GMTruckGuy74

cmattson, thanks for summing up my experience with my '04 Malibu LT sedan Yeah, I do the same thing. It used to be in April I'd tear my car apart and clean EVERYTHING, then every other week wash it again and then at least once a month clean out the interior (I don't "live" in my car, so usually the interior is spotless after the initial spring cleaning). I will say that even with the 3500 V6 engine, I get great gas miuleage. Actually, I have no complaints about the engine & transmission in this car. With the V6, it offers some spirited driving. I too went witht he gray interior (leather & imitation suede). I noticed that the gray rubber trim (weatherstripping?) always looks dirty and not much can get it clean. Opening the doors to get inside makes it look like the rest of the inside will be as dirty looking. Having a 1-year-old hasn't helped with the stains... formula can be hard to remove! Yup, no disagreements with you there! Well, I'm gonna have to take your word in this part!!!Overall, I agree with your statement that it's a great appliance. I'd also like to add that getting large items (i.e. larger stroller) into the trunk is a breeze and the design of the car's rear allows for a wide opening and a very useful trunk. Unfortuantely, I like to be inspired to drive my vehicles. The Malibu doesn't inspire me much externally - I do like the way the interior (other than the driver's footwell area) is designed. But I treat it like any of my kitchen appliances - use themn and then put them away. Sad, because I really do like to take care of my cars.

Sorry, can't make it out to Carlisle. I'll be in Hershey definitely next Saturday (Oct 7). I've gone to that show every year (rain, mud or shine) since 1989.

You Chevy truck guys always said that a GMC is just a "Chevy with a fancier grille", so why not get the Sierra instead???

I almost agree with you WMJ. #3 shouldn't just be a full-size version, both the H2 and H3 should have pickup versions available. I'm still waiting for the H3T to make it to production - a regular cab 4wd just like the concept would be my ideal truck!

4 5 2

Hey ocnblu, wanna see what a 2007 Silverado Regular Cab Shortbed 2wd pickup looks like? Head over to the nearest Toys R Us. They are selling a radio controlled version in either black or red... must be 1:12th scale b/c it's pretty big. Of course it's blinged-out and you can plug your MP3 player underneath the bed so it can blast your music through the many speakers that are in the bed. At least it will give you an idea of what the regular cab, shortbed models look like. Damn truck isn't even out on the dealer's lots yet and you can already buy a toy of it... I've had my SKY for five (5) months and still no toys of it

Thanks for the heads up, I'll be looking forward to this model coming out. I've been waiting patiently for an affordable Futurliner (btw, there's no "e" in Future). Retro 1-2-3 has a very large model available - 1:12th scale, 33 inches long and weighing in at 42 pounds. But the cost (without shipping) is $1,845!!! Here's a link to the model.

Oh, I agree with you that K5 does bring that warm feeling to my heart. But in today's world where every car manufacturer uses alphanumerics for names, it would just blend in with all the other ones. I'd say go for the Blazer name for the Tahoe's 2-door version, and leave Yukon for the GMC version (I mean, can you really see a "Jimmy" being offered again?) or use TED's suggested nameplate - Brigadier.

I kinda like this one:

Wow... where do you guys find these drivers? My '04 Malibu gets hit by a stupid piece of sheetrock! I'd love for it to get totalled - a great excuse to buy a new car! I better be careful though - I'm just about to leave work, and I have the Malibu with me today!!!

I thought you wanted to get rid of the car?

Camino, I have nothing to offer you. But I know what Balthazar means by population growth in NJ, plus the cost of insurance and property tax. If I had a Pennsylvania teacher's license, I'd probably be living & working somewhere in PA, maybe out near Hershey. My uncle lived in Inidana, PA and it was real nice out there - very small-town-USA kind of thing (it was that way, as of my last visit in 1990) and relaxed a bit more than what I'm use to. Good luck finding what makes you happy.

No, no, no 76ChevyTrucker... remember that we are against GM using alphanumerics for any vehicle names. This is regardless of the fact that the original 1969 BLAZER (yup, it had a real name), was also known as the K5 Blazer (4wd, 1/2 ton is what the K5 stands for - which I'm sure you know that already, being a GM truck fan!). With the TrailBlazer soon departing dealership lots, I think "Tahoe" for the 4-door SUV and "Blazer" for the 2-door SUV wopuld be appropriate enough. And if I haven't said it enough, come on General Motors - bring back these full-size 2-door SUVs again. Even in limited numbers, I'm sure everyone of them built will sell out.

TED, you're a lucky guy for getting to see the all-new Sierra in person already. I'm hoping that one will be on display, even on the floor to sit in it, at the 2007 Philadelphia Auto Show in February. If not, I know I'll see one at the 2007 New York International Auto Show in April. But these will be out on the dealer's lots before the end of winter, right?

