I spotted a NEW (insert make/model) today!

bumpy

Because half of the sedans on the market today have perfectly awful rear visibility, a result of tall trunks and long swoopy rooflines.

kyfdx

I think maybe they offer it, because once you have the NAV, it is pretty cheap..... and, luxury import drivers really like the gee whiz factor..

Which brings me to a detail that I forgot..

His license plate was: G WHIZZZ

Either it was a play on "G", or he just pees a lot.. :surprise:

teds1

Nope its the Superamerica. it's a 550/575 variant with a unique variable opacity electronic roof. The challenge stradale is a lightweight hardcore 360

natenj1971

Saw a new Malibu this morning - was a fancy model in black. No license plate in the front (just where are they going to fit the front plate?). Had a very upscale volvo look in person.

andys120

I saw a new '08 CTS, the same shade of metallic red as featured in Caddy's ads. It confirmed what I'd seen in photos, the grille is just too damn big, otherwise it's nice looking.

british_rover

I think the enormous grill is the next styling fad I just won't like to go along with the mail slot armored car windows and bangle butt.

ateixeira

A bit anonymous, but nice.

anythngbutgm

The coupe is the flashy one, I'd say probably the best looking one since the 98' - 02' at least, maybe even all time... The sedan is meant as a Camry alternative so low flash is more prominent in that class and the Accord fits in nicely IMO.

Those looking for a slicker sedan should be looking for the new Mazda6 or even the Altima 3.5SE (Or Legacy GT). But the Accord holds its own.

bumpy

A white Dodge Magnum with a black roof and greenhouse, a 300C front clip, an aftermarket grille, and some big chromey wheels.

ateixeira

Saw my first ever Jaguar S-Type R in person. These must not have sold in much volume because I didn't even recognize the little R badge until I got close in traffic.

Also saw a new Audi TT. Looks good but doesn't draw attention the way the original did when it came out.

bumpy

A Jaguar with a Type R badge? Jeebus. :confuse:

british_rover

R is Jaguars high performance line. It is not a Type-R like Acura uses.

The R Jags are The S-Type R, XJR and XKR. The XFR will be out next year sometime with a rumored 500 hp direct injection supercharged 5.0 liter version of the current 4.2 liter AJ-V8. The XKRR will most likely follow that car with an even hotter version of that engine and possibly a real manual transmission.

ateixeira

Yeah, it's funny, they put S-Type on the left, and then a lone "R" on the right.

andys120

I saw a new Lucerne, Black with a half-carriage roof, big chrome spoker wheels, like most AZ Buicks it was driven by an old dude but they almost always drive white ones.

lemko

Saw my first new 2008 Accord last night. This one was white. Is Honda trying to imitate the Camry? Well, at least the front end of the car wasn't a gruesome as the Camry's. I also spotted a black Maybach 57 parked a block over from my house. Either the guy was lost, visiting his poorer relations, or even more of an extreme car nut than myself.

ateixeira

I saw one with my wife, probably the first time she saw one.

She commented on how long it was, and I agree. You can see how it grew to a full-sizer.

She liked it. It has a little extra chrome so it must've been a high-end model.

lemko

...my first 2008 Chevrolet Malibu on the street today. This one was finished in a nice dark blue-green metallic.

fintail

I had some time to kill today, so I went out and looked for new cars. No new CTS at the Caddy dealer, no new Malibu at the Chevy dealer...but strangely, the MB dealer had 8 new C-class. I also saw a new style Bentley Azure at that dealer.

bumpy

2008 Accord, 2008 Focus, and two 2008 Town & Countrys.

anythngbutgm

I am baffled as to where the claims of LandRover being a complete dog in the marketplace come from. I'm sorry, but when I can count more late model Range Rovers than I do Suburbans, Tahoes and Pukons combined in a spance of 3 hours, I question the validity of those claims. And at 80 grand a pop for one of those suckers, not even half that for the others I'd say we New Englanders are voting with our wallets and here LR's are quite successful.

I really hope that Ford manages to hold on to this one, I think they have something they can work with.

Also saw a bunch of new Accord sedans, a few of those new Tribecas and Highlander sales have really taken off here. On the high end side of things, a bunch of new C-classes, some CLS's, SL's and SLK's, a pair of Bentley GT's (cruising together, one after the other) a couple of 335i's and new X5's and a bunch of Q7's. :shades:

british_rover

Land Rover is doing well and it is just a few clueless auto journalists who say otherwise. The problem is jaguar is in such bad shape that Ford is convinced they need dump it and they have to throw in LR to make the sale go through. I am almost looking forward to the sale. I won't miss having to run stuff through the morons at FoMoCredit and maybe Land Rover will start offering some decent lease packages so we don't constantly lose deals to other brands.

ateixeira

I have yet to see a Focus or a Malibu on the streets.

2008s that I see often include the new Accord and especially the Grand Caravan - nearly every day now.

Also saw a new X5 this morning.

british_rover

I saw a new fusion V6 this morning with what looks like aftermarket exhaust. Had extra long chrome tips sticking out the back of the bumper. It was sitting in a parking lot so no idea what it sounded like. This tips were at least six inches past the end of the bumper and looked really bad.

ateixeira

If fitment is that bad, it's probably just a tip itself, put on by the owner, and not very carefully.

It'll break off the first time he backs in too close to a curb.

british_rover

Yeah I didn't bother to get under the car and see if they were just screw on tips as it was raining. They looked like cheap aftermarket walmart specials to me.

kyfdx

Spotted one on Thanksgiving Day... attractive..

