bobo

San Francisco Marina District

FUBU

I almost never complain at restaurants. You never know if when they replace some food whether they spit in it or something. I take it as a learning lesson and never go back. The worse thing that happened to me was when I was at a Japanese restaurant, and there was a small cockroach wandering around the plate. The waitress noticed me fussing with the food. I said there was a roach in my food, and she took the bug to the chef, and then she said back to me "That's not a cockroach!" Needless to say, I never went back.

That's one nice, clean-looking ride.

I haven't felt the need to go over 100 mph for about a decade. The fact that you can lose your license here in California if you're caught may have something to do with it. Fastest was in my '91 Acura Integra at 124 mph.

Congrats on the vehicle, 99camaroSS. Nissan builds great small trucks. I really liked my Hardbody truck, and there are times I wish I got a Frontier. The Xterra is a great design and is very functional, if a little rough riding. Good thing you got the 6. The Xterra is very heavy. I can't imagine what it'd be like with a 4.

I prefer floor shifters, but on the right type of vehicle, I don't have a problem with column shifters. For instance, on pickups or SUVs or minivans, the shifter on the column frees up space in the console area.

Houses have gotten ridiculously expensive for first-time buyers now. I was able to buy a house within one year of getting out of college 14 years ago, but since then, housing costs have tripled while incomes have gone up by only about 25%. The new car should come after the house, and credit cards should be paid off every month. Keeping a credit card balance is an insidious way to go into debt.

The current Tundra sales have been increasing, while the Tacoma's sales have been flat. Because the size and cost of the two trucks are close, buyers probably decided the Tundra was the better buy. I like the current Tundra, especially for its tidy dimension. The larger dimensions of the new truck make it more unlikely that I would consider one. I would expect more of the suburban pickup buyers going to the Tacoma over this thing.

I'm looking forward most to the Infiniti G35 Sedan. Surely it'll just be an evolutionary update, as hinted by the G35 Coupe concept, but it's one of the most important players in the near lux segment. As for the Altima, the new model is coming just on schedule for the typical 5-year Japanese cycle. It did its first three years ('02, '03, '04) and then had the refresh for '05 and '06. It will also be interesting to see how this car turns out, as the Altima is a much more interesting family sedan than the market leader Camry. Will Nissan play it safe or continue to be more daring?

Less frequent good ads is better than more bad ads, especially when the ads give an impression of distressed merchandise. The new Lucerne print ad (with the old-style library pocket) that reinforces the library quiet cabin is good, except that they don't show the car anywhere. At least it shows some creativity.

I've never seen anything like that, but it looks like a rail car to transport the vehicles.

I agree that the nitpicky level of complaints is a testament to how far GM has gone. But the bar is continuously being raised. Yesterday in the San Francisco Chronicle, there was a review that was decidedly lukewarm about the Lucerne and its Northstar engine, even stating that the Hyundai Azera was a superior vehicle with a better interior and better performance.

There should be a serious discussion of whether to do it or not. However, in these politically charged times, even the thought of it is shouted down with epithets.

From what they started with, this is not a bad effort. However, I am not a fan of the Jeep Liberty at all. That type of vehicle meets the needs of some people, but for suburbanites and city-dwellers, there are more hospitable and civilized choices.

Ho hum. A real snoozefest all around. I liked the Clydesdales, and, um, not much else. The Budweiser ads were at a higher plane than the rest. Most of the automotive ones were bad, especially Toyota's and Honda's.

His comment on the torque: "Although a V-8 driving the front wheels is out of step with today's trend back to rear drive, the Lucerne makes it seem as right and righteous as God's plan. What torque steer? More to the point, what torque? For the record, the 4.6-liter Northstar is a twister, not a torquer, delivering 275 horsepower at 5600 rpm, with another 1000 rpm available before the redline, but a torque output of only 290 pound-feet at 4400 rpm. Compared with, say, the 390 pound-feet at 4000 rpm of Chrysler's Hemi, the Lucerne's V-8 is only mildly energetic."

Good commercial too.

Patrick Bedard of C/D didn't exactly slam the Lucerne, but he wasn't that enthusiastic about it either. This stood out to me: "You're surrounded by a first-rate simulation of quality materials. In fact, the Lucerne interior is a panorama of plastic under soft-touch paints, trimmed in obviously fake wood, but someone worked hard on the details. The shines and sheens look classy, and the stitched seams across the doors, seats, and console are convincingly craftsmanlike. The windshield pillars are smoothly covered in headliner material, eliminating molding lines and dsitracting glare. The large sun visors slide on their arms, allowing exceptionally good coverage to the sides. If you don't look too critically at the details of console bins and hatches, the appointments live up to four-holer expectations."

The old Previa had an optional supercharged engine good for 161 hp, and it was later made standard. The precursor to the Previa was known as the Toyota Van. Its original name was the Van Wagon, but Volkswagen complained that it was too similar to Vanagon, and Toyota changed it after the 1984 model year. My dad test-drove one and said he had to floor it to make it move.

For those who can't afford a real Lucerne, the golf cart is only $18K.

Both of the major political parties have problems, but there is one party which strongly aligns with my own views, and they get my vote. However, when one party, either party, is in total control, all checks and balances go away, and the best interests of country get lost.

