I spotted a NEW (insert make/model) today!

lemko

Well said!

fushigi

Since I started buying new cars I've not had one for less than 6 years.

People who buy new & trade in every 3 years or so take a financial beating regardless of the options they put on the car. Well, let me amend that. People who trade for a new car before or right after their current car is paid off take a financial beating. Perpetual payments & upside down loans are things to be avoided if at all possible.

My last car was bought with a 2 year loan. After paying it off I drive it for an additional 8.5 years. I can stay with a car that long because I option mine with everything available at the time that I might possibly want. A couple of grand extra in options nets me an added 3-5 years of content ownership; that's a bargain.

By buying the car I want to drive I'll want to drive it longer. Residuals mean little to me and with my ownership model I've already busted the myth of higher resale value justifying a higher purchase price.

ateixeira

I hear you, I'm a "keeper" as well.

91 Escort GT - 7 years, totalled
98 Forester - 9 years, sold
03 Miata - bought used, kept 7 years, sold
07 Sienna - still have it
08 Miata - still have it

I kept my '98 Forester so long it allowed me to buy a 2nd car (!).

But back to what started the discussion, the $25k Cruze....that's a huge investment in a small car.

Let's say your family grows, or your needs change and you need something that can tow, or you feel cramped in it after living with it for a while...those are pretty big risks you're taking.

It's different than spending the same amount (or more, even) on a Chevy Equinox, because the Equinox meets many more needs, and you're far less likely to need a bigger or more capable vehicle.

fintail

Saw a new style A8 today, SWB

fezo

I am mostly a keeper myself. Every time I've let a car go before its time I regretted it later as I did the math in my head.

I officially don't need the room in my 04 Ody but it's almost paid for (bought CPO in 07) and at that point what was a car payment will buy a boatload of gas and the mileage is my biggest complaint on it.

I was in my SIL's van which is identical except for the exterior color. It has 225K on it. Mine has 76K. Neither has any issues. i'm thinking I will hang on to it for a long time.

fintail

Saw a new style Jetta today

Meh...inoffensive is about all I can say from what I saw.

ateixeira

In dark brown. Meh. I prefer the Buick Enclave's brown.

I like Audi's dark blue more.

fintail

Saw a Kia Forte 5-door wagon today...not a bad effort, they are moving along. A couple Elantra wagons too...both vehicles at least pseudo-Euro more than KDM awkward.

tifighter

I like the Elantra Touring a lot. Great value, and the SE looks pretty good. Wagon with heated leather, sunroof, and a manual for $20k...what's not to like?

fintail

It's probably the Hyundai model I'd be most likely to choose, too...it even looks decent enough.

Oh yeah, also saw a pretty loaded looking Cruze today, white.

stever

I like the Elantra Touring a lot. Great value, and the SE looks pretty good. Wagon with heated leather, sunroof, and a manual for $20k...what's not to like?

The red - unless they've toned it down it's way too bright.

Otherwise I just might be driving one. I like red cars - driving one right now, but the Elantra Touring we drove during Cash for Clunkers would put fire engines to shame). T'was too much hassle with C4C to try to dealer swap for one.

anythngbutgm

Been doing alot of driving these past couple of weeks as my wife and I are moving to a new house up north and to make the trips go by quicker, I have been really paying attention to the new and unusual vehicles I see.

Jeeze, I thought there were a lot of Subies in MA... Head up north and I swear every other vehicle is either an Outback of some generation or a Forester (mostly the older boxy ones). My wife and I should fit in fine up here...

Other notable spottings from yesterday afternoon's jaunt, a Panamera, newer Cayenne (Very nice redesign, lost a lot of the frumpiness), A slew of new Grand Cherokees, a few new Jettas, a new Scion tC and a redesigned CLS which I didn't even know existed yet...

On the "unusual scale" I saw none other than a Lamborghini LM001? I don't know the differences between an 001 and 002 but it was really interesting to see one of these beasts on the highway.

