Croc

Troll.

I was referring to the Lucerne nameplate, not the G-architecture. Also, the Buick Epsilon-II will not be until 2010.

Next-gen LaCrosse on EpsilonII in 2009, Enclave in late 2007, some kind of Zeta (likely Statesman based on that one article) has been confirmed. Buick just got Lucerne, and Lucerne is sticking around for more than a generation. What else do you need? Pontiac has............a possible GTO/Zeta sedan. That's it.

Don't forget the rear taillight setup. UGLY! I think it's very telling how that Sport Appearance package became so ubiquitous.

Ven: likely (and hopefully) Benz addressed the quality of the interior materials. MB doesn't need to improve their design or ergonomics all that much...they've been using the same general layouts for decades, and they work for the most part. I am going to go out on a limb here and assume that this new E-Class addresses the electrical gremlins that plague the current generation while maintaining virtually the same style, interior and exterior with maybe a few additional features as optional/standard equipment. In my opinion, they really don't need to do anything else as it still looks fresh.

Camino, I agree with you 100%. You said it very succinctly and accurately.

VUE has the better-looking interior based on those pictures. That said, I want to touch and feel the surfaces of it because GM interiors photograph notoriously better than they actually are in person. GM just needs to dump money on interior materials.

Saturn is similar to Mercury: Mercury has zero image...positive or negative. Saturn has a slight image, and luckily for it its image is one of pleasant dealers and "non-GM" product. Hence, Saturn gets the euro cars because it has the most pliable image within GM. An argument could be made for SAAB, but Saturn has a better dealer network so that's what happened. Pontiac is the murky one, really. What kind of vehicles does Pontiac offer? Pontiac as a brand is like one of those nasty scatterplot graphs where the trend line could be drawn almost anywhere...They need focus. And money. I believe they'll be getting it by the end of the decade, though. Lutz does not want anymore casualties. Honestly, Pontiac would have a compelling lineup with a Zeta sedan/GTO coupe pair of vehicles, Solstice and a G6 lineup without an ass-nasty interior. Frankly, GM should put the current AURA interior in the G6 because in my mind that is the kind of quality Pontiac should be offering (minus the wood of course...Pontiac should stick with brushed aluminum-like trim). The AURA has an interior that is just barely competitive. Give it some piano black trim, ditch the plood, and give it some two-tone dash treatments like the OUTLOOK has...then it will be truly competitive for its life cycle. As I see it now, AURA has a great exterior, mediocre interior, good powertrain. It will compete acceptably with the Camry and Accord for a year or two, but no longer than that. Of course, this is perfect, as a new AURA debuts for 2010 on Epsilon II. So in the end I think the AURA is fine because it is what it is: a stopgap. Judging by the OUTLOOK interior, which is class-leading, the 2010 AURA should be excellent.

It dpesn't even have to be 30k for a decent SUV.

You sure? I don't recalling summoning the Wrath of God this time...???

No modifications are required for a diesel engine to run on biodiesel. In fact, depending on how long it takes to ramp up, a diesel engine can run on a mixture of bio- and non-bio-diesel...that's what happens in Europe.

Of course it isn't. Some people just have no loyalty and when the $h! goes down, they like to bail. Demodded? Nice fantasy life you live...more like quit after growing tired of you and your witch hunts. The other mods will back me up.

Speak for yourself, since you seem to be the only one buying his snake oil.

Screw E85...biodiesel all the way.

I probably could...but I have greater life aspirations than being a better Buickman.

Agreed.

Really? You don't have much to show for it... What about me?

That's a really nice looking Theta!

This clearly benchmarked the Torrent. Good job for Kia, but, like the Torrent, nothing to put them on the must-see lists of America.

I think you'd make a great third grade student.

Better buy a Honda then and invest in a lifetime supply of Depends...

Disagree...I really like that color combo. Also, I think that's more of a light neutral than a gray.

The trim in the AURA most obviously is. Look at it around the ignition switch. FAKE!

The minivans are a separate program.

The grey radio/HVAC unit plastic would also be in piano black. See the SKY interior as an example.