VenSeattle

Is there a solid date for the Epsilon2 LaCrosse? Which plant? You mentioned in another thread that DTS could/would go Zeta along with the Lucerne... how close to "final approval" is that possibility?

GM had more than twice the investment in Subaru and couldn't achieve anywhere near half of what Toyota is asking... Subaru was even against the 9-2x, though it was a very low volume vehicle for GM. Pathetic.

Me too... or get a fully loaded AWD Montego once the 3.5l engine comes out.

Perhaps it's an optional Chrome package? Did the window sticker indicate the chrome grille as an option?

Do you want one? Are you considering to buy one? What colors did you like best? What was the cloth fabric like?

Huh? I actually like the sketch. It gives the vehicle an FX35/45-like profile and stance. Put a Velite grille on the front and round out the greenhouse for the Buick version. :)

I agree. Most new products from the Asian brands have been vehicles that compete directly with those that GM plans to remodel for 2006. It's bad advice to tell GM to ignore the onslaught of large SUVs & Pick-ups that have recently emerged in this "environmentally & economically" concerned market. If it's truly and honestly a bad idea, then the analysts should have been condemning Toyota and Nissan over the past 5 years for building new plants dedicated to large trucks and SUVs.

I feel Buick is moving in the right direction. I have no problems with the names Enclave or Lucerne. Buick may need more focus but one thing Buick is good at is attracting buyers that don't shop the rest of GM. GM should not offer the same product attracting the same demographic in every division. Each GM division needs to be focused and continue to attract a different type of buyer. Considering your taste, wants, and expectations, I don't feel Buick is the right GM brand to find what you're looking for or expect it either.

A 2009MY vehicle can go on sale Jan 1, 2008. That's about 2 years away.

It's been suggested before and I still agree with it: Give Buick's LWB Theta crossover the Rendezvous name. And I think they're terribly off in their predicted price range. Buick's Enclave will probably be $35k-$45k but the Theta will probably be priced the same as the outgoing Rendezvous: $25k-$35k.

Exactly. A lot of people on this board, especially several who voted the Lucerne as a 2006 fiasco, haven't even seen the Lucerne in person yet. The Lucerne will be loved by current Buick owners and still bring in first time/non-GM buyers. There's no way the Lucerne will encourage a current LeSabre/PA owner to leave Buick.

http://www.partsvoice.com Click on "find parts" and then "parts catalog". Enter your zip code and search as a guest.

Back when the LaCrosse orginially debuted, it was mentioned that it would have a shorter than normal model life cycle (shorter than 6-7 years like the Regal). This fits the picture. As CSpec said, Epsilon II is the intended platform for the LaCrosse replacement which should be ready by the 2009MY. I believe Malibu will be the first to receive it in 2008. This could mean the next gen Malibu & next gen LaCrosse will be built at the same plant (Fairfax?).

In that case, the 500 is still larger than the Sonata and Camry by a notable difference: Camry passenger volume: 101.8 cu ft Sonata passenger volume: 105.4 cu ft 500 passenger volume: 108.3 cu ft

UHM... :rolleyes: The 500's interior volume is 129.5 cu ft compared to the Sonata's 121.7 cu ft. There's a big difference between interior volume (which is the combined total of passenger & cargo volume) and just passenger volume. Sonata passenger volume: 105.4 cu ft Sonata cargo volume: 16.3 cu ft total: 121.7 cu ft 500 passenger volume: 108.3 cu ft 500 cargo volume: 21.2 cu ft total: 129.5 cu ft

Here's an informative link: http://www.ford.com/en/company/about/brands/mercury.htm

GM is not getting out of the minivan market. The reason the quadruplets did not receive a significant update is because the new minivans will be on Lambda. According to the insiders here, only Chevrolet and Saturn are getting the new minivans. This could have changed again, but this was the situation last time I checked.

I saw Harry Potter at the midnight showing... I liked it. Much darker than the others. According to my friends, some sub-plots were left out or merely hinted at that would have made the movie more interesting. It’s still a good movie. I was forced to go see Zuthura. Just as I thought... Jumanji, but with a space theme. It wasn't a waste of money, but wait for On-Demand or video if you don't have kids screaming to go see it.

Yeah... a driver that's asleep would have been steering the Explorer perfectly. It must have been a handling problem. :rolleyes:

I think it's the other way around. GM's complete vehicle line-up was around way before Toyota's. Toyota is the one who decided to make one vehicle that competes against several from GM & Ford. That's why Toyota has a single vehicle that stretches across $10k-$15k in options while GM's were traditionally marketed in certain price ranges and loaded for that price range. GM has now joined the "3 foot long options list" racket which has created a lot of overlap with product pricing.

Not picking on you Harley... but several have said similar. Considering the 100,000+ annual LeSabre buyers that are automatically going to LOVE the Lucerne, then yes, older people will be seen driving it... but the Lucerne doesn't look dated. It has exterior styling traits that are similar to current Acuras and VWs. The overhangs are no larger than its direct large import sedan competitor (see Avalon.) As for the interior quality, everything indicates that it's world class. Toyota isn't too concerned if the average buyer's age of the Avalon doesn't drop (60's) and the latest info I could find on the average age of Lexus buyers is 58 years old. That's not much younger than Buick's. I think too many people are obsessed with getting the few dollars that 18-35 years olds have. Most can not afford a $35,000 Buick, Cadillac, Toyota, or Lexus. They have Student loans, first time mortgages, and newborns to pay for. It's Chevrolet, Saturn, & Pontiac that need to worry about those buyers since they all make cars that fall more within the average Gen X/Gen Y price range(which BTW, their average buyer age is much younger than Buick or Cadillac.) This is probably why almost every brand has an average buyers age in the mid 40's or higher. Something of an FYI... You can usually tell if a Buick review will be biased or not when they quote the average buyer's age. If it's biased they'll quote the 'average age for Buick sedan/car buyers' instead of the entire Buick division. That way they can inflate the number and exclude any success the Rendezvous, Rainier, & recent Terraza has had in bringing younger buyers to Buick. (I don't believe this particular article did this, but I've seen far too often in recent reviews... it's irritating.)

I looked into this question myself. According to several sources, the Ridgeline is a derivative of Honda's "Global Light Truck" platform that's shared with the Pilot, Odyssey, & MDX. To meet the structural requirements, 93% of the structural components were modified. So it’s not the exact platform as the others, but it’s not entirely original either. It’s more like Honda’s light truck platform on steroids. From what I can tell, even Honda classifies the Ridgeline as a "Global Light Truck" platform derivative.

Young male professional that's not a current Buick owner and typically cross-shops imports. Pretty much someone who's not in Buick's current demographic, but someone who Buick is trying to attract.

The steering wheel isn't black, Northstar. It's the same BLUE color as the rest of the Tuxedo Blue two-tone trim interior. Even the interior carpet is the same blue color. It looks great to me.

I'm thrilled to hear someone like you say this. I can't picture any LeSabre/Park Avenue owner disappointed with the Lucerne, which guaranties a solid buyer base. I can also see non-GM owners and import owners finding the Lucerne appealing as well. Why everyone here discounts and ignores the strong buyer base of the LeSabre that will transition to the Lucerne is beyond me. Because of that alone, the Lucerne will not be a 2006 fiasco. I've yet to have an opportunity to sit inside the Lucerne, but I've seen it in person several times. Your review makes the Lucerne's potential look promising.