Drew Dowdell

If the quantity of something being built is an indicator of the quality of it's performance, how do you explain all of the 4-cylinder 4-speed automatic Corollas running around?

The Nissan GT-R is just a car racing game with really good graphics. The computer does all of the work for you.

but it also does 0-60 in 2.9 and 197 mph

Turn off the computer, then what does it do? If the computer is doing most of the work, then you're not really driving are you? You're piloting.

A Boeing 747 does Mach 0.9.... but sitting in seat 27F playing GranTurisimo on your laptop doesn't really impart that much of a driving experience.

Any other car, don't care the brand, that can pull the GT-R numbers without heavy computerized support instantly gets more respect.

So, in sum, there is no real world advantage to DOHC. No exclusive capability. No inherent technical adavantage. No reason to place the format above the cam-in-block arrangement.

However, I don't mind it being there as an option in addition to a CIB engine. More options is more gooder.

When the dust settles I see no problem keeping the regular engine around but I can see no reason GM should not have a top class DOHC to offer in Cadilacs and as an option in the Vette. While the Chevy engine is a good engine it is a markting nightmare in the Cadillac vs the other cars in its class. You know and I know that it is a fine engne as shown by the CTSV. But in the unwashed market of luxury cars people want the latest and most trick toys and will pay much more for them. Too many just see the Chevy engine as a pick up engine. Yes they underestimate it but too often to the point they don't even consider a GM car because of it.

Actually, I don't see anyone complaining about the CTS-V engines. Not the American journalists, not even the European ones.

It is not that people complain so much but how many pass it over for the more technical hardware? Preception is one of the largest factors in marketing.

I lot fewer than before. CTS-V sales are up.

Back when the Park Avenue and Roadmaster Estate shared a showroom, which car should have been considered the flagship?

The Roadmaster was the Buick flagship. Park Avenue was a very close #2, however.

I'm not so sure about that. You and I may think of the Roadmaster as the Buick flagship, but it wasn't thought of that way at Buick. The Roadmaster was luxury for a fair price, but it was considered (correctly), low tech. The Park Ave, despite being FWD and V6 powered, was considered to be Buicks flagship (out of the sedans, the Riviera was the true flagship)

You can see it rather quickly in the pricing:

Roadmaster Base - $25,560

Park Ave Base - $28,205

Roadmaster Limited - $27,490

Park Ave Ultra - $32,820

Rivira base - $30,010

Even the Roadmaster Estate Limited, pretty much loaded car at that point, was $29,445 and no amount of vogue tires or wood panel delete could push it up to the Park Ave Ultra's $32k base price.

So while you and I may think that anyone who picked a Park Ave over a Roadmaster needed to have their head examined, the truth is that Buick considered the Park Ave to be the flagship sedan and the Riviera the flagship of all Buick. Notice which one is worth more today though, the Roadmaster and Roadmaster Estate both KBB higher than either the Park Ave or Riviera.

The problem with that theory is that you cannot access that 3% without going through a big process.

I would stick with what the company matches and then have a savings account that you direct deposit the other 3% into until you have at least 6 months worth of salary saved as an emergency fund. Put it into an account that DOESN'T have a debit card attached to it and takes time to move the money... so you don't do impulsive things with it.

Once you've hit that 6 months of salary mark, then invest your 3% in a stock that pays good dividends. (I have a few suggestions there) It is slightly less liquid than a savings account, but it earns better money, and grows quickly with the quarterly dividends reinvested.

No, it's not tax free, but if you suddenly needed to come up with $2,000 extra in the next month for a required expense... would you? could you?

This is good news because it's a sign that the car is being accepted by the buying public and GM needs more to satisfy demand.

They already have a CTS, why make this thing. As the owner of a current DTS. I have probably bought my last Cadillac. I hate the looks of this thing. Smaller, 6 cylinder engine, no thanks. (Caddy owner since 1970)

A V6 with 50 to 75 more horsepower than your Northstar.

I'm a big fan of the DTS, but if they get the XTS's interior anywhere close to that of the concept, it will be a knockout. It looks 100 times better in person. None of the pictures do any justice to it's size and imposing look in the when viewed in the steel.

DOHC getting better emissions has nothing do to with it's valvetrain layout and everything to do with the extra technology added to the engines. VVT and Direct Injection are the two biggest contributers to cleaner high powered engines.

As far as I know, there isn't a DI CIB engine out there yet and only the V6 CIB engines have VVT so far (and the V10 Viper)

If the quantity of something being built is an indicator of the quality of it's performance, how do you explain all of the 4-cylinder 4-speed automatic Corollas running around?

The Nissan GT-R is just a car racing game with really good graphics. The computer does all of the work for you.

I'm pulling down about 11.5

+1

I got 27mpg on a highway cruise to Columbus with a trunk FULL of PCs and flat panel monitors.

Got 27mpg on the way back with an empty trunk and the A/C on.

edit: in the Lucerne.

One of the few F-body's that could seduce me.

So the current Impala is still out of Oshawa while the MY2013 Impala will be built in Hamtramck. Two things: I suppose that is OK given that the MY13 will be a LWB Epsilon II. Second: What will they put in the Impala's place at Oshawa? A RWD sedan to go along with the Camaro?

Cadillac XTS according to Chris, but I don't think that will fill Oshawa to capacity, so something else must also be going up there.

I did personally email you, and you could have replied to that if you had questions.

I told you that you could post your link, but you needed more of an explanation of why the link was relevant rather than just a bare unformatted link with nothing else, especially since you are using C&G to promote your own blog in this way.

Just a few quick sentences and then the link is sufficient. I don't believe I am being unreasonable in this request.

I just upped it to 2500 width. but you should download a program called Irfanview to resize the pictures. Make sure you select "maintain proportions"

What program are you using to resize?

The Transit and the Caravan both cost a lot less than the Econolines.

How many times have you written this article?

You shouldn't need to resize them. Let the board software do it for you.

if you're still having trouble, leave one of the pics up and let me know, I'll take a look at it.

Doubtful. The Sprinter costs a good $10k more than one of those domestic work vans. The Vito may match the domestics in price, but unlikely to match in capability.

have at it! Did you take the star off first?

I didn't say TT, just T.

So what if this 3.0T we've been hearing about isn't a V6, but a V8? Enclave 3.0T V8?

I think it is a good idea to bring it here. There is the Transit at the compact van end, and the Sprinter and Econoline at the big end, and the Sprinter is really big. The middle size Vito could do well here, there is no minivan cargo van, except maybe for Dodge, and the utility companies will buy it. If no one else is going to go after the cargo van market (aside form Ford who doesn't have a mid-size van), Mercedes might was well take it over. Vito probably gets better mileage than even the Transit, and Mercedes run forever so businesses will like that durability.

I should take a picture of the lineup of Sprinter vans that clearly didn't "run forever" down near the waterfront.

Those are all Dodge Sprinters. If you put a 3-pointed star on something it runs forever.

LOL! Touche!

a 3.0 TT V8?