Hi all,
picked up my "new" company car yesterday. First of all let me say that for all the bashing of GM that has been done (and I've joined in, as I feel that there are legitimate beefs with their products) this is a VAST improvement over the '05 I turned in. Highlights:
- 3.5 engine is MUCH quieter than the 3.4 - still has a little rumble at idle but it's actually not objectionable, but it doesn't get much louder even with the pedal to the mat. Smoother, too. Actually sounds kind of good for a V-6.
- windshield wipers have been fixed. No more goofy "semi-hidden" wipers, now I can leave them up to clean the windows or if I anticipate snow. Also do not run off the edge of the windshield. The blades appear to be similar to the new Bosch "Icon" blades, and even though they appear to be original to the car (car sat around outside for quite a few months before it was assigned to me, so it has low miles but high outdoor exposure) they actually work well. Unfortunately the PIAA silicone blades from my old Imp don't appear to fit, but that's not really GM's fault. (yes, I kept the originals and put them back on the car before I turned it in. I'm not giving away a $40 pair of wiper blades that are still good!)
- seating position is MUCH better. Still wish the driver's seat would go down a little more, but the buckets in the '08 allow much more vertical adjustment than the bench in the '05. (I always felt like I was sitting *on* that car rather than *in* it.) Also lumbar support actually works in the '08; the one in the '05 didn't fit my back at all, I eventually resorted to a rolled up towel shoved behind my back.
- Kudos to GM for NOT using the high beams or turn signals as DRLs as has been their habit in the past. (not a change from the '05, but earlier models had high beam DRLs which I find offensive.) Also the headlights seem fairly decent, but I have only driven the car a few miles at night.
- Radio is MUCH improved over the '05. The '05 was all bass 'n' treble; probably was great for listening to hip hop but not much else. the '08 actually sounds OK with the EQ set flat.
- Improved ground clearance - I can actually drive over curb cuts and pull into my driveway, drive over speed humps, etc. without scraping the air dam. Also the nose will fit over a standard height curb meaning I don't have to leave the tail hanging out of short parking spaces (or worse yet, a parking space with one of those little wheel stop curbs, which the front of the '05 wouldn't fit over.)
- '08 has a real trip computer and real TPMS so you can check your tire pressures from inside the car. Not a huge deal but a nice touch. Why not have a TPMS transponder in the spare though? How many people check the air pressure in their spare tire regularly?
- '08 feels much more solid and rigid than the '05, although this may be an unfair comparison as I'm comparing a car with over 80K miles to a car with 16K miles; it's hard to remember exactly what the '05 felt like when new. Of course I hope that the '08 will hold up better... certainly can't evaluate it yet.
Complaints:
- still no telescoping steering column.
- In a backwards move, GM moved the front turn signal lights from the corner of the car to inboard of the high beams. The side markers do not flash with the turn signals and there are no fender repeaters.
- Front license plate holder is a flimsy piece of crap. Probably only a matter of time before it gets ripped off in an automatic car wash.
- Still equipped with those awful "Goodyear Integrity" tires. Am seriously considering paying for a set of Michelins out of my own pocket just so I don't have to drive on those unsafe pieces of garbage for another 50K miles. Since the car is so much quieter, tire noise is noticeable as well. I wonder if a different tire choice might not reduce the cabin noise level on the highway.
- While the interior styling is much improved over the '05 and at a glance has a much better appearance, the plastic materials used still do not exude an upscale quality. Not a huge deal, but some of GM's competition is doing this much better.
- dual zone climate controls are now optional (and my car doesn't have them.) Not a huge deal, unless you're in a situation like I am where I prefer to be at 65 degrees or cooler and SWMBO isn't happy unless it's over 70 (at which point I'm sweating like mad.) That was one thing about the '05 that I actually really liked.
So far I like the car. This one I may buy out when the lease is up if I stick with the company long enough. That's saying a lot coming from me because I typically don't like FWD cars or large cars in general. But as far as a tool to get me from point A to point B this is acceptable and not unpleasant.
So anyway, my question. I did not pick this car up brand new from a dealership, I "inherited" it from an employee who is no longer with the company. Somewhere along the way one of the keys and fobs got lost; I only have one. Stopped at the Chubby dealer today and they said that my vehicle *does* have an anti-theft system, key has chip in it, $75 for key, $130-something for the fob, I can't program it myself service has to do it (prices were for parts only.) Company will pay for new key but not fob, apparently that is a luxury or something. Now I know because I actually skimmed the owner's manual last night that I can in fact program these myself unless the manual is lying to me and I'm betting I can get a key blank and fob for less elsewhere. The question is, where, and how can I be sure that I'm getting the correct blank and fob? (they look exactly the same as the ones for my '05, which didn't have an anti-theft system, so I could see an opportunity for, say, an unscrupulous eBay seller.) Is this something that a locksmith is likely to have access to, or am I stuck finding a more reasonably priced GM dealer?
thanks,
Nate