Minarets

thanks

...-er

same two cars for me also

i do not. sorry, however the front passenger seat folds as well, for some added space

well, i must admit....i was dissapointed when my wife said she wanted to turn the Trailblazer in on a HHR. she recently found out she was going to be transfered which will result in a 90 mile / day commute. i already have a 88 mile commute in the opposite direction. the TB got about 18mpg combined....that wasnt gonna cut it. i am 25 and we have a 7 week old and wasting $$ on gas at this times just doesnt seem wise. i get roughly 25 mpg in my MAXima.... when my wife wanted a HHR i sorta scoffed. my father in law works for GM and we do get the employee discount, so that of course would be nice, but a HHR? well.........i love it. i have been looking for a G35, TL, Lexus IS350...maybe a Saab 9-5,or Buick Lucerne for myself....obviosuly more costly cars and more "lux" we bought a silver 2LT fully optioned HHR w/ chrome....i must say i am impressed. fit and finish for a $24,000 car is fantastic. XM radio, heated seats, remote start, ipod jack...not much else i could ask for...except for maybe NAV and HID's, but obviously not needed in this caliber car. good gas mileage is bonus. rides extremely well only negatives: needs more power (and that would prolly negate the good gas mileage) and arm rests need to be bigger or 1 solid piece. i like so much that when my Maxima croaks, i may get a black 2LT HHR. i m impressed.

mixed reviews on that DOD. everyone who;s review i have read is getting like 22 hwy miles and like 14-18 city

as i have stated before, i am 25 and have never wanted for a American before. i currently drive a Maxima (which i have loved to the bone for all 198,000 miles. but soon i will be purchasing a new auto and i want to take advantage of the GMS (employee) pricing i receive from my father in law. the only American car that has struck me with a gasp has been the Chrysler 300 SRT-8, but for me and my family (wife and 5 week old) it just isnt a realistic option at this point. As many have read my review of the Lucerne, i loved what i saw and drove. a black on black CXS with all the chrome trim was the best looking GM car i have seen to date, with the exception of the CTS-V. from the fogs to the wheels, to the rear--i loved the looks and feel of this car. it road very quiet and smooth and offers every little option that i want. also the nicest leather i had felt in a car in a looooong time, maybe ever. at 40k plus discounts (especially by the time i buy) i expect to pay around 35k. The impala is another car that i wouldnt have been caught dead in the last few years--just due to the fact it gets lost with every other car at the airport rental place as well with every salesman in America that happens to not be driving a Taurus. Upon seeing a 2006 Impala for the first time and not knowing what it was i was quickly impressed. after that i knew i had to take a test drive of the SS model. loved it!! for a Chevy car, i thought it was a giant step forward. the black on black SS had nice leather seats, which lacked true sport seat bolstering, but where comfotbale. the dash looked tons better then the old corporte dash and the car drove awsome for a 303HP FWD car. tons of fun. i thought the torque-steer was not as pronounced as i thought it would have been, and i guess i am not a total enthusiast bc torque steer just doesnt bother me "that" bad. maybe its from driving a lot of FWD cars in my 9 years of driving. back seat room was dissapointing for how big the car is, but the back is mainly for a baby seat and i was also impressed with the fold-down seats that really open a lot of storage space up, coupled with the trunk. hated the SS wheels upon first site, but now love em, especially the polished version. Car fully optioned was 32,500 amd with discounts i expect to get around 28k. in short, Buick Lucerne CXS: more refined, distinguished, lux oreinted, and better preceived quality, better looks, and tons of goodies Chevy Impala SS: raw power, more fun to drive. less of the good stuff (goodies), not as much rear leg room, less $$ anyway, sorry for the long drawn out glimpse at my comparo, but what would you do?

