Petra

16 10 2 1 A lot of the sketches really reminded me of the old Chrysler LX sketches that were around before the 300C came out. Excellent work all around!

I noticed that, too. But, then again, the Versa is "B-Class" car, which means it is somewhere in between a Subcompact and a Compact. The interior, which is actually more spacious than the new Sentra, reflects this. Unfortunately, so does that porky curb weight.

Hmmmmmmmmmm....

The more I see of the Versa, the more I like it. Seriously, don't knock it 'till you've tried it:

Ford Panthers, like mine, tend to be pretty solid beaters, so long as you can afford the gas and no major issues (i.e: electrical) pop up. Old, RWD Volvos are also pretty much bulletproof, except, again, for some electrical gremlins. Many a 740 Wagon has exceeded 200,000 miles with only scheduled maintenance. Another good beater is the last generation of K-Car derived Chryslers, like the Dodge Spirit and Plymouth Acclaim. For Chryslers, they seem to be of pretty high quality; why they ditched them for the buggy Cloud Cars is beyond me. When they do break, parts are cheap and can be found anywhere. Also, with that oh-so-'80's 3-box shape, they are surprisingly roomy.

There's a big time & unforeseen circumstances factor here. As a hypothetical example: Suppose a well-off 20-something male buys himself a sporty car like a Mustang or 350Z. Besides being at perhaps the one point in his life where he would be able to justify such a vehicle, he also has an ulterior motive: To pick up chicks. Fast forward five years. His mission accomplished, he has himself a girl and has settled down with her. They are thinking about starting a family, buying a house, all that other stuff. The guy needs a car that has a useable backseat, four doors, easy on gas/payments/insurance... all-around, a very pragmatic car. Suddenly, the Mustang/350Z doesn't seem like such a great vehicular choice, does it? On a personal level: When I bought my Grand Marquis back in March of '05, I had no idea that I would need to drive 135 kilometers (84 miles) today in May of '06. Needless to say, the cost of fuel commands a signifigant portion of my budget these days, and I'm looking to rid myself of the gas-guzzling Mercury ASAP. I'd like to say that, when the opportunity arrives for me to buy a brand new/much newer vehicle, I would drive it into the ground. So far, though, I haven't gotten that chance. And who knows what the future holds? What if I am "forced" to dump my car again, like I am with the Mercury? At this stage in my life, I cannot fathom having the kind of disposable income to dump a car just because I was "bored" of it. What if I have that kind of money to throw around later in my life? Will my opinion change? There's just too many variables right now.

Pretty decent list from an objective standpoint, although many of those songs irritate me, personally. P.S: Where's FOG when you need him? He's got the right idea... Listen to Lamb of God.

Any Zeta news is good news as far as I'm concerned.

Great point there. The wagon market is starting to get big again (although they don't call them wagons these days). Just look at the success of the HHR. GM definetely needs a midsized wagon in their lineup, and the existing MAXX just isn't doing it. IMO, there are two possible courses of action here: - Make a next-generation MAXX that will be competitive in the marketplace, and not as weird and fugly - Bring this thing back on Zeta:

As I understood it, the MY 2008 Malibu (perhaps an early '08?) will be a major refresh, along the lines of the '96 Ford Taurus or '01 Dodge Stratus: Everything changes but the most basic stuff, like the platform, powertrains, etc. Then, sometime around MY 2010, an all new Malibu will arrive. That is what I gathered from the thread, anyway. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

...And, thus, the C&Gers rejoiced. This quote stuck me as a weak excuse, though: For one thing, it doesn't seem terribly wise to admit that the Avalon is, by definition, a problematic vehicle. For another thing, the Avalon is not the most complex vehicle in the Toyota lineup. You want the Prius, Johnny.

I liked the article, especially the title: "Everything you ever wanted in a 1998 Toyota Camry." Seems to describe the new Optima perfectly. As the article states, the new Optima will be ideal for value-minded shoppers. Only the Fusion SEL i4 offers as good a deal as the Optima that TCC tested (it is actually a little cheaper than the Optima, but the airbags don't come standard on the Ford.) A Camry or Accord equipped similarly will have an MSRP in the $23-$25,000 range. You think Camry and Accord buyers are the only ones interested in soulless appliance cars? Wait 'till these Optimas start finding homes...

Bravo, Chrysler. You have proved to the world that, as Dodgefan noted, style and performance sell. Now, how about investing some of the fat profits you're making off these LX's into more stylish interiors, eh? P.S: Anyone have combined figures for all the LX models? I'd figure that the Charger and Magnum would add at least another 100K to that total.

Check my sig I've got a new job now that entails around 85 miles per day of driving (round trip), so the miles are going to pile up fast on my car now. The downside is, my big old Mercury is only good for about 23-24 MPG, even with mostly freeway driving. I'll almost certainly be looking for something easier on gas come fall.

I'm not saying its true or it isn't. I'm saying it's plausible.

This made me smile. Without a doubt, the coolest business card I've ever seen, even if it doesn't mention GM. http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=110163

Oh, don't all looked so shocked. Put yourself in GM's shoes... what would you do for a little good press right now?

As much as I'd like to see this come to fruition, what SAAB really needs right now is a competitive, midsized sedan or wagon, not a low volume halo car.

:rotflmao:

Cool old Caddy, I dig the Seafoam Green paint! Is this the one with the 500 cu. V8?

Hey, I've said it before, I'll say it again: Build it, and they will come.

What is your point? 'Twas always thus with the stock market, and thus 'twill always be. I was pleasantly surprised by this news. The near future is starting to look, dare I say it, bright! Providing, of course, that the following things do not happen: - GM shells out more Billion dollar cheques to the UAW or Delphi. - Delphi strikes. - Gas prices go over $3.00/gallon for a sustained period of time. Unfortunately for us, none of those things are within the control of the consumer. All we can do is wait.

I agree with the asessment that the Aura will a "niche" product, at least relative to the heavyweights in the midsize market. However, I fail to see how GM will not make money off the car. The only thing they really spent any money on is the interior (and, I agree again, they should have spent more). The cost of the platform, powertrains, and all the other major components have probably long since been amortized by other parts sharers and platform mates, or, like the 6-Speed Slushbox, will be before long. Combine this with the Aura's high sticker price (relative to its platform mates), and I'm quite confident that the car will be profitable for GM, even at a "mere" 70,000 units/year. For better or worse, it is a car that takes no risks.

I'll take mine with a 6-Speed.

Paging Dr. Ocnblu?