Drew Dowdell

You get multiple uses from a recharge kit, probably the lifetime of the filter if following the schedule I mentioned

The Terrain will be more efficiently packaged on a lighter platform. Basically, they'll lose exterior size while maintaining as much interior size as possible.

Their costs are nearly nothing. They're using a drop shipper and shirts are made on demand.

Chrysler Collection opens up "Imported from Detroit" boutique February 16th, 2011 Drew Dowdell - CheersandGears.com Capitalizing on their highly successful Super Bowl ad featuring their new tag line "Imported from Detroit", Chrylser has opened up a section on their Chrysler Collection website for "Imported from Detroit" t-shirts. The Made-In-USA T-shirts are retailing for $29.95 plus shipping and give you another way to Arrive in Style. We look forward to more Chrysler branded "Imported from Detroit" items added in future

I never noticed a difference in performance or mpg in either the Cutlass or CTS (both DOHC that should benefit from easier breathing). I would clean and re-oil the filter element at the standard paper filter change intervals. In my mind, it was still going to collect about the same amount of dirt over time regardless of the type of filter element I used

The 3 row Lambda for Cadillac is still very much on as of now.

Blackberry is also slowly becoming less relevant. Android (and I believe iPhone) has Exchange support natively which requires no go between like Blackberry Enterprise Server does. Blackberry Enterprise Server is VERY expensive and there is also a per-user license fee. Android and iPhone have neither. As far as Exchange Email Server is concerned, an Android phone is just another Outlook client. Blackberry has also demonstrated, multiple times, their vulnerability since ALL Blackberrys using BES must pass data through RIM's datacenter in Canada. That data center has gone down multiple times and wiped out BB service worldwide during the outage. Why they don't seem to have redundent servers in geo-diverse locations, I don't know. Anyway... the point is this. Blackberry is a dying platform. No amount of Apps can make up for that fact that their back end costs are too high. Once CTOs figure out that iPhone and Android are drastically cheaper to maintain than Blackberry, RIM's goose is cooked.

How would you like to own a street legal Camry Nascar Clone? February 15th, 2011 Drew Dowdell - CheersandGears.com Found on Ebay! How would you like to own a street legal Camry Nascar Clone? Well for the starting bid of just $89,000, this rebuilt 2009 Chevrolet Impala with a 383 cubic inch, 425hp aluminum V8, in Nascar colors and Toyota Stickers can be yours. From the Auction text: Super Street Series Stock car, 2009 replica Impala COT You are looking at an allmost new street legal stock car built by our nationally known company from Central New York, Jeffrey's Custom Conversions. JCC has been building these all steel replicas of the popular NASCARS for about 5 years. We have been featured in many magazines such as Hot Rod, Super Chevy and Speed Channels TV shows like Hot Rod and TLC's Horsepower TV to name a few. This was a feature car at the past 2009 SEMA show event in Las Vegas NV this Nov. for Optima Batteries. The car also performed at the Optima Batteries Street car Challenge in Pahrump NV road course following the SEMA show. Driven by a professional road course driver it was proven again the ability for the Super Street Series cars to handle anything you can throw at them. This lightly used 2009 New York titled Custom was completed by JCC in the spring of 2009. It was on a national show tour from June to December 09. The details and specifications are many, below is a brief description of the highlights. The tube chassis is built to our exacting specifications with electronic remote opening doors on a standard 110 inch NASCAR wheel base. The body is hand built with steel sides and the steel hood, roof and trunk are purchased from the same company supplying the NASCAR teams. The front and rear bumper are all carbon fiber with specially molded OEM lighting. It features a laminated glass windshield and defrosted rear window. The side windows are lexan with the door windows removable and stored in the trunk. This car has been tested with over 300 miles on the street, driven from the highways to the city streets of LasVegas and New York day and night. In race prep it has been tested at the high banks of Charlotte Speed way in North Carolina to the Pahrump road course in Nevada. We have achieved an excellent balance of performance and street drivability with this combination. The car is ready to be driven and enjoyed as a personal hot rod to blow away the local show goers. Or, market your company or other companies and use it as do the race teams, a mobile billboard. Rap or decal it with whatever you can dream up, name recognition is a cinch with this ultimate street machine. The SSS cars command attention wherever you drive them. Camaros and Mustangs are boring compared to the excitement driving these cars on the street or the track. As with any street legal vehicle it takes many specific components to produce a truly legal car. This car has past the New York qualifications for a non manufactured full custom vehicle and the annual state inspection. It should qualify in most of the other states in the US also. Please call me direct with any concerns I can fax a complete list of New York's custom car qualifications. The auction is for the car as you see it with all decals which can easily be removed at buyer's discretion. Included with the car is a full race water proof cover. You are bidding on an almost new car NOT an old used race car. Since these pictures the carbon fiber wing has been removed and a 2011 Nascar cup style rear spoiler and braces added. …. We guarantee your neighbor will not have one just like it!

