Intrepidation

They are not Asian American...because all the profits go back to Japan...and guess where that is? Hint: not America. I understand your logic though, but still...it's a Japanese company and no amount of media or PR BS will change that.

If only however many trees did that to however many G6's existed... I love the G8 by the way...if my next car isn't a Dodge it'll be that

Well it took some work but I finally snagged a pic of the black/tan interior...it's not the best (not close-up) but at least I found it and at least they offer it.

I'd have to check to be sure but doesn't the Avenger get black/tan as an interior color scheme option. I agree...I would not get a non-R/T model...I also agree about the headlamps. I think all the Avenger needs are some better materials...inside...but I personally could live with them...oh and make the sport suspension optional across the board. GM is very smart for offering the 6-speed as an option with the 4-banger in the NG Malibu...too bad DCX didn't think of the same thing. The Sebring is a mess...I really just don't like it...I think a mini-300C styling would have worked better.

How do analog networks differ from digital networks?

The pain!

It wouldn't compete with the 1-series...it would compete with the 3-series...the new CTS is too big to be technically in the same segment.

I would say the only vehicle that is near perfect in this segment is the Accord . I would say next in line is the Fusion, but it is down on power (though it's not that bad..ditto for the Millan). The Mazda6 is also very good, though a bit of a tight fit. The Camry has build quality issues. Same with the Aura (as well as some materials). The Sonata is ergonomically flawed...the G6 is cheap (and IMO too Japanese looking) and only recently got a competitive powertrain, the current Malibu is a piece of ugly and cheap crap that's good for fleets and bargain hunters and that's about it. The NG Malibu isn't out yet, the Sebring is ugly (I think) and has poor suspension tuning, and the Optima is grossly underpowered. I dunno if I overlooked anything...as for being bias...do you think if I was totally bias do you think I would point out the flaws? Do you think I'd call the Sebring ugly and poorly tuned? (I would not buy one). I would not buy an Avenger without the 3.5L, the other models lack the suspension tuning I'd want and the power. However, just like how people for some strange reason buy Malibus, people will buy the lower level Avengers. I've said this before: It's not the class leader but it's far better than the Stratus it replaces, has unique style and features, and it at least competitive in this segment. There is no car that is perfect.

53 views and not a single post...

Sitting in an overstuffed leather recliner or sofa. Watching TV, favorite movie,reading is optional Going for a nice drive on your favorite tqisty roads with little traffic and the music on Sleep!

