trinacriabob

I am NOT in love with the hood ornament. I think that the grille medallion and the hood ornament in such close proximity fight each other. Pick one or the other. There are a lot of things on this Chinese car that do NOT go together. I don't like the greenhouse shape. It is small Lincoln Town Car like. That's why I asked what the platform was. I think that the current LaCrosse/Allure has a nicer greenhouse. Aside from a nice touch here and there, I think the execution is clumsy, for lack of a better word.

First reaction: It looks like a Mercury more than a Buick. What's with the dash? Is it a Cadillac CTS borrowing? I can't tell what platform this car is on, let alone if it is a W-body. I do like the wood applique and general proportions of the console better than those of our LaCrosse/Allure.

You're not missing much, IMHO.

I thought my first car was cool, albeit a hand me down. It was an immaculate 1976 Olds Cutlass Supreme coupe - light metallic blue, white landau, blue cloth interior, color keyed rally wheels and, powering it all, the unmistakable velvety purr of Oldsmobile's version of the ubiqutous 350 V8. As far as I know, it lived at least through the summer of 1992, when I finished a grad program at Univ. of Ill. and I sold it to a guy who farmed outside of Champaign, IL. Who would have ever thought that a car that knew every inch of pavement on "the 405," LA's famous San Diego Freeway, would end up in bucolic retirement near "Cham-bana."

Right you are. That's the attractive wedgy-shaped wagon, right?

I, too, did a post-Alamo-rental review of the LaCrosse. I tried so hard to give this car every benefit of the doubt and couldn't. I am not in agreement with the mechanical underpinnings you seek. I am ok with the 3800 and the 4-spd in the entry level as this maintains the price point. Remember, this is now the bargain basement Buick when in CX form. I also disagree on how quiet it is. I noticed only a fractional difference from the GP with the same engine. It's still the familiar 3800 exhaust note. I totally agree that the front end is bland. As I drive by a Buick dealership I know, I see the front ends looking at me. I look at them from different angles and they are not appealing. The upright oval just doesn't work with the lines of the car. It is also bland in how it handles. It's reasonably smooth, quiet and "isolated" but it can lose its composure so as to not inspire confidence in its roadworthiness. It's not a great handling car. In terms of interior finishes, the assembly is quite good. In fact, it's very good. However, the fabric (not just the color shades) has to go. It's this mousefur crap. How about a heartier, more corduroy like fabric in about 3 colors that have some definition to them? In short, it's a car you can live with VERY easily. You will think of it as a trusty friend that you might just take for granted.

I am really getting sick of this whole trend. Cadillac has embraced this a little too strongly. We all know what an Escalade is - it quickly brings up imagery. However, STS, CTS, XLR, DTS, did I forget any....nuts. I mean, we all know what they are, but then we're really tuned into this whereas average consumers aren't to the same extent. Pontiac is doing this G# thing. I sure hope the new Bonneville isn't a G8. Can't they think of something else? How about this -- the Pontiac Angola? J/K. I voted "Yes...I am sick of it." Between retros and alphanumeric naming of cars, it makes me wonder if designers and marketing people have reached the limits of their creativity.

Top to bottom: Full size Bonneville replacement (get rid of the G8 name, it's garbage): RWD Mid size Pontiac Grand Prix: can be FWD or RWD Compact G6: (possible name change to LeMans) FWD Economy/practical/crossover Vibe or equivalent - FWD Sporty - pony car Firebird: RWD Sporty - specialty Solstice: RWD Get rid of the mini-van and the Torrent Also, probably not enough room for the GTO (unfortunately) Six cars is plenty. Also, from top to bottom, the more staid cars will still feature Pontiac's leaning toward better road manners than, say, would a Buick.