as i have stated before, i am 25 and have never wanted for a American before. i currently drive a Maxima (which i have loved to the bone for all 198,000 miles. but soon i will be purchasing a new auto and i want to take advantage of the GMS (employee) pricing i receive from my father in law. the only American car that has struck me with a gasp has been the Chrysler 300 SRT-8, but for me and my family (wife and 5 week old) it just isnt a realistic option at this point. As many have read my review of the Lucerne, i loved what i saw and drove. a black on black CXS with all the chrome trim was the best looking GM car i have seen to date, with the exception of the CTS-V. from the fogs to the wheels, to the rear--i loved the looks and feel of this car. it road very quiet and smooth and offers every little option that i want. also the nicest leather i had felt in a car in a looooong time, maybe ever. at 40k plus discounts (especially by the time i buy) i expect to pay around 35k. The impala is another car that i wouldnt have been caught dead in the last few years--just due to the fact it gets lost with every other car at the airport rental place as well with every salesman in America that happens to not be driving a Taurus. Upon seeing a 2006 Impala for the first time and not knowing what it was i was quickly impressed. after that i knew i had to take a test drive of the SS model. loved it!! for a Chevy car, i thought it was a giant step forward. the black on black SS had nice leather seats, which lacked true sport seat bolstering, but where comfotbale. the dash looked tons better then the old corporte dash and the car drove awsome for a 303HP FWD car. tons of fun. i thought the torque-steer was not as pronounced as i thought it would have been, and i guess i am not a total enthusiast bc torque steer just doesnt bother me "that" bad. maybe its from driving a lot of FWD cars in my 9 years of driving. back seat room was dissapointing for how big the car is, but the back is mainly for a baby seat and i was also impressed with the fold-down seats that really open a lot of storage space up, coupled with the trunk. hated the SS wheels upon first site, but now love em, especially the polished version. Car fully optioned was 32,500 amd with discounts i expect to get around 28k. in short, Buick Lucerne CXS: more refined, distinguished, lux oreinted, and better preceived quality, better looks, and tons of goodies Chevy Impala SS: raw power, more fun to drive. less of the good stuff (goodies), not as much rear leg room, less $$ anyway, sorry for the long drawn out glimpse at my comparo, but what would you do?

WHOA! i was just about to start a thread. i am 25 an have been tryin to decide between the Lucerne CXS and the Impala SS myself. do i want to save a few $$ and go Impala? or splurge a little on the CXS...i cannot decide yet.

for starters VW isnt Chinese and it aint cheap, at least the Phaeton

lets be honest here, i am no VW fanboy, but for a Buick to draw comparos to a $70,000 VW.... i dont care who makes a $70,000+ car (even VW) for a $35,000 Buick to be compared aint bad in my mind

anyone here actually own one yet? i must admit, i have seen many on the road yet

that looks good. i want the look of the white inserts on the seats and stitching, but i want the benifit of the ventilated seats with fans i do wish they would have used real aluminum around the dash and this looks dated and not my speed 'tall

i am most dissapointed in the lack of HID's. id like telescoping steering wheel, but isnt a requirement for me, like HID's are

but if GM hadnt bought out Saab, there is a good chance there would be no more Saab

thanks Cananopie! Northstar--i can tell you this, for me at least the blavk interior looks waaaaaaaaaaaay better then the tan. i drive a Pearl white /tan maxima now and i am wanting black so maybe that influences my thougts, but i am not as big a fan of the tan. plus i like the burl wood offered with the black interior. come to think of it, i believe my Lucerne lit stated that the black interior (leather) is only offferd in the CXS model. the fogs looks great on the CXS to me, too. the chrome strip down there adds a subtle but great touch imo. i do not care for the "non fogs" front end as much.

pics? what color / model?

