GM and most other OEMs do a controlled slow build with new model introductions and especially slow at brand new plants.
They are doing 2 shifts with two models. That is the most they will do during start up. They will be in this startup mode and will most likely hit full production when the Enclave is introduced in 6 months. They will slowly introduce the Enclave to the build process and will most likely be at full speed about 2 months after the Enclave is introduced to the public.
At that time they would see how the vehicles are doing. If they are selling well they will introduce overtime. If they forsee that working Saturdays and 10 hour days will not make enough production to reasonably meet demand they can add a 3rd shift.
Dose anybody really know how many of these vehicles will sell with all the competitors adding/revising new models?
Last year Honda sold 150,000 Pilots. That is about 1 1/2 shifts of production. Now I guess GM could take all those customers and others but getting more than 240,000 sales a year (2 shifts) will be a pretty tall order. Not saying they will not but it will not be easy. GM sold 78,000 Suburbans last year and I guess they all could go to the Lambdas but I doubt it.
Right now they would not add more shifts or speed up the line to assure a good quality product. They will not give up quality for a few more models.
The High End Stereo on the OUTLOOK is garbage. I bought the Outlook with the DVD and CD system, and paid a large sum for this. I did NOT get the Navigation Stereo though. However, the sound is so terrible that I went to add an amplifier and the stereo store who has done other vehicles for me literally could NOT add an amplifier as the Stereo unit apparantly uses a BI-AMP (the 300 watt option) and as such, we would need to replace the entire stereo unit (which I do like the look of). BTW: I cannot add the speakers until I can get more power so I am focusing on adding the amplifer and then will change the speakers. There is no reason to spend $ 800 on speakers unless I can solve this problem.
So now what? Any ideas? Any stereo people look at how to MAINTAIN the button functionality on the factory stereo while adding an amplifier?
How can someone add an amplifier on the Outlook is they have the stereo option I have??
My dealer informed me today that as of next week, they will no longer accept orders for '07 Acadias. Is this specific to the dealer, or is it GM wide? Is there a limit on orders?
So, looks like the ordering banks will be closing soon for 2007's, followed by the information and ordering availability of 2008's in late April, early May.
This is a Canadian webpage, but I assume the dates are the same for the US. They wouldn't keep building the 07's for one market and not the other.
I spent the day at the auto show, and spent some time talking to the sales group, as Saturday night was really quiet after 8pm.
Here is the scoop. The enclave is going into production early April, and some dealers will get them in early May. Any orders out there will be filled around mid May, with most dealers getting vehicles in early June. As the Acadia and Outlooks are starting to move to dealer stock, this will allow for the Enclave ramp up. Most dealers will have some Acadia/Outlook by June. The center console will be out in August, and offered as an option then. Buick is putting a lot of effort into selling the Enclave. It had the most advanced display in the show (A split enclave with a view of each side, showing how thw seats etc are put together. They had a cool turntable with a waterfall back drop. They also had one of thier most knowledgable and attractive sales people on the turntable.
The car is composed of a metal clad upper with plastic lower front and back panels (color matched) and a lower plastic rocker - bumper wrap around, which is a painted but darker color. It appears that the similar color schemes as Outlook and Acadia will be the Enclave, as these vehicles have similar combination of metal, paint matched plastic, and darker bumper/rockers.
I have a few photos which I will try to post, on the gears site Pic1
I walked around the show to get a feel. The size of the Outlook/Acadia are very very popular, with a lot of people considering trading thier Tahoe/Envoy/Minivan/wagon etc. I even heard some people in the Pilot saying they much preferred the interior of the Outlook
I did sit in a bunch of cars, to check out the leg room of all 3 rows. I am 6'3" so I represent the bigger adult size.
