regfootball

new van on its way.  could have / and should have bought the one with lease ending.  van to arrive next week.

GM card top off couldn't even sway me GM's way this time.

Anyone ever get to see a Cadillac Mirage?

How about a "Free Spirit" edition? Or does 'free spirit' not jive with 'Made in China'.

"Buick Roadmaster Free Spirit Tour X"

Makes me wonder, in Canada, would a Buick Lacrosse 'fappening edition' been a big seller?

WUT?

Buick

SKYHAWK ROADHAWK

Double hawk!

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a35473579/peugeot-no-us-plans-stellantis/?utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=socialflowFBCD&utm_source=facebook&src=socialflowFBCAD&fbclid=IwAR2RThmLM6BcpSfai0CZxLvufRwW0hnj9p-Q0WoBDV631pNMnzTnAkhsX1M

14 hours ago, ocnblu said:

now put the 2.7t in it.

"Wow that's really a sharp looking MAzda CX-5"

4 hours ago, ocnblu said:

New Envision ST, blacked out, recalls Buick's glory days, local dealer has one, made me think of the remote possibility of an Envision Grand National.

ThEy BoTh HaVe the TuRbO

Managed to capture a couple pics of the all new 2022 Acura MDX today.  Interior looks wider than before, the dash is interesting.  Not sure if I dig the console or not.  Side flanks of vehicle quite boring and doesn't really give away what brand of vehicle it is.  Should appeal to someone who wants a sporty Honda type vehicle and not a blah Pilot or Passport.  I wonder if drivers will like the touchpad and weird console and lack of touchscreen.

Here's a couple pictures of Buick Envisions I took while out at some lots today.

Through the window glass, the interior looks to be as nice as it seems in pictures, but perhaps less spacious feeling than the outgoing Envision...perhaps mainly due to a less tall cabin.

Lease end time on the Chrysler van.

Looking at new 2021 Pacifica AWD. Lots of nice upgrades, particularly on interiors including a new console.   Also considering but really not excited about, Traverse, Enclave, Blazer.  Only giving them shade because its GM Card top off month.  Funny thing is even with the top offs, the GM stuff is never the best deal.  The XT6 I drove recently was nice, but its out of budget.  In general I am rolling kind of anti-GM these days.

Had a thought or two about an Explorer, but they are cheap inside, I wasn't a fan of how it drove and it's gotten some teething pains coming out of the gate with the new design.

May look at 2022 Acura MDX when it hits the showrooms this week.  The center console looks to have spoiled what may otherwise be an interesting vehicle.

If i extend the lease I am told the new Grand Cherokee L will be available in a few months, but sales guy said the first ones out are almost all going to be top trim level versions.  It looks nice but dimensionally its as large as a Traverse with not near as much interior space.

2021 Durango has massive improvements inside that may make it a big dark horse, if it saved $$$.  Otherwise, I've never been a fan.

VW Atlas or Cross Sport.  Maybe last resort if a great deal were there.

No intent to look at the overhyped Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride.

Used low mile Ford Flexes are really great deals these days.

May buy out current van, extend the lease also.  

Never been less excited about vehicle shopping in my life.  Maybe because getting over Covid and my lethargy makes me not want to do much of anything.

@ocnblu

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a35034259/2022-ford-maverick-future/

Here's your compact pickup

3 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

The shitty Tesla Model S interior looks worse before you even get to the stat sheet. 

You'll never get me into a Model S with those interiors even if it had a 1,000 mile range. A Cadillac interior, 300 would be sufficient. 

Have you seen the new Tesla 'steering wheel'?

not on board with this car, especially at the price.

these Genesis Hyundais have been getting too much grace in the press recently, i figure it's because they are still filling some of these abandoned segments.

On 1/15/2021 at 11:51 AM, Robert Hall said:

Meh, Nothing special--remember, this is an AWD/transverse engine generic platform underneath... for a 3 row luxury CUV/SUV, I wouldn't take one over the or a Merc GLE, BMW X5, Lincoln Aviator or the new Grand Cherokee L...

That grand Cherokee L is sweet. 

This was the unit or at least color. Satin steel. 

These pictures below are not the actual test drive unit, but they are close.  This was an XT6 in the showroom.  I think this one may have an upgraded interior over the one I test drove.  I'll be able to weed out the photo duplicates later.

DRIVEN: 2020 Cadillac XT6 AWD Sport, MSRP about 63,500.  Satin Steel exterior, black interior.

HIGHS:

-Peppy, responsive 3.6 v6 and 9 speed auto. 

-Nice quick steering, unusual for a CUV and especially for Cadillac.

-Overall, nice suspension, ride and handling.  Comfortable but tight in turns, feels darn near sedan like, Cadillac did a really nice job with the steering, ride and handling.

-I didn't take issue with the interior so much, apart from it's dated and dull design.  At least in all black it looked pretty good and textures and plastics and build quality were nice; I just don't have a good frame of reference for interiors vs. the whole of the competition.

