caddycruiser

VERY good point, and one I never seriously thought about until now. While I still think a lot of the designs could stand to be stepped up a notch (or several), the level at which things like the interiors on the GMT-900s or the overall design of the Solstice are at, would probably never be where they are today if he wasn't there. It'd be great if they'd step it up further and get some exterior designs across the board that really had the wow factor, so until that point, such criticisms will most likely still remain. As is, things are definately better, but still seem a bit stifled overall.

Exactly. They just always struck me as something "different", but in a much better way than the rest. The designs were VERY good, and MUCH better than some of the other crap plopping out of the other divisions at the same time (i.e., Aurora vs. LeSabre, Intrigue vs. Impala, Alero vs. Grand Am). Honestly, a lot of the materials still were nothing to rave about, such as the overly hard dash with its jagged airbag cutout on the Intrigue, but they had the "look" and function spot on. Now, if they had just gotten a refresh and, say, some newer, nicer materials, and pumped up fit & finish standards, I think most would have been over the top. Hell, the engines alone, in the Intrigue and Aurora showed something was REALLY different and better in this brand, compared to all the rest. It never should have been killed off, but as has been said, that's old news. B)

Sorry, but just for a reality check, the last Oldsmobile models were about the ONLY GM products that may have shared underpinnings with other cars, but were VERY different otherwise. It seemed to be the only brand there for a while that had anything worthwhile, whether it be the Alero that was a MUCH better car than the craptacular Grand Am (even though the Olds still had its own issues), the Intrigue which had some of the best suspension and steering tuning ever out of GM, not to mention the unique 3.5L OHC engine, or even the Aurora, which was so completely unique from the other G-body relatives, it really might have went on to be an absolutely outstanding piece, had it been refreshed again before death. I remember reading an article where it said, near the end, the Buick guys at GM were P.O.'ed that the Olds guys had a car as nice as the Aurora with its real wood trim and 4.0L OHC V8, when all they had was the plasticky rental-grade LeSabre and its antique 3.8L--and really helped seal the deal on the death of Olds. Sounds like a VERY likely scenario to me. Even though they're dead and gone now, it's always interesting to look back and imagine what level the only trully "unique" brand in GM would be on today, if still around. B)

Yeah, right. Let's automatically think someone is lying when they say BOTH domestic and import makes have great cars, and he's owned them both. Terrible, just terrible... :rolleyes: I think some of the "GM only" or "domestic only" morons on this board need to shut up, go drive some real cars from a lot of different manufacturers, and STOP accusing people of being fakes or flamers just b/c they haven't accumulated many posts. Did ya notice he happened to really LIKE the GMC he commented on, just like he now LIKES his Ridgeline? Think about what was actually said. :AH-HA_wink:

Probably next month, since they're supposed to hit the lots in January. Hopefully, they'll be DRAMATICALLY lower too, i.e, no more $37k 2wd Tahoe with no options and the smaller engine. Well, that, and low enough that they don't need to keep $5-6k rebates on the hood every single year.

That makes sense. Actually, I see the CX doing a LOT of fleet duty, even though it's no longer nearly as cheap and drab as the typical LeSabre Custom could be. And, it also seems, the CXL V6 will be the big "normal" seller, filling a nice hole left by once loaded "Customs" and basic "Limiteds". Now, to another question--the CXL V8 and the CXS. I'm thinking the CXS will actually be the more popular of the two, because it is the "top" with everything, and the CXL iteration just a bit lower on the scales. Thoughts on the V8 models?

Is your place planning on stocking most as CX's with one or two options and the front bench? Just from looking on GMBuypower, it seems all the dealers around here seem to be getting nothing but those--I guess so all the grannies can have something comparable to trade their LeSabres for.

How the heck is a fairly deep gray "really just a Mauve color"?

Haha, wow, great cartoon!

Ewww...and I have a feeling it isn't the first one, just because of the way some people drive :(

Yep, that's exactly the reason why people did like the cargo doors--particularly when towing. Regardless, the taking rate apparently wasn't high enough for the General to keep them around as an option, so off they went.

I think the more interesting point is that it even HAS camo on it at all. Everybody in the world knows that the Suburban is just a lengthened version of the Tahoe, so what's the big deal in letting it show? It's not like the "official" intro is going to be all that monumental or exciting, or show anything we haven't already seen.

