bobo

It looks better without the external spare tire:

According to GM, the curb weight of the SS S/C is 2991 lbs. http://eogld.ecomm.gm.com/NASApp/domestic/...genum=2&butID=9 According to Honda, the 2006 Civic Si weighs 2877 lbs. Last year it weighed 2782 lbs.

Unfortunately, the Civic Si has gained weight, to about 2900 pounds. It's still 100 pounds lighter than the Cobalt SS S/C.

I've always like the Aveo. The new front is a huge improvement. I'm not sure about those taillights, though. The dashboard vents look better.

The greenhouse, with the frameless glass, does look like the old Subaru Loyale's. The rest of the car looks like a bigger version of the original Galant:

That power for this cute ute is fearsome. I think Toyota is weeding out the 3.3 liter engine, so this 3.5 liter engine will see more common duty. I'm surprised that the 2006 Sienna did not get this engine, but maybe next year when the Camry and ES350 supposedly get it.

Stylistically, the rear was always the weakest point for the RAV4, and they've managed to make it worse. The tails of Toyotas are really starting to looked wretched...like the 4Runner and Avalon.

Brian, that story made me laugh. Maybe he thought it was a Skyhawk?

The Seville was a K-body, and its styling set the pace for the '77 B and C-bodies. BMWs and Mercedes became much more appealing in the early '80's, especially with the 1982 Mercedes S-Class. And this was the time that the General was beginning to fault.

In the '80's, the flagship of the Mitsubishi lineup in the U.S. was the Galant. Then a bigger car, called the Galant Sigma, was placed at the top. That car became just the Sigma, and then was replaced by the Diamante around 1990. Like the Diamante, the Sigma was an entirely forgettable car. It was powered by a V-6.

Took about 2 seconds. It's like he's staring at you. Maybe the people who can't see it right away don't have a very clear monitor.

14 10 7

GM started with a projection of 100K, but then cut that back to 60K. I never understood why they changed it. The car has hit written all over it.

To me this is an easy choice--the Accord, but it will be the most expensive. The Dodge will probably be the cheapest, but there are the Mitsubishi mechanicals that you will have to worry about. The Grand Am is ok--but it's a Grand Am, a car that is decidedly average. I don't have any experience with the Cougar, but I can't see that car holding any resale value.

The LeSabre seems to fit the bill better. The only downside is that it is a lameduck model, and I really dislike the plasticky dashboard, but I don't find the fake wood all over the LaCrosse's interior to be much better. I guess I also prefer the G-bodies over the W-bodies for the room and solid structure.

My parents had one of those original Sevilles. It was a car that they had aspired to. BMWs and Mercedes were a little too exotic back then. The '76 to '79 Seville were more in keeping with American tastes than the foreign vehicles, and was much less bargelike than the Fleetwoods and DeVilles, but it had all the luxury. The following generation of Seville, the bustleback from '80 to '85, should have gone even more international, but unfortunately it just became a niche boutique car. It wasn't until the following generation, the mini-Seville, with the STS sub-model, that there were hints of becoming a serious contenter to the foreign competition. The next Seville, from '92 to '96, was more in line of what the Seville should have been from the second generation.

Overall refinement is still lacking.

Overall, better looking. More like the coupe in the rear, though the triangular wrap-around taillamp has gotten to be a very generic look.

The HD trucks with the Duramax get a 6-speed automatic transmission with tapshift.

If the new Civic Si drives more like an old Integra than the outgoing Civic Si, I'd take it. The Cobalt SS is a decent drive. There's nothing really wrong with it other than I don't care for the way the supercharged engine sounds.

GM employees have been shortchanged on buying GM vehicles for several months now. This new deal is slightly better than what was offered before, but it's not anything to get too excited about, especially since it only applies to a few vehicles. Employees should be a lot happier next month when the "empoyee pricing for all" program is over and real employee pricing is back.

Just do it, and I'll buy it. Keep it lightweight, and the 2.4 liter ecotec should be fine.

rolling turd

Saw my first HHR on the road today. I still think it looks good, especially in that dark gray color.

Saw a Chevrolet Zafira with Jalisco, Mexico plates. Nice little vanlet.