Entry Level Luxury Performance Sedans

sweendogy

Wow the coverage on caddy is unreal- good for the customers who are going that way. Cool looking cars- good to see reliability has come back but as others state above- I'm a car guy and I have not driven a caddy in my life- I'm mid thirties - in fact I have not been in one or a Lincoln in 10 years (not including biz trips to and from the airport runs). I'm trying to put a finger on why I have not driven/looked at one- recall concerns seem like a cop out, no one I know owns them-

Michaell

sweendogy said:

Wow the coverage on caddy is unreal- good for the customers who are going that way. Cool looking cars- good to see reliability has come back but as others state above- I'm a car guy and I have not driven a caddy in my life- I'm mid thirties - in fact I have not been in one or a Lincoln in 10 years (not including biz trips to and from the airport runs). I'm trying to put a finger on why I have not driven/looked at one- recall concerns seem like a cop out, no one I know owns them-

Should my lottery numbers ever hit or I get a large inheritance from a rich relative I don't know, I'm very interested in the ATS Coupe. I think it looks better than the 2- or 4-series coupe from BMW or the A5. Have heard many good things about the 272 HP 2.0L turbo engine.

tlong

*"I know of three folks in these forums who have purchased / leased Cadillacs this year. 1 ATS and 2 CTS (one a V-Sport)."*

*"None of them seemed to be frightened of any reliability issues."*

You know of course that these anecdotal stories from this forum are not the same as the broad population of buyers - which is why my statement can still be true.

robr2

tlong said:

*"I know of three folks in these forums who have purchased / leased Cadillacs this year. 1 ATS and 2 CTS (one a V-Sport)."*

*"None of them seemed to be frightened of any reliability issues."*

You know of course that these anecdotal stories from this forum are not the same as the broad population of buyers - which is why my statement can still be true.

That's true but very often one person will remark about their uncle's co-worker's sister that had a flat tire on her 1972 Deville and many accept that as proof that Cadillac must still make bad cars.

stickguy

Plus the way these guys flip, 2 of them may be gone by the time 2016 rolls around.

cdnpinhead

stickguy said:

Plus the way these guys flip, 2 of them may be gone by the time 2016 rolls around.

Indeed.

qbrozen

did we lost the ability to completely delete posts? i'm typing this only because it won't let me delete what I had before. ugh.

kyfdx

qbrozen said:

did we lost the ability to completely delete posts? i'm typing this only because it won't let me delete what I had before. ugh.

I think you have four hours to edit/delete..

If you can't delete (maybe, it's just my superpowers that let me do it...lol), then just type in delete, and we'll take care of it..

sweendogy

@qbrozen‌ - can you talk about the stable of cars underneath your posts. 4 cars all different shapes

qbrozen

well, at least now the CTS and S70 are both sedans.

T&C and CTS are our "nice" cars that we each really want/love, while the Fit and S70 are our "beaters." We each drive over 20k miles a year, and having inexpensive second cars for each of us to pile miles on seems like a good solution in my twisted logic. The S70 was simply cheap and supremely comfortable, and I am intimately familiar with repairing that model. The Fit seemed to be a reasonable edition for a small monthly payment, and I like hatchbacks, and it gets great mileage.

I guess my S70 qualifies as the entry level luxe sedan for volvo in 1998, but its definitely lacking performance. haha. I think my CTS is well beyond entry level these days. So, sorry for the off-topic.

andres3

flightnurse said:

andres3 said:

The "upgraded sound system" is only speakers and amp, not head unit. I also think the reason for not supporting FLAC has to be the HD space. Since the files would be too large.

My issue is with the SD card slot. It's conveniently located right next to the volume knob on the center dash of the "radio." You can buy an SD card (16 GB for about $12 these days), so plenty of space for FLAC files. The other problem is the manual says it supports up to 320 bit rates and it seems not to. CD's do sound better than MP3's or AAC's at 256, even with the car noise. The S4 is plenty quiet in the cabin unless I'm on a rough road or accelerating rapidly.

andres3

graphicguy said:

Mark....I think overall, the quality and competence of today's cars are so far removed (better) from where they were even 5 short years ago is a pretty big gulf.

Given your experience with the S4 vs my experience with the S4, it sounds like Audi quietly addressed their (what I considered major) issues.

The march of technology and performance in cars over the last few years is nothing short of breathtaking.