Only a couple of trips left but this spotting stuff makes the moving process more enjoyable that's for sure. :shades:

ateixeira

My in-laws live up in Norwalk, CT, and I swear there is a Subaru dealer (or two) on every exit off I-95 in that state. Unreal.

Then again, cold as it is, I'd probably want AWD on all my cars if I lived there. Brrrr.

ateixeira

LOL - watch the video for laughs.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/16/martha-stewart-crafts-bmw-x3-of-her-very-own-- w-video/

Funny how the focus is on the paint color and beige interior.

ateixeira

Usually I don't report on sightings of Honda Pilots, but yesterday I was driving on MacArthur Blvd in NW Washington, DC, and saw the complete undercarriage of a new Honda Pilot.

It had been a while since I'd seen an SUV roll over, likely because of stability control systems that are now standard, so this was a bit shocking.

Those seems to be wider than they are tall, too.

Freaky.

Careful out there on the slush and ice. We only got about an inch, but it was slippery as heck. With zero traction no acronym will save you. VSC, TC, ABS, AWD all still mean SOL.

ateixeira

Funny thing is I've driven one, but this time I saw it from a low perspective, given it absolutely *towers* over my Miata, and it looks....even worse!

BMW would be wise to take all promotional photos from a high vantage point. From a low one, the vehicle looks bloated.

Standing up next to it, it's not nearly as offensive.

texases

"Standing up next to it, it's not nearly as offensive."

Now there's a marketing slogan!

ateixeira

ateixeira

Saw another one of these, and I gotta say, it's one of the quickest selling luxury mini-utes in this area that I've ever seen. They're all over the place.

The styling can't hurt.

qbrozen

Saw a Ferrari 599 in a metallic chocolate color this morn in my office complex. Nice color.

tifighter

Brown Ferraris = major thumbs up

andys120

In quick succession I saw two of the new Honda minivans so I guess they are selling well. The kickup on the side looks a little gimmicky but I guess you have to resort to something like that to make your box look different.

I followed a Kia Soul for a bit and thought it looks like a tiny armored car from that angle.

I also saw the first Ford Fiesta I've seen outside of an auto show. It looked a size bigger than a Mini but it's really not, @ least not inside. Oddly it was black rather than the neon/candy colors they show in ads.

lemko

...dark red Chevrolet Traverse in the CVS parking lot down the street.

ateixeira

Walked by one in a parking lot with my wife - pointed to it and asked what she thought. She hated it. Looked like it was broken in half, she said.

To be honest I'm not sure which van I would buy today. None of them have a good 8th seat, the Sienna was cheapened, the Ody is ugly and you gotta spend over $40 grand to get the 6 speed. The Quest's cargo area falls 10" short of fitting a sheet of plywood.

Kia and Dodge will launch updates soon.

stever

Checked out a Ford C-Max yet?

It looks small, but the size really is about the same as my old SWB '89 Voyager.

tifighter

Spotted today - a Toyota Alphard driving down from Donner Pass west of Tahoe. Driving with chains, and the current model. As I passed, I had to slow down to give it a good look over: left hand drive and standard (not manufacturer) plates.

ateixeira

Saw the neat power tailgate and yes that would make my short list.

The catch is we need SPACE for road trips, so I think that would be too small. I'm taking a few long road trips next year with my brother and his family, so we really need 8 seats and acres of room.

I could always rent for those occasions, though.

ateixeira

Made an illegal pass on me this AM. Not sure why, there was traffic in front of me and it got him nowhere.

ateixeira

Something that will not surprise a lot of us:

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/22/j-d-power-styling-biggest-reason-people-rejec- t-acura/

fintail

And in the case of the TL and ZDX, also the back and sides.

ateixeira

TL doesn't bother me, minus the nose, but the ZDX looks awful from every angle.

fintail

I don't like the TL side profile, and the rear detail is as disjointed as the front to my eyes. From that subtle and almost elegant 04-08 design to this thing...the head honchos there can't justify their salaries.

