Mule Bakersdozen LS

So wait...are HX and H4 2 separate models? As long as its truck-based, more than welcome...

I've said this all along and I'll say it again: Buick needs more products, and cannot survive on just LaCrosse, Lucerne, and Enclave. LaCrosse is flat out an underwhelming vehicle-the Saturn Aura will and likely has stomped on LaCrosse and Pontiac G6 in terms of sales/production, deservedly so (not to mention the similar Chevy Impala as well). Lucerne is okay, but it never has convinced me as having Buick styling, and the interior could use some perking up too, and it is selling...but still almost solely to elderly people (I've seen about 3 under-senior citizens driving Lucernes around). It may be better than the LeSabre/Park Avenue it replaced, but it still has the same clientele, plus maybe a few import conquests. But the 3800 V-6 and 4-speed automatic transmissions are ancient, and lacking as we all know, no matter how proven they are. And the LaCrosse 2008 update? Next to even the tepid 2008 Caddy STS, that looks like no improvement at all, still keeping the Chevy-like CX/CXL trims, complete with little more than grille and color changes. And why is it becoming Regal? I've liked most Regals, but when I think of mid-size mainstream, (FWD) Buick, I think of Century, not the Regal. And so did the overwhelming majority of people in the 1997-2005 generation (and 1982-96, but a little less so there). With the Enclave's immediate success and the 2007 Riviera concept car and more, I am very, very hopeful about Buick, and I can't wait to see (and be a part of) its future.

Are you sure the Cocoa's on the LaCrosse and Lucerne? They get the 76U Dark Mocha Metallic (I've seen it on the 2008 Impala as Mocha Bronze Metallic), more of an Espresso color, where as the 81U Cocoa/Desert Brown (Chevrolet)/Medium Brown (GMC) Metallic matches my Sandbar Brown colored pencil. Coincidence? I'm starting to think not! Either way, I like both of those colors and if both were offered on select vehicles (mainly the full-size cars and trucks), it would make a snazzy two-tone. And the Dark Bronzemist Metallic, another 76U, offered on 2000-02 Pontiac Bonneville's, Buick LeSabre's, and up to 2005 minivans, was more of a Taupe color, as was the 2000 Chevy S-10/Blazer's Dark Bronze Mystique/Caramel Metallics.

Anybody else see the 2000-05 Pontiac Bonneville in the rear quarter windows? I guess I prefer the classy, stately current Aura to the jelly beaned-style of the GTC coupe concept/what we see here.

Hey thanks for the update nonetheless-good to see! I noticed on the USPTO site that there were a few more search hits when I hit "GENERAL AND MOTORS AND CORPORATION AND AUTOMOBILES." I just have no idea what they are-searching is tough!

Yeah I've heard this reasoning before, but the fleets will always need something...and this is a Chevrolet mid-sized sedan...so obviously, its the perfect rental car target, no matter how nicely it is styled or well-equipped. There will always be a Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, etc. in rental fleets-it is inevitable. And will the base LS trim have a V-6 engine option? I hope so, because back in the day there was always optional engine choices, even in cars far plainer than Malibu (the Chevelle 300/Deluxe, anyone?).

Just saw a Platinum Metallic one today, not sure what trim since I was passing by, but probably the CXL.

Could not agree more! I've been thinking of a potential Acura RDX/Mercury Mariner competitor, based on the impressive 2008 VUE (short wheelbase; they could do a mid-sized Rendezvous based on Equinox/Torrent/XL7, but this should be an overriding priority first). Call it Rapid, evoking one of the original precursors of GM. The 3.6-liter V-6 would be standard, providing 260hp on Reserve models; 275 on Super (same as the Enclave), and 300hp on an all-wheel-drive-only Ultra model, all with 6-speed automatic; TAPShift II on Super/Ultra. Sound good? LOL on the Century slam Chicagoland! I agree the A-Body ran too long, as well as the elderly person clientele (same goes for all Buicks, even with the Lucerne). When I worked at the car wash for a little while, I saw many Lucernes-all, yes, ALL-driven by senior citizens. I have seen a few younger people-twentysomethings and moms, driving Century's, what I feel is Buick's best name for a mid-size car. Biased? Maybe, because I had a 1989 beater from 2003-06-but, its been a brisk seller throughout Buick's history, have it re-replace the LaCrosse, huh?

Hey, that's 4 days before my 24th birthday! But, why is it taking this long for the Malibu to hit production? I just saw a (very, very impressive) 2008 Saturn VUE XR on the lot today, and this Malibu better be worth the wait! And I still don't understand the reasoning behind keeping the lousy, old (okay, not old, but it aged fast) predecessor and slapping the "Classic" badge to a car that's downscale and instantly forgettable. Did GM do this in the 1970's? NO!! While Ford and Chrysler took forever to downsize their cars, and squared up the hulks (Ford Torino to LTD II, Dodge Coronet to Monaco, etc.), GM simply downsized their cars (Malibu, Impala/Caprice Classic) and did not keep the previous, larger models. I know there's no downsizing here, but get the point? Its just plain stupid that Chevy in particular keeps practicing this. Let's hope it doesn't happen again in 2012.

Looks alright, but I'm still opposed to any front-drive car using the SS badge. I prefer LTZ, or even Z02.

What's sad is that a 1970 Chevy Bel-Air (the second lowest trim to the Biscayne) did!

