Robert Hall

Yes, but unfortunately, the Lucerne is a FWD car w/ a 4spd transmission. Not quite up to the Genesis specs. I'd love to see a next-gen Lucerne of that level of specification (i.e. like the China-market Park Avenue), but I don't think it's going to happen.

I suspect the Azera will stay around... by analogy, the Sonata is their Malibu, the Azera their LaCrosse, and the Genesis is the car Buick doesn't have but wishes it had..

Well, there are non-profits. I'm just very cynical about insurance companies and health care in the US...there is a lot of corruption out there.

Maybe they can bring a version of the Aveo 3dr sold in other markets and sell it as the G3 GTO!

Of course not...the insurance companies, healthcare companies, etc only exist to maximize profit. They couldn't care less for human beings.

Ooooh...I bet he saw the secret Aveo SS and G3 GXP...

Good news for Toyota-- Seattle Times article

I remember when I bought my Jeep back in 2000, Colorado Springs (city of 400k, metro area of about 550k) had 3 Jeep dealers, of which 2 were less than a mile apart--one a Chrysler/Plymouth/Jeep and the other standalone Jeep dealer, IIRC.

Could be...I don't think anything has been announced like that for NA. Though I would assume China will have one.

No, it's a bargain. But the 550i is not the CTS-v's competition. The M3, S4, C63 AMG are. Apples to oranges. Anyway, back to the original thread about Buicks. So in 3-4 years, Buick will have a 3 model line---Regal, LaCrosse, Enclave?

I'm sure there are options available on the 5-series that aren't available on the CTS..some one pointed out some features here months ago. It's an old argument that's been beat to death for years. The bottom line, the CTS may be 5 series sized, but it's the entry level model. Thus, it is naturally compared with the 3-series, G35, C-class, etc that are in it's price range. If Cadillac had a compact RWD entry level model, then the CTS could be a 5-series competitor. That's the reality.

Yes, that's what I meant. the V8 is only in the CTS-v with the sporty bodywork and limited interior color schemes. It would be nice to see a V8 (maybe 350 hp) in the regular CTS.

Invalid comparison. The ES platform shares with the Camry--it's as the LaCrosse is to the Impala. Not a rebadge. The Cimmaron is undefendable--it was a rebadge of the Cavalier.

This is an interesting development. I'm a long time Bush hater, but it is nice to see he recognizes the importance of the auto industry and is doing something, while the scum in the Senate from his own party did nothing..

As a self-employed contractor myself, the software engineering contractor market is much better now than it was when the bubble burst (mid 2000-mid 2002), and after 9/11. I'm still getting 2-3 emails and calls from head hunters every week, and still see a lot of job postings on Dice, Monster, etc...there have been some layoffs, but in general, the demand is still there. We will see what it's like in 6 months, but I don't see it dying off completely...existing and new companies always need software designed and implemented.

And in the US there are a lot of regional variations...the Denver metro area (and esp. Boulder) are relatively fit compared to the rest of the country..lots of granolas and outdoorsy folk there... at 6'0"/225 I feel fat there.... but when I go back to W. Pa and E. Ohio, I feel like I'm in the land of the lard---I'm skinny and svelte compared to a lot of people I see there.

Wow...Akron..haven't thought of that place in a while...lived in the area 6 years..pretty depressing place in the winter. Yes, the resale value of the DTS is awful..but it's primarily an F&F model (fleet & fogey) and isn't really competitive as a full size luxury sedan. I hope GM can deliver with Alpha...I'm just afraid it's going to get cancelled or watered down in the current horror situation GM is in...

Put some port holes on the front fenders, Buick badges, and waterfall grille and everyone here would be going ga-ga over it.

You miss the point...the CTS is an excellent car, it's 5 series sized, but it's the entry level model. Thus, it is compared with the 3-series, G35, C-class, etc that are in it's price range. If Cadillac had a compact RWD entry level model, then the CTS could be a 5-series competitor. I'd love to see Cadillac have a compact RWD entry lux model, a mid-level model (CTS-sized), and a full-size model to compete with the S-class, 7-series, LS... but I don't see that happening anytime soon. There is a standard range categorization of compact, midsize, and fullsize the other luxury makers generally stick to, but Cadillac doesn't.

You mentioned 1995, which was FWD.

I had a Pepper today... I've pretty much cut back to 1-2 soft drinks a week. When I was in my mid 20s in grad school, I had a serious Mountain Dew habit--2-3 a day (and 1-2 more in the evenings, often mixed in with lots of vodka and Jaegermeister, microbrews, and Prozac)...

I've heard Pon-Bon for Bonneville. Then there are the folks that have nicknames for their car relative to the color. My brother refers to his Mustangs that way---black pony, red Stang, silver stallion.. then there are folks that name their cars--people with a pickup named Rufus, or a Corolla named Patsy. That's a bit wierd, IMHO. My sister calls her Merc 500SEL the 'Big Dog' because that's what the big dogs (CEOs, etc) drove back in the Big 80s when it was built.

Not necessarly..the po' fat each cheap fatty foods, so they spend less on food than the healthy organic food consumers.

I know they are usually round and black. I don't get into the details unless I'm buying tires.

I don't know about 40 series, but trucks of that type seem to have narrow tires w/ thick sidewalls.