bobo

If it works on municipal trucks, why not the Corvette? We need more pumpkin-colored vehicles.

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Terri O'Connell

The NUMMI thing has been interesting. Toyota got to deal with the UAW. They also learned about doing business in the U.S. and developing relationships with suppliers. GM learned about Toyota's production methods. GM now gets only a small fraction of the plant's production. Should GM sell off its interest in this joint venture?

I sat in a Fit. It's a definite step down from a Civic, but I think it could make a nice commuter car for a crowded urban area if it drives well. The design seems entirely unremarkable.

Word

Here's my limited wishlist: 1. Standard foglights on the CXL model. 2. Upgraded interior materials. 3. Available HID's. 4. 3.6 liter V-6 replacing the 3800. 5. Optional one inch larger wheels on all models.

Some cars are fun with a high-revving engine. The Vibe isn't one of them because it's just feels like working the engine really hard. The Vibe isn't that heavy, but the weak engines sure make it feel like a ponderous vehicle. The loss of these models is no big deal, though it would be nice if the GT's 4-wheel discs migrated to the base model.

I'm sorry for your loss, Josh.

Cheap, small cars can be a lot of fun. I even found the Aveo to be a decent drive. I'm guessing a stock Yaris would have a lot of characteristic Toyota numbness, but a few mods probably could do it wonders.

missionary

AH-HA had a few pics of the refreshed STS on his site about a month ago. The car needs the update.

Saw a caravan of 6 Minis on Highway 99. Saw my first Maybach on I-5 south of Lathrop.

With the Alcantara, the car is worth the price. Pretty color too.

It's the bottom of the line CX model Lucerne that has the full chrome grille. Upper models have it blacked out.

fruity

Ouch. So sad.

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I'm not a Chrysler or VW fan at all, but the two current cars that have me smitten are the Dodge Caliber and VW EOS. I tend to get infatuated with newly introduced cars and then quickly lose interest. If I bought all the cars I have a lot of initial interest in, I'd have an HHR, GTO, C6, and RX-8. But now I'm still truck shopping, and I may be getting something built in Tennessee.

The car I had that was the most fun was my '87 Integra with the blazing 113 hp. Even Honda Civics of that era were fun to drive. In contrast, I haven't found low-cost Toyotas to be fun to drive at all.

In my opinion, Nissan leads all the Japanese makes in design, though not quality. This view makes the car look promising.

Automobile Magazine also gushed over the car. It was the best W-body at the time. Stylistically, the only thing to pick on was the too-small taillights. Funny that the Alero had oversized units.

If I could do the looking into the future thing, it would be the 2008 CTS. But more immediately, I may be trading in the Silverado soon for something smaller, and unfortunately the Colorado doesn't cut it, so it would be something non-GM.

Interesting that someone would store a diesel Buick for 25 years, but why on earth would someone do that? That diesel engine is wretched. Way back when, my parents' '79 Seville went through two of them, and then they put in a rebuilt gasoline Oldsmobile 350 engine in it. This Buick would make a nice project car.

Sorry to hear about your latest accident. There are many more important things in the world than cars. I hate the thought of a smashed up IS, but you guys are ok and things will work their way out.