balthazar

Combining stand alone dealerships to join the majority Buick-Pontiac-GMC format is not the same thing as buying franchises back and replacing them with nothing, at least in my book. And I would be shocked (& awed) if 2 suzuki dealerships were geographically close enough to cannabalize sales off each other...

I had the same reaction as my above one to the same chest-thumping claim by nissan, who like I said; eventually revealed the "OVER 300 HP!!" titan to have 305. nissan has executed a lot more effective performance emphasis than toyota, so the likelyhood, based on past example, that an "over 300 hp!!" boast by toyota will turn out to be 350 frankly, makes me snicker. But the base intent of your post is true: we'll see when it's made official. By the way, can you explain how the pre-production PR on the next tundra has anything to do with the current sales rate of a pre-existing production tacoma? And if it does have any relevence, the tundra being THE worst selling fullsize truck in the US currently must be many times more significant. Yes, it's torque that counts, which is why Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet & GMC sell so many 600+ ft-lb of torque trucks.

Well hey howdy hey: I went from my above post to this thread: >>"if the lowest common denominator is willing to take Consumer Reports’ reliability surveys and predictions as gospel, without requesting margins-of-error, why should the magazine bother to publish the number of responses it receives per vehicle (even as this number is statistically critical before results can be compared across vehicles, as readers no doubt do)? Moreover, if no one demands the organization’s demographics before questioning the external validity of a survey to which only a nonrandom, self-selective subscriber sample responds, why should Consumer Reports make any concessions to accuracy? While we are on the subject, veteran automotive journalist and Autoline Detroit host John McElroy last week suggested this to Consumer Reports Senior Director of Auto Testing David Champion, who admitted the disclaimer: “our job… is to serve our subscribers… the people that we are helping (are) the same people that are filling-in the survey” (see the episode here, with RealPlayer). To us, it sounds like a comment on external validity that should, in the interest of accuracy, be given prominent place."<< -- http://www.cheersandgears.com/forums/index...wtopic=2720&hl= Thank you, automobear! Everyone else in the CR daze- wake up!

I wonder if that's what the honda mechanic who had to change all 4 struts on a brand new vehicle was muttering...

Doesn't the titan have 305 HP? Doesn't the Ram have 345? Isn't the titan 40 HP shy of the Ram?? What's that? The Hemi is optional? Oh, sorry; I didn't realize that trucks with optional engines are automatically in a "different" class". What a load of horseshit.

If CR wants to remain relevent, they need to come clean on a number of issues and give some statistics & insight into their workings. How about starting with "# of surveys" per model, that way when some slow-selling vehicles are marked heavily one way or another, and we see that it's based on like 10 responses, we can ignore it like the BS that it all so plainly is. Why don't CR supporters see this clever rouge as the smoke & mirrors marketing that it is??

What's the deal on izusu dealers- they have to be nearly extinct by now. Quite the exodus the likes of which we haven't seen in years: suzuki going, izusu going, mitsu slipping quicker than a rocket sled, VW on rocky ground.... Nice to see some foreign brands going into the U.S. market graveyard for a change.

Later than right now.

This is a vintage story I assume: he jumped a '60 Plymouth (green), a '57-8 Merc, 2 circa 54-55s and a... '61 Chevy?? with flat tires?? Not sure what he's flying in- something about it says '65-68 MoPar compact to me (Dart?). Not to mention he jumped off 2 stacked flatbed trailers into a pile of cardboard boxes... (?!?!) These stunt guys are wacked.

A new, unique platform production Camaro without a Firebird to assist in volume & amortize costs would not make a sound business case as a V-8-only model. A hot powerful V-6 is not 'downmarket' even in this price range: Cadillac is traditionally a V-8 marque yet look at the CTS's market performance in the 30K-40K segment- not a single media damnation for being a V-6.

1 percent is no "resurgence"; it's a flicker of the needle and the needle is hovering above "E". If my company had two consecutive years of approximately [b]30% decreases[b], no way in hell would I utter a peep at a 1% wobble in the numbers. And the deals must be staggering to even be a partial factor in that 1% (and who's to say it is). My local mitsu dealer is logjammed with what must be 500 vehicles, yet the front line is all used cars predominately of other makes. :lol:

Right. Sure. Just like nissan's titan was said to be bringing "MORE THAN 300 HP!!" and it squeaked in at 305. We know the tundra will be damned close to 300 and no where near even 350. toyota has a 15-year track record of being strictly a follower in the truck segment. BTW: I've never seen a tundra towing anything... ever. FOlks around here don't seem to have either the 1. need or 2. confidence to do so. ;)

As a long-time vintage Pontiac man, I like both '59s & '60s, but if you are a Pontiac insider... the '60 comes off as 'less Pontiac-ish' if that makes any sense, and it's not just the missing split grille, nor is it limited to the exterior. The needle jumped out of the groove for '60, but dropped back in place for '61 and after.

