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:-) :-) :-)
Now back to cars...
Word is also coming that a turbo version will be around with 333 hp as the high end 330i before one jumps to an M3 with a V8.
Turbo? If it's small low pressure turbo, that'll help the torque-deficiency problem of BMW's overly praised inline 6.
And someone asked about a favorite film...I see too many to ever narrow it down to one. If I had to pick 5, The Third Man, Once Were Warriors, Cool Hand Luke (or Butch and Sundance or The Hustler), Out of Sight and Princess Bride.
Rebel Without a Cause = movie without a plot or decent acting.
Thanks for the feedback. I am going to check them both out tomorrow.
I already own a TL type S and it has been rock solid, but I like the new style much better. Volvo just opened a dealership less than a mile so I thought being so close I would check the s40 out.
I read some history of Saab several weeks ago and found that certain ideas/products were created by Saab but everyone thought other manufacturers created them. Saab was the first one to came up with the followings:
1. Heated seat (I thought it was MB or BMW)
2. Ventilated/cooling Seat (I thought it was MB)
3. WHIPS and headlight wipers
(I though it was Volvo too)
4. etc.etc...
Saab was one of the first car maker to build a production turbo car successfully (I am not sure if Saab was the first one but they were among the first group).
It seems that Saab didn't do much in the Marketing area to promote its "unique" features but some car-makers want you to believe they were the pioneer of certain features.
A car-maker (Ford ??) put a TV commerical several months ago said the Cooling Seat was one of their innovative ideas. Interesting...
Anyways, anyone really know what the engine choices are for the next 3? I've read a 230hp to 250hp 3.0L and a 260hp to 290hp 3.5L.
I guess they'll be called the 330i and 335i then? If true, I can see the 330i outselling the 335i by more than 8 to 1. Even right now, the 325i outsells the 330i by 5 to 1.
Short of bumping up displacement or supercharging, there isn't a lot that can be done to increase max. torque.
220ft-lb to 230 ft-lb sounds about right for a 3.0L engine.
I think this car already exists - Subaru sells it...
No they don't. They sell a plasticky econobox with a heavy and instrusive AWD system. Heck there's still no sunroof or leather on the WRX.
It goes like stink. Beyond that...
http://www.saabnet.com/tsn/ssl/
The one submitted by Willie C. on June 2000 was amazing.
"Saab focuses on a Real-life Safety philosophy of designing cars to be as safe as possible in real-world accident situations, rather than just laboratory tests. Since 1972 Saab has investigated more than 5,000 accidents involving Saabs in Sweden... The Saab 9-5 has been subjected to more than 40 different crash test configurations, including car-to-car, car-to-truck and car-to-dummy-moose. Of these, only 11 are mandated by government standards."
The s40's performance and handling were great. Fit and
finish were excellent and the seats were very comfortable.
The sound system was impressive. The seating position seems
much higher than in the tl and the overall ride was more
comfortable than the tl.
The tl's performance and handling were excellent. Again fit
and finish was great and seating was comfortable. The ride was
a little harsher than the s40 and harsher than my current tl type-s.
The sound system to me was hands down much more impressive than
the volvo. The seating was not as comfortable as the s40, but I preferred the seating position over the s40.
Overall I like the tl much more than the s40. The s40 was lacking in some areas, such as very small door pockets for storage and a very
small console and center armrest. The s40's door armrests were very narrow when compared to the tl. They are both great cars but I definetly prefer the Acura.
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the TL and has 218 hp compared to the TL's 270. Pricewise by the time
you option the S40 out to be comparable to the TL the sticker price
is about the same. The TL is 34,650 and the S40 T5 with premium pkg,convenience pkg, climate pkg, DSTC, bi-xenon hlamps and moonroof
is 35065.00.
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I believe those side marker lights are required on cars sold in Europe. I toured the Corvette factory in Bowling Green Kentucky a few years back, and noticed several new Corvettes parked near the end of the line that had fender mounted side marker lights. The guide said those were for export, and those lights were needed.
was actually willing to sell the car for
I managed to get an s40 to 36k by adding every option (radio pack with dvd navi). 36k for a car that's platform is the same as the Mazda3?!
Enjoy...
http://www.nwalfaclub.com/features.html
Pacific Raceways is a terrific road course, and the local Porsche, BMW, Audi, and Alfa Clubs hold track events throughout the year. Lucky for me, even Acura's are invited!
For reference, the group is tracking out of turn 3(b) when the video begins.