The current issue of Consumer Reports tests family sedans. They tested multiple versions of the Passat, Fusion/Milan, Sonata, Impala (Monte Carlo was also tested but the review is on the CR website only), and Charger. This is their ranking of all family sedans over $25,000: 1. Acura TL (recommended) 2. VW Passat 3.6 3. Toyota Avalon XLS (recommended) 4. Honda Accord Hybrid V6 (recommended) 5. VW Passat 2.0T 6. Toyota Camry XLE V6 (recommended) 7. Honda Accord EX V6 (recommended) 8. Ford Fusion SEL V6 9. Mercury Milan Premier V6 10. Acura TSX (recommended) 11. Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT 4 (recommended) 12. Nissan maxima 3.5 SE (recommended) 13. Nissan Altima 3.5 SE (recommended) 14. Ford Five Hundred SEL FWD (recommended) 15. Mazda6 s V6 16. Chrysler 300C V8 17. Mitsubishi Galant GTS V6 (recommended) 18. Chevrolet impala 3LT V6 (recommended) 19. Chrysler 300 Touring V6 (recommended) 20. Dodge Charger R/T V8 21. Dodge Charger SXT V6 22. Buick LaCrosse CXL (recommended) 23. Pontiac Grand Prix GT Family Sedans Under $25,000: 24. Honda Accord EX 4-cylinder (recommended) 25. Hyundai Sonata GLS V6 26. Toyota Camry LE 4-cylinder (recommended) 27. Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-cylinder 28. VW Jetta 2.5 29. Ford Fusion SE 4-cylinder 30. Mercury Milan Base 4-cylinder 31. Mazda6 i 4-cylinder (recommended) 32. Toyota Prius (recommended) 33. Chevrolet Malibu Base 4-cylinder 34. Chevrolet Malibu LS V6 35. Nissan Altima 2.5S 4-cylinder (recommended) 36. Mitsubishi Galant ES 4-cylinder (recommended) 37. Pontiac G6 Base V6 (recommended) Some excerpts: VW Passat: The latest Volkwagen Passat is at the high-priced end of the family sedan category. It is roomier, more powerful, and gets better fuel economy than the previous Passat, which was one of our top-rated family sedans. Like the old Passat, this car is refined and has a high-quality interior and agile handling. However, the interior quality and ride comfort have slightly diminished. Crash-test results from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety are impressive, as is the standard safety equipment. The Passat ranks at the top of the family sedan category, but reliability remains to be seen; the previous version had mixed reliability. Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan: The Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan are new midsized sedans that are very agile and satisfying to drive. These sedans rate even higher in our testing than the Mazda6 sedan on which they're based. They have a sporty feel; the V6 and automatic transmission make a smooth and responsive powertrain. The four-cylinder is a bit coarse. The interior is well made and space is generous. These new models do not yet have reliability data. Hyundai Sonata: The redesigned Sonata mimics the top-selling Toyota Camry, but costs less. Like the Camry, it has a comfortable, quiet interior, but is less agile. It offers up-to-date standard safety gear including side-curtain air bags and electronic stability control. The Sonata is bigger, more powerful, and more refined than the car it replaces. The V6 is quick, and the four-cylinder engine is economical and refined. While handling is predictable, it's far from sporty. Reliability for the new Sonata is unknown. Chevrolet Impala: The Chevrolet Impala is freshened for 2006. It has new styling, engine upgrades, better rear seating, and an improved interior. These improvements keep this large sedan competitive, but there are better choices. The ride and handling are sound, but lag behind many competitors. The interior is comfortable and has logical controls. Wind noise is notable and the engine isn't particularly refined. Past Impalas have been mostly above average in reliability, and we expect that to continue. The Impala absorbs bumps and ruts as muted kicks, but frequent ride motions can make it feel unsettled. The cabin is quiet, with moderate wind noise that turns to a loud whistle on the highway. The engine is quiet, except under hard acceleration. The Impala's handling is sound, but body lean is noticeable. The steering is fairly responsive and well-weighted but feels artificial. The Impala felt clumsy but forgiving at its handling limits. It posted a relatively slow 50 mph in our avoidance maneuver. Electronic stability control is not available. The 242-hp 3.9-liter V6 delivers responsive performance and managed 20 mpg in mixed driving. The four-speed automatic shifts smoothly. The 303-hp, 5.3-liter V8 is quick, but spins the front tires very easily on the closely related Monte Carlo SS. It shuts down four cylinders when power demand is low, but still achieves only 17 mpg overall. The brakes had long stopping distances in the wet. Low- and high-beam headlights reached a good distance but produced a lot of glare. Fit and finish is much better than the previous Impala, with nice details and finely textured panels. However, there are still some panel gaps. Not all drivers could find a comfortable driving position behind the tilt-only steering wheel. Visibility is good to the front, but the rear is blocked by wide roof pillars, head restraints, and trunk lid spoiler. The front seats are comfortable and supportive, but the flat leather seats let you slide around too much in turns. The rear seat is not that roomy for such a large car; head and leg room are barely adequate. Both front and rear access require a high step over steep sills and ducking below the sloping roof. Most controls are easy to use. Steering-wheel controls are particularly well-designed. However, the low thumbwheel temperature controls are hard to accurately adjust. Dodge Charger: The Dodge Charger is a big, rear-wheel-drive sedan with a muscular design. However, those burly looks take a toll on visibility, head room, and ease of access, while the rest of the car lacks the refinement of some competitors. The ride is unyielding, and the steering is overly light. The Hemi V8 in the R/T version sounds tough and is very quick. However, it returned only 17 mpg in mixed driving. We have no reliability data for this new model.

I noticed this years ago, and as far as I can remember they've always looked very similar. And I thought it was a shame, in particular with the vitamin and pill shop selling items like questionable dietary and performance-enhancing supplements.

The guy behind that site, Michael Karesh, used to post occasionally on C&G as mkaresh. I don't know anyone who's actually used the site.