caddycruiser

Oh wow, so sorry to hear that--glad she's doing better. At least one thing, if the climb up doesn't become a nuisance, few vehicles are as comfortable, safe, and fun (all in one) as these SUV's. I actually know of a few people specifically with different disabilities that have Tahoes, Suburbans, etc. simply because they're one of the few things they can actually drive and ride in comfortably from a seat & space standpoint.

And I'm the complete opposite. In reality, the Accord coupe looks even more stunning...tight, trim, and rather aggressive. The Altima is well proportioned and pleasant, but just very bland and "too Altima" as a coupe, if that makes sense. Well that, and too much like the G6...but I somehow even like the overall G6 lines a bit more, from the crisp aspect. Great different likes for different people though :AH-HA_wink:

A sometimes odd ex member and also worldwide GM employee, we had here for a while.

If you've ever seen how badly a LOT of heavy, older BOF cars really respond in crashes, you'd understand why even my Fleetwood driving self is not so keen on that idea :AH-HA_wink: I tend to think of cars like the New Bettle, etc. that are absolute tanks despite being "small", versus things like my Fleetwood which are large, heavy, and thick and can hold up to abuse and many light accidents...but are scary bad in harder impacts. But...not to open another can of worms. Just reminding of some reality.

Having driven for about 5.5 years now... Buick -'92 Roadmaster LTD (dad) -'99 LeSabre LTD (customer) -'00 Century Custom (former boss) -'02 LeSabre Custom (rental) -'03 Rendezvous CXL FWD (boss) -'03 Rendezvous CX FWD (grandpa) -'06 Lucerne CXL V6 (test drive) -(2) '08 Enclave CX FWD (test drives) Cadillac -'93 Fleetwood Brougham (dad, me, everyone) -'95 Fleetwood Brougham (my current daily) Chevrolet -'99 Suburban LT 4WD (customer) -'99 Silverado 1500 reg cab/short bed 4WD (customer) -'02 Avalanche Z66 2WD (mom) -'04 Suburban LS 2WD (mom) -'07 Malibu 1LT 2.2L (rental) -'08 Malibu 1LT 2.4L (test drive) -'08 Malibu 2LT 2.4L (mom) GMC -'07 Acadia SLE FWD (test drive) -'07 Yukon SLT-2 4WD (test drive) Pontiac -....hmm...nothing! Actually, the last one I even rode in was a friend's '98 Grand Am GT 2.4L, so ugh. Saturn -(2) Outlook XR FWD (test drives) Oldsmobile -'99 Intrigue GX (grandma) -'99 Eighty-Eight LSS (customer) Good thread...made me realize that I've never driven a Pontiac and it's even been a LONG time since I've ridden in one!

Yes, it is, and there's a majority of larger, heavier cars that would falter in exactly the same manner.

Me TOO...bought 2 of them :AH-HA_wink: Very nice Chevy specific box, and made by a great brand--BBurago, and Italian die-cast model vehicle maker.

Oh, I've heard of it and seen it...Silverados, F-150s, Tundras, etc., and they're usually daily drivers. Just owned by detailing fanatics that can't help thinking there's a whole other side that wouldn't otherwise be kept to the same standard...so they do. The same with door jambs, under hood, etc. really, and I understand all of it. I just don't have the time or a vehicle worth caring that much about.

Hah, great!

Sounds great--what's the delay?

Keep it on the Pontiac...a Volvo doesn't deserve that kind of desecration, unless it's also getting some other out there custom work. Right now, almost every silver painted and machined wheel looks great as is that Volvo offers. Some not so much, but still, very fitting with the car. Here we go, clean, classy and crisp in a fairly basic white V50...including the Volvo cloth seats which I'm a fan of:

^^Those drag racing vans were the, oddly enough, factory Turbo ones...still not that they had that much grunt, but were playful for a van.

Oh, too funny...and I thought of myself as soon as I started reading the second half, for sure...

Yes, as always...especially when you're a car person. Both when our pristine '02 Avalanche was put up on the dealer lot for sale after trade and then recently when our Suburban was too--kind of the feelings of, whew, now who knows who will get it and how it will be treated. I actually had a discussion with our saleslady about this, after I got the trade price on the Suburban, because as she said "Well, to you it's an emotional thing because you've lived with it everyday, taken it on trips, spent hours detailing it, etc. To us, it's simply a piece of metal that we have to inspect, care for on the lot, take time to sell it, etc." So, yeah. With the Avalanche, I have a whole collection of pictures I took of it sitting on the dealer lot (they never actually prepped it one bit, as it was kept detailed daily...just put their sticker on the back and parked it out front), and then the same with our Suburban which this time was put up on their website. We actually knew who bought the Avalanche and used to see it frequently before the guy moved, too, but no idea on the Suburban.

Not necessarily...Volvo's, especially recently, have not been of the "in the shop more than on the road" sense. Maybe one or two things that aren't Cavalier service priced, but there's little to worry and fret about, even with a lot of miles. I know of a few people with S40's and they love them, including a kid in my building my age who has a fully decked out blue/charcoal leather S40 AWD (yes, of course, it was a parent purchase...I think). I too would be more inclined to go wagon, simply because it is a relatively small car and more open space in the back is always great to have--without much more weight or anything else negative. I also really like the C30, and was just staring at a few today on the Volvo lot down the street. Not cheap, since most dealers have only optioned $30k ones, but an awesome little car...with extra on the little part. Added it to my theoretical future list, along with the S40/V40.