Today I was busy running errands, and the last on my list was to stop at the parts store for a tail light bulb for the Intrepid. NAPA closes early apparently (at 5pm). I sit in the parking lot and think what I should do now..and I decide I'll take a ride to Tom Manzi Dodge to ask about the blown lights on my temp gauge and part of my tach. To my disappointment, the parts and service area was also closed (at 5). I was kinda bummed, but I noticed that the showroom was still open. I decided to go in check it out. A salesman greeted me (he had kinda long hair), and asked if he could help me with anything. I told him (part of) why I came, and he said to come back tomorrow and they service dept. would help me. When I was coming into the dealership I saw a black Avenger R/T sitting on the lot, and I asked him if I could take a look at it. He happily said yes and handed me the keys and asked me to lock it up when I was done. First Impressions The first thing I notice is that the key and the fob are one and the same (as opposed to my key and fob being separate things). It's not that pretty but it's a key so who cares. I walk out to the Avenger and unlock it and sit inside. Seats This model has the 3.5L (as I figured), leather, 18-inch wheels, spoiler, but curiously not the NAV system and (thankfully) no rear-seat DVD. Interior is 2-tone with black upp and white-ish/light gray lower color scheme. The seats were the white-ish color with black inserts, which look pretty sharp. The seats were a bit firm but surprisingly very comfortable. The back seat is even comfortable. Even with the driver's seat all the way back, and me being 6'1", it didn't feel uncomfortable (although moving the seat forward just a bit stopped my legs from touching the seat-back. Exterior Design In black, with the 18-inch wheels and the spoiler, the Avenger looks very good. It's not graceful or elegant like the Aura, but rather it has an aggressively handsome look no other car in the segment has. Dodge continues to by one of the best (I think) at designing rear ends that don't look awkward, frumpy or fat. (You know, like the last gen Altima). The headlights attractive in a simple way...they're not intricate like some headlights but they look good nonetheless. I actually prefer this front end to that of the Charger's (expect in SRT form). The kick in the beltline is distinctive, and while some day it just copies off the Charger...I say "why not?" It's a design element no car in the midsize segment has and an element only the Charger, upcoming Challenger, and upcoming Camaro share. Not a bad styling element to use when you consider the powerful vehicles it borrows them from. The roof, which has been a point of criticism (myself included), doesn't have the awkwardness it does in photos. In person it looks fine. Interior Design The interior design is very nice, and looks better than the Aura IMO. I prefer the more symmetrical look to the idiotic way the Aura's center stack flows into a console area that's off center. I was pleasantly surprised/relieved to find that the Chill-Zone in this was much better than the that of the Caliber. Unlike the Caliber's, which just pops up and, in the case of teh one at the auto show at least, only stays open part way, this on opens with the press of a button and opens smoothly and all the way, and stays up. It offers good resistance to being pushed down. Same goes for the lower glovebox, which opened smoothly (although a bit slowly), instead of just flopping down. As said before, the dash design is very attractive IMO, and I especially like how the upper dash flows down and wraps around the shifter. It's much better than that of the Sebring's shifter, which seems just tacked onto the console. The steering wheel is also nice. It's small and think and comfortable to hold. The leather isn't the softest but it's far better than the horrid "leather" wrapped steering wheel I last held, which was in a last-gen Malibu. It's black with white upper portion and chrome trim on the center part...it's a very nice design. The gauge cluster is a lot more attractive in person than in the photos, and the gauges themselves are sporty and nice to look at. Meanwhile, the HVAC controls were textured in rubber and trimmed with chrome rings. There were simple, and attractive. The stereo had great sound quality, a nice interface, and relatively simple controls. I really liked the express up and down front driver and passenger windows. While they aren't needed (just like power windows themselves aren't needed), it's a great convenience to have them go back with one touch, especially the driver's side. I wish the Intrepid had express up..at least on the driver's side. Materials and Build Quality. As I said, the seats and the steering wheel are made with firm but surprisingly comfortable leather. The center armrest is covered in very soft leather (or vinyl) and is extremely comfortable to rest my arm on (in fact I like it better than the material that covers the Intrepid's). The upper and lower dash are made of hard plastic, but well textured I think. The A-pillars, and center stack are textured in a material that is similar to what the A-pillar of the Camry is textured. It's not the best texture to touch, but it looks OK. What surprised me is that while the door panels are mostly hard plastic, their armrest are in fact, made with textured soft plastic. Again, the texturing is not the greatest, and not as nice as the padded armrests in my car...but they aren't bad IMO, and they are soft, which more than I can say for the Aura's. The materials themselves seemed pretty solid. The A-pillar had a little give to it...but nowhere near as bad as say...that Equinox I sat in. It wasn't any worse than the Camry's. The only other area where there was any real flex was the center console...but it wasn't bad. I had to put decent force to move it, and it only moved about a centimeter. Build quality was pretty good as well. Exterior panels lined up perfectly with very small gaps in between. The interior was well assembled with the exception of a misaligned panel where the driver's side of the center console meets the dash, and a little bit misaligned on the other side (though not as much). Other than that everything fit together perfectly. Power...? With key in hand I decided to fire the Avenger up. It has a nice sound, with a bit of a rumble. All I did was let it idle...I didn't rev it...I didn't know if I should. -- I locked the car up (it has a very loud horn), and returned to the showroom. I chatted with the salesman about the car. He asked me what I thought of it and I said I liked it a lot...I noted that the armrests on teh doors could have been textured better, but the car has a whole is so much better than the Stratus it replaces (he agreed with me on both counts). I asked them if they've had many Avenger's on the lot yet. He said yes, but they've sold the other ones that they had. We talked about the drivetrain abit, and how the SXT could be had for a fair bit cheaper, although with a 4-banger or the 2.7L. I said, "Yes, but the 3.5 is the one to get...especially with the 6-speed and sportier suspension." He agreed but also noted how a lot of people aren't as concerned with all-out performance...it just depends on your priorities. Then we got to talking about my car. When I told him it had 177K miles on it with the 2.7L he was practically blown away. He said he had an Intrepid like mine that he sold after his heart attack...he had some trouble selling it because it had the 2.7L and people were scared of it. He made a point that not all of the 2.7Ls will fail like they've been known to, and my car is a case in point. He also commented on how nice it looked. He asked where I got it from and I told him an auction. He asked if I did things like "look at the interior and exterior and (jokingly) smelled the interior). I said yeah, but I also checked for oil leaks, engine ticks and knocks, as well as how the transmission shifted. He was impressed and was like "You know your stuff, you're not stupid." We got into talking about how the auction works, since he'd never been to one and was curious. We talked until he got a phone call from his physician. He told me if I wanted to test drive something I could come buy tomorrow and he'd set me up, and to call or just stop buy the service department for the gauge lights. So that was my trip o the dealer. I left feeling very happy...I love the people there. They're always friendly and they're never pushy or just there to get a sale. I'll probably get my oil changed there knowing how well they treat people. Tomorrow if all goes well I'll get to test the Avenger...so I'll have some driving impressions. Maybe if I'm lucky they'll let me test a Charger too... Sorry for the typos! Oh yeah, and I'm using the Aura as comparison cuz I spent the most time in it of all the current midsizers...I wanna drive it next. (need to find a Saturn dealer nearby).