There is some confusion about which platform the Terrain is going to. GMI is calling it "Theta III", however it's internal program code is D2__ and some other characters... which means it's on Global Delta 2. While we in the states may thing of the Cruze as being on Delta 2... it's actually Delta 1. The Cobalt was on basically a US only Delta .... 0.5 for lack of a better term.

Coming Crossover Shakeup at GMC Acadia and Terrain both getting downsized We get a scoop on some coming product changes in GMC's lineup. The biggie being that there is no more Acadia on the next generation Lambda platform. More after the jump. Coming Crossover Shakeup at GMC

Coming Crossover Shakeup at GMC Acadia and Terrain both getting downsized Conceptualization by Andrew Currie of Sector329Graphics.com February 15th, 2011 Drew Dowdell - CheersandGears.com If you like the GMC Acadia for it's full size SUV roominess, you better grab it now while it's still full size. A few weeks ago during ourreview of the 2011 GMC Acadia Denali, we wondered aloud in the review about the relevance of that top shelf GMC Crossover when there was an equally luxurious, yet more curvy Buick Enclave sitting in the same showroom. Apparently there were heads at General Motors wondering the same thing. Our inside sources have told us that plans for a GMC Acadia on the next generation Lambda platform have been put on hold. The reasoning seems to be this: When the Lambda were first created, the Acadia shared it's body shell with the now discontinued Saturn Outlook. The Chevrolet Traverse and the Buick Enclave share the other body shell. Once the volume from the Outlook was lost, the Acadia suddenly became the most expensive of the remaining trio to produce. The Acadia name, however, is not going away. GMC is much more focused on being more premium than Chevrolet lately. Plans from the inside of GM seem to be that the Acadia is going to move down a notch in size to and extended 3 row version of Theta-Epsilon platform used by the Cadillac SRX and the Saab 9-4x. Again, this has roots in the brand disposals that GM went through over the past 18 months. GM invested a lot of money in the 9-4x only to have it's hand forced into selling the entire Saab brand. Saab currently can't move the volume needed to keep the 9-4x viable on it's own, so enter GMC to pick up some of that slack. It is our hypothesis that any GMC Acadia built on the Theta-Epsilon platform will use the 9-4x body shell. This will help GMC recover the costs of developing it AND it will help it remain viable to GM's continuing partner Saab. Saab 9-4xes have been spotted running around the Milford Proving Grounds in the past few weeks. Since the 9-4x is mere minutes away from being release, we have our doubts that what is being tested is really a new 9-4x, but instead new tuning for the coming GMC Acadia. We've already sampled the 2011 Cadillac SRX Turbo and found it to be some of the best blend of fun and comfort in the luxury CUV segment, so GM clearly already has the recipe to make this a winning vehicle. The rub here is that Theta-Epsilon also happens to be the same size as the already very successful GMC Terrain. So if the Acadia is taking over that size slot, what will happen to the massively successful Terrain? The Terrain moved 60,519 units for 2010 and is already aggressively clawing it's way up the sale chart in 2011. GM apparently feels (and probably correctly) that most of the volume at the price point the Terrain sits could be taken up by the even more successful Chevrolet Equinox. A Theta-Epsilon Acadia would likely have a base price near the very top end of where the Equinox reaches. We'd guess a base price for this new Acadia around $27,000 dollars. This would leave the value leader to Chevrolet where you get the most square feet for your dollar and allow GMC to tackle the more posh end of the spectrum, thus reducing overlap between the two brands. So what happens to the Terrain? Well it's going to move down a notch in size also. The new Terrain will check in as a smaller CUV than the Equinox, but with more premium materials and performance. There is a new CUV platform coming that is based on the Gamma platform that underpins the new Chevrolet Sonic. We already know that a baby Buick Enclave is on its way and current rumours put it on that same platform, so clearly it's being built with premium intent. Powertrains are anyone's guess at this point, but I see anything from a naturally aspirated 2.4 Direct Injected Ecotec to newly revised 2.0 Turbos and up to a possible 3.6 liter high feature V6 being offered.... with GM's new eAssist sprinkled in here and there just to spice things up a bit. The only question I've yet to be able to answer is this: What happens to the size slot that the Acadia vacates. Even in 2010, the Acadia's 5th year on the market, they sold 68,295 of them, up a healthy 27% over 2009.. not exactly a market GMC should want to simply abandon. GM could mitigate volume loses by restructuring the Traverse and Enclave lineup, but I'm sure that would wait until the next generation of Lambda arrives. We also hope that along with these changes, we'll see the hot GMC Granite concept come to fruition. Such a lineup would make a great Small-Medium-Large premium crossover lineup for GMC. These changes at GMC are a strong indicator that GM is serious about greater differentiation between its brands. With the Acadia and Terrain coming down in size but going up in luxury, GMC is morphing into something more than a "Chevy with extra chrome"

