The O.C.

Gas prices will not kill RWD platforms..... I didn't feel too bad about getting 27.6mpg and 445 miles to a tank on one fill-up of my new C6 (that was with the cruise set at 85mph for the trip) I've had plenty of FWD cars (with way-more pedestrian performance than a C6) that wouldn't do THAT....while cruising at that high of a speed. In fact, overall, according to my trip computer, I'm averaging about 23mpg driving the C6 around....

Wrong and incorrect. The new Passat has soft-touch on the upper dash and door panels. The lower dash and door panels ARE hard (like the Impala's) but still nicely-grained and matte-finished (UNLIKE the Impala's)

Crappy....? They STILL beat anything GM has offered us..... I find the LX interiors to offer little to complain about. Dash and door tops are soft-touch plastic, the gauges all have a premium look to them, column stalks (Benz pieces) have a nice feel to them, and the new DCX radio/HVAC controls feel much better to the touch when you use the knobs/switches/buttons. Plus, the seats are comfy AND supportive. The hard plastic on the lower dash and door panels is matte-finished and still has a decent grain. The DCX interiors that I feel are lacking are the new Grand Cherokee and the trucks (Durango, Dakota, new Ram.) THOSE interiors have shiny, hard, brittle plastics that differ from the stuff inside the LX cars. I'm assuming that the Nitro maybe will share dash and door panel plastics with the Liberty, which while hard, are nicely grained and look good.

"Freaks" in CA...? I take offense to that.... B) Speaking of freaks, have you seen the movie "Fargo?" Fargo isn't far from MN, is it..? http://www.cheersandgears.com/public/style_emoticons//AH-HA_wink.gif (just kidding...)

Ditto.....(as much as I don't like the Ridgeline, the 3-Series absolutely deserves to win)

"Fundamentally." Of course, none of us wants to see the historic brands of Buick and Pontiac follow Oldsmobile down the proverbial shitter.... BUT my point was the fact that GM still makes too many models for too many divisions to support their realistic position in the marketplace. I think it was Evok that originally said (or was it Delorenzo..?) that a healthy, vibrant, and downsized GM at around 19-20% marketshare is FAR better than a struggling and lethargic leviathan at 25-29%.....

OMG.....don't tell me you are trying to compare a BMW inline-6cyl engine to the 3800? BMW's sixes in ANY configuration are some of the smoothest, if not THE smoothest, most refined, and energetic engines on the market today. THAT's the tell-tale of a true luxury car....not HP....and the base Lucerne won't come close to having a refined-enough powertrain to tempt ANY of those "import" luxury-car fans. That was his point I believe.....

Additionally, it looks like we have to suffer with a column-mounted shifter. In the specs on the console, there's no mention of the front console having the tranmission shifter located there..... I agree that I can't see GM dedicating a unique dash design....or for that matter, engineering a console-mounted shifter.... A real SHAME...no matter how nice the Escalade looks.....

That's a tough one.... I think fundamentally, they should ALL go away...... BUT I voted for Pontiac to be the strongest....not because it's strongest now, but because I think GM has a better shot of revitalizing the performance image Pontiac used to hold....and that could bod well for them in the future. Buick's image has been squandered too much to recapture that "Doctor's Car" aura. AND, trying to recast Buicks as "Premium American Motorcars" is rubbish....as there's really nothing "Premium" about them at THIS juncture. They had a good think going when people off-the-cuff referred to them as the "American Jaguar." Even that has been squandered with the recent product and styling decisions that Buick is living with. SAAB.....considering what Ford has done with Volvo in recent years, Saab is an embarrassment....for GM and for SAAB itself. No further discussion necessary. Saturn might have great cars coming (AURA, SKY) but they will never live up to their ultimate potential (or even their past) now that GM has taken every sliver of individuality out of this once-innovative "concept."