I've had my S4 for about a year now (more if you include down-time due to accident), and I haven't had any problems with it. Looks like you took out all the problems with your S4, and everyone else is benefitting!

I'm at nearly 16K miles I think.

markcincinnati

I'm now at 22,000 miles on my '14 S4 -- the car, in every way has been flawless. Oh, I need to correct that: the Audi Connect feature (free for 6 months) was great (when it worked) when I was "in signal." The thing is, someone at Audi of America made a deal with "the fastest" 3G provider (at the time) T-Mobile. However, at least in SW Ohio the coverage, at best, is poor-to-fair, and overall is 2G to poor. The screen indicator registers 2G about 1/3rd of the time (which renders the feature useless). Now, it is true that when T-Mobile is able to pump out true 3G it can be as good as what sometimes passes for 4G from some carriers.

I had enjoyed using this feature with the voice command to verbally invoke "Internet Destination, Morton's of Chicago" or other destinations that would have normally had to have been found via calling 411, getting the number, calling the "destination" asking for the address and THEN entering it into the sat nav.

The thing is, the price for this service is $30/month -- which is galling since the TV commercials claim (for SW Ohio) 4, 4G LTE lines (family promo) for $100/mo.

Of course, were I to buy a new A3, Audi Connect no longer uses T-Mobile.

I'd pay $10/month for this crappy (T-Mobile) service -- but $30 for 2G? No way.

The concept and the technology (in the car) make a lot of sense and when things work as expected (even in 3G) the execution is great (within a two block radius of a certain signal location). Swapping out the radio or "unlocking" the radio via software or some other method (the sim card?) would make my experience with this vehicle "the best ever."

For those folks who want driving performance, I can assure you the S4 (with the 7-speed DSG) is, let me see, effortless to drive, meaning that there is nothing (within reason) the car won't do without breaking a sweat. Another descriptive term: "carve" -- driving the car is as effortless as cutting warm butter with a hot knife.

Obviously, I am off-put by one little piece of tech that some folks who live in a strong T-Mobile reception areas probably can't relate to. But in terms of reliability and "tightness" this S4 is as new-feeling at 22K miles as it was with 22 miles.

That's the story so far.

qbrozen

speaking of infotainment systems, I don't understand all the media hate of CUE. I prefer it to the system in my wife's Chrysler. I find it easier to navigate and certainly offers more features. Hell, at least Siri works with it, which is more than I can say for the Chrysler. Anyway, I like CUE. Just putting that out there.

graphicguy

qbrozen said:

speaking of infotainment systems, I don't understand all the media hate of CUE. I prefer it to the system in my wife's Chrysler. I find it easier to navigate and certainly offers more features. Hell, at least Siri works with it, which is more than I can say for the Chrysler. Anyway, I like CUE. Just putting that out there.

I concur. Matter of fact, I consider it the best piece of automotive GPS/Voice/Touch control on the market. And, I've used Audi's MMI, BMW's iDrive and Acura Link. Even the "MyCadillac/OnStar" app is great. I can remotely start th ecar, see current MPG on the current tankful, find where I parked my car, lock/unlock the car, download addresses from the internet to the car's GPS, etc.

I use my phone as a hot spot, so no need for in car internet service.

flightnurse

I'm at 24K miles with the 320.

Yesterday Rick and I went to the Lexus dealer and looked at the new NX and RX, Rick likes the NX and I like the RX. I think he realizes the NX is just too small for us and that the RX is just right.. The dealer was very laid back no pushing us to sit down and talk numbers. As we were talking to the salesman, a lot person brought up a new 2015 RC in Molton Pearl (orange) wow is all I have to say, what a stunning color.. It was a FC-F Sport, $51K it had the Mark Levinson/Nav package, we talked about it and I test drove it, I came very close in getting it, WOW, what a car, but the salesman was honest and told me that dealer isn't dealing on them and I would pay MSRP for it.. The car was that good, seats and steering was first rate, the engine and 8 spd tranny were just as good as BMW's, Lexus is very serious about this car and it shows... I don't think they have any problems selling every since one of them...

andres3

graphicguy said:

sweendogy said:

Redic motivated - I

In the honeymoon phase with it. If it stays out of the dealership service dept, I'll be a happy camper.

