Saab Shows off Future of Convertibles with 9-X Air Concept We noticed that many of the introductions at the 2008 Los Angeles show could be categorized as efficient or fun, with some falling into both categories. Saab 9-X Air is one of those. If the 9-X Air looks a bit familiar in the nose, it is because you've seen it before. The Geneva/New York concept, 9-X BioHybrid, introduced this face, itself an evolution of Saab's prior concepts. Saab first showed this concept at the 2008 Paris motor show, with U.S. buyers getting their first look in Los Angeles. Instead of the three-door wagon look of the 9-X BioHybrid, the Air brings us Air, in the form of a flat-folding roof. Called the Canopy Air system, Saab takes their twenty-five years of experience with convertibles and goes for a new approach to open-top motoring.

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335d and X5 xDrive35d Introduced in Strictest Emissions State Since these BMW diesels are not exactly secrets, having already been discussed at the 2008 Detroit auto show back in January (click here), the big news for BMW diesels in LA is the pricing. The 335d sedan goes on sale in November 2008 for $44,725, including destination and handling. The X5 xDrive 35d for $52,025. Ouch, right? There is a way to offset the cost, at least this year. These vehicles, like their Mercedes counterparts, qualify for the IRS Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit. Buying the 335d means a $900 credit, while the X5 gets a maximum $1550 credit. Not quite the same as taking that amount off the top of the vehicle price, but it could help ease the pain.

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Freshening for Pontiac's Most Important Product In 2007, Pontiac sold nearly 358,000 cars and trucks. Of those, a nearly even 150,000 were some form of G6. The G6 is Pontiac volume, a stable, steady contributor. It was introduced for the 2005 model year, and ready for a brightening. The 2009MY G6 went on sale late this past summer, but rather than waiting for the next model year, the G6 you see in dealers beginning in January 2009 should have a new look as a 2009.5MY product. The G6 brings a nose and rear not unlike the larger G8, an I4 engine option (mated to a six-speed automatic for excellent fuel economy), and an updated instrument panel and new audio, HVAC controls, and gauge cluster. The V6 engines carry on, though a flex-fuel version of the 3.5L is a no-cost option. Available from the start will be coupe, sedan, and hardtop convertible.

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So the word about the auto industry just keeps getting worse. With Congress mulling over the fate of the proposed aid package to the domestic automakers, we are also at the start of the 2009 auto show season. It's going to be an interesting series of auto shows over the next few months, that's for sure. Media days for the 2009 LA Auto Show start this Wednesday, and it's already going to be a somewhat pared down show in terms of new introductions, at least from the Domestic automakers. GM and Chrysler have already announced that they're postponing LA Auto Show launches until January for Detroit's North American International Auto Show. Still, look forward to a slew of new launches from the various import makes...and their spins on how they will stay relevant in these depressed times. Look for our coverage starting this Wednesday. Till then, happy motoring!

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Here at VehicleVoice World Internet Headquarters and Day-Old Seafood Buffet, we divide our copious free time among three things: 1) Chair dancing and lip-synching to "Don't Stop Believing" in an effort to boost industry morale. 2) Impromptu salons, during which we discuss philosophy, world affairs and whether Iron Man was better than The Dark Knight. (Yes.) 3) The Internet. The sweet, sweet, life-giving Internet.

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The longest running and most-produced automobile of a single design on the planet was, and remains to this day, the original Volkswagen Beetle. A record even Henry Ford and his Model T would be jealous of. The Volkswagen Beetle, co-developed by Ferdinand Porsche and Zündapp back in 1931, has become a timeless classic and an industry icon.

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It's technically the tail end of autumn here at VehicleVoice World Internet Headquarters and Haberdashery for Distinguished Gentlemen, but the weather's all screwed up. The postman and the UPS guy have been wearing their natty uniform shorts all week, and the Canada geese down at the park are looking around saying, "Eh, it's nice here. Screw flying south." Obviously, now is the time to talk about winterizing your car, because there is no way weather like this won't be followed up by an ungodly snowstorm. It's going to be like The Day After Tomorrow out there by next week. That's it. I'm calling in sick.

