Robert Hall

I wonder, is the Equinox going to be NA only or will it be sold in other markets with the Captiva (or in place of)?

The thing is, when they have offered coupes, they don't sell well...look at the Grand Prix coupe and Monte Carlo...they didn't sell that well and were cancelled (though I think the release of the GTO was more why the GP 2dr went away). Beyond the occasional 2dr version of a mainstream 4dr (like the Cobalt and Focus), Accord, Altima, etc), the only 2drs that seem to sell well are specific sports coupes with no 4dr version (i.e. Mustang, Camaro, Challenger), sports cars (Corvette, 350Z, etc) or luxury and higher priced sports coupes (3-series, CLK, G37, etc). The mass market just doesn't seem to demand 'regular' 2drs anymore. i.e. Malibu 2dr? Fusion 2dr? Impala 2dr? LaCrosse 2dr? Would they sell? A G8 2dr badged as a G8 GTO probably would sell, though. But I can definitely see your point about production rationalisation... if the 2dr is only 10-20%, it makes sense to only have the 4dr. It's good business to focus on the profit centers. One thing that is interesting about how carmakers work in different markets is how much more diverse the Astra (or Focus) lines are in Europe--3drs, 4drs, 5drs, wagons, coupe-convertibles, etc. It seems like in some markets automakers can offer a broad range of bodystyles because the sales are there, in other markets, the sales aren't there.

Interesting... I'm on Facebook, but as my real self, not Moltar. Not sure if I'd want to link my 'real' online persona with this one. The people I know in Facebook are those I know in person, in the 'real' world, same with Linkedin, and those here are online only, in the 'surreal' world.. don't want to mix those..

Maybe SAAB NA will be axed. I assume by 4 brands they meant GMNA. I assume SAAB will remain in Europe under GME's management.

I think the automakers would build more coupes if there was more demand. There were a ton of coupes of different shapes, sizes, niches 30 years ago. Very few now. The demand isn't there, don't know why, but it is what it is.

Well, as Reg would say, women (and couples w/ kids) influence the majority of car purchases, so practicality wins out. I've had a mix of 2dr coupes, 2 and 4dr SUVs over the years. For daily commuter use, 90% of the time it's just me in the car, I prefer a 4dr SUV or 4dr luxury sedan for practicality's sake because of: 1. parking lots and parking garages. Almost everywhere I've worked, I've parked in a garage, and occasionally surface lots. A 4dr is just plain easier to get in and out of in tight parking than 2drs. 2. And when I go out to lunch or dinner w/ a group of people and drive, a 4dr is just easier to get people in and out. And it's not like in the old days when 4drs were usually boring...their are a lot of great sport sedans out there--Audis, BMWs, the G8, Charger, etc to name a few. I figure I will always have at least 3 cars--- a 4dr medium-to-large luxury sedan for a daily driver, a 4dr SUV for a winter daily driver and occasionally hauling stuff, and a fun coupe or convertible for weekend and occasional use. For the last 8 years, I had the 4dr SUV and 2 sports coupes.

Besides the profits--GMC also serves the same purpose to BPG franchises that the G3 and G5 do--gives them models to compete with Chevy.

Let's see--I predict you will decide to go with a Pontiac above all else---not a coupe, not RWD. Not a sedan. You will buy the new G3 and bring driving excitement to your life. YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT!!! G3! G3! G3! G3!

The problem with the Commander I've noticed is it has the same wheelbase as the 3rd gen GC, so the third row is really crammed in there. I thought the Durango was dead since they closed the plant, though I could see maybe a resurrection of the name on this platform if they could make a business case for it.

I was mistaken then...I got the impression from what I had read that this car was to have the real Prius hybrid system, not the watered-down system from the Camry. With a dedicated hybrid, no one will confuse you with someone driving a regular version of the same car...it's hard to tell a Civic hybrid, Camry hybrid etc from the regular versions, but the Prius and Insight aren't confused with anything mainstream.

Yes, in my '00, the rear seat legroom is quite tight when I'm driving with 2-3 adults in the back.

Who says it isn't?

Interesting. Since it has the Prius drivetrain, I assumed it was on the Prius platform. But I do see some resemblance to the Avensis, esp. the windshield and A-pillars.

I don't think there were any in '90-92..wasn't that when they had the thick side trim and composite headlights? I've seen some lowrider 2drs with that style trim and headlights, but I think they are earlier cars retrofitted. Without looking it up, I'm pretty sure '85 was the last year for the 2dr RWD C-body. I knew they made Coupe de Villes through then, but didn't know about the 2dr FBs. I've always liked the '77-up big Caddies (even though I was in a Town Car family). A buddy in high school had a hand-me-down '81 Fleetwood Brougham 4dr, silver w/ silver leather interior, diesel. Fun car.a grandpa car, certainly, but for some weird reason, I love cushy old school American style luxury cars, as well as modern high tech luxury cars and austere, serious German luxury cars. So many contradictions.

Gas mileage is only part of the hybrid equation. Remember, the clean (lower emissions) angle also. A hybrid IS250 would have just been a regular car with hybrid tacked on like the GS h, RX h, LS h are...this is like the Prius, a dedicated, hybrid only model.. Green + lux FTW. This way the trendoids can take care of their green guilt and also have luxury...cake and eat it too. Same idea as the Cadillac Converj Volt-based concept at the show, except this is a production model. (Personally, for efficiency and luxury, I'd take a BMW 335d as it has the bonus of performance and pure RWD superiority).

Huh? I don't see any proportional similarities...the LaX is thicker vertically in the midsection..this car is sleeker.. I love the wheels and the fastback C-pillar. Interesting variation on the traditional Audi 6 light greenhouse also..

There is a slight resemblance, but 99% of Lexus buyers in NA have no idea what an Avensis is, since it's not sold here. I see a strong resemblance to the IS in the roofline and the tail, and the side lower chrome resembles the LS. It's got strong Lexus themes. I would not be surprised if this isn't Lexus' best selling car within a year of it's launch.

The body isn't sold as a Toyota elsewhere, is it? I thought this car had a Lexus specific body.

Subaru has been struggling with styling for a while, esp. with front ends...they tried the SAAB 96 tribute front end on the Tribeca and previous Impreza and it was a flop. Moving away from the frameless door glass with the Impreza was a mistake also.

You missed the point of this car.. The Lexus hybrid is like the Prius--it's a dedicated model and not a regular, pedestrian model with hybrid tacked on like the other Lexus hybrids or the Camry hybrid. I could see some Prius owners moving up to it if they could afford it, because you would get Lexus luxury with Prius eco-cred. This car makes the hybrid statement and has luxury. Best of both worlds for some. The problem with the Prius is yes, it has eco-cred and distinct styling, but it's a cheap sh*tbox inside. This car gives you luxury with your eco-cred.

It gets more power and mileage than a typical V8 SUV...355 hp out of 3.5 litres is impressive...I don't think Ford doesn't have any SUV V8s that get this kind of power or mileage (don't most V8 SUVs struggle to get even close to 20 mpg in real world use?). And the Flex is probably much more pleasant to drive than any truck based SUV.

This is a car I didn't know existed...thought all the FBs in the '80s were 4drs. Pretty cool. 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham 2dr for sale 17k miles

Riiiight. I doubt if anyone gets over 17-18 with those beasts...

Well, it does give Prius buyers an upgrade path when they want to go upscale.

Congrats!