thedriver

What about the movie "The Chase"? I know it is cheesy, but c'mon, the whole movie is a chase and it has Henry Rollins as a cop.

I don't like how ALL of Toyota's SUVs look essentially the same from the front. Especially the headlights. Shows a lack of originality. It's as bad as some other companies feeling the need to share the same grille shape or other cues across their entire line.

at the local dealership, 1985 buick riviera with 15,000 miles. for sale.

By comparison the new Lacrosse is 120 pounds lighter and has 20 more horsepower than a 1996 Chevy Impala SS and we are concerned about the 0-60 time? I am more worried that something that size weighs so damn much. The Impala also was rated 17/25 fuel mileage. And was waaay cooler to be seen in.

Well, it looks like the dealers participating in the program are receiving their due. The $4500 counts as taxable income for the dealership, so for their trouble they have to pay more taxes. Beautiful.

http://desmoines.craigslist.org/cto/1252090168.html A nice project for someone to finish.

Yeah, I posted about this last week, nobody seemed to care. Why the shift?

Ok everyone, the NEXT round of letters to dealers went out today. Both good news and bad news will be coming. Thankfully we received the good letter...

Maybe this is just the list of GM dealers who will admit publicly that they are being closed. I don't see the 4 metro dealers that are closing in the DSM area. I am certain of three of them now, the fourth is still just rumored.. EDIT: I just realized this list doesn't feature the Sioux City, IA dealer who has spoken to the media about closing. Definitely not a complete list.

We are a (soon to be) Buick-GMC dealer. The one I heard about is the same, but in a large Metro area. Both dealers have a long history. I will post more if and when I have confirmations...

I best not say, my info is thirdhand. Our driver talked to someone at this dealership who signed for an official letter. May be bogus...

As of about noon today the dealership I work at is safe. We did not receive the letter, but we have heard one within about 20 miles of us has. We are a small dealership, but serve a largish rural area.

To put a slightly different face on this, I work at a smallish Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealer. If we are cut down to two brands, and GM wants to eliminate 3000 dealerships, how much longer does anyone think I will have a job?

The BPG dealer I work at just (unfortunately) received our first and second G3's about 10 days ago. They put it right out front next to the Solstice and G8. So sad. Maybe they just aren't out at dealers to sell yet, instead buried in some holding lot somewhere...

I don't know about lead the demise, but I think one of the last nails in the coffin was renaming the mid sized car Intrigue instead of keeping the Cutlass name. That name carried 30+ years of solid history with it, bad marketing move. Instead of modernizing the Oldsmobile brand, it was remade into something unrecognizable by its core of loyal buyers. They left.

My wife's parents have one of these Vues and absolutely love it, no problems since day one.

Exactly. That was the point of my essay.

Well, if it was pared back to the Astra and Vue and still built only in Spring Hill, they might have a chance to sell it to someone. But then, if that happened, the division might just survive, and we can't have that. Back to their roots would bring buyers back, but it isn't going to happen unfortunately...

Humph. I knew this would happen when Saturn shifted away from their core product. Heck, I wrote an essay about the death of Saturn around here a year or two ago. I am not saying I am happy tho. I have gotten my wife, her parents and 3 friends into Saturns, but all back in the plastic panel days... I just wish it could be turned around. I think it is possible, but GM is unwilling or unable to do it.

OFF_TOPIC I feel you reg. My wife and stepson have Asperger's Syndrome. Maybe our son as well. It is an interesting thing, I am hesitant to call it an affliction or disease, especially when considering our time together. Its just... different. Some things are harder of course, but there are pluses as well.

Seconded. Make Saturn Saturn again, not a warmed over Pontiac/Chevy.

Where are these cars coming from since production doesn't even start for 2 months?

Seems a little, I don't know, rounded? Arch-y? Fat? Overall I like it a fair bit and will reserve judgement for in person viewing. What are the stats? Dimensions, power, etc. . .

I am just not impressed. I hate the downward sloping roofline, the front looks like a Caddy grille on a Buick Enclave, it fairly scream Saturn Vue in silhouette. I do like the interior, and the rear 3/4 from the beltline down. Overall I think they tried too hard, and it didn't work.

Zeta and W bodies are not big. Mid sized. Compare a G8 next to a G6 and see what I mean.