Road noise is good, but not Lexus quality. Ride quality similar.

Because they need something bigger. And maybe they hate VW because TDI.

I cross shopped the outback and the tourX and the CR-V. The current outback looks like a wagon, but its actual dimensions are more crossover. It bigger in most dimensions than a CR-V. It’s even taller, but only because of the rails.  

The buick is more carlike than crossoverlike, even with its nominal inch of extra…

It’s removable, mostly.  There’s a buick forum link here in the comment somewhere.

especially since the anointed brand is a coke product, not some microbrew.  

My first car was a ‘74, base model I believe.  2.3L Pinto engine, as YALE70 mentions.  White Landau top, came from the factory in a pukey green. By the time I got it much of the body was streaked with of a dark red color - Cleveland winters didn’t do it any favors. IIRC I paid $285.
Fear not, however: the previous…

There are no base models available, as far as i can tell.

Here’s my Essence (“essence” meaning the version with the most shit on it...think about that for a moment). I wouldn’t call the interior exciting, and the “leather” isn’t, but it’s pretty comfortable and drives pretty nicely for a big boat. My big complaints are the touchscreen HVAC controls and the too-small physical…

They have $2750 in rebates right now, and dealers are aggressive on top of that. last month’s rebate was significantly bigger, but you had to finance thru GM. I was basically ready to buy but didn't have my act together to get it done. Now I'm waiting until December. 

WCSX: all bob seger all the time. 

Give them man a hundred stars. This is the most important takeaway. 

Sales != Profits. 

Wife wanted a cmax. Dealer sales droid would not shut up about how coming from a minivan she wouldn’t like it and she should get an escape instead.

Harder to get  through Congress than impeachment. 2/3 in both houses.

Got to car rental place in Ireland. There was huge crowd of American tourists just waiting in line. Turned out they were out of automatics.

For nice(ish) looking vehicles, I recommend splurging on a set of cheap alloys for winter if you can afford it.

If there are a reasonable number of ratings, the dipshits average out.

This. Tire noise is incredibly fatiguing on the freeway.

Another application of these was in wwii submarines. The USS Silversides is a museum ship, two of the four engines still work. the ship totally reeked of diesel when we were there. They had just run them a week earlier. 

The vdue never made it to market, did it? I remember the press coverage, but it was always just a little bit away from meeting emissions or drivability  or something.