Drew Dowdell

Alas, BMW is about 'joy' now (they dropped 'The Ultimate Driving Machine' tagline). A FWD entry line seems like a cynical branding ploy to achieve volume amongst lame posers who want the brand cachet but not the substance. Most of FWD 1-series will probably be 4cyl automatics (at least in NA where too few people are capable of driving a manual). Most of the RWD 3-series, 5-series, and all of the 7-series are automatics too... True...but at least they are still RWD. I've never understood why Americans don't like manuals, but I have no problem w/ refined automatics, esp. in luxury cars (was the 7 series ever offered w/ a manual? (answered my own question--apparently yes--the first 3 generations were offered w/ a 6 and a manual, probably Europe only). meh, 90% of drivers don't care if they are RWD or not. Most think their 3-series is FWD anyway.

Alas, BMW is about 'joy' now (they dropped 'The Ultimate Driving Machine' tagline). A FWD entry line seems like a cynical branding ploy to achieve volume amongst lame posers who want the brand cachet but not the substance. Most of FWD 1-series will probably be 4cyl automatics (at least in NA where too few people are capable of driving a manual). Most of the RWD 3-series, 5-series, and all of the 7-series are automatics too...

Shortage of household plugs out your way?

Hyundai baffled by their engineering? That makes two of us.

Awesome to drive such a classic as a daily! Glad you are back to posting again! You should add your cars to the C&G Garage!

The power train is a HUGE hint as to what is to come. 425hp 430lb-ft Twin Turbo V6? There is your ATS-V engine right there. As for styling. Art & Science 3.0

An entirely absurd (and incorrect) statement. CTS, STS, SRX (either generation) and even an old 2001 Eldorado would like to have a word with you in the back SMK. Hell, a '96 Fleetwood as a top speed over 140mph.

No, there is a difference. Mercedes had the A-class and B-class that if sold here would be in the $20-30,000 range, basically being a luxury alternative to a Focus or Civic. There is absolutely nothing "luxury" about an A-Class. It's a cramped, underpowered, economy car with a fancy badge. It is NO better than a Cimmaron. The only engine in the A-class worth a damn is the 193hp 2.0 SOHC Turbo that gets 7.0 liters/100km. For comparison sake, the 2012 Opel Insignia 2.0T AWD with 220hp gets 7.6 liters/100km. Not much of a bump in fuel economy to get an A-class when you consider it has an 800lb advantage over the Insignia.

You could do worse.

US does it too. You pay tax on the sale price unless the sale price is drastically outside of "reasonable book value". It leaves a lot of leeway but also prevents your grandmother from selling you her barely used Impala for $100.

I'm hoping that this will be another case of GM under promising and over delivering.

The Eco Cruzes are consistently rated the best of the litter.

Chiropractors are the healing fingers of Jesus all over your back. I highly recommend.

Reg, I think that's the Pheaton.

buying a Volt isn't just about saving money on gasoline. There are Volt owners out there that are running only 10% of the time on gasoline. It is performing much better than the EPA numbers would suggest. A Volt owner that is in this situation of only using gas 10% of the time spends $122 a year on gas assuming 3.56 a gallon and 12,000 miles traveled and 35mpg during gas travel (it's actually higher mpg, but still) A Cruze Eco owner would spend $1,294 using the same assumptions and a 33mpg combined city/highway rating. edit: it is also a VERY nice driving car and utterly silent anytime the ICE is off. I would buy it for that reason alone.

Skip the Century completely. Regal will have 3800 goodness. edit: Yikes, but that one is rough.

Volt ads have practically ceased. The economy is continuing to swirl down the drain..... Volt interest is dropping? No kidding.....

Why are you selling the V12

This applies to some of you.

rather minor, though always glad to see another engine go E85.

please send him my way.

Don't kno if it was every year, but the Olds diesel was a new, much stronger block. Guy I knew coveted them to build Olds performance 350s- said you couldn't break them. The stronger block started in late 81 for the MY'82 cars. Other added goodness arrived for MY84 just in time to be canceled at the end of MY'85. The DX blocks of '85 are pretty much bullet proof (and for some reason still available) even if they aren't fast. I've always wondered what the result would be if someone out there put a relatively mild turbo and intercooler on on of the DX block diesels. It would probably change the whole character of the engine.

No, but by this point Big Oldsmobile mostly meant "puff cruiser"

For me it was the story from years ago that a highschool friend's dad told as to why he bought an AMC Alliance. Apparently he had a bad habit of (once) locking his keys in the car. So the next car he bought (the AMC) had to be one that you could not lock from the inside and could only be locked by using the key in the door from the outside. The Alliance was the only car he found that did that, so that is what he bought. The family also had an AMC Concord hatch. They finally wised up and traded both for Impalas.

This era B-body and G-body is one of the few platforms where I would insist on a coupe and would be unlikely to give a sedan a second glance.