Flybrian

The Japanese makes never seem to have a keen grasp on any language. Anyway, nice to see Toyota is leading the way in auto recycling, reusing gear shifters from '97 Cavaliers.

Peter: "Don't forget our deal. I sit through this, and later tonight I get anal. No matter how neat I want the house, you have to clean it." Peter: "Excuse me. Is your refrigerator running? Because if it is, it probably runs like you...Very homosexually." Peter: "Jesus loves me He loves me a bunch 'Cause he always puts Skippy in my lunch." Airline Pilot "Hey! Only pilots are allowed on the flight deck! You're not a pilot; I'm a pilot...and I know every pilot in the world!"

Stop trying to start arguments. Now. There is nothing wrong with a well-done subcompact car. As others have said, you want GM to ignore this market? Thought you preached constantly about variety...

We should recipricate and ban Belgian cars... Oh wait... Belgium doesn't have an auto industry!

Poor Olds O4.

In terms of what? Safety, performance, fuel economy, equipment level, price? 2006 has any old Impy beat hands down. I would also argue that the '06 Impala has a far narrower disparity between it and other, higher-end GM models because it doesn't look real cheap. The '77+ box Chevies and unskirted Caprices looked fine as well. Kudos are given for convertible availability, something sorely lacking in GM's lineup today compared to then or even as early as a decade and a half ago.

CSpec! Jacob (CSpec) has been with Cheers and Gears almost since its inception and has been a dedicated and avid participant ever since, most recently assisting us in posting the 2007 Escalade debut information when the rest of us were unable. In recognition of his devotion to the site, I, on behalf of the Cheers and Gears Administration and the forum as a whole, am honored to welcome CSpec as our newest Moderator. Congratulations, and welcome aboard! :CG_all:

A nice big-bodied Electra like that makes any Impala downright poor.

The only lousy aspect was the Seat grille. Puke.

Yet, as with every Chevrolet, there's a less boring, more stylish version being sold by Pontiac, Oldsmobile, or Buick at the exact same time.

I like 'There's a Special Feel in an Oldsmobile." And this, I laugh at...

Depends how you drive it. No Japanese hybrid will ever return fuel savings in the US as they would in Japan because of the way we drive and our road environment. Add in high-speed cruising, rocket takeoffs from stoplight, and liberal use of a/c and you'll never get what's on the sticker. However, I still say in Insight is the best hybrid. Its clear it was designed to be the most efficient commuter car it can be.

I give to the Salvation Army. I'll freely admit there was a time in my life when my family fell back on the support of the Salvation Army and their holiday food and toy donation programs, so I feel no qualms about giving them my change when I visit the store.

Some people don't find any redeaming qualities in a Caprice Classic. Just because its a tiny, tinny FWD economy car doesn't make it bad. Its not supposed to be a "freekin" Eldorado or Diablo.

Yeah, the one my co-worker has is 'loaded' for a K-car and all the power do-dads work perfectly fine. In all honestly, a lower-mileage good-condition one would make an excellent commuter/beater vehicle since they're virtually worthless by this time. The major factor dissuading me would be safety, though I'd feel better in an E-Car like a 600 or Caravelle which are surprisingly numerous around here.

He makes a few valid points, so...I don't see where the hostility comes from...

Note how BMW was recently praised in an article for optioning their HUD on the new 5er because it brought that technology 'more within reach of the masses.' Didn't know a 5-Series undercut a Grand Prix, Cutlass Supreme, Corvette, DeVille, Rendezvous, Aztke, LeSabre, Park Avenue, and Bonneville. News to me. GM led the way in HUD tech. To abandon it now would be a mistake.

No, Balthy, more like...

That's disgusting.

Its a fact that the poor opinion of K-cars is a blend of general dislike for 1980s Detroit compacts and the woeful condition most are found in today, the later of which is not the fault of the car at all. A co-worker of mine has one, a ca-ca brown '81 Aries Hemi (that's right - look it up) sedan that's ugly, boxy, but surprisingly not uncomfortable, a little punchy, and proving more reliabile than his '93 Explorer.

No. Not at all. That's quite an abstract comparison, especially when I can say a Corolla XRS gets 34mpg on the highway with a stick and burning premium while an automatic fullsize Impala gets 31mpg.

Blow up trannies? Since when are you a MOPAR mechanic? Fiscal year? What? And of all people, you should despise two aspects of the new 300C... 1) The 'Hemi' is not really a Hemi 2) Chrysler abandoned twenty some years of heritage by giving it the 'C' designation. What alphabet are they working off of? They styling of the 300 stinks anyway - built around a grille in the front, blocky on the sides, and bland in the back. The interior is bad, too. Charger is multitudes more unique.

That, and the Ridgeline is intended more for passengers than cargo.

That's what I mean. Skydiving is risky as hell, but you don't do it at an altitude of 1000 feet with a parachute your 10 year-old son packed. That's asking for trouble. Ditto with this jackass. Real stunt drivers take precautions.