Robert Hall

The current 5-series is growing on me... I never did warm up to the Bangled 7, but I'm liking the 5....the availability of a manual makes the 5-series my choice in a midsize performance-oriented luxury sedan... As far as the '70s/80s models, the older 5 series had a crisp, clean efficiency about them...they weren't luxurious in the old-fashioned sense, but they were the serious driver's choice for a sports sedan--a car that emphasized handling and overall performance and drivability.. That '80s Seville with the white walls and faux wires just looks so gaudy and tacky..(probably appealed to older buyers, though, the same way my dad had his Town Cars with white walls and the padded top throughout the '80s). I think to older generations, a Cadillac or Lincoln truly said 'you've arrived', but to my demographic (30 something, well-educated professionals, in suburbia) a BMW, Lexus, or Mercedes says that and more... Were I at the age I am now (35) then, I'd probably have been driving a 5-series....(I was reading Road & Track then--ever since age 7!).

If you mean the new coupe (they aren't using the GTS name anymore), it's coming for '06...it was in several magazines a few months ago. Here's an article on allpar. allpar article on Viper SRT-10 coupe

Nothing about the styling really says Buick... it would make a nice Chevy Caprice, though...(i.e. like in the Middle East)

Interesting... so if you choose the 9?-x you get current/future Saab front end styling or you can choose the B-9 Tribeca if you want vintage Saab front end styling (it's inspired by the old 96 and 99)... :)

I love those E34 and E39 BMWs...probably my favorite Bimmers overall besides the E36 M3.

Yeah...I forgot the RWD ones were X-bodies also...I meant the '80s FWD shitboxes...

That is sweet...a modern Buick Estate wagon could do well, I believe. I also think Pontiac could do well with a sporty wagon, something Audi-like..

I haven't seen one of those in years... same with cars like the '77-79 Phoenix, '80s X-body Phoenix... there are many '70s cars I can think of that I haven't seen in person in many years.... like the '79-80 Chrysler Newport and nearly identical '80-81 Plymouth Grand Fury, the Dodge St. Regis (90% of them were probably demolished in '80s tv shows like 'TJ Hooker' and 'Hunter'.. :) I saw '74-76 Mercury Montego 2dr in traffic yesterday in very good shape..I thought it was a Cougar until I saw the grille. I saw a clean Buick Reatta the other day..first time I've seen one in years..

When I was a kid in the late '70s, I had a neighbor that had a Europa...dark blue... then he moved and I never saw it again.... I've never seen one since, even at car shows...

Yes, the Cadillac was definitely more of a cushy luxury car (albeit in a smaller form than the battleship Cadillacs of the day)...not remotely a nimble sports sedan like the BMW... it would probably compare more favorably with a Merc S class, though I think the Merc 450SEL was the best all around luxury car of the mid to late '70s...(it's the one I would want had I been in the market in 1975).

Interesting...the Seville was a radical departure for Cadillac in the mid '70s...but it was still way too heavy and large to be a legit competitor for the 5-series of the day (which was cheaper, lighter, faster, and undoubtably a better handler). Today's STS is much better matched to a comparable 5-series of today, IMHO, though comes up short in some aspects (lack of a manual transmission option).

Chrysler had a single fender pentastar badge on Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth models for at least a decade or more from the mid-60s to the mid-70s... some of the '90s cars that did it had them on both sides, like the Grand Cherokee (embossed in the plastic cladding).

I assume they are chosen by the corporate wide badge-engineering committee... they meet every Thursday, 10am I think... :)

Honda should bring the European 5-dr here..it's even more unusual looking...

Cool...this is the vehicle I saw the prototype of at Starbucks here in Denver last month.... California plates, same fascia, same wheels and quad tailpipes.

The biggest problem with most 2dr SUVs (except for the XJ Cherokee and the old large Cherokee) is that they usually have pickup doors that are too short to allow easy ingress/egress to the back seats.. I used to have a Bronco II and that was a problem with it..

Yes, most SUVs are just wagons with ground clearance (and some have truck-like BOF construction)... the key differentiators over a wagon that a minivan has are the sliding doors and taller body.

The Patriot looks like what the XJ Cherokee could have evolved into (instead of the Liberty).

Yes.... Dodge hasn't had a traditional crew cab since the '72-93 generation trucks.... the '94-02 didn't have one, and the 4dr in the current line is really the club cab (extended cab) with forward opening rather than rear-opening doors like everyone else...

I saw some doctored spy photos in a British magazine (Autocar or Auto Express IIRC) about 6 months ago of a regular 3-series coupe..the taillights looked pretty much the same as the sedan, which is what I would expect...

GMC already has the Denali...same thing with better styling, IMHO. I don't care for the Escalade, but it has been a big success for Cadillac... I certainly wouldn't mess with that formula now. It brings in a different group of buyers than the Cadillac car models.

I think the time is right for premium compacts in the US...it will be interesting to see if the A3 does well and then the 1-series...

Australia, I assume...

Nice to see someone mention the '61 Cadillac...much cleaner, more beautiful design than the over-the-top '59, IMHO... the '60s were GM's high point from a styling and design perspective IMHO....so many beautiful cars--the 1st and 2nd generation Rivieras, the Toronado, the '67 Eldorado, the '63-67 Corvettes, the original Camaro and Firebird...the '65-66 B-bodies (Impala, Grand Prix, Bonneville, Wildcat, Starfire, etc)...

It may look strange, but the future isn't supposed to necessarily look familar.... in an era of $3+/gal gas in the US, this may be the right car at the right time...