Desperate Ad Wars GM Fights back at Volkswagen and Chrysler Success February 15th, 2010 Op Ed - Drew Dowdell - Chief Editor, CheersandGears.com The Wall Street Journal yesterday noted that GM's marketing chief, Joel Ewanick, acknowledged that Chrysler and Volkswagen had won "the buzz war" during the Superbowl last week with their "Imported from Detroit" and Mini-Darth Vader ads respectively. Not one to simply acknowledge defeat, Ewanick sent an email back to the crew manning the GM Marketing Mothership to start buying up keywords on Google's marketing system. The idea being if someone searched for "Imported from Detroit" on Google, instead of getting the Eminem ad they were looking for, one of GM's own advertisements would appear at the top of the list before the results the user was looking for. Is there anything wrong with this? Not in the slightest. In fact, such moves are quite typical and expected in the Google advertising game. To Mr. Ewanick's credit, the move worked. The Chevrolet "Miss Evelyn" commercial popularity soared online. However, the Darth Vader and "Imported from Detroit" spots remained the most talked about. Apparently, the strategy at GM was to keep the ads low-key in order to focus on the product. This strategy reeks of "Old GM". Instead of coming up with something creative, playful, and memorable, GM ran a few "Ok" ads and then bought up keywords so that people searching for the "OMG AWESOME!" ads would see the GM ads again. Super Bowl advertising requires a different type of commercial than one being run between segments of CSI: Miami reruns on a Wednesday afternoon. They need to be memorable. They don't need to be high budget (a Pug knocking down a glass door to get to a bag of Doritos anyone?), and they need to be "On Brand". Ask a typical Super Bowl watcher (who isn't also a car fanatic) what the Darth Vader spot was advertising and they'll likely tell you a Volkswagen. They won't mention a Passat or even get the model wrong and call it a Jetta. It is just a Volkswagen ad. The same goes for Chrysler's "Imported from Detroit" ad. Chrysler's commercial was supposed to highlight the new 200 Sedan, but the message taken away by most viewers what "Chrysler is back" or even more generally "Detroit is back". Contrast that with the "Miss Evelyn" spot: Random images of a babe driving a Chevy that's flying through the air....like that's never been done before..... while two guys narrate a typically bad action movie plot. It tells you nothing... leaves you with no feeling.. and doesn't even get you to laugh. What bothers me most about this whole thing is that GM really does have some great product now. They can afford to be more creative and witty in their advertising instead of seeing what the cool kids are doing and saying "Oh yeah!!! ME TOO!!". What makes that extra bad is that 3 out of the 4 Chevrolet spots featured during the Superbowl appeared to be fairly high budget. "Miss Evelyn" and "Lassie" both appeared to use a lot of digital special effects. The Glee-Chevrolet tie in was great to connect with the younger crowd, but I'm sure the Glee cast doesn't come cheap these days. The one spot that didn't seem high budget, didn't make up for it by being memorable.... a bunch of hard of hearing elderly people sitting around talking about the new Cruze isn't exactly something that will light up the Twitterverse. To make the creativity deficit worse, Cadillac announced a new Black Diamond edition Cadillac CTS-V just a few days before the Superbowl. Joel clearly would have known about this well in advance, so how is it that his first instinct is not to go for a Darth Vader tie in for that vehicle? After all, GM already has used that in the past. Volkswagen's Darth Vader spot was CHEAP to produce compared to the Chevrolet ads. Chrysler, other than paying for Eminem to appear, just followed a Chrysler 200 sedan around Detroit with a camera for the better half of an afternoon. No leaping Challengers, no helicopter chases, no high end computer generated imagery. I have to credit Joel Ewanick for his fast reaction to getting his butt kicked. However, I hope that his long term reaction is not just to buy up more Google keywords for better placement in front of his competitors, but instead to actually produce some memorable advertising. GM's advertising has been scattershot for years with many more bombs than wins. Instead of linking to the latest Super Bowl ads (which you can search for your self... just scroll down below whatever keywords Joel bought), I'm going to list some of the advertisements that GM got right over the years... hopefully they can look to their own past for some inspiration. "Bump" "Fanfair" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuqEyGHiq6g "Then and Now" "Roll"