Pantho, I think GTO is going away for Firebird to be slotted in. I don't think the 2 can co-exist in Pontiac's line up. The other thing we don't know is the dollars and cents behind having the car made in Australia. While I am a GP/LaX customer, I really like the GTO. I like it a lot. In silver with the dark red leather seats and the red dash bezels, it's a sexy car. Not only that, it doesn't bring on the rocket-ship claustrophobia that so many other sports cars do. I don't think the positioning was right. At its price point, you nudge the BMW/Audi market, in which I wouldn't be in the slightest bit interested. However, others are. In real estate, it's location-location-location. It seems that in the automotive world, it's perception-perception-perception. "Gee, I'm just not cool enough if I spend $ 32,000 for a GTO when my friends are popping another $ 5,000 for a Bimmer." Personally, that's what I think happened. I think the market will be ready for a Firebird. My only concern is that there could be too many pony car type slots in Pontiac's line up. I am more of a Pontiac fan than a Chevy fan, so I would expect to like the FBird more than the Camaro - with each successive model change, it seems that I have always liked the FBird more.

Oh, NOS, you're so funny.

You must be at Drexel?

A more succint way of saying what I said. Nice.

Another quick observation for NOS, Croc and anyone else making choices about college or while in college. I cannot stress this enough. We have been talking about social choices. However, you cannot undo a GPA. If you think you have to "max out" your experience at 19-22 because you think you have the world by the balls at that age, you should think otherwise. You will probably be smarter, more self-confident, less awkward (the kind that sometimes comes with being youthful), more wordly and generally have more income between 25 and 30 that choices about how you spend your time during college are important. If you are looking at a lofty goal, think grades...grades...and grades, again. Case in point: with a 3.71 earned for my B.S. degree that trended upward, I still didn't get in to some academic pursuits and jobs/locations I wanted. You are in college for a much bigger reason. Frats are only part of the equation.

Very, very cool question. I like it. To me, a great car review is the juxtaposition of great technical information that is verifiable and accurate blended with good wordsmanship that sets off mental pictures, makes analogies and transports you to a different place - the driver's seat of the car. My education is entirely in technical fields, yet I think that my voracious appetite for reading car reviews, movie reviews, travel reviews and anything that represents opinions has affected my writing style - for the better. One of the biggest compliments I got was from a graduate business prof in the marketing arena who, when handing back group papers, wanted to know who had written the copy for a particular group's paper. He said that that person ought to take copywriting classes in the journalism unit. That person was me. It made my day and week...even though I wouldn't want to do that. I am creative in another way...through the design of buildings. I don't know what you do or if you are in school. You may consider journalism courses aimed at this bent. Check the course content first and good luck!

Croc: I stand corrected. I didn't mean the stress of the rush but rather the stress of the whole pledging/initiation period. While I tried to be as factual as I could for not being in one, I had a few close friends going through it and it did NOT seem like a lot of fun. The comment about "homoerotic" was somewhat of a joke. I don't recall any fraternity or sorority having anyone in them that, on a scale of 1-10, would rank below a 7.0 in appearance. You yourself mentioned the "serial rush cuts" - interesting term. What would be the criteria for those? It would be interesting to know from someone on the inside. Because of the exclusionary nature, some of those universities I refer to do brand them as slightly elitist. I tried to present the positive side that, at a university where there is a lot to pick from, finding the right match may be easy and make your experience there more fun and productive. From what I saw at my small college, I chose to pass. Our friend NOS will decide what/which is right for him as he is clearly on the ball...popped collar and all. NOS - what colleges are you thinking about? We'll help you with that, too! Good luck, dude.