Funny...nice car.

AH I see, my bad (buy it used!)

A missing problem?

Yeah, the Ridgleine is ugly IMO but it has innovative features that I wish were incorporated into other trucks. The Tundra brings nothing new to the table.

Forth, and most importantly, it looks cheap and something that MRDETROITMETAL would chop.

omg! :rotflmao:

The interior is kinda neat, the exterior though, is hideous.

I can't tell you how many times I'm coming home or going to school on 110 (45 mph speed limit) and having to be stuck behind peopel going under the speed limit. I was once stuck behind some idiot in a Cavalier who was going 25 mpg and riding his brakes! I hate peopel who can't go the damns peed limit. Personally, on that road I tend to go over the speed limit (between 50 and 60 mph)...since I know where the cops like to hide, and I personally think the speed limit should be at least 5 mph higher.

Eh, it's ok...something about it looks out of proportion. Those wheels are sexy though.

That's fine looking Cobalt...I'm not a fan of the yellow but she still looks great. The carbon fiber wing is kinda cool...but the truck lid is too much. C'mon man, you've got better taste than that

mp3 player for the win! But changing CD's isn't that hard if the CD's are right next to you.

You've told me to grow up once...yet you say you'd laugh if he'd get in a wreck? I've got two words for that...and they're not "good morning". Anyway, I hate cell phone driver's because every one I've ever seen drives like morons. The drift in the lane, ride the shoulder, tailgate, drive to slow or too fast, don't pay attention to stop lights and stop signs... I used to never drive with a cell phone even on. But my job requires I have it on...so sometimes I do need to answer it. It's quite a chore between holding the phone, steering, and shifting...needless to say multitasking is a necessity. However I will not answer it if the road is busy, only when it is relatively clear...I'll just miss the call...I can always call back. BV, it's impressive that you can somehow text and drive without getting into a wreck...but my question is why risk it? Even if it's not a risk in your opinion...why respond right away? They can wait..it won't kill them...if it's an emergency, I'd think they'd actually call (you know...what phones were originally designed for). By the way...speaker phone is a great feature...it's just too bad the Prizm has no place to put it (the cupholder's block the little storage spot when deployed..plus it'd be too far away fr hearing clearly).

I love the Phaeton. It's in incredible car. It's ashame no one could get over their badge snobbery in this country and buy it. SO what if it's expensive? Maybe VW wanted a luxury halo car instead of a performance halo car.

Ouch. That's horrible. Looks like Chrysler beat Toyota this year for huge recalls. Shame on them. Hopefully GM doesn't have these kind of issues...especially since they've been making progress with people's perceptions of reliability.