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2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
Just read this article on the new Malibu. If it all comes together it should be an impressive car.
http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=5515
Actually it's an interesting read over there in that there are actually some who contend they like the looks of the '03 Accord. Inexplicable. There are the usual contingent of "Honda cult" members, but also a surprising number of problems and complaints being reported on the '03. Guess Honda isn't really perfect after all.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
;-)
Honda's aren't perfect???????????????
However, the 3.0 Liter Duratec engine is nice. I agree, too bad they abandoned the SHO versions for the enthusiasts, but I guess the price of an SHO would probably would get SHO competing with the Lincoln LHS (or for the GM people the Caddy CTS) range pretty quickly.
According to their information, “It is a one time use kit, and there are instructions, this kit is not in the catalogs, it is only shown on a service technical bulletin.”
I assume it will be necessary to jack up the car to do the job. I will report back about results later (if the car doesn’t fall on me. If it does, my wife will have three kits for sale at a good price.)
That being said, the article that was linked above said that it would have an optional 3.5L V6. What engine is this...are they actually going to use our Shortstar for this platform? I thought it was dead. The new Malibu will be built in Fairfax, KS, replacing the Intrigue...Anyone know what the deal is on this engine?
I'm the new owner of a 2002 Nissan Maxima SE. $18K and 16K miles. Solid build, INCREDIBLE speed, excellent handling characteristics, in many ways a superior automobile to my Intrigue. But you know what? I still miss Lila (my Intrigue). I look at Intrigues on the road and still get a little heartsick. Sigh. I wasn't really able to get the color I wanted (black) had to settle for a white one. But at least it's a diamond white with metallic in it so it looks handsome. One of the hardest things to get used to for me is the HID headlamps. They're so incredibly bright, I feel embarassed. Like they draw attention to themselves. But I sure am getting to like them, especially cause I live in a darker rural/suburban area where we don't have a lot of street lighting. I sure miss my cornering lamps too.
Y'all know I'll forever be in the Intrigue brotherhood, so you can bet I'll be stickin around. I even joke with people at work about getting Oldsmobile badges for this new Maxima. LOL.
Love the looks of the new Malibu. But doesn't it make you all wonder what the next Intrigue would've looked like? Sigh. Dining on ashes I guess.
What happened to El Ninio??
jg28 : Congrats on the new car. I would have grabbed last call on an 02 Intrigue but the Max would be my second choice. Good luck!
Any thoughts on the better deal? Seems like the big diff with the GLS is the leather (no sunroof). But GX is still under warranty and 3 yrs newer (it's a GM program car), it has the driver packate (pwr seat, improved audio, traction control).
I'll keep car till it's dead so resale not an issue.
TIA,
Odiemutt
That's my two cents...
Glad to see I wasn't the only one. By the way, anybody would rather drive a Jeep Liberty on a road like that in bad weather over the Intrigue is an idiot. Four wheel drive or not, the rollover risk is much lower in the Intrigue, and the Intrigues PCS and Traction Control Systems neutralize any 4WD advantage the Jeep would have. Last night it was pouring down here in the DC area, it was at night and I was driving in a parking lot. Out of nowhere a Buick Roadmaster came right out behind a bunch of parked cars without stopping...I slammed on the brakes, ABS kicked in, worked beautifully, the Roadmaster started sliding but I missed him by a few feet. I tell you, for as much as I've had to use ABS, I would never by a car without it, and that Intrigue system works great (i would imagine the Roadmaster woudl have had it too, but a much earlier system). Shook my head at the guy and thanked my car!
They were probably showing the tighter turning radius and manueverability of AWD.
The AWD drive versions have a noticeably tighter truning radius than the RWD versions of GM's big SUVs.
The fit and finish is now up to the nice styling of the interior and its main qualities, exterior styling and interior room, could shine without blemishes from low-quality materials.
After Olds' demise, there are very few to no mid-size domestic sedans to choose from with refined interiors. If the domestic manufacturers, Ford and GM, don't renew their product lines from inside out, from interior materials and finish to engines, they'll lose yet another customer to imports.
I left the show with the impression that if I were in the market for a new car, the Mazda 6 would be the only candidate.
I just hope that its 170HP and 220HP engines are as good on asphalt as on paper.
evandro : Still have to see a 6, but I am a little weary of Mazda. That said, I used to feel the same about GM. New Malibu looks to be the best hope in the near future for a domestic midsize sedan. Buick Regal may be another hopeful, but it's a couple of years off from what I hear.
I guess this means that GM has officially challenged Nissan to a duel.
If this new engine will be as good as GM touts in that press release, I'd gladly give up my Intrigue 3.5.
Autoweek says it will have a 285HP 4.4L 32-valve Nothstar derivative. Very impressive looks and power plant.
Personally, I don't do "deals". I'm more concerned with what you like. After that decision is made, get them to lower the price.
That being said, I like the GLS because:
1. You'll get the 3.29 tranny (if I'm not mistaken) which will compensate for not having the 3.5 engine. The '02 will come with the 3.05 axle. You'll feel the difference, epecially with that pushrod.
2. You get more bells and whistles on the 99. Particularly, automatic climate control. It won't be a big deal in the summer but if you live in an area where it gets cold, you're going to love it.
3. Other toys: fog lamps, auto-dimming rear view mirror, faux wood trim.
My strongest recommendation is to drive them both. After the novelty of the toys wears off, that's what's going to make the experience of driving an Intrigue good or great. I drive my Intrigue(s) a lot. For me, mileage is not a concern.
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
K&N doesn't have an official part for this but it's available as part number (I think) 33-2086 (I'm not sure of the part number but I posted it more than a year ago when I got it).
I'm not sure what his build date is for the car. I'll have to look on Thanksgiving. His went completely out, so that the car couldn't even be driven. It had to be towed. The transmission had to be completely replaced.
I see a lot more people in the "younger demographic" driving around in Maximas than I do in Intrigues.
I think they're both handsome but both have design oddities. I never did like the bulging fenders on the Intrigue nor did I like the front end but this was dramatically improved with the relocation of the rocket emblem I think. The Maxima's grille takes some getting used to but it's growing on me. I like the rear end of the Maxima but don't like how the bumper meets the sides.
What I think is so funny is that the Maxima feels like a much bigger car inside and feels like a bigger car to drive, though the dimensions of the Intrigue's exterior are a bit bigger (a bit wider and a bit longer). I never thought my Intrigue felt like a big car to drive around but the Max feels big. I guess it's cause the hood sloped down so much and the Maxima's does not.
The performance of the transmission and engine in the Max is superb. You don't get the lag that the Intrigue had. It's sad that the Intrigue's 3.5 is so held back by its transmission. You press the accelerator in the Maxima and off you go, there's no turbo lag like Intrigue.
The thing I miss most is the intuitive door locks. First of all, right by the door handles (don't think any other cars have this) and secondly perfect... up for unlock, down for lock, surprisingly miss the cornering lamps even with the xenons.
However GM's transmissions are some of the most efficient in the world and the Nissan transmissions are known as power sappers.
The maxima has 40 more hp than the intrigue. It should be a lot faster than the intrigue than it is.