pow

Energy usage... the GHGs are traced back to the power plant.

The crap most pet owners feed their dogs and cats comes from animal scraps, which would otherwise be thrown away. A medium sized dog doesn't eat 360 pounds of filet mignon a year; it eats maybe 360 pounds of "animal byproduct" instead. I worked at a place near an animal rendering plant... and let me tell you it absolutely STINKS. They take in animal carcasses from nearby slaughterhouses, dead pets/zoo animals/roadkill, and supermarket food waste, which they mince and boil in a vat at 280F. The fat is siphoned off (beef tallow, lard, glycerin, stearic acid, etc), while the protein is dehydrated into meat and bone meal. Yummo. As a result I'd argue that Fido and Rover's dinners hardly make a dent on overall GHG emissions, because what they eat would otherwise be wasted.

This week leading up to Christmas I made paella, risotto, steamed rice, and fried rice... rice is wonderful before Christmas. At Thanksgiving, there was sticky rice stuffing, too..

How are the controls - steering, brakes, and throttle? What sbout the transmission?

I do agree that more needs to be more uncovered - but how is this endemic of Japan-based corporations any more than US ones? Whatever happened to the Explorer rollovers, exploding Pinto gas tanks, etc. Corporations all make faulty products, and it's in their self-interest to cover things up, deny responsibility, and protect their image.

Stabilitrak and side torso airbags, too. Personally I like the new rocker moldings.

If Pontiac's website is accurate, they're nearly all gone. In the LA area, the only inventory left are two overpriced G6 sedans, one G6 coupe, and seven Solstices. No G8, G5, G3, or Vibe. The cheapest vehicle is a 2009.5 G6 sedan at $25,565 with a 3.5L V6 and four-speed auto. Doubt there will be many takers even at $19K.

Let's see... Genesis > Avalon Sonata (2011) > Camry Tucson and Sorento (2011) > RAV4 Cube > XD Forte Koup > tC

Seems catered to the Real Housewives of New Jersey set..

Last time with Hertz I was given a choice between a last-generation Accord DX or a Camry.

Well, in truth, he had a wide stance.

No idea... Enterprise tends to have more diverse vehicle fleets. I've seen BMW X3s, Toyota Priuses, and MINI Cooper S convertibles with Enterprise plates.

And what's weird is that Tiger seems decidedly un-sleazy. Those voicemail messages just seem so... awkward.

Nice review. I'd take the minivan for its space and maneuverability, but crossovers look better, offer AWD, and tow more. Makes sense if you live where it snows or own a boat.

The Regal is for people who don't like the other Buicks. Personally, I think the LaCrosse is a monstrosity, so I'm glad they didn't ruin the Insignia just so it can share the same face as its fugly family members.

For the record, their Cash for Clunkers program has a minimum MPG requirement, and no Big Three vehicles meet it. It's not about country of origin. Most American-branded vehicles sold there are exotics like the Camaro, HUMMER, etc.

They need to reframe it... "the concept car you can buy!"

BMW vs. Audi quattro

IMO, if they built THIS on GMT900 and charged $85K for it... people would buy it, even if it handles like truck. It won't matter, because it looks amazing. And there's already a hybrid powertrain designed for it. How hard can it be? Wasn't the SSR based on GMT360?

Bingo. The S-class is a global institution. There's no point for Cadillac to copy the same formula and spend millions in engineering, only to fail. Instead, they should go for shock and awe, like Bentley and Rolls do, but so that there's actual buyers, charge regular luxury car money (<$100K). The Bentley Arnage in most respects is a POS, overweight with a pushrod engine and crappy handling. But it has tons of nice wood, leather, and chrome and high-quality paint, and it gets respect. In many ways, the Escalade is Cadillac's S-class competitor. Now imagine an Escalade sedan...

Space efficient hatchbacks never make good-looking sedans, IMO. The Fiesta sedan, Jetta, Versa, Impreza, etc... they all look too tall and three-box as notchbacks. The Cruze has a better profile because it was designed to be four-door only. This new baby Buick... well, I wish it didn't have the LaCrosse front end. I prefer the Regal's approach, with a more subdued grill and no portholes. They're not fooling old school Buick owners... so why even bother?

I wonder if they can adapt Sigma technology to Zeta - stuff like more aluminum components and double-wishbones instead of struts up front.

Rear weight bias on a RWD car (think Porsche 911) might help you accelerate better, but I don't think it will do anything for fishtailing... it might make it worse. That said, I've only driven on snow a handful of times, so I probably don't know what I'm talking about...

With the attribute-based CAFE system going forward, there's no point for them to sell the Spark over here. A Cruze is 15% bigger but maybe only 10% less efficient. If GM sells the Spark in the US, it's because of consumer demand for something really, really inexpensive, not CAFE.

The 9-5 has a lot of subtle design cues that aren't immediately apparent in pictures and video. From what I saw online, I thought it looked bloated, like a 1990s Infiniti J30, but actually the design language is very different from the same Saab generica we've seen in the past. Surprisingly for a Saab, it's a large car with presence. Based on looks I'd take the new 9-5 over a CTS sedan any day.