Intrepidation

I'm going to pull a FOG and pick apart the statement. Bland is not ugly, you called it bland but did nothing to back up your claim that it's ugly. Overdone Chrome? Have you LOOKED at the huge swath of chrome framing the Terrain's stupidly large grill? Yeah, totally looks like a Tribeca from the side. You claim the fender flairs are an after thought while the Terrain's look completely tacked on with no integration whatsoever on the outer edges. The just go straight to the bottom of the car. On the Journey they form character lines that flow towards the front/back of the vehicle. You know what I find funny? A "professional grade" Equinox. Or a "professional grade" Outlook. Or how about every half assed Chevy that was bestowed the SS badge? I'm baffled by how you think the styling "doesn't make sense" on the Journey, but somehow Terrain, with a rear end that looks like it came from another car (like a Sienna or a Rendezvous) , and the front end with misguided lines and a giant, plastered on grill, is "beautiful." I won't argue that the Journey is bland, but calling it "clean" and "bland" then calling it ugly with examples that you used just contradicts your opinion/fails to back it up.

This guy's opinion is worth squat, which sums up nicely his ability to write an accurate, factual, unbiased article.

This is true, but... I prefer hearing it being better than a Mercedes, or an Audi, or in the CTS-V's EVERYTHING.

I want to see how it stacks up against Audi, Mercedes, and BMW...the RX sets the bar pretty low.

GM doesn't really want us calling this a first drive, but this morning we drove the almost-production-ready 2010 Cadillac SRX and it felt good. Like luxury crossover segment-defying good. It's Monday, the second week in April, and in Michigan it can only mean one thing, six inches of snow to start the work week. We slogged our way through this morning's sloppy mess destined for the sleepy town of Milford, a pair of shiny new 2010 Cadillac SRX's awaiting. GM gave us first dibs behind the wheel of their new crossover as long as we assured everyone these were early mules and not finished cars, which we just did, but considering how polished these cars are, there's really no reason to do so. This second-generation SRX replaces the more wagon-like SRX which debuted in 2004 and does so in a much more SUV-looking shape and on a platform GM calls "Theta Premium. It's the same platform that Saab will use to build the 2010 9-4X. Some critics will bemoan the loss the tall wagon, but we'll be the first to state nothing has been lost in translation. The new SRX is good, really good. Lexus RX350-beating good. For a segment which has traditionally isolated the driver in a cocoon of leather and glass and over-damping, the SRX actually makes driving part of the equation. We drove two different iterations, both were equipped with the baseline 3.0-liter V6 with 265 HP, 235 lb-ft of torque (a 300 HP turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 will come as the product goes to market), mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and both equipped with the latest generation of the Haldex all-wheel-drive system, found elsewhere in the GM universe in the Saab 9-3 Turbo X. The difference between the two came in the form of the pop-up navigation system, bigger wheels, and real-time active damping system on the silver car, which we'll get into later. Numbers are great, but what about when the SRX is actually matched up to the competition? Believe us when we say the SRX is a Lexus-beating vehicle. On virtually every front, the SRX matches the RX 350. Blow-for-blow, we were impressed on comfort, amenities, material quality, space and luxury, but what the Cadillac has and the Lexus doesn't is the attention of the driver. This crossover actually handles. We'll even go so far as to say it's a Caddy that zigs and even zags. On the highway the vehicle is quiet, with the acoustic glass keeping road and wind noise to a minimum. While the transmission shifts are a bit lax (we're told by GM engineers it's still in calibration) but as a commuter, it's totally fine. Nudge the gear lever into sport mode though and the shift points change, the rev limit bumps up and the car awakens. Throw it into a corner and it grips, the body roll is kept to a minimum, no buck and sway over uneven pavement. You can actually feel what the tires are doing. You hear the engine when you're supposed to, you can brake hard and know where it will stop. The base model vehicle is as composed as any normal crossover when facing the inclement weather and Michigan's Baghdad-grade roads, but the active suspension really shines through. Put the SRX into split quality surfaces and the ride barely changes. Dump it into potholes and run it through deep slush and it soaks up those imperfections while feeling as solid as a German luxury wagon. You can drive though the nastiest heaves one minute and barely jostle your passengers. Then toss it into a hard corner the next minute, and it doesn't pitch and yaw. It's bewilderingly solid. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I am not a fan of crossovers, but the SRX surprised the hell out of me. If this is what the early testers are like, we almost can't wait to see what it can do on dry pavement, and that's a shocking statement to make about a car in a segment we typically dismiss. http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/jalo...RX_Drive-03.jpg

If I want to fill-up and get a car wash I'll sometimes go to shell, especially in the winter. You get half off the car wash when you put 8 gallons or more in...so it's killing two birds with one stone. I hear Haffners gas is pretty $h!ty, but I've never had a problem with them. Sometimes I go to Sunoco, but its usually out of the way. Irving (Blue Canoe) is my favorite because Shaws gives gas discount coupons when you shop there, which is on top of Blue Canoe's already lowest prices in the area. Plus they have the only Quiznos in the area...which kicks ass. Only problem is that it's pretty out of the way, and I never pass by it unless I make a special trip or on teh rare occasion I go to Wal Mart.

No.

I have to say that in the video the front end looks a lot better. It could be better, but t's far less offensive. With that said, I can't help but laugh at some of the commentary...especially about the "unique" center stack which is the same damn thing you'll find in the Equinox....so it's not exactly "unique".

Just because a vehicle is blocky doesn't mean it's a bad design. It can be good (like the H3) or it bad be disjointed (like the Terrain).

That would be tough to drive I would think.

GM's Biggest Fan and Toughest Critics.

I would except bland, but point out to me exactly what is ugly about it.

I give GM kudos for creating a polarizing design and not another rebadge. I would like to see the nose tweaked (as per my chop), but if it finds more buyers than the Torrent then it will be successful. I wouldn't call it a "hit" yet though.

I see your Hello Kitty and raise you giant robot condoms:

Dude, you realize that very post could be turned around and applied to you right? Do you know how many threads you've disturbed with OMFG IT'S GOTZ A B-PILLARZ AND HAZ FWD SO I MUST BITCH ABOUT IT AND RUIN IT FOR EVERYONE ELSE, AND BECAUSE THEY LIKE IT THEY ARE SOMEHOW INFERIOR!#!~#$@~!@!# @#$@!#!~~!~!~!!!~!~!~~~!!!!!!!!!!!111`111ELEVENTY!~@!~~~!@!111

That rotary 110 creates in Lowell. No one knows what the f@#k YIELD means, and despite there being like 3 signs for eahch on ram, they DON'T YIELD TO THE CAR IN THE ROTARY! I've had to slam on my breaks, blast my horn, and flip off dip$h!s more times than I care to remember because they almost ran into instead of yielding.

That rotary 110 creates in Lowell. No one knows what teh f@#k YIELD means, and despite there being like 3 signs for eahch on ram, they DON'T YIELD TO TEH CAR IBN THE ROTARY

...to format my Hard Drive.

Not for a while I think, we have 4 others...

+2

Final Fantasy XI (11)