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Comments
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
By the time we got to the exit, the car started chiming at me, but I didn't know what it was trying to warn me about. Turns out, it was a warning that I had left the turn signal on for too long, and it was reminding me to turn it off!
Wow, Buick sure understood their audience, eh? :P It's actually a cool feature to have, as anyone, no matter how old or young, can forget and leave the turn signal on! For all I know though, by now, most cars might do that.
The latest 'Top Gear' had the tuned UK Regal equivalent (Insignia VXR), and they liked it a lot. So, it has some potential anyway. Being German won't hurt its driving dynamics.
I saw that episode, and I believe that the VXR has a 321HP turbocharged 2.8L V6 under the bonnet - plus AWD. I was under the impression that the Regal will only be available with 4-cyl engines - naturally aspirated and turbo'd and will be FWD only.
As usual, Europe gets the good stuff.
Man, that car is already having a negative effect on you;) You know, you are what you drive;)))LOL
Before you know it you'll be complaining about the line at the "early bird" breakfast buffet;)
The DeSoto lives!
By the time we got to the exit, the car started chiming at me, but I didn't know what it was trying to warn me about. Turns out, it was a warning that I had left the turn signal on for too long, and it was reminding me to turn it off!
It's a killer hitting 40 ain't it?
I wouldn't remember. It was too long ago. :sick:
LOL
I REALLY like the looks and reviews on this new Regal. I am hoping this is the first step in reclaiming the idea of performance Buicks. That would certainly make sense with the demise of "performance division" Pontiac.
Keeping in mind that I've bought imports for years (mostly Hondas) as opposed to many in here, this is the first time in an age where I've seen something coming out of GM that had a wow factor for me and seems to be asking a proper price for it.
This could be something.
You know, the Insignia was originally meant to be the new Saturn Aura, before GM decided to shut down the Saturn brand.
But, I agree that the Insignia is a much better car than the Omega (Catera), so I have hopes that it will succeed here in the US.
And yes, the VXR would make a dandy alternative to the SHO ... IIRC, the VXR had a 6-speed manual transmission in it, which would be one advantage over the SHO.
I think it's mainly due to costs. Europeans will pay for a premium compact vs. here in the US where small equals cheap.
Hopefully that is changing. Both the upcoming Cruze and Fiesta will be offering options that can make them more expensive than the avg compact. Hopefully people will be willing to pay these impressive new compacts from Ford and GM.
As for the Regal, the Turbo model looks impressive, I don't think I'd like the N/A Ecotec version, but the DI Turbo model looks nice.
Sucker was a pain in the rear to load up, because the back brakes locked up. My plan was to just push it out of the garage so the tow truck could get it, but it rolled about 5 feet and just stopped. I ended up having to use my pickup and a chain to drag it out!
I wonder if you can peel it off when the cars is new. If it isn't bolted on, it won't hurt the paint to remove it! I did this when the dealers used to tack on their logos back in the '70's.
Regards,
OW
How about this one...on a trip to Florida in '89, my Mom was driving her P.O.S. '88 FW 'D'Elegance and noticed the digital speedo kept flashing "80". She asked how come the darn thin' is on the blink...my 'bro let her know that means your going OVER 80, MOM!!!! :surprise: :surprise:
Regards,
OW
And, unlike the SHO, the VXR is not an ugly bloated sled...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
My beef with the flex fuel badge is that it cheapens the green message. While technically correct, almost nobody uses the fuel, ethanol costs as much to produce in oil as it saves, it displaces food production, and is far from green. So don't market it so much. The car is plenty nice as it is.
I am sure there's some Euro diesel unit for the Insignia that would be far better.
+1 to that comment, rb
Would also like to see the Focus RS500 offered here as well.
Me too. I'd like to see a Cruze with the turbo 4 from the Cobalt SS.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
With a short-throw 6-speed manual, I would think. 260HP would be just fine in something that size, no doubt.
Since seeing that picture, I saw a picture of a Fusion with a similar E85 tag. It too seemed overly large. I think I'm comparing to the slim tag that's on Impalas and Malibus that I see at a local quick market zone office; the managers all drive E85 cars bought by the company.
