Drew Dowdell

Avis

I can't think BMW would be interested in any more than a quarter of the former SAAB dealers. Most of them are sitting in GM Mega Complexes. If the whole idea is to end up building a BMW-SAAB-Mini-Cooper dealer network, BMW isn't going to want to be selling Saabs next to Cadillacs in an old Hummer building.

There would be no union....or at least no contract. The buyer would be purchasing SAAB's assets, not the paper company. BMW could buy SaaB with the change in their seat cushions. Why should they? How does BMW get to do mass market volumes for something like an Accord/Sonata fighter without damaging the main brand? Saab can be used to build a credible FWD sedan in both small and medium sizes. Throw in a small and midsize crossover and you have the makings of an actual full line manufacturer. Saab wouldn't and couldn't be a luxury brand anymore, however, they could be "premium" along the lines of how VW is generally perceived. BMW buying SAAB for that sort of redevelopment is a clear shot across VW AG's rather large bow.

I have most of the article written in my head. I will be addressing the car's qualities while acknowledging reality...... Of course with a lot of wit thrown in.

mmm... Buick Park Avenue C6.....

I already have the title.

also... this is the interior that is supposed to have Buick quaking in it's Michelins?

Speaking of leaping, I caught this Jaguar X-Type Vanden Plas (it said so in the pin-strip) with rear mounted hood ornament just in case you forgot it was a Jaguar when the old bag behind the wheel passed you.

Oh well there's a surprise...... Camry with predator mouth.

New CTS will be a test to see if Cadillac can sell a $50-60K sedan in non-niche volumes. This has been a struggle for brands like Acura, Volvo, and Lincoln, but I think Cadillac can do it--think Escalade. Escalade is a truck though, and huge SUVs have had success in the high dollar range, although obviously popularity has declined over the past few years. CTS V6 has to sell at a similer price point as the STS V8, and we know how few STS V8s they were selling the past few years. What SMK meant to say what that it needs to sell at the same price point as a 3900lb 4-cylinder 5-series with "leatherette"

I suppose GM just couldn't use the LaCrosse to compete w/ the MKS and ES, which is a more natural competitor for those models than something from Cadillac... I don't think Buick competes with Lincoln or Lexus. There in lies part of the problem. The LaCrosse competes with the Avalon, Taurus and Maxima. A Maxima can even hit $41,000, so can a SHO. I'd say the Chrysler 300 and Genesis are competitors also on size and price point, different drive wheels, but they would still get cross shopped I think. Since Buick is not a luxury car, Cadillac has to wear many hats, thus they need an XTS to cater to those in Florida that like pastel pearl paint jobs and seats you sink in to. I question if they really need to cater to this market though. Or if the CTS were as well executed as the E-class that it couldn't attract both those that want smooth ride and those that want performance. The Lacrosse and Enclave are most certainly luxury vehicles. They do quiet, power, and handling better than their counterparts at Lexus

Let's play the "How many times is SMK wrong?" game... this isn't a drinking game because I don't want to have to check you all in to Betty Ford.... SRX transaction prices are equal to the X3 and GLK. The SRX is the same size interior as those which is how car classes are determined... interior room. If the SRX is cheap, then so are they. SRX has a 71% conquest rate There simply weren't enough MKXes and Aspens sold for "domestic only" SUV buyers to come flocking to Cadillac at that volume. The Lexus build quality on the RX hasn't advanced since 2004, in some areas they've reversed course. The X5 and M-Class are a completely different class from the SRX, neither are entry lux CUV. Asking "what happens when the CTS and XTS overlap in price point?" is like asking "What happens when the Escalade and Corvette overlap in price point?" or "What happens when the Sprinter and C-class overlap in price point?".. and roughly equal to "What happens when the ATS and Lacrosse overlap in price point?!?!?!?!?!11?!!?!"

.... which is a function of greenhouse design... Not drive train layout... See new new VW Beetle.

What they are doesn't matter, what they're based on is what counts..... or so you've told me. So what you're saying is that if Cadillac sold the SRX as only AWD, yours and SMK's bitchfest about the second best selling mid-size luxury crossover would end? Somehow, I don't think it would. When you're done chewing on that one, talk to me about the front-wheel to door distance at Audi

Well here's my rental car for the week. What do ya think? Review it just for the fun of it?