That is ONE big HUGE "IF!" I hope you have better luck with it. Anxious to hear how it holds up, so try to drive it a lot just for the fun of it and rack up those miles!

My fear would be even if it doesn't need tow trucks on a yearly basis, it might develop rattles and other nuisances I just haven't had with my German and Japanese cars.

I'd also worry that dealer would turn on you again if things went south quickly (show their true colors again).

Lastly, since I've been hit driving a new car recently, I'd worry about the plummeting value of the car (resale) because insurance companies are happy to take advantage and low ball offers.

andres3

sweendogy said:

Wow the coverage on caddy is unreal- good for the customers who are going that way. Cool looking cars- good to see reliability has come back but as others state above- I'm a car guy and I have not driven a caddy in my life- I'm mid thirties - in fact I have not been in one or a Lincoln in 10 years (not including biz trips to and from the airport runs). I'm trying to put a finger on why I have not driven/looked at one- recall concerns seem like a cop out, no one I know owns them-

I dragged myself to a Caddy dealer to drive one for the first time before easily deciding to get the (ordered from Germany in August 2013) S4 for more bang for my buck. I drove the ATS 2.0T and 3.6. The high sticker shock was tremendous and a first strike. A minor imperfection in the roadway unsettling the car and suspension was strike 2, and I just didn't feel the in the pants OOMPH from the butt Dyno I wanted to feel. I may have to start driving used broken-in cars with some miles on them already because I think programming is making some of these new cars feel sluggish on test drives due to perhaps "built-in" breaking-in programming?

andres3

qbrozen said:

Michaell said:

None of them seemed to be frightened of any reliability issues.

well, Caddy has really stepped up on peace of mind. 4yr/50k bumper-to-bumper, 4yr/50k included maintenance, and 6yr/70k power train. Is there a better standard coverage offering in the lux market?

When did GM end the across the board 5 yr./100K miles Power Train Warranty? That was better, though only marginally than the 6 yr./70. I remember they even extended that old 100K warranty to SAAB.

I wasn't frightened at one point of the reliability of my mid-90's Dodge either. I figured by the mid-nineties Americans had figured out how to make a halfway decently reliable car. Didn't stop it from being a lemon though.

markcincinnati

Reliable and Durable:

I am not a good ambassador of/for the durability of [Audi's in particular] German cars -- since the highest mileage I've ever put on one was just south of 67,000 miles (a 2005 Audi A6 3.2). However, my Audis (and we've had dozens of them) have always been very reliable (excluding our 1978 Audi 5000 which did die young, or at least the battery died young). We never had what I would call a catastrophic failure of the drive train in any of them, period.

Moreover, I suspect our 2011 Infiniti FX35 would have "run perfectly" until the wheels turned square and the pistons fell apart -- but we only kept it until it had some 55,000 miles on the OD, so again, who knows -- it, like our Audis was totally reliable. And then:Our 2012 Acura SH-AWD seemed like a budget Audi S4 (a good thing), but it certainly felt both flimsy and tinny (even the doors closed with wimpy thud). And the brakes had about one good stop in them from speed before they faded; and, the rotors almost always felt warped -- even though much of that turned out to be three bent wheels (that Acura paid 50% of the cost of replacement). Three bent wheels? Even if I was abusive while driving, I still find it hard to believe there were 3 bent wheels -- and that the original dealer never thought to road-force balance the wheels to see if THAT was the reason the brakes always appeared to chatter and rumble so.

I have to assume the new ATS and CTS (I did drive the latter) are very fine cars -- my in-laws were Cadillac people, but their experiences were with much older models (pre-2007) and during those [dark] years, their Cadillacs could hardly drive past the dealership without needing to go in to remedy some malady or another.

Cars of all ilks, today, I must assume are very reliable and probably durable, too. I am thinking that based on the way my wife puts miles on her SQ5, we may want to trade it in after about 36-42 months due to the "depreciation" hit that happens at about 100,000 miles, not due to any serious "durability" or reliability issues.

I can't remember where I read (or heard, perhaps) that virtually all "modern" cars will be essentially trouble free (not necessarily low maintenance, though) for a minimum of 150,000 miles. One of the folks I work with has a Bimmer (530) with over 170,000 miles on it and has never had any major repairs, only the maintenance required by the book. He's had dents and dings aplenty (and had them all fixed), but nothing major, ever.

