pow

Looks really good in blue, too, not flashy or plasticky at all. The LS7 isn't that good sounding, IMHO, judged from that video.

Saw it on the news last night... they kept pronouncing Bentley funny.

Yep, it was in the original Gone in 60 Seconds... except it said "Datsun." We have two neighbors who work for Nissan, both have an EV wagon and Quest, interestingly. I can't imagine them and their kids moving to Nashville any time soon. The Nissan, Honda, and Toyota HQs are all within 25 minutes from our house, and their PR-friendly contributions to our community are great.

By the way, I saw a silver CXS today with the chrome wheels, and I think it looks great. Much more presence and elegance than any Accord or Camry. Doesn't remind me of a Taurus at all, surprisingly.

Oh, I thought it was going to be about Tiger. I didn't realize they were on sale now... better check the Buick store this weekend.

Nicely equipped 2.0T models start around $24K. Add leather and moonroof and it's still only $27K, about the same as a similarly equipped Camry or Accord V6.

As a piece of engineering, the new Caddyeskuh-Laid seems brilliant. I may gripe about the lack of interior originality, but plain-old, traditional attention-to-detail is certainly there. Oh, and, good point about the gauges, Chief. They are very Ford-like.

I think he's using figurative language. But, personally, I don't think it looks classy. The wheels don't fit the body, the front bumper is lower than either the side rocker panels or rear bumper, and so on. I realize there is only so much one can do with a Tahoe, and I commend GM for taking refinement seriously, but I don't know... it just leaves me cold. Why can't the side sheetmetal, like the SRX's, have some crispness to it? Why can't the interior look like a Cadillac and not an ES330? Look at the Range Rover's: it matches its exterior and its philosophy, like a British-owned resort in the Swiss Alps. The new Escalade is a fine car, but I just wish GM designed it more. I mean, even the 9-3 to BTS transformation is more successful, IMO. More than that, I'm beginning to worry about Cadillac's general styling direction and identity. While the CTS wasn't the most cohesive car in the world, it reinterpreted classic Cadillac design cues, like the modern tailfins and "V" crease on the trunklid. What does the Escalade have other than the grille? For a Lexus, I would have accepted it. But this is supposed to be the standard of the world.

Oooh, I'm going.

That's too bad... but giant, floor-mounted accelerator pedals rock. Our Passat's swings from the top, and it's rather annoying.

I agree... the new Passat is a very nice car. As good as the 3.6 is, $30K-37K is 3-series territory. But the 2.0T models are a bargain in my book... the seats aren't as perfect, the wheels are rather bland, but other than that, it's a fantastic car.

The SC430 doesn't have rollover protection? Wow, that's inexcusable for a $60K car.

I've always thought that generation Cutlass had a nice steering wheel for its time period. Too bad it sounds like a taco.

Yawn... I liked the first three "new" Caddys, the CTS, XLR, and SRX, but the STS, DTS, and Escalade are all headed toward the wrong direction. There's nothing that says Cadillac about the interior. To be honest, I don't see it as an improvement to the Tahoe at all... I'd rather have the Chevy, at least appearance-wise. Oh well, now that its an established nameplate, it'll still sell well.

Hybrids undoubtedly help reduce fuel consumption, but it's debatable whether or not buying one is economically feasible. Cars are not rational decisions; people buy Priuses because they like them. Or, as from Bedard's column, "If you want to save money on your next car, here's my advice: Skip the onboard nav option. You'll never save enough in maps and 50-cent phone calls to get your initial cost back."

I pronounce it #1

Good point... all the compact and lower-midsize cars can be international Chevys (Daewoos, for now). Suzuki has their own line-up of original cars (Swift, Liana/Aerio, Grand Vitara), which are all pretty decent.

Wowza... front end looks pretty dynamic in those pictures... much better than the presentation shots. I'm not sure how it'll match the rest of the car.

For VW, the US-debut of the GTI, which I'm looking forward to, and probably the Eos, Golf, and [funny Middle Eastern name].

Hm, well, the 3.6 has just 20 fewer horsepower than the 4.6, and since it'll weigh less, probably yield similar performance. The Northstar does have potential to gain more horses, but that'll cannabalize the DTS and cause more torque steer. I think I see how Buick was forced to opt for the 3800. I suppose they could have went the LaCrosse's route (3800 for CXL, 3.6 for CXS), but a V-8 probably rings a bell with traditional Buick buyers.

Their new Grand Vitara should help with sales... it's got a low price, a solid design, and lots of clever technology. I'd get one over a RAV4, CR-V, Tucson, or Escape.

Well, that must suck.

What about a 95-99 Maxima? Those have excellent engines.

How do lesbians have sex with each other? Just wondering...

They're available in red, green, and gray for '06.