The Audi Q7, Porsche or BMW did not have the 3- seater, but had nice comfortable seats for 50K+. The Tribeca has a horrible way to get into the back seat (fold then slide forward. Cannot be done easily from the back. They are a little limited on leg room and height in the 3rd seat. They are supposed to be redesigned in 2008, longer with a new middle seat. The Mazda CX9 has no headroom in the back, and was not any better than the Acadia for leg room. It does not have 7 seats with 2nd row captains. The Acura MDX has very little headroom and legroom in the back. Very similar to the volvo XC90, More for kids. The Mercedes 470 (or whatever) has all electric folding seats, but limited back head room. Not very impressive for a large car.">
Unfortunately we can't mention thename here for fear of having the post being deleted. Edmunds likes to build their own knowledge base according to them.
It's true. Orders willbe stoppedon 3/23 but the building of '07's should continue for a few weeksafter.
Continuing - The Landrover LR3 has lots of headroom, and legroom. The folding seats are easy to work, but expose a lot of metal. The back seats are surronded with lots of gaps for things to fall and roll around. Not bad at all if you like the boxy look. It is a big car with low MPG. The Hummer H2 is a joke. For such a huge vehicle that feels like a Mack Truck behind the wheel, the 3rd row seats have no foot well, so you sit in this roomy back, on the bed, with your nees in your face. The seats must be for enemy combatents. There was no Ford Freestyle, which does not say much for Ford. They did have a Taurus-X on a turntable. It looks just like the Freestyle, so thats probably why. They are not really putting much effort into anything except the edge. which is a 5 seater. The Pacificia was nice enough, with reasonable leg room, but no headroom. The 07 Pilot is very unimpressive inside, with lots of plastic, and a basket inside tray. The 3rd row is very tight for legroom, and the middle seat does not mive forward to allow more back room. The headroom in the 3rd row is very poor. This was the least impressive 3 seater I thought, considering the hype. The Nissan PathFinder has a reasonable 3rd row, for kids, but lacks head room and leg room, and the seats do not adjust The new Nissan Quest has really cool sun roof, which goes al the way back, and is really neat. Its a minivan, and has limited headroom. The expedition, and escalade are very big, so I did not look at them. There weere a few huge custom vans for lots of the biggest passengers.
The Arcadia/Outlook, were the only sub 40K CUv's which can take 3 rows of adults. I was able to adjust the front, middle and back in such a way that I could sit in all 3 without bumping nees. Its not the roomiest (The LR3 has more room), but it works, and my head was not stuck into the roof.
In general a lot of people said "this is more in our price range" and "this could work for us" Lots of people liked the idea of a +20mpg van. The Acadia with the brick leather finish was by far the most popular vehicle in the outside Dealer custom showroom. He sold 1 of his 5 stock Acadias.
I cant say if this series of cars is for everyone, but if you have plans to carry around more than 5 6' folke, the Acadia/Enclave/Outlook is worth a look. They have a lot of the features of most of the more upmarket cousins, (interior finish, features, solid feel, power etc), at a reasonable price. Its worth a look.
For a Japanese, I would wait on the new Tribeca, as this may be the only upcoming big car. The Hundai Rendevous (or whatever its called) was on the turntable, but looks slightly smaller than the Enclave. The Hundai interiors are very plastic. The price is about $5k lower (28K - 38K).
Which model Mercedes did you sit in? I sat in the new GL at the Chicago show and found that it had more 3rd row leg and head room than any of the vehicles in this forum's title. I am 6'4" and don't fit well into a lot of vehicles due to my height. The second row was more comfortable than the GM triplets as the seat was higher off the floor. Of course, the drawback to the GL is the $50,000 to $70,000 price tag!
Actually the fact is the Pilot second row can slide fore and aft, allowing leg room for the second and third rows to be adjusted according to the size of the passengers.
If you are mentioning waiting, you should add Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot both of which are coming out with redesigns.
And Why not the new Hyundai Veracruz...this is supposed to have very nice room.
There no longer is any downtime between model year changeovers unless there are major plant revisions. There is normally a 1 or 2 week shut down over the July 4 -July whatever holiday.