Now what's the story with the BRX-will it seat 5 or 7 passengers? And will it be on the Saturn VUE's compact 106" wheelbase or the mid-size Equinox/Torrent's 112.5"? So basically, does this compete against Acura RDX or the Lincoln MKX and Lexus RX?

How about a Skyhawk Delta II and a Skylark Alpha? One for the Jetta/S40/V50/TSX crowd, another for the BMW 3-Series/Lexus IS set? I see those entry-luxury-sports compacts as different segments, as the Skyhawk-type rivals are front-drive mostly with 4-cylinder engines and the latter with higher-powered V-6's? And of course, merge the Enclave and Riviera concept stylings together, see what you get. A Rapid (more luxurious Saturn VUE, using its Theta II architecture) would be perfect as well.

Malibu Hybrid. Nice to see it coming, but can't Chevy think of a more original name? How about Malibu Zxx (number doesn't matter, but it will add zest to technology, you know?). And how mu8ch is trunk space reduced? Its a class-average 15 cubic feet to start, but make the taillights double rounds (or double so it looks less awkward, and like its actually inspired and not just cobbled together), add a couple small shoulder curves, and it should be fine.

True, the Caliber, Avenger, Sebring, Compass, etc. are all piles of crap, but I've always had hope for Chrysler Group Vehicles. The Challenger looks better than the concept-hopefully its a foot or half a foot shorter too-the concept Challenger was way bigger than the real 1970-74 models. And $31,000 is too high too start-what does it think it is, a 300 Limited or C?

Why would you want a 4-cylinder engine in these trucks? And second of all, these don't compete with Nitro/Liberty and Xterra-those are compact, truck-based SUV's, the TrailBlazer/Envoy are mid-size like 4Runner, Pathfinder, Explorer, and just barely (if at all still) the Grand Cherokee . I'd suggest shortening GMT900 a little if these were to continue. Just kill the 9-7X and Ascender-there's no point to them and they don't sell anyway. As for a compact Blazer and GMC Jimmy, I say why not. But stay away from the 4-cylinders there too-they barely have power or purpose in base-trim compact pickups, so how would they fare for an SUV? Look how many Cherokee/Liberty I-4's sold-almost none!

Its alright, but I share the why-is-A/C-optional-on XE gripe. I wonder what current GMNA colors would look good here too, but the Sandstone looks good here. Why did the Malibu Order Guide take so long to get out too? Thanks for the posting!

Meh...its okay, but its kinda like the 2008 Ford Taurus X to the 2009 Flex-the Beat will make this obsolete! :AH-HA_wink:

Here's an idea: ADVERTISE ON THE FREAKING PRODUCT!!!!!! IS IT THAT HARD??!!!! (Oh wait, never mind...) I used to spend HOURS as a kid looking at the old National Geographics, some old Scientific Americans occasionally, sometimes still look for ads online. A lot of the old car and truck ads, namely the early 1970's into the mid-1980's, the car's features, select standard/optional equipment, how they outdo the competition, etc. And rebates do not count as the kind of advertising needed. Even if its a boring, vastly underachieving car like the Chevy Aveo, Cobalt, or current Malibu, find something nice to say about it!

I just hope the next Corsa isn't as ugly as the current model is. And the current Tigra always looked too tall and stubby (and thus kind of ugly, but in a cute and bland way just like all Opels are), so hopefully that can be smoothed out too. Call it Saturn Signal, in 3-door hatchback coupe, 4-door notchback sedan, 5-door hatchback sedan, and maybe other body styles.

That's quite pricey for the SS/GXP models-similar money, if not just a little more buys a Charger R/T with a HEMI, and if I wanted the SS/GXP, I would just get the Charger instead.

Also, the Sebring and Compass are abominations. The Airflite concept car of 2003 was one of the most beautiful recent concept cars, probably the best Chrysler since, period. The new Sebring and Compass are just disgraces, especially in base trims.

Yeah, same here! I'm always excited when I see a Nitro-yeah it needs to get rid of the horrid seats that plague the rest of the Chrysler Group vehicles (or at least the vastly uncomfortable headrests), but it makes a bold, Willys or Jeep-like wagon statements that bring back the compact truck-based SUV segment, and with bold style, assurance. Make the 4.0-liter V-6 standard, see if they can put the 4.7-liter (undetuned) 300hp V-8 engine in there. But it seems to be catching on here, as does the odd-in-pictures, slightly better in person Caliber. Avenger, I liked it and was very excited for it at first, but its a vast disappointment, with all the interior problems, a dinky trunk for the mid-size class (and only average if it were a compact, at 13.6 or so cubic feet), and the Sebring is even worse. Plus both base models are spartan, and the engines all suck and/or in the 3.5's case, unnecessarily detuned, down to 235hp, whereas the LX cars' 3.5 is 250hp (and 5 years ago in the LH cars it was about 253). Of course, considering the Camry V-6 has 268hp, that's kinda sad, and even the friggin' 2008 Malibu has 252hp! And the Malibus have been bland and bare-bones and/or awfully pitiful (2004-07) at best!

I read in one of the recent issues of Automobile Magazine that the Camry Hybrid would be dropped after this generation in lieu of a "Prius C." That is, the Prius would become something of a hybrid sub-series of Toyota, with the next-generation (2011?) Prius under the codename Prius B, a Yaris-sized model dubbed Prius A, and the range-topping Prius C.

That's interesting that Saturn will get a version....so what does this large FWD Chevy mean for Impala moving to Zeta? So, in other words, has the stopgap G6 Epsilon II been cancelled?