-Some have criticized Cadillac's 'plain' gauges (the newest style) but i really like them.  Not fussy looking.

-Some have criticized Cadillac for lack of bolster on the seats but my wide corn fed midwestern body liked the flatter wider seat.

-The last few years, Cadillac infotainment control has become some of the best.  Quite the same as in my Buick.  Bad CUE has been relegated to the scrap heap.

-The XT6 tall boxy shape lends for a lot of glass area and upright cabin and therefore visibility is top notch all around.  The new rear camera mirror is icing on the cake for a great view all around.

-For those that like mid size SUV's the front row is pretty spacious; it's the same size as the XT5.

-The tall boxy shape also makes for a LOT of headroom....plus the seating is taller in the second row, it helps make it seem as though leg room is generous.

-Cargo space is tall, and good room with 3rd row down.

-The XT6 particular in Sport trim is quite stealthy looking.  No one really would get that its a Cadillac on first glance and its boxy shape is likely not to draw much ire from law enforcement.

-Quietness and road noise comfort in the cabin that is better than the lesser GM counterparts.

-This example had the heads up display.  Glad GM still puts those in a few vehicles.

-No way I attempt to get into the third row, but it actually LOOKED like smaller humans may be able to enjoy sitting back there....even if they are hanging way over the back end.....

-A good three row Cadillac for empty nesters, boomers, and Grandparents.

LOW'S

-XT6 is good power but an uplevel engine option IMO is warranted as the prices climb.  And considering the competition within the luxury marques.

-The engine sounds are really similar to the XT4...really throaty and it revs out.  At times, the Cadillac traditionalists would consider it 'noisy' (I don't).  It's a shame that may keep a lot of driver's from 'stepping on it' and accessing the zip.

-Second row cabin width, is challenged....2-4 more inches in the width of the second row seating (and cargo area) may have been nice.

-Level of exterior styling, design and interiors is not perhaps up to the level of the pricing.... it's good, but perhaps the platinum package makes a difference, IDK.  

-Overall, interiors and exteriors lacks presence in the company of (for example) the Aviator that was on the same parking lot that day.

SUMMARY

Not a bad vehicle at all, and yet, not an object of luxury car market desire.  Surprising in some vehicle dynamics and otherwise not seeming to be 'compelling', yet as the best and most refined choice for GM fans in the midsize 3 row SUV segment its got some appeal as a unique choice and stealth / wallflower factor.  Rushed to market, and it shows, sort of a Frankenstein offering that doesn't get your attention right away.

Now, this would have been an AWESOME vehicle if it had come out as the original SRX in 2004......it's still sort of the Vibes of 2004.........

---Recommended for those who appreciate the ride and handling / suspension, snarly powertrain, quietness and comfort, stealth factor and uniqueness, and popular mid size.  Just don't pay too much....make sure you get a great discount.

I took a 2021 Enclave for a spin again this past weekend.  It's nice but with my Chrysler van lease ending soon, I would prefer to stay with the Chrysler van, it drives better.  Not to say the Enclave is bad, just has less good driving dynamics.

And yeah, it is large.  Blazer is nice if you can love the styling and the Chevy basic interior.  I've never been able to warm to the Acadia.  The Equinox is good if you manage to find one with the 2.0.  And more wallet friendly.

I've still got some others on the list to go drive again.  Atlas (Cross Sport this time), CX-9, Explorer.  The 2022 MDX is out early Feb so i may be lucky enough to see that.  There may be some on the drive list shortly I had never considered before.

Wife probably doesn't want minivan again but they are so handy and useful.  May lean on her for us to consider just buying the vehicle at lease end.

I totally understand the Envision thing too.  It's actually really nice but i would get pause on it for same reasons.  

6 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

On the subject of corporate logos, here are some of my favorites from the tech industry....some old school, some more recent...love the fonts used on some of these...

how about this one?

45 minutes ago, David said:

Totally agree with you, I have NEVER seen any marketing for the Cadillac XT6. I talked back in November when I got the oil change done on my Escalade and my sales rep informed me he was retiring due to the pandemic and decided to stay safe in the woods. 

I asked him how the XT6 was doing and he said that they had sold maybe 6 for all of 2020 at the time compared to the dozens of XT5 and Escalades over the year. Problem he saw was that people seem to like many other options out there better than the XT6 and the interior. He said which I agree with that the fit n finish is good but GM did not give it the luxury level that people are expecting for the price. In fact he said the weird part is people have a better luxury impression of a Denali equipped CUV over the XT6 as his sister GMC/Buick store was selling gang busters all they could get of CUVs.

It is sad as while I was excited for when Cadillac talked about it, was disappointed when I actually saw it and the rushed job to just get it to market and have another niche filled with a product.

GM needs to stop doing this if they want Cadillac to grow.

Focus on the Luxury and let GMC/Buick fill in all the Niche areas for appliance sizes. 

