Robert Hall

Ugh...those angled-toward each other gauges that are appearing everywhere (not sure if it was Audi or Mercedes that started that dumb trend) and teh silly hat on top of the gauges like the LaCrosse...

It will be interesting to see where the next S-class styling goes...the current one has grown on me...though I still like the 5000lb tanks of the '80s-'90s w/ the larger, upright grille...the grilles are too small on the current and previous gen S-class, IMO..

Picked it up this afternoon. Shop couldn't find anything wrong. I think I'll run some fuel injector cleaner through it.

Agreed on that, but it seems like they are committed to a FWD/AWD XTS on Epsy Dos to compete w/ the Lexus ES and Lincoln MKS.

Same w/ Suzuki...Suzuki is invisible in the US market.

And maybe the top-line Zeta-based model will be the ZTS... the XTS gives them a FWD/AWD replacement for the DTS and STS.. Then below the CTS, they will have the ATS...and maybe eventually Spark and Aveo based premium subcompact models.

XTS

Find a wrecked G8, get a Sawzall, some plywood, aluminum, and duct tape and make yer own!

$24k and it's not even an LTZ. Interesting..so what's a loaded LTZ run--close to $30k? I guess it's not Wal-Mart pricing anymore for Chevy.

Working w/ banking systems, I don't even think of money in terms of paper money or gold..at work I see it in it's simplest form--just as numerical values--credits and debits--in a general ledger table of a database.

Give them time...what's really going to be interesting is how GM's situation (business, products, sales) looks in 3-5 years.

I've never had a backfire before, but perhaps this was one. I was driving along at about 60-65, A/C, radio on (i.e. noisy inside) and I suddenly felt a shudder through the vehicle and heard a bang..like a rough shift but much stronger. Then the engine died (silently) and I coasted off the freeway...don't think I ran over anything,the road was clear.

Interesting..will ask them to check those. Excluding the bang, it reminds me of what happened w/ my Mustang when it had a clogged fuel filter. I had the differential position sensor on the rear axle replaced last year, it had a wierd stall behavior and threw a code and the check engine light came on.

Just talked to the shop...they can't find. anything. wrong. Weird. Maybe I got bad gas (I had fueled up about 10 min earlier) and it was a backfire and stall. No idea. Perplexing.

I like the colors and materials of the Jag interior (and the wood), but find the dash design very unappealing..don't care for the bulgy vents and the guage pod. I like the previous Jag dash designs..

Sedans: mainstream: Taurus premium: current Mercedes CLS, most anything by Audi Coupes: Mustang (esp. the two tone interiors), Audi A5 Sports cars: Audi R8, Porsche Boxster/Cayman and 911, Mercedes SL SUVs: new Grand Cherokee One company who's current interiors do nothing for me is Jaguar..I don't like the direction they have gone w/ the recent designs, esp. the new XJ.

Clever..

No idea what's going on..was running fine, just fueled up. Got out on the freeway, up to about 60 in heavy rush hour traffic..heard and felt a loud bang, engine cut out. Coasted to the side of the road to breakdown lane (glad I was in the right lane). Tried starting, cranked, but wouldn't start. Got out, opened the hood, saw nothing amiss...looked underneath, no fluid leaking, nothing hanging down, no smoke, no hot smell.. 20 min later after calling the wrecker service, got back in, it started immediately, idled normally...no check engine light, gauges seemed normal...put it in drive, went forward 10-20 feet, seemed ok. Didn't trust it to drive home 20 miles in heavy traffic, though.

Jeep go boom on the freeway tonight. Wouldn't restart. Got hauled 25 miles to the shop on a rollback truck. Truck driver dropped me off at home. Called a cab, went to the airport to pick up my sister's Merc 300CE to drive to work tommorow. Very tired.

Talk of quadrupling sales makes it sound like they've been drinking the VW kool-aid of outrageous growth predictions..

Wow...Zeta Evo. That the source is Motor Trend gives me cause for concern, as they tend to be less accurate w/ the rumours than other mags..but it should be interesting. Hard to believe GM has both Alpha and an NG Zeta platform planned...I had assumed they would work towards 100% FWD cars...

Cursing has it's time and place to use (when in anger, in sports)..but it's become so overused in the popular culture (movies, music etc) that's lost it's impact. The general usage is boring and trite.

Maybe to help boost the CAFE ratings? Kill some of the big beasties...

Ah, I forgot it also...the Volt's been talked about so long it seems like old news now...

Hmmm...maybe try cleaning off as much of the oil on the underside and then paint a light color on the suspension, bottom of the engine, etc and then let it run for a while or drive it some (is it drivable)? I did this to track down an oil leak w/ my Bronco years ago..sprayed the suspension, engine bottom, etc w/ gray primer.