Recent Comments:
Giveaway Monday, part three! 30 Rock season one {TV Squad}
Sep 3rd 2007 1:29PM The Rural Juror
Giveaway Monday, part two: The Office season three {TV Squad}
Sep 3rd 2007 1:26PM season 2
CONFIRMED: Taurus, Taurus X and Sable return for 2008 {Autoblog}
Feb 7th 2007 7:32AM I've always been a big fan of the Freestyle's versatile interior and manageable dimensions--it feels more agile than the wider competition. But while I like the Five Hundred rename--what's the point of having a Five Hundred when you have no Three Hundred or Four Hundred--Taurus X makes little sense to me.
The new powertrain will more than compensate, though.
My site's page for the 2007 Five Hundred and Freestyle, with a link to my review and price comparisons:
http://www.truedelta.com/models/Five.php
Toyota to Honda: You can have midsize coupe market. We out (sorta) {Autoblog}
Jan 19th 2007 9:46AM The character and image of Hondas makes them more suitable as coupes.
Interestingly, Nissan has taken a much different approach with its coupe, dramatically shortening the wheelbase compared to the sedan to enhance agility. The downside is that the rear seat is pretty much useless for adults--no headroom for me, and I'm just 5-9.
Buick Enclave pricing released {Autoblog}
Jan 19th 2007 9:43AM I'd prefer a full price list, but I may go ahead and just input the base prices and standard equipment into my database, to enable limited price comparisons. This will at least make clear how much more the Enclave costs than the Acadia, and people can triangulate from there by pricing the Acadia with the features they want.
In general, I think the Lambda pricing is a bit high. I was able to sit in an Enclave during the press days at the auto show, and materials quality is no better than in the Outlook and Acadia, so decent but not competitive with the RX 350 and MDX.
Based on these base prices, my rough sense is that the Enclave will be at most $1,000 to $1,500 more than the Acadia when comparably equipped.
To price the Outlook or Acadia, or to compare their prices with those of other vehicles:
http://www.truedelta.com/prices.php
Consumer Reports admits mistakes in testing child seats {Autoblog}
Jan 19th 2007 9:38AM They aren't biased or evil. Just sloppy.
Their whole methodology is sloppy. Here's my editorial based on taking their reliability survey:
http://www.truedelta.com/pieces/cr_survey.php
They haven't had competition, so they've gotten lazy. For better or worse, they may start waking up soon.
Detroit Auto Show: 2007 Hyundai Veracruz {Autoblog}
Jan 9th 2007 11:11AM I sat in this at the show. About as roomy as the CX-9, so much better than the Subaru Tribeca. Interior like that of the Mazda has very good materials, looks upscale. However, I have the same problem with the exteriors of all three: too much overhang, and the ends are too round. I much prefer the proportions and shapes of GM's lambdas.
I'll input pricing as soon as they release it:
http://www.truedelta.com/prices.php
Detroit Auto Show: Chevrolet's Malibu gets a makeover {Autoblog}
Jan 9th 2007 11:08AM I attended the 2008 Malibu intro this morning. Looks even better in person than I expected. I personally prefer the sheetmetal to that of the Aura. It's extremely elegant, yet also bold. Chevrolet says they wanted the look of a $40,000 car, and I feel they achieved that.
Big difference with the Aura, aside from the more upscale rear pillar on the Chevy, is that the Saturn has far more jewelry. The Malibu is far cleaner. Which is better is a matter of personal preference. Those who like flash, yet don't want to be flashy, will prefer the Aura.
Downside is that the Malibu does not look like a $40,000 car on the inside. The materials are prototypes, so they may not be fully indicative of production. That said, they seem very close in quality to those in the Aura. In black this is fine, as black makes materials look richer than they are. Well, except for teh black seat leather, which is too shiny.
But the brown bits of the two-tone interior have an unpleasant sheen to them. I'm similarly not crazy about the armrests in the Morocco brown Aura interior. Essentially, if you're okay with the Aura interior, you'll be similarly okay with the Malibu.
One possible difference: the door-mounted armrests were a bit better in the Malibu, and without fake stitching, IIRC. I'll check this again when I return to the show floor.
Reliability info 4-6 months after intro:
http://www.truedelta.com/reliability.php
Info on the similar Aura around the end of May.
Detroit Auto Show: The stunning new Cadillac CTS {Autoblog}
Jan 8th 2007 5:22PM I sat in the car. The new interior is flawless. Excellent design, materials, and fits.
The exterior is evolutionary, but significantly improves on the original.
Detroit Auto Show: Honda Accord Coupe Concept {Autoblog}
Jan 8th 2007 10:54AM Okay, but less of an advance than the Civic or MDX.