My friend says he puts about $500 in the car two or three times per year -- and everything works pretty much the same as it did when he bought the thing new in 2004.

I'm a fan of the "factory" sponsored extended mntce and warranty programs -- and in my case, since my car is leased, I can have the car CPO'd to 100,000 miles for about $1,500 as long as I do so under 50,000 miles and have proof I've maintained the scheduled mntce requirements.

I keep thinking this S4 is so good it will be a keeper -- at least so long as at least one of our cars has the latest and greatest technology. That's the drawback -- as each new gen of these cars comes out they add or update some "gotta have" feature or tech (yeah, "gotta have" for me, that is). My friend who is part owner of an airplane says he just keeps upgrading his decades old plane with the newest and greatest tech and rebuilds the engine so that despite its age, his plane is actually kept completely up to date. Makes me wish at least some of that approach would trickle down to automobiles.

First thing I'd do is swap out that T-Mobile Internet connection module/radio. Why can't there just be a jack that allows the car to "sniff" the Internet from my iPhone. I know, follow the money.

In conclusion, congratulations and kudos to those of you getting new Cadillacs and frankly just about anything new that might qualify today as an ELLPS or LPS car. I wonder, too, at the price point, if the new Genesis is yet a candidate for either "class" [of car] -- I've looked at them and they are seriously -- almost Audi A6 -- nice. Yet they're priced like an A4.

Happy New Year.

roadburner

My Club Sport track rat has over 140k on it with no major repairs; ditto for my 148k MS3. My son's X3 has nearly 170k on it with one major repair- but since I haven't had a car payment since 2006 I think I'm still ahead of the game.
Still looking for something RWD under $40k that shows even the slightest promise of being entertaining.
No joy.

graphicguy

Mark....well said. I think all manufacturers, but particularly the American marques, have made such great strides in build, reliability, and longevity that is unparrallelled in any time in the industy's history.

It used to be Honda or Toyota were the brands you bought for reliability. Not so sure you can make a significant case for that any more. Aside from Land Rover and Smart, who iare notoriously troublesome, one should expect a long, durable life from all of today's cars.

Technology in cars is moving at break neck speed. You mentioned having your car become a wifi hot spot. Who would have thought of that even 5 short years ago?

In these classes of cars, in addition to great motors and transmissions, suspensions become much more sophosticated. I know in the CTS, I'm amazed at how smooth the suspension is on the interstate, and at the same time can carve up some backroads with equal sophistication.

With the torque vectoring you find in your S4, and what I had in my TL SH AWD, Cadillac has their own version of it, allowing rotation and curve hugging that borders on the unbelievable.

Even the materials in cars of this class are first rate. While both my Audi and TL had pleasant materials, Cadillac is using real wood, real aluminum, real chrome, real suede, controls work like they are bathed in butter or have a tactile feel that really begins to define what the marketers are striving for.....a high end, high quality look ad feel.

Aside from some of the foibles we have had with our cars (mostly along the lines of dealers and/or manufacturers not listening to our complaints), our cars are at the height of car making right now....again, especially in this class.

stickguy

on the flip side GG, the thought of keeping these modern hi-tech marvels for a long time/lot of miles is scary. My 2000 TL went 175K for me, but that car was a relative ox-cart compared to yours. The only worry I had was the tranny crapping out, and that was still simple even if it would cost around 3K! The rest of the fancy stuff was basic (bun warmers, BOSE radio, normal power options). I changed out the suspension front and rear on sale at Sears for about $600.

qbrozen

roadburner said:

My Club Sport track rat has over 140k on it with no major repairs; ditto for my 148k MS3. My son's X3 has nearly 170k on it with one major repair- but since I haven't had a car payment since 2006 I think I'm still ahead of the game.
Still looking for something RWD under $40k that shows even the slightest promise of being entertaining.
No joy.

Huh. But you were looking at Challengers, right? I'm surprised considering the cars you seem to love are pretty lightweight. You checked out the Toyobaru, right? I would imagine the power is a letdown, though. What else have you tried out? New Stang, perhaps?

graphicguy

stickguy said:

on the flip side GG, the thought of keeping these modern hi-tech marvels for a long time/lot of miles is scary. My 2000 TL went 175K for me, but that car was a relative ox-cart compared to yours. The only worry I had was the tranny crapping out, and that was still simple even if it would cost around 3K! The rest of the fancy stuff was basic (bun warmers, BOSE radio, normal power options). I changed out the suspension front and rear on sale at Sears for about $600.

