here, just sharing my impressions as well. You are not the lord tastemaker on interior design, and really, you're the first and only person I've seen criticize the CTS interior as not being up to par for the class. That's surprising to me, and that's why I challenged it. But forget I mentioned anything; I'm not interested in reading another pompous rant. FYI: the CTS rear armrest DOES include cupholders.

Honestly...no. It's not exactly original.

:sigh:

You can do better than this vehicle.

This is your problem right here. Toyota is not "the dark side." Frankly, the dark side is the kind of half-assed backwards groupthink that takes place in the RenCen responsible for the Aztek, 2003 Malibu, G6, Torrent, and any other half-baked, noncompetitive product GM produces after months of promises of "this one will be the one!" Dude, they've been promising this since the dawn of time, and with every new product cycle since this site was created in 2002 on Snitz. The only ones that have really delivered are the 2008 Malibu, the Lambdas, and the CTS. Everything else was an empty promise. And until I see, touch, and drive them, I'm going to assume whatever GM says about their "amazing luster" to be a load of bull$h!--because that's what history tells me. Frankly, not even my impressions matter. Until the sales numbers come in, a car cannot be certified as successful. And GM needs home runs NOW. No, I knew where you were coming from since you posted your original post. But I really do not see why anger is the emotion when someone buys a Toyota. I strongly dislike Toyota's for a variety of reasons, but anger is foreign to me in this situation.

Just about all center stacks are painted plastic. Also, I'm pretty sure the wood is real. If not, then it's a damn good fake because I'm a snob against plood. The only thing about the rear center armrest I did not like was the exposed screws, but I've been told that that's due to a missing rubber thing they remove for the auto shows. I have yet to confirm that, though. Overall, I found quality to be better than comparable BMW and Mercedes interiors. Those interiors left e cold, and didn't feel all that great to me. Sterile and busy, actually.