Yes I sat in the GL. I found it to have limited headroom (my head was touching to the roof), and the seats were difficult to adjust in the middle row, to get good back seat leg room. The second row had good comfortable seats. Being over 6' most second rows do not have sufficient cals support, so I do not notice this as much as a draw back.
The electric middle row seats were quite nice. The car is quite expensive.
If you set up your CarSpace.com page, you can post them in your Album there. It's quick and easy (just log in with your Edmunds name and password). There's a box under every pic there with the URL to copy/paste for posting pics in a post.
I almost completely agree with your appraisals. We've ordered an Enclave after thoroughly researching every possiblilty. You didn't mention another 3-row awdriver: The Mitsubishi Outlander. Verdict: Too small, like the upcoming Veracruz.
They had the veracruz at the show, but it was not possible to get in, as it was on a turntable. I cannot speak for it, however it looks smaller than the Outlook. The roof goes down at the back, which may restrict headroom, I just don't know. The new SantaFe is quite plasticy inside. The Hyundai cars all had a plastic smell, not present in other manufacturers. This probably dissipates after a few weeks.
The GL I sat in at Chicago had the fixed glass moonroof over the third row. Perhaps that gave more headroom in the third row that isn't there without the glass roof. That is always the first thing that turns me off when looking at vehicles-my head hitting the roof. Unfortunately, my head hits the roof in a lot of cars, both expensive and inexpensive. The Acadia and Outlook both had excellent headroom for me in all 3 rows. I am sure the Enclave will be the same. They did not alow us to sit in the Veracruz at Chicago. Ford did have the Tarus X on a platform as well as the current Freestyle to sit in. Good headroom there. I recently had the opportunity to drive a new Ford Edge all day Sunday. That was a pleasant surprise with respect to the roominess in both rows of seats. If one does not need a third row, check it out.
There was some discussion earlier about the color of what you are calling the lower plastic rocker - bumper wrap around on the Enclave. So you are saying that it will not be the color of the car (they will all be dark grey). When I saw the cocoa brown Enclave at the auto show, that looked OK. When I saw the pics of the red Enclave posted earlier, it didn't look so good.
Now I hope it does not ruin it. So far it has done a good job of differentiating these trucks/CUV's from each other. Although the Saturn and the GMC look alike, I agree the shoppers are different.
If GM decides to make a Chevy version of this chassis, I'm sure it will be a good car, but it will look just like GM's minivans, like every GM brand is a mouth to feed hungry for product.
IMO, if they want to make a chevy they should stop making the GMC, i think the target audience is too close. And I know they have a good job with the full size Chevy/GMC suv's, but only 3 GM brands share them and the Chevy/GMC really are similar.
If you need a large body on frame SUV for towing, etc., the Expedition is hard to beat. I can sit comfortably everywhere in it and it will pull my 5000# boat with ease. WHen I need to replace my Envoy I will probably buy an Expedition as the new c rossovers cannot tow my boat. But, for now, I don't need that so am looking at the crossovers as well as full size sedans.
How did you find the braking of the Edge. It was my favorite of six heavily researched CUVs until I drove it. I had seen car mag reviewers that were concerned about the braking, but I didn't give it a second thought until I test drove one and almost didn't make the turn on the offramp. I didn't experience that on any of the other five, so I don't think it was me.
Here's hoping Ford gets right on top of that problem. The Edge is a very nice car in all other ways and poor braking could hurt its success which Ford really needs.
The brakes seemed fine to me. There was a little more pedal travel before they kicked in than what I am used to, but they worked fine and seemed quite effective. I drove an SEL FWD model.
Term is 39 mo's...it was $454 with $0 down no security etc. You can purchase at lease end for $12K. I got $1000 incentive as I was trading in a Honda. Conquest money I think it was called. Thought it was a decent deal.
I posted my first review as I drove my Outlook from Minnesota to Florida. Not that I am back in Minnesota and have 4300 miles on it, a few more thoughts.