Stick...all good points. I don't think I worry as much about things going awry because it's rare that I keep a car outside the warranty term. I can't imagine what the cost would be to replace something like iDrive, MMI, CUE, etc. Then again, so much of it is software based, maybe they just download firmware.

As it stands, I can control my iPhone through CUE (Siri eyes) now. Is it a big jump to think that the electronics on our cars will be controlled entirely by our smart devices? I have the Magnetic Ride Control on the CTS. Is it far fetched to theink that Cadillac can change the algorithm to how it respoinds via a software download via your phone? How about changing how your steering responds via download, given that most are electronic steering systems today?

Cadillac could change the entier look of CUE and the way it fhnctions with a download. But, you have to have that starting point in order to do that.

Will that make cars more or less reliable as a result? These are all hypotheticals, but it doesn't take too big of a leap of faith to see where this could go.

roadburner

qbrozen said:

roadburner said:

My Club Sport track rat has over 140k on it with no major repairs; ditto for my 148k MS3. My son's X3 has nearly 170k on it with one major repair- but since I haven't had a car payment since 2006 I think I'm still ahead of the game.
Still looking for something RWD under $40k that shows even the slightest promise of being entertaining.
No joy.

Huh. But you were looking at Challengers, right? I'm surprised considering the cars you seem to love are pretty lightweight. You checked out the Toyobaru, right? I would imagine the power is a letdown, though. What else have you tried out? New Stang, perhaps?

I still like the Challenger R/T and SRT,; big as they are they are pretty quick(well, the SRT is, at least) and just entertaining and involving in a way that most of the other cars I've looked at just aren't.
I want to like the BRZ/FR-S but I just can't. Not appreciably quicker than my Club Sport with no other redeeming qualities.
The Mustang? I looked at an Ecoboost, but really, a ponycar without a V8 is like the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue without Kathy Ireland(that dates me, I realize). As for the V8, yes, it's fast and handles well, but again, it lacks that "Gotta Have It!" vibe I need to keep a sled long term.
The Challenger is big and brash and unashamedly retro in an intriguing way- and with the SRT notching up a 1/4 mile time in the high 12 second range along with decent handling and braking, I could enjoy it for some time. If I'm going to have numb steering I want some other facets of the car to entertain me- and the F30 3ers just don't excite me at all- even my lowly MS3 can show a clean pair of heels to a 335i these days...

sweendogy

Eco boost stang getting good press and looks like its easy to toon.

http://youtu.be/X0Qnov8aCA8

graphicguy

sweendogy said:

Eco boost stang getting good press and looks like its easy to toon.

http://youtu.be/X0Qnov8aCA8

Sweet!

roadburner

You will soon be able to get a tune from Ford Racing that provides a healthy power bump yet preserves the factory warranty. The FRPP tune for the Focus ST boosts midrange torque by 90 lb-ft.

sweendogy

If it's around 2k I would really consider this if I had the Eco stang. Lighter then gt - good fuel Eco and close figures on paper

zandor

If you can get a tune that keeps the warranty I wonder why it wasn't standard in the first place. I bet gas mileage will drop in exchange for that 90 lb-ft. Sell a gimped but still quick car with decent mileage, report decent mileage to the government for CAFE purposes, then sell a cheap ECU flash that un-gimps the engine...

roadburner

My mildly tuned MS3 develops an average of 50 lb-ft of torque over the stock engine from 3000 rpm to 6000 rpm and fuel economy actually improved a bit- when I can resist the urge to stay out of boost...

qbrozen

zandor said:

If you can get a tune that keeps the warranty I wonder why it wasn't standard in the first place. I bet gas mileage will drop in exchange for that 90 lb-ft. Sell a gimped but still quick car with decent mileage, report decent mileage to the government for CAFE purposes, then sell a cheap ECU flash that un-gimps the engine...

