pow

You can't generalize all of the EU car-buying populace that way. Based on how unpopular the Cadillac BLS was, I'd argue that in Europe, a NA-built Opel will do far, far better than an EU-built Cadillac. Vehicles like the X5 and ML are built in NA, and those vehicles sell competitively in Europe. The next Ford Kuga will be imported from NA to the EU. In Europe, it's more about how appropriate the vehicle is to a country than where it's made.

No, it's cause the '97 Seville was outclassed by its competitors, too big, and handled like a pig even when compared to base non-quattro Audis. And if Europeans only buy "domestic", why is the #1 and #2 best selling car in the UK the Spanish-made Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus?

Trailblazer SS?

I wonder what the back seat is like, considering it has the same wheelbase as the LaCrosse. Most flagship luxo sedans are purchased in LWB form, which provide acres of legroom.

With a Haldex system, that only occurs when the front wheels start to slip. It's not "predictive" AWD like it is on Audis, Subarus, etc. Still, I don't think that really matters on a car like this. Most of the effort should go to poshness and design, IMO.

Making it full-hybrid makes sense... it's one more differentiating factor from the LaCrosse, and it allows GM to charge a premium for it. A plug-in 100 MPG version (like the proposed VUE) would be groundbreaking. If the production car has all the detail and size of this concept, IMO Cadillac can still charge $62K for a fully-loaded "base" hybrid. They already charge that much for a tarted-up Tahoe.

Forgot about that. The NCC looks fantastic; I look forward to seeing the production Jetta sedan now. Catered to American tastes but not watered down... that would be great. The more stylish VWs of the past, the B5 Passat and Mk5 Jetta, also looked like scaled down Audis. Regal GS is great, too... sticking with the 2.0T was a good decision. Looks great in white.

I'm very pleased by the new Focus, especially the sedan... which looks surprisingly hot. It's very realistically my next car for when my Passat dies. Aveo is a pleasant surprise. Nothing ground breaking, but it's a huge improvement. I like the Granite, which gives new life, purpose, and design direction for the GMC brand. Nice to see the Chrysler "Lancia" (Delta) over here as well...

Size. Epsilon II is narrow. Drivetrain. This is transverse FWD architecture with Haldex-style AWD. Don't get me wrong... I'm not complaining about this vehicle because I realize it's not a budget-destroying $100K flagship. Instead, it's a perfectly saleable Cadillac.

Superimposed on each other, you can see it's a LaCrosse with a larger rear overhang. I see no 9-5 in it at all. Some wheelbase as the LaX, too. The curvature of the door panel and dash meeting place is similar as well.

On closer inspection, one thing I notice is the narrow driver's footwell. I know CR complained about the LaCrosse's intrusive center console and front wheelwell, and this looks no different. Check out the size of that dead pedal... That interior is gorgeous, though... easily comparable to a production S-Class.

So, no, it's not an S-class or 7-series competitor, but I think there's a market for such a Cadillac. It looks much nicer than the LaCrosse, and Caddy could potentially offer all the equipment in smk4565's wet dreams to adequately differentiate it from its lesser Epsilon II siblings. Think Lexus ES (a sales hit, by the way), made one size larger.

I'd argue that Japan's economy has been crappy 1990 onwards... just cause a private corporation based there is doing well doesn't translate into a strong economy overall. And Toyota isn't state-owned... if you buy a Sienna here, the profits don't "go to Japan" - it goes to Toyota, which in turn invests (and pays dividends) in all parts of the world. I'm in China right now... and the Chinese certainly like their locally-made (Guangzhou) Camrys and Accords as much as Americans do.

Maybe the $30K models are nice, but I didn't enjoy the 2.7-liter Sebring I rented at all. I couldn't find a comfortable driving position, outward visibility was poor, and the interior materials (including touch points like the steering wheel and handbrake) were unpleasant. The engine was noisy at idle and made these weird ancillary noises. On the upside, the brake pedal felt nice and firm. Altogether I'd have a hard time buying one over the competition without any incentives.

And as a result, how has Japan's economy been doing? Crappy. Trade and foreign investment creates jobs. The theories of economic mercantilism have been long gone...

Depends where you are... I'm talking in broad strokes here, but here goes: US/Canada city: Cadillac CTS country: Ford F-150 Western Europe city: Fiat 500 country: Range Rover Hong Kong (where I'm now) city: BMW 5-series country: Volvo XC60 city: Toyota Estima country: Toyota Hiace Japan city: Subaru R2 country: Land Cruiser Australia city: Ford Falcon country: Holden Ute

Dodge Journey?

I like it... and would be interested in purchasing a toned-down version of this. The front end says GMC without being out of place and weird like the Terrain's.

I, for one, am glad that car critics like Dan Neil still exist, especially in light of blogs (Autoblog, Jalopnik, etc.) that while provide quick news or entertainment, hardly ever assess a car critically or thoughtfully.

Electric motors, which can have 92% mechanical efficiency as in the Tesla Roadster, are inherently more efficient than ICEs, which have a mechanical efficiency of 20%. If GM's engineering targets are met for the Volt (8 kWh for 40 miles, or 20 kWh for 100 miles), the CO2 emissions coming out (from the average US power plant) are equivalent to that of a 160 mpg gasoline-powered car. That "study" from CNW Marketing has been thoroughly debunked over and over again.

Hows the visibility? On the highway, I wouldn't imagine any issues, but high belt lines, thick pillars, and tall rear decks tend to be a problem in built-up areas. Any circumstances where you wish for more than FWD? Torque steer? Understeer? Thanks!

CH4 can be captured and burned for energy. Top Gear once did a poo powered car vs. a normal car drag race.

Going by your insurance analogy, the more people with a warranty, the better... as you get to pool costs together, making it inexpensive for more people.

You might want to look into a Valuguard "ABC" system... I haven't tried it, but I've read about it on teh internets...

Filters of the same brand do vary, though I've noticed Purolators tend to be of decent quality. The Purolator L40316 used on the Passat 1.8t is ginormous... made by Mann in Germany: The Purolator I use on the Ody V6 is tiny but made in the US.