You missed the point by a country mile. I said that the C or S40 would come out in accident better, not one between a C-Class and a Civic. Weight has very little to do with how safe the car is going to be. Tell that all the cops getting killed in their very heavy Crown Vics. How the car is designed is more important than how heavy it is. Why the H do you think anyone said this was a "tank battle"? Who said anything who is going to crush who? You're confused.
" What's the big deal with 65 vs 45. Do you really know what's best for engineers designing cars. No.
You're right I don't, butt companies like Volvo and Mercedes and Saab do. They've been doing just that for over 40 years, 50+ in the case of MB and Volvo.
" It's easy to make tests have 65 mph as national standard but most cars would be demolished - while our class would benefit the rest of the smaller 75 cars on the market would be scrap after an offset frontal at that speed."
Sorry but this makes no sense to me. Problem is you're stuck on that test lab stuff. An offset crash isn't the only type of accident you can have.
I'm not knocking the G35, but Nissan has been very skimpy with their cars to get them to the market right now and there is no way I'll believe that they're just as safe as Volvo, Saab or Mercedes these companies while they've had their problems in other areas have never compromised on safety. Now Nissan is supposed to have matched them in an area they weren't even an expert in during the time where they're cutting cost at every possible area. Right. GM cars feel solid too, doesn't mean they are safe. The crash-test failing Acura RL feels solid too.
M
Skimpy my @&^. The cars on the line right now have nissan at the height of the industry on just about every front including product quality.
Profit in an oversupplied industry is just one indication that "rushing to market" is hogwash. The g35 certainly wasn't rushed to market nor was the FX the Z or the upcoming M45. You don't own the toughest class for 2 years running and put the competition into a tailspin with "rushed to market" cars and inferior design.
As for safety you know as much as I do about what the G will do...nada so until we KNOW your speculation is as meaninglss as mine. I know marketing won't save you neither will past research by some truly good companies that made safety a priority - typically euro makers. If that makes you feel good about paying a premium for a volvo or bmw then pay away.
Well, it goes both ways, one could say the TL is a $33K Honda Accord. Or a ES330 is a $35K Toyota Camry. Although, the S40 is priced in the same range as its competitors, it order to beat them, it needed to be priced lower. IMO that's where Volvo failed.
Here's the link (the 250GT is tested here)
http://www.nasva.go.jp/assess/html2002e/as125.html
I see the competition as...
A4 1.8
325i
9-3
TSX
IS300 (sorta)
Honda Accord EX (depending on trim line)
Nissan Altima
Toyota Camry
The last three are a little larger than the S40, but I'm sure are looked at as viable options as the S40 price climbs over $30K
regards,
kyfdx
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Yes, it does make me feel good.
about every front including product quality."
Bull. They've just sent 20 engineers to America to fix quality problems. Nissan also scored low on some recent surveys.
Nobody said the G35 or FX were rushed to the market, but the 350Z has a cardboard interior if there ever was one in a car. It is downright worse than some GM cars in interior quality.
"As for safety you know as much as I do about what the G will do...nada so until we KNOW your speculation is as meaninglss as mine."
Partially correct. I don't know about the G35 past the crash test scores, but I do know who used to and still does place emphasis on safety and it isn't Nissan.
M
AS far as safety ~ your objective statments and cultish faithfulness to marketing aside, unless you can point to engineering or proven technolgy in the supposed superior car from sweden or germany then I don't think the emotion of your willingness to pay a premium for a slower less agile car dont really matter. As for the G, nothing but a stellar safety record so far. Keep on paying the premium my friend. I'll be upgrading the ski boat every time i buy a car with the extra money i save. As for the 350 Z comments? WHATEVER. It's a carerra chaser for 27k. It looks great to many MANY people who buy it in droves and praise it like a religious figure.
Not even close.
I don't know about you, but when I shell out 30+K, I dont even want to hear the word PROBLEMS for the next seven or so years.
All I want to do is regular maintenance service.
Good luck with the expected problems with the G.
Since I am in B school, I know I should ask expert before the decision. You guys should be the ones who provide such expertise.
My budget: <=$35K
Priority: 1. Safety; 2. Reliability, 3. Performance (yeah, I only have one life, and I don’t want to spend too much of my life at the service department at dealer’s)
Constrain: No Japanese Cars (Just a personal preference, I know They make good cars, )
Can you guys give me some suggestion?
Thanks a lot!
Peter
Just forget this market then. There's no such thing as a reliable european car. BMW, MB and Audi are all lousy for reliability. Volvo and Saab are a joke. What's that leave? Jag's simply a Ford Mondeo.
Why not try the TL, G35, TSX and IS300? Test driving a car doesn't mean you must buy it. Heck, I loathe Caddy yet I still gave their crummy CTS a test drive. I had to accept I could be wrong and really dig it. I didnt want to buy a BMW (still think they're overpriced) but ended up with one after a test drive of a 330i 6 speed.
