pow

Yeah, that should help lower highway RPMs but worsen performance.

It's a perceived quality/attention to detail thing. Most domestics usually have cheap-looking key fobs, and I'm surprised the media haven't complained; this new one is excellent.

Good... now the new 3.5 is only 55 horsepower behind its competitors, instead of 65 previously.

I guess having a non-E85 3.5L V6 helps cut costs. They're keeping the E85-OK version for fleets.

Damn, they're getting rid of all the VW-ey colors -- Glacier Blue for the Lucerne, and now Blue Granite and Majestic Amethyst for the Cobalt. The only reason why Cobalt sedan looks decent is because of Blue Granite. Black tie radio and new steering wheel are good and desperate improvements, though. Too bad they're replacing alloys with steelies and molded covers.

I'm not a fan of the Avalon's design, inside or out, but it's easy to see why it's so appealing. It's got power, economy, room, value, and more.

For some reason I really like the new ES. Lexus sucks at making pseudo-sport sedans like the IS and GS, which always end up compromised and awkward. With the new ES, however, it's like they concentrated 100% on luxury, and the result is absolute refinement and fastidious attention to detail. I usually like sport, sport, and sport, but in traffic, I appreciate a reasonably-priced, well-crafted luxury yacht.

Tuxedo Blue/Shale sounds good, but for some reason, the execution turned out poor. The blue wasn't very blue, and the shale was bland. A combination like this would be fantastic:

Allocating/limiting production definitely worked for MINI. Four years since debut, sales are increasing, and people are still paying MSRP and waiting for deliveries. With the GTI, on the other hand, dealers are already knocking $1000 off from sticker.

The key is to reduce fuel consumption... ethanol and biodiesel vehicles still contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

Agreed... this thing looks big. Maybe the next STS will be a proper 7-series/S-class fighter.

That site is more of a blog with the comments section removed... it's obviously got a bent. Farago's tone seems consistent for all makes, so I don't mind, and it's not as if he calls the site "the ultimate consumer resource" or something.

They're really friggin' unoriginal, too.

To get the C&G "exclusive" Equinox Hybrid info?

Meh, these changes will go unnoticed and unadvertised, and it's not like they'll convince an import buyer to consider a G6. With so many brands, the majority of GM cars seem to be limited by their upmarket platform mates; the G6 can't be better than the 9-3, and consequently, all the Epsilon cars are fairly mediocre in their respective classes.

I think it looks great... there's a sense of depth to the design, and the more I look at it, the more I appreciate and like it. A lot of Bangle designs aren't instant stunners, but looking at the current 5-series, I can say they stay fresh-looking and innovative. With this one, I see a lot of the BMW coupes of old, with the large greenhouse, low trunklid, and everything.

Camry hybrid... creeped up behind me as I was walking to my car. It's as silent as the Prius.

The Camry hybrid starts at $25,990... hope GM doesn't charge full-hybrid price for a mild-hybrid.

It's still merlot.

DCX's looks a lot better, IMO.

Hondas run on Windows?

Actually, the Sienna is the ONLY vehicle tested by the IIHS to earn an "acceptable" side rating WITHOUT side airbags, due to its beefy structure. It earns a "good" with optional airbags, of course. Edit: It turns out that all '06 Siennas get side airbags as standard equipment.

Too bad GM couldn't band-aid the side as they did with the CSV's front. The rest of the side crash results... Kia Sedona - Good Subaru Impreza (Saab 9-2X) - Good Toyota Prius w/ side airbags - Good MINI Cooper - Acceptable Dodge Grand Caravan w/ side airbags (and other DCX vans)- acceptable Chevrolet Uplander w/ side airbags (and other CSVs)- marginal Chevrolet Uplander w/o side airbags - poor Dodge Grand Caravan w/o side airbags (and other CSVs) - poor Toyota Prius w/o side airbags - poor

List of non-hybrid PZEV (partial zero-emissions vehicle) cars: BMW 325Ci Ford Focus Ford Fusion I4 Honda Accord I4 Hyundai Elantra Kia Spectra Mazda 3 Mazda 6 I4 Mercedes-Benz E350 Mercury Milan I4 Mitsubishi Galant I4 Nissan Altima I4 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Subaru Outback 2.5i Toyota Camry Volkswagen Beetle 2.5 Volkswagen Golf Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 Volvo S40 2.4 Volvo V50 2.4 Volvo V70 2.4