Croc

Why did you post all of this? I thought you wanted money for it? What happened, no one came to your seminars? Seriously...I just don't understand.

They made them for Europe and America. As a result they were too wide for Euro tastes and were cancelled there after 3 years of sales. In America, they were some of the narrowest vans on the market.

Looks pretty tite.

It kinda looks like a Prius in shape...but very very sexy.

happy birthday man! cremazie: maybe hes jewish and doesnt have to worry about that shiiiiiiiiit!

Heavens no! The Malibu needs a significant redesign.

Avanti

hahaha thank you ah-ha for being the insider with a sense of humor.

...you sure they were talking Ford and not Mitsubishi?

Wow I have a hard time imagining BMW using anything less than its own cars as rentals.

Wait...GM just cans vehicles because too much gets revealed? Wow...they might want to plug up their security leaks before cancelling good product. :rolleyes: So, what's the new plan?

That front is nasty...the bulbous grille is/front fascia really detracts from what is otherwise a decent-looking car.

I always think of that Men At Work song cuz they say "fried out Combi" in there...

Eh, the Sebring convertible has a better interior than the 1991 Cutlass hands down. I agree with the other shortcomings, though.

I think what makes it eco-unfriendly is that a lot of people cannot burn them due to having gas fireplaces and/or do not wish to burn them due to the carbon emissions. If one doesn't consume the tree, it gets put out on the curb and the trash people take it away unless a local park has a drop-off for recycling like Indianapolis does. I have no problem with real trees as long as they get turned into paper or something instead of just being thrown away. But you are right, Xmas trees generally do come from farms and trees specifically made for such a purpose, so no deforestation worries there ;)

Other: I like the high driving position because that way I can actually see the road and the other cars on it with fewer issues. That said, I doubt I will get a truck since a crossover SUV will do the same and get better mileage...

What my family has always done is first, at the tree farm, they have a machine that shakes the tree to get those needles out before we even take it home. Then, to minimize the mess, we have an old white sheet on the floor surrounding the tree, and that catches the pine needles so all we have to do is carefully gather the sheet and take it outside to shake off after we take the tree down. Hopefully that'll help some of y'all ;)

IIRC the CTS is a bit of a porker in the weight dept.

Swallow the pride and let them buy it for you and have you pay them back. I really don't see what the big deal is, I mean you are still paying for it, it's just the "leasing entity" is mom and dad. Why not? It's only a handout if you aren't paying for it. Consider it a "financing option." Look, man, I know where you are coming from, but let's look at the alternatives: 1) Use the parents, get the car, and demonstrate your responsibility with payments. 2) Don't use the parents, potentially jeopardize a friend's driving record AND insurance premiums if an accident occurs regardless of who is at fault, and pay through the nose with financing charges and leasing premiums. Derr...option 1 makes the most logical sense.

Honestly, I'd wait until you don't need a co-lessee. It's just too risky for the other person, and I can see trouble ahead. Plus, I've watched waaaay too much Judge Judy to know you might not be friends with the co-lessee much longer if you two go through this.

We use real, but half the family is allergic. One of these years we will switch to artificial.

When you have the right basis of comparison, any car can seem nice. GM for years only compared its new cars internally to the ones it replaced, not the entire market segment in which the new cars competed.

what's with the rear wheel wells? I really don't see the HUMMER competition...is the HUMMER portfolio even marketed in Europe?

As of now, the supply shortages somewhat undermine your argument for the Milan and Zephyr. The Fusion is the only one NOT facing a shortage as of now.

Actually, today's generation is just very savvy. You forget, we grew up and came of age with the internet. We are very adept at finding information quickly. We can make entire PowerPoint presentations in an hour or two thanks to Google. Presentations used to take days and lots of overhead transparencies. Thing is...loyalty really has nothing to do with car purchases any more than other consumer goods. You see, if I want a vehicle, I want to get one that suits my needs the best. Why should I sacrifice satisfaction just because of the badge on the car? I like GM, but if I see a vehicle at another camaker that I like better, I will go for that car. For example...If I were in the market for a midsized car, I would ignore GM and focus on the new Fords. Why? Because they are better vehicles. I would also look at the new VWs. They satisfy my needs. Yes, there are a lot of uninformed people out there, but I don't think it is so much a generation thing. If anything, this younger generation is far more open-minded than baby boomers, who swore off domestics in the late 70s and early 80s.