Drew Dowdell

Sonic. You'll enjoy it just as much and it is less financial commitment till the Colorado comes out.

get your hard drive fixed?

I'm interested to know if you can feel any difference in handling as soon as you turn the AWD system on. Can you feel it "engage" at all? Years ago when I was in love with the Eagle Talon, I drove a FWD and an AWD back to back and the handling difference was amazing.

Which is exactly my point. Having DOHC doesn't matter if the car is lame and having pushrods doesn't matter if the car is awesome. The configuration of the valvetrain does not matter as long as the car performs in a manner the customer expects.

I'd need to know price.

Clean(er)

From a cat's point of view, a live mouse is one of the greatest gifts you can get. She does kill them too, but she still brings me live ones as gifts. About the worst thing you can do is react badly to it. They think they are doing you a nice thing. If you saw the way the three of us interact, I'm her favorite while Albert is her servant. Albert doesn't get mice from her.

I'm the same way as you. I was mocked by Albert for getting "no kill" mouse traps and then putting the mice outside. Of course, the mice kept getting into the house. One day I left a package of Oreos on the kitchen counter and the mouse got in to those. It was dead the next day. You don't f@#k with my Oreos. These days we have the cat who catches the mice and then brings them to me, still living, as a gift.

Pretty cool that you got the garage that cleaned out that fast!

Grrr... I really wanted this one.

Hey! It's not against ALL shortbed standard cabs. I just don't like the GMT-900s that way.

Cadillac has been 90% DOHC since 1992 and 99% DOHC since 1997. Perhaps there is another reason for the difference or do you just wish to continue to harp on the inane? Oldsmobile was the division inside GM with more DOHC models than any other outside of Cadillac..... It really helped them. In fact, I'm probably buying a 2012 Toronado tomorrow.

HP/Liter fanbois drive the market. Anytime you read a review that it is "pathetic" that some pushrod V8 can only produce X hp from X liters while (DOHC ENGINE) can produce X hp from <X liters. One of these days, I really have to write that "why horsepower is stupid" article....

I'm going to get run off the website, but I gotta say I really don't like those standard cab, short bed GM trucks. They look cut down and dopy. Seeing that side profile I am instantly reminded of this monstrosity:

I know what the 300C Hemi is Hwy rated for, but I know from experience that it does much better than EPA

I'll say it again, $150m is a rounding error for most things automotive and governmental. In fact, the value of GM stock that the U.S. Government owns increased $1.6b over the past 5 days. So Fisker is asking for less than 1/10th of just this week's increase in government owned GM stock value.

I can't imaging there would be much of anything left of that Renault on the Titanic.

The Atlantic would be an awesome entry to compete with upper 3-series and lower 5-series.

uh... a good chunk $150 million goes to worker (both blue and white collar) salaries....

I'm disappointed that any of the long timers here would wish a domestic car company, especially one with attractive and interesting designs, close up shop REGARDLESS of how they are powered. Don't like the power train? Don't buy one... but don't wish them dead and then complain that GM only sells FWD, 4-cylinder, 4-door jellybeans.

