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'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
This car may be geared to get to 60 in less than 6 but lets see the real numbers when tested and see the rest of the story. I expect it to be a solid car but I doubt 3/G lovers are weeping just yet. 250 HP spread to 4 wheels is about what an a-4 is...fun but no M5.
Yes you'll lose the race, but I'm sure you will think, look at that guy in the cheap modded American car, compared to my fancy A-spec TL.
Lets not forget that these are more sports cars than sports sedans. Hopefully I'll be in the minivan by then toting kids around. I'd love to have a 1986 caravan and a GTR for myself and the M5 or a tuaras for the finacee'.
The IS300 has beautiful "drilled" pedals and the interesting chronograph instrument cluster. The IS300 has one more legitimate gauge than either the 323ia or 540i6.
The IS300 is a boy racer interior. Serious interior for serious fun! What more could you want out of an interior? Luxury? Not me!
(My wife was always mad about the 323ia. It lacked the chrome doorsill plate like the 540i6. The 3 Series is just decent interior wise.)
Do any of you out there consider fuel economy when buying a "Luxury Performance Sedan"? I know I do.
Yes, my vehicle gets 32 mpg on the open road, even tooling along at a good rate. I usually get 24-26 in city driving. CR validates the 32, which I find amazing. Gas mileage is important for a daily driver. It wouldn't be as important for a week-end car.
Yes as long as its better than 14-16 I'm OK. I may get a prius next time and the GF an M5 - then I'll be in the right car to worry about mileage. From an expense standpoint gas has been a lower and lower percentage of my driving costs considering my car is fully financed and insurance is higher than 1k.
Not me. M5 for me, gf gets Ferrari, wife gets RX330.
Not me. M5 for me, gf gets Ferrari, wife gets RX330. "
With all the sitting our cars do we decided to cut back. She was going to get a 3 series or a murano or FX while I have the G - we both will be taking train soon to work so whats the point...we need one nice car and one beater. She got a Mitsubishi Outlander (can you believe i talked Princess into that??) for the simple fact we need AWD and want only one lux car sitting at the train station.
SO next time it's my turn to get a beater. The prius may be the ultimate car for what we need 1/2 the time. I bet I could coast her down the hill to the station without even turning the motor on. My dads is impressive. I promised her a 5 to get this deal. I may end up in a Le car if they are more than the 80k i expect them to be...
As for fuel economy, despite technological advancement, performance and economy are fundamentally opposite objectives. And gas is cheap compared to the total cost of this class of cars.
As an owner of none of these, but a long time shopper, my opinion on the best for each function.
Exterior Design: All good, all different
Interior Design: A4, TL, C-Class
Size/Space: G35 and TL
Acceleration: BMW, G35, TL
Braking: all very similar
Handling: BMW, G35, IS300
Cost: Similar except the 330i, C-Class cost more
Reliability: Japanese better than European
For me personally, Acceleration, Handling, Size, and Cost are more important than the interior, so if I were shopping for a sedan it would lead me to the G35.
But I am looking for a convertible, and I can't have a manual because my significant other will not budge on that issue. All that leads me to a 330Cic with SMG.
Have fun and remember they are all nice cars, depending largely on what you want most.
i've driven both cars. the acceleration on the TL is phenomenal.
If that's true, it doesn't accord with my real world experience. Also, the VTEC engines are well known for not having a lot of low end torque. If the 330i and TL are both going say 40, I'm sure the TL would hit 70 a lot faster.
also wondering if they compared manual to manual or manual to automatic.
We should be closer to middle aged and perhaps on the matrimony discount by then. Hoping for anti lawsuit legislation as well....I'd also consider the JET bike Jay leno bought if the M doesn't work out. As he describes it..."faster you go - the more it accelerates" That would be quite a feat if they can get a car to do that...was contemplating a rolls royce turbine upgrade on the G instead of a lightweight flywheel. HA
http://www.imakenews.com/autospies/e_article000214337.cfm
I paid about $30,000 for the car. I'm getting about 25-26 mpg. If I drive 100,000 miles over 6 years that will take about 3,922 gallons of fuel (at 25.5 avg.mpg). In my town right now premium (Amoco/BP Ultimate, the only fuel I use) costs about $1.63 per gallon. That would be a mere $6,393 in total fuel costs. My car insurance over the same time would be about $7,200. The intitial tax on the car was around $1,500. In the first five years of ownership, it will cost me about $1,950 just to register the car ($325 per year). Four sets of tires will cost me at least $1,600 (at just $100 per tire). And what will depreciation be over this 100k/6 years? Probably about $20-24,000.
