umm, Paul... you mean, "GO VIKES!!!"
You're in Minnesota man, ya gotta root for your homeboys!

 

MOTRV8D,

I was born and raised in Wisconsin. I'm here in Minnesota for employment reasons. I have to stick with the Packers and the great Brett Lorenzo Favre!!!

PaulW

 

(Oops; that's an Equinox photo in your post.) To each his own Apperance wise, I think it (at the very least) is a cut above "just another SUV". Hood scoops, dual chrome exhaust, GXP sports badging, lowered stance, sport interior... it's a bit more racy than your average SUV. The Torrent GXP (which is actually a CUV) does retain the usefulness and safety of an SUV, but anybody who has driven one (a GXP) will tell you that drives / rides like a sports sedan. Likewise, the HHR is technically an SUV / truck, but it certainly doesn't drive / ride like one. To be honest, the GXP is VERY similar to the HHR or PT Cruiser... except the GXP is on steroids

 

the Torrent GXP
the Torrent GXP
the Torrent GXP
the Torrent GXP
the Torrent GXP

Finally! Now I can afford to retire!!!

 

One of the car mags had a good quote about putting hood scoops on the late and not-so-great 2006 GTO. It was something like "placing hood scoops on such an ordinary-looking car is like painting angry eyebrows on your Aunt Mabel. She looks a little meaner but she's still Aunt Mabel."

That about sums it up for me... but you're right, to each his own. You have a lot of good reasons to buy the GXP.

 

I know what you're saying, but I like the Torrent GXP hood scoops a bit better because they are more subtle (they dip down rather than raise up).





In my opinion, I would hardly call either of these cars "ordinary". 0-60 in 4.7 seconds on the GTO and 0-60 in 6.9 seconds on the Torrent utility vehicle is hardly ordinary.

 

I never said the GXP and GTO were "ordinary cars." I said "ordinary-looking." Hell, before the production stopped on it, the '06 GTO LS2 had 400HP, hardly ordinary. I think most ppl would agree with me that the GTO died because of ordinary styling, basically a company-car with a healthy V8. And a healthy price too, as I recall they started around $30k.

Bob Lutz said it best about the GTO:

As a fan of the original Pontiac GTO's I dearly wanted to like the new GTO, but when it came out, I thought, "yawn."


Now, had they made the new GTO with a little more style, a little more attitude, who knows how many more they could have sold?

 

Should I get the extended warranty through GM or a less expensive vendor?

The dealership quoted me an official GM extended warranty for 6 years / 100,000 miles / $0 deductible for $2360. I can get a comparable extended warranty through a third party vendor (Warranty Direct) for $1939. The only difference I can find is that the third party vendor does not cover OnStar equipment. What do you think? Which one would you do and why? (Please don't debate why I should not get an extended warranty... my mind is already made up on this one.) Thanks :)

 

As a Service Manager I hate dealing with those aftermarket warranty guys. Wait until you get a transmission failure and find out that the company will only authorize a wrecking yard part or they shop around for the cheapest rebuilt they can find.......then they want to charge you "betterment".

You get what you pay for when buying this kind of coverage just like when you buy a vacuum cleaner or a refrigerator. You buy the cheapest.......you get the least.

 

Its worth the extra money to go with a GMPP warranty. Its practicly the same as factory warranty if you get the best package.