Why do American cars always get bashed in magazines?
03-03-2004, 08:42 PM
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Why do American cars always get bashed in magazines?
I was just reading a car magazine reading reviews, and the Japanese cars always get excellent reviews, while american cars get poor reviews. Take this one in mind..
title: Pontiac Bonneville GXP, stripped for action
This might be the first stripped-down sedan in which you'd ever take an interest. All that body-side cladding that had clung on the Bonneville since the late 1980'* inspired by hot-rod Mercedes-Benzes of the Miami Vice Era? Stripped away like so much waxy buildup. That 3.8 Liter V6 with a supercharger barely able to wheeze away on top of it? Stripped and tossed away onto the ash heap of history.
The GXP is actually the premium model of the made-over 2004 Bonneville, and it'* now a car for grown-ups, a lot like the Oldsmobile Aurora that we remember so Fondly. Just as the Aurora, there'* a DOHC Northstar V-8 now driving the Bonneville GXP'* front wheels and an added benefit is the same four-speed automatic transmission with adaptive shift logic. It'* a responsive powertrain that makes you wonder how anyone could ever put up with the soggy, weak, supercharged V6, and it gets this 3790-pound car from 0 to 60 in 6.5 seconds.
The Bonneville always has handled decently, and now pontiac has dramatically increased structural rigidity at the front of the car and added high-pressure gas-charged dampers, and big brakes. as before, the bonneville is still meant for running down the turnpike, belly to the ground. But now you can hammer this big front-wheel-drive car over a narrow winding secondary road, as we did on the way to Jalama Beach, and it stays on top of its tires like a sport sedan.
Unfortunately, the GXP'* makeover didn't extend to the Bonneville'* interior, which still looks like a tub of plastic had been whipped into a froth. There are ergonomic issues as wel, such as limited seat travel and an accelerator pedal with a tip-in that'* too aggressive.
As a whole, the Bonneville GXP is a strong piece. Rear-wheel drive is coming into fashion for cars such as this, but the Bonneville shows us that the standard set by the Detroit-Label full-size, front-wheel-drive sedan is far higher than critics realize.
This might be the first stripped-down sedan in which you'd ever take an interest. All that body-side cladding that had clung on the Bonneville since the late 1980'* inspired by hot-rod Mercedes-Benzes of the Miami Vice Era? Stripped away like so much waxy buildup. That 3.8 Liter V6 with a supercharger barely able to wheeze away on top of it? Stripped and tossed away onto the ash heap of history.
The GXP is actually the premium model of the made-over 2004 Bonneville, and it'* now a car for grown-ups, a lot like the Oldsmobile Aurora that we remember so Fondly. Just as the Aurora, there'* a DOHC Northstar V-8 now driving the Bonneville GXP'* front wheels and an added benefit is the same four-speed automatic transmission with adaptive shift logic. It'* a responsive powertrain that makes you wonder how anyone could ever put up with the soggy, weak, supercharged V6, and it gets this 3790-pound car from 0 to 60 in 6.5 seconds.
The Bonneville always has handled decently, and now pontiac has dramatically increased structural rigidity at the front of the car and added high-pressure gas-charged dampers, and big brakes. as before, the bonneville is still meant for running down the turnpike, belly to the ground. But now you can hammer this big front-wheel-drive car over a narrow winding secondary road, as we did on the way to Jalama Beach, and it stays on top of its tires like a sport sedan.
Unfortunately, the GXP'* makeover didn't extend to the Bonneville'* interior, which still looks like a tub of plastic had been whipped into a froth. There are ergonomic issues as wel, such as limited seat travel and an accelerator pedal with a tip-in that'* too aggressive.
As a whole, the Bonneville GXP is a strong piece. Rear-wheel drive is coming into fashion for cars such as this, but the Bonneville shows us that the standard set by the Detroit-Label full-size, front-wheel-drive sedan is far higher than critics realize.
03-03-2004, 08:55 PM
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Re: Why do American cars always get bashed in magazines?
Originally Posted by Custom88
That 3.8 Liter V6 with a supercharger barely able to wheeze away on top of it? Stripped and tossed away onto the ash heap of history.
What LOOSER publication was this printed in :?: 
03-03-2004, 09:05 PM
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Stripped and tossed away onto the ash heap of history.
The GXP is actually the premium model of the made-over 2004 Bonneville, and it'* now a car for grown-ups, a lot like the Oldsmobile Aurora that we remember so Fondly. Just as the Aurora, there'* a DOHC Northstar V-8 now driving the Bonneville GXP'* front wheels and an added benefit is the same four-speed automatic transmission with adaptive shift logic
The GXP is actually the premium model of the made-over 2004 Bonneville, and it'* now a car for grown-ups, a lot like the Oldsmobile Aurora that we remember so Fondly. Just as the Aurora, there'* a DOHC Northstar V-8 now driving the Bonneville GXP'* front wheels and an added benefit is the same four-speed automatic transmission with adaptive shift logic
The overall response is far to harsh...way to promote your own product
03-03-2004, 09:12 PM
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'automobile' magazine
I agree with Rouge, the 3.8 */C engine is in no way "weak." I've driven BMW'* and they were not much peppier than my Riviera is. In fact, my aunt owned a Riviera before her BMW 325i and she said the Riviera she owned was just as peppy as her BMW, which is part of the reason why i bought one, I liked them early on.
I've never had anybody tell me my car felt weak, instead I always get compliments on how smooth and how hard it pulls. Quite the opposite of what reviews usually say. :?
I agree with Rouge, the 3.8 */C engine is in no way "weak." I've driven BMW'* and they were not much peppier than my Riviera is. In fact, my aunt owned a Riviera before her BMW 325i and she said the Riviera she owned was just as peppy as her BMW, which is part of the reason why i bought one, I liked them early on.
I've never had anybody tell me my car felt weak, instead I always get compliments on how smooth and how hard it pulls. Quite the opposite of what reviews usually say. :?
03-03-2004, 09:12 PM
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I have subscriptions to both Car and Driver and Motortrend, and have found that Motortrend favors Amercian vehicles more than Car & Driver. Go figure that Car & Driver'* truck of the year was the Titan, and Motortrend'* was the F-150. I suppost to my generation, a lot of guys would rather have rice rockets then own a Real Car! 
03-03-2004, 09:26 PM
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Originally Posted by SSsuperchargedEi
we get 240-260hp out of an */c 3800... nissan can do that with .3L less and no blower... pushrods
