Drew Dowdell

I think I've managed to cure the Toronado of all fluid leaks now. The replacement radiator earned me a transmission fluid leak at the A/T fluid cooler fittings. Now on to the gaseous leaks..... I have an exhaust leak, a leak in the air suspension, an emissions system leak and a vacuum leak to tackle next.

The Sonata is ghastly ugly. I've made the point, repeatedly, that for as ugly as the Sonata is, the Optima is good looking.... easily the best looking of all the Asian.... yes, more so than the Mazda 6. My point behind all of this is that as much as Hyundai wants it, it still doesn't have the cache of VW, Acura, Infiniti or even to a degree Buick. People buy the Hyundai because they have to in order to get the features they want at a price they can afford, not because they're thinking "Lord, won't you buy me a Hyundai Sonata?". Put all these midsizers at the same price with the same equipment and most people will choose everything but the Hyundai.

Beat them at what? Looking like a bloated pig with a Klingon forehead? Or beating them at matching a 1998 Park Ave in interior ambiance. There is more to life than 0-60 and if carving canyons is what you're worried about there are about 100 other cars to look at before the Genesis sedan OR Sonata Turbo.

CC, TSX, and Regal shoppers are not going to be cross shopping a Sonata. They are someone who wants "more" from their brand.

Uhm, 38k is the target price for the Regal GS and that will include AWD as well.... so given that price, I'd definitely go with the Regal. ..... though Acura's complimentary snow plow package is compelling.

I'm mostly curious about the suspension improvements. The Pentastar V6 seems like a good engine from what I've read so far, the interior is certainly an upgrade, but it's the suspension changes that will really make or break this version. Simply lowering the car and widening the stance one inch doesn't sound like enough. It's really up to those 26 new bushings to pull the car through. It can't perform like the flabby previous version that was at best at Grand Am SE levels.

It's not necessary, but it reduces costs of development and marketing. If GMC were to go global, it should do it strictly as a commercial vehicle brand

Well we just got a hint of what it may look like from the 2011 Avenger..... just add plood.

2011 Dodge Avenger Drew Dowdell - Chief Editor CheersandGears.com Dodge released pictures of the 2011 Dodge Avenger to virtually no fanfare today, and really, why should they? Dodge says that the Avenger has been completely overhauled for 2011 but the car itself will look familiar. Familiar is a bit of an understatement since we think that the only people who would notice any changes from the exterior are current owners.... and even then it would be more along the lines of "something about you change, but I can't put my finger on what". The biggest changes happen inside and under the hood the new Pentastar V6 takes up residence producing 283 horsepower (good for a best in segment title) and 260 ft/lbs of torque. The 2.4 liter "world gas" engine returns in a recalibrated form for smother operation. Both engines are mated to a new 6-speed automatic. Dodge also mentions that the dirty bits that hold the car up have all been reworked... including 26 out of 30 suspension bushing which only makes you wonder about those last 4 bushings that didn't get changed. Track is in inch wider, tires are wider, and the vehicle is lower, which should all add up to a more affirmative driving experience. We'll let you know more about that when we drive one. The 2011 Avengers new interior is where most customers will notice the difference. The 2010 Avenger's interior was positively bottom of the pack with almost no redeeming qualities. Dodge chucked the whole thing and started over. All new instrument panels, new seating, new color schemes, (unfortunately Dodge only shows us the charcoal one), a host of sound deadening upgrades, and ambient lighting combine to create an interior worthy of contemporary competition. Dodge also makes available new technology with bluetooth phone integration bluetooth streaming audio and a full on infotainment system with music identification and a hard drive capable of storing 6,700 songs. The Avenger was reintroduced in 2008 as a Dodge Stratus replacement. I've always liked the look, but dispite being on the market just three years, the look has grown tired. After seeing the drastic, and in my view necessary, changes on the 2011 Chrysler 200 that replacing the Sebring name, I am disappointed by the minimal exterior changes for the 2011 Dodge Avenger. *Note to Dodge media relations. Those are probably the worst promo pictures I have ever seen. Gray metal flake paint with gray background makes every picture look grainy. C&G Media Gallery: 2011 Dodge Avenger Chrysler Media: 2011 Dodge Avenger

Which brings me back to Opel...... GM still cut one too many brands. We can argue all day over which one should have stayed, but the point remains that Saturn, Pontiac and Hummer are dead in the minds of the general public. Bringing Opel over would do the following: 1. Help to globalize all of GM's brands, eventually bringing the Chevy - Opel - Buick - Cadillac lineup to every market, with GMC being the outlier here in the US. 2. Fill a niche of "more premium" than Chevy, but not "soft luxury" like Buick 3. Give Buick-GMC dealers something smaller to sell. 4. Help Opel fill some factories.

Not true... most car companies had two body sizes... large and larger

Thanks for posting this. Any Michigan members want to check it out?

Welcome to C&G man. We have a garage you can post your Lesabre to if you look a the tabs at the top of the page.

wow! That's a really badass look on that car!

I'm sure it wasn't an issue at all. The Custom Cruisers rolled down the same line as the monochromatic Buick and Chevy wagons..... it isn't hard to not paint something.