So that $6,393 in fuel isn't a big consideration. Say I got 30 mpg. That would be 3,333 gallons for $5,433. Or a mere $960. $160 per year. Or just $.0096 per mile driven. Is this a big deal? Not even a penny a mile.
[Hope I did my maths right.]
I'm getting nearly 26 mpg. That is SUV-like??? Not hardly! At least not at 74 mph which is what I normally drive on interstate.
I'm paying for a hit & run rings dinner right now via my insurance premiunm and I bet they are eating better than i right now...
RX330 20/26 (FWD)
RX330 18/24 (AWD)
IS300 18/25 (RWD) That's just pitiful.
All figures courtesy of Lexus.com
But, the IS is not particularly fuel efficient fgiven it's size and output, but I expect that the new V6 engines (in the upcoming GS, and probably the next IS if there is one) will get betteg MPG.
As Reiz pointed out, if you can afford a car in this class (and it's upkeep), the difference between 25 and 30 MPG isn't going to be a real big factor.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Honestly though these cars are in the range for other vehicles their size, engine size and weight. But wouldn't you rather get 23 around town than 17? Unless you buy a V12, forced air high performance whatever, in the 3 to 3.5L range, there is no reason good performance has to come at the expense of fuel economy and emissions. What with the EVO cited in enthusiast mags about getting 14mpg. If that's your bag fine. Right now it ain't mine.
But on the other hand for 3.0 engine and only 220HP, sound like realy low millage, plus the car is not that heavy.
When you're fuel bills are $350 dollars a month because you drive a lot of mileage and get lousy economy you might change your mind. But of course we each have our own priorities.
And second of all, the engine is not alone, power is tramsitted to the ground via the gearing of the transmission and the final drive axle. Gear spacing affects acceleration by allowing the engine to stay longer between its peak torque and peak hp. The first gear ratio also needs to be selected so as to deliver maximum power without overpowering the wheels and tires that will deliver the force to the ground.
All that being said, I listed the BMW, G35, and TL because they are approximately equal in all the acceleration testing I have seen. There seems to be just as large a variation in the times of different G35s, for instance, as there is a variation between the three different models.
The IS300's "lowish" highway fuel economy estimate is due to its gearing. It does not use a very deep overdrive 5th gear. I'd prefer a deeper overdrive, but you hardly have to shift out of 5th in order to pass. The IS300 is performance car, not an economy car. Designed for drivers who even want performance in 5th gear?
Just compare the gearing in the Camry and RX versus the IS300 (taking into account both final drive ratio and the individual ratio of each gear).
If you want to complain, check out the mileage differences between the 325i and 330i. The less powerful 325i isn't very fuel efficient. And part of that problem is tied to its gearing (as well as a smallish engine for the car's weight).
What's that song on the pulp fiction sountrack about a preacher man?? It's in my head right now for some reason....whatever KDS drives is the right amount of gas mileage to be getting to not be over polluting with emissions and about the right gas mileage....sick the Prius board on him! If mileage is a concern you will always compromise yourself out of the next class up wont you. 300-400 hp 45k cars baby...fuggeda about the flippin gas - we live in the US PEOPLE
I am 51 and I kind of like the way the younger women react to my IS300 SportCross. The trouble is they are more interested in the car than me. I even have some mods to talk about if one of them asks.
It is kind of sad to get so mature that you worry about being associated with juveniles. I think I will try and avoid that condition as long as possible.
BMW owners are always tarnished as snobs or yuppies. MB owners as aloof, intelligensia.
Volvos and Saabs as suburban soccer moms or save-the-whale crowd. Japanese premium marques as boring and playing it safe. Jaguar as being to-the-manor-born.
This must rule out most Porsche and Corvette owners who obsess about performance and improving their car's performance. Not to mention all the Mustang, Firebird, Camaro, etc. people who love to do mods. Not to mention the entire tuner crowd and their Civics, etc.
But then again, when I used to have my '96 Impala SS and was a member of the major owner clubs (state and nationally), when we got together all we talked about were mods, performance, tuning, etc. And we were the 30-50 crowd.
Guess people are more alike than not? People who love cars love performance and want the best. That might mean some mods.
And, yeah, TRD and others have some nice mods for the IS300. That is a problem for anyone here?
others don't have much but put all their cash into cars and skimp on everything else. or they buy a used car for cheap. you can never tell.
And others have a lot and they have fleets of high price (over $100K) automobiles. So in essence we have:
1. people with little acquiring inexpensive automobiles
2. people with little acquiring expensive automobiles
3. people with where-with-all acquiring inexpensive autmobiles
4. people with where-with-all acquiring expensive automobiles
Which makes you feel better?
Everything else comes in between and depends on priorities, abilities and circumstances.
Correct. And I'd rather be old, poor and sick than dead.
Best Regards,
Shipo