Satty

Its all the same, Any other automaker that has sold thousands of non-traditionally powered vehicles can question why GM took so long, their system reliability and whether the technology is worth the price over their vehicles, with their track records. Electric car with gas powered generator, hydrogen fuel cell car, kitty-fart car, whatever you want, its an alternative to the ICE that has worked for 100 years and will be attacked by the opposition.

I'll say it again, GM was dumb for showing their hand with this several years before production was even feasible. Now everyone knows whats coming in 2010, 2011, 2012, or whenever the Volt arrives, and they can adjust accordingly. Maybe Honda speeds up a magic hybrid system that allows an Accord sized car to get 65mpg in real world conditions. Maybe Toyota develops a hybrid SUV that gets 30mpg and allows consumers to have the type of vehicle that people bought in droves when gas was $1/gallon. No matter what, when it comes, Toyota (and to a lesser extent Honda and even Ford) will be able to run a line like this: "Our hybrids have been on the streets for years, they've not been perfect, but we've had a lot of time and a lot of customers, so the bugs are pretty much worked out. With us, you're going to get a hybrid that is going to be as reliable as a regular car. GM doesn't have a history of real hybrids. They've got a couple mild hybrids, but didn't sell many. Now they have this plug-in hybrid, they showed it to us (3,4,5?) years ago and now you can buy it. For $40,000, or ($5k, $10k, $20k?) more than our least expensive hybrid model. The batteries and powertrain, while they have gone through millions of miles of testing, haven't had the same real-world, real-driver abuse our million plus hybrids have. Who you gonna trust, the company that has sold over a million hybrids, or the car with a comparatively unproven hybrid powertrain that too years to get on the road and whose price kept inflating?" You may not like it, but thats spin. If GM had the upper hand, they would do the same thing.

Buy low, sell lower? Just for reference, what was GM at a year ago?

They gone yet?

Has the Yaris had a retail sale? Ever?

By the time the Volt finally gets here, GM will be an afterthought amongst hybrid buyers who have seen the Prius on roads for the better part of a decade. Hybrids are a mostly unknown quantity, and the Toyota hybrids have a track record, GM doesn't Plus, the Volt is going to be pricey.

I miss lordstrafford, buickman and razoredge. Not really.

Worst part, her speeding ticket was far speedier than mine. 80 in a 45 compared to 50 in a 35. I felt so inadequate.

Wikipedia article

Then Sawzall the b-pillars out.

Actually the CRX is a pretty sporty ride, it may not go 0-60 in 4.1, but they handle quite well. Same with the Prelude, Cooper, Scirocco, and several other FWD cars over the years.

Supply and demand. You'd be seeing this happen with Malibu and Aura hybrids if they had higher production and actually got mileage worthy of the price increase. And the Plasmacluster looks absolutely ridiculous in person.

MINI Coopers are fun to drive, but the Cooper S is indeed more fun, the extra power does that. But yeah, just like the Astra, they're not cheap.

I've got a recently single friend who really needs to meet someone, because frankly he's an ass when he isn't getting any. I told him I was going to set him up with a Craigslist ad, and maybe if I get bored a Cupid membership. He said thanks, but he doesn't do fat chicks. I insisted that not every woman looking for a man online is fat, some of them have penises. For the record, my fiancee and I met the old fashioned way, sitting in a courtroom, waiting to enter pleas for minor traffic violations.

He's at home, washing his tights

Good, then maybe I wont have to see a lot full of unsold Nitros on my way in to work everyday.

I've got a friend who just went through a divorce and ended up with the F-150 Crew Cab his wife made him buy about a month before they got married. The thing gets awful mileage, and he's had nothing but problems since he put a new exhaust on it. He's also got an 80's Mustang GT convertible, which isn't even close to being drivable, so he's really hurting when it comes to paying for gas. He has been talking about getting a bike for some time now, but hasn't pulled the trigger. It makes sense for him.

I know a few people who have considered going from 2 cars in the garage to a car and a motorcycle. Seems like a great idea for commuting, as long as the weather cooperates. And yes, Carbiz, the Aveo is a piece of crap. It may have a lower cost of ownership than a Prius, but nobody will cross-shop the two. The Prius is far larger and gets far better mpg. And, oh yeah, it doesn't suck.

GM's problem is that they dont make all of their decisions based on a small segment of the population that happens to gather in a small corner of the internet? All you're proposing, Camino, is a focus group, just a focus group that comes up with what you want instead of what GM's focus groups have been coming up with the last 20-30 years.

Bush is in his own category when it comes to incompetence. He's this centuries Warren G Harding. But dont worry about McCain, he's 72, and presidents get old fast, so he wont be a 2-termer, may not even get 1 full term in. Not that it matters, he's not going to win. That said, McHale has made some pretty bad moves, and GM has been running itself into the ground for the last 20 years.

0 I'm probably in Saab's target group (young professional assholes) but the new models dont have the magic of the old 900. In a few years, if they bring back hatchbacks and quirkiness, I may bite.

An L200 and an L300 by my parents, my L200 was used. Probably not, the Astra has too many shortcomings (and no diesel to make up for them) and the Aura is underwhelming.

None Never in a million years, I may be a douchebag, but I will never be a Hummer driving douchebag.

None and nope

None, although our '96 Buick was purchased new Nope