jlgolden

Name: Chevrolet Impala LTZ (2015) Date Added: 03 February 2015 - 09:27 PM Owner: jlgolden Short Description: Oh, this one is a beauty! View Vehicle

Great looking car, but I do wonder how similar the new Cruze will look. I hope they are visually distinguished and not mis-identified by passers-by.

After a short absence, I find myself rejoining the GM family and reconnecting here on C&G. I did quite a bit of research before selecting my 2015 Impala LTZ, and I could not be more pleased! Having a healthy GM MasterCard bonus & rebate made the deal even more attractive.

Name: Cadillac ATS (2013) Date Added: 27 January 2013 - 01:04 AM Owner: http://www.cheersandgears.com/user/999-jlgolden/'>jlgolden Short Description: None Provided http://www.cheersandgears.com/garage/vehicle/122-cadillac-ats/'>View Vehicle

After some time away from the GM family, I have returned via the purchase of a 2013 Cadillac ATS: - 3.6L "Luxury" trim - Sunroof - Navigation - Silver Coast exterior - Caramel / Jet black combo interior I've only had it for about 28 hours, so I'm learning and exploring. Great dealer experience at Sewell Cadillac in Houston, TX...and added bonuses from GM Card membership, card earnings.

Once a Cruze is optioned up and crests the $21k I'd choose the Verano without much more thought.

I've driven the new Fiestas, and they are simply OK. But to be fair, I drive a much more hefty & powerful V6 car everyday, so most anything I test-drive with a 4-cyl engine quickly comes across as buzzy and weak. My summary: If your budget is capped around $16K for a new car, the Fiesta looks like a decent buy...but your hard-earned $16K won't buy much extra comfort or pizazz in that new Fiesta (no, not even a simple arm rest for the front!) Among $16K cars, however, it's probably the "nicest". Now, if your budget is closer to $18K, then you've just moved into another league, and a new Hyundai Elantra or KIA Forte are immediately more appealing.

Oh yeah...I did think about a CTS and Genesis, lightly, but I never made it beyond online research on those two. Comparably equipped to my TL, both of these competitors were pricier. The CTS is also a fairly common sight around Houston. Gorgeous, but mighty common here. One reservation with the Genesis: The idea of buying a luxury-priced car from a dealer which is not an exclusive "luxury sales & service" provider. Finally, at this point in my automotive ownership adventure, I'm ready for a little more glamor than can be found on a service drive shared with Elantras!

The current Malibu finally gave Chevy a credible family sedan, and that car has been positively reviewed and heavily advertised for some time now. It's really the first Malibu which is honestly worth comparing to a Camry-Accord-Altima. Finally. Now, if the Cruze gets plenty of good press, along with a good marketing push, I think it will be a nice, high-volume car. As always, the hardest people to lure will be the two entire generations of buyers who were once stung with a flimsy Corsica-Beretta-Cavalier-Sunbird-Skyhawk-Cutlass Calais - which forced them into a Civic, Protege, Corolla, Sentra. These are the folks who really, really need to wake up, tune in, and forget the past. By the way, my 1988 Corsica V6 was my favorite "college days" car. And today, if I were shopping for a new car at the $20K price zone, Cruze would be at the top of my list.

I compared a '10 TSX 4 cyl to the '11 Regal. Although I really like the Regal's looks, some of the interior materials (especially switchgear feel & clunky shift lever movement) made it feel about a half step down from the TSX. Additionally, the Regal's Harmon Kardon sound system was weak and pathetic, compared to TSX's "ELS" system, which thumps, rumbles, and booms with authority. Further, the base powertain in Regal is weak and did not sound good. After this comparison, I concluded that the '11 Regal is better suited to appeal to buyers who are coming out of an older, worn out Grand Am, Sonata, or Jetta. It is NOT on the same level as a TSX. Next, the LaCrosse felt wonderful...even with the 4 cyl! The biggest turn off with the LaCrosse was that I could find ZERO equipped with the upper-level sound system, which includes a factory i-pod / USB connector for integrated charging and music control. I'm guessing the main LaCrosse demographic is not bothered with this issue. Sad, because the LaCrosse rings my bells on soooo many other levels. It's gorgeous! After some review of features, feel, and value, the step up to a TL was easy.

