Drew Dowdell

... said John McCain.

Sorry to be a downer, but there is no such beast such as the one you described. I had a 1994 Cutlass Supreme convertible and know them well. The 3800 was NEVER offered in the W-body Cutlass Supreme. In the convertible, you had your choice of the dog ass slow 3.1 V6 or the fast for the time 3.4 DOHC V6 with 215hp and 215 ft/lbs of torque. This engine would run with the V8 Mustangs of the day. The 3.4 is a good engine if you're handy, but it can be a bitch to work on because it is positively STUFFED into the engine bay. It will eat alternators and the timing belt is only good for about 60,000 miles. I highly recommend professional (an actual GM dealer, preferably Chevy or former Oldsmobile) replacement for the timing belt. After that, the only trouble spot on the convertibles is the brakes. They stop the car just fine, but they were designed for the original W-body coupe which was about 1,000 lbs lighter, so they wear out very fast. Ceramic pads are highly recommended.

Yes more interesting, but don't get your hopes up on the performance

Slower than an Accord V6 of the same year.

I haven't driven a 3.5 lately, but the 3.9 is super smooth and quiet. I felt it was very similar to the 3.6 in the Acadia.

What about something like that manual shift F-150 I6 4x4 I found a few months ago? Standard cab, standard bed.

must be showing up different for you than for me.... oh well... was a monte carlo ss in 'Vette yellow

lol what?

I'd give it a few weeks into the new situation before I even thought about changing things up. Make sure it's a more permanent fit first.

I don't want anything tangible... except one of those back massage pads, but Albert is getting that for me. All I want is for my current course and trajectory to continue in it's current arc.

Yet another E-body.... any year will do

Are we done? I'd prefer to lock the thread if you feel voting is done.

Dwight, the HF's smoothness really seems to depend on the application. The Acadia I just had was super smooth and quiet.

The Cobalt SS was 3 seconds faster around the Nurburgring than the 335i. The Cruze doesn't even have an SS suspension yet.

Dwight, is "Cam in Cam" something GM has on the shelf now?

Here are four acceleration runs in the F-350. Two are in 4x2 mode, two are in 4x4 mode. Watch the traction control light (in the tach) start flashing when I'm in 4x2.

The nominations are in: Here are the nominees for top 10 canceled vehicles that should make a comeback. Here are the rules to be nominated: Submit a vehicle or vehicle model line if there are multiple body styles that was canceled within the last 10 years. It has to be from a brand that is still in business today (it can't be brought back if there aren't dealers to sell it at) It must be from within the past 10 model years. Include your submission and an explanation of why you think it should be brought back and why it should not have been canceled in the first place. Nomination thread 1. Ford Panther platform - Lincoln Towncar/Ford Crown Victoria/Mercury Marauder 2. Lincoln Continental 3. Lincoln Mark series 4. Lincoln LS 5. Ford Thunderbird 6. Cadillac XLR 7. Honda S2000 8. Chevrolet Uplander/Venture (a Chevy Mini-van regardless of name) 9. Dodge Magnum 10. Chevrolet S-10 11. Chrysler Pacifica 12. Chevrolet Astro 13. Mazda RX-8 14. Ford Focus SVT 15. Toyota MR-2 16. Toyota Celica 17. Chevrolet HHR 18. Buick Riviera 19. Chrysler Aspen 20. Chrysler PT Cruiser

Thanks for the entries guys. The poll is going up in a moment.

My use of the Mazda 6 is only from an actual handling perspective... not "perceived" handing like "it feels large" just actual ability.

Thank you Dwight. That really backs up my statement that the equivilantly powered Camaro matches the 535i in fuel economy, yet has two fewer gears.

More than likely, putting the transmission into sport mode will override the engine shut off.

Having the F-350 may really help out tomorrow. I'm supposed to fly to NYC and back, but they are calling for 6" - 8" of snow.... If US Airways starts canceling flights, I'll just drive up in the truck.