The 3.0 isn't bad. It's just not class leading. It has more than enough scoot to get people around town.

both of you stop.

Does Saab have a new diesel in the works?

Hmm, we should have a naming contest for a raised 9-5x Wagon. Audi has All-Road, Volvo has XC, Subaru has Outback,

I like this better than the CTS Wagon... by a lot. and I like the CTS Wagon.

Agreed. People are already buying it in droves with the 3.0. No reason for them not to with the 3.6. While there will be the new higher output 3.6 to replace the Turbo, a "base" 3.6 will be available in a tune similar to what the Enclave gets of around 275 hp.To me that makes a lot more sense in the lineup.... simpiler with two 3.6es in two performance options.

Saab 9-5 Sport Combi to Debut in Geneva Next step in Saab’s biggest-ever new product offensive Distinctive alternative choice in premium wagon segment Styling carries forward 9-5 sedan’s bold design language Order book opens in March, first customer deliveries from September Trollhättan, Sweden: Saab Automobile takes the next step in the biggest new product offensive in its history when the much-awaited 9-5 SportCombi is unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. Sleek and fun-to-drive, the SportCombi adds versatility to the widely acclaimed attributes of the 9-5 sedan and will bring a distinctive, alternative choice to the premium, large wagon segment. It shares the sedan’s bold, Aero X-inspired looks and features an extended, falling roof-line which culminates in a steeply raked rear screen flanked by signature Saab ‘wraparound’ window glazing. The result is an imposing and sporty wagon with a low stance and a dynamic, visual appeal that concedes nothing to the requirements of load-carrying. Smart cargo handling features include an adaptable multi-fold floor, flexible U-rail load space configuration and under-floor stowage with a sealed wet storage compartment. A programmable, powered tailgate is also available. Backed by the same all-turbo gasoline, bioethanol and diesel powertrain line-up as the 9-5 sedan, the SportCombi includes Saab’s industry-leading XWD all-wheel-drive system and advanced features such as: Saab DriveSense adaptive chassis control, adaptive cruise control, Bi-Xenon Smart Beam adaptive lighting, keyless entry and starting, tri-zone air conditioning and a Pilot Head-up Display which projects information, aircraft-style in the windshield. The order book for the SportCombi opens in March, with first customer deliveries to follow from September. It will significantly broaden the appeal of the new 9-5 range in a segment where Saab, with its tradition for designing versatile vehicles, has enjoyed wagon sales volumes on a par with sedan levels. “The launch of the 9-5 SportCombi is a much-awaited next step in the roll-out of our new product offensive,” says Saab Automobile CEO Jan Åke Jonsson. “It will take Saab back into the large wagon segment where we have established a strong presence in many key markets with our previous offering.” Sporty character Designed in parallel with its sedan twin, the 9-5 SportCombi shares the same bold frontal styling and adds a swept, ‘wraparound’ rear window graphic. This echoes the 9-5’s brand signature frontal theme and gives the SportCombi its own distinctive identity. The dramatic, sweeping roof-line is extended by a deep rear spoiler integrated into the top of the tailgate. Ultra-slim roof rails are fitted as standard without detracting from the car’s svelte silhouette. Signature Saab themes, such as the strong C-pillar with its hockey stick extension of the belt-line, are combined with a prominent rear shoulder contour to give the SportCombi