pow

I saw a Crossfire a few days ago and was surprised by how decent the styling is. It stands out in a sea of TTs and 350Zs, and at ~$20K used, it's a fantastic value.

That'd make an awesome EL or whatever they call it there. From what I've seen, it's a very impressive and innovative car.

FYI... all cars have problems, so, uh, yeah...

The 90 extra horsepower should divert any attention away from the Solstice's dynamic differences in comparison to the MX-5. I've always thought that the regular Solstice was a bit conflicted (hunkered-down sports car, but without the sports car power, up against a nippy roadster); this should address the power part. It's more like an affordable Z4 or SLK.

The current-gen Altima has had the 3.5 V6 and 2.4 I4 from the very beginning.

That's it... there'll be a "Welcome to Rancho Palos Verdes, Ca" thread this weekend. :P Brilliant pics, by the way.

Proof that you don't need "value pricing" if your products command respect in the marketplace.

In that pic it looks like the front-end is twisting off. Still, I get the looks of the G6... the downward-sloping-to-the-A-pillar-beltline, the long front overhang, the short rear overhang, and the proximity of the front wheels to the front doors are all very mid-engined supercar'ish, but it's just that the execution was a bit crappy. The G6 can look good with those proportions if GM tried harder.

Wow, those are horrific numbers.

Agreed, the G6 definitely needs a refresh.

Wow, that's the first Lexus interior I've ever seen that I like. Overall, I think the new ES will be very competitive.

Hmm... interesting... so I guess that's what they mean by competing against Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Dodge, and Scion, leaving Hyundai to play with Toyota and Honda.

I guess Europe only includes the continent... looking at MINIs, Astons, Jaguars, Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, and Range Rovers, it's safe to say that the British love their '60s icons.

Yes, and it's rather fugly and generic:

I'll requote him...

I still think that the BLS's potential for sales is worth more than any "damage" it may have on Cadillac's US image. If anything, it'll help brand Cadillac as more youthful and design-oriented. Now if Cadillac went ahead and brand-engineered a Malibu, I'd be complaining, but the 9-3 is an excellent car to begin with. But, anyway, I thought a reasonably-priced, Swedish-built BLS wouldn't be profitable anyway?

1. Optima's starting price is $16,195. Malibu is $16,365. The Malibu comes std. with a 4-speed auto at that price -- whiel the Kia has a 5-speed manual. The Malibu gives you more hp and better gas mileage to boot. Seems like the Malibu wins, hands-down based on value -- and on Powertrain.2. Quality? How about 4 1st place finishes in the last 5 years on jdpa's initial quality ranking? How about 3 1st place finishes in the last 5 years on jdpa's long-term durability + 1 3rd place finish? BTW, Kia didn't place in the top 3 in any of the previous 5 years in either survey. 3. Quality of materials is subjective - but considering how well the Malibu does in the above-mentioned and and the no-show on the Kia for quality and durability, the Kia better be silk with real gold-trim for me to not buy the Malibu. Fit-and-finish: I agree with OC. Quality-of-materials: Again, I agree. Powertrain: The Optima's 2.4 I4 and 3.3L V6 are more powerful than the Malibu's 2.2 and 3.5. The 3.9 in the SS does have 5 more horsepower than the Optima's 3.3, but has a four-speed automatic and 18/26 MPG. Value: Optima comes standard with ESP and curtain bags.

Most of Toyota's new cars seem cheaply put together, the Avalon and RAV4 included. I hate how mainstream manufacturers are making progress with technology (more power, more comfort, more ammentities, etc.), but ignoring quality (probably leaving it to their upmarket brands).

Looks pretty good... should sell well.

The RX300 was first introduced in 1999, based on the 1997-2001 Camry platform. The Highlander, essentially a decontented '99-'03 RX300, was released in 2001 and continues, slightly updated, for 2006. The current RX330 was introduced in 2004, based on the all-new 2002+ Camry platform. The '07 Camry is an update on this platform. As of now, there have been two generations of RXs, but only one generation of Highlanders.

Looks less plasticky in silver... in person, the trashy interior has a sense of character to it, almost H2-like.

The Highlander is a cheaped out last-gen RX. The current one rides on a "new" platform, shared with the current Camry, I believe.

Meh, the G6 convertible is one of those cars that I try really, really hard to like, but I just can't get myself to do so.

Agreed... it makes such a huge difference. Even if the CX doesn't get them, at least keep the same bumper design, and make the fog light "hole" a faux-brake duct or something.

Link, please?