CarShark

Couldn't the drop in Corolla sales just be people holding off on a purchase to get the new one when it launches this month?

After seeing that exchange, I think it's safe to say that we ALL lose.

Then I'd say the men in the white lab coats will be arriving at your house shortly.

Cadillac, Corvette and Hummer seem to be sold together in dealerships, but there are only five such stores in the UK. That's a big problem. Not as big as the product side, but still pretty big.

Was the Cougar really that bad? Or was it that the coupe market in the U.S. was dropping as a whole?

I don't get it. How did a thread about Top Gear turn into yet another Panther thread?

Aren't they doing to EcoBoost the TaurusX replacement's 3.5? I don't know if it'll be 362 bhp, but I imagine it'll be quick.

I'm not looking too forward to the US version, I must admit. I think it's going to end up being an hour-long ad for the car company that paid the most that week.

I didn't know there was such negativity surrounding Sony's electronics! What exactly is wrong with them? I've heard a ton of bad stuff about Microsoft. (and I'm contemplating downgrading from Vista back to XP. I swear my computer is slower now!)

BlackHorse, a couple things are confusing to me. 1) Why a 4x2 and not a 4x4, especially if you want the off-road package? 2) According to Edmunds, Toyota has $750 off on the Tacoma for whatever good that does. 3) Why didn't you add dealer fees to the Colorado? 4) When I built and priced on toyota.com the same way you did (double cab, bigger engine, off-road suspension package), it came out to be $27,319. Take away the $750, and it's $26,569. 5) Finally, you don't seem to be thinking about the added features on the Toyota. A quick comparison yielded that the Tacoma has this over the Colorado: Hill Descent Control Full-sized spare tire (Colorado has a temp space saver) Skid plates Speed-proportional power steering Tilt/telescopic steering wheel (Colorado's only tilts) Cruise control Cruise and audio functions on steering wheel Brake Assist Stability Control Standard Side Airbags (in the Colorado, it's another $395) I'm not saying that it entirely makes up the price differential, I'm just saying that the best value may not necessarily be the one with the lower price.

Well I don't. Ford's own money problems are the reason they have to close down Norfolk. Toyota wants to make a new plant in the U.S., that's their business. Besides, those tax breaks and incentives go to the Big Three when they build a new plant down south, too. Don't act like the import brands aren't the only ones taking advantage of their anti-union behavior. I don't like the government getting involved in energy policy, but since it's almost inextricably linked with national security nowadays... Anyways, I'd rather they reward drivers of efficient cars rather than punish drivers of inefficient ones. Once again, it's not the government's fault that the Big Three weren't making efficient cars at the outset. They're making them now, and since Toyota's sold so many hybrids, they no longer qualify for the rebate. At least in the near future, the Big Three and others are at an advantage.

GM to intro 1.4-liter turbo, to appear in cars 'no one could imagine': Left Lane News GM not focusing on U.S. diesels: Left Lane News

All nine??? "Excuse me, Mr. Car Salesman. Do you have a spare afternoon? I'd like to talk about the Focus."

I guess I just don't understand why these two things need to be combined. Coupes are supposed to be sleek and low-slung and sexy. SUVs are tall, boxy and butch. They just don't go together. Every time I see the X6, I see a 3-Series sedan that's been stretched like an accordion and then stepped on by Godzilla's little brother in the back. Terrible!

I think the 5-door hatch is coming back. The station wagon, too, but to a lesser extent. GMC Acadia Length: 200.7 inchesGMC Yukon Length: 202.0 inches GMC Acadia AWD Auto Weight: 4936 GMC Yukon 4WD Auto Weight: 5527 I kid you not. It's not much smaller, but it is a lot lighter. ...being bought with a weakening dollar. But Richard said that it wasn't the only thing affecting it. How can you tell if ethanol is having a significant effect? Maybe the increase in gas prices adds 2 cents while ethanol adds .2 cents. It's not as simple as you make it out to be. That's a nice thought, but if the spot price of oil for the 15% of E85 that is gasoline, won't that still have a decent effect on E85's price? And who's to say that NA will still be producing enough oil for itself? But that's only because in many of those nations, gas gets the shit taxed out of it. In the UK, it's like 2/3 of the price. ..but it's less efficient. So you have to burn more of it, which releases more pollutants. Enough to make up for the oil workers displaced?

Is direct injection going to be standard on all engines, or will it be an option? The smallest engine for NA is probably going to be the 2.0L, but I think a 1.5L with DI would be a better option. I agree that having more engine choices is empowering, but I just don't want it to be like in Europe where you have to choose between a 1.4L, a 1.6L, a 1.6L diesel, a 1.8L, a 1.8L diesel, a 1.8L flex fuel, a 2.0L, a 2.0L diesel and a 2.5L turbo. How does anyone choose between them?

I concur. It's still another nail in ChryCo's CAFE coffin, though.

Sooooo, are there no intellectual property laws in this country, or does everyone just ignore them?

Link: AutoNews

Of course it doesn't have a soul...It's a car.

I've never liked Auto Extremist. He's way too anti-Toyota for my taste and he acts like he's in GM's pocket. One thing I hate about domestic boards is the portrayal of it being the Evil Empire. Just too out there. A lot of sour grapes.

Why would they be hiding a Cobra? We've already seen it.

Couldn't have been funny to the 67,028 people that bought one last year. GM actually was a bit ahead of the curve with the car. Too bad it got blown out by the Japanese in one year. As soon as Honda gets some decent capacity and the Verve comes out, it won't be enough to merely have a horse in the race.

Like the vast majority of men, I doubt they would know unless you told them or showed it to them. I agree with RJ's sentiment that as much as CAFE is useless, there is still so much stuff that automakers can do in the interim. Like direct injection. We know it increases power and fuel economy, but it's not on any compact or smaller car. I think the only 4-cylinder that has it is the one in the Solstice GXP and Sky Redline, which also have turbos. The ever-increasing weight of cars is another issue. Take the Cobalt LS, for instance. It weighs more than 100 lbs more than the Honda Civic DX. So even though the Cobi's engine makes 8 more horsepower and 24 more lb/ft of torque, the Civic's a bit faster while getting better mileage. The new Corolla is another example of this. The 2008 model in base CE trim weighed in at a relatively svelte 2530 lbs. A quick Google search shows that the upcoming base 09 is going to tip the scales at 2723 lbs. Almost 200 lbs more! It loses a couple mpgs in comparison to the old one, and as far as I can tell it's a half second slower to 60, as well. The engines may get more powerful and efficient, but so long as the cars they pull get heavier, we won't see as good a benefit.

? And you're not buying an Si because...