No, it doesn't. That's the same full liftgate with flip-up glass as they've been using since '00. And that'll be the ONLY available configuration, ever since they last dropped the cargo doors option in '04.

What flip-down tailgate? They killed that on the last gen, and that isn't even available on any other ute' on the market, save for the oddball BMW and Land Rover. The liftgate on the GMT-800's and 900's is just one big piece that all flips up, or just the glass flips up. Yes, it still might be a little difficult for shorter people to use effectively, but so would be using the upper section of the dutch doors. Then again, a lot of the new ute's will have the power opening and closing feature (one of, I think, the BEST features ever :AH-HA_wink: ), so ease of use should be at a maximum.

Those stupid doors are too many pieces, are too much of a potential rattle source, are unattractive to most buyers (the full liftgate with flip up glass is the best of both worlds, IMHO), etc., etc. They were interesting on the Astro and Excursion, but only to a select few.

EXACTLY. So, what would happen? Anybody?

Wow! How the heck did you drive that much in 4-5 years? :o I think our '04 just rolled over 24k, which we thought was a lot for only 1.5 years. Guess not!

Okay, maybe the '05-06 isn't exactly as low up front based on that pic, but in person it looks a lot more so--especially when compared with our '04 that has no extra air foil underneath.

Mostly, yes, I would think. They said a big problem with the current gen trucks is the fairly large and ugly gaps up front, along with a design that just wasn't the best in terms of air flow. With the newer ones, they've worked to get the gaps down to a bare minimum, preventing unnecessary air "leakage" through different open spots, along with a more slippery design. I really don't think its that low to the ground--check out any current '05 or newer full-sizer with the new extra air dam down at the bottom of the front, and you'll see that they're just about as low.

My point exactly. The Suburban's extra length gives space for a drop-down footwell, making the 3rd seat VERY comfortable for my 6'3" self. But in the shorties, the bottom cushion is essentially mounted right to the floor and there is no drop-down whatsoever, meaning your knees sit at about the same level as your shoulders. There is the longer models, but it'd be nice to be able to get less bulk and still decently accomodating seating back there.

Mostly agree on that, even though the newly marshmallow look GMC is getting is starting to worry me a bit. On the other hand, I like the Escalade and REALLY like the Tahoe--a truck that will look a LOT better in some color other than the gold, we keep seeing it in. Really want to see the longer models too, even though nothing much except for the stretch will be different. Same goes for the Avalanche--want to see its "different" front end, that is apparently more aggressive than the Tahoe's.

Yeah, because those ARE actually the wheels for the LT, as is the leather and the painted handles and mirrors. Maybe just the badge was wrong, and everything else was right--that's what it sounds like.

Oh, really? Hmm. In the order guide it says LS models have black door handles and mirrors, and most LS models never have leather. Maybe it's just an oddball pre-production mixture. I kinda noticed that too. Actually, in the fuzzy ordering guide images, they look quite ugly, especially the first one. But, from the various spy pics we've seen, I think at least the last two look a lot better in person. They all seem to stay on track with the general "Chevy truck wheels" look. Take a glance at my sig, to see what I mean.

Yep, they're one of the new 17's (the truck above is a mid-level LT). Here's the full assortment from the GM ordering guide: N93 - Wheels, 4 - 17" x 7.5" (43.2 cm x 19.1 cm) bright aluminum ,5-spoke, with 2 grooves in each spoke P46 - Wheels, 4 - 17" x 7.5" (43.2 cm x 19.1 cm) bright aluminum, 5-spoke, with smooth surface and rectangular pockets RCS - Wheels, 4 - 20" x 8.5" (50.8 cm x 21.6 cm) polished aluminum And all the other ordering stuff: GM Online Ordering Guide: 2007 Tahoe

Wow, looks cool in person too. This is, IMO, the best of the GMT-900's, which would make sense since it's always the most popular one. Even though the 3rd seat still bugs me, and the power liftgate is only available on high end models, these pics are making me think a Summit White 2wd '09 LS model might make a mighty fine replacement for our '04. What I like best? The fit & finish, even in the slighty fuzzy pics of the pre-production truck, is MASSIVELY better than on our '04, as is the interior design and fits. Nice to see a front bumper that actually finally fits tightly and interior trim that looks fitting of the pricetag. I'm guessing it was driven by a couple engineers? Or higher ups from the plant?