Robert Hall

Yeah, I don't care for the fake metal trim...I'd have to have the plood and a two-tone interior (I like the tan and black on the current TL quite a bit).

There's an all-new Fit coming for '09, though... I'm sure it will be much improved. The Aveo5 still looks like a poverty penalty box like the old Geo Metro, while the Fit looks like a thoroughly acceptable B-segment car.

Sounds like a long fun trip...how many miles total? Quite brave to do it in a nearly 40 yr old car...

ranch

You have said that 100 times...no one cares.

Wow..that is a solid Model A... is it original, or an older resto?

Yeah, I like the Rabbit...more color choices would be good...I've always liked the Golfs, going back to the '80s GTIs and Wolfsburgh editions. It's too bad for now the diesel is only offered in the Jetta in the US, I'd much rather have it in the Rabbit, since I prefer hatchbacks in B- and C- seg cars.

Foot parking brakes with a hand release are ok, but the ones that don't have one are a pain to use if you are parked on a hill w/ a manual..(though I normally never park on a hill).

It's interesting that the 3 worse are all Daewoo generics. If I had to buy a small car, I'd look at the Civic or Mazda 3, or the Rabbit (wish it was offered w/ the diesel or a small 4cyl here, the 2.5 mileage is poor). Or wait for the Fiesta.

Saw a very sharp (probably all-original) champaigne colored Buick Electra 4dr--one of the last of RWD C-bodies from around '84 or so.

I emailed a link to the article to two friends that own the current TLs (one an '04, the other an '06), they don't like the new one at first glance...one thought it was ugly, and the other immediately ruled it out because of the lack of a manual and the wierd styling.

Hmmm...a fullet??

I don't think so..the H1 was crap, not really suitable for public use (pretty lousy for military use also, from what I've heard from friends that were in Iraq). I would think sales of sports cars in general would be way down with economy as weak as it is... the lack of a usable trunk is a an issue with the Solstice--a 2 seat sports car should have enough trunk space for a couple to get away for a weekend with it (the Boxster and Miata have pretty usable trunk space, for instance).

Wierd...looks like a '90s Corolla but with a badly styled hatchback.

Nothing wrong with that ('08 CTS). The CTS door upper/C-pillar is very well executed. There is no excuse for the nonsense of the door upper cutline of the TL, though.

No manual? That renders it pointless to me. Bleh.

I can't recall the last time I saw a Collonade wagon in any condition. There was a 4dr '74 Grand Am (dark blue) in my neighborhood in Denver...kind of looked out of place in a neighborhood full of late model SUVs, Japanese and European cars (lots of Acuras, Hondas, Subarus, Toyotas, Lexuses, Audis, BMWs, Jeeps..)

I think it's supposed to be larger than the current Malibu (Epsilon I). I'm not sure what game they are trying to change, but it looks like it is competitive against the Avalon and Sable.

Looks better in these photos, but I still prefer the current model. I love the roofline and wedgy rear of the current car...some of the details of the new one are pretty strange..don't like the front fascia or the grille, or the lights (reflectors?) set into the rear bumper---they look like an afterthought. And the poorly executed rear door cutline (the door upper (window frame) cutline and chrome trim aren't aligned). I am looking forward to seeing it in person, though.

That's pretty cheap for a very distinctive largish V6 RWD coupe. Pretty much everything else at around 25k is a FWD generic.

Well, they already have the Caliber for a compact...maybe a sedan version would satisfy the compact sedan shoppers. Or a rebadge of the Nissan Versa...seems like a decent B-segment car. The Avenger and Sebring were developed from a Mitsu platform (Lancer?), but the poor execution is what is killing them...

Yeah, I didn't see any real resemblance between the Insignia and the Buick concept other than the dimensions and a bit of a similarity in the greenhouse. The Insignia is the nicest looking of the new GM FWDers, IMHO, esp. the hatchback (why can't we get a midsize hatchback in the US??)

Heh-heh...my experience has been that dreamers and optimists tend to get stomped down by the cold, hard world..only the cynical pessimists and nihilists survive.. As I like to say, there is no glass (is the glass half full or half empty)

To me it looks very close to the concept...very similar grille and headlight treatment, same taillight treatment, same side sculpting...the front fascia is a bit different and the greenhouse differs wrt to window framing. The small wheels on the 'production' version in the pics are underwhelming. Aspects I don't really care for that I did notice about both the concept and the 'production' version (if that is what it is) are the stubby front and rear, and the vertical tallness/thickness of the body relative to the greenhouse size...those seem to be current design trends that many automakers use.

Whatever, that's neither here nor there..what's more important is what GM is going to building in the next decade...can they overcome what 25+ years of mediocrity has done to them?