Washington Post Writer Highly Recommends 2008 Malibu and CTS

[thedivibird]

See the chat transcript from his Friday, Oct. 26 chat:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...102201090.html

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On the Malibu:

Hermosa Beach: Good morning, Warren. Enjoying your expertise out here on the Left Coast. Thanks for all the info.

After reading your assessment of the new Chevy Malibu, I mentioned it to my mother, who is looking at a Honda Accord. We looked at the web page, and now it's on her list as a candidate.

Her concerns are with the possible "teething" problems with a new model. What is your take on this issue?

Thanks.

Warren Brown: Thanks for writing, Hermosa Beach.

No teething problems on the new Chevrolet Malibu. I've closely watched the development of this one from beginning to end. I'm more than confident that it will do well in the marketplace buy serving its buyers well and by offering them surprising value. How confident? If you buy it and have ANY problems with it, contact me at warbro70@aol.com. I know exactly who to go to on this one.

**********************
On the CTS:

Annapolis, Md.: What is your thought about the Infiniti G35 Sedan? Anything else you would suggest I compare it to?

Warren Brown: Hello, Annapolis:

Nissan, maker of allthings Infiniti, makes one of the best V6 engines available, specifically the 3.5-liter, 306-hp V-6 in the Infiniti G35 sedan. I lke that car--like it better than any comparable 3-Series BMW. What you get for the money ($32,250/manual) in the G35 is quite a bargain. But I am more likely to buy the Cadillac CTS4--excellent overal perfrmance, beautiful styling, more my kind of car.

[racy]

This article should be on the front page. These kinds of comments coming from the WSJ are huge. For decades, it seemed like every respectable newspaper recommended a Honda or Toyota for the parents' teens entering college. If this morphs into a GM recommend, GM might be surprised by their own turnaround.

[newclasshero]

Warren seems like a fairly level commentator. He seems to reperesent the evryman because of his suggestions to go with the vehicles that are fun to drive but also reasonable priced as well.

[tgunnd39]

As an '08 CTS owner I can tell you that I definitely recommend it over the others.

So.... let's just say I am biased.

And yes, this should definitely be front page material.

My .02

[macphisto]

I like Warren Brown because he is a fair and honest reviewer of cars. He's one of the best out there.

I agree with him on the CTS and Malibu. Seeing them at the local auto show and comparing them to the competition, both offer unbelievable value. The Malibu was attracting far more looks than the new Accord. The CTS was the star of the show. I talked with many BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus owners around the car who all said they will replace their current lux vehicle with the CTS. Best interior of any mass produced car on the floor. Elegant looking with a beautiful and aggressive front end.

[camaro_freak]

saw a new CTSover the weekend.

It flat out looks amazing on the road. Looks like it could eat up and German auto for breakfast!

[Gm786]

Warren Brown is a decent automotive Journalist. He's pretty straight forward. Its good to see that he recommends the 08 Cadillac CTS over the bland alien ship looking Infinity G35. The new CTS easily outclasses the G35 in terms of luxury, interior design, exterior design and value.

[bmarkdc]

I live in DC and try to read his reviews every Sunday. He is a good reporter and know about cars. If he recommends something it is usually a pretty good car, and people do listen to him.

[stevecmh]

Originally Posted by tgunnd39

As an '08 CTS owner I can tell you that I definitely recommend it over the others.

So.... let's just say I am biased.

And yes, this should definitely be front page material.

My .02

i am jealous of you and your car. lol

But i am nice to see just about every new GM car get good press.. What a change from a few years ago

[ZvetteGuy]

Well, the Malibu and the CTS alike have been getting above average reviews from nearly everyone that I read from... if the media seems to be pleased... let's hope that that will be an understatement to how the public will react with GM's latest offereings....

[WillCG]

The TV commercials running for the new Malibu are interesting, considering they are using a past generation's Malibu's twin, the Olds Cutlass, to portray a car that the public ignores. Pretty bold of GM to admit they built anonymous cars back then.

[tgunnd39]

Originally Posted by stevecmh

i am jealous of you and your car. lol

But i am nice to see just about every new GM car get good press.. What a change from a few years ago

No need to be jealous. I'm just lucky, my wife said I should be driving one, so here I am.

Anyway, thanks and I agree about the good press. It's just GM doing what it is capable of!

My .02

[Tequilujan]

I still haven't seen a new malibu on the road or at a dealership yet... an new CTS on the other hand, I have already seen like 4, and man are they gorgeous. I don't care how pricey they are, they are miles ahead of anything in its class in terms of styling. When it drives by, you know what it is, there's no ignoring it.

[ChevroletRevived]

Nice! I recommend GM vehicles to everyone I know. Definitely have seen a change in public perception about. Work still to be done? Of course, but GM is on the right track.

[starlightmica]

Gotta like Warren's review of the Lincoln MKZ in yesterday's column, trying to be nice without totally trashing it:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...110801562.html

The car's interior is a work of squares and circles reminiscent of wooden geometric forms used to teach shapes to kindergartners. The onboard navigation screen in that milieu looks like a first-generation Apple computer, now unused, stuck in the dusty corner of a classroom. Interior materials, with the notable exception of the perforated leather-covered seats, are oppressively utilitarian, discernibly inferior to materials used in the Cadillac CTS, Infiniti G35 sedan, Lexus ES 350 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

So, yeah, that's it. Lincoln kept its head and hands down on this one. It risked neither opprobrium nor praise. It did not push for success. It simply tried not to fail. It chose not to stand for anything. It dared not ask: "What if?" And that's too bad.

Lincoln is Ford's luxury vehicle division. Luxury is supposed to make a statement. If it fails to do that, it has no reason to exist.

Put another way: Being good in a marketplace where your competitors are striving for greatness is simply not good enough. Lincoln has to try harder, or motor into oblivion.