Dude....are you for REAL...? No wonder EVOK dismisses your rants so often....I'm sorry....IMHO (and that's ALL it is) it just seems like you are so close-minded and clueless about anything outside your realm of influence..... Do you know how many lower-income (non-automotive) workers in this country would be THRILLED to have a job where they could make $10-$15/hour? AND have decent benefits? THOSE people have families....and have bills to pay.....and food to put on the table. They just don't live the same quality-of-life that we all do. They have to live (mostly) within their OWN means. Contrary to popular opinion (and I know there are many that disagree) this country will not live or die simply by the domestic auto industry ALONE. I'm sorry....in this day-and-age, it's just simply not as big a factor as it used to be....regardless of the statistics of how many people may be tied into the industry. WHY? Well, the domestic auto industry lost the battle already a long time ago....now they are just trying to survive. And the domestic auto industry CAN survive...and even prosper....but not by hanging on to the glorified ego-centric vision of itself that it's held for 100 years or so. Doom-and-gloom was widely predicted when the steel industries started their downturn....doom-and-gloom didn't come. This country adapted, changed, and grew into new business sectors....many and most of them that are growing, prospering, and providing very nice for the people that work in them and support those industries. This country will also rebound from whatever downturn we continue to see in the domestic auto industry. Like it's been said before, the people that have grown up in this industry will survive and prosper...but they HAVE to commit to a fundamental change in their lives and careers.....

Actually one of the major bitches about the XLR out here is the absolutely meager trunk space....especially with the trunk down. Additionally, not everyone feels the XLR's angular styling take on "Art & Science" is necessarily that attractive.....

XLR HARDLY "trounces" the SL......and will NEVER match it for status or prestige (things that for right or wrong are vital to customers spending this kind of dough for a new car.) However, it is much more car than the Lexus.....

No....but they DO care about supportive bucket seats, superior fit-and-finish, hard plastic trim with a low-gloss finish and that DOESN'T feel hollow and brittle, radio and HVAC controls that feel substantial, and so forth.... I'll be the first to admit the Tundra/Sequoia interior is about the ugliest I've seen in regards to sheer style....I'll also be the first to admit that the level of fit-and-finish and material quality beats anything out there in the full-size truck market (F150 included.......although the Ford LOOKS better....)

The XLR-V is NOT a $100K automobile......especially when you've got a world-class Z06 for $68K. The XLR is not doing well at all in California (based upon my lack of XLR sightings in and around L.A. and Orange County.) People buy status here....and XLR, nice looking and distinctive or not, doesn't make the same lifestyle statement of the SL-class or 6-series BMW.....both of which I see way more frequently (especially the SL which is almost common.) In fact, the C6 seems to have much better recognition and respect in southern California than its more-expensive platform-mate from Cadillac. I think the STS-V will have a better chance at it's mid-70's price point.

Thing is.....I've also driven all cars except the M45 and, styling opinions aside, the STS is nowhere NEAR the car that the BMW 545i is.....in ride, handling, powertrain refinement AND performance, and interior quality and fit-and-finish. I also drove the STS at the ride-and-drive event and the one we had was equipped with the premium sport package with the 18-inch wheels and tires. Even so, it was most definitely NOT a crisp-handling package like the BMW and the E500 (with AMG sport package.) This is in stark comparison with the CTS with that car's sport package....which stands up very well with the competition. In my opinion, it's probably struggling in comparison tests because it is NOT driver-oriented like the others....and the interior quality is definitely lacking. Not to mention a price point that is not ALL that better than the arguably-superior competition. Finally, and this is subjective, but I don't think people like the fact that the STS lacks the styling bravery found on the less-expensive CTS.

You're right Turbo200.....I may be overly critical sometimes of some GM stuff, but I only do it if I believe it..... I'm thinking a G6 might be a safer bet if you want to get a feel for the Epsilon cars. The seats, at first sit, seem better....but I haven't driven a G6 yet. I'm assuming (hoping) that Pontiac was more diligent in the suspension tuning/tire choices, etc. of the G6. This will make me REALLY sound like a prick.....but honest-to-God, the Malibu I had didn't feel all that better than the old Malibu (Classic) at least in suspension tune/ride/handling. AND I wasn't the only one....the person riding with me shared the same comments and observations about the car.... Trust me....I don't like having to make these observations about a "new" GM product.