Full Review: 2011 Buick Regal CXL From the Interactive Review of the 2011 Buick Regal CXL here's the full writeup of our opinions on this newest of Buicks. Follow the jump for the whole review. Full Review: 2011 Buick Regal CXL

<div style="text-align: center;"> Reviewed: 2011 Buick Regal CXL <br> <img style="width: 518px; height: 388px;" alt="2011 Buick Regal Front" src="http://www.cheersandgears.com/uploads/1289944373/gallery_54_184005.png"></div> <br> <h4>December 13th, 2010 - Drew Dowdell - Editor in Chief - CheersandGears.com</h4> Media Gallery: 2011 Buick Regal CXL <br><br> For 2011, Buick brings back a name that has been absent from the lineup since 2005. The Regal was originally introduced as a top trim model of Buick's venerable Century line in 1973. Since that time the Regal name has wandered all over the map from cushy 70's barge to the all out performance machine of the 1987 Buick GNX into a front drive coupe with one of the best aerodynamic drag co-efficients at the time, and then into mid-size front drive sedan ubiquity.<br> <br> After its 5 year hiatus, Buick is returning the Regal to us from..... Germany? This Regal is actually a rebadged version of the Opel Insignia sold in Europe. Since its introduction, the Insignia has been one of the best selling vehicles in its segment in the various markets it is sold in. It was originally intended to be sold in the U.S. as the new Saturn Aura, but when Saturn was knocked out of GM's orbit in 2009, product planners had to find a home for the car. If you're curious as to what the car would have looked like, find a picture of the Insignia and imagine Saturn badges on it. In China, where Buick is one of the best selling brands, the Insignia was already rebadged and sold as the Regal. So the Insignia's fate in the US was sealed. In order to get the Regal on the market sooner, GM opted to import the Regal from its Opel production line in Russelsheim Germany. However, production will eventually be moved to the Oshawa Ontario facility sometime early in 2011.<br> <br> <img style="float: left; width: 373px; height: 279px;" alt="2011 Buick Regal Front" src="http://www.cheersandgears.com/uploads/1289944373/gallery_54_780377.png">One of the first things that strikes you about the Regal is how un-Buick it looks, but is at the same time easily recognised as one. The face sports Buick's signature waterfall grill. Wrapping down the side is a hockey stick character line that is left over from the car's Opel origins (the new Opel Astra and Opel Meriva wear variations of this same character line) instead of the more Buick traditional sweep spear that the new Lacrosse sports. Coming around back, the trunk's shape looks trim and classy, eschewing the big butt styling trend plaguing many vehicles today like the 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe we'll be reviewing next week.<br> <br> The trunk's opening is wide with a low lift over (it actually feels like a larger opening than the larger Lacrosse has) to reveal 14.2 cubic feet of trunk space.... not huge, right in the middle of the pack. The trunk supports are goose necks, but they are enclosed in the trunk wall so you don't have to worry about crushing packages. The rear seats fold down 60/40 and offer an armrest pass through as well. There is a 110v power outlet at the rear of the front seat arm rest.... a life saver for those who travel with laptops.Rear seat room leg room is adequate. Head room is a little tight, but manageable and not uncomfortable. Once you're in there, the rear seat would be a comfortable place for a long trip with good leg support.<br> <br><br> The front seat is where the Regal really shows its stuff. The dash has an attractive design with mostly soft touch materials. All of the switch gear is really top notch. The shifter looks on the small side, but falls into your hand perfectly. The Regal forgoes a pedal or hand activated parking brake, instead using a push-button in the center console. Speaking of the center console, storage here is light. The armrest makes an unusual L shape and the compartment underneath is on the small side. The USB port for iPod interface or phone charging is in here. The glove box and center console are both lined with a nice fabric.<br> <br> <img style="float: right; width: 360px; height: 270px;" alt="2011 Buick Regal Dashboard" src="http://www.cheersandgears.com/uploads/1289944373/gallery_54_278882.png">The controls are numerous but laid out in a logical fashion.... with one exception. In my personal opinion, the volume knob should be the larger, lower dial and the tuning knob should be the smaller upper dial. Volume is the control most often used, so as such it should be the most natural to grab for. However, that point is rendered entirely moot by the excellent steering wheel controls. The controls for the audio system are functional of course, but I have really fallen in love with GM's new cruise controls on the steering wheel. Just a flick of the thumb to toggle your speed up or down by 1 mph. The dash will even give you an update as to what you just set your speed to.<br> <br> Perhaps one of the reasons I've liked so many GM's in the past is the seats. The General apparently has my body measurements on file somewhere deep in its files. From the Camaro, to the CTS, to the old W-bodies with buckets, to the Lacrosse, and the Avalanche, nearly every car of theirs that I've driven appears to have the seats tailor made to fit me and they slide on like a fine glove. So why is it that in the Regal I found myself constantly fussing with the front seat? The driving position was good, but lateral leg support was marginal. Of course, your mileage may vary.