Petra

Saw a Solstice on Friday, westbound on the 402, heading towards Sarnia (and, by extension, Michigan). I was eastbound, and I only saw it for a second or so, because I was getting on an off-ramp at the time. For whatever reason, I had my head turned to the left, and I saw it going down the freeway. "There's a Solstice!" I said. "What?" said my Mom, looking to the left. "A Pontiac Solstice", I said, even though it knew that it was already gone and she wouldn't have known what she was looking for, anyway. Like I said, I only saw it for a couple seconds, but I liked what I saw. It was all black, with a black-grey top. The top was partly up; it seemed to be resting on the back of the seats. The overall shape is somewhat like that of a Potato; oblong and somewhat "lumpy". It looks very sleek and organic, but I think I'd prefer the high-tech look of the Sky myself. I appreciate the car for what it is, but it ain't my cup 'o tea. Whew... That's an awful lot of text for about 2 seconds of actually seeing the car, eh?

Considering what a bad rebadge the Torrent is, and how Edmunds seems to enjoy tearing chunks off GM products, I thought they were actually pretty kind to it.

Considering that Florida is probably the rainiest state in America (where do you think that humidity comes from?), I find that very amusing. You'd think that, with all the rain there, people would've figured out how to drive in the rain by now. Of course, the large population of geriatrics could have something to do with the level of driver incompetance... Paging Dr. Flybrian... The C&G Lounge is looking for Dr. Fly... ...Would Jack Woodcock please report to the pump division immediately! Jack Woodcock to the pump division...

I've also wondered about how these loud, heavy, thrashy bands have picked up the label "Christian Rock". To me, Screamo sounds anything but Christian. Listen to Underoath, for example.

It's a 1993, LS, with the 4.6L. engine. It starts fine, but the engine seems to shake and shudder and just generally idle rougher than it used to. Also, every once in a while if I listen closely, I can hear a faint popping noise coming from the exhaust (though that could just be the exhaust system, because it needs to be replaced, too). There's also a bit of squealing from a belt underhood; I figure that probably has to do with the A/C not working, but who knows? Like with the popping noise, you can't really hear it unless you pay attention... yet.

Reminds me a lot of their Portico Concept. I've driven the current generation Santa Fe, and it's not too spectacular. Weak handling with lots of body roll, a milquetoast powertrain (2.7L. V6), and an unimpressive interior. This new one looks much improved, especially if it's built on the Sonata platform.

Not bad, though I doubt it would make it to production looking quite like that. Still, a great effort. It looks ready to blast through the sand dunes in the Paris-Dakar Rally. And, if Mitsu has the gonads to put the EVO powertrain in this car, it really would be a blast! I think Mitsubishi has or will soon reach the point where their sales can no longer slide any further. Now that this is happening, they can begin a real turnaround.

Despite TCC's glowing review of the V6, I bet Jeep sells no more than a couple dozen. Everybody will want the V8s. I think the Commander arrived a little too late to cash in on the SUV craze, anyway. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if it is a huge flop.

Ditto. I don't think they asked me to use it even once. The reason, I think, is that most people who have Automatic transmissions never use their parking brake. So, if they were to use it during a road test, it might sieze up and get stuck (which tends to happen to P.B's that haven't been used).

Gross interior... Too grey and drab. If this is supposed to be a "youth-oriented" car, why not throw in exterior-matching trim pieces, a-la PT Cruiser? Or how about some blue or red threads in the seats, like in the Mazda3? Furthermore, this interior is pretty much a clone of every other Chrysler interior out there. If I was going to spend $30,000+ on a new 300C, I wouldn't want the same centre stack that can be found in a $15,000 Dodge Caliber! All things considered, the Caliber does little to impress me. The engine lineup is impessive, but it feels as though that is all they spend their money on. The exterior resembles a bulked-up Caravan, and the interior, as I said, is a boring transplant. I bet it will sell well, though, because this is where the market is heading.

My old Mercury was supposed to have new spark plugs installed at the 180,000 mile point. However, I didn't notice this until recently, so I've already put about 300 more miles on the car. My concern is: How long can I go before the spark plugs will need to be replaced? I'd like to wait until my next oil change @ 291,000-some kilometers (roughly 180,820 miles), because I need my money for other things right now, like paying back my parents for buying the car in the first place. Any advice?

Vast improvement on the exterior! It now looks much more in line with the rest of the Chevy lineup. Remarkable what a few simple touch-ups can do. The interior still looks a little spartan and drab for my liking. There are some improvements here and there, but, all things considered, it still doesn't look like a place I'd want to spend time in. Keep trying, Chevy!

...Did you decide to bring this horrible ad to the internet!?!? (look at the banner at the top of the page) http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/default....rc=LeftNav#used

I made it.