pow

Maybe an Acadia Denali - cheese-grater grille, chrome "wagon" wheels, and jet black paint?

For our 5-series, we bought a Duralast battery from Autozone for ~$90 and had it installed for $20. We got pads (Axxis) and rotors (Brembo) online for, I think, ~$600, and had them installed and bled for $200. If you find a good independent mechanic, maintenance costs really aren't any different. Speaking of which, the rear brakes on the Cobalt SS/TC seem to be having problems, or so I've heard on Cobalt forums.

Volvo 240 coupe

Volvo 240. RWD, and it's a tank.

+1 I love mapo doufu - which has both tofu and PORK. Mmm...

If you're going to go for a Volkswagen... go all out:

There you go...

By the way, BMW's extended maintenance plan is 6/100K - so you have ~2 years and 43,000 miles left, I believe. And extended maintenance is a package different from extended warranty. Check to see if there's both. BMW's CPO program doesn't do much. Is this private party or dealer? The extended warranty/maintenance stands regardless.

As fast as the Cobalt is, I'd go for the BMW. Nothing like hearing a smooth inline-six howl!

Dowdy looking... but that's a Subaru characteristic, and they seem to sell okay. Really nothing new.

Well, this isn't exactly a change... the current DTS is essentially a Lucerne. A long-wheelbase version of the LaCrosse (Epsilon II) is rumored to be the NG Lucerne. So Caddy gets a version, too.

Looks good to me. I think "progressive activity sedans", like the BMW concept revealed last month, could find a niche. Some don't want the bulkiness of an SUV, but they want more interior space than a sedan.

The back reminds me of the Maserati GranTurismo.

When I first saw the pics, I thought it was based on the Journey. Guess not. This looks to be a very nice vehicle, but I'm not sure the "Grand Cherokee" name has enough cachet to go with the tech, features, and likely, price. It seems like very much a luxury vehicle with pricey engineering to boot. The interior is much improved, though they went overboard with rounding out squares into squircles. Driver's footwell still looks narrow. I fear this might be too over-engineered for its own good. Consumers will treat it like just another Murano or Highlander competitor.

I don't see the market for this. In dense areas like NYC, people get by fine using transit or walking. From the pictures, it's propelling along on a sidewalk - which, in real life, would be filled with people.

The G3's MSRP is $14,995. And since it's a new model, discounts will be less than with the Cobalt. It does look better than the Aveo5, which got a new, more fuel-efficient engine for 2009.

I love Honey Bunches of Oats. Store brand products are definitely not the same, even if they have the same "active ingredients", similar packaging, and say "compare to..." That's more like a Chery QQ than a Pontiac G3.

I'm starting to like it more. It's certainly more distinctive than the ML... I mean, Equinox. My only complaint is that it's a truckish body on a car-like platform, so the wheels/tires look a bit small. They seem to be set inboard and are completely dwarfed by the protruding fender flares. Also, from behind it looks quite narrow and tippy, like all Theta/TE cars. Still, it's a surprisingly clean design that looks architectural, and well, "professional."

Occidental... it's in Eagle Rock.

wielding*

A militia of drag queens yielding AK47s and rainbow flags... that's going to scare the crap out of people who are already "fearful" of gays and lesbians.

I love rib eye. No fancy marinades or sauces needed. Salt (coarse) and pepper (freshly ground) both sides, on a super hot cast iron pan. Throw in a twig of rosemary and an unpeeled garlic clove if you must. Last thirty seconds, dump in a knob of butter and baste the steak a little, if you want. Let rest before eating. Don't move the steak around when searing!

If you happen to wonder out to the SGV, I like Banh Mi My Tho. It's in Alhambra, about 15-20 min from where I am in Eagle Rock. Give it a Yelp... it's not worth driving there just for the sandwiches, but if you're on Valley Blvd doing Asian food exploration or whatever, check it out. http://www.lapublichealth.org/phcommon/pub...ating/index.cfm <- It has an 86 rating.

Relax... design is subjective; there will always be opposing opinions of which is "far better looking." Interestingly, I find the 3-series coupe to be the dreariest BMW out there. It's flabby like a German Solara. I'd much rather have the eccentric art project that is the Z4 Coupe. Nowadays I don't give a crap about BMW's "philosophy" -- didn't they say there will never be an M-powered SUV? And didn't they say M cars will never use forced induction? Pshh.

It looks... futuristic... in an Isuzu Axiom sort of way. But with the Mercedes GLK hardly being any better... at least GMC isn't alone.