Well, i must start off by saying i am more then delighted with this car. upon driving by the dealer yest. i saw a black on black CXS sitting in the front of the dealer. had to see it up close. now before i really get into it i must admit, i am 24 years old and when i think Buick i think of AARP, wipser 2000, prunes and their juice. i have never ever ever said, "wow, thats a nice Buick." from the onset, this one was a "wow, thats a nice Buick" i test drive cars almost religiously. if its new and out, i have prolly attempted to drive it. i am n the market for a new car in the near future and have been looking at the Acura TL, Infiniti G35 andthe new Chevy Impala SS...all somewhat sportier vehicles then the Buick, obviously. i have been reading a lot of Buick new push of quality. "fine French stitching," "1cm gaps in sheetmetal" etc, well this def looked veddy veddy nice. the black paint with all the chrome accents was stunning. the grille, while big, was nice looking (as nice as a Buick logo can look to a 24 year old). the back end was almost the most impressive thing to me. it looked so "un-domestic" looked great imo. i did not realize the air vents were different for the the models. 4 for the V8 and the rest have 3. the wheels looked nice and not cheap looking like the Chrysler 300C chrome coated wheels look and feel. the chrome trim really was luxurious and stunning. upon the saleman coming over i asked to take a ride. the first thing i always do is sit in the drivers seat, adjust to my liking and then get out and sit directly behind me to see what kind of leg room i will have. i am 6'0 and 250lbs...i want comfort and i know there will always be more room behind my wife then me, so if i am comfortable behind "me" most should be. well, i was. nice room in the back and the first thing that took my attention away was the leather. the leater was the nicest leather i have felt on any of the previous models i have mentioned thus far. most are to "thin" feeling or too "waxy". these seemes plush and soft. two thumbs up here. i wasnt a huuuuge fn of the leather design on the seats, but that is minor. well back to the front and i must say, i am really lovin GM's push of the remote starters. for some those are needless, but i love it. here in Nashvegas, TN we get a taste of all weather. so if i can get a remote that will heat my seats and defrost my windown in the morning and cool my seats and crank up the AC in the summer, i am impressed. the dash is nice. still not quite European, but as far as a domestic goes, its as nice as i have seen. the wood is nice, fake or not. the guages could be better, but still no complaints. the steering wheel is too big though. not a fan. another complaint is, and to some this is no big deal, but it bothers me--the center radio controls and such just look out of place for me. you have all this nice wood on the dash, and on the shifter, and then this black plastic board plugged in with knobs. to be fair, this design is leaps and bounds better then the previous GM interiors that cross over on so many vehicles, but there really and truely is no difference in this and the Impala SS stack that is much less $$. it still "works." also of note, the seats had great lumbar support, plus the very nice leather made it enjoyable. i am sure this would be a nice "trip taker." the Northstar V8 has plenty of punch, but i do wish they had used the same engine the SS got. 303hp would be great, but i know to the target buyer this is not needed. it would def help bring in the underage crowd (underage typical Buick owner). the car coners decently, but again, this is no BMW 3series, and it does a great job of being what it is--a moderately luxurious car, that look and feels good for a pretty good price. i know they are trying to compete with the Avalon and ES300. i think it can for any open-minded individual. it looks better then both of those, imo. sure some will want Lexus' unheralded quality but Buick is right behind them according to JD Powers. again, as a 24 year old with a wife and child, this is a car i would consider, much to my suprise. it has almost every feature i want (remote starter, plenty of leg room, good stereo, aux for ipod, good looks, V8) 2 things that are lacking for me personally, that i want, HIDs (bi-xenon headlamps) and at least a 60/40 split in thebackseat. there is only a console pass through. but as i have seen there is no perfect car. everyone that i have driven and considered has its plusses and minusses. this car is a winner. you can bet that i will be considering this car in about 6 months when ready to buy. my father-in-law is a GM employee and i have been looking and waiting for a GM car that catches my eye enough to actually own and use the discount. i will be so bold t say this is the best looking GM sedan i have ever seen besides the CTS-V (and i know the differences are slight but the CTS-V to me looks light years better then the CTS). i never imagined that i would come home and tell my wife, i like a buick, but i did. Buick has themself a winner i apologize for all the spelling and grammar mistakes, been up all night with my 6 day old , and sorry to continually ramble on about this car, but it has me excited. go drive one for yourself.

a fully loaded 2006 9-3 is no where near 10-12k difference between a 2006 9-5 fully loaded. the 2006 9-5 fully optioned comes to like $43 and soem change. its more like a 3-5k difference

i had seen some pics and thought the new redesigned 2006 looked better and caught my eye more then the older 9-5. now i am not gonna lie, i am not a saab loyalist...i have never owned one and just as recently as the new 9-3 even became interested. maybe this is why Saab did what they did,--to bring in more then just the loyalists. anyway, on to the drive. upon approach the car is very low to the ground. the front end is very long and "beak-ish" if you will. the wheels look good but imo, need to be 18's. i beleive the 9-3 has 18s and the 9-5 is a bigger car and has a lot of gap to fill. the Pirreli tires are nice, but replacemet will be expensive. the grill looks good to me and the headlights , for some reason, appeals to me. i wish the US version could get rid of the amber corners. i do hate we have to have those on cars here. the back end looks good, but i dont care for the cheap looking plastic covers on the tailights--the rippled red covers do not appeal to me. i entered the car and for you who may be worried about traditional saab headrests, they are still there. i have seen some mention on some boards that Saab "GM-ized" the headrests--no worries. the seats were comfortable as always. Volvo still makes the best seats in the biz, but these were nice, no doubt. i for one do not like the extremely busy 9-3 dash. too many buttons! the 9-5 has "GM-ized" the dash some, but for the complainers, i think its for the better. the only thing it lacks imo is the temp dispay for dual zones. the dials are easy to reach and read. i like it. i bet the NAV looks better--the pics i have seen looked better, imo. the drive was nice. i am always amazed at how Saab's 4 cylinder engines put out. always could add more power, but the 260 is plenty for passing and needed fun. the steering wheel is good. back seat always could use more room, but again, plenty for the class and size of the car. i love the car colored door-handles. i hate the black ones, and i am glad the 9-5 doesnt have the black plastic piece running the side and back of the car much like the 9-3 has. overall i was impressed. i am 25 and will soon be in the market for a new car. i must admit i am after the Lucerne right now...of all things--a Buick for a 25 year old, but the new 9-5 does appeal to me. its an odd bird. always has been and still is, just less odd. i like.