(I'm real sorry.....'cause I'm gonna piss off some Malibu fans....) One of the most disappointing drives I had recently was a Malibu LS V6 rental car that I drove from Fresno to San Francisco. First, the crappy steering feel. We ALL know about that. To say it's far too light at low speeds is an understatement....and it's devoid of feel at higher speeds and the transition of steering heft as you speed up feels unnatural. The seats were really unsupportive and uncomfortable and we were in serious pain an hour into the 2.5 hour trip. The chassis seemed old-school GM to me.....which is a surprise because the Malibu architecture is an up-to-date setup. Could it be the actual suspension tuning...? While it wasn't exactly floaty, and body roll was pretty well controlled, the suspension didn't seem to have much composure over freeway ridges and ripples, and in-town bumps and potholes. Driving on a smooth road, it feels good. Then as soon as you start to hit somewhat rough pavement, the shakes and wiggles are all too apparent. The powertrain had GREAT punch....I just wish it didn't groan so much as you get your foot into it. Quiet at idle....and torquey....but somewhat breathless on the freeway as you pull out to pass at 65-70+mph. The 4-speed auto has GOT to go. Too much of a chasm between gears and even with only 4 speeds and a torquey V6, it seemed to hunt constantly depending on throttle position. Shifts were definitely not the GM norm for smoothness. I'm not a fan of the sea-of-grey interior either. (The new darker dash top in '06s should help here.) The center stack also looks tacky. This car really needs the new Impala's radio and HVAC controls. All considered, it was very disappointing. I'm sure there's many people that will buy the car for the sheer value of the equipment you get for the money.....but I need way more than that in a car....even an inexpensive midsize car. What really made it worse, was the '05 Accord LX 4cyl rental I had from Enterprise the next week (I know...rare to see a Honda in a rental fleet.) The difference in the sheer quality of the interior, the powertrain refinement, and the incredibly solid feel of the car on the road made an embarrasment of the Malibu. The Accord, even in LX 4cyl trim, felt like it was from a much more expensive car segment. I ENJOYED driving the Accord...even around town. I COULDN'T WAIT to get out of the Malibu at the end of our trip. It's not GM-bashing.....or Asian-loving.....just solid honest feedback and opinion.

Yeah, the mileage sucks.....I had an '04 Limited Auto 4X4 before getting my '06 and it got about 12 in the city, and 16-18 on the highway. BUT, remember it's over 4,000 lbs so it's not light...it has a true, 4X4 system underneath it with a body-on-frame chassis....and it can tow 5,000 lbs. SO...it might look the size of an Escape, CR-V, etc., but it has WAY more capability built in. I hated the mileage, but dealt with it because I liked having a more "truckish" SUV that I could take off-road, two our seadoos with, etc. I'll be interested to see how the mileage compares with the '06 6-speed.

Yup....except you have to special-order it if you want the V6 and the good options like moonroof, infinity speakers, tow package, etc. That's what I did. The only manuals the dealers tend to stock are price-leader 2WD, 4cyl, manuals.....and then, only very few are out there. I don't think the Liberty is a chick SUV at all....sure it's "cute" but it has solid, real, off-road potential....and can tow the 5,000 lbs that I need. I think of chick SUVs as SUVs such as the Santa Fe, Tucson, Sportage, CR-V, RAV-4, et al.

Agreed....and new cars like the Impala and Cobalt have great-looking interior designs that are marred by material quality that was obviously chosen for it's cost (or lack thereof.) GM knows how to do it good....I just picked up my '06 C6 and, with the exception of the cheesy silver center-stack trim, the interior is first-class in my opinion....and I can be quite critical of GM's interiors.... The Impala and Cobalt, however, seem to be designed to a specific price-point...and I don't know if that was the smart decision....