Still waiting for the diesel

August 17th, 2012 Drew Dowdell Managing Editor - CheersandGears.com A few months ago, you had Chris Doane's take on the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and now it is my turn. I am at the disadvantage that I haven't driven the recent Volkswagen GTI, since that would the GLI's direct competitor. Will my blindness to the capabilities of the GTI have me reach different a conclusion than Chris did? My 2012 Jetta GLI came in the proper car color of Darth Vader Helmet Black incorrectly listed as “Deep Black Metallic” on the window sticker. The interior is trimmed in black leatherette with red stitching. Standard are 18” alloys with painted black accents. Lord Vader would approve. Most of the parts on the interior you touch regularly have been upgraded over the lesser Jettas. The wrapped steering wheel feels just about perfect in your hand as does the shifter. Flat bottom steering wheels are the “new black” for sports cars, so of course the Jetta GLI has that too. The automatic dual-zone climate controls are decidedly better than the manual unit in base Jetta. Unfortunately, only the parts you regularly touch have been upgraded, so that means you still get the very hard plastic door panels and dash present in the base model. Volkswagen's construction of the Jetta is top notch; every seam was tight and even, the doors feel solid without feeling heavy, and the body panels line up perfectly. As I mentioned in the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo review, the Fender audio and navigation system offers crystal clear sound and continues to be one of the best car audio systems I have sampled lately. My only complaint here is that the screen size is such on the small side that even my Samsung Galaxy SII phone can rival it for screen space. The Jetta has the largest interior of the compact class. In that regard, it really is compact in EPA rating only. Sit in a “compact” Jetta and then in a “mid-size” Ford Fusion and you'll wonder what the size distinction is. Rear seat accommodations have class leading room and the comfort that goes with it. The seats are well proportioned and I fit back there nicely. Trunk cargo room is also class leading. The overall package of compact-ish outside dimensions with midsize-ish interior dimensions puts the Jetta in a unique position in the sedan crowd. This GLI with autobahn package and navigation stickers at $26,000. For your $26k, you get an upgraded multi-link independent suspension in the back, a 200 horsepower turbocharged 2.0 liter 4-cylinder that puts out 207 lb-ft of torque @ 1700, exterior styling tweaks such as a honeycomb grill insert and lower body spoilers. The Jetta GLI is a bit of a sleeper in terms of those exterior tweaks mentioned earlier, but put the GLI next to a base model Jetta and you will instantly be able to tell which is the more sporty model. Overall the improvements take the staid Jetta and turn it into a more handsome car. One of my favorite changes are the 18” alloy wheels with black painted accents and painted red brake calipers behind. Out on the road the turbocharged 4 cylinder has an authoritative growl. Torque comes on strong at the low end of the RPM range making the GLI a fun car to launch. Turbo lag was negligible and could only really be noticed if you were already rolling at city speeds and then wanted a sudden burst of power. I found the best way to get around the turbo lag was to down shift two gears rather than just one. I wouldn't call the 2.0T happy to rev; it is clearly most comfortable churning out the foot pounds at low rpm, but it will play along when asked. Fuel economy is respectable for the power and capabilities of this engine, and you can expect to easily crest into the mid-30s if you take it easy on the highway. Volkswagen does recommend premium fuel for best performance. The Jetta platform itself seems very solid and the multi-link rears suspension is a step up from the twist beam in the base model. However, it is not at the level of “sport sedan” that most would expect. Around town, the suspension gives an appropriate level of firmness and confidence that one would expect from a German sport sedan, but push the GLI hard and at speed around some corners and all of that confidence melts away into a bucket of marshmallow fluff. Given that the Jetta is also a lamb on the highway, I wonder if Volkswagen engineers turned the dial on comfort up a little too high for a true sport sedan. The Jetta doesn't exist in a vacuum though. So while a sports car buyer cannot ignore the presence of the Volkswagen GTI also in the showroom, family sedan buyers can't ignore the $26,000 price tag and long list of included options. At that price, the Jetta GLI is up against the cars like a middle-optioned Chevrolet Malibu or Ford Fusion. Taken in that view, the Jetta GLI becomes a screaming deal will all of the amenities it comes with that the others don't while sacrificing nothing in roominess. In spite of the Jetta's suspension shortcomings as a sport sedan, it is still has a sportier ride and acceleration than just about any other mid-size family sedan offered at this price. So is the Volkswagen Jetta GLI a full on German sport sedan? Not really. Is it a sporty, people's car/family sedan with a lot of value for the price? Absolutely! If you're in the mid-size family car market, you would do yourself a disservice if you did not check it out. Make: Volkswagen Model: Jetta Model Year: 2012 Trim: GLI Engine: Transversely mounted 2.0 liter 4-cylinder turbocharged Transmission: Front Wheel Drive, 6-speed manual Max horsepower @ RPM: Max torque @RPM: 207 ft-lb @ 1700rpm EPA Fuel Economy: 22 City / 33 Highway Exterior color as tested: Deep Black Metallic Interior color as tested: Titan Black V-Tex Leatherette Location of Manufacture: Puebla, Mexico Volkswagen provided the Jetta GLI, one tank of fuel, and insurance. Drew Dowdell is managing editor of CheersandGears.com and can be reached at [email protected] or on twitter as @cheersngears View full article

There is a 4-mode hybrid?

You're in luck SMK, one of the most exclusive new cars on the lots right now is a leftover Cadillac STS...... and it even has DOHC.