pow

If they send over the Mondeo and Vectra here, both will be in the same position: more expensive, less powerful, same size, but more upscale than the traditional US midsize market. It's a niche market.

Excellent... 18" wheels really make the car.

There is no 4-cylinder LTZ. You can get a well-optioned 4-cylinder 2LT, although it won't have the climate control, accent lighting, leather (suede is better anyway), 8-way power driver seat, power passenger seat, fog lights, chrome door handles, heated auto-dimming mirror, silver grille, 18" wheels, LED tails, and TAPshift of the LTZ.

Yep... like with the GMT900s or CTS.

There's confidence, and then there's naive overconfidence. I've been in the '08 Malibu, and my honest opinion is that it just doesn't match up with the Accord. It's much better than the old one, but it still has quite a few flaws, including interior build quality/materials and rear seat accomodations.

For the sidebysidebyside comparison, AURAs had the advantage of a "free" V6 to compete against 4-cylinder Accord LXs and Camry LEs. Retail Malibus won't get the 3.5.

Really? Torsional rigidity... Aurora - 25 Hertz 7er - 29 Hertz Sebring - 32 Hertz Commodore - 45 Hertz IIHS side crash B-pillar deformation... (B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat) Lucerne: -3.5 cm (Marginal) Impala: -11.0 cm (Acceptable) 300: -6.0 cm (Acceptable) 500: -11.5 (Acceptable) Avalon: -9.5 (Acceptable) Passat: -14.0 (Good) Crown Vic: 7.0 (Poor) It's not really the platform, but individual factors. The Impala has a beefier B-pillar than the Grand Prix, for instance, or a TT has better torsional rigidity than a Rabbit.

Yes. Back in the '80s, my parents were hit in a head-on collision involving a dump truck and their Volvo saved their lives.

A 2007 Caliber has a 5-star, 5-star, 5-star, 5-star rating, weighs 2900 lbs, and gets 28/32 MPG. If lowly Chrysler can do it, surely GM can too.

Yeah, all our cars have "Good" ratings in the IIHS offset test (IIHS side tests weren't introduced back in '00, '02, and '03).

MY 2010? That's a, what, 13 year model run?

Good for the domestics, because they're all engineered to do well in NHTSA tests. Imports usually do better in the tougher IIHS/E-NCAP tests, though this is all changing quickly.

Oh well... maybe get SAIC-GM to sponsor the Chinese Olympic team.

'08 Accord pricing hasn't been announced yet, so here is how it compares with the '08 Camry on paper. The 1LT 4-cylinder will undoubtedly be the volume seller, as the 4-cylinder LX and LE trims are for Accord and Camry. 2008 Malibu 1LT vs. 2008 Camry LE - both with no options Power: 169 hp / 158 hp Torque: 156 lb-ft / 161 lb-ft Gears: 4 / 5 City MPG: 22 / 30 Hwy MPG: 21/31 Wheels: 17" steel / 16" steel Steering wheel audio controls: Yes / Yes Keyless entry: Yes / Yes 6-speaker CD: Yes / Yes Seats: Power bottom / Power bottom & back Nav: OnStar TBT / No Stability control: Yes / No Trip computer: Yes / No XM: Yes / No B2B Warranty: 3/36 / 3/36 Powertrain: 5/100 / 5/60 MSRP: $20,955 / $21,735 So pricing is competitive, though it doesn't stand out like cheapos like Hyundai or Chrysler.

The '08 Malibu's rear seat is one of its shortcomings, but most magazines (except CR) don't try them out anyway, so it should be ok.

I wouldn't mind a four-cylinder (190 hp) manual EX for everyday commuting. Accords have traditionally treated its drivers well, with great ergonomics (seats, driving position, visibility, switchgear, gauges) and sporting responses (firm suspension, communicative steering, positive brake feel, and linear throttle).

I like the wheels. The current ones are all too simplistic and unsubstantial looking for the car body, imo. Any word on better color selection? For a $90K car, one silver, one black, etc, won't cut it. Gunmetal grey would make it the ultimate sleeper supercar. I wonder if this will be an all-out performance car (Z06 x2) or more of a well-rounded GT supercar (SLR). A custom interior will be sweet.

Because it's a Honda, people will buy it, which is good, because we need to see greater acceptance of these MPVs here. Then perhaps we will get Tourans and S-Maxes and Zafiras.

Perhaps it can be a $850 option and come with a free iPhone.

Also because it is quicker (scary fast with the V6), better handling, better made, and more fuel efficient?

Or maybe they're announcing them before everybody else announces them. Manufacturers all hire the best designers out of the same design schools; it just depends on which mfg can actually realize these concepts. Perhaps GM is confident that these renderings will make it.

I've probably seen 8000 of them in Knightsbridge alone.

GM + Apple > Ford + Microsoft The battle of the great American companies...

I think a more appropriate complaint is the Enclave's EPA-optimized transmission programming, which necessitates using the semi-manual gear selection.

I see the iPhone has made it to car design..