sciguy_0504

I think he meant scared.

No, the I4 offers a manual 5-speed and automatic 5-speed and the V6 offers a 6-speed sequential. U.S. Camrys do not, for now, come with AWD. :AH-HA_wink:

I am guessing "boyshorts" are short-shorts for guys? Nasty...

I understand some people need them to pull a 5th wheel but, for the majority, it is a penis extender vehicle. Balthazar, what do you think about the chrome bumpers?

Tahoe: $34,000 Escalade: $57,000 Trailblazer: $25,000 9-7X: $39,000

Sort of like people who spend $42,000+ on a car that shares the same engine/transmission as a $30,000 Lucerne?

What Honda did to make the Ridgeline can be equated to GM putting the Camaro on Epsilon with AWD. It just does not cut it.

How can a pickup be reinvented? Honda tried with the Ridgeline and, based on sales, is failing. I would think truck buyers would want tried and true instead of Earth shatteringly-innovative. I am not taking a shot at GM here but I believe the GMT900 pickups will not reinvent the segment, either. They will bring the same formula to the table, just in a different wrapper. There is no problem with that. Of course you have the typical comments from grandmarquis. Talk about being put to sleep!

chooo

Talk about small wheels.

If the Ridgeline was completely incapable of transfering any amount of power to the rear wheels than it would have a totally FWD drivetrain, not a FWD-biased AWD drivetrain. Can you interept people's comments correctly before jumping on their backs?

Comparing V6s, the Lucerne cannot keep up with the Avalon. I would hope with a V8 it is able to or else there would be a little bit of a problem. Ven, I like how you pointed out how the Avalon and Lucerne are much different from each other on the outside.

Cell phone/PDA/iPod cubby? The five knobs across the center console make it look huge. I think it is pretty funny.

My dad saw the Ridgeline at the autoshow and thought it looked pretty cool. Then, I told him it was built on a minivan platform and had FWD-biased AWD. He walked away from it. My mom said the only thing good about it was the in-bed trunk. I am not surprised about the cuts.

You want credit for an opinion?? Here's another, equally 'correct' opinion: exterior is overdone and tacky AND derivative. Design is neither fluid or cohesive. Blind toyota loyalists will overlook that. Of course. My opinion is that the exterior is top notch. Why are you getting your panties in a twist? Of course you believe the design is "derivative." All Toyotas are, right? How much can you do with a truck? Styling is subjective. It does not matter whether or not someone likes the design. GM loyalists will always say "boring," "derivative," etc. about Toyotas and then try to make up excuses for the equally boring Malibu (it's unique grille), Lacrosse (it hits its target demo), Impala (it comes with a V8!), etc. Thanks for proving my point.

chocolate

Idaho

The Lucerne plastic is pretty much your typical "hard" plastic, unless the one I sat in had a major defect. Edit: spelling.

See previous posts about the issue.

Of course credit will not be given when credit is due. The exterior is top-notch. It has character and is not just your typical block of metal with the back half carved out. It has some lines and visual presence. My guess, based on the spy photos we have seen and the Tahoe interior photos, is that the GMT900 pickups will be feminine inside and out. Whether or not that is a good thing, who knows? The interior is different, to say the least. The silver plastic is ugly, especially around the IP. I understand Toyota was trying to be different but it ends up being overdone and tacky. Aside from that, the rest of the interior looks nice. I am guessing this is either a SR5 model or a Limited in cloth form. I doubt the silver on the interior and the chrome on the exterior will be found on every model. I am also guessing this is an extended cab model and not the crew/double cab due to the rear legroom. The current Tundra double cab has more legroom than that and Toyota would not be going backwards. Like evok said, this is just the beginning of the Tundra program. I cannot wait to see what GM brings to the table.

"I want my, I want my MPG!" Never saw that commercial yet. It does like like an awesome ad idea.

I hope Lincoln tweaks the interior materials for 2007. It looks good, IMO, but a $30,000 entry-lux car needs some decent materials. The Fusion did not have this problem, for some odd reason.

plumbing

I finally sat in a Lucerne and either my expectations were high or the interior materials were just that bad. It does a good job of simulating good materials but once you touch the dash you are turned off. I scraped my knee on the lower part of the dash...through jeans! I was able to actually lift the top of the dash away from the lower part. The Lacrosse, on the other hand, was definately on target inside. It just needs a little work outside.

I sat in a Lucerne last night at the Philly Auto Show. Right after it I sat in a Lacrosse. I cannot believe the Lacrosse has better interior materials than the Lucerne.