Try everything, then start knocking off choices. Dismissing the car before driving it is ignorant at best. At the worst you're keeping yourself from finding that car that's epiphanous for you.
And don't dismiss non-luxury makes because they're not fitted with a stupid badge. A WRX, STi or a Mazda6, RX-8, etc are all really, really fun cars. And they're far better made than the stuff from europe.
At or around $35K and not Japanese. Here's how they'd stack up in my book:
1) Audi A4 1.8T
2) BMW 325i
3) Mercedes C230 Kompressor.
4) Saab 93
Not even close.
Yeah 13.6 in the quarter mag times with nearly the handling - Not even close eh. It's been mentioned many times, the value of the Z in context of the pricier carerra. The carerra is not super car guy. Your wish to liken the Nissan experience as the crappy old clunker maker your sentra was from is not pertinant in Z world. Subjectivity is fine but dont diss the Z for being anything less than it is. A stellar performer bested by few and yes a evo is fast but its still a mitsu sedan box econo crapper.
"I don't know about you, but when I shell out 30+K, I dont even want to hear the word PROBLEMS "
People who dont expect problems dont buy BMW or Mercedes. Again I'll take my rattle and my window streak and my awesome performing ride. I dont need the 1 percentile best JD power car that bores me...I need a car that makes me get out of bed in the middle in the night from calling me to drive it. Unless you buy Honda or lexus or buick you accept some inferiority to the perfect trouble free ownership experience. You'll learn that when you spend 80k on a 750 BMW or a XJ that you get even more trouble for your extra money. The G motor will last 250k and the reliability is expected to be stellar. Hapring on this is futile. Nothing from germany would ever come so close on my list of cars that would be pretty easy and cheap to maintian over a 10 year period. 3 series would be a disaster for that long. You expect alot but your expectations are misaligned with what you'll be getting if you climb the social car ladder...unless you want to be a lexus driver all your life. Since when did infiniti become not so reliable anyway? When I say problems I should say annoyances which were few but expected in a first eyar car - mine is an 03...and flawless I might add with 20k.
Front midships rule the world guys. Ineveitably this will be realized! LOL
It does not have the handling, however in the hands of an average driver the Z is easier, in the hands of a skilled driver, the Porsche will pass the Z like a milk-truck. Street racing is not the forum to find out if any one car is faster or not.
BMW reliability is not an oxymoron. BMW is tops in a number of different ownership surveys. I will admit in defects/100 Lexus rules, but that doesn't mean BMW is unreliable. Nor does it mean every Lexus just goes. Nor do I find friends who have Acuras, Hondas, Infinitis or Nissans, have cars that are more reliable than mine. (Yes, I know, in my world recommendations and anectdotal evidence are important)
I thought we were mag racing...also yes a porsche in the hands of the skilled driver is a dream and driving bliss can't get much better...also a skilled 6speed z driver may outdrive an OK carerra driver. I would expect an 80K machine to own a Z - but that will only happen with a great driver and an extra 50k! These cars are not THAT comparable but yet on the track they become often comapred..go figure. You may not like it but it's the baddest 27k car out there IMO. You can get a loaded mazda 6 for more than that!
Second on my list is the Acura TSX. I liked the TSX ALMOST as much as the A4. Some would argue that probably the TL deserves the sport better than the TSX, but I have not driven the new TL so I cannot comment.
Brand Problems/100 vehicles
Lexus 162
Buick 187
Infiniti 189
Lincoln 194
Cadillac 196
Honda 209
Acura 212
Toyota 216
Mercury 224
Porsche 240
Chevrolet 262
GMC 262
BMW 264
Saab 265
Saturn 267
INDUSTRY AVG. 269
Ford 276
Nissan 280
Chrysler 285
Mazda 285
Subaru 288
Plymouth 289
Audi 295
Pontiac 297
Dodge 298
Jaguar 310
Jeep 314
Oldsmobile 314
Mercedes-Benz 327
Mitsubishi 327
Volvo 346
Suzuki 365
Hyundai 375
Volkswagen 386
Isuzu 393
Daewoo 411
Kia 432
Land Rover 472
Save your breath (in this case typing, or copy-pasting).
Refuse to admit reality. Reliability frequency and repair costs on German cars = daunting. I've owned two german cars in the past 3 years. The VW was a nightmare. The BMW needs to go in again as my sunroof is rattling something terrible. Already had the parking brake replaced. The car is only 13 months old. At this rate that's a new problem every 6 months. Not a good sign for BMW.