GMTruckGuy74

Thanks for this bit of info... now let's hope it's true!!! I think I'm going to wait a little while longer before trying to get rid of the Malibu. The AURA is definitely on the list of potential candidates.

See, the point is that I don't like my Malibu anymore (haven't for a good 6+ months now). I want something new (and to get back into leasing), but don't NEED to get somehting new. So it's more of a personal choice than a need to replace the Malibu. I'm tired of paying a monthly payment for a car I don't want. Does that make sense? The wife doesn't think so!!! If I'm going to bite the bullet and wait a while longer, then I will go after the SATURN AURA when it comes out this fall. The Torrent was the wife's choice (I actually liked the LaCrosse CXS the best myself). But at the Philly Auto Show I found myself staring at the AURA a little bit more than I spent sitting in the LaCrosse. The AURA looks like it's on the G6 platform and not the Malibu's, so that means more rear leg room (which is what is needed). I like the overall size of the AURA & G6 too. The wife figured another SUV or Minivan would be beneficial with our 6 month old and the stuff we tend to carry around. I want something that I want to drive and not feel forced to do so. Anyway, I found out I'm not eligible for the GM Card $2,000 program, so I may as well sit back, deal with my issues with the Malibu, and wait until the deals on the '06s get better or when the AURA hits the dealers lots.

Well razoredge, my name is Roger and it's nice to meet you. I am somebody that is aspiring to own a SATURN (sorry, I feel only uneducated people refer to it as "saturin") - as soon as my SATURN dealer receives the image, I will be placing an order for a SATURN SKY. The GM car that really has me interested right now is the upcoming SATURN AURA (I pretty much dislike my Chevy Malibu and really want the AURA) and while the wife likes the Buick Enclave, I think the SATURN OUTLOOK will also be a looker too. So yeah, now you can say you met somebody who is aspiring to own SATURNS. And to all the rest, give it a break - SATURN isn't going anywhere any time soon. GM is pouring mass amounts of $$$ into product, marketing, etc. Look who got the cut in their marketing - Buick and Pontiac. GM vehicles have been in my family a long time; I've personally owned Chevy, Pontiac, Buick and GMC. I have nothing against any of them. How can you say your a GM enthusiast when you bash SATURN <--- a GM DIVISION?

If you look closely at the picture, you'll see that the stroller is on top of the stone wall!!!

The exterior styling of the Torrent is what caught my interest, in addition to the roominess of the interior (which is what caught the wife's interest). We had gone with my parents last February when they were car shopping. My mom test-drove the Equinox and loved it; although the Saturn VUE came out to be a better deal in the end for them. We (the wife and I) liked the handling and ride in the Equinox, and both of us felt that the performance of the 3400 V6 engine was more than adequate (unlike our Rendezvous at the time, which felt sloggish). I don't like the Equinox's frontend design, and the interior was a partial turn-off. Now I know the Torrent's interior is like 98% the same as the Equinox, but the Ebony <black> interior color is more appealing than the 'Noxs gray or tan, and the three-spoke steering wheel is a much better design over the 'Noxs wheel.I'm wishing that the Torrent had the factory remote start option and used the exact same radio as in the G6 (and Malibu), as it offers the Driver's Information Center (which the Equinox & Torrent radios don't). The other vehicle in my consideration is the G6 GT Sedan, although the interior space and rear seat room are the issues over the Torrent. The VUE Redline was on my list too, but the wife likes the more spacious back seat area in the Torrent more. I do agree with you that GM could have put a little more effort into the materials inside of the Torrent.

I know when my sister and brother-in-law were there last Fall, they said that the ride would operate for an hour or so, break down & shut down for repairs, would reopen for a while and then shutdown again. I'm assuming in this refurbishment any known problems were taken care of? Going to Orlando/Disney <EPCOT> and not getting to go on this ride does not make it worth the trip for me Did GM change out any of the vehicles on display prior to boarding the ride? I know that in the "assembly area" of the line there was a pre-'99 Bonneville, various S10/Sonoma pickups (cabs, etc), and I think even a Firebird! Did GM update this portion of the ride too? Well, it looks as if we'll be in Orlando/Disney World in the middle of October. Since plans are no where near being finalized right now, I wouldn;t want to committ you to a date yet. But I would really be interested in the tour/behind-the-scenes look you could provide. Would you PM me your e-mail address???Mike The Canadian, DetroiterinFL's ride description is dead-on accurate. There's also a GM-virtual ride (sit in chairs and watch a virtual reality 5-min show on GM), video and displays showcasing GM facotires/assembly systems, the already mentioned vehicle showroom and stage area, and a GM & Test Track store. While I'm a die-hard roller coaster fan, I still firmly stand my ground with the statement that the GM Test Track ride in EPCOT is my all-time favorite ride in existence. I first got on it back in 2001 (during my honeymoon in Disney) and rode the darn thing for a total of 5 times during a three day period! I subsquently went on it again in 2003 and 2005 two more times each, bringing it to a total of 9 times in three visits to EPCOT! The store at the very end of the ride past the "showroom" is where you can buy Disney/EPCOT "GM Test Track" merchandise in addition to GM-licensed merchandise. I must say though that in 2001 I felt there was a better variety of GM stuff, which has only gotten smaller in the past few years. A visit to this store is one my wife dreads, as I can take a while to peruse and find many things I want to buy (thank God I stay in the Disney hotels, as they offer direct-to-room shipping at no extra cost!) <-- never have to carry all the things I buy!!! Sorry for the long post... as you can see, I'm very passionate about this ride!