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Is My Pickup Better Than Your Pickup? Among our contributors are owners of vehicles from a MINI Cooper (two, actually), Audi TT, Ford Flex, an aging Ford Taurus, and a Toyota Tacoma. For us, it is always fun to apply our analysis and industry knowledge to our own lives and rides, and the Frontier provided the chance to do that again. While I drove the Xterra and Frontier during an afternoon on a press preview, contributor Keagan Patrick took the Frontier that spent a week with California HQ out for some seat time and direct comparisons against his Tacoma. Nissan Frontier Keagan's Toyota Tacoma Follow the jump for his take!

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Products Apparently So Good, They Needed Little Improvement. Nissan's current Frontier and Xterra were introduced for the 2005MY. Four years later, they came to the showroom with minor changes. And though Nissan is planning a retreat from the full-size pickup-truck business, due to a product-sharing agreement with Chrysler that still has time to implode, executives tell us work is underway on the next iteration of Frontier, Xterra, and Pathfinder. We've got a couple of years before those arrive, and Nissan says they keyed 2009 changes at providing more of the attributes customers already know and love their Xterras and Frontiers for. In a tough truck market, the goal is to ride out the panic, see where things fall, and keep as many buyers as possible to ensure the smallest sales slide you can. In this depressed market, Nissan tells us their trucks haven't fallen as much as the other guys (though they didn't have as far to fall). Nissan's also adjusting options and trim-level mixes as those customers sticking with trucks are less focused on luxury and more on utility and practicality.

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AutoPacific, VehicleVoice?s parent company, just released its latest sales forecast numbers for the current year and beyond. We all know by now just how bad this year?s sales have been so far. It?s so bad, in fact, that the sales slump we saw earlier this year due to skyrocketing fuel prices almost seems like a happy memory compared to the much more dire and long term problems we are now facing. Indeed, it looks like the industry?s in for a long, hard road ahead. It's gonna take some time to clean up this mess!

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We had the opportunity to drive the all new Toyota Venza in the Laurel Highlands of Western Pennsylvania at the height of the fall color change. The venue - the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, PA was an outstanding venue surrounded by fun to drive roads allowing a quick stop at Fallingwater a 1930s era home designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The Optimized Car But that's beside the point. The 5-passenger Venza is described by Toyota brass as "The Optimized Car". It is a two box derivative of the Toyota Highlander Crossover SUV and the Toyota Camry Premium Mid-Size Sedan - the best selling vehicle in the USA at the moment. By "Optimized Car" Toyota means that Venza has easy ingress/egress, good visibility, chair-like seating, available all wheel drive and a spacious cargo area behind the fold down second row seat. But is it a car? We don't think so... read on

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If you're reading this, then things have unfolded as I had feared and the zombie hordes have arisen. Even now, they could be shambling toward the gates of VehicleVoice World Internet Headquarters and House of Mystery. Of course, I am long gone, having fled to my ammo-packed wilderness compound and left this blog entry to be posted by my more dedicated, less survival-minded coworkers. They are no doubt fodder for the filthy undead, but there may still be hope for you. Read on if you value your life. Oh crap.

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Two approaches: The Hard Way, and the Easy Way Seems to me, that there are essentially two ways to make this work. Everything else fails.

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It seems as though the further along we get into this project the faster things seem to go (thank goodness!). We?ve learned a lot about axles and we are beginning to learn a lot about leaf springs/suspension and driveshafts. For now, we will try and impart some of what we learned about solid axles with you?

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A Sensible Recommendation? Yes, In Fact At the close of the Audi Mileage Marathon we talked about last week, Audi of America's Executive Vice President Johan de Nysschen took a moment between results announcements and meet-and-greets with a few Hollywood celebrities to make a plea to the political structure. Mr. de Nysschen called for a lowering of diesel tax. Good, lowering taxes I like, though for a racing fan like myself, I was more impressed with Audi American Le Mans Series and Le Mans drivers Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish, and Dindo Capello than Mario Lopez or Brooke Burke. But that's just me, and I digress. de Nysschen with Burke and Lopez Kristensen, McNish, and Capello

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When you're cruising down the highway, do you ever see a vehicle bearing bumper stickers that indicate the driver admires a political party/sports franchise/deity that you're not especially crazy about? And then you have to struggle against the urge to make rude gestures or run them off the road, because how could they be so stupid as to support the Monster Raving Loonies/Gotham Gators/Flying Spaghetti Monster and then be so stupid as to tell everyone about it OMG can you believe these people?! Me neither. Time to cut back.

