Pontiac: Trip Report: Chicago Auto Show

"Harry Face" <net> wrote in message
news:bay.webtv.net...
| Went to the Chicago Auto Show last night.
| Four guys went with me in my car. They fit in my back seat, it was tight
| shoulder to shoulder, but they had foot room & haed room. Many of you
| know my stance on a rear seat having to have room.
|
| I told these guys when we get to the GD show your going to sit in the
| back seat of 4 GM vehicles and we'll compare it to what you rode 27
| miles in to get here.
|
| The cars chosen were the 2004 Bonneville GXP, Grand Prix GTP, Impala SS,
| and the Park Avenue. I moved the front seats back all the way in the 4
| test vehicles, my front seats were all the way back too .
|
| The Park Avenue ( w/ moonroof ) : Lot of leg room, comfortable seat,
| could of used a bit more headroom, but was livable for 6 footers. The
| three guys could not fit in the back due to the center of the seat
| projecting outward and being hard surfaced. The car has a trunk pass
| through armrest as well. So the Park Avenue is essential a 4 passenger (
| adults ) car marketed as a 6 passenger vehicle.
|
| Bonneville GXP ( SSEi replacement ) w/ a moonroof. Two guys got in, one
| guy slid over to the center and said " Wait a minute, let ME OUT OF HERE
| " The console is 5 inches from the rear seat cushion. The 6 foot + guy
| got in but had to lean over in the seat, the back window was touching
| his head. You have to twist your feet sideways then tuck them under the
| front seat to get in the vehicle. Twist feet sideways to exit the
| vehicle.
| Conclusion - GXP is a four passenger car.
|
| Grand Prix GTP - No moonroof, The 6 foot + guy didn't even attempt to
| get in the backseat after seeing the foot struggle the others had to get
| in. The roof / & back glass was touching their heads and mine.
| Vibe front & back was comfortable. Chrome trim rings on the gauge
| cluster were a nice bonus.
|
| I only looked at 1 Chevy -- Impala SS - We all got seperated and didn't
| test this vehicle. I know they all would of fit though as the the Impala
| has a flat bench seat and no roof rake down over the back. I thought it
| was a pretty nice car, and no plastic intake!!
|
| It just needs some more distinction to seperate it from other Impala's.
|
| GTOooooooooh ! !! No Moonroof. Big crowds around the three GTO's on the
| floor. I opened the passenger door on one folded the seat backrest
| forward but could not get in the back seat, I had to power forward the
| seat all the way forward to get in the backseat. Once I got in the back
| seat it hugged you like some lush in a Texas Roadhouse. Some girl wanted
| to get in the front seat, but I told her You can't run the seat back
| with me sitting back here. My knees were into the backrest of the front
| seat and my head was touching the back glass. looking up, the back
| gleass comes 6 inches or more past your face.
|
| I got out and got in the driver seat. The contoured buckets were firm &
| supportive. The two tone leather looked nice. Again the front seats
| hugged you like that lush I mentioned before. Head room in front was
| good, Leg room was excellent, run the seat all the way back and I
| couldn't even reach the pedals, but could hold the steering wheel. With
| the front seat run half way or all the way back there should be enough
| room for your Yorkshire Terrior, but be sure & lay a towel over the
| leather seat . This is a 2 passenger car in my opinion.
|
| Good overall view out the front & rear window, Dash looked ok. No Cup
| holders in the car, but there may have been one, something that drops in
| the storage bin was missing from the right hand side of the console. UH
| OH ! Was that A PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD on the engine !??
|
| Too many appleheads milling about to get a good look at it, plus the
| other guys wanted to move on.
|
| Two of the guys with us have Chryslers, a 2000 PT Cruiser & a 1999 300M.
| So we have to go look at the new RWD, HEMI 300C. I know nothing about
| Chrysler Products. We sat in the regular 300 and the HEMI 300C. Both
| offered plenty of room front & back. Good head room from a flat
| roofline. Seat comfort was excellent, big trunk capacity. The 300 has
| some styling ques from the 1955 300. We really liked the cars big
| stance, squared off verticle side vindows, low profile side windows. You
| can actually put your elbow on the window sill and your palm on the
| window frame. Like your holding the roof up from falling down.
|
| If you saw the 1977 movie " The Car " it reminds you of that car.
|
| Chrysler Crossfire 2 seater. Very Cramped car. If you smash it up. the
| fire department will more than likely be cutting you out of this
| vehicle. Nobody around it that got in it liked it. Like being in a
| casket. Good car for Little girls.
|
| Next we came to the RWD HEMI Dodge Magnum, I guess its a wagon? We liked
| this big car feel. 5 passenger capacity, no third seat. Rear door
| windows go ALL THE WAY down in the rear doors. The 300 windows might
| also go all the way down, not sure. Is anyone from GM listening here?
|
| Big crowds around the lone 2005 Mustang GT on the turntable. Great
| looking car, overheard lot of great comments about the car.
|
| Back over at the Buick display, well it was not good. The 3 models were
| giving their presentations on the LaCrosse, Raineer and Rendousvous all
| at once, trouble was nobody was there to listen, people were just
| walking by. I hoped in and out of both Parks Avenues, base & Ultra. The
| Ultra had the woodgrain center console.
|
| LeSabre I bypassed, I fit ok in the Regal GS, but space is lacking in
| the rear seat.
|
| Raineir ( sp ? ) was nice upfront, getting in the back seat was ok, but
| getting out was very dangerous. Narrow door openings and a soft seat
| spell trouble. When I exited the right passenger door, you can't swing
| both legs or feet out, they wedge agains't the door opening & door
| panel. When you do lower your right leg out as you slide out there is no
| seat support and its like you spill out of the vehicle. The quarter
| panel / door jam is to far behind the seat backrest and you literally
| fall out of the vehicle.
|
| Rear seat DVD screen blocks driver view out the rearview mirror and back
| window.
|
| I think it was the Rendesvous without the On Star mirror I was able to
| poition the mirror so high it would hit the headline at the very top
| edge of the glass....... I like that I can get the mirror up high like
| that so I can se under it. I don' twant the mirror in my face or my
| eyeline.
|
| 2004 CADILLAC SRX ( ? )The one that looks like a wagon.
|
| The sliding glass roof is awesome. It slides back beyond the rear seat.
| The opening is the full width of the roof and opend about 36 + inches
| maybe. About a $2500 option. The power folding rearseat is BS. You got
| to stand at the back end holding the power button to fold the seat down.
| Probably some safety feature so you don't get crushed. Third seat is for
| the Yorkshire Terrier.
|
| Big on comfort & headroom. AWD optional. A 6' 4" tall guy got in the
| back with me and he said it had plenty of headoom for him. I told him to
| forget sitting in the GXP or GTP . LOL.
|
| Over at the Escalade's I didn't know what to think, we got the hell out
| of there. The Bruthha's were there in full force cracnking the stereo's
| up and were dressed in their ratty looking blue jeans and they were
| wearing short legnth black fur coats, and their ladies had on full
| legnth fur coats. LOOK AT US !
|
| Lincoln Towncar was nice. Especaily the Cartier L which is stretch about
| 14 inches in the back.
|
| Concept - 2 seater Lincoln Mark X ( ten ) was nice. Retractable 2 piece
| glass top was and engineering marvel to watch. The back window section
| slides up forward over the main part of the roof, the trunk opens up,
| then the two roof sections slide back into the trunk, the trunklid does
| a flip over to cover the extra opening space then the lid lowers.
|
| We missed all the foreign car's except Volvo, no time for truck & SUV
| inspections amd I missed the Mercury Marauder this time.
|
| =========
| Harryface
| =========
|
| 1991 Pontiac Bonneville LE, 3800 V6
| _~_~_~_~276,660 miles_~_~_ ~_~_
|
|
|