1. The automatic transmission is noticeably better after 4300 miles. Acceleration happens without the lag I initially experienced. Still a little too much down shifting up hills while cruising at 75 MPH, but I'm sure that is due to a gas saving 6th gear. Still wish the transmission had a sport mode on it.
2. Gas mileage has peaked at 22 MPH so far, freeway driving at 75 MPH. That may continue to improve as the engine breaks in.
3. Still very impressed with the brakes. Solid for such a large vehicle.
4. No quality problems so far. No squeaks or rattles. Vibration from drivers side mirror has disappeared. This is my first GM ever and my fears of quality issues are greatly diminished. Quality so far is better than any of the BMWs I have owned.
5. Still wish the doors opened with a little more resistance. Also still wish GM/Saturn offered less options (more like Acura).
6. Still disagree with the stereo bashers. This is one of the better OEM systems out there. I have owned BMW, Lexus, Nissan, and Acura. An audiophile will surely pick on it, but overall is sounds decent for a factory unit. FM reception has been excellent, no engine hum on AM (something BMW had a hard time figuring out!)
7. Rear viability remains a concern. It is difficult to see behind you. Rear camera would be a nice option (if it was inexpensive).
The only real negative is that the Outlook lacks a little personality. It does most everything well, but nothing specifically sticks out. So far I am very happy with the purchase.
Now that I know how to add photos, I added some more, of the MSP auto show.
Note. I did find out the tailgate on the Enclave has been narrowed for styling, so it will not take a 4x8 sheet of plywood, which the Outlook and Acadia can, not that you would be allowed to put a sheet of plywood in a new enclave.
The color variation is due to with and without flash. The real color is the "grey brown" not the "gold brown", which is due to the yellow convention hall light (no flash)
Some pics are the cut in half model, showing interior.
OK...I don't get it..the vehicle is out less than 4 months in all practicality and already 07 is done and we're into 08? Minimal stock to be seen at dealers (max 5 units is what I've seen on web)so take it or leave it if you want to order an '08 it'll be August before you get it? :mad:
I never really thought about it that way, but I guess the answer is YES.
I would hope that dealer inventory would start building pretty soon, but if it doesn't and you don't like what you find in inventory, then I guess you wait until mid-July for delivery of an 08 equipped how you would like it. Unless you order in the next two days.
The transmission does have a sport mode...put it in "L" and use the plus / minus button on the shifter. Works like a champ and you can use all 6 speeds. Gas mileage suffers but it will in any sport or low mode.
did find out the tailgate on the Enclave has been narrowed for styling, so it will not take a 4x8 sheet of plywood, which the Outlook and Acadia can, not that you would be allowed to put a sheet of plywood in a new enclave
OK...I don't get it..the vehicle is out less than 4 months in all practicality and already 07 is done and we're into 08? Minimal stock to be seen at dealers (max 5 units is what I've seen on web)so take it or leave it if you want to order an '08 it'll be August before you get it?
They are sold out. This is a very hot vehicle right now.
BUT, they are still building them and most of the orders are most likely dealer stock so more wil be coming into the dealerships. However they will probalby sell as soon as they are in. My question is if these are so hot how are some getting these well below MSRP prices?
Don't know. Most dealers in Minneapolis only have a few in stock and I know of at least two dealers that are selling at invoice without any real haggling.
I still contend that as good as the vehicle is, if you are paying near MSRP for a GM vehicle you will be taking even more of a bath when it is time to sell. I would never, ever, ever pay MSRP for a GM car. The C6 Corvette is a prime example. Dealers were initially getting MSRP for the 05's. You can buy 07's for invoice. If someone is not in a hurry to be the first to own a new vehicle I would wait.
Orders for the soon-to-be launched Buick Enclave -- the crossover sport utility vehicle at the center of the struggling brand's revival -- are coming in quicker than General Motors Corp. can build them.
Buick General Manager Steve Shannon on Wednesday said GM has received more than 6,000 orders, more than twice what the automaker is able to build by the summer launch date.