How many miles? The Dodge/Chrysler 3.3L/3.8L engines are known to be extremely durable and long lasting, it was just their transmissions throughout the 90's that were plagued with problems. We had a '97 Grand Voyager with the Mitsu 3.0L AND 3-speed (that sounds shocking given today's norm...but it was never an issue back then, in driving or otherwise), and it was quite peppy--that seemed to be a very common combo in those older ones as well.

Yes, years later, they still look great. Not flashy or out there, but clean, crisp lines, and they really look rich in specific trims (such as the Denali or the Z71 lines). Having had an '02 Avalanche for 2 years and then an '04 Suburban for 3.5 years until last month, the interiors were too hard, shiny, and cheap, but assembled solidly and everything always "felt right" as far as ergonomics. Just bland city. Actually, of note, our '02 interior was better than the '04 not just because of the tan/black color vs. the gray, but it also had cloth upholstered on the door panels, dual power seats with lumbar even in base cloth form, and a few other touches. From '03 on, they downgraded a lot of the interiors, especially in regards to cheaper leather, door panels that were no longer 2-tone or had any upholstery with certain trims, lights taken away, etc. Still, great trucks, and as comfortable and generally well put together as others in the class just with drab interior materials and style. The new ones are SO good, and I think still the best or one of the top 2 or 3 among GM, that at least they made up for it. I think the only standing bone of contention with a lot of people is the new, smaller bucket seats vs. the '99-06 buckets which were known as essentially perfect and larger, etc. I think they're both great, but still too give the edge to the old ones even if it was their extra bulk that helped.

Ah...THAT brings back memories! My aunt had an '89 Grand Caravan once that was fairly loaded, in silver-blue with wood-grain. Known as being someone who beats the ever living daylights out of every vehicle she owns, NEVER changes oil but goes by the method of as enough leaks out...enough dollar store stuff can be used to top it off, etc., I was suprised by how long it lasted, at least for the few years she had it. Even with a big smash in the driver's side from when a neighbor backed into it. It was one of the common "blue smoke expresses", as typical for the Mitsu 3.0L (I think that's what it had) with poor maintenance...but kept on going, and smoothly and quickly at that. I remember riding around in the back once, when younger (we were yard sale hopping, I believe, and I just happened to be there), and it wasn't horribly bad. Rode well enough and the seats and room were Chrysler minivan comfy. Never knew what happened to that thing, but I think it actually was traded off for the next beater, if I recall. But yeah, an interesting gift to say the least--and a fully loaded one at that :AH-HA_wink:

Great! I've always liked those, and considered one from time to time myself. They're not without their common issues, such as front suspension and various 1.8T engine bugs, but many also have largely trouble free cars and hopefully yours is one of them That last gen of Passat is still regarded by many as one of the best, in terms of overall feel and refinement, plus size & weight.

Great, you should be good to roll for many years then :AH-HA_wink: Curious...does it have single or double front sunvisors? From '00-03, they all had the much liked double sun visors and then still had some left over for the start of '04, and many early builds had them--our '04 Suburban, built in August '03, did, for example. Does yours or is it just a more common later build?

All the best to you, and the changing GM :AH-HA_wink: As CARBIZ found out...due to the watching/monitoring that goes on among the boards (beyond the level people even remotely suspect) and just what can come out in posts, without intention, this isn't unexpected. From a Delaware person to another (well, at one time...maybe current, etc.), Gut tschüs und viel Glück!...hopefully that's mostly correct...

This is a great overview for someone like me who NEVER misses the autoshow...but did just that this year :AH-HA_wink: Years ago, I used to go to the Baltimore show with my father (closest, relatively, coming from lower Delaware and he knows the area), and recently have been doing Philly since it's a train ride away.

Pro GM is great...but NOT to the detriment of pulling someone away from something they like and you can afford. There's nothing wrong with a Volvo, and a lot that is GREAT, so why not try something different for once? You can even lease them very well, in most cases. When GM makes something that's great and I like it to the point of signing the check...great. But if something completely different is the winner for me, so be it. Don't be brand/company phobic just "because" :AH-HA_wink:

Hah! That's what I wish I had done myself today...great realizations on your part :AH-HA_wink: What have I seen...well, it wasn't immediate...but a Smart in ever color, trim, model, etc. at the dealer here. Didn't see them all until this past weekend, and it still is a bizarre experience to see such a thing, in Pennsylvania or anywhere US. Also, never until this past week, but a Black Granite Malibu LS, then a Silverstone LS, followed by a Sandstone (yuck) 2LT V6...there were none, and now I think the effect of the sales explosion is starting to be seen.

It's still shocking (though it shouldn't be) to realize the number of people who still think EXACTLY like this. As I've said before, now a senior about to graduate with a mechanical engineering degree...even professors and other ME students who "should know" still make comments like this day in and day out. Of all the people, it's of these two groups that I just...