Hmmm... where have I seen the design of the red version before? I know some OTHER GM division had that same look to it (not frontend though)... Oh yeah, that's right... it was the SATURN CURVE concept: While I like the CURVE's design (the frontend grille is awkward), I'm lad it didn't make it past the drawing board as a Camaro proposal!!!

I really, really, really like the frontend design on this one (actually, there's nothing about this version that I don't like!!!).

Well, the Torrent is one of the vehicles on my list of vehicles I'm considering. I like it 10x better than the Equinox it's based on (exterior styling of the two) and I like the interior touches of the Pontiac a little better. Reading what has been posted here is making me think twice, but I still want to check it out for myself. The Torrent offers me interior volume (space) and capabilities that my Malibu can't, and that's the main reason for the Torrent's consideration as a replacement for my 'bu. Any additional helpful insights and advice on the Torrent will be greatly appreciated by this reader!

Croc, where would I go online to research TSB's for various GM vehicles? Do you have a web site address that you can share here? TIA!

You're so lucky! The GM Test Track is my favorite amusement park ride ever. I was lucky to chaperone last year's senior class trip to Disney World; although the weather was a bit rainy for March, I did get to go on the ride the day we were leaving (everyone else was in Animal Kingdom, me and a bunch of the senior students were over in EPCOT to ride the Test Track <in case you don't know, the ride closes whenever it rains>). This year my kids are seniors, but they have chosen to go to California for their class trip (not that I'm complaining! 3 weeks from Monday! ) Anyway, one of my students and his family went to Disney World in January for a family trip. He called me and said that ride was closed for refurbishment. What exactly did Disney/GM do or change? Anything major? I've been teasing the wife that one day I'm going to take off, fly down to Orlando and go to EPCOT just so I can do the Test Track ride. She says I'm nuts How long will you be in Florida? Me, the wife and the two kids may be going in October - I'd love to get a behind the scenes tour of the Test Track and see the Lounge. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that your going to tell me you'll be there for a while! P.S. - I bought off of ebay a blueprint drawing of the Test Track ride that I will eventually frame and hang in my office, along with all of my other Test Track memorabilia!!!

Jeep had the Gladiator on display at the Philly Auto Show. I saw it last year at the NYIAS and it looked big there; at the Philly show it was on the floor and looked smaller than I remembered (but big enough still anyway). I was impressed last year, and continued to be impressed with the Gladiator this year. I hope Jeep does offer a production version, and soon!

Yup, I'm a fan of disco, listen to it a lot and like it I was born in '74, so I was kinda young when it came out. But dad listened to a lot of 8-track disco tapes when I was younger, guess it kinda rubbed off. Wifey likes it to, so that helps! I'm also a BIG fan of Electric Light Orchestra (or ELO)... anyone else???

I'd say a '00-'03 GMC Sierra ( ), or even a Chevy Silverado - Regular Cab, Long Bed (8 foot). If it's a work truck, then a regular cab is all you'll need and the long bed will allow you to put long stuff in it with the tailgate closed. If I wanted a truck, that's what I'd look at. (2003 GMC Sierra 4WD) P.S. - if anyone's in the mood to buy me a truck, I won't say no!!!

ocnblu, if that was the case, if would be the GMC version (Topkick) <-- and don't think I haven't dropped that hint in the past!!! Bimmer325, I don't know what to say. She is dead set against Saab's for some reason -- and when she saw it earlier and before the V50, she said to me "Now you know I don't like station wagons." I tried back in November of '03 to get a Saturn LW300 wagon to no avail (and that's how we ended up with the Malibu). Now the plus side to the V50 is that she said she would take it as her car and I could have the Envoy But since she drives more mileage than I do to work, we'd still have to balance the miles between the two and that means I'd have to drive the Volvo at least once or twice a week So tonight she tells me that if I want to go and test-drive the Pontiac Torrent we can. I know her first choice is the Volvo and the Pontiac is just to appease me. She is letting me get the SKY, and I'd still have the Envoy, so there is two GM vehicles. I'm just not keen on driving a "Volvo". I'd really like the AURA (and the OUTLOOK may be a future contender; she said the Buick Enclave will be her next vehicle when the Envoy lease is up), but I really can't stand my Malibu any longer and waiting until the Fall is out of the question (if the AURA would be available in May, maybe I could wait). Anyway, any more advice or input would be greatly appreciated!!!

