frogger

My GF has a 2006 TSX, its just about right IMO, could be a little bit stiffer. The car is a very good commuter car, 27mpg average, nice handling, great stick shift, nice steering feel. Very well put together though the doors don't close with a nice reassuring thunk. Not for a familiy of larger than average sized people though.

Its sad when I get Impala rentals and Sonata rentals regularly and the Sonata drives like a million bucks in comparison and now has a fixed center stack.

Edmunds review.. http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...rticleId=126300 I like stiffer suspensions and was disappointed when the IS250 came out all soft compared to the IS300. I wonder how this compares.

I recall Edmunds being totally unimpressed as well and concluding its no longer a driver's car. Its wider, longer, heavier, and the electric steering was a letdown. The tranny issue seems odd given I doubt its changed.

Whoops, too late for him to get pictures! The vehicles are are at shipping depot ready to be shipped to you, just send him a wire and he will release the car to be transported. ;-)

I haven't seen enough of the new Maxima but it just seems like the TL, a too large front heavy FWD vehicle. Once FWD cars get over 3400lbs there is just too much weight up front to make them any fun to drive around corners. The 2008 Maxima model is ugly IMO.

I preferred the last gen TSX to the TL, it was just much more agile/tossable feeling even though it wasn't that much lighter overall. The TL had a lot more power but was comparably heavy feeling around corners and had torque steer issues. These new ones both seem to have gotten bigger and bloated looking. Not a fan at all.

Sounds like fun! I missed my high school reunion as my brother got married on the same day. I just got back from a vacation myself, in Barbados. Always interesting being in a RHD country, but GM had next to no cars on the road there. Suzuki and Toyotas were everywhere. I didn't know there were 2 door current Grand Vitaras manufactured.

Saab-Saturn-Buick dealerships? I think I just heard a pin drop across the room

http://thecarblogger.blogspot.com/2008/07/...-kia-forte.html A few cell phone quality Center console shots

Once they get rid of the little distractions on the front quarter panels I think it looks pretty decent in sedan form.

I don't get Pontiac's role anymore. If they are going to keep it around, give it a sense of direction. Build a tossable RWD Pontiac that fits snugly in the 3-series/A4/IS space and gets decent fuel economy because its not 3600lbs+. That is the type of car young enthusiasts aspire to/wins a car company new fans and GM has yet to deliver. Instead we've had all their attempts at volume vehicles come off as red gauged cars that drive just like Chevrolets. Don't let cars like the last Grand Prix that are a laughing stock to non-GM fans get built.

Next used car I buy I'll stalk the dealer employees.

Thats a good looking compact. Hopefully the next Cobalt is better looking than it.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=meLpuF9UMvk

I think I would try speed dating to meet people before the online thing at this point. I've been out at restaurants before and witnessed it a few times, the people did not all appear to be trolls.

I can't see them going through the expense (and questionable tactic) of trying to introduce another division name to NA when they are dealing with the quandry of having too many to produce quality vehicles for at this point. They will shutter Saturn and just relabel Opels as Pontiacs before that happens. Pontiac could end up being the Opel/Holden NA distrubutor instead of Kidney Grilled Chevies.

I found the Solstice GXP with auto such a drag to drive due to the lack of a manual tranny.

I turn these down when I get offered them as rental cars. Once was enough! I'll take a Sonata or Impala instead. Its the least agreeable of the retail market "undesirables" imo.

QUOTE(moltar @ Jun 23 2008, 06:17 PM) [snapback]406264[/snapback]There are views like this less than two hours from Denver....a couple of friends of mine have moved to Summit County (Breckenridge, Dillon) full time....the downside being the cost of living there, and that they work from home or travel for work (2+ hr drive to the airport). One thing I've thought about if I go back to Denver full time is to buy a weekend getaway cabin or condo in the mountains...I do love it up there, even if I suck at winter sports... The pic is of Vermilion lakes area of Banff, AB, an hour and 15 minutes from Calgary. There were two bull elk 50 feet from me feeding when I took that pic. Its just that I didn't find much to like about Calgary other than the vicinity to the rockies during my stay. There is a town just outside of the national park called Canmore that has a few full size grocery stores and other amenities and is in the rockies, but no I.T. work for myself there. Great outdoor living area as I'm sure Denver is (skiing, hiking, mtn biking etc).

After being there earlier this month/taking this pic, if I could get this for a backyard I'd choose country as long as I wasn't more than 2 hours from a major city... Not happening though so I'll stick to urban living.

How much would getting rid of Saturn save them? They still have to develop the Opel/Vauxhall equivalents. There is so much rebadging going on, I'm not sure how much money is to be saved by axing a brand at this point. Pontiac is basically a badge on Holden/Chevy/Toyota vehicles. The G6 coupe is their most unique vehicle.

Not a big Civic fan but the Cobalt does look dated beside it, plus Honda manual trannies have always been excellent.

A friend of mine looking to downsize out of his Grand Prix test drove a Fit this weekend and fell in love with it. Said once he shifted it through the gears and took it through a few corners he was grinning ear to ear.

Hey if you can swing it, why not? Reward yourself for all that work.