regfootball

Yes, DF, that picture makes me really like the car as well. I have to admit they really did a great job with it. The RWD proportion with the extra long hood really makes it stand out as a signature trait of a luxury car. I sorta wonder who would consider a regular CTS over this? I realize the CTS is smaller, but from a functional and luxury standpoint, and even from a dynamic one, wouldn't it be tough to argue for the CTS? Unless the Chrysler ends up being more pricey..... I think what i really dig on the car is the rear sculpting on the back face of the trunk and bumper. Haven't really seen that before. Art and Science needs an update, at least it seems too simplistic compared to some of the subtlety here.

Automobile Mag tests Fiat 500

it was a nice size, but for some reason VANZILLAS ruled the roost then.

Inside Line Fiat 500 Sport first drive

Automobile reviews the new 300

Yeah, it really is a nice commuter and has a lot of basic virtue. As long as you don't carry people in the back often, it's all the car anyone needs in this new normal era of time. Its hard to get out of the Cruze and get back in a Cobalt. It's actually depressing.

who knows, maybe they can't keep it from hunting or some other drivability problem if its locked up in 6th. All I know is that Eco is a contented little kitty in 6th, super quiet, just a hair over 2100-2200 rpm, still has some pull when you step on the gas. 5th isn't much more rpm. The automatic has seemed so much more busy to me. Wouldn't that be bizarre if it were programmed to not be in 6th? THing is doesn't it have a gear indicator? I know when I used the manumatic that one time I was able to get it in 6th......I am pretty sure of that.

Mary Barra, new GM head of product development I absolutely respect her credentials, however there are a couple of things in this interview that give me pause......more specifically the notion that everything is marketing driven. SOmetimes you have to tell the market what it needs. Design / build it from the gut and if its good they will come. That was part of Bob Lutz' approach. I am sensing this new GM is data reactive now.

classic redux.......just say fleet bye bye v6, thanks feds should be interesting the transformation this time around. hopefully its just a good solid basic car that improves the interior and trunk space. Current Malibu is decent, but things change so fast in this segment. Malibu wants to go vanilla now. I think the eAssist may turn out to be a nice feature for this car. actually should be interesting to see how the turbo ends up acceleration wise.

in my test drive too, it was up around 2700-2800 rpm on the automatic. the stick was at least 500 rpm lower. that to me explains part of the difference between 36 mpg highway and 42 mpg. what did you think of the LS? it's actually ok.

The vans are so immense, to improve all the materials inside would be a huge expensive undertaking. So the fact that they improved your overall impression, by just concentrating the improvements in the most noticeable areas, shows good thought. I think Dodge and a lot of makers will have to rethink the minivan in a few years. A Mazda5 is too small. The Caravan is just a beast now. IMO, there has got to be a sweet spot in size in between somewhere.

Instead of taking the kid to play today we went to the Kia Dodge Chevy dealer to sit in some cars. Weird combo of brands, but it made it convenient for one stop. Anyhow, what was nice was they had a new 011 Caravan, Journey, and Durango in the showroom. So I got to sit inside and look around a little. Kid was acting up so I didn't get to poke and prod too much. But still it was easy to see that there were some nice improvements. The Durango was the first one. I still think its sorta bland inside and out but the quality of the interior is pretty good. I would say the plastics are very good, maybe a little tiny bit above average for the class. Better plastics than the Lambdas for sure. Even the cloth was pretty good. The sticker was 40k, at 40k I might think leather is deserved. But it certainly is not cheap by any means inside. It's pretty roomy and it seemed like it has a pretty good cargo hold behind the second row. The third row looked tight but I didn't climb back there. The seat bottom looked really low and looked like there wasn't much knee or footspace, that was only looks though. I'll have to try getting in one at the auto show soon. The Front two rows are really roomy. They did a nice job on it and it has a trucky feel to it so the old Durango fans should like it very much. The Grand Caravan had the new interior and to be honest it's not really an upgrade of much over what was already in the Routan as far as dash materials. But they added some padding on the armrest and the gauges and steering wheel and center stack are big upgrades. Of course compared to the 010 Caravan the improvement is huge. The layout has an interesting and simple design that is attractive. The change in the shifter design alone is huge as it feels nicer in the hand. Seat cloth is not burlap now, its a decent mouse fur type of stuff. Most of the interior improvements are in the dash and front row. They changed the second row seats to have more support and sit a little higher with a nicer curve. I did not sit in them but they looked to be more natural than the 010 model in the second row. Really there is nothing to note as a problem on this interior now. It should help them gain sales. The dash plastic was still sort of hard to the touch and maybe looked a tish cheap but because there is so much plastic inside a van you gotta cut them a little slack. Its perfectly acceptable now whereas before it was ghastly. In tan even I bet it looks really nice. The Journey's new interior was the best one. It totally transforms the vehicle. Good quality plastics. It's shocking how terrible and different the old interior is compared to the new one. I think the center stack display screen has a cheap face on it, but all display screens do, its just because its so large and picks up light so you see all the smudges and stuff. No complaints otherwise. Everything is laid out very nice, it's interesting. Nice room, good cloth. The silver dash accents are a nice theme. I sure hope they get an increase in sales. The Journey they had had a 29k sticker with the v6 and I don't recall if it was AWD or not. Dodge should be pleased with the nice upgrades they did in the Journey. In a way, its hard to see a lot of foks buying the huge bulky van when the Journey is available. Likewise, it's tough to see the appeal of the Durango when the Journey is almost as spacious and is a lot cheaper, because the Journey has the third row. I can tell you the Journey's interior is better quality than the Equinox, even though the Equinox has the interesting center stack. I think the Journey will have a really long shelf life now, it would be nice to see them put a stylish new beak on it now. Just a couple Kia comments. The Optima does not look quite so nice inside in cheaper trims. Mouse fur seats and more cheap grey plastic. With tan leather and accent upgrades like piano black the Optima inside looks a lot richer. The base car has a cheap cheap feel to it inside and out and I am already tired of the new exterior. I don't like that back door window weirdness. The Forte hatchback looks clumsy. The Sportage has a nice roomy interior but its really too bad the seats don't feel right and they really should have spent more on the interior plastics and carpets and stuff. The Sorento has a nice bland but solid interior, too bad the exterior is so freakin dull and plain. Anyways, Dodge's interior improvements are not just lip service. THey have done a good job making the needed improvements.