Since that was a US spec car but was in Deutschland, I hope the tag is larger than normal for the US cars in June or July when they show up. I, like you, would probably pull it off with a little warm air from a hair dryer and put it in a plastic bag in the glove box to put back on if I ever decided to sell the vehicle.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
My grandmother's cousin still drives a 1989 Coupe DeVille that she got from her boyfriend (if you can call them that at their age...I think they refer to them as "gentleman callers" or something like that) back in 1992. Considering that she doesn't take very good care of it, it's actually holding up pretty well! I'm sure it still has under 100,000 miles, but she's not the type to keep up on maintenance. I remember one time a few years back, she asked me to drive it because she thought it was acting funny. I did, and came back and asked her when's the last time she had the transmission serviced? She just looked at me confused, and asked what that meant!
I guess they must have really gotten the kinks worked out of that aluminum V-8 by the time they went to the 4.5. I'm sure an early 80's 4.1 wouldn't have tolerated her kind of abuse!
Buick will go to packages rather than the model designations which imply cheaper, middle, and ultimate auto levels.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Maybe for an encore, consumers will be able to order the packages they want in a reasonable amount of time instead of having the dealers order a bunch of the same thing.
I hope Buick doesn't follow Toyota with its arbitrary and often ridiculous package options. What a pain!
Regards,
OW
I'll bet each legislator is going to buy one for themselves (at state expense?).
What's funnier is toyota camry and the other related versions are assembled at Georgetown, Kentucky.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
"“GM is on a path to sustained profitability, given the rate of car sales and its lower cost base,” said Rattner, speaking at the Detroit branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago at a conference sponsored by Wayne State University to review the task force’s activities. He also said the first- quarter results will be revealed May 17; GM hasn’t set a date."
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
"GM reported a $78.2 billion profit for last year’s third quarter, which included its recapitalization coming out of bankruptcy. Its last regular quarterly profit was in the April- to-June period of 2007."
$78B profit for a quarter for GM???? That is unbelievable. Also unbelieveable is GM CEO Whitacre on tv commercials in last couple weeks saying that GM paid back ALL loans. That too is unbelieveable. Should the Congress investigate these outrageous claims for credibility? What is going on in this era of Obamaism?
http://www.examiner.com/x-33819-American-Autos-Examiner~y2010m5d12-Buick-deliver- s-the-first-2011-Buick-Regal
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Seriously though, that new Regal looks to be a decent car. And it's nice to see GM bring back a time-honored name and put it on a respectable car, rather than drag them through the mud like they did with the Daewoo LeMans, The N-body Calais 4-4-2, 1974 GTO, etc.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100515/bs_nm/us_gm_adviser
DETROIT (Reuters) – The Treasury Department is interviewing Wall Street bankers to advise the government on an initial public offering of General Motors Co (GM.UL), the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.
...
executives have said privately that earnings will be very strong, including an operating profit.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
http://www.wheels.ca/reviews/article/785937
"Production of a Camaro convertible is expected to begin next January. The shop has been doing body tryouts since March to ensure that everything fits properly and it all goes smoothly. And before that, says Brown, the equipment had to be installed.
"Then there’s the “synergy green” V6 model in an eye-searing metallic shade that may not be to everyone’s taste but which GM brass insist has been in demand since it was first used on a concept car. There will be V8s in the colour soon."
That must be the color of beautiful green car I see some mornings while at the coffee shop on the way to work.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
"...the housing crisis has hammered the lender and, for much of 2009, sorely limited the number of auto loans and leases it would write — something industry observers believe cost GM many thousands of potential sales.
"Thanks to its own federal bailout, Ally’s health is improving and it is beginning to open the spigots again, but there have been numerous reports in recent days suggesting GM will either try to buy back its old subsidiary or start a new captive finance arm. In March, the Congressional Oversight Panel, which oversees the banking and automotive bailouts, recommended that Treasury look into recombining what is now Ally with GM.
"Joe Phillippi, of AutoTrends Consulting, was more blunt. After decades in which GM’s numbers often seemed to suggest good times ahead, only to be followed by further corporate decline, the first quarter financial report looked “clean,” said Phillippi, “without any financial gimmickry.”
"Observers credit this to Bob Lutz, who retired at 78 from his post as vice chairman early this month. "
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,