a muscular and dynamic stance. The tailgate is raked forward to underline the car’s sporty character. It features a full-width ‘ice-block’ rear light bar which wraps into light units at either side, continuing a new signature Saab styling theme first seen on the 9-5 sedan and 9-4X crossover. Dynamic and functional The deep cargo deck is fully carpeted and optimized for space and ease-of-use. The 60/40 split rear seatbacks fold down almost completely flat without having to reposition the seat squab or remove the head restraints. Careful attention to soundproofing in the rear bodywork attenuates noise, vibration and resonance so that occupants enjoy a level of interior refinement similar to that of the sedan. With the seatbacks lowered, the cargo deck is almost two meters long (1962 mm) and offers an adaptable load capacity of up to 1,600 liters (527 liters, rear seats up). The side walls are completely flat and upright, creating a clean, open space without any hard-to-use corners or rear wheel-arch intrusions. Compartments in the side walls offer convenient stowage for small items. Four tie-down loops and a 12-volt power outlet also come as standard. An optional, U-shaped track around the outside of the floor provides flexible space configuration. As in the 9-5 sedan, it carries an adaptable, telescopic dividing rail which allows the cargo deck to be split as required so that different sized items can be separated and kept in place. The floor, with a signature Saab aircraft-shaped handle, folds back in steps to access under-floor storage. When folded twice, an additional storage compartment is revealed for cars fitted with tire repair kits instead of a mini spare wheel. A pull-out support arm can be slotted in place to keep the folded floor in a fixed position. This provides further support for items stored in the under-floor recess, as a flexible alternative to using the entire cargo deck. The underside of the floor has two fittings for flat stowage of the U-rail divider. They also carry hooks that can be used to organize bags, for example. A waterproof plastic liner, available as option, can be dropped into the recess to provide a separate wet storage area for sports equipment, outdoor clothing or muddy boots. When a mini spare wheel is specified, it is covered by a flat panel which provides a sub-floor 65 mm below the main floor height - ideal for the separate stowage of flat or small items. Smart tailgate For additional convenience, the tailgate is available with a remotely-controlled, electric power operation. It can be fully opened and closed via a rotary knob in the driver’s door or a button on the car’s key fob. A touch pad on the outside of the tailgate, above the number plate, and a button in the interior trim also trigger powered opening and closing. A programmable mode can be used to raise the tailgate to a lower position if there is restricted clearance overhead, such as inside a garage. The opening height is pre-set via the rotary knob, which can also disable the powered function. For ease of loading, the tailgate opens down to bumper level with a lift-over height of only 648 mm. The cargo deck floor is also flush with the tailgate opening to facilitate sliding heavy loads inside. A down-lighter in the tailgate and small sidewall lights provide excellent illumination of the load space at night. A retracting cargo cover can also be slotted into lugs in the sidewalls immediately behind the rear seats. It keeps items out of sight and includes a convenient one-touch action which allows the ends of the locating bar to slide up channels on the inside of the D-pillars for convenient access to the cargo deck.