<br> <br> This Regal came with a Harmon Kardon sound system which I found to be a bit on the weak side. The mids and highs were nice and crisp, but there was no power behind the lows.<br> <br> It's very well put together. There are a couple of European things that stand out (like the coin slots in the glovebox that fit 1 Euro coins) We did notice one bit of scratch-your-head interior cheapening, the rear door pulls aren't the faux metallic color of the front door pulls. I can't imagine it would be that much more expensive to make both sets of door pulls match. The noise from the sunroof seems oddly loud when it is open.<br> <br> <h3>On the road</h3> <br> <div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 431px; height: 323px;" alt="2011 Buick Regal 2.4 liter engine" src="http://www.cheersandgears.com/uploads/1289944373/gallery_54_439068.png"><br> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"><br> Many questions were asked of me during the Interactive Review (and privately over instant message) about how loud or quiet the Regal was. Well, when you get in the car and twist the key, you get the sound of ….. a very quiet 4-cylinder. The sound from the engine is well muted and never obtrusive. I think the disconnect for people here is not the volume of the sound, but what the car sounds like. In this case, people are expecting the Regal to sound like a V6 simply because the car looks like it should have one. In my view, the people who comment that the Regal is loud are mistaking volume for tone. The only way I see for GM to combat this perception is to install the Active Noise Canceling system the 4-cylinder GMC Terrain uses to mitigate engine noise. It won't sound like a V6, but it will be so quiet that no one will notice. None of this should be taken to imply that the 2.4 liter mill is coarse.<br> </div> <br> With that out of the way, slipping the 6-speed into drive brings out a peppy and fun mid-size car. The superb balance of this short wheel base Epsilon II chassis is apparent the moment you take your first turn at speed. Throttle tip in is aggressive. Even though this is the lowest power Regal to be offered, normal people (read: not car nuts) will be quite happy with the around town power. I wouldn't call the 2.4 underpowered at all, it's simply sufficient. When you're just bopping around town, it feels like there is more engine under the hood than there really is. It's only under full throttle do you realize "Hey! this isn't a 6!" At a drag race, yes a Toyota Camry V6 will win, but in every day driving this 4 cylinder is rather nice. If drag racing is what you're after, Buick has two other Regals with various levels of turbo charging to offer you.<br> <br> Handling is what this Buick does best. Wait... what? Handling is what this Buick does best.... there I said it. It's a much more willing dance partner than almost any mid-size family sedan out there right now. My bet is that only the Mazda6 and Passat CC would be able to hang with the Regal in handling. Yet you don't sacrifice the ride; the Regal is Buick smooth on the highway. Accord, Fusion, Camry, Altima, Sonata, Malibu,and G6, would all be in the weeds after some of the turns we took the Regal through.<br> <br> Throughout our handling test, the Regal was fun. The chassis' balance and eye raising lateral grip (for a family sedan) left us wondering why all family cars aren't built this way. Even if you were never to take your Regal mountain stomping, the simple fact that you can perform these moves in this car could quite literally be a life saver in an emergency situation.<br> <br> Fuel economy while we were pushing it hard about was 21mpg. The highway trips were 25mpg with the AC on through the mountains.<br> <br> As a true sports sedan, this Regal lacks enough engine punch to earn that title. But if you're looking for a great handling sedan and aren't concerned with raw 0-60 speed, the Regal should be in the top of your shopping list. If you need both the ability to dance and the ability to run.... well you'll just have to wait for our review of the Turbo Regal.<br> <br> <div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" alt="2011 Buick Regal side" src="http://www.cheersandgears.com/uploads/1289944373/gallery_54_82092.png"></div> <br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Make:</span> Buick<br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Model:</span> Regal<br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Model Year:</span> 2011<br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trim:</span> CXL<br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Engine Configuration:</span> 2.4 liter DOHC 4-cylinder with Direct Injection<br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Driveline Configuration:</span> 6-Speed automatic - Front Wheel Drive<br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Max horsepower @ RPM:</span> 182hp @ 6700<br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Max torque @RPM:</span> 172 @ 4900<br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gross Vehicle Weight:</span> 3600 lbs<br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">EPA Fuel Economy:</span> 19 city, 30 highway<br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Exterior color as tested:</span> Quicksilver Metalic<br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Interior color as tested:</span> Ebony and Cashmere two tone<br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Location of Manufacture:</span> Russelsheim, Germany<br> <br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Observed average fuel economy:</span> 25mpg mixed driving.