riviera74

Dear Ford, Stop bellyaching and step your game up. Your whining makes you look like a little girl who dropped her ice cream cone. Sincerely, GM

Genesis and Equus NEED to be separated from all other Hyundais for one reason: they are actually desirable and they are completely different from all those FWD appliances. If Hyundai wants to compete with Toyota and Honda and Ford and Chevy, Genesis and Equus should have their own dealer network to compete against the luxury marques. Given the value a Genesis sedan is over almost all luxury marques, it is high time they are separate. I might even consider buying one one day (Memo to GM: more RWD please.). Then again, if that were to actually happen, what would be Kia's role?

I agree on the overlap. Chrysler and Dodge need to be very well differentiated for either of them to compete in the marketplace. Dodge could stand to move downmarket some and Chrysler must move upmarket and soon. Otherwise, what is the point of either one other than the 300/Charger and the minivans?

Either way, lighter is aleays better from a performance and fuel efficiency POV. This is nothing but a positive development in GM platform engineering . The XTS and the LaCrosse have the same wheelbase and track ? Really? They should make both of them roomier, if not a little longer since there are no roomy full-size sedans anymore (at least as roomy as a Lucerne!).

I am very impressed by the interior most of all. For years, GM has cheaped out on interiors, even on LeSabre and Park Avenue. That finally started to change with the original Enclave, 2nd-gen Lacrosse and now all the new cars. The Encore continues this very positive trend of premium interiors. GM has finally learned that interiors matter. Now can this interior be acquired in a Lacrosse these days (especially the two-toned seats and motif)?

Since GM already has the GMC Terrain, what purpose would a Granite concept serve if released into the marketplace? The Encore should probably be Equinox/Terrain sized anyway since the Encore looks (is?) smaller than both of them.

Really? The Explorer is ugly. I hope they take nothing from it. I said BEST Ideas. Certainly NOT the Explorer's looks: its interior would be an upgrade over the current Acadia's. Less weight and an improved interior is what this CUV needs now. No need to reject ideas just because they come from elsewhere.

I would rather see GM have the most profit and cash flow than #1 in sales. #1 in sales makes you the hunted..... not the hunter. Best to let Toyota or VW be #1 in sales and let them deal with all the scrutiny the media will bring upon them.

Maybe the reason the median age of cars is so high is that the price of new cars is so high. $30K median price for a new 2012 car? Seriously? Maybe if they were priced at $20K, sales would actually go up and pull that median age down. I only own a 99 Park Avenue Ultra because I cannot afford something newer (newer LaCrosse? or SRX? or CTS?......). I suspect a LOT of people would agree that a new car, even with a lease, is currently unaffordable given their budgets.

The Acadia is the eldest of the Lambdas. It needs a radical MCE, if not a totally new model. GM needs to look at the NEW Ford Explorer and crib their best ideas off that vehicle, including a much improved interior and less weight.

GM needs to make their interiors more space efficient for driver and passenger alike. Soon. As for who owns what GM cars, I have no idea.

Shut down Holden? I certainly hope not. Why not chop Opel down to size since Europe is in an economic malestrom not seen since WWII? Without Holden, there is no G8 or Camaro... and certainly no Zeta to build newer RWD cars. Save Holden: Opel/Vauxhall deserves the chopping block instead.

GM really needs to do this because of Ford's success with the EcoBoost v6 in their F-series. GM is leaving money on the table if they do not follow suit. http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2012/01/f-150-again-tops-chart-as-truck-sales-rebound/

When I get my next car, I will miss the 3800 (Series II supercharged) in my 99 Park Avenue Ultra..... except the premium unleaded requirement. The 231 v6 is easily the best GM pushrod v6 they have ever made. (The pushrod V8s were never bad, excluding the V8-6-4 in '81-'82). The biggest reason is simple: torque. In newer cars with the modern DOHC v6s, which engine is closest to that venerable 231? The new 3.6 perhaps?

For the most part, good news all around, especially since obsolete models are being more than replaced with better product and sales improved. One issue: Chevy + GMC pickup trucks still do not outsell Ford F-series in 2011. A reason as to why is here: http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2012/01/f-150-again-tops-chart-as-truck-sales-rebound/

Want to know why F-series is still #1? http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2012/01/f-150-again-tops-chart-as-truck-sales-rebound/ GM needs to follow their lead here. Another thing: 2 million Fords and fewer than 90K Lincolns sold? Why should anyone buy Lincolns again?

Why are the sales figures in such small type? They can barely be read.

Lincoln needs major help if Ford really wants to make some green. All Lincolns down except for one model? Sad.

Hyperv6, Yes there is a need for the Traverse. Remember that the Lambda platform replaced the U-body minivans, not the GMT-360s. There will still be a need for that Traverse, even though I think that Traverse buyers should consider the Enclave in its place. There is room for both. For the most part, I like this new Trailblazer concept. A real truck-based SUV that can tow and haul more than a Traverse without the Tahoe price tag is a good thing.

I want a Commodore (sedan) in the NA market ASAP! We already have Epsilon II Utes: they are Equinoxes and Terrains and SRXs. No need for a bastardized El Camino if it is not RWD.

Sedan, by a country mile . Followed by a wagon, maybe.

I think we ALL would absolutely LOVE to see that. Yes, Chevy and Buick need RWD sedans right now as flagships! The only reason GM went FWD is because it is cheaper than RWD. As for the new Ecotec 3cyl and 4cyl engine family replacing three engine families, this is a good thing. Let the European and Asians design those engines since they deal with small engines every single day. In fact, I do hope they are actually better than the current 3cyl and 4cyl engines GM has now. For the most part, GM (at least in NA) had great V8s and the 231 V6 (the best pushrod V6 ever). The 4Cyl engines were mostly lame, especially compared to the competition. Only recently has GM taken 4Cyl seriously with the Ecotec line. In the 90s, you were a fool to get a 4Cyl GM car. Now, the GM cars with a 4Cyl are actually good. What the market wants are great 4Cyl engines that are refined rather than noisy. Remember, we are in the MPG wars now. That means 3Cyl and 4Cyl engines are everyone's primary weapons into battle. GM must be competitive here! That current Spark customer could actually graduate into an Equinox or a Traverse when his/her needs change. I would love to see a RWD Impala and/or Park Avenue replacement, but getting customers in the door with 3cyl and 4cyl models are vital to GM's long-term survival. Remember when GM abandoned full-size RWD cars in 1996 to focus on higher-margin trucks? Big mistake when the Chrysler 300 came out in 2005 and GM left money on the table for three years. GM must never neglect the 4cyl market again like they did in the 70s. Indeed, worldwide, GM should push for more 3cyl and 4cyl engines in cars up to the Chevy Malibu to be competitive with the rest of the world. Do we need more choice up here (i.e. Holdenate a new Imapla/Caprice and Park Avenue replacement)? YES. But 3cyl and 4cyl powered cars will pay the bills in order to afford GM that choice for the rest of us who cannot stand FWD.

I have an oil life meter in my 1999 Park Avenue Ultra. I discovered it when it asked for an oil change after the oil life went down to 20%. Do other GM cars now have this feature, particularly the 2011 and 2012 models?

Saving $40 is a very small risk, considering the car costs over $10k retail.

One last question: when will the SPOHV engine be ready to put in a car sold at a local dealership?