Well, it is still less strange than "LaCrosse" in French

In English a certain ball game played with nets on sticks is also known as LaCrosse, so why would it be stranger in French?

I do not know, it just sound strange...

Hyundai Pony
Austin Maestro
Nissan Stanza
Daihatsu Charmant (...not)
Daihatsu Applause
Toyota Carina (dull name)
Datsun Laurel
Austin Allegro
Volkswagen Santana
Chevrolet Evanda

etc.

It's French-Canadian slang for self-gratification, which is why we get the different name.

Allure doesn't seem bad, in fact it sounds kind of luxurious. Like Hyundai's Entourage and Azera.

[QUOTE] When I think of "Buick", I think of fat men in pink kaki shorts playing golf [UNQUOTE]

OBJECTION! I currently have THREE Buicks (two '94 "Roadmaster Estate" wagons and a '95 "Le Sabre" sedan). Sure, I'd rather drive a classic Cadillac ...but (even surer) I wouldn't drive anything that had "4x4" written on it [unless it was followed by "Equals Sixteen"). For your edification [look it up, son], I don't wear "pink kaki" shorts [BTW, did you mean "pink" or did you mean "khaki", which are two different colors?]. Lastly, I may be overweight [indeed I am !] but I don't play golf, which is a waste of a good walk. Both my well-traveled "Roadmasters" are the "Masters of the Road". My "Le Sabre" (meaning "the sword", in French) derives from the "mother" of all Post-WW2 prototypes and show cars, the renowned GM "Le Sabre" of 1950, which featured some "cutting edge" technology for the day, i.e. way before you were born. Finally, son, "Buick" is the name of the founder of the company, David Dunbar BUICK, a Scotsman [just like me]. Other cars named after their company founders include: CHEVROLET, CHRYSLER, DODGE, ERSKINE, FORD, NASH, PACKARD, ROLLS and ROYCE, TUCKER, WILLYS. You probably would add CADILLAC, DeSOTO, LaSALLE and LINCOLN ...but you'd be wrong. They were all long DEAD by the time the first car to bear their name came out of the workshop!

QUOTE [Actually 'pajero' is he who masturbates...] UNQUOTE
So, what is "Montero" ...other than an anagram for "No More T" ? Would not a more appropriate name for the UK market have been the Mitsu "Wanker" ?!?!

QUOTE: [the least stupid names are Numbers...] UNQUOTE

Although I HATE them, especially on a Cadillac, still I have to agree 100% with "sixcyl". Such alpha-numerical model names are the only way to go to avoid some hilarious or disgusting names in countries other than the one where the name originated.

Well you could also just try harder at names. Can't go wrong with names like Taurus, Tempo, DeVille, Fleetwood, Silverado and Blazer.

It can still mean something else in another language

Blazer also means suit jacket.

And I don't think Tempo is a great name for a car, it sounds like one of these jazzy names they give to enliven bland compact cars. Giving a car a name that has something to do with music is always a lame idea (Honda Concerto, which was a rebadged Rover 200, Honda Jazz, Austin Maestro, Austin Allegro). The word Tempo for me also brings to mind old synthesizers and electric keyboards, I think it emphasizes how dated the car is. I know what the word means, it just means the speed of a piece of music which is a bit of a meaningless name for a car when you think about it, it doesn't describe anything in particular, you might as well call it the Ford Pitch or the Ford Note. I know Nissan made a car called the Note, but then most Japanese cars have crap names.

About the synthesizer thing, please tell me, when was the Tempo introduced? Thats right, 1980s. And I find it better then 'midget car names' like Civic, Camry, Versa, Aveo and Focus (all of which makes me think of how small they are). I don't think of small cars when I think Tempo.

And same thing with letters and numbers (like MR2 and cars with bad luck numbers).

I think "grand am" is a silly name. What in the devil is an "am": grand or otherwise.

While I don't mind the name GTO, I do think it was silly to apply it to a big old american car meant for the dragstrip.

I didn't said that these were betters, I just said that you can go wrong with the names that you cited.

Well, for some people (and especially in some countries) the fact that a car is small is not a bad thing. "Civic" for example may show that the car is suitable for a city-use

I don't know about the rest of you, but when I think 'city car' I think a ugly, slow, weak and cramped. Doesn't project a good image.

It is just because you have a problem with small cars

I own a small car.