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If they bring this car out within the current price structure and offer a decent 4 banger, this will be a step in the right direction. If it's still a pushrod 6 mated to a 4 sp auto, it'll be good enough to cannibalize Impala sales but won't make a dent in the Camry/Accord/Altima sales.
Look, all it needs are five things:
- Lower price.
- Big trunk. This is because almost all police forces require RWD cars.
- RWD. Even with an ancient engine and transmission, RWD is a massive improvement.
- Stickshift. On their biggest engine as well. Spend a few hours making sure it will appeal to the crowd that still wants a car like this.
- Drop in that inline-6 engine. GM has one. Use it.
If they do all of this, it's goign to be a hugely different car than a Camry or Accord. Just what police and taxis are looking for, as well as most of the U.S. public that are fed up with FWD boats want.
Maybe Malibu is not meant for young people. Anyway, The Aura is new enough, although a bit pricy for young costumers. Chevy ruined it with the Cobalt, except for the SS coupe. Speaking of names, Scion went for sort of high-tech meaningless names like xB, which sounds more in place with an electronic device, and maybe that's why it works. they sell over 6,000 units monthly of these boxes.
the bigger the lights the bigger the reflector, the better the light throw.
Gigantic lights (or light covers - much of the room covered by the gigantic eyes aren't actually involved in lighting) are a 2002 fad...Camry/Solara, ES, Q, and so many others. It's styling....and running with a 5 year old fad will make you look dated.
Loren, pricing on Saturn is pretty simple.
XE:$20,595
XR:$24,595
No haggling, some option packages.
$22K car is an XE with preferred package and the premium trim package.
Top if the line starts at $24,595 so it could not be the top of the line one.
Darn good price when compared to Camry.
That's one thing that irks me about Lucerne styling - the lights seem huge. Reminds me of the 2002 Infiniti Q, which really went too far. Smaller/less tall lights look better!
The first car I can remember going towards the oversized headlight look was the 1996 Civic, a look that was often referred to as "doe-like"
If GM is coming out with a whole new Epsilon platform for this 2008 Malibu, then why, pray tell, are they releasing the Aura on the old platform? Seems to me they should've just waited until the new platform was ready and then released a new Malibu/G6/Aura/9-3 at the same time.
The way they're doing it, it seems like they're setting up the Aura to fail, especially if the 2008 Malibu ends up being something to write home about.
If only cars were designed so functionally. It's function follows form.
If the Malibu name is done, how about Chevelle or Alticordry?
I have to agree. It is pleasant looking, one of GM's better efforts. I might have estimated $22,000 because base model in just under $26,000 in Canada. It is priced high in relation to the exchange rate...that is why $22,000 sounds high.
It looks much more expensive from the inside. Like I said, nice fake wood trim, huge trunk, fair bit of room in the back.
The things I did not like and they mean a lot to me; front seats were not that comfortable, vision out front and back is not great (partly that huge trunk), and the hood fades into oblivion. Can't judge fenders or front end.
For looks, well, I cried when I saw the new Camry, but I got used to it, same with the raised trunk on the BMW 5 Series, but it is very clever, these new designs actually are very intelligent, because they make that look the new standard, like fins did in the 50's, and if you don't have it your car is out of date. You have to be gutsy and a leader to use this trick, but it does work...makes the Camry much edgier, fresher than the Accord!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Besides, I think GM is planning to put that name on an hi-perf Aveo SS
FWD Impala is fine for the masses. Think that vast majority of Impala buyers are better off with FWD, especially those who have to deal with snow and ice. FWD is safer in bad weather than RWD. Think that most buyers of Impalas, as well as similar vehicles, are just buying an appliance and do not care about so-called ultimate handling/cornering/etc. and "feel" that RWD can provide.
GM could bring back the Caprice Classic RWD and make it a little bigger than Impala. Make it in an SS version for those who care about handling and a tame version for others. This could be a step-up car for Chevy just like Avalon (FWD) is for Toyota.
Look - when Mazda, a tiny company that's barely a small pet compared to GM's elephant can do it right and make a profit by offering cars peopel want to actually own, GM should take a hint.
Build exciting cars that nobody else does. Not by making an incrementally better version of someone else's design. All that does is leave you playing catch-up once their new design comes out.
"A step up" won't cut it. They need a total redesign like the new Mustang or else they are treading water again.
I-6, stickshift, RWD, under 3000 lbs is the goal that they need to be aiming for. Automatics of course can then go to the fleets that use them.
Oh - FWD is only advantaeous in snow, and only in cars under about 2500-3000lbs and/or are more than about 60 front-heavy. Bigger RWD cars do just fine in snow. Of course, not knowing how to drive in snow is your own fault. Most of the U.S. doesn't drive in much snow to be honest - and those people who do almost always have SUVs or something to deal with it.(or wait until the roads are de-iced/plowed)
The way they're doing it, it seems like they're setting up the Aura to fail, especially if the 2008 Malibu ends up being something to write home about.
Soem car has to be first on the new platform and some car has to be last on the old one! To keep Engineering under headcount control you cannot design/develop/release/advertised/marketed all models at one time. They have to be staggered. With the Aura, GM picked a car that was already out there (Opel) and gave it to Saturn. It is a great car and will sell well. The Epsilon 2 needed to be bigger because the W cars were going away and they will replace both the Epsilon 1 and W car vehicles (in most cases).
Hence the invention of the projector-beam headlamp. You will find them on older Japanese cars.
That would be our old friend the R3x Nissan Skyline.
If Pontiac had the distinction of RWD, it would make their excitement slogan make sense and seem more realistic to the target audience of performance enthusiasts that understand and accept the trade-offs of front vs rear drive.