I know NOS, you are 100% right. I guess my point is, not only is GM seemingly not wanting real feedback from those experts, they don't even seem to have a very good pulse on the very basic $h! that the customers could give them. It's doubly ridiculous! So what I meant was, its a big organizational problem, and it comes from an org chart and decision maker tree that is piss poor at allowing the people within to design and build the best stuff possible. Some Finance or marketing or legal person is going to go out of their way to dilute greatness. And some of the easy improvements are right there under their turned up noses. I am smelling a return to arrogance at GM and it doesn't sound pretty. My first order of business would be clean out a Telecom CEO. He has no business being there. GM wanted an Alan Mullaly clone. Alan Mullaly understood science, technology, and manufacturing in the world arena for transportation vehicles. All indications point to that Akenson Akerson whatever is not as savvy as he needs to be in those areas with regards to cars.

the sad thing is, anyone who drives more than a few cars as a hobby can quickly sample them all and tell GM what is effed on their cars. it doesn't take a consultant to tell them what is screwed.

the power in the Eco with manual is shockingly nice. Once they nail down the turbo with the automatic........ any stick drivers, seriously, go find an Eco and take one for a ripper..... it's an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT CAR. the 6 speed gearing is well matched to the turbo torque band. a proper use for each gear. you can decide how to use the engine. it's all good.

i just bet that 6 year old kid is a hoot. have explosives, will travel. all while the parents are off downing malt liquor. garbage in, garbage out. we don't ask anyone to evaluate things for themselves these days. although, i think we can give a waiver to the six year old. its the parents who need a lobotomy.

Cruze interior is nicer than current Malibu. Taurus interior was meant to shock, it's overdone, my bet is they revise the console and stack a bit in the very near future......

no, they didn't LET him, they were just off doing what rednecks do and left the kid alone by a fire and a gas can!!!!!! Sure, if CARB or the feds mandate that. Problem is that there is like 5 paragraphs of associated warnings also on there, its a little hard for a 6 year old to read a legal document in 5 seconds....

i regularly have adults in the third row of my taurus x, and get back there myself sometimes. It's not as much as the Lambdas, but you can still be comfortable. The footspace is good so you don't have to be cramped. But yes, the Lambda is the most commodious and has an advantage in the third row on just about everything else in the market. If only a suburban were that commodious. A huge advantage the Lambadas have is I believe you can get plywood in them and shut the hatch. At a minimum, its wide enough. At least with the Fords you get that twin turbo.

That's who's back in charge, Camino......... Marketing and finance people are the evil in the face of making truly great products. Even government is not as much of a blight.

insane! worth the money, IYO? In five years its half the price.....

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/25/how-bob-lutz-made-four-auto-journalists-his-secret-weapons-at/ neat read, and reasons to be concerned going forward........

even after the appearance of the never before known half sister? (biological definition of sister) wow, the timing of that was convenient for press. if it's OWN i guess she can't be P WNED then........ Burned Boys Family Sues Gas Can Company even if you leave a 6 year old alone to pour gas on a fire you can still blame it on the maker of the can! SUE! SUE! (I swear that lawyer's name was Beelzebub)..... farmers pissed off because it takes to long to fill the tractor

before every game....you want some?

Oprah is behind it. She has her own tv network now, you know. That is just the trojan horse to something entirely worse.