HC_Earwicker

No one is holding any contempt for assembly line workers. Manufacturing jobs are important - in any country in the world, they are a major source of employment. However, let us not lose sight of the fact that engineering jobs are important as well. I want America to be inventing the technology rather than just putting it together and I would like to see Toyota et al send some engineering jobs this way as well (they have, to a certain extent, but I'd like to see more). I was not putting down manufacturing jobs - I was, if anything, protesting the fact that all too many people are paying no attention to engineering jobs. America's pre-eminence in science and engineering is what made this country the wealthiest in the world and I fear we are losing that edge. Already, certain industries, such as cosumer electronics are all but gone. I don't want the automobile sector to be the same way. - HCE

I am less concerned about "money going back to Japan" than the type of jobs Toyota is creating here. Most of these jobs are manufacturing jobs. Nothing wrong with manufacturing jobs but I do not want the US auto industry to be limited to merely assembling things. I would like a lot of the design and engineering to be done here as well - and that is where I think Toyota is not doing much. Yes they have several engineering and design centers throughout the US but the vast majority of their R&D gets done in Japan. If as much engineering is done here as manufacturing then perhaps, I can consider them an American company - but not until then. - HCE

In all fairness, we have to mention that Magnum sales took a bit of a dive when the Charger was introduced - so I do not think there is such a huge difference. Anyway, I am not backing any particular horse in this race - I want to see all the domestic manufacturers do well. - HCE

Let's put it this way - I didn't buy this car to drive it slow . However, I don't consider myself a leadfoot either. Given the kind of traffic I am often in, 18mpg is quite good. I know several people with V8-powered sedans - no one gets much more than 16-17 mpg. People with V6 Accords and Camrys don't get much more than 20 mpg in this area. - HCE

No they didn't. Going by the figures posted on this forum, the D3 cars sold a combined 211678 units and the LX cars sold 241359 units. - HCE

No - the base model is about as powerful as any other V8 powered full-size SUV. Yes, there is a 400 hp version but the ones that buy those probably aren't too bothered about gas prices. I have done no scientific analysis of this but DoD-type systems do seem to work from what I have seen. My Chrysler 300C averages a little over 18 mpg in mixed city/highway driving (which is quite good given the size of the car and the engine) and long highway trips see a fairly dramatic improvement in the mileage. Even if DoD does not cut in very much, the improved aerodynamics will help a lot. A 0.36 drag coefficient is exceptionally good for a full-size SUV. And, of course, the 4-speed automatic is not going to be around for very long. It will probably be replaced fairly soon by the new 6-speed that was co-developed with Ford. - HCE

Nice looking car - at least from the front. Will have to see other angles before passing any judgment. One question - is this close to being a production design? If so, where does it fit in the Lincoln line-up? Is this the new LS or the new Continental - it seems a bit small to be the next Town Car. - HCE

I doubt if GM thinks that SUVs are their golden ticket back to profitability. However, all the predictions that I have seen say that the big SUV market - even though it is shrinking - is going to remain quite large for quite some time to come. No, these SUVs are not going to bring GM back to profitability on their own but they will help quite significantly. - HCE