I guess that's one way to look at it. I look at it as more of an issue with the marketplace not putting much value on used GM cars (or any domestic). If they held their value better I would have less of an issue paying a bit more.
As an example. I have an 03 Ford Expedition. It cost me $4000 less than it would have cost to buy a Toyota Sequoia. We liked both vehicles. The deciding factor for me was that it would have cost me $500 more per year to insure the Toyota.
According to pricing guides the Toyota is now worth $6K more than the Ford. For us, that is basically a wash due to insurance premiums. If the insurance was comparable, the Toyota would seem to have been the better buy at this point, despite the $4K initial price difference.
Production for the Enclave is to start on April 2nd according to the Lansing paper where the triplets are built. The starting price is $32790 plus options and according to Buick it is to complete against the likes of the Lexus RX350, Mercedes R Class, and the Acura MDX. Some big shoes to fill but they feel that with the other vehicles having starting prices of many thousands more they can compete. As an example they said the MDX starts around $40K. Time will tell.
The transmission does not have a true sport mode. It has a manual mode and the regular automatic. BMW and others offer a mode that changes the shifting patterns, essentially allowing revs to increase in each gear.
The Outlook has manual shifting but I'm not all that interested in manual shifting a 5000 lb SUV. Also the manual shift buttons are not very ergonomic, most automakers allow the stick itself to be used.
hipreck - did you have your vehicle in for the Transmission Control Module reprogramming? It made a world of difference on my Acadia - still no sport/normal mode (which I agree - I also miss it as my previous car had it), but the re-programming definitely leans more to "sport."
Before I felt it upshifted gears way too early - now it holds revs longer without upshifting, and seems to be in a more sensible gear when trying turn through a corner. It really addressed my only concern with the vehicle. The dealer said it should not impact MPG (which I find a little hard to believe...but maybe not - the tranny certain "hunts" for the right gear less, which should save fuel).
maybe if enough people compain they could make an update somehow or at least on future models for the next customer. In this day and age when a body style is around for 5 or more years it's all about refinement.
I have not had my Outlook in for the tranny update yet. I'm actually not sure if it has it or not. I do plan on having it checked when I get the airbag recall checked.
I just visited the Buick site and they have the video tour with Tiger Woods. Please tell me that my eyes are deceiving me and that is not that old fashioned carpet on the backs of the leather seats. That has not been done in decades.... and for a reason. It looks like crap over a short period of time.... fuzz balls, matting, etc.
Actually it is done today in SUV's. When you fold down the seats it is a flat load floor and leather would rip. With todays carpet material it does not ball/matt. My Enclave has had no problems and I load up with drywall and OSB all the time.
I just scrolled back in this thread and saw the photos with Tiger Woods.... the backing of the front seats are leather... while the second and third rows are carpet, which is correct and what I have in my Lincoln Aviator.
Comments
They are doing 2 shifts with two models. That is the most they will do during start up. They will be in this startup mode and will most likely hit full production when the Enclave is introduced in 6 months. They will slowly introduce the Enclave to the build process and will most likely be at full speed about 2 months after the Enclave is introduced to the public.
At that time they would see how the vehicles are doing. If they are selling well they will introduce overtime. If they forsee that working Saturdays and 10 hour days will not make enough production to reasonably meet demand they can add a 3rd shift.
Dose anybody really know how many of these vehicles will sell with all the competitors adding/revising new models?
Last year Honda sold 150,000 Pilots. That is about 1 1/2 shifts of production. Now I guess GM could take all those customers and others but getting more than 240,000 sales a year (2 shifts) will be a pretty tall order. Not saying they will not but it will not be easy. GM sold 78,000 Suburbans last year and I guess they all could go to the Lambdas but I doubt it.
Right now they would not add more shifts or speed up the line to assure a good quality product. They will not give up quality for a few more models.
