trinacriabob

I could talk your ear off for 1/2 an hour on this conundrum alone. I am going through the exact same decision process, with the Impala being switched for a Monte Carlo LT, however. In this case, I said LaCrosse/Allure because, if you are specifying a 4-door sled, then this is the one. A little bit about the others, from my vantage point, having had an Allure for 7 days in Quebec a month ago and having had a Monte Carlo 3.5 for 7 days in Sac/Northern Cal more recently than that. For overall quality and functionality, the LaCrosse/Allure is it. The car is quite user-friendly and the engine is faultless. In terms of appearance, the rear is appealing and proportioned, as is the side silhouette. I like neither the old front end nor the new one. The old one said Medicare and the new one says bling...they failed to strike a compromise. The dash is also kind of blah, compared to the other 2, though it is sensibly arranged. The seats are nicely shaped but the fabric is so bargain basement. The little extra opera window to the rear of the rear doors creates a little bit more "pillar action" than needed, but it is manageable. The 3800 V6 in my October stay in an Allure wasn't as quiet as others I've rented and I don't know why. The ride is supple and controlled and certainly good enough for everyday maneuvers. The Grand Prix shares the same mechanical underpinnings as the LaCrosse/Allure, so all comments for reliability are ditto. The suspension underpinnings are different, making this one the most fun to drive. The lack of rear pillar for the rear doors makes this one the easiest to see out of. The shape of the dash kicks ass...I love the canted wrap-around effect, though the materials tend toward the cheap. From some vantage points, this is a svelte and appealing vehicle. From others, particularly the front, it appears to be demonic and overstyled. Again, the side and the rear are quite nice. And yes, the new rear is sooooo much nicer than the 97-03 run with the "grafted-on pumpkins," now in season. With all those nice things to say, there are some clear demerits. The seats are not comfortable and the more I test sit those bolstered buckets that knife at you, the less inclined I am to buy this car. I am 5'-10" and have a 33" +/- waist and I feel boxed in like an astronaut...I think that was the intent. The roofline also affects rear seat comfort, as your Dad accurately pointed out. (Sidebar: I look at this vehicle as one that greatly enhanced its styling in the current model run and went overboard on a few things that alienated the upper end of their buying age range: 1) the front end didn't have to be THAT provocative, 2) it could have been just as svelte without as much horizontality in the rear backlite and this would have benefited the comfort in the rear of the cabin as well, and 3) the front buckets could have followed the contours and profile of the 97-03 series, making for more comfort on longer trips and ease of use....but they probably wanted to craft a midsized 4-door GTO, so there you have it). The Impala (and Monte Carlo sibling) are just fine. I love the Monte Carlo and just rented one, though I have rented about 3 Impys over the last 24 months. Both of these cars are competent in virtually every aspect. The ride and handling balance the opposite personalities of the GP and the LaX/Allure. It is certainly quiet. The dashboard is nicely arranged with nicer dials (why, this is a Chevrolet?) and I absolutely love the blue illumination at night. In the Monte, there is a slight cant in the dash while they Impy's is flat, but nicer via its wood grain accents. Again, I don't know why, as a Chevy, this has these more nicely upholstered plump bucket seats that are incredibly comfortable and finished in a richer fabric. I didn't want to get out of my Monte Carlo last week and hand it back for this very reason. Let's talk mechanical bits. The transmission is a known quantity as it probably is the same one that propels the GP and the LaX. The engine is a different story. It's both been around and it's kind of new. First and foremost, the gas mileage is stellar...it is mindboggling that such a heavy and comfortable sled can manage 32-33 mpg at a non air conditioned cruise speed of 60 to 65 mph, so I feel patriotic driving one. The 3.1s and 3.4s of which the 3.5 is derived have exceeded 200,000 miles (320,000 km) for many owners...but the 3800 goes even longer....my current one has 240,000 miles (385,000 km). The new part is the VVT. I have tried to read and ask a lot about this, even talking to service advisors who tried to shed some light on this one. First, unlike other manufacturers, VVT is not accomplished with an extra lobe in the cam...it is accomplished with a "phaser" up in the pulley and above the crank that modifies the cam angle. Thus, it just pulls off when R&R is needed and a new one is installed...but this should not occur under normal use. It would be much like changing a water pump, I think. Also, you can see the electrical attachment for the sensor at its side. This is called the actuator, I think, and would be a "plug and play" type of fix. I think that GM had beaucoup time to think this one through (since others preceded them in this technology) and I hardly doubt they would crank out some 300,000 units annually of their "bread and butter" passenger car with a system that isn't fully worked out...I'd like to think they were smart about this. For your Dad, I'd say LaCrosse/Allure. For me, it will be Monte Carlo LT (if I find one after Christmas and after I move with the stuff and in the colors I want), but, if not, then LaCrosse CX and lastly, the Pontiac Grand Prix base. Good luck with the purchase and many years of happy motoring! PM me if you have any comments or questions.