1941 chevrolet master deluxe - $10000 (russellton pa) Link 1941 chev. runs and drives well, 4 new wide whites, many options, all orig. except paint, must see 724 882 2400

Looks like you're going to get your wish NG Colorado and Canyon coming to US

can't hotlink NetCarShow

Reviewed: 2011 Cadillac SRX 3.0 and 2.8 Turbo Read our Full review of the 2011 Cadillac SRX 3.0 and 2.8 Turbo

<h3 style="text-align: center;"><big><big>Premium Blend</big></big></h3> <h3 style="text-align: center;">2011 Cadillac SRX 3.0 and SRX 2.8 Turbo Premium Edition</h3> <div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 490px; height: 367px;" alt="2011 Cadillac SRX Turbo Grill" src="http://www.cheersandgears.com/uploads/1293978560/gallery_62_338026.png"><br> </div> <br> February 14th, 2011 - Drew Dowdell - CheersandGears.com<br> <br> Gallery: 2011 Cadillac SRX 2.8 Turbo Premium Edition <br><br> The original Cadillac SRX was released for the 2004 model year based on the rear wheel drive Sigma platform that underpinned the CTS and STS. It was generally well accepted by the enthusiast community for being one of the best handling mid-size luxury crossover vehicles available at the time. However, some of the interior and exterior design left people cold, and if you were like 90% of buyers out there, looks are more important than handling. It was available in a wide variaty of configurations with AWD or RWD, V6 or V8, and 2-row or 3-row seating available. Despite a very worthy interior update in 2007 and continued dominance in performance and handling reviews, SRX sales never really took off.<br> <br> For 2010, Cadillac re-evaluated the SRX's mission. Instead of aiming for a true performance machine, Cadillac aimed square for the heart of the market: the Lexus RX350. Lexus has dominated the entry luxury crossover market since it's introduction of the RX300 in 1999. With the 2010 SRX, Cadillac hopes to change that. <br> <br> <h4><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Two Sides</span></h4> The Lexus RX provides a very comfortable, soft cabin and a compliant ride, that while competent, doesn't inspire anything along the lines of sporty driving. <br> <br> The current performance crossover king is generally considered to be the rear wheel drive based BMW X3. This would be the crossover you would take on a trip carving through the mountains. However, the ride of the X3 (note, I've only driven the first generation, the new model is hitting dealerships now) is terrible. It is NOT a vehicle you would want to spend any length of time in over rough roads or a highway with expansion joints.<br> <br> Aiming for the Lexus RX350 required an architecture change on Cadillac's part. Instead of the RWD Sigma platform used in the first SRX, Cadillac opted for a FWD based platform that is a melding of the Theta chassis used for the Chevrolet Equinox and the Epsilon chassis used in the Buick Lacrosse. This change caused much gnashing of teeth amongst the enthusiast community who complained that Cadillac was giving up on it's performance advantage by switching to a front wheel drive platform. As we'll discuss later, much of this complaining was for naught. <br> <br> The target buyer for this class of vehicle however, doesn't care which wheels move the car, and since most of them are sold in all wheel drive format, <img style="width: 341px; height: 256px;" alt="2011 Cadillac SRX Turbo rear" src="http://www.cheersandgears.com/uploads/1293978560/gallery_62_96215.png" align="right">having the assurance that all wheels are driving the car is enough for them. Clearly the change in primary drive wheels hasn't dissuaded customers. The 2010 SRX sold 51,094 units for the year and sales continue to grow at 25% - 30% month over month. A substantial increase over the rather meager 20,237 and 16,156 units Cadillac moved in 2009 and 2008 respectively. My contact at Cadillac Communications informs me that about 50% of 2011 SRX buyers come from another brand. This kind of sales performance has allowed the SRX to leapfrog from around 7th in the segment to take the number 2 sales slot in entry level luxury crossovers.