bobo

I think it's a highly successful design. It's a safe, unadverturous design appropriate for its segment, and not as old-fogey as the outgoing model. There's definite familial resemblance to the IS and GS, and it's not a case of different size sausages. Proportions appear right (unlike the IS), and the stance is good.

I really liked the Centieme, unlike most people here. The Enclave looks about 80% of the Centieme, so why do people think that the Enclave looks so much better? The only thing I can think of is that the Enclave has better detailing, but overall, it reminds me of a big Hyundai Sante Fe. Still, it's a good piece of work. The interior is impressive. Every new GM interior is getting progressively better in design.

This is the best-looking of all the GMT-900s so far. Doesn't look too truncated or too long. It has a lot of chrome, perhaps a tad too much, but it's all pretty tasteful.

I agree, these recycled designs show that they are out of ideas.

Marc lives in New York and has an '01 Aurora. I saw him on an Oldsmobile forum a few months ago, but I haven't noticed him around lately. LordStafford was on this board just yesterday, and Camino is still around.

I haven't driven either car yet, so I won't be of much help, but of the numerous G and W-bodies I've driven in the past, I've always liked the G's a whole lot more. The platform just seems so much more solid. The Lucerne will be more money to begin with, but over the long haul it'll probably be worth the extra money.

Here are all the vehicles I've had and their problems: '84 GMC S15 (bought new, drove 80,000 miles): oil pressure gauge malfunction, chirping speedometer cable '87 Acura Integra (bought new, drove 60,000 miles): buzzing heat shield, sunroof rattle, hatchback rattle '91 Acura Integra: (bought new, drove 20,000 miles) seatbelt recall '93 Nissan Hardbody: (bought new, drove 100,000 miles) driver mirror loose, vehicle arrived with power steering nonfunctional '94 Honda Prelude (bought with 20,000 miles, now has 91,000 miles): no problems '01 Lexus IS300 (bought new, now has 29,000 miles): missing cupholder insert, tire service campaign (free new tires!), plastic underbody recall, ECU update for hesitation that occurred when accelerating from a rolling stop '01 Aurora (bought with 52,000 miles, and I got rid of it): leaking oil pan gasket '05 Silverado (bought new, now with 3,500 miles): no problems, but vehicle arrived out of alignment and with rail dust in paint

These appear to be the European-market taillights.

For #5, the 5300 engines are aluminum. The 295-hp Gen III and 310-hp Gen IV have aluminum heads. Only the Gen IV has an aluminum block.

Clean and modern, but almost a little too plain. I hate to sound like chrominium, but it could use more chrome.

This just looks goofy, like a big enclosed clown car.

FOG has had a Toyota Starlet forever. RWD.

The hard, hollow-sounding part of the Lucerne's dash is at the very bottom.

The refinement is still lacking. Vehicles need to feel more solid, not like you're settling for the budget buy. For instance, the electric power steering may give you a fraction of mpg in better fuel economy, but the steering feel will not be as good as hydraulic steering. The transmissions should be smoother. GM used to have the best transmissions, but they've fallen behind the better 5 and 6-speeds. Everything the driver touches should feel like high quality, not like sourced from the lowest bidder. Cloth seats should not feel like burlap. Turn signals should not make weird "bwop" sounds.

No rodents. Occasionally ants. Sometimes a stray cockroach (yuck!) will come in from the outside. I put boric acid in the walls when the house was built, and I think that helps because a lot of the bugs I see are dead.

Is there anyone on this site that can read Chinese and see what this is about? Toni?

I don't have a problem when automakers say four-door coupe. To me, that says that there will be compromises for the rear seat in both entry and roominess for the sake of sleek styling. If it weren't so large on the outside, GM probably could have called the existing GP a four-door coupe.

I think GM's marketing for the HHR is appropriate. They are not overpromising anything, and there's lots of emphasis on low price, so nobody should be expecting a top quality interior. Mr. Neil has some legitimate concerns about the car. The steering does not have the best feel, as GM's electric power steering still needs some work. The tight cabin is a result of compromises made for the styling. I wouldn't doubt that GM has some significant upgrades, including more power, in a couple years for a mid-cycle update. Still, for what you pay for, it's a very good value.

I'm ok with the styling and detailing with the front of the LaCrosse, especially since it has a little bit of the last Riviera in it. The problem is that the amount of front overhang makes the car look ill-proportioned. Overall, the styling of the car has grown on me. I saw it first as being too Taurus-like, but I think it stands on its own.

Our favorite reviewer Dan Neil of the L.A. Times did his thing to the HHR. A few quotes: Full Article

A couple of decades ago GM did make an obscure fire-prone mid-engine vehicle on a space frame with plastic panels. And of course the Gen4 F-bodies had them too. I'll miss the plastic panels on Saturns. I wish they would keep them for at least the doors, but I can understand the reasons for doing away with them.

Very classy looking overall. Not too agressive, not too soft. My only two minor complaints on the exterior are those GM badges and the shape of the window on the rear passenger door. I guess they decided that the Escalade should get the slightly edgier rear door.

The Lucerne is very similar to the Aurora in execution. It is a little bit cheaper, which is good. The styling or the Aurora may have been too "out there" for traditionalists, i.e. no grille in the front and devoid of frilly trim. The styling of the Lucerne is more mainstream. Lastly, the Aurora wasn't given much of a chance, with the demise of Oldsmobile announced a few months after the Gen2 Aurora was introduced. The Lucerne will appeal to Buick traditionalists and the orphaned "new Oldsmobile" buyers.

From the spypics, it looks like the EXT has the same front as the regular Escalade. I think the white portion of the camo below the black makes it look different.