Thanks all you guys.....! The interior is just about the best that GM has. There's only two cheesy parts.....the silver trim adorning the center stack is just tacky.....why not some sort of real aluminum trim (ala BMW M3, etc.) or piano-black stuff or something....even fake carbon-fiber would have looked better. Secondly, the fit of the dash pad around the IP is pretty poor....(but good on the passenger side of the dash.) BUT the rest of it is great! The soft plastic graining feels good, and looks good. Also, the soft stuff is ALL over the place even below the dash and on the lower door panels where GM would usually put hard, brittle stuff. AND, the knobs and switches for the windows, radio, and HVAC are first-class.....as is the feel of the column stalks. Finally, they added little chrome rings around the radio and HVAC knobs for '06. A small but classy touch. Oh, the new steering wheel ROCKS.....except it looked like they took it directly from a G6 or something.....the SRS cover is hard (!) plastic and the graining doesn't match anything inside the Corvette at all....? Parts-bin engineering at its best.....BUT it IS great to hold (smaller diameter) and the look of the three-spoke configuration is WAY better.... The museum delivery was AWESOME and not to be missed. I had a whole afternoon (11:45am - 5:15pm) of VIP treatment being taken around the assembly plant AND the museum with my own tour guide, etc. I'd be MORE than happy to try to arrange some kind of gettogether.....if anyone's interested, just email me at "[email protected]" with your name, C&G I.D., and contact info. We could do a day at the Petersen Museum in Beverly Hills/Wilshire followed by a romp down Mulholland or something....or there's always a Saturday morning at the Crystal Cove hot rod/exotic show in Newport Beach followed by a PCH cruise or a romp over Ortega Highway. Cheers....

I just got home from my 2,500 mile trip in my '06 Convertible.....(black ext, black top, cashmere int, 6-speed manual, F55) I must say the car is as AWESOME as I knew it was.....but I couldn't believe how comfortable it was to drive all that way. The retuned F55 suspension does provide a noticeable difference between comfort and sport....but only really over bad pavement. However, sport really isn't that harsh. Fuel economy? My last two tankfuls took me 450+ miles per tank....netting me 27-28mpg...with the cruise set on 85mph!!!!!!!! Hit a wierd rainstorm in Arizona when it was only 40 degrees out.....the (small) hail was falling so much and so fast, it coated the road with about 2-3 inches of what seemed like slush/snow. The ABS and Traction Control provided an unusual amount of traction in these slippery conditions.....impressive. Bose sound system is fabulous...! Car's faster than hell......(but I guess not faster than a Z06....HA!) The interior quietness at highway speeds was also amazing.....VERY low road, tire, and engine noise (thanks, GM for closing off the back trunk area from the interior of the car.) The only noise was a slight rustling of the wind over the soft top....but overall, this car was as quiet as my '04 BMW 330i Convertible. The downside? I really HATE the electronic overkill in this car, primarily the electronic door handles and push-button start......living with it for 2,500 miles has NOT made me like it any more. While it's nice to walk up to the car without having the key in your hand, it's frustrating because if you don't hit the door pad just right, it doesn't "click" and you end up fumbling a bit. A manual door handle would work MUCH better. Also, trying to figure out if/when the doors are going to lock and unlock automatically is frustrating....."did it lock?" "did it unlock when I walked by it?" "why did it lock the car when I was getting stuff out of the trunk?" AND "why do you have to turn off the car, or manually unlock the doors to get OUT?" DAMN GM for this crap....maybe Cadillac XLR customers like all the electronic stuff....but for MY Corvette, give me a damn key with a normal ignition, and a normal remote key fob. But, other than that, as you can expect, I'm looking forward to a long-term love relationship with this new beauty!!!!!!!

I just got (ordered) an '06 Jeep Liberty 4X4 with a 6-speed MANUAL as my new company car. The clutch and shifter are light and smooth....NOT truck-ish like the Wrangler's is...so, combined with the 3.7L OHC V6, the 6-speed Jeep is nice to drive and fun also. That's why I got it.....I needed an SUV, but wanted to continue to clutch and shift gears for myself..... (However, a Jeep is smaller and more nimble.....I really can't see a full-size SUV with a manual unless it was a work-truck type special edition.)

I'm WAY disappointed that the interior doesn't look any different (at first glance) from the uplevel Tahoe.... I actually like the Tahoe's new front end BETTER. The only good thing about the GMC is the Denali's H.O. V8. Other than the engine, I'd take an uplevel Tahoe over any GMC at this juncture.

Hey this kid's not kidding..... When I was going to college at GMI (Flint, MI.) and we parked in the parking garage at the dorms, all my friends from around the country (NOT from the midwest) that drove imports had them keyed and defaced ALL the time. It was a big problem. Most of these kids had NO idea about the bias and prejudice against import makes that occurs in states like Michigan....they simply knew they were there to go to college. They weren't trying to "make a statement" by driving an import.....that's simply the car they had as a college kid... We never knew who was doing the vandalizing.....(but there was a GM plant across the street...???)