Chevy being more the appliance maker, FWD makes sense due to it's advantages in safety, cost, interior layout and trunkspace.
No. For every Pontiac dealer in any area, you have three Chevy dealers. To me shopping for a Chevy and servicing a Chevy would be a lot easier.
Also, I don't want a Pontiac - who wants a Pontiac (with the exception of Solstice)? Most of my friends even don't know what Pontiac is. They know Chevy because of the omnipresent bowtie.
TOKYO -- Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. plans to move some of its manufacturing operations to Japan from North America as part of its efforts to improve profitability, the Nihon Keizai business daily reported.
Production of two Nissan models -- the Quest minivan and the Infiniti QX56 SUV -- was expected to be relocated from Nissan's plant in Canton, Miss., to factories in Japan in 2008 and 2009, the newspaper said Sunday, Oct. 1.
Nissan sold 40,000 Quests and 15,000 of the Infiniti QX56 in North America in 2005, the paper said.
Since both vehicles are mainly sold in North America, local production offers the company lower distribution costs, it said.
But given their small sales volumes, Nissan believes that it would be able to cut costs by producing them in Japan for export because domestic plants can switch between models and build them more quickly, the daily said.
The North American factories GM is keeping open have the hot swap features of Nissan's Japanese plants.
The Korean GMDAT plant and plants in Belgium and Germany also are hot swapable. But they are pretty much at maximum capacity already.
This is more a case of Nissan moving slow sellers to facilities where it can quickly turn on and turn off capacity where needed from a factory where you either have the line running or it is off. As part of the restructering, GM is closing almost all its older factories.
If all the Chevies went rear drive, those folks would sit in the car and wonder why the middle hump was so big, trunk was so small and traction so bad compared to the Camcord, Corolla, whatever.
A much smaller segment of the public will seek out rear drive. Pontiac with the smaller dealer network can survive on that audience. Being the affordable rear drive division (as opposed to Caddy) would instantaneously have more cred with the performance set than 15 years worth of plastic cladding and red lettered guages ever got them.
Rocky
Even my little PT Cruiser in first gear will tend to pull that steering wheel out of your hands if turning right and applying lots of power. You are likely right however. The average buyer is not a driver. They know little about the appliance they sit in. It is just point A to point B and little else. Perhaps this is why they have so many more roll overs these days. Always interesting to ask people if their car has anti-lock brakes. Many will say they don't know. Ask them how then do they know how to apply the brakes and they will say, what's the difference. I see so many SUV and trucks driving at high speeds, it is a wonder more don't lose control. They must see little difference between their big hunk of rolling steel and a Corvette. I am sure the manufacturer will be blamed for roll overs or not being able to stop in time. Yeah, why didn't this truck stop like that Corvette? Maybe the average buyer won't see the difference between a golf cart and a fine RWD car. You are probably right.
As far as safety goes, I take it under-steer is what people are liking. It does work both ways though, and under-steer can send you off a cliff. The front end not turning would send the front head on into oncoming, or straight on over a cliff -- whoopee! Maybe common sense speed with both FWD and RWD helps just a little bit there.
-Loren
Both cars will get the job done.
-Loren
-Loren
Rocky
And I will admit some are pretty good handling. The Toyota Celica did handle well. No longer being made thought. Then there is the Audi and Saab/Volvo of the this world. Why pay all that money for a FWD, I haven't a clue. A VW is less expensive and seems to be rated well for handling. Would not pay over $20K for FWD cars.
-Loren
Rocky
See now there is the difference, if I bought the Camry, I could drive out. Buy the Saturn you still had to walk. Got ya!!! Didn't know the broke down leaving the showroom. :surprise:
-Loren
Well I can see why some have. You can drive it in the snow and get good mpg's.
Rocky
Rocky
Some will say that FWD will slip BUT most drivers aren't doing front wheel drive jack rabbit starts at full throttle that may have slip--that's why traction contol works on FWD.
I've driven RWD in all kinds of weather and FWD has better traction 99% of the time. I've had RWD with limted slip differentials and those will dig you through snow almost as wellas the FWDs I've had since BUT they are dangerous for the hotshot or nonphysics-oriented driver. FWD eliminates that. I have no trouble with torque steer on my FWD. I can accelerated while turning right or left and the steering wheel stays steady. These are GM cars, of course.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Wasn't one positive result of FWD more interior room created by eliminating the driveshaft?
Well, this is all about the design. Most modern cars have a 4-6 inch hump in the middle anyways in the rear. And a center console instead of a bench seat that goes all the way into the dash as one monstrous unit. The tranny could easily fit there, since it already is 5 passenger car as it is.
As far as implimenting it, the Volvo 960 had a three part driveshaft and sitting in it, you couldn't tell the difference between it, a RWD car, and the 850, a FWD car. Both were the same size inside, or too close to call. You look under it and you can't tell it's RWD very easily - the driveshaft is all hidden/tucked away.
But driving it, it was no contest which provided a smoother more luxurious ride. Having the front wheels free to steer and less weight up front made it a wonderful car. Ever wonder why Mercedes refuses to jump in on the FWD bandwagon except for a few cars every so often? Same reason. And nobody seems to complain about them in bad weather.
So, yes, it's definately possible to take something like a LaCrosse make it RWD without changing the interior at all. Automakers are just lazy is all. There's no reason they can't make a 2.0-3.0L I6 and RWD. In fact, Lexus DID EXACTLY THAT with their GS300. Sit inside the GS300 and the ES300 and there's hardly an inch of difference. And it sells incredibly well.
Rocky
While Chevy is GM's appliance division, I think they could use a RWD Impala as somewhat of a halo/image-builder.