Saturn Sky? Six of them sitting at the local Saturn dealer.. Looks like they are very, very cold.... Are chrome wheels standard? They could really use silver alloys, instead..

bumpy

I am baffled as to where the claims of LandRover being a complete dog in the marketplace come from.

LR is very much a regional thing. Once you get outside the Northeast Corridor and a few other high-dollar enclaves, new ones are a rare find. I saw more LR's when I went to Maryland last Saturday than I see in a whole year.

ateixeira

I test drove a Vue Redline and saw a few Skys. Chrome wheels, too.

Top fitment is so poor, plus you have to get out of the car to raise or lower that top.

I think they look great, but they miss on some very key issues IMHO, so I'll probably replace my Miata with...another Miata.

anythngbutgm

I was interested in the Sky before I bought my S2000. I was interested in it mainly for its looks and the 20k (bargain) asking price to start. That hype ended once I saw the actual production model in person, what a disaster.

The thing is just a mess, from the ill-fitting, manual top to the bathtub seating position, terrible visibilty, cheap materials and sitting on the crossmembers for seat padding. Then once the plauging differential problems showed up I was thankful that I didn't spend even 20 grand on one.

At least I wouldn't have bought one with an Automatic which is also troublesome but even then the manual gearbox was clunky, notchy and imprecise... kind like a truck from which it came from.

Lutz wanted a car that was attractive, youthful and hit a bargain basement pricepoint and I think he succeeded. Too bad the finished product is also basement quality. :sick:

A Miata is on a totally different level quality-wise, and is just so much better thought out. :shades:

ateixeira

I sat in a Sky in the showroom and build quality seemed good, so maybe they've improved that a bit. My complaint was the top fitment and a stiff clutch pedal.

To be fair I'm used to a '93 Miata, with a very soft clutch.

But...I have an aftermarket top that I put on myself and I swear the fit is 10 times better than the factory top on a brand new Sky. For shame...

anythngbutgm

at the Auto Shows in both Boston and in NYC. Even the GXP I had the same gripes.

Oh, and one of the guys in my S2k club bought a base model Solstice (2 grand less than the Saturn) for his wife back when they first came out. In that cool British racing green color with the biege interior.

Well with her car, both the tranny and the rear diff. have been replaced on it already. The top has two holes where the convertible frame rails have worn through / pinched, one of the window motors siezed and the speakers crackle badly with anything remotely resembling a bass note. Car only has something like 22,000 miles on it :confuse: but you'd swear the thing has 10 times that.

I don't know if the Saturn would be better in any of those areas but based on his car, no way would I put up with that crap :sick: even for the bargain basement asking price.

ateixeira

Maybe they still have a ways to go...

Both the ones I saw were also GXP models. The one outside had the poor fitting top, and the one in the showroom had the stiff clutch.

ateixeira

Let's wake up this thread.

Saw a Rogue today here in DC.

Yesterday at a PTA meeting I saw my first 08 Highlander Hybrid. Definitely a hybrid, as the many labels show.

I believe it belongs to someone we know, so I may ask for a test spin if I see them soon.

lemko

Doesn't Rambler make them?

ateixeira

I'm too young to get that one.

The one I saw was a Nissan.

lemko

I'm aware the current Rogue is a Nissan. The Rambler Rogue was a performance version of the AMC Rambler American in the mid-late 1960s.

ateixeira

I've heard of that model, but never seen one.

fintail

Very appropriate, while the Nissan Armada windowline mimics the Rambler Cross Country.

andys120

I saw a second gen new Mini today. It's the first I've seen even though they're '07 models. I'd read that they were larger than the '02-'06 version but I was surprised to see that it looked around 15% larger than those. It's still pretty small compared to anything else but noticeably larger.

It was a white over blue Cooper S with very nice optional wheels.

imidazol97

The Armada looks like it was designed by Aztek designers in three parts.

british_rover

Ehhh only 2.3 inches longer with the same wheelbase.
2006 vs 2007

andys120

Ehhh only 2.3 inches longer with the same wheelbase.

I was wondering, I swear it looks like the differences are greater than the actual measurements would indicate.

qbrozen

I had NOT idea what it was. At about 70 yards away, I could only think it was an old Astrovan, although I knew it wasn't quite right. When I finally got close enough to see the emblem, I was really confused at first. I thought "geez, I don't remember Chrysler making an Astrovan copy in the '80s." Then it finally hit me. OH! That's the NEW minivan.

hmmm... probably not the reaction they should be shooting for.

kyfdx

It seems like they were trying to copy the boxiness of the Odyssey... But, lost the distinction between boxy and just box.

Lots of cool features, though...

ateixeira

Look how wide the roof is. Usually they taper inward. The new vans don't - they're as wide at the top as they are at the bottom.

It makes them feel very airy, though.

qbrozen

I think you can see my confusion.

fintail

Today I saw a 'Taurus X' badged Ford Freestyle, and one of those boxy Chrysler minivans.

ateixeira

I saw a Taurus sedan ... already had body damage on the side. :sick:

Also saw a Nissan Rogue in Washington Circle. Pretty bare bones, no roof rack or anything. Sort of looks like the CX7 from the rear view only.

fintail

Funny...today I saw a deluxe 08 Accord with a back door that was apparently hit by a battering ram.

Also saw my first new Malibu...I guess it is proof of GM actually trying, comparing it to the Malibu of 2002. Looked pretty sharp, although the grille is kind of weird.

ateixeira

The 'bu is a big improvement.

I like it more than the Aura. Especially the Reese's inspired interior, with chocolate/peanut butter colored leather.