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With two new and important full-size pickup trucks this fall, at a time of extreme economic uncertainty, what do we see happening to the market in general? And how does the F-150 stack up against the Ram? Since our correspondent Jim Hossack attended both Ford and Ram driving previews, we asked him for some comments. Here we go! 2009 Ford F-150 XLT What's happening in the Full-Size Light Duty Pickup market? Contrary to mass media reports, the full-size light duty pickup market is not dead. In fact, after a few tough months, it is coming back - in terms of share of industry if not actual number of units sold. The auto industry is down by around 4 million units compared with 2007CY. Full-size pickup share of industry fell from 15.2 percent in August 2007 to as low as 8.6 percent on May 2008, but has rebounded to 15.8 percent in September 2008. In part that may be a reaction to fuel prices, which increased and then decreased, in part it a recent compensation for deferred purchases earlier this summer, and in part due to ridiculously low transaction prices as Dodge and Ford clear out showrooms of the old trucks. It is also worthwhile to remember that holding onto 15.8 percent of a much smaller market still means a dramatic decrease in overall F-150 sales. If and when the economy recovers, half-ton pickup sales volume will recover, depending on how drastic the next fuel price spike is. 2009 Dodge Ram Sport

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New Body; New Chassis; Improved Powertrain VehicleVoice contributors Jim Hossack and Stephanie Brinley had the opportunity to drive Dodge's new 2009 Ram pickup - what used to be called the Ram 1500. We're impressed - there is a lot to like, from looks to features to driving dynamics to capability to interior quality.

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VehicleVoice correspondent Jim Hossack attended a 2009 Ford F-150 driving preview - and reports that it was well worth it. The Dodge Ram is the other big truck news of this season, so we decided to bring you reviews of both trucks this week. Hossack says Ford put on a very thorough, very professional series of presentation, with plenty of opportunity to evaluate the new F-150 and facing competition under a variety of circumstances. Hossack was about as impressed with the passion and enthusiasm of the guys working on the program as with the truck itself.

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I just finished the fourth leg of Audi's Mileage Marathon, a coast-to-coast demonstration and competition drive for the best fuel economy from a range of Audi TDI clean diesels. The drive started in New York City on October 6, ending in Santa Monica on October 19. I joined the crew in Las Vegas, which included driving through Monterey, California, and the chance to see the Audi R10 TDI cars take 1-2 in the final American Le Mans Series race of the year at Laguna Seca, their ninth consecutive victory. A diesel winner. A nearly silent, dominating race car. The undertaking allowed attending Audi engineers, designers, and product planners to take a deep dive into the extremes of American driving conditions, from a crowded New York City street through the Rocky Mountains, Red Rocks at Sedona, Death Valley to Mammoth Lakes (from altitude of minus 282 feet below sea level at Badwater Basin in the Valley to 11,000 feet in Mammoth Lakes), and finally down Pacific Coast Highway to Santa Monica. The cross-country Audi Mileage Marathon fleet This convoy of 23 silver Audi Q7s, Q5s, A3s, and A4s, dressed in nearly as many stickers as the R10 racing car, could not be missed. U.S. and international journalists and Audi engineers, designers, and executives got to see people over the country, talk to them about the car and the benefits of diesel, as well as gain firsthand knowledge of U.S. reactions. When the 3.0L TDI Q7 becomes available in the States next year, Audi will begin to see the results of the overall diesel communication strategy and education outreaches. This was an astounding event in ambition, scope, and execution, and next week I'll be telling my driving story. Today, we're going to talk a little about diesel acceptance and Audi's positioning.

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Autumn is in full swing here at Vehicle Voice World Internet Headquarters and Discount Wig Warehouse, and that makes me think of moving. My apartment leases always seem to end October-ish, and every year there seems to be a compelling reason why I have to pack everything in boxes and take it someplace else. I've moved seven times in the past six years, so I daresay I've got the expert qualifications necessary to advise you on the proper vehicle for your next move. Illustrative cat is illustrative.