The rule of thumb, I've been told, is:"If you don't look at it or use it once a year, it's gotta go." Kind of makes sense.

I'm in the process of packing for a move and am getting depressed just looking at all the things I have. With me, it's mostly PRINTED MATTER. I've got: - travel brochures and maps to no end - real estate/housing brochures to no end - books from too much college level education - too many blueprints of plans from places I've worked (and those take a LOT of space) I'm actually doing a pretty good job eliminating them and it feels cathartic. However, neat stuff like old car brochures and ocean liner brochures from when I was a kid will go into a special file...it will be hard to find that stuff again. Do you hoard items, requiring beaucoup storage? Which items specifically?

Great pix, particularly this one...it looks like a 1984 Brougham coupe in the root beer metallic brown with the matching interior, am I right? That year was the best looking of the 1981-1988 RWD crop. I had a Brougham coupe in the Light Royal Blue Metallic and loved it. I miss it and how many times it reliably took me up to Lake Tahoe and "back down the hill" to plop my air mattress into the lake and enjoy the sun.Mazda, what's that?

Can you spell "s-i-l-v-e-r s-p-o-o-n"?

It's very nice. You've got good visual composition skills, that's for sure.

Reg, I often wonder how much better of a clergy we would have if they were allowed to marry (that is, for those so inclined...and also if this would bring people to the priesthood who would have shunned it because of the celibacy requirement).

The Wildman is a cool guy* and a Happy Birthday is in order indeed! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! * he has a dirty mind, still manages to be Catholic, speaks other languages and likes 3800 V6s, what more can I say.

The more I get to know Montreal and Quebec, the less Toronto interests me. Seriously.I used to think that having a nice 3-story all brick townhome in Woodbridge (you know, where all the educated and assimilated kids of Italian immigrants ended up, supposedly) could be kind of cool....but that was a fleeting thought. I love Montreal. Its prices have definitely gone up and, with the dollar at par, its not such a great deal. When you could buy a condo on the Plateau 7 years ago for under $ 100,000 CDN and the dollar was at least 1.4 : 1, I say snatch those babies up. (Hindsight is 20:20). Not only that, the people of Quebec were so damn nice to me. I probably look more like one of them than a Guido, which is ok with me. They all immediately spoke French to me. And I was happy to practice my H.S. French with them. When I told them I was a West Coast of the States type of person, they complimented me on my French and wondered where I picked it up. Every single Quebecois I interacted with during my week there was super friendly and helpful. The problem is that I'm a warm weather critter.

Yes. It's overpowering in its shininess (is that a word?). And afterthought is a good moniker...it certainly doesn't integrate well with the more subdued lines of the rest of the vehicle.

LA is just that...limitless, in more ways than just geography. It "lacks boundaries" on other levels, as well. It IS beautiful, for the most part. The setting of coastline backing up onto a mountain range is truly unique, so I really get pissed when someone from Chicago says "eeewww"....well, do you have that? It also has a lot that is frayed and tacky...the Queen Mary being one of many tacky places....now the Valley is supposed to be really laid-back and cleaner, so you must have caught it on a bad day. Unfortunately, with foresight and good planning, it could have been MORE beautiful and MORE livable.True, it moves its traffic pretty well. The good weather and drivers that are pretty adept at negotiating all of this fuss, as well as the lower density, help make things better. So funny that you would post this just as I get back from a week in Quebec where the colors had NOT yet peaked as it had been too warm. Did you pull any real estate mags? You would have liked it LESS after leafing through one of those. Glad you had a nice time!

Sir: I had problems with calculus, too. Then I retook it as a requirement right before grad arch school and got an A. Why? The first time I could not accept that I could not see what an integral and a derivative were physically doing. It bothered me. The second time, I just decided I would follow the rules given to me without question and I got the grade. The structures classes, where calculus could conceivably come in, are reduced to algebraic formulas and a lot of the information is found in tables in steel and concrete books. Statistics is fun. It intuitively makes more sense, at least for me. We could take in a cheat sheet and people wanted copies of mine because it had everything real small and real neat. At any rate, over several "sheepskins," my GPA went up. The first thing that helped was moving out of the house. LOL. I found that constant fighting with my parents while I commuted to undergrad did not help my GPA, though I barely made it into the Cum Laude fold anyway. Some thoughts: 1. Recopy your class notes - corny, but it lets stuff "steep" like a tea bag after the lecture 2. Sit in front and get involved - if class size permits, ask questions and make comments...I am obnoxious, so I have no problem doing that 3. Read the book and make outlines/flash cards. 4. Set out a bit-by-bit study plan for exams that starts about a week before, so you break it up...with a review the night before, possibly with other students. My last sheepskin exceeded 3.9 and I did this as an adult working during the day. However, I "lived" at B&N, Starbucks and the library in my spare time doing the above things. Best of luck to you. In the end, it really is worth it.