<br> <br> <br> <h4><span style="font-weight: bold;">Premium Blend</span></h4> The 2011 SRX, mostly unchanged from 2010, manages to be both a great handling vehicle and one that is plenty comfortable for long distance use. This is the sweet spot of the luxury crossover segment. Having performance abilities that most of the buying public doesn't even have the ability to use, yet not punishing the driver and passengers with a harsh ride over less than optimal road conditions. It aims for the best of both worlds and hits the mark squarely. <br> <br> The base SRX is powered by GM's 3.0 litre direct injected V6 making 265 horsepower and 223 lb-ft of torque and power is sent to the wheels through a GM Hydromatic 6-speed automatic. The good folks at Baierl Cadillac in Wexford, PA allowed me a short evaluation drive in a 3.0 powered SRX. Transmission shifts are smooth, if a bit frequent. However, in 3 litre guise, the SRX is outclassed in horsepower and torque by the likes of the Lexus RX350, Acura MDX, and Lincoln MKX which all offer substantially more torque at lower RPM. Fuel economy is a class competitive 17 mpg city and 23mpg highway for the AWD model. Having more torque at lower RPM allows the transmission to shift less frequently. Still, unless you're planning on racing your SRX for pink slips, the 3 litre will be sufficient for 90% of buyers. A fact which is born out by the sales numbers. Nearly 90% of SRX customer opt for the 3.0 SRX.<br> <br> For the full evaluation, Cadillac sent me a 2011 SRX Turbo AWD Premium edition. This loaded up model crested $56,000 with things like trailering provisions, rear seat entertainment system, premium paint, cross rails for the roof rack and other such baubles. <br> <br> The Turbo model is a 300 horsepower 2.8 litre turbocharged V6 fed through an Aisin 6-speed automatic transmission and providing a healthy 295 lb-ft of torque at 2000 rpm. The engine drinks premium gas at a V8 like 15 city and 22 highway. If this powertrain sounds interesting to you, call your local Cadillac dealer right now. Over the weekend during my evaluation of the SRX Turbo, citing the 90% take rate on the 3.0 V6, Cadillac confirmed that the 2.8 Turbo is no longer going to be offered in the SRX. <br> <br> <img style="width: 459px; height: 342px;" alt="2011 Cadillac SRX 2.8 Turbo engine" src="http://www.cheersandgears.com/uploads/1293978560/gallery_62_606712.png" align="left">In my view, the 2.8T is really not suited for this application. It has better power than the 3.0 liter, but the fuel economy suffers too much. Even in around town driving, your foot is into the turbo too often to reap the fuel economy rewards of the relatively small displacement. We feel that GM's own 3.6 liter direct injected V6, which has the same external dimensions as the 3.0 liter would be a better alternative. <br> <br> What I did like was the Aisin 6-speed auto that comes with the 2.8T. This transmission technically has 4 modes of operation; Normal, Sport, Manu-Matic, and Eco. "Normal" is where most people will keep things and the transmission is quite happy to give a spirited around town experience. Sport mode allows the SRX to hold a gear longer and gives much crisper shift points. In our acceleration runs, sport mode felt faster using our patented kiester meter. Eco mode is just a green way of saying "lug the engine". It makes the transmission quick to upshift and reluctant to downshift. While it does seem to have some positive effect on the city fuel economy, it has a negative effect on drivability and harshness of the engine. Pulling up hill at lower city speeds causes the engine to vibrate in a very un-Cadillac like manner and in this car was enough to jingle some change in the cup holder. Unless you're trying to hyper-mile your 300 horsepower crossover, just leave this off. <br> <br> The engine speeds at vehicle speeds are as follows:<br> RPM @ 45mph - Eco Mode - 1,250; Normal Mode - 1,250; Sport Mode - 1,600<br> RPM @ 70mph - All modes - 2,000 rpm<br> <br> <h4><span style="font-weight: bold;">Exterior</span></h4> <img style="width: 339px; height: 255px;" alt="2011 Cadillac SRX Turbo front" src="http://www.cheersandgears.com/uploads/1292458660/gallery_51_62_348658.png" align="right"><br> Our Black Ice Metalic SRX came with 20" painted alloy wheels looking sharp and handsome. The tall upright grill evokes the the prow of an ocean liner and is finished on either side with detailed headlamp clusters containing adaptive headlights that turn as you turn the wheel. This feature is being made on more and more GM vehicles and I feel is an important safety upgrade.