Paolino

http://blogs.insidel...u-interior.html Some of the graining isn't there yet, but it's more finished than the last time we saw it. I was hoping those horizontal pieces were somehow not "finished" yet... I'm not a fan. I see that those are probably going to stay. Other than that, the squarish pods for the gauges, I like it a lot.

I think this is a great idea, but truthfully, the Town Car needs some cosmetic updates to go along with it. I don't think it'd be terribly difficult to at least update the Radio/HVAC/gauges and provide a slight update to the style of the interior. As for the exterior, alter the nose/tail a little and call it a day.

I think this is a HUGE improvement over the last set of spy photos we saw. The front overhang isn't nearly as obnoxious and the taillamps look far better than they did in the computer generated 'Bu. I really want to see the finished interior. I think GM is going to surprise us and knock it out of the park.

Noooooooo! VW, do not taint my Alfa! They have been a dream for so long!

Wait, you guys are taking this seriously?

Astroglide works for lube. And when it rains, it'll relube itself.

Courtney Cox takes good care of herself... if you look at old Friends' episodes, she's got some biceps for a woman... she looks awesome at her age.

It's hard to tell from the pictures because they're small, but it looks like they would have had to get rid of the Cruze Sedan's CHMSL for something else. I kinda like it on the sedan version--being that it illuminates into a bowtie. Thought it was a nice touch.

Okay, long story short: All the American cars my family owned were complete and utter POS'. My best friend's parents down the block had a 1982 Olds 98, and a 1983 Olds 98, and his oldest sister had a 197x Regal. Loved all their cars. Loved the smoothness, the power, the comfort, the size. For some reason their cars never broke down like ours. Then again, we had some "special" luck when it came to car ownership until we started buying Buicks. So, car history for just my parents and myself, from when I was a baby til today: 19xx Dodge Palara** 19xx Plymouth Valiant** 1982 Malibu Classic** 1983 Plymouth Reliant 1987 Plymouth Sundance** 1990 Plymouth Acclaim 1992 Plymouth Sundance** 1992 Buick Century 1992 Buick LeSabre Limited 1993 Mercury Tracer 1994 Buick Century 2006 Hyundai Sonata 2006 Buick Lucerne CXL ** Denotes super-mega-craptacular vehicles, with the Malibu just being an all-out lemon. From 6 months in til the day she was put down in her 7th year, she was complete and utter junk. I woulda been an OldsmoPaulie, but GM killed the division so since I love me some large/quiet/premium cars, Buick was the next logical step while staying American.

Cruze Eco video... 500 mile test drive and got 28 City, 43.9 Highway and 36.9mpg Combined during winter driving. Said it's fun to drive.

Sad thing is, even most NY Italian-Americans don't behave like that. I sure as hell never went that far. I was borderline guido in the sense that I hung out with Italians, had the gold chain around my neck, open shirt a bit, went clubbing, but they're really trashy.

Now he wants $3 million per episode and a public apology. Gotta be kidding me

Two and a Half Men is not on Fox. And there are a few good shows on Fox. I am disappointed that CBS would continue to support this guy's habit for as long as they did, putting up with what they did. Yeah, I get it, it's all about money.

That's disturbing... I'm positive I read the base stereo of the Regal had a 7-speaker system which included a subwoofer. EDIT: Just checked buick.com and it does indeed come with a 7-speaker stereo standard, however it doesn't mention whether or not one of those is a subwoofer. Still though, I would think a premium car's base stereo should be more than adequate. I'm listening to a 6-speaker stereo in a 2006 Hyundai that has by far better quality (crispness and bass) than the stereo in the 2006 Lucerne CXL.

Well, the engine in the Regal isn't exactly the engine in the base Malibu... the direct injection does offer a different feel and is less anemic than the regular 2.4. I would agree with you on the LaCrosse being more like a successor to the Aurora... and with the 3.6L and hi-per strut setup, and upcoming high-po DI 3.6L, it'll feel like it has even more punch. That said, there's an absolute need for weight reduction in both cars, and GM is aware of that. Getting rid of that extra weight will let the cars get better fuel economy, feel more nimble/lively, and hopefully handle a little better.

I don't know what's going on with the speakers... granted I haven't heard them in the new LaCrosse or Regal, but the ones in my parents' Lucerne are pathetic. My 1994 Century put out more bass.

Guy online on youtube managed 30.4mpg on the turbo with the cruise set to 68mph. Not sure how long the test was.

Absolutely. ABSOLUTELY. And now NYS is making 40% of our tenures and yearly evaluations based highly on how students perform on state tests. Now, without getting into details, you have a lot poorer (academically) students taking Italian. I have had between 93-100% of my students annually passing the state test in Italian, with 5 sections in one school. The French teacher, has one small section in each school because French was dying at the time. Her students, mostly honors, all passed. Somehow, she feels she did "a better job than I did." According to NYS, even though I got some of the most difficult students to pass the state test--students who failed other state tests in other disciplines--she did a "better job educating her students than I did. Absolutely. The district I used to work in has had horror stories. My goddaughter and niece live in that district. I sat their parents down and told them they need to be on top of their child's education--do not leave EVERYTHING up to the school. I explained that I have 8th grade Italian students who can't read an analog clock and think a "quarter hour" is 25 minutes (and fail to understand after explanation that a quarter hour is a quarter of 60 minutes), etc.

I agree.. I'd much rather see the upcoming updated 3.6L DI as the Regal GS with hp/torque around 300 a piece than the GS we're getting with 255/295. I'm not saying it won't move the car nicely, but a V6 has a much nicer sound in my opinion.

Do you feel the engine kick on and off while recharging? How easy have you found it to actually connect/charge the car at home? Are you charging with a 110 or 220V? Do you like the touch-sensitive center console? What would you have improved on interior design?

It's HORRIBLE.

Good luck to you as well. And I agree with you on physical education--it's gotten way too lax... I mean, my students tell me they have "gym homework", and my friend is a phys ed/health teacher and I've stood in her classes briefly... between changing in the locker room, warm ups, attendance, changing again in the locker room, they get what, 15 minutes of exercise at most?

No, I live in NY where Cuomo is slashing like crazy. The state just got rid of Italian this year, and all language Proficiencies in 8th grade as well as the 8th grade Social Studies assessment. When I got laid off, I had no chalk, no pens, no paper, no books, and almost 30 in each of my classrooms--and I spent about $1,000 out-of-pocket to supply the room. What the hell is it going to be like next year?! Sachem, the largest district on Long Island, is potentially cutting up to 375 teachers this year, not including aides, ta's, custodians, clerical staff, and administration. So, with thousands out of work, does Cuomo really think he's going to save much money? Gonna have to pay for unemployment for all of them too, and that's going to cut on spending bigtime. I spent this past year finishing my certification in Spanish, a language/culture I really don't want to teach but will for a job, and there's almost no hope of landing one for next year.

You have a point... as an adult student, I'm completely unmotivated to finish up my last class of Spanish knowing there's no job for me next year. I got the short end of the stick when the state chopped Italian, and now that I'm almost done learning Spanish, thousands of teachers will be laid off this year, in addition to the thousands from last year.

No, it also goes to the parents. I'm not saying every teacher is wonderful, but the majority of students resist learning. More than you think, resist completely. This can destroy a classroom environment and cause even students who were previously motivated to learn, to falter. I'm not saying what the teacher in question did was correct, but there are times where I am completely frustrated and feel similarly.