I have a membership to 24 Hour Fitness, which I bought in Northern California in 1996. They charge my bank account, you guessed it, $ 24 a month. They are all over the West and in other states as well, judging from the map. I also belong to Bally's which I bought when I moved to the Seattle area(there are about 10 in Oregon, too). It's such a cheap renewal now that I just pay it because I would spend more in join-up fees if I moved. For example, ATL and FL have Bally's, but not 24 Hour Fitness. OK, the "low cost" gyms have problems of their own...the clientele they attract. In June, before moving up North, I went to 24 Hour Fitness the evening that a friend was going to come over to help me load my rented truck. I didn't particularly like that location, so I wondered how much I should put in the locker, so I kept my keys in the pocket of my shorts. My wallet always stays in a hidden place in my car. After a quick workout and 30 minutes on the elliptical, I came back to find my lock cut, as were 2 others!!! They looked around and didn't take anything because there were no valuables. If they had stolen my keys, I couldn't have gotten into my place and loaded my rental truck with my friend that night. The Ballys in Portland are all fairly nice, by comparison, and the crowd is a little more suburban, but the crowd at some 24 Hour Fitnesses I've seen in Northern Cal/Northern Nev can be a little Do you belong to a gym? Is it a "low cost" one? Are there problems such as this? Be careful.

Now this is one car that, overall, I like a lot. It's really poised. There are a couple of "nips and tucks" I'd do with a pencil but, overall, it's a giant leap from its predecessor. I am really looking forward to test-driving one. It looks like GM is turning out a stable of winners.

Well, I've had to have mine made for me, so kudos to you.I don't know you, but somehow, it's you, judging from your cumulative posting. BTW, K.C., where are you originally from (state in the US or province in Canada)?

Went up to the new LaCrosse/Allure at a dealership and am having trouble digesting the new 2008 grille, and I was really looking forward to a freshening. Looking at nearby Lucernes, I thought the grille would be much nicer and subtler if "blacked out" as it is on the larger vehicle. At the very least, they should offer both versions. I voted for that option in the poll. Your thoughts and comments...

I feel like a salmon swimming upstream, as I am not a big fan of the Enclave and not gushing over the CTS either. Tonight, I went for a ride up toward Vancouver (WA) and back down the Portland side of the river just for the hell of it. I stopped at a Cad/Buick/Pontiac dealer where the salesman was an asshole (I told him I was not local and was moving soon but he kept pushing. I walked away shortly thereafter). I saw the new CTS. The thickness of the rear panels once inside are "blind spot hell" ... OMG. I think that the basic silhouette is fine but it has to many creased edges in the rear, around the taillights and the eye-level lamp. The front grille dives down too low and is way too "sliced and diced" for my taste. Again, the basic shape is fresh, but the execution could have been cleaner. As for the interior, the seats are comfortable and nicely articulated. The center stack and placement of the vents is both visually and functionally pleasing, though the buttons for the A/C and such don't accommodate regular or larger sized fingers. The smallish cowl on the instrument cluster looks almost G-6-ish. I wanted a cowl/instrument unit that looked more substantial. Whatever. It seems to be a popular seller for Caddy, so I'm happy.

It's been a long time since we've seen this. Not long ago, I remember the $ 18.60 +/- stock price. It takes money to make money and one who has spare cash laying around could have bought a chunk of shares, sold them today, and paid Bush's smaller capital gains tax on these (it won't be 15% with the next administration...LOL). In fact, that's what a lot of rich investors have done...they buy strong companies in a down cycle and wait for the upturn. I bought several hundred at $ 21 and sold them at $ 37. Could have done better, but, in less than 2 years, not bad, I guess. Any thoughts on GM stock? Do you see it doing a meteoric rise like Boeing?

Thanks, Har. I have NO trouble getting some when I decide to.It's also fairly uncool to keep posting under the name of a person that's gone from C&G. I'm surprised the other mods haven't shut this down. It takes down the overall credibility of the site.

No...an inflated figure, Custom...and you're getting to be kind of an asshole...

DEJA VU - UV AJED Ain't that the truth

Thanks, Fly. I never said my mind wasn't somewhat weird...but then, most people here are kind of weird or they wouldn't be obsessed with cars to this extent and post on this site to the extent they do. It's just that P-C-S is....well....P-C-S. Just an opportunity to rib the Borg...nothing more.

I swear...your mind is a weird place. to you, too.

Susan