So, yes, if you drive the vehicle to its potential (where you are actually utilizing that extra power), you will burn more fuel. So that is one reason. As for the warranty, well, stressing an engine just a little more and lasting through the warranty period isn't so tough. It is the longevity after the warranty expires that engineers can still concern themselves with. A particular car brand wouldn't sell too well if the majority of them self-destruct at 80k miles, for example. So sell the car with an less-stressed engine and that 99% of buyers who never modify it will demonstrate the car's reliability and reinforce a reputation. (that is, of course, for cars with a good reputation)

flightnurse

zandor said:

If you can get a tune that keeps the warranty I wonder why it wasn't standard in the first place. I bet gas mileage will drop in exchange for that 90 lb-ft. Sell a gimped but still quick car with decent mileage, report decent mileage to the government for CAFE purposes, then sell a cheap ECU flash that un-gimps the engine...

My tune on my BMW has not affected my MPG at all, I'm still averaging 30.

markcincinnati

Getting a state of tune that increases torque and power and comes as a factory option is:

1. An additional revenue stream
2. Not standard since it probably impacts the durability of the car in question -- but, due to the probable customer who would pay the additional and want the power bump, probably not that much of an issue since the customer MAY be inclined to not keep the car into triple digit (before the 000) miles.

This factory option, then is probably a win for all, in short.

I look at what APR and others have done for the current S4 and even RS7 Audis -- and I'm tempted. But, then, I also know the risk of running naked, without a warranty -- and I think, nah baby nah.

I at least like the concept and notion that my S4 will be both reliable (not too much of a stretch for any car, these days) AND durable (that's the $64,000 or in my case $57,000 question.) The standard state of tune, I'd wager is more likely to have that characteristic. Further, when I push the S4 in standard tune, it seems to me to be so much more capable than the vast majority of cars, I sometimes simply say -- why bother ("sometimes" I say this.)

qbrozen

Yeah, I have absolutely no intention of tuning my caddy. The only time I would ever see the results would be at the track, so its just not worth it.

graphicguy

Mark:

I had a tune done to my '11 335i coupe. But, it was factory sanctioned and warranted, done by the dealer.It bumped up HP and torque roughly 10%. It changed the sound of the I6 turbo motor, too (for the better). Not sure that last part matters any more, though. Car manufacturers are given to pipe whatever sound they think their engines should make with noise generators through your stereo or with a resonator tapped into the firewall.

Q.....funny, given my car shoice (and the regularity with which I change them), I'm often asked if I trace my cars be neighbors. I don't, at least not any more. It's not that I don't want to. It's that burning up brakes and/or tires every few months, messing with sophosticated suspensions (like the CTS's MRC), etc isn't something I want to do to a $45K, $50K, $60K car....one that I rely on as a daily driver.

If you track your V, I'll come watch, though.

qbrozen

I want to, I plan to, when I can afford it. Unfortunately, I never did take my mustang to the track while I owned it. We took a big vacation last summer instead, so I didn't feel comfortable burning the money on a track trip. Who knows what this year will bring?

roadburner

graphicguy said:

Mark:

I had a tune done to my '11 335i coupe. But, it was factory sanctioned and warranted, done by the dealer.It bumped up HP and torque roughly 10%. It changed the sound of the I6 turbo motor, too (for the better). Not sure that last part matters any more, though. Car manufacturers are given to pipe whatever sound they think their engines should make with noise generators through your stereo or with a resonator tapped into the firewall.

Q.....funny, given my car shoice (and the regularity with which I change them), I'm often asked if I trace my cars be neighbors. I don't, at least not any more. It's not that I don't want to. It's that burning up brakes and/or tires every few months, messing with sophosticated suspensions (like the CTS's MRC), etc isn't something I want to do to a $45K, $50K, $60K car....one that I rely on as a daily driver.

If you track your V, I'll come watch, though.

My modifications to the MS3 have been ridiculously cheap. I spent just $545 for a new Mazdaspeed intake and $230 for a used Hypertech tuner- which pumped up the motor to 310 hp and 324 lb-ft of torque. A stronger/stiffer rear motor mount from the Focus ST was a whopping $59.97.

The suspension work set me back $1780- but that number includes an adjustable rear anti-roll bar with billet mounts, Koni FSDs with new strut mounts, strut bearings, and bump stops, and a set of OEM take-offs for my summer tires(Michelin Pilot Super Sports which I won for being a Street Survival coach).