OK, NOS, here's my scoop on it. Not as neutral/positive as Croc's and hopefully not too negative. First, I was NOT a member of one. While my small Catholic university allowed them on campus, they did not pick up as high a percentage of the student body as, say, a state supported Midwesterner or Southern school (U of I, IU, UNC, etc.). They seem to work hand in hand with the more traditional verve in those areas, especially if the school has too much "mint julep on the veranda" breeding, as some Southern schools do. Question 1. They are social clubs, sanctioned by the university which also may do community events and fund raisers, but the overall thrust is social. The association to greek tradition is beyond me since universities in Greece and neighboring countries find this to be an odd situation. Question 2. To get in, you "rush" which means you apply. You have to like them and they have to like you. It's not a given that either of those 2 conditions will occur. Also, in a large university, there is more of a likelihood that there will be a frat more cut out for you...some have a less strenuous rush (Pi Kappa Alpha) from what I recall hearing. There are even Jewish fraternities (Zeta Beta Tau which is also known as Zillions Billions and Trillions, purportedly after the reputation that Jews tend to have more money). The rush isn't just an application. It will be a semester of hell. If you are not disciplined or just naturally brilliant (and I think you're fairly smart from your posts), then expect your grades to take a hit. They make you go through all kinds of $h! to prove you want to get in. However, the thought is that (1) you will do it if you want to get in, and (2) you will really bond with your pledge brothers and sisters if you finish. Question 3. They can be good and they can be bad. They can be good in that you might feel more connected to a campus. They might provide dates since they tend to have the inside track to knowing the sorority chicks. As far as sorority chicks being easy, I have found that they put out mostly to frat boys they know, they are not "general consumption p*s*y" as the media would like you to think. They are bad in that they can take more time from you than you think and that you can pick up some bad habits from the "groupthink" mentality that prevails in some. Alcohol is a big component in some. In fact, I had a friend (a loosely used term) in college who was not remarkable in any way, yet he had to join the fraternity where all the "bad boys" were. He went through their living hell, only to find that beyond the experience in college, it didn't carry far beyond that as far as friendships and connections. He told me that you had to make a choice - to drink or not to drink, which I don't understand...you couldn't be in the middle of the road of this one or you would be subjected to pressure. Some may not be as alcohol based. There is one general perception problem: people poo-poo the engineering fraternity, the business fraternity and so on because they are not as wild. You can still meet people in them and feel connected to a campus. In fact, you might meet some nicer people in those, it's just that they won't be as popular. Question 4. Yes. Freshmen can get in and they usually try in their second semester of first year or third quarter if on that system. One thing that I always found weird (and here comes Ocn and a few others). Some fraternities and sororities make it a point to rush other good looking guys and good looking girls. It's a big deal to have really good looking people in their group. Not only that, some even assess your family's financial background, though that is supposedly waning. I find that sickening and I don't think it's too common anymore. The whole approach really seems homoerotic. Is it so important because you plan on bedding them? What's up with that? Most fraternities and sororities have attractive members. And, with that territory, there are some serious a-holes in these groups. In conclusion, it's your choice. If you find one that doesn't tax your GPA too much and doesn't teach you bad habits, then go for it. Also, if you are heading for a profession where you have a stamp after your name (doctor, architect, actuary, CPA, engineer), then I doubt that being one will kick up your standard of living that high. On the other hand, if you will be a 2.8 GPA business grad that's not too bright and you need a job in sales because you are way cool and glib, then a similarly credentialed ex-frat-brother may be able to help you get your foot in the door. Another thing is that most schools have them and some schools don't. While most Catholic universities allow them (which surprises me), Notre Dame says no to them. Rice University in Houston also says "say no to frats." They claim that they are elitist and contrary to the egalitarian learning environment that is supposed to prevail on the college campus. I would have to say that I agree. For the most part, they are elitist. It wasn't for me as I am too much of a non-conformist. I have always done what I have wanted, when I wanted to do it. I don't like crowds and I don't like "groupthink." It has some benefits and given the college/slate of frats available, there could be a situation that works for you. Good luck and feel free to ask any of us who have posted a bit of info here on the subject!

Who exactly is the latter? Pardon my ignorance.

Jerry Springer guests

hooker

inexpensive

tomato juice

Can't resist S - K - A - N - K

Bobo, it's capitalized

hit men

Pantho, is that a self-portrait? Hee hee hee.