I bought the Outlook with the DVD and CD system, and paid a large sum for this. I did NOT get the Navigation Stereo though. However, the sound is so terrible that I went to add an amplifier and the stereo store who has done other vehicles for me literally could NOT add an amplifier as the Stereo unit apparantly uses a BI-AMP (the 300 watt option) and as such, we would need to replace the entire stereo unit (which I do like the look of). BTW: I cannot add the speakers until I can get more power so I am focusing on adding the amplifer and then will change the speakers. There is no reason to spend $ 800 on speakers unless I can solve this problem.
So now what? Any ideas? Any stereo people look at how to MAINTAIN the button functionality on the factory stereo while adding an amplifier?
How can someone add an amplifier on the Outlook is they have the stereo option I have??
Any idea?
Information on the 2008 Acadia & Outlook will be posted by GM on April 30th.
From there, the following is from GM for the Acadia/Outlook:
Last day to order a 2007: March 23, 2007
Start of 2008 production: June 18, 2007
And, just for the record, the Enclave:
Start of 2008 (and all) production: April 2, 2007
All according to:
http://fleetnews.gmcanada.com/news_flash/en/production_schedules.shtml#TopOfPage-
So, looks like the ordering banks will be closing soon for 2007's, followed by the information and ordering availability of 2008's in late April, early May.
This is a Canadian webpage, but I assume the dates are the same for the US. They wouldn't keep building the 07's for one market and not the other.
Here is the scoop.
The enclave is going into production early April, and some dealers will get them in early May. Any orders out there will be filled around mid May, with most dealers getting vehicles in early June. As the Acadia and Outlooks are starting to move to dealer stock, this will allow for the Enclave ramp up. Most dealers will have some Acadia/Outlook by June.
The center console will be out in August, and offered as an option then.
Buick is putting a lot of effort into selling the Enclave. It had the most advanced display in the show (A split enclave with a view of each side, showing how thw seats etc are put together. They had a cool turntable with a waterfall back drop. They also had one of thier most knowledgable and attractive sales people on the turntable.
The car is composed of a metal clad upper with plastic lower front and back panels (color matched) and a lower plastic rocker - bumper wrap around, which is a painted but darker color. It appears that the similar color schemes as Outlook and Acadia will be the Enclave, as these vehicles have similar combination of metal, paint matched plastic, and darker bumper/rockers.
I have a few photos which I will try to post, on the gears site
Pic1
Pic2
Pic3
Pic4
Pic 5
I walked around the show to get a feel. The size of the Outlook/Acadia are very very popular, with a lot of people considering trading thier Tahoe/Envoy/Minivan/wagon etc. I even heard some people in the Pilot saying they much preferred the interior of the Outlook
I did sit in a bunch of cars, to check out the leg room of all 3 rows. I am 6'3" so I represent the bigger adult size.
The Audi Q7, Porsche or BMW did not have the 3- seater, but had nice comfortable seats for 50K+.
The Tribeca has a horrible way to get into the back seat (fold then slide forward. Cannot be done easily from the back. They are a little limited on leg room and height in the 3rd seat. They are supposed to be redesigned in 2008, longer with a new middle seat.
The Mazda CX9 has no headroom in the back, and was not any better than the Acadia for leg room. It does not have 7 seats with 2nd row captains.
The Acura MDX has very little headroom and legroom in the back. Very similar to the volvo XC90, More for kids.
The Mercedes 470 (or whatever) has all electric folding seats, but limited back head room. Not very impressive for a large car.">
Unfortunately we can't mention thename here for fear of having the post being deleted. Edmunds likes to build their own knowledge base according to them.
It's true. Orders willbe stoppedon 3/23 but the building of '07's should continue for a few weeksafter.
The Landrover LR3 has lots of headroom, and legroom. The folding seats are easy to work, but expose a lot of metal. The back seats are surronded with lots of gaps for things to fall and roll around. Not bad at all if you like the boxy look. It is a big car with low MPG.
