Mule Bakersdozen LS

I like the blue slate or so paint on that Aurion-the new model is nice, looks like Toyota was looking at the current Camry meets Mazda 6-a bit smaller looking, still nice, but let's see how the passenger and cargo room stack up-the outgoing model had a lot of both.

Maybe if Jeep bothered to stretch the wheelbase from the Grand Cherokee and not make it as ugly and unnecessary as possible, then maybe this wouldn't be happening right now. The only things really holding Jeep back right now are this, the two front-drive cars (okay, FWD/AWD Compass/Patriot), and the inexcusable utter lack of cargo room in Grand Cherokee, and maybe the fake cloth in the Liberty.

So how come in that AutoWeek article it said Enclave was going into production this fall? Wouldn't that make it a 2007 then? They need to get it together, and bring their products sooner, not keep delaying them (Buick Rainier was a good example).

It was from their Spring Special Edition. Nice color, is it exactly the same as Impala and LaCrosse's Glacier Blue Metallic?

Well, its a start: here's my ideal G6 trim and engine lineup. SE (current Base)-2.8-liter DOHC High Feature 210hp V-6 engine or optional 3.2-liter DOHC HF 235hp V-6, 5-speed OD manual or 5-speed OD electronic automatic transmissions. SJ (current GT)-3.6-liter DOHC HF 250hp V-6 , same transmissions. GT (current GTP)-3.6-liter DOHC HF RAM AIR 270hp V-6, 6-speed OD manual or optional TAPShift II 6-speed OD electronic automatic. GTP (proposed GXP)-3.6-liter DOHC HF supercharged 300hp V-6.

Agreed, but didn't the Chevy Equinox more or less already burst open the mid-size 2-row crossover segment (check the dimensions-its mid-size, not a compact).

Passed by a black XLE I-4 and red CE yesterday, at $26,000 and $20,000 respectively-and the XLE had cloth seating still! What was up with that? The Camry's were attractive, they looked like they lost the big-car exterior style the 2002-06 models had, another in the popular camp of the "Pleasantly Bland" school of exterior styling and design. Legroom in back looked plentiful, didn't get to go into the Camry's (I did that with an impressive cool grey Yaris sedan later, though not being fully loaded to the gills and wearing wheel covers, its $15,000 pricetag was at least $2,000 overpriced-THIS is the car Aveo has to beat, and the 2007 model from pictures at least loses big time in looks).

Thanks for the pics Flybrian! Now, what's the point of this and the Outlook? And why do Acadia and Outlook look virtually the same? That steering wheel really sucks but the rest of the dashboard looks modern and nice?

I like the grille change-the DTS one is striking and it works well with/for the design, and it does here too.

The $50,000 Yukon SLT-2 I saw at the Auto Show a few weeks back was really disappointing and it looked really cheap in comparison to a Land Rover LR3 that was slightly less (smaller too, but wider, taller, far more luxurious looking inside-which of course, would be, but still...) I hate the ugly steering wheel-the only nice GM steering wheels are the Grand Prix's and the 3-spoke one used in the G6/Malibu SS, and the one from the SSR-all the others are really cheap and outdated looking, espcially with the cruise controls sticking out, adding to the cheapness. And the exterior styling is just bland-enough with the evolution already-we need something new!

I agree with you there-its a draw between this and the new Ford Focus CC-but that one has way too long of a rear decklid, and Opel's exterior styling has been nothing special for the past...oh.....okay, maybe that 1982 concept car and a few others come to mind, but nothing in recent times.

Its ugly and $2,000 overpriced-similar money buys a larger, more powerful, even semi-controversial Caliber. And the Aveo HB sedan is still probably a better car.

Yeah I've seen the GMT900's-they sucked-they haven't changed much. The others however you have a case for.

That's because all three are one and the same! This isn't a Mazda 6-this car's too dull for that (I hope)!

No I haven't seen it, but I'm just assuming it will look tame when/if Z-71 finally comes out (I think it does come out, but it'll be later-I forget when).

74.7" wide? I was sure it was more than that, since an Impala/Caprice/Parisienne were 75.4". Isn't it amazing how sparsely equipped even the luxury cars were equipped back then? (Notice the AM-FM stereo radio without a digital clock or cassette player.)

Actually, the new Accent's not that bad-it was pretty impressive for a $12,000 car-I sat in a Sand Beige one at the Auto Show, and I was as impressed with that as much as the current Aveo and xA, I'd say. But is it worthy to be called a Dodge, let alone one called the Attitude? I don't think so.

That thing gonna have a HEMI? I always thought the Sprinter was very interesting and offered something unique and refreshing to the market-and many seem to agree.

Makes the Z-71 version look tame!

Thanks ehaase! You, thegriffon, AH-HA, evok, Hogan and Z28 and others top my list-I'm more of a post than lounge guy though.

AH-HA-I will miss you and your coverage and humor, and those winks. Its sad to see you leave on bad terms-I don't know what happened, its not my concern, so I've stayed out of it. Hope to see you again!

That's a whole size class beyond Rendezvous! Why don't they take Rendezvous and make it a near-luxury version of Equinox/Torrent? Keep the vast passenger and cargo room, make a lower, less top-heavy profile, and make sure it still seats 7 comfortably. I know Griffon suggested a Theta Rendezvous in the past, and it makes senese to me too. GM's been needing to jack up the width for the longest time! Now about Malibu, G6, and Impala....

Yes, Aygo is a joint-venture between Peugeot and Citroen-they're interesting looking A-segment/minicompact cars-I'd like to see the 2002 Jeep Treo concept come to production in that vein to-of course badged as Dodge or Chrysler (or more ideally, DeSoto) certainly not as a Jeep. I've seen pictures of the Aveo 3-door-I thought it was really ugly. Too tall, too fat, needs some Astra hatchback coupe rear roofline treatment to start.

Didn't get to sit in it, but looks and size-wise the Azera is really nothing special. The only thing full-size about it is the fact that it has a large-class interior-that's it-otherwise, its as mid-size as it comes. The Accent and Sonata were impressive though.

I'm with you there-it could be done-we're told it can;t be done, but why not? I know the coupe market is small these days, but still...have the GTO for compact performance, GTO for mid-size, upgraded performance, and the Grand Prix would be the lesser-powered GTO coupe; Bonneville the large rear or all-wheel-drive sedan and Safari wagon-so what's the problem?