At the core, they probably saw the XT5 sales declining no matter what they do with that, so the XT6 just simply gives that person with the XT5 something to trade into or re-lease....just like the XT5 they had but with a 'new' twist.  Yes they did just frankenstein it together.

5 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Does anyone know about these, or want one?  I've seen like two total on the road since their intro.

Sales guy said it's becoming their best selling model now that people are finding out.  Must be why Caddy did a whack job on the XT5 to add the 3rd row.

I liked it, except engine options are only the 3.6 and the interior is not really Cadillac level in certain colors and trims.  There actually was a used new Aviator on their lot at the same time i went and took a look at and for sure the Aviator presents way nicer and has that 400hp v6.

I look at it as if you want an Acadia sized vehicle but don't want an Acadia because its frumpy, and because there is no third row Blazer, the XT6 is by default the 'GM fans mid sized deluxe three row'.

Not a bad thing really, some folks don't want a BMW or something douchey like that.

The ride and handling i really liked.  It was the sport version.  Quick steering. With another 50 horsepower it would be quite the stealthy thing.  I was actually good on interior materials, just that it has that old XT5 dash and console, so its dated when it comes out.  Otherwise, it's just kind of 'there'.  Not an object of desire, really.

Pretty good for empty nesters and retirees.

On 1/5/2021 at 7:43 PM, trinacriabob said:

This Buick's MSRP would immediately send me running.  It's priced to be the top of their line and is equipped as such.  The closest to anything like this I've driven is the Traverse, with a 3.6 V6, and I was impressed with how it handled and how quiet it was.  That means that those qualities would be found in this Enclave, and then some, since we're going upward in GM branding.

I still can't warm up to this segment.  It's not my niche.  I get that people like this niche and/or require it.  With that, I will say that a simply equipped Buick Envision (2020 and prior) with the N.A. four banger, and its price point, are more suitable for me, while Buick's Encore is too small.

When I see these on the road, they seem big and bulbous, and have from the beginning.  The one time that this would come in handy is when moving.  BTDT ... yikes.

You covered all the bases in your write-up.  Nice.

you know, i actually have a pretty high opinion of the Envision.  If you get the 2.0.  And right now as the model is changing and the new Envision is coming in, there are big discounts on the current 2020 Envision.

My big gripe on the Enclave and Buick /GM in general is the option packaging.  You can't get heated steering wheel and adaptive cruise or really even the surround view monitor as an option on the Essence trim.  I understand they want to upgrade you to the premium trim to get those things and its a huge price jump.  It really shoots the price way out of the league and is silly when vehicles like a lowly Hyundai Santa Fe have adaptive cruise at almost 1/2 price.  

Our van is coming due asap and now I have to actually start to decide what's going to happen.  I even started looking at the Cadillac XT6 which when taken at face value is kind of a joke but there are some unique incentives right now with Cadillac and the XT6 that might actually for leasing anyways put it in a position to compete with other vehicles I am looking at....and my wife kind of wants a smaller vehicle....XT6 might fit the spirit of a smaller vehicle like the Acadia or Blazer but certainly be nicer than those two and really more comparable interiors wise to this Enclave.

17 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

I rarely wander over to the members' rides showcase.  This definitely gets my thumbs up.  Most of all, I loved this car's dashboard - far and away more interesting and fun to pilot it than that of its W-body siblings, including my own car.  The price point difference going up a brand is in attention to trim and materials but, underneath it all, the W-bodies with the same powertrains should continue to provide similar longevity ... very good longevity.  I continue to see so many of these on the road.  

Is this an '07?  I believe they carried the last model over for a partial year but may be wrong.  The MC also went out in '07.

I'm trying to reconcile 93 years of age and cigarette smell.  Was someone else younger smoking?   Euell Gibbons, the proponent of eating hickory nuts in the Grape Nuts commercial, lived to be 64.  All my relatives who smoke - all across the pond - surpassed Euell by a wide margin.

The last GP will always be a neat car that people want to own.

 

He had stopped the smoking since the early 10's... but between him and his wife (my MIL) they both smoked a lot, and the time they had the car from 2008 until she passed they managed to get it quite smelled up from the smokes.

it is a 2008, but it still doesn't have ABS on this one.  I don't like sending my kid out in a car without ABS but the car is in good shape and all, the new tires will help make it safer without the ABS.

19 minutes ago, David said:

@regfootball The years I have had GoodYear, for the most part all weather served me well till I wore them out and upped for better tires. I fully expect these to give you a decent life for what they are.

My biggest complaint with GoodYear tires is the noise they make on cement roads and especially in cement parking garages where they scream bloody murder. Such a noisy tire.

So my question for you as you guys drive the auto over 2021 is how do they do with noise?

 

nearly all other goodyears Ive had have been not great as an all season tire and yes can be noisy.  We'll see how these do.  Any tire compound that is better in cold weather has to be softer, and hopefully that means less noise.