You just had to know I was going to put a '50s GMC (4wd too) in here:

UPDATE The wife, kids and I went to the Philly Auto Show yesterday (SIDE NOTE: this was Justin's 1st car show <he's 6 mos old now> and he loved it!). The wife was charged with finding a replacement vehicle for the Malibu; here are her choices: 1. Volvo V50 station wagon (??? - she hates wagons, but LOVES Volvos and wants this the most) 2. Pontiac Torrent AWD 3. Saturn VUE Redline AWD Those were her choices in order. She likes the G6 sedan, but feels it's no advantage over the Malibu in interior or trunk size. Same reasons for not liking the Buick LaCrosse; Lucerne would be a contender if the pricing was high (we both like the CXS model the best; plus no GM Card incentives eligible on teh Lucerne). The AURA, if available today, would be on the list above, but it won;t be out til Fall She's pushing for the Volvo V50. Not crazy about it, especially since it's not a GM vehilce. Showed her the Saab 9-3 SportCombi after looking at the V50 and she does not like Saab's period, so that's not even a contender. So since we're not in agreement, I'm not sure what I'll do. The seat in the Malibu was repaired under warranty; the seat frame on the driver's side broke, so when you used the power seat to raise the height, the seat would tilt inwards The dealership fixed it, but I still don't feel right sitting in the seat (wife says I'm crazy, but I know the last 25 months I had no problem with the seat until it broke). I can;t get comfortable driving the car, don;t want it being in the shop every week til they get it right, so finding something new is the way I want to go. HELP?!?

The wife, kids and I all went. Got there around 1:30, stayed until a little after 6:00 PM. BY 2 PM it was snowing in Philly, but when I left nothingw as sticking to the roadways. The show was crowded, even as we were leaving it was still pretty busy (compared to last Saturday, when the place almost cleared out by 7:00 PM). I'm not sure how the weather was to the west of Philly, but going home (heading east) at night wasn't a problem for me. Too bad you guys missed the show. Maybe next year we can have a C&G gathering on the first day of the show.

Damnit.... wasn't Harry Potter told not to take the flying car out again!?! Okay, yeah... I'm a Harry Potter geek.

If it was a two-door HHR panel, then I'd definitely be interested in it

You'd think so... since that's where my baby will be made sometime this year (SKY) you'd think I could take the short hour or so drive down there and see the plant in operation. But NO... they aren't allowing tours at this time and don't see it in the forseeable future

All right Bimmer!!! The first post is definitely the current (GMT800) Sierra Crew Cab 1500. The one pictured in your post is definitely something different.Also notice the two little "boxes" that say YUKON and I'm guessing YUKON XL. I think those dual-roundtable displays are for the new SUVs and not the new pickups [EDIT: after looking at the pic again, I'm beginning to think the GMC pictured is either a Yukon or Yukon XL.

I knew I saw this design somewhere else, I just couldn't figure it out. GM went back and based the frontend on the '98-'00 GMC Yukon Denali (basically which the Escalade was a badge job of). You definitely need to see it in person to appreciate it, but I do think the Tahoe/Suburban frontend design is crisper.

Went to the Philly Auto Show tonight sans the wife (little one's sick, so she stayed home with him). She knows I've been waiting for this show to arrive, so tonight around 5PM me and my 11-year old (Anthony) headed over to Philly to check out the show. Good thing is she still wants to go, so we'll all be heading over again next weekend Anyway, I was able to sit in the only SKY they had there (a black one). I do have two pics to prove it, but to not get anyone in trouble, I can't post them until the show ends next weekend. It was a pre-production model with 26 miles on the clock. Now the funny thing about this was this happened to me last year. I was able to get myself a 30 second seat in the showcar SKY last year, and about a 45 second seat in this year's pre-production. Hoepfully I won't have to worry about getting into the seat next year, as I should have my own well before next February! More about the SKY: the presenter stated that dealers will have their first one in March for customers to see and possibly test-drive (depends on how the dealer sets it up). I know for a fact that on January 9th Saturn dealers received an image for them to use to order their demo model. Last summer Saturn sent to potential SKY customers a "count-down to Spring" calendar. It's big day? MARCH 20th (first day of Spring). Coincidence??? Details are still sketchy, so it's still a "wait and see" type of thing. Btw, I've decided to go with the Silver Graphite (Solstice's SLY) exterior and the Black & Red leather interior. Pontiac was nice and had a SLY Solstice on display just for me to see the color in person