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Ah yes, the Mercury Milan, the upscale sister ship to the Ford Fusion. Aimed at younger buyers who want something a little more sophisticated than the Dodge Avenger or Mitsubishi Galant. Mercury aims the Milan at the Nissan Altima, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry buyer. We definitely wanted to take a closer look. To be honest it?s very rare for a 4-door mid-size car from Mercury to really knock my socks off. In terms of sex appeal I typically think Mercury ranks right up there with? well, Buick (that?s right, there isn?t any sex appeal ? alright the new Buick Enclave has a little). With that said, I must admit the Milan is a great mid-size car. It really does have a few things going for it ? style, comfort, and value. It was one of those cars I didn?t want to like but ended up enjoying. Just promise me you won?t quote me. The Milan we received as an evaluation vehicle did have all the bells and whistles. It was the V6 Premier AWD, very nicely equipped at $28,915 (which according to our data is about the median price of a new vehicle in 2008). Our particular Milan was equipped with the 3.0L V6, 6-speed automatic, and all-wheel-drive. The window sticker boasted EPA fuel economy at 17 city and 25 hwy, with our particular vehicle averaging 19.9mpg (both city and highway), which we thought was decent but not spectacular for a vehicle with a V6 and AWD. Maybe a front-wheel-drive version wouldn?t zap our fuel economy.

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Are we nearing the end of Chrysler? Or the beginning of a new blended family? Or just another day at the rumor mill? Late on Friday, the first stories began appearing about GM and Chrysler in possible merger talks. And at least in Detroit, dominated the weekend news cycle. GM's stock went up this morning, but given that the Dow was up 5.6% and GM went up only about 3%, the stock bump might have happened without merger talk. GM closed on Friday at $4.89, a number some say is actually less than the company would be worth in capital assets alone. All of this merger talk, whether these deals are realistic or not, does nothing good for public perception. The economy is weak, last week's events on the stock market don't reassure anyone, and talking about GM and Chrysler perhaps needing to merge to survive only further erodes confidence in American business. While GM and Chrysler LLC, as well as any other maker in trouble right now, needs to consider even unthinkable options and test our common assumptions as they get out of this trouble, this merger does not inspire hope.

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I have my own car, because I come from Michigan, where people older than 16 who don't own cars are subject to the intense scrutiny and (ahem) gentle persuasion of their local UAW chapters. But when I went to college out of state, I was able to slip free of the car culture and live a glorious pedestrian lifestyle. I hated it. The guy on the Pedestrian Crossing sign is ashamed of not having a car. You can see it in his eyes.

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And turn that radio down! Today's teens have grown up in a world of fluid and ever-expanding technology, with their parents using everything from V-chips to internet blockers to teddy-bear babysitting cams to GPS trackers to keep better track of them. For many, it is simply part of their world. Parents and kids have the same trust issues to sort through, just the same as when I was a kid and didn't think my mom had any right to go through MY dresser, but parents have more direct tools at their disposal now. Add one more to the arsenal. Ford is introducing the latest electronic nanny next year (2010MY) across several model lines, including the Focus. The system will be a no-cost option or standard equipment, depending on model. It turns out to be an inexpensive way to help teens stay focused in early driving years, when they are the least experienced, and for parents to feel better about teens driving.

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Among the newer products in Toyota's lineup is the Sequoia, updated for 2008 model year. The truck has scored well with owners, winning both AutoPacific's 2008 Vehicle Satisfaction and Motorist Choice Awards. Recently, we found a chance to see what all the fuss is about. It's often tough to knock a Toyota. They typically live up to the reputation they've earned as top-notch appliances you can rely on, even if they cost you a little more up front. Sometimes there is a notable lack of passion, being addressed by more adventurous styling as time goes on. Though everyone knows the customer is always right, we were not as impressed as Sequoia's owners.

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The Industry Everyone knows the industry sales rate is down - a SAAR of only 12.2 in September 2008. AutoPacific forecasts sales only 13.4 million for the full year. And the last week of the month was pretty awful. But where are Minivan sales? The data says down, but not yet out.

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Methodology September sales data are in, and as just about everybody knows, total vehicle sales are down, not a little, but a lot, for all manufacturers and all segments. But how are pickups doing as a share of industry and within segment? Who is winning and who is losing ground? There are lots of ways to look at the data, and they all have pros and cons, but I prefer to look at CYTD (calendar year to date) numbers rather than monthly numbers, and compare those with the prior full calendar year. That method tends to iron out monthly swings (as September this year versus September last year would highlight), and provides a constant base from which to judge how the year is progressing. And I like to focus on segment share and vehicle share of segment data rather than the absolute numbers.