The Hummer H2 is a joke. For such a huge vehicle that feels like a Mack Truck behind the wheel, the 3rd row seats have no foot well, so you sit in this roomy back, on the bed, with your nees in your face. The seats must be for enemy combatents.
There was no Ford Freestyle, which does not say much for Ford. They did have a Taurus-X on a turntable. It looks just like the Freestyle, so thats probably why. They are not really putting much effort into anything except the edge. which is a 5 seater.
The Pacificia was nice enough, with reasonable leg room, but no headroom.
The 07 Pilot is very unimpressive inside, with lots of plastic, and a basket inside tray. The 3rd row is very tight for legroom, and the middle seat does not mive forward to allow more back room. The headroom in the 3rd row is very poor. This was the least impressive 3 seater I thought, considering the hype.
The Nissan PathFinder has a reasonable 3rd row, for kids, but lacks head room and leg room, and the seats do not adjust
The new Nissan Quest has really cool sun roof, which goes al the way back, and is really neat. Its a minivan, and has limited headroom.
The expedition, and escalade are very big, so I did not look at them. There weere a few huge custom vans for lots of the biggest passengers.
The Arcadia/Outlook, were the only sub 40K CUv's which can take 3 rows of adults. I was able to adjust the front, middle and back in such a way that I could sit in all 3 without bumping nees. Its not the roomiest (The LR3 has more room), but it works, and my head was not stuck into the roof.
In general a lot of people said "this is more in our price range" and "this could work for us" Lots of people liked the idea of a +20mpg van.
The Acadia with the brick leather finish was by far the most popular vehicle in the outside Dealer custom showroom. He sold 1 of his 5 stock Acadias.
I cant say if this series of cars is for everyone, but if you have plans to carry around more than 5 6' folke, the Acadia/Enclave/Outlook is worth a look. They have a lot of the features of most of the more upmarket cousins, (interior finish, features, solid feel, power etc), at a reasonable price. Its worth a look.
For a Japanese, I would wait on the new Tribeca, as this may be the only upcoming big car. The Hundai Rendevous (or whatever its called) was on the turntable, but looks slightly smaller than the Enclave. The Hundai interiors are very plastic. The price is about $5k lower (28K - 38K).
Hope this helps.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Actually the fact is the Pilot second row can slide fore and aft, allowing leg room for the second and third rows to be adjusted according to the size of the passengers.
If you are mentioning waiting, you should add Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot both of which are coming out with redesigns.
And Why not the new Hyundai Veracruz...this is supposed to have very nice room.
B.
The electric middle row seats were quite nice. The car is quite expensive.
I almost completely agree with your appraisals. We've ordered an Enclave after thoroughly researching every possiblilty. You didn't mention another 3-row awdriver: The Mitsubishi Outlander. Verdict: Too small, like the upcoming Veracruz.
Thanks for your input!
Jay
3rd seat - think Mazda CX-9 with a little more headroom.
Biggest surprise for me at the MPLS Auto show - Fords' new Expedition! :surprise:
The interior is beautiful and all seating positions are awesome and easily customizable. Far ahead of it's competitors.
I was also very impressed wih the 07' Quest.........
The Lambdas are also great - I will own one of the above next year (Quest / Expedition / Lambda)...........
Now I hope it does not ruin it. So far it has done a good job of differentiating these trucks/CUV's from each other. Although the Saturn and the GMC look alike, I agree the shoppers are different.
If GM decides to make a Chevy version of this chassis, I'm sure it will be a good car, but it will look just like GM's minivans, like every GM brand is a mouth to feed hungry for product.
IMO, if they want to make a chevy they should stop making the GMC, i think the target audience is too close. And I know they have a good job with the full size Chevy/GMC suv's, but only 3 GM brands share them and the Chevy/GMC really are similar.
What do you guys think?
Here are the pics
Album
Here's hoping Ford gets right on top of that problem. The Edge is a very nice car in all other ways and poor braking could hurt its success which Ford really needs.