Are Audis including the A8 just FWD appliances? Don't give me that crap about which way the engine is mounted, it doesn't matter a hill of beans now with Hi-Per strut. The weight balance of an A8 and Lacrosse AWD are nearly identical.

That's kind of a low blow and not relevant to the topic at hand. Well you're not buying an S-Class, a 7-series, or an XTS anytime soon are you? There is a predilection on C&G to pre-judge cars and to declare anything that doesn't fit the person's definition of "a good car" as a crap car that will never ever sell. SMK and you have both been proven wrong by the SRX and Lacrosse. GM clearly has a better read on the market than you two do. As I've told SMK in the past I will tell you too. You cannot judge the future success of the XTS on the efforts of it's competition. The MKS wasn't built well and its sales figures reflect that. It has nothing to do with FWD/RWD and everything to do with the fact that the driver can see the foam insulation inside the HVAC vents while in a normal seating position. The Acura RL sells terrible, not because it is FWD based, but because it is a styling dud and offers very little over an Accord DeLuxe in terms of... anything. The XTS, if they build it right, will do well.

Just 2? The flagship is coming. There is a whole platform being developed for it. What I find most amusing is the people bitching about it most are those driving 100k mile cars and will never buy a flagship from ANYONE. Last I looked, and to Pauli's dismay, the Lacrosse is holding its value pretty well.

I'm still not hauling sheets of pegboard in it. Trunk space, while large, isn't laid out very well.

On this interactive map, you can plot the destruction of certain cities using different size nuclear warheads. Fun for the whole family Go Nuke Yourself

With your Suburban, 13 combined MPG * 42-gallon tank = 546 miles. Yes, you can go far, but you aren't achieving anything close to good fuel economy... Fuel Economy is in the eye of the beholder. My wife was rearended twice. The first time we were in my Aunts Delta 88 at a stop light in Huntington Beach CA when a Suburban rear ended us totaling the auto and severly hurting my wife who was in the back seat. The second time was when a Washington State DOT truck was not paying attention to traffic and rear ended my wife in our Ford Escort we had for her driving required merchandising job and again got severly injured. What Price do you put on quality of life over gas milage? For me, that was the end to me having family members drive small auto's. The suburban had barely a dent to it's front metal bumper and the DOT truck according to pictures taken by WSP in their police report showed nothing but scratches to the DOT truck and yes our 2 year old escort was totaled. My wife and I would rather fill up a tank and have protective steel around us than deal with the body damage caused by other poor drivers. So from my point of view, Gas milage is all relative in relation to QUALITY OF LIFE! My wife loves the suburban for the room, comfort and the line of sight due to sitting up much higher as our suburban has a 3" lift kit. For us, we will never get rid of our full Size SUV's. Yes I know I spend far more on gas each month than the average person, about $600 a month, but it is well worth it. Buy an S60 and she'd likely be better off in both regards. (active headrests for rear end collisions)

I take my Toronado to Home Depot all the time, so I'm not entirely sure what your point is. As I've said, lots of retailers are gearing up to start offering charging stations, first at their new locations and then later retrofitting existing stores.

Starting Monday, I will be on the road for work for 5 weeks straight, returning home only on some weekends. I will still be checking in when I can, but the volume of my posting will be down substantially.

Distance wise flying is the only real option for those period. The only cities I would put in range of Phoenix via HSR are Las Vegas and ABQ. East of the Mississippi river, the population densities are equal to Europe.

Normal speed rail is good for trips ~350 miles or less Higher speed rail is good for trips ~450 miles or less Higherer speed rail (fastest we have in this country) is good for trips ~500 miles or less Highest speed rail is good for trips 600 miles or less At those relative speeds, the time on the train is typically 4.5 hours or less, keeping it competitive time wise with air travel total time over the same distance (including the "how's your father?" with the TSA and getting out to the airport) Amtrak's Wolverine blasting through Michigan at 110mph in the snow on 2/11/2012