Black to represent fall? Who the hell is running Chevy's Art & Colour department? Cool as it looks and sounds, I personally don't think that black is a good representation of fall. Otherwise, it's pretty cool. Too bad my wife still hates them with a passion - I think I'd have one in the driveway if she liked the HHR.

What's with the GMC Acadia-esque headlights? Could this really be the GMC (nee Pontiac) Torrent replacement with a Saturn grille? There's just way too much unpainted black plastic for a brand that supposedly is going upscale. Very little chrome accents are used, unlike on other newer Saturns. To top it off, they place a strip of chrome on the rear hatch that looks out of place (unless, more of that black plastic will be painted on the production version and more chrome accents will be added). I'll save my final judgement until the official pictures are released, but I'll say this - the OUTLOOK is 10x better looking than the NG VUE. I won't be holding my breath here.

The Saturn dealership I purchased my SKY from is one of the good ones (FYI: Saturn of Mt. Laurel, Rt. 73, Mount Laurel, NJ). I was able to order my SKY exactly how I wanted it (constraints aside), put a reasonable $500 deposit down at the time the car was actually configured & accepted by the plant, and had no add-ons, extended warranties or dealer crap added to the cost. I drove out of the dealership at MSRP, tax, title & (resonable) dealer fees. Of course the sales manager was doing extremely well there that they moved him to their Infinity/Jaguar dealership, so I can't say anything about the new sales manager. But they definitely lived up to Saturn's reputation and I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

I feel for both you and your Olds. It's a real trooper though - like the old Timex commercials say, "Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!" I was hit by a piece of flying debris on a highway in Trenton, NJ yestrerday. Thankfully I had the Malibu. It was a piece of sheetrock, about 3'x3', lying on the side of the road next to the concrete median. The 18-wheeler in front of me kicked it up with his left rear trailer wheels and I couldn't swerve as I would have hit the car in the right lane. So I held the steering wheel and watched in horror as this piece of sheetrocked slammed against my driver's side. The big casualty is the driver's sideview mirror. I thought there would be some dents or creases in the side, but what only looked like a really wide, long scratch from the left front fender, driver's & passenger's rear doors. Little wood pieces were stuck in the corners of the door handles. Upon inspection, the "scratches" appear to wipe off, I'm assuming it's the chalk from the sheetrock. However, the mirror housing in cracked, the glass part is shattered, the motors aren't working and I know the entire unit will need to be replaced. Minor compared to your accident, but enough to piss me off because it's $$$ out of my pocket for an unnecessary repair. Thank God I wasn't driving the SKY!

Regular Cab models do not offer the leather trim - just cloth (don't ask me why - for years now you can't even order a Regular Cab Sierra or Silverado in the SLT/LT trims with leather). Power windows, locks & mirrors are part of an option group that you have the choice of not getting on the Regular Cab. If you order the truck with bucket seats, you automatically get the console. Build it out on GMBuyPower to see for yourself though, and to make sure I'm not mistaken for 2007.And if you don't mind, could I suggest this: Of course that's the Crew Cab model, but the ZQ8 sport suspension is offered on the Regualr Cab too (and that was pictured in the 2006 brochure - I couldn't quickly find it's picture online to post here). You seem to really like the Syclone a lot, so why not get a GMC over the Chevy? Plus I'm not to fond of the Xtreme package, I'd rather have the Canyon and then add my own mods. Believe it or not, when deciding what "toy" to buy I was debating whether to get the SKY or a Canyon Regular Cab Z71 4wd! Crazy choices, I know, but I really, really, really want a truck too (wife's only allowing me one toy for now - bummer).

I just wanted to say that it took me five Happy Meals to finally get the H3T pickup! I have three yellow H2 SUVs (the litte guys each have one), the green H2 SUT (again, the very little guy has this one), and of course the dark blue H3T (mine, mine - it's all mine!).

Pictures?

Just as long as you show no bias on your behalf. I don't think I could last a full minute in Toyota without screaming to high hell how I think GM vehicles are far better! I'd be like Steve Carrell in that scene from "Bruce Almighty" where Steve's character is trying to broadcast the news and Jim Carey's character is standing there making him talk all funny!!

Is this the Sierra that your brother is considering??? Is that truck based on a Military 4wd chasis? Those tires look Military-spec to me.

Hudson, I was going to say the same thing! Because the AACA Fall Show is in Hershey from Wednesday, October 4th until Saturday, October 7th. And many of the vendors that attend the Carlisle show head up to Hershey the following week. I have never attended the Carlisle Fall show, but this year I think I might on Saturday, September 30th since I've missed out on so many other shows this summer (I feel like a car-nut failure!).