1. The automatic transmission is noticeably better after 4300 miles. Acceleration happens without the lag I initially experienced. Still a little too much down shifting up hills while cruising at 75 MPH, but I'm sure that is due to a gas saving 6th gear. Still wish the transmission had a sport mode on it.
2. Gas mileage has peaked at 22 MPH so far, freeway driving at 75 MPH. That may continue to improve as the engine breaks in.
3. Still very impressed with the brakes. Solid for such a large vehicle.
4. No quality problems so far. No squeaks or rattles. Vibration from drivers side mirror has disappeared. This is my first GM ever and my fears of quality issues are greatly diminished. Quality so far is better than any of the BMWs I have owned.
5. Still wish the doors opened with a little more resistance. Also still wish GM/Saturn offered less options (more like Acura).
6. Still disagree with the stereo bashers. This is one of the better OEM systems out there. I have owned BMW, Lexus, Nissan, and Acura. An audiophile will surely pick on it, but overall is sounds decent for a factory unit. FM reception has been excellent, no engine hum on AM (something BMW had a hard time figuring out!)
7. Rear viability remains a concern. It is difficult to see behind you. Rear camera would be a nice option (if it was inexpensive).
The only real negative is that the Outlook lacks a little personality. It does most everything well, but nothing specifically sticks out. So far I am very happy with the purchase.
Note. I did find out the tailgate on the Enclave has been narrowed for styling, so it will not take a 4x8 sheet of plywood, which the Outlook and Acadia can, not that you would be allowed to put a sheet of plywood in a new enclave.
Photos
The color variation is due to with and without flash. The real color is the "grey brown" not the "gold brown", which is due to the yellow convention hall light (no flash)
Some pics are the cut in half model, showing interior.
I would hope that dealer inventory would start building pretty soon, but if it doesn't and you don't like what you find in inventory, then I guess you wait until mid-July for delivery of an 08 equipped how you would like it. Unless you order in the next two days.
If ture that knocks the Enclave out for me
They are sold out. This is a very hot vehicle right now.
BUT, they are still building them and most of the orders are most likely dealer stock so more wil be coming into the dealerships. However they will probalby sell as soon as they are in. My question is if these are so hot how are some getting these well below MSRP prices?
I still contend that as good as the vehicle is, if you are paying near MSRP for a GM vehicle you will be taking even more of a bath when it is time to sell. I would never, ever, ever pay MSRP for a GM car. The C6 Corvette is a prime example. Dealers were initially getting MSRP for the 05's. You can buy 07's for invoice. If someone is not in a hurry to be the first to own a new vehicle I would wait.
Orders for the soon-to-be launched Buick Enclave -- the crossover sport utility vehicle at the center of the struggling brand's revival -- are coming in quicker than General Motors Corp. can build them.
Buick General Manager Steve Shannon on Wednesday said GM has received more than 6,000 orders, more than twice what the automaker is able to build by the summer launch date.
Perhaps this is proof there are too many GM dealers. Too much competition between them drops the ATP's.
As an example. I have an 03 Ford Expedition. It cost me $4000 less than it would have cost to buy a Toyota Sequoia. We liked both vehicles. The deciding factor for me was that it would have cost me $500 more per year to insure the Toyota.
According to pricing guides the Toyota is now worth $6K more than the Ford. For us, that is basically a wash due to insurance premiums. If the insurance was comparable, the Toyota would seem to have been the better buy at this point, despite the $4K initial price difference.
The Outlook has manual shifting but I'm not all that interested in manual shifting a 5000 lb SUV. Also the manual shift buttons are not very ergonomic, most automakers allow the stick itself to be used.
Before I felt it upshifted gears way too early - now it holds revs longer without upshifting, and seems to be in a more sensible gear when trying turn through a corner. It really addressed my only concern with the vehicle. The dealer said it should not impact MPG (which I find a little hard to believe...but maybe not - the tranny certain "hunts" for the right gear less, which should save fuel).
Sequoia is the same way.
http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/2007/highlander/key_features/versatility.html