Faults:

I have not had any mechanical problems with the car, however it did have two defects in the paint from the factory. There were small bumps that were caused by dirt in the paint on the gas tank door, and on the rocker panel at the front corner of the front passenger door. There was also a drip in the clear coat on the trunk deck edge.

The automatic lights also weren't as sensitive as I felt they should be, so I popped the plastic cover off the sensor and applied a piece of darkened Scotch Tape over the solar panel, and now they work much better, plus you can't even tell I modified it.

General Comments:

This is the first car that I purchased brand new. I just assumed that I didn't have to look the car over like one would when buying a previously owned car. Well lesson learned; had I discovered the above mentioned paint issues, I would have never purchased the car unless the defects were repaired to my satisfaction before buying it. I had to have it painted 3 times before it was acceptable; there is still a faint run line on the tank door, but at least it matches now (it is White Diamond Tricoat, which apparently is fairly hard to match). I didn't have to pay a dime, but it was a real headache, and pretty much ruined the new car buying experience for me.

The car is a fine near luxury model, however I do regret trading my Park Avenue for this. I have had it for about 6 months now, and I still miss my old car. I was never crazy about this model, but had convinced myself I needed a new car, and rationalized that the Enclave that I really wanted was too expensive, and not practical for me. Well now I am kicking myself. I will hopefully end up selling this next year, and leasing an Enclave.

Don't get me wrong, it's not all bad. The ride, while not floaty soft like in my Park Avenues, is pretty comfortable, I also like the split bench seat (I for one will miss this configuration), I like the styling from the front, however the rear quarter does nothing for me.

A few options I like that my old car didn't have, are headlamps that come on with the windshield wipers, and cornering lamps that come on when the steering wheel is turned (kind of like the new articulating headlamps).

One option that is sorely missed that my Park Avenues had is the RainSense wipers. I loved this feature, and was shocked to find it was deleted from most GM models in the last few years!

I also think the layout for the displays is less user friendly. In my Park Avenues, the outside temp was largely displayed on the climate control, the compass was in the rear view mirror, and the time was very large and legible (designed for elderly eyes). Now the compass and outside temp are crammed in the small space below the speedometer where the DIC display is also located. In my opinion, it is too much displayed, too small, in one place. The corporate GM radio also has too much info constantly running across the screen and the time seems to blend in with it all.

I am really puzzled why GM replaced the Park Avenue with this model; the Park Avenue was just soo much better. My 2005 Park Avenue had an MSRP of over $42,000, this car stickered at $38,600. I would have gladly paid $10,000 more for a brand new Park Avenue.

Faults:

The Continental tires that came with the car were absolute rubbish. At 13K, the right-front tire fell apart, and all four continually leaked air. Also, the slightest hint of rain or snow caused them to lose any semblance of traction.

General Comments:

If I hadn't destroyed the car in an accident that my insurance wouldn't pay for (road ice), I wouldn't even think about buying another vehicle for the foreseeable future. And despite going head-first into a concrete highway median at 50 mph, spinning 180° and ramming into it backwards, completely knocking both the front and back ends off, *I* was completely unharmed (the car itself was not so lucky). The body of the car took all of the damage.

Before that, however, the car was an absolute joy to drive. The leather seats (heated!) were comfortable and fully-adjustable, and the ride was very smooth.

The only real complaint (besides the tires, which I was just too cheap to replace) was the fuel economy. I never got better than 19 mpg, even on the highway.