<br> <br> In the rear, Cadillac has brought back a hint of the fin to top off their characteristic tall and narrow tail lights. Viewed from any angle, and there is no mistaking this crossover for anything but a Cadillac.<br> <br> <h4><span style="font-weight: bold;">Interior</span></h4> The driver of the SRX is clearly the priority here. The driver seat is perfectly contoured for long distance driving and offers a wide range of adjustments for any body type. The real treat is the extended thigh support that you can pull out for even more leg support. The front passenger seat is almost as good, lacking only the extended thigh support. Rear seats are usable for average sized adults, but taller folks will probably wish for some more legroom.<br> <br> Unlike the previous SRX, the current model doesn't offer a 3rd row seat, quite frankly because there is no way it would fit back there. Cargo volume is good but not huge. Liftover seems on the high side. Cadillac offers an innovative rails and brace system that allows you to secure your cargo to prevent it from flopping around in the back. <br> <br> <img style="width: 294px; height: 220px;" alt="2011 Cadillac SRX Interior" src="http://www.cheersandgears.com/uploads/1293978560/gallery_62_726448.png" align="left">A cursory scan across the controls may look a bit overwhelming with all of the buttons, but things are laid out in a logical fashion. One thing I particularly like are the separated HVAC controls for driver and passenger. <br> <br> The NAV system has a pop up screen that raises out of the center of the dash. It's easy to navigate menus, but the reach to press buttons on the screen is a bit far. You can save your reach by using OnStar's voice response system to download your destination into the NAV. <br> <br> Fit and finish is excellent with one questionable gap between each outboard HVAC vent and the corresponding door. However, the Cadillac CTS shares this gap despite being on a different platform, which leads me to believe it is intentional. <br> <br> <h4><br> <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></h4> <h4><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Drive</span></h4> The SRX fits the definition of the word "Crossover" better than most vehicles brandishing the title. You sit higher than a typical sedan, but lower then all trucks and most other crossovers. The 2004 Honda CR-V that normally shares my driveway feels much higher and upright than the Cadillac in spite of their similar dimensions. <br> <br> Having this lower-than-a-Kennworth feel really aids in handling. Cornering is sharp on the 20" rims and body roll is minimal even by sedan standards. In fact, once you are inside and underway, all notions that this is a sport utility vehicle evaporate and you feel as if you are behind the wheel of a performance sedan.<br> <br> Despite it's athleticism, the SRX doesn't beat you up on long drives. Assisted by the extremely comfortable driver seat mentioned earlier, the suspension tuning is such that road imperfections are distant sounds... perhaps tire slap from some other unfortunate soul driving a lesser vehicle near you. <br> <br> <h4><span style="font-weight: bold;">Overall</span></h4> The 2011 Cadillac SRX should be on anyone's test drive list who is in the market for a premium crossover as long as 3rd row seating isn't a priority. The SRX manages to be many vehicles in one by combining great handling, excellent comfort, and useful utility all in one vehicle. <br> <br> What happens next with the engines is anyone's guess. There are rumors of both the 3.6 Direct Injected V6 and some version of GM's eAssist making an appearance in the future, but with 90% of buyers already opting for the 3.0 liter and sales increasing at a rapid pace, I'm not sure either will do anything to boost sales that weren't going to happen anyway. Not a bad position for Cadillac to be in.<br> <br> <br> 2011 Cadillac SRX Turbo video walk around:<br>