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Oh, and Saab 9-7X, too Last week was full of horrible sales results. The worst single month of sales since February 1993, in fact. In the midst of abysmal sales and the brouhaha to get the financial sector bailout passed, for better or worse, General Motors said production of the GMC Envoy and Chevrolet TrailBlazer will end in December 2008. This is two years earlier than once planned, though not much earlier than many guessed. Are you sad? Saying goodbye to a truly American vehicle? 2009 GMC Envoy Denali: The end of the line. We're not, really. The TrailBlazer and Envoy have come to their logical end, not for being badly drawn or executed products, but because the General's offerings today are better suited for real life. Envoy sales for 2008 are down 44.1% and TrailBlazer down 36.9%. In a tough economic situation where leasing and credit are more difficult to get and buyers seem perfectly happy to delay big-ticket purchases, why continue them for another year? 2009 Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS: Will you miss the 390HP stompin' SS? Or just move on to a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8?

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This week, I sat down for the sales conference calls from Ford and Chrysler. How are things, you ask, or don't, as the case may be? Well, they're both down about 35 percent. On the bright side, no one cried on the phone. "Run for your lives! The economy's collapsing!"

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So, what's happening out there? The results of the September, 2008 fuel survey are now in. Some of the highlights, after the jump:

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Several months ago I had the opportunity to drive a pre-production Buick Lucerne Super for a few miles around Malibu with Karen Micklin the program manager for the car from General Motors' Performance Division. I was pretty impressed with the Super as a very competent front wheel drive large car from GM's "mature division". Also impressive was the fact that Buick was not trying to make an overt move to capture younger buyers. They simply want to provide the most competent car a Buick driver can buy. Last week we had a Super at VehicleVoice offices and the staff had a chance to drive the car. Several balked at the idea of driving the Buick - too mature for their youthful sensibilities - but when they came in the day after driving the car each was surprised and impressed. The highlights: effortless cruising on the freeway, good performance from the tweaked Northstar V8, quiet and comfortable ride, good size.

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I almost have to feel sorry for the ?new? Ford Taurus. It?s actually a really innovative, clever, and compelling sedan, but it?s clad in a wrapper that?s so dull and forgettable that I actually had to sit and think hard to remember my drive experience with the car so that I would have something meaningful to say for this story! The 2008 Ford Taurus. What, did you forget it exists? Considering just how dreary it looks, the car has a pretty interesting and convoluted pedigree. Let?s start with the Taurus nameplate. Introduced for the 1986 model year, the original Taurus was nothing short of revolutionary. Its radical styling was unlike anything ever seen on American roads, yet the beauty and cohesiveness of its design and proportions made it a must-have all across the country. It soon went on to become America?s best selling car. Unfortunately for the car, the popularity of trucks and SUVs in the ?90s and much of this decade led Ford to ignore Taurus, and this once-proud symbol of what the American auto industry was capable of became nothing more than default rental fleet fodder.

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Is there no end to the bad news this year? Mortgage crisis. Sky-high fuel prices. Financial institutions dropping like flies. A steadily warming planet. And of course, rapidly declining auto sales. The last time things were this bad, disco was in, aesthetics and design were taking a huge leap backwards, and we were all driving ugly, emasculated, smog-controlled cars that were a sad echo of the fast and passionately styled cars of just a few short years past. Yes people, I?m talking about the 1970s, an era that Jalopnik.com, one of our favorite fellow automotive blogs, refers to as the Malaise Era. Is this what we're doomed to?

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Another week, another Road Noise brainstorming session with my friend who doesn't even own a car. "I was thinking of doing something about how much my nephew loves his little toy cars," I IM'd my Cars-Are-a-Blight-On-the-Landscape collaborator. His reply follows, verbatim: Oh man, I LOVED toy cars as a kid, especially the micro-machine ones you could open and put other EVEN TINIER cars into! And those ones that came with a little credit card shaped bit of plastic that you could unfold and make a little landscape for your car to drive around on! Toy cars it is, then. You go, girl!

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Wanna see the most ?80s short film EVER? Depending on your affection or distaste for the decade of white suits, popped collars, saxophone solos, keyboard riffs, high waistlines, and Aquanet, you might find the following the best?or worst?six minutes of your life. This little movie could be solely responsible for the creating the image of Saab drivers in the ?80s as pompous, self-absorbed jerks (who might be overcompensating to make up for certain insecurities). But hey, it was the ?80s, and we could afford to dream big. Who wouldn?t want to simply snap their fingers to not only make their dreams come true, but also get rid of people you don't like (to quote the movie), or make it big with hot blonde Swedish models?

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From the first rumblings of the 1-Series coupe destined for the States, I waited impatiently. Saw it at the auto shows, and wanted it to look great on the road. VehicleVoice brought you the first photos last June and an update in October and again in March. Finally, we drive it. But I can't fall in love with the real 1-Series look, like I did the latest Z4 coupe and Porsche's Cayman. Still, a small BMW coupe, from a company that consistently delivers great driving dynamics, usable and plentiful power, and stern BMW interior in a size that seemed tailored just for me! How could I not be anxious? And do I care if it's a little clumsy outside? The reality finally hit our press pool a few weeks ago. And just how did the little coupe satisfy? I fell in love. Behind the wheel, that is.

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Chrysler today announced plans to jumping into the electric car market with both feet by offering up three high-voltage prototypes to reporters and a promise to put about 100 electric vehicles on the road in 2009. We've been waiting to get a sense of what the company's ENVI group is up to, and now we know. One of the three concept vehicles, the all-electric Dodge EV, is sure to generate some buzz (Is it a Tesla for the common people?) for its fierce looks and eco-friendly, refuel-it-from-the-wall-socket appeal. With that in mind, it could be easy to miss the hybrid-on-steroids potential of the Jeep and Chrysler EVs -- a Jeep Wrangler and a Chrysler Town & Country fitted with battery and range-extending engine setup (similar in concept to GM's Volt) that Chrysler claims will allow them run for 40 miles without touching a drop of gas. Read the full report from Chrysler after the jump.

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It's been nearly a week since the Italian Grand Prix run at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, in Monza, Italy ? and already, I miss Phil Hill. As the first American to win the Formula One Driver?s Championship in 1961, Hill, who died of complications from Parkinson?s Disease August 28, 2008, in Monterey, California, was an important influence on the world of automobiles, racing, and International relations. Even as recently as this year, Hill was a constant, loyal attendee at races all over the world and as such, was an influence on the culture of things automotive and served as an American ambassador of good will. When I think about the risk that drivers faced in F-1 and other forms of racing in the 1950s and '60s, it?s amazing Hill even lived to tell the tale.

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Last week, General Motors wrapped up its centennial celebration. If one thinks about GM?s prominence on the world landscape, it?s easy to see just how significant of an event this is. Even if you?ve never owned a GM vehicle yourself, think about the company?s impact on the American and global economies and its products? impact on popular culture. Can you imagine an America where Chevrolet didn?t exist? What if there had never been songs about GTO?s or Cadillacs? How about a world where the word Camaro was simply French slang for ?friend? or a Corvette was just a small gunboat used to escort convoys? Imagine a world without GM. It's harder than it sounds.

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There are a bunch of ways to kill a man at the Ford Allen Park Test Labs. Exposure in the cold room, dehydration in the hot room, altitude sickness in the pressure room, boredom in the strange little parking lot simulator shed. And that's just the stuff I can come up with off the top of my head. Oh, and you could run someone down with the new F-150, I guess, if your imagination was lacking for some reason. F-150 stalks its prey from the cover of the tall grass

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It's rare when two same class heavyweights are introduced concurrently. Both the 2009 Nissan Maxima and 2009 Acura TL were launched this summer and both are very nice entry luxury entries. The cars are very similar, but the positioning of each is very different. 2009 Nissan Maxima 2009 Acura TL Side view of Acura TL and Nissan Maxima are spookily similar. The Maxima, a derivative of the front wheel drive Nissan Altima and assembled at Nissan's huge car/truck plant in Smyrna, Tennessee is the range topper for Nissan cars in the USA. The Acura TL is front wheel drive with optional SH-AWD - "Super Handling All Wheel Drive". The TL is the middle of the Acura car lineup and Acura's highest volume vehicle and is assembled alongside the Honda Accord in Marysville, Ohio. You might think that a better comparison would be the Acura against Infiniti with the TL lining up against the Infiniti G37 sedan. But the G37 sedan is based on a rear wheel drive platform. The TL vs. the Maxima is a more real product-to-product comparison.

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There?s been a lot of talk over the last few days about a bailout for the Big Three. The Big Three have been struggling due to a lot of factors (fuel prices that favor smaller vehicles, the economy, labor and legacy costs, etc.) and some even posit that bankruptcy could be the only way out! One of the issues at the center of the discussion is whether the Big Three deserve a bailout at all. Well, let us ? your fearless VehicleVoice editors ? attempt to put some clarity to this situation!

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Another day, another mess of press releases clogging the inbox here at Vehicle Voice World Internet Headquarters and Half-Price Seafood Buffet. Let's see...Corporate community outreach: I?ll pass. Buy 14 tires, get the 15th free: To the Recycle Bin! Exciting new car air freshener: This isn?t news. Oooh, here?s one: ?GM launches new site to clarify misconceptions about the company.? Sounds like fun; let?s roll. This is gonna be like Mythbusters, but without the explosions or the entertainment.

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For the 2008 model year, the Grand Cherokee had a minor exterior and interior refresh, and expanded the trim levels the 215HP 3.0L V6 diesel could be ordered in; we recently had the chance to spend some time with one. The 3.0L V6 is built by Mercedes-Benz, but not equipped with the latest Bluetec emissions-reducing technology. The engine has only 42-state availability this year, and gets cut from the 2009MY due to stricter emissions. If you want one, place your order now. Jeep will build 2008MY Grand Cherokee diesel models through the end of 2008, though with the expanded feature availability of the 2009MY products. Step up now and you can get a Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel with iPod interface when the navigation system is ordered and a nine-inch rear DVD screen instead of eight-inch. Overland and Limited models get a revised standard leather appearance package, covering most oft-touched hard plastic with leather. Diesel enthusiasts are convinced it is the way of the future, or at least the way for significantly more of the driving population than now. Largely the provenance of European manufacturers and pickup trucks, more were offered for 2008 than in recent years. Yet the powertrain option is still rare enough that it isn't often that we get the chance to drive one.

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A few short years ago, one of the big automotive buzzwords was the term ?segment busters?. This was in the day where the unibody car-based SUV was a radical new concept and manufacturers started realizing that the latest generation of consumers wanted products ? both automotive and non-automotive ? to speak specifically to their own unique needs. Rather than adapt habits and lifestyles to suit the vehicle, consumers increasingly expected the exact opposite. The first generation Explorer Sport Trac was introduced for the 2001 model year and was very much a segment buster in its day. It combined SUV and pickup sensibilities in a fun package. Instead of offering a crew cab variant of the Ranger compact pickup (on which the first couple of generations of Explorer were based on), Ford decided that they could make more money by putting an Explorer-based cab and a short bed on an extended-cab Ranger frame and making it a part of the more profitable Explorer family. Thus was born the Explorer Sport Trac.

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Is the Flex a Cool, Tricked Out Hipster? Ford has an all-new crossover SUV/minivan/people hauler for the 2009MY, the Flex we've brought you several reports on. The Flex has been filtering into dealerships, and this week was the full and ferocious advertising start. Flex TV ads hit hard with the start of the 2008-09 NFL season (click here for one), but unconventional outreaches include iPhone apps that allow a 360-degree view of the interior; Xbox, Dish Network, and Yahoo technology offering photos and videos on-demand; skits on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson featuring Flex; and description videos on Flex's home page. On one hand, we'd like to give Ford kudos for enabling Team Detroit to create such an all-encompassing, innovative approach. On the other hand, this is a two-box people hauler and not a sexy icon of technology. Are they trying too hard?

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Two hours out of every day ? one in the morning, and one in the evening ? I drive the highways of this great country. It?s a fascinating world out there, full of interesting sights, breathtaking landscapes and novel personalities, all available to take in if you know where to look. It gets boring after about 20 minutes. For hours and hours and hours.

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Ah, Labor Day weekend. Forget your family barbecues, your trips to the lake, your hazy last days of summer ? I?ll take a $5 hot dog, the Detroit River and the smell of ethanol exhaust (Better than the old methanol fumes!) any day.

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We have now driven all three General Motors Lambda Crossover SUVs on the market and the all-new Ford Flex Crossover SUV. While we have had a week apiece in the Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave, we'll use the Enclave as the comparison vehicle because it is most recent.

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Hey, it's Labor Day. You're not going to spend it inside reading our ramblings on the state of the automotive industry, are you? Go have yourself a lovely day!

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A lot of press releases cross my desk here at Vehicle Voice World Internet Headquarters R Us, and over the past few weeks, I?ve seen several headlined with variations on ?10 Best Cars for Back to School!? Wow. My parents got pretty worked up when they just had to lay down a hundred bucks for a graphic calculator; the concept of a back-to-school car probably would have sent my dad into a coma. In my day, we rode the cheese. And we liked it. You kids get off my lawn!

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