>>"Other than the rear and interior, it doesn't look any better than the production G6. I love the profile, but it really isn't practical for production."<< >>"The G6 concept was better than the production version, but it's really pretty similar to the production version if you just take off the big wheels, make it have regular ground clearance, and have a practical roofline. "<< >>"I think if you take off the body-side molding, black out the chrome molding around the window, and remove the fixed windows on the rear doors, you'd have something that's 95% of what this concept's exterior is."<< Agreed Agreed Agreed. Therefore, I cannot understand the comments that run along the lines "This should have been the G6, not what we got." This is easily one of the closest-to-concept vehicle exteriors on the market outside of the Solstice.

I also agree. What's with the tiny cheap brake pedal in the bmw- parts bin leftover from the 2002? The S500 interior is 12 times worse than the 7 series (and that one ain't great either). Bad design abounds in both. But don't leave out ferrari- the hands-down Historically Awful Interior Company. Check the 'carpeted plywood box' and the 1980 console on the floor! For 6 bills; I don't think so. IMO- I hate that every new family sedan forces you to cram between the door & a fat console with little room for anything useful. Nothing cramps an interior like a modern console. Consoles should stay in 2-drs and sports cars, 4-dr sedans are supposed to be about roominess. (Automatic) floor shifters are another uneccessary intrusion into the family sedan (along with console-mounted emergency brakes).

That blue '59 LeSabre looks awfully familiar. I looked at the same year/ model/color back around 2000 in the same town. It seemed in real decent shape but was very 'dusty' inside in certain areas, like on the top of the door hinges & on top of the sun visors. I deduced correctly that the car had been under water when Tropical Storm Floyd ripped thru the area; the property it lived at then backed a large stream that is very subseptible to wide-ranging flooding. The background buildings are different, but IIRC the son took the car from where the father/owner lived. This has to be the same car- price was $1500 then but I would not bite and the submersion was only grudgingly admitted to. For a parts car (it's too nice to part out), it's well worth even $1500, but as a driver- I wouldn't be interested. No bondo in it, tho.

Pro cars rock.

My friend & library table bud Don Butler penned the exterior of that one while a stylist for ChryCo. He worked as an automotive designer from '46 to '75, then had a second career as a journalist & author. A real nice guy who has since passed on. RIP D.B.

I would LOVE for any & all Buick VentiPorts to be cut into the sheetmetal AND be functional. The maserati portholes look fine as is, but when you look at them on the whole car, they look afterthought-ish and... floating. Somehow the Buick VentiPorts look... right. Then again, it may just be me: 'Buick' has always meant portholes (among other things), even tho my Buick is one of the few that has none. BTW- take another look at that maserati pick: note the reflection lines from the fender to door: looks like really poor panel alignment, eh?

Funny; I've seen ridgeliner ads showing it blasting across rough terrain and with bedloads of stuff; if it isn't 'for that' it shouldn't be marketed that way. Handling is assuredly a miniscule difference and not a factor for either the honda buyer or another product's buyer. Why would you think the few minor differences you focused on would sway large numbers of consumers? These factors (emissions, handling, safety features) do not drive pick up sales in the least.

I'm with Brandon & FOG: rural near a suburban area. Unfortunately, that's becoming increasingly difficult to obtain in NJ. Traffic sucks.

Oh I know The LaCrosse's VentiPorts are actually stuck on, but the design of them looks slicker than those 'rounded squares' on the maserati, functional (??) tho they may be. They just don't well integrated from a styling viewpoint. IMO.

The mazda looks so-ooo dated. The untrimmed headlights look like those cheap-o autopart store headlight 'masks' that 'change' the shape of the lense by double-side taping over the factory units. Add to that the reguritated design & monochromatic look (windshield frame & door handles) and it's certainly not much to look at. Interesting how the Pontiac's lows are low luggage room (:rolleyes: duh), is comparitively heavy (via the spec sheet but not on-the-road feel), and the engine is slightly, comparitively unrefined. The mazda's lows are a drab interior, noisy ride and twitchy handling, yet it placed #1. Interesting indeed.....

I prefer the shape & spacing of the VentiPorts on the LaCrosse to those on the maserati quattroporte, which come off as afterthought-ish to my eye.

I know a guy who's had 'classic' plates on his vintage Lincoln for YEARS, drives it every day, never been hassled ever. Drives another vintage Lincoln out of state annually with YOM (Year of Manufacture) plates... which are not legal in this state... and also never got hassled over those. Of course if I tried that, I'd get my vehicle impounded...