ZDX is up there with the X6 for level of awfulness, just shouldn't exist.

ateixeira

Actually, I forgot about the boomerang mounted under the trunk of the TL, I don't like that either.

The profile is OK, but the front and rear....

lemko

...red Mini Cooper with a plate that read "ANTISUV." Also spotted a dark gray Audi S5 near the Lehigh Valley exit of the NE Extension of the PA Turnpike.

fintail

Yeah the middle of the trunk is really weird. I have to wonder strongly how the design language on that thing, and the ZDX, is supposed to be interpreted. Maybe we'd get a haughty pseudointellectual dismissal of criticism like Bangle gave to his designs. The whole package is like edgy for the sake of edgy, but not an edgy driving experience nor owner demographic - so it doesn't add up.

ateixeira

A female designed the ZDX, I saw a video about it. Her design won some competition.

The judges must have been blind. :shades:

Edit: Michelle Christensen did the exterior:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QtCAqkSb5s

FF to 1:15.

fintail

I just lost a little more respect for modern design schools...and that was hard to do

fintail

Saw a Boxster Spyder at the dealership - likely awaiting delivery to another sycophant exec who will barely drive it...in 5 or 10 years it might trickle its way down to being used.

Have also seen a couple new style Cayenne lately...not as much of an eyesore as the old one, but still a bus for trophy wives.

lemko

said exec will probably give it to his trophy wife, his goomah, or his spoiled brat princess daughter.

fintail

I saw a young woman in an older Boxster once - kept it in 2nd the whole time, pretty scary. Stick scares off most of them, thankfully. I think they are traditional manuals, so that will limit the drivers.

tifighter

A neighbor down the street has a new Volt parked in front of the house. First one I've seen not at a car show. Dark grey color.

fintail

Newbies today - Fiesta, A8, 5er, highline Corvette with window on the hood

ateixeira

That's the ZR1, right?

kyfdx

Yup... a friend of mine has one... nice ride! lol

kyfdx

...they weren't open, but had the new X3 sitting out front.... Both versions.. turbo and non-turbo..

Base, non-turbo 3.0 litre 6-cyl. is rated at 19 city, 25 hwy...

Turbo 3.0 litre 6-cyl. is rated at 19 city, 26 hwy..

Both automatic... hmmmmm...

-----------------------------------------------

Also, had 3 MINI Countryman models... All S-AWD models... two auto, one stick.. but, no window stickers...

qbrozen

Oh, you know how it is. "If you have to ask the price..."
And I say that only partially joking. That vehicle is way too damned expensive, IMHO. Even though I think the Juke is partially overpriced, it is still a far better buy than the Countryman.

On the X3... I like the style of the new one, and the performance numbers... but they made it smaller than the outgoing model. Unfortunately, that puts is out for us. When wife drove the outgoing model, she said size was just borderline. Probably too small, but might live with it if she really loved driving it. She didn't. So she'd probably like driving the new one more, but now that its smaller ... oh well.

texases

The specs I've seen have the new X3 slightly larger than the last model. Maybe you're thinking of the new X1?

qbrozen

hmmm... odd. maybe I was thinking of something else.

ateixeira

Got behind one of these this AM. Still think it's one of the more stylish of the luxury cute-utes.

kyfdx

Yeah.. the new X3 is actually larger than the outgoing model, though it only looks like it in width...

They say it is close to the size of the old X5..

It's a nice package... If you loaded up the turbo model (300 HP), it would be about $50K (without NAV). About $5K less for the NA model (240 HP). If you don't mind your luxury cars sans luxury, then you could easily knock $5K off those numbers and still have the same vehicle..

My wife's lease is up at the end of October, so I'm actively looking for a new car... lol..

I really like the Countryman, but my wife says, "Ewww... it still looks like a MINI". :surprise: