Hollingsworth

What is a better holiday than Independence Day? Barbecues and watermelon. Uncle Sam costumes. Lighting fireworks and almost setting yourself on fire because you've had a little too much to drink.

Yep. I love this day!

You can buy ventiports in a pack? Where? Autozone, Wal-Mart? And furthermore, why would you even want to?

I love Dr. Paul! Ideally, he's my first choice for President. But realistically, I'm supporting Mitt Romney (flip flops and all), as I think he has the best chance of beating Obama and Hillary. Of course, that will all change when Fred Thompson officially enters the race.

I'm an Apple fan and owner (MacBook Pro, 30gb iPod) but the iPhone doesn't really interest me.. it's cool and all, but I'm not much for PDAs/Blackberrys, etc... I like a phone strictly for calling, and the smaller the better. I had a company Treo with my last job, and it was too big yet the keys too small to be practical for emails, IMHO... I'll stick w/ my KRAZR for now...and use the MacBook and wireless to surf on the go...

OK. This is spooky. We both have the same laptop, same size iPod, and the same phone. Either Apple fans in general have similarly excellent taste, or this is one of those Twilight Zone things where a clone of yourself exists in a different town.

I see the iPhone being more popular to the high school/college crowd. Why I think that businesses will choose against it is because of it's overly expensive price, and the fact that it doesn't have a physical keyboard to use. And no matter how pretty or thoughtfully designed, a pixel can never replace an actual button.

The iPhone will be the new iPod. It'll be the must-have gadget for spoiled teens everywhere.

Excessive badging is one of my pet peeves, even outside of the automotive world. I hate that we live in an era of sensory overload in which businesses find it necessary to fill every available blank space with some sort of advertising for their product.

Microsoft is one of the worst offenders. They're marginally better with their Vista packaging, but the Windows Me and 2000 era products were a study in overloaded package design.

Anyway, I think that the model and engine size should be the only badging on a car. None of this XLE, SES, GS, LX crap. And certainly none of this mid-eighties/early-nineties ABS/Fuel Injection stuff.

Dealership badges also tick me off, because they seem to grow in size with each passing year. And most of the ones [around East Tennessee] are hideous. Some of them look like they were created in MS Paint.

Owned:

2004 Saab 9-5 Sportwagon

Parents own(ed):

1975 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham

2003 Cadillac CTS (dad's car today)

1979 Oldsmobile 98 (I think. It could have been an 88. I just know it was an Oldsmobile, and it was big).

3 or 4 Chevrolet Impalas (before my time)

1985 Cadillac Coupe deVille

1969 Chevrolet Camaro (dad's fun car, before he married mother)

1977 Chevrolet Corvette (mom made him sell it and buy something more practical: a Mazda 626 )

1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo (dad never drove it, but it was my grandfather's, and he gave it to dad when he passed away)

Never owned:

Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Saturn

Personally, if I were in the market for a luxury SUV (and I never will, since I think SUVs are completely unnecessary and their drivers leave much to be desired), my top three would be either a Volkswagen Touareg, a Range Rover, or a Lexus GX. Or even a Land Cruiser.

Since none of those are on the list...

The Q7 is my first choice. As you already said it, the 3.6 is not the most powerful engine in the world for this SUV. But the design is slick, inside and out.

The RX400h is my second choice. Mainly because I feel that if you *must* spend your money on an SUV, at least spend a little more and get a hybrid.

RX350 is my third choice. As with the hybrid, it's smooth and impeccably built.

I wouldn't recommend the Porsche Cayenne to anyone. I think it's absolutely hideous.

I saw the worldwide sales, but I was wondering where I could find out North American or US sales.

What are Saab's current targeted sales (and actual sales)? I didn't think it was that hight to begin with.

And PLEASE, don't compare a 5 year old Impala to a new Camry, it's just sad. My 5 year old 17" CRT screen isn't as nice as my new LCD laptop's

I wasn't comparing the two. I was illustrating that I am capable of detecting road and engine noise, squeaks, and rattles. Besides, if I really wanted to compare, I would have compared the Impala against an '02 Avalon.

I've driven two new Camrys, and I just don't see the interior problems or hear the squeaks and rattles. Either I don't have the eye for these things, or these two particular models escaped these problems at the factory. I don't think it's the first. You should hear me after a ride in my brother-in-law's '02 Impala.

If I were in the market for a new midsize sedan, and were limited at $25,000, a Camry LE would probably be #2 on the list. The styling may not be the most exciting, but it's the most comfortable sedan available at that price, IMO.

The current generation was a let down. The 1995-1999s were just an abomination.

And it's such a shame that the name will probably never return. I'll always have a special place in my heart for Monte Carlos, for personal reasons.

double dang. that is a cool story. you need to tell us what happened later after the benefit gala.

I went home with my wife.

let me twist the topic a bit for those who care to answer. do you think you have met someone in your life who might be your partner in the future, down the road, if your situation changes? Kind of a reverse of the original question....that is, you have this uncanny feeling you may be with a certain person someday, but not for a long time and no possible way you can be with them now?

kind of like that 'person in waiting'.

Oh yes, again, back in college. Meredith. *sighs*

She was an Alpha Delta Pi, VP of the College Republicans, Presbyterian, and a business major. She always looked so...perfect. Every strand of her blonde hair in place, always wore her pearls, and wore warm colors and pastels everyday, along with just a hint of Chanel #5. My friends always joked that she just walked off a Lily Pulitzer ad, and deep down I kind of believed that for all her perfection lurked some kind of dark secret that she kept hidden. But still, I knew that she was the girl that I was going to spend the rest of my life with.

But she always had a boyfriend. At first, I thought "Well, they have to end it sooner or later", but as far as I know, the three years that we went to college together, she was with the same guy (which says a lot about her, IMO). I often wonder if they got married, or what she's doing now.

My wife is also an ADPi alumni, but I don't think there's an appropriate way to ask her "Hey, you know that Meredith girl who was VP of the CRs who I always had the hots for? What do you think ever happened to her?" The couch really isn't all that comfortable to sleep on...

What was the point of that? Specifically, what was the point of disassembling a car and placing it all through an airplane window? I guess it's that "sophisticated" English wit that a dumb, fat American wouldn't understand.

I've always hated Jeremy Clarkson with a passion, and have often advocated for his death. As both an Anglophile and an American of Puritan English descent, I think it's absolutely ludicrous for him to suggest English superiority over American culture. What if we compared the people and culture of Cape Cod, MA or East Hampton, NY to the more common English classes, or the rough and rowdy footballers? Which society seems more orderly and advanced, then?

One August, I saw the display in my Passat show 139 when I parked in the sun. And this was in Virginia!

1. Passat 3.6 - I much prefer the B5 over the B6. I think the MSN Autos "top competitors" selections says it best. 2005 Passat B5 Competitors: Chrysler 300, Mercedes-Benz C Class, Lexus ES330, Audi A4, Saab 9-3, Jaguar X-Type, BMW 3, Infiniti G35. In comparison, the 2006 Passat B6 competitors: Nissan Altima, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Saturn Aura, Mercury Milan, Pontiac G6, Hyuandai Sonata, Kia Optima. The B6 Passat's value for the money could NOT be beat. It handled well, was incredibly built (electrical problems not withstanding), had a well-isolated cabin, and was tastefully designed inside and out (its greenhouse was virtually copied by every carmaker on the road). The current generation feels kind of like a letdown, but I'd still take it over any midsized sedan on the road today.

2. Toyota Camry - I know I'm going to catch hell from this, but I don't think the Camry's styling is that bad. In fact, nose aside, I actually like the design. I've driven my aunt's Camry, and hers didn't suffer from any interior gagges or gaps. Everything was well designed and logically placed. Not the most fun car to drive, but it was smooth and silent. What family could ask for anything more?

3. Chevrolet Impala - It's roomy, is comfortable, and drives well. I actually like the exterior design, particularly the back. The interior is also designed pretty well, though I've seen better plood on other vehicles.

4. Nissan Altima - I like the updated look. Has a good powertrain. The front seats need a little more thought - need to be more supportive. Interior is so-so.

5. Honda Accord - I preferred the styling of the pre-refresh model, but it's still acceptable. Interior still looks good for a model nearing the ends of its cycle. Respectable engine and powertrain. Not as quiet as those higher on the list, though.

6. Saturn Aura - Firm steering, always good. Handles well. Reasonably quiet. The brown interior is interesting, but other elements of the design of it leave much to be desired.

The rest I just don't like. I'd probably put the LaCrosse next on the list and the Dodge Avenger or Pontiac G6 and Grand Prix at the very bottom.

You don't buy an LS with your heart; you buy it so you can tote around a spec sheet and brag about having one more in the gearbox than a Benz or five more speakers than a Bimmer or my owner's manual is bigger than yours. No doubt that the LS is - aside from the aluminum - far more sophisticated than, say, the Jaguar XJ. But the Jag is lustful, sexy, and desireable for the sheetmetal alone. The LS is...not...in any way, shape, or form. I've seen the road presence LSs have and its not much - dark-colored twelve year-old Town Cars have more bespoke elegance than the LS.

I don't quite agree with this assumption. First of all, to give a Jaguar XJ those particular adjectives is subjective at best. I don't find the XJ lustful or sexy in any away, and this is coming from a self-proclaimed anglophile.

The LS is elegant, but tastefully so. XJ = dated elegance. S-class = awkward elegance. Town Car = tacky elegance. Some call the LS boring and "lacking in emotional appeal" (whatever the hell that means), but I find "conservative" to be a better description. And for some buyers in this class, this is precisely what they're looking for. These buyers - WASPs - are probably the most emotionally restrained and least flamboyant group of people in America. They prefer not to pull into the country club in something that should only be kept within the boundaries of Los Angeles.

I can relate. Back in college, I had a sociology class with this weird granola-girl. We never even associated with each other until we had to collaborate on a project. Our relationship together during the course of that project could be described as tense, at best. Weeks later, around finals, my fraternity and my girlfriend's sorority had a mixer at a bar near campus (unbeknownst to me at the time, but this girl was also there with her friends). My girlfriend went over to the booths to talk to some of her sisters, and I stayed with my brothers at the bar. All of a sudden, granola girl and two of her friends come over (out of no where); one says to me "You need to stop coming on to her. She's not interested, and you're soooo not her type."

Because I'd had a few to drink, I remember some guys holding me back and me yelling "Yeah, like I'd give up my bangin', pearl wearin', Sigma Kappa girlfriend to tap THAT!...[more vulgarities here]...Why don't you go back to the pot smoking van and bring all of us whatever it is you've been smoking?!"

I saw her years later at a local benefit gala, and she asked "I bet you have no idea who I am, do you?" After a short conversation, she explained that she told her friends that I hit on her, because she was secretly attracted to me, and she know that her group of friends would shun her for "liking a preppy frat guy".

It amazed me how just a few years could transform this bohemian art major into a lady who attends uptight, black tie events.

It's actually a pretty brilliant strategy. Either way, it's a sound way for more profit. If gasoline usage drops by 20% [which is extremely doubtful; I'm more likely to be shipwrecked on a deserted island from a cruise full of Playboy playmates than this happening], then oil companies can make up for the lost money by "reducing" production capacity and therefore charging more. If on the other hand gasoline consumptions stays the same, or more likely, increases from it's current rate, then price will be higher because supply is down ("Well, we thought that consumers were going to use 20% less!")

Hate them as we do, no industry is better suited to rewarding shareholders than the oil industry.

What is even remotely similar between the LS and the new Malibu? That's the automotive equivalent of comparing crème brûlée to Jello pudding.

Is he comparing it to the Lexus LS in that it's "nice, but not inspiring" or comparing it in general design/technological/driving terms? Because if it's the latter, the man is clearly not on control of his faculties.

Interesting. At this point, the brand manager of Buick should be slapped if he doesn't have a poster of Lexus's line-up in his office. It's the only logical direction for the brand. Be an American, stylish counterpart to Lexus. And I think the Enclave is a very good first step in that direction; however, there's still a long road to walk.

It was parked on the front line, closest to the road. It looked like a row of pre-owned cars, not some sort of employee or customer parking.

Kudos for the designers for leaving off the Kia logo from the front end. I'm glad they realized that no dignified person would want to be caught dead driving a Kia.

Lexus of Kingsport