<br> <br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Things we're the biggest Fan of:</span><br> Great chassis balance<br> Above par for the class interior<br> Having to explain to passers by that yes it's really a Buick<br> <br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Things we're the harshest critic of:</span><br> Sound system crisp but lacks power<br> Could use more power, but that's what the turbo is for.<br> Underwhelming fuel economy for the engine.<br> No remote start available. <br><br><br> Media Gallery: 2011 Buick Regal CXL <br> <br> <h2>Counter Point with Cory Wolfe</h2> <h4>December 12, 2010 - Cory Wolfe</h4> The other week I had the opportunity to sample the new 2011 Buick Regal with the naturally aspirated and direct injected four. My time behind the wheel was fairly brief, and to my misfortune, plagued by rain this particular day. First impressions left me pleasantly surprised by most aspects of this vehicle. In a lot of ways, it reminded me of the time I've spent driving various VW's and Audi's over the past few years. German engineering brings forth some qualities that have been absent from Buick as of late.<br> <br> We brought this new Regal up to my homeland; around Brookville, Summerville, Punxsutawney, and Reynoldsville Pennsylvania. The intent was to throw it into the gauntlet... Or what I considered such to be. These are the roads I've driven on a daily basis since I earned my driver's license and as such, the best basis to judge upon. However, due to the aforementioned weather issues, I never built up the confidence to push it too far beyond slightly spirited driving. Even so, I came away impressed with the Regal's ride and handling. The ride is much more taut than you'd expect for a Buick, yet far from being jarring. It's comfortable, compliant and rotates well through twisties. In some of the more rural areas around my home, the roads can sometimes be just a small step above dirt. On one section of the colloquially named 'Rollercoaster Road', the pavement is ridden with patchwork done on the fly; it fits every definition of rough. The Regal took every imperfection and tamed it to a dull blow. I found myself bracing for impact, only to be surprised by a slight 'thud'. "That's it?" I think to myself. The last Buick I drove, not only met similar situations with a blunt force, also dived back and forth as if the Prom King had made the backseat his own motel bed. This Regal, however, makes due with a composed chassis and splendid suspension tuning. No floating necessary.<br> <br> Paired with this well-tuned chassis is GM's 2.4 liter D.I. Ecotec engine and a 6 speed automatic transmission. All in all the Regal never felt underpowered, though it seemed a little weak on the lower end of the tachometer. It's certainly not fast; merely competent enough for the majority of your daily drive as intended. After all, it's the base engine, it's not meant to be an autobahn burner. Power delivery comes fairly smoothly and does so unnoticeably until you start winding it out. In typical 4 cylinder fashion, it's somewhat thrashy and not exactly music to the ears. It's not loud or obscene by any means, but you won't mistake it for anything other than what it is. One detriment to the driving experience was the transmission. Make no mistake, it's smooth as butter and does it job well. However, shifts seem to occur slowly and and the manual mode didn't manage to offer any improvement. Downshifts weren't as instantaneous as they needed to be in some cases, not that most buyers will drive it in such a manner to even notice. As dully noted, this is the base offering meant solely for suburbia.<br> <br> Inside, your subsequent dwellings will be cut off from your rolling reality, as you sit back and bask in the leather swathed interior. Craftsmanship is a step above your average mid-sizer. Everything inside emits a familiar aura. It is well designed; classy and straightforward without gimmicks. You will be hard pressed to find too many surprises. I was most reminded of the Volkswagen CC in terms of overall material quality. The tactical feel of certain controls wasn't quite up to par, in comparison, while some trim bits were also a bit chintzy. Even so, you'll only notice if you compare the Regal with the most upscale of competitors. The mainstream competition is simply lacking, to no surprise. A few minor quibbles I had seemingly involve the simplest features to perfect. Most notably, the cup holders were designed in a matter that made it difficult for certain sized beverages to be removed due to the arm rest keeping you from grasping your drink. They're deep enough to swallow the tallest of drinks, but anything smaller will be a slight struggle for you. Then there's the surprisingly loud sunroof. Once open, the mesh wind-blocker is more of a nuisance than anything, creating an amplified air-stream over your head. It is sort of mind-boggling this got past engineers.<br> <br> At the end of the day, the Regal is a competent sedan. Add in the turbo four, as well as the upcoming GS model, and Buick will certainly have a relevant contender in the premium mid-size segment. Coming from Buick, I find this to be biggest surprise in the simplest form. It is, perhaps, the best re-badge GM could ever offer with a real chance of pure, unadulterated success. Let's hope the old GM is gone for good and the Regal is here to stay.

Again, it's the final gear ratio that matters for highway cruising, not the number of gears. BMW could have left it as a 6-speed but changed the final two gears to be taller and the result would have been the same. Oldsmobile at it's death was nearly all DOHC, and look how that turned out. The consumer doesn't know what DOHC means. They only know that Car and Driver says it's betterer.