We'll see a lot of these in rental fleets at vacation destinations.

 

You're probably right!

 

The Toyota Solara lives!

 

I think the Camaro convertible will be a much better buy when it goes on sale in a couple of months. Similar price, much better chassis, 270hp turbo 4 standard, 330hp V6 is probably still going to keep you in the same price as the Buick. Only cons I can think of is the trunk is tiny and the back seat is tight(then again the Cascadia back seat doesn't look much better). Plus it looks a million times better IMO.

 

Are the pricing and features going to be closely competitive? I don't think the Camaro with the same type of features is going to start at the same MSRP in convertible form.

 

Last year's Camaro convertible started at $32,000. I'm sure this years will be the same/similar in price and have 70 more horsepower standard, but you don't get stuff like leather seats standard.

I'm thinking MSRP's should be similar, although what you can actually buy one for will be the interesting part. Not sure if dealers will wheel/deal or if there will be factory incentives on either of these cars, which one you can get a better price on is going to boil down to public demand. I'd still say the Camaro is a better car and better value with more power and a far superior chassis/handling, even if it does cost more comparably equipped

 

Many are not aware that the latest Camaro is (now) done on the same platform as the Cadillac ATS...so, for the handling and roadability, that pretty much speaks for itself. On the road, the ATS is considered by a number of enthusiast publications to be superior to the latest BMW 3-series, though Cadillac's engines are not particularly refined. The new Camaro, for the first time in years, also out-handles the Mustang....even with the recent switch of the Mustang from a live rear axle to IRS.

 

A Mustang Premium Ecoboost Convertible comes in at around $35k with most of the goodies. The lease terms may be better as well due to higher residuals. I'd go for that before either a Camaro or Escada if I was shopping in that category.

 

The Camaro's all-new platform this year, though, has given its chassis an enormous improvement.....see my last post just above.

 

Isn't the Verano/Cruz/Trax/Spark/Sonic/Encore based on Daewoos in Korea? The previous generation Cruz was known as the Daewoo Lacetti. Does Daewoo exist now or is it part of GM Korea?

 

No. The Spark is an A-size minicar, two sizes below the Verano/Cascada's class. The Sonic is a B-size subcompact, done on a smaller platform...it is not in the Verano's class either; in fact, it is one size below the compact-sized Cruze. The small Trax/Encore SUVs (also marketed in Europe as the Opel/Vauxhall Mokka) are done on the B-class subcompact Sonic platform. The compact-sized Cruze and Verano (actually the Verano is slightly larger, but the difference is minimal) are both loosely connected to GM's compact Delta II platform, but the Cruze and Verano have marked differences, especially in drivetrain, chassis, and interior (this is much different from past GM practice in compacts). As you note, the Cruze has some Daewoo influence in it...the Verano doesn't. The Verano, unlike the Cruze, is strongly based on the European Opel Astra sedan...it shares an almost identical interior and chassis (but with Buick luxury touches in seat-comfort and sound-isolation), though it differs from the Astra in having American-designed Ecotec powertrains. The Cascada, of course, is essentially a Verano convertible (though all of the body panels are different), and is pretty much a rebadged version of the Opel Cascada from Europe and Holden Cascada sold in Australia.

Confusing? Yes, it can be....no question about that. And the larger Buick Regal is also a redone Opel with an American powertrain.....the Insignia sport-sedan. But all of these vehicles represent a sharp departure from past GM practice (essentially since the bankrupcy/reorganization several years ago) in how they design subcompact/compact/mid-size cars and crossover SUVs.

As for your question regarding Daewoo ownership, the Daewoo passenger-car division is essentially owned by GM, as they were forced into a sale by financial troubles back in 2001. Various Daewoo-designed automobiles have been sold under GM, Holden, Suzuki, and other nameplates. The Daewoo Commercial-Vehicle division is currently owned by Tata Motors of India, the same corporation that (now) also owns Jaguar and Land-Rover, which formally owned by Ford.

 

I gotta agree with Jill here. The reason these cars have a solid rear axle is because its cheap, not for any handling purpose and the comparison to a strut tower brace doesn't make any sense, the two things are completely different and are put there for a completely different purpose.

A solid rear axle, like a FWD transverse powertrain exists in a vehicle because its less expensive to develop and build a vehicle that way. If there were *any* performance or ride or whatever benefit to building a car that way you would see high end luxury performance vehicles built that way...and you don't.

All you have to do to feel the difference an independent rear suspension brings to how a car drives, rides and feels is drive a Mazda 3...and then drive a Corolla. The Mazda feels much more dynamic, premium, and settled...hell...Toyota even abandoned the solid rear for an independent setup in the Prius. I have not driven a new Prius, but from what reviews have said that change has fundamentally improved the drivability and enjoyability of the car.

I've reached a point in my life where I've decided I want to avoid anymore FWD cars (outside of say a Minivan or other sort of 3 row crossover), but I would buy a FWD car....I won't buy a car today with a solid rear axle.

 

mmarshall, the Cruze/Astra share almost all of there engines from the 1.4 to the 2.0. The Verano gets its on engine in the 2.4 and uses a 2.0 that is also used in both the Cruze/Astra. Both the Cruze/Astra use the same 5 speed manual while the Verano does not. All there are models built off the Delta II platform using various parts from the same bin.

 

It should be a better vehicle but dollar for dollar the Cascada has a lot of stuff for $36. I did a price comparison and at $36K you get no automatic in Camaro, single exhaust, no windscreen, etc etc.

I don't think these two cars should be compared in any way.

In a way, the Cascada/Camaro comparison is like comparing a Solara Limiter RIP to a Lexus IS250. Should not be done.

 

apples and oranges, he said strut brace which is not the same as a hood strut. a strut brace connects the two shock towers providing a lot of up front rigidity. a hood strut holds up the hood when you open it.

a rear beam axle on the other hand, while providing debatable benefits at a drag strip is otherwise just used because it's cheap and simple.