So, for just $2,345 I have a car that keeps me entertained until I can find a RWD toy that is actually close to fast(0-100 in 10.5 seconds or less, VIR lap time of no more than 3.10 seconds).

thebean

qbrozen said:

I want to, I plan to, when I can afford it. Unfortunately, I never did take my mustang to the track while I owned it. We took a big vacation last summer instead, so I didn't feel comfortable burning the money on a track trip. Who knows what this year will bring?

To me, this vacation sounds like a much better use of money.  More than just you can enjoy a vacation.  So, kudos to you for this.  Unless you have money to burn (which I never have had), track stuff seems pretty selfish to me.  There is not much in life I enjoy more than a good vacation.  YMMV, as always.

mrbean

qbrozen

roadburner said:

a RWD toy that is actually close to fast(0-100 in 10.5 seconds or less, VIR lap time of no more than 3.10 seconds).

10.1 and 3:06.8 with my Vsport.
Imagine if it didn't weight over 3900 lbs. haha.

By the way, its nearly 2 secs faster than my mustang. that's pretty impressive.

roadburner

Thank heavens my wife doesn't begrudge me a few track weekends per year. They relax me more than a vacation- but we take one or two of those as well...

andres3

qbrozen said:

Yeah, I have absolutely no intention of tuning my caddy. The only time I would ever see the results would be at the track, so its just not worth it.

I finally got to track my big heavy S4 and my only complaints don't involve power; there was plenty of that. The problem was weight, high speeds from all that power, and OEM brake pads. I went through 7 or 8 mm of front OEM pad in one weekend, and ruined my front rotors in the process (and blew a rubber gasket on the caliper too). I drove the snot out of the car, and it was fun, but I was left wanting more braking power. Went with the Hawk blue box HPS pads, as I'm told the OEM S4 pads are designed for A4's and their typical drivers, in frozen weather for the NE USA. Not for warm Southern CA tracks. Shame on me for assuming S4's had better brake pads than A4's.

So my brake pads killed my rotors at 15K miles. Lesson learned. Also got better Motul 600 brake fluid.

qbrozen

I did exactly that setup on my 135i and ate through the pads in one 2-day HPDE. The stock pads, in comparison, lasted me 2 such events and still had life left in them.

andres3

If I recall, the 135i weight advantage over the 335i is fairly small right? If I would have skipped the last 2 sessions I wonder if my rotors would have been restorable to specs. The tracks are a long drive from San Diego and I track only 2 weekends (max) per year, so I had to abuse the brakes and rotors and risk loss of brake power which can be scary.

One fun thing is I had a full brake fluid reservoir and was able to pull enough G force on some turns that my "BRAKE" light indicator would come on briefly. Annoying multiple chimes with it though. Eventually I was able to figure out the G forces were making the fluid move enough that it triggered the low fluid sensor. I added a little bit and that solved the problem for most of the weekend.

qbrozen

My challenge, and why I tried different fluids and pads, was that the brake pedal would get really spongy after a couple of fast laps. Took me a couple HPDEs, but I finally figured out what the problem was. The TCS on that car had 3 settings. On; 1 push to turn off the TCS but leave on stability control; and hold it for a few secs to turn everything off. The middle setting was supposed to let you have some fun without letting it get out of hand. Well, after new fluid and pads didn't fix it, I realized that every time I would touch the curbing, it was trying to use the active rear diff (which involves braking one rear tire on that car) to "straighten" me out. I finally decided to give a session a shot with it fully off. It pulled out of the turns better since it wasn't holding me back anymore, and the pedal no longer went soft. Huge difference.

flightnurse

Here is a small article on the new Jag XE, sounds promising, however, it is not making it to our shore's until the Spring of 2016, by then the competition will be better then what it is today. For example, BMW will have a refresh 3 series for 2016 with new engines and improves steering, Lexus will have dumped the lazy 2.5l V6 in the IS250 for the new turbo 4, and MB has already improved the C class. Let's hope that Audi will dump the FWD and CVT in the A4.

graphicguy

FN...just saw that article last night. Jags have never been on my radar, but that one looks interesting. It will be a while before it gets here, but will at least do a test drive.

circlew

Sounds hopeful!

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2017-jaguar-xe-sports-sedan-first-drive-review

flightnurse

graphicguy said:

FN...just saw that article last night. Jags have never been on my radar, but that one looks interesting. It will be a while before it gets here, but will at least do a test drive.

GG as I posted by the time it arrives all the other sport sedan will have fixed their short comings to a point, so Jag better have it's game on...