Thanks Harry for the thoughts and insight. I think you sold me on the Chrysler
300C (with the 345HP Hemi V8, of course!)

> I only looked at 1 Chevy -- Impala SS - We all got seperated and didn't 

Then that was a Series III. They use aluminum now thankfully.
 

Not to worry, its a dry plenum. They have been using plastic intakes on
those since the LS1 came out. They do have aftermarket aluminum
replacements for making increased hp. The back seat of the gto sounds no
diff than the f-bodies and who would expect it to be. Its targeted to
guys in their late 20's early 30's who have kids. Its still priced
itself out of their range though.
 

Looks like a casket too. Another great design by Daimler bean
counters...
 

The SRX is nice all around I think. Nicely sized for an suv.

You got me itching to poke around new cars now Harry.

Thanks for the Trip Report Harry. I took a close look at the '04 Mercury
Marauder while at the Hartford, CT Auto Show back in November, it is a solid
full sized car, very nicely built. The GTO was mobbed with people around
it, couldn't get a close up look. I like the Park Aves, but can't swing the
bucks yet for one of those baby's. The Chrysler 300 series, I don't know
much about, but they look impressive.
--
markwb
2001 Bonneville SLE



"Harry Face" <net> wrote in message
news:bay.webtv.net... 

I finally saw a GTO at a local dealership. I stopped to check out the rear
seat (my son is quickly closing in on 6 feet!) and was a bit diaspointed at
what it looked like. I didn't climb in. I don't expect to EXER be riding
there! Later I happened to see a late model Taurus and looked there. The
back seat actually looked smaller than the GTO's. And BTW, MUCH larger than
the firebirds... I agree, the interior seats look great - but again I
didn't sit there myself.

To those who said it will get lost among the other cars in the parking lot -
this car looks much better in person than it does in pix. It is muscular in
a BMW M series sort of way. I am definately buying one next year, unless
something is really wrong with the car. I plan on testing the one coming to
my local dealer (got the invoice yesterday, so it should be here in the next
few weeks!)

"Bon·ne·ville" <sp@m.b.gone> wrote in message
news:woh.rr.com...