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Some of you have followed my new car trades over the past few years: 2001 Alero, 2002 Sentra SE-R, 2004 Grand Prix, 2006 Mariner Premier, 2007 Civic Si, 2008 Sierra WT, 2010 GTI.... The GTI was just too harsh for my taste, so I test drove the '11 Buick Regal, Lacrosse, Acura TSX, and TL. I researched (but did not drive) Avalon, G37, Lexus ES, Lincoln MKZ. Now there's a brand new 2010 Acura TL (Tech Pkg) in the garage. Bold, polarizing styling...yes. But overall, it's not much more dramatic than the '04 Grand Prix. One factor which attracted me to the TL: it feels like a luxurious, refined version of the GP, which was my favorite car of all time. So here we go! I can now enjoy a luxury brand, and it feels great. The impressive level of equipment for the money, the solid workmanship, the driving dynamics, the transaction price and 0.9% financing offered, and the dealer experience helped seal this deal.

Other than (obviously) a nice 1987 Monte Carlo LS ans SS revival... -Ford Thunderbird -Mercury Cougar -Chrysler LeBaron I might be fixated on a certain body style here, but I always thought these coupes (at least through the late 80s and into the 1990s)had attractive proportions.

A co-worker of mine had been driving a 2002 Santa Fe for way too long. It had a hard city life, having been parked in the scorching Houston sun, mostly at a suburban "park-and-ride" commuter lot, where it accumulated "character" like door dings, scrapes, and those famous hazy-cloudy headlamp lenses. I spent about two months providing her with new Terrain information: brochures, web links, articles. Finally, about 10 days ago, she took delivery of her 2010 Terrain...identical to the one in this attached road test. Of course, her gorgeous new ride faces the same future as the Santa Fe!

Saw the CTS wagon at the local Caddy dealer last weekend...gorgeous. This bada$$ coupe makes my mouth water. I actually want to lick the car. Oh my, did I really just share that?

Of course, there's a teensie bit of internal conflict for not buying a domestic brand this time. But not really. Where in the hell are the Focus SVT and the Cruze SS? Every passing day without them at dealerships is lost sales potential, guys. But the Mustang and Camaro serve their audiences well, and they are both gorgeous cars. Meanwhile, Ford & GM offer no direct competitor in the GTI's category: compact, refined, light, agile, quick, efficient, and loaded up for $28K. The closest hotties might be a Lancer Ralliart, Mini Cooper S, a Subie WRX or MazdaSpeed3. All imports. When GM or Ford decide to offer the US market something compact, fast, tidy, and tasty, I will consider them again.

Ya know, I wansn't officially car shopping when the GTI purchase all came to be. I was with my partner (who is in the market for a new car) and we were test driving "fast" small cars for his benefit. I really enjoyed the VW test drive and decided to talk numbers with the salesman. Let me just say that Archer VW in Houston was a pleasure to deal with during every stage of the process. When I realized how affordable the deal was going to be, I welled up with tears of excitement! Mine mine mine! In related news, my partner placed a factory order for a 2010 Subaru WRX 5-door yesterday. Premium package and convenience group as options, dark grey metallic. It will be a super sweet replacement for his '07 Legacy Spec.B. In six weeks, his bundle of Subie joy will be ready to come home and park in the garage, right next to my hot hatch. Fun fun fun is in the air this holiday season!!!

Yep, the only colors are white, black, silver, grey, and bright red. I told the dealer I wanted a 4 door automatic in any color except red. They located the white one and bam....it fit my criteria close enough that I am waaayyy happy. My highest priority option was DynAudio but it was not to be found!

Options on the car: DSG Transmission Sunroof B-Xenon Headlamps Detroit 18" wheel package Bluetooth I really wanted the DynAudio, but there were no DSG 4-doors with that option here in Texas.

Yes, these 18" wheels are the Detroit option. They are soooo easy to clean!

Funny thing that surprised me is that this car still has all four factory style wheel covers! Usually those plastic things fall off in the first 3 years and then owners put some cheap generic crappy wheels covers on there.

OK...sorry for the delay...I'm computer illiterate...here's a few little pics of my new ride:

My 2008 Sierra served me very well, and I wasnt really looking for a new car...but I have once again strayed from the GM family of vehicles. New to my garage is a 2010 Volkswagen GTI... DSG, Xenons, sunroof, bluetooth... It just provides the passion and thrill that I've not felt before.