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

Sandman6472

Lexus NX, not quite sure what it is...is it similar to the 200CTh or is it taking it's place? Looks a bit edgy for a Lexus but after awhile, think it would grow on ya. Just a bit awkward looking up front. Also saw a few new Camry's and meh, it's like it's an overcooked Corolla if you will, just nothing exciting about it really. Very bland looking with no pizazz to it to be honest. If it drives like the 2014 model, it'll ba nice driver but the looks, very homely and plain boring. It's like they only went 3/4 of the way with the styling and they really need to go that extra 25% to get it right. Just nothing memorable about the looks, which is a shame because underneath, I'm sure it's a great vehicle.
This is a great time to buy or lease a vehicle, there is so much great stuff in the market place with new changes happening constantly. But as I found out this last year, one should buy or lease what makes them happy, don't settle for a vehicle because like me, you will not love it and you won't be happy. In my case, I finally found something I really wanted to own for a long time and though I lost a bit in depreciation by trading so soon, it was the right thing to do for me and luckily, I was able to do it. I made a slight detour but finally got to where I needed to be!

The Sandman

Michaell

sandman_6472 said:

Lexus NX, not quite sure what it is...is it similar to the 200CTh or is it taking it's place? Looks a bit edgy for a Lexus but after awhile, think it would grow on ya. Just a bit awkward looking up front. Also saw a few new Camry's and meh, it's like it's an overcooked Corolla if you will, just nothing exciting about it really. Very bland looking with no pizazz to it to be honest. If it drives like the 2014 model, it'll ba nice driver but the looks, very homely and plain boring. It's like they only went 3/4 of the way with the styling and they really need to go that extra 25% to get it right. Just nothing memorable about the looks, which is a shame because underneath, I'm sure it's a great vehicle.
This is a great time to buy or lease a vehicle, there is so much great stuff in the market place with new changes happening constantly. But as I found out this last year, one should buy or lease what makes them happy, don't settle for a vehicle because like me, you will not love it and you won't be happy. In my case, I finally found something I really wanted to own for a long time and though I lost a bit in depreciation by trading so soon, it was the right thing to do for me and luckily, I was able to do it. I made a slight detour but finally got to where I needed to be!

The Sandman

@sandman_6472‌ - the NX is the new small CUV from Lexus -- will compete with the Q3 from Audi, GLA from MB, among others.

Basically a tarted up RAV4.

ab348

@sandman_6472 - I saw a new A3 on the highway today, in a nice metallic gray color. Very sharp-looking car!

Mr_Shiftright

The BMW i3 is a technologically interesting car, no doubt about it. I'm sure Tesla is tearing one to pieces as we speak. BMW has approached the range issue through weight saving and aero design. It's at least a 1/4 ton lighter than a LEAF and consequently considerably faster. I think this car is a world-beater but I'll tamp that down until I get to drive one.

PF_Flyer said:

Came up behind a BMW i3 today.Was pretty clean, so I assume it was pretty new for the owner. First one I've seen in our area. Not quite sure what to think about it just yet

fintail

I noticed the i3 appears to have motorcycle tires - they are really narrow. Looks worst from the rear. The badge and i8 halo effect will help it as much as any actual capability.

kyfdx

Keep the weight down, and you don't need fat tires.. Especially on an electric vehicle... skinny, low-rolling resistance is what you want..

The whole monster tire thing is the worst thing that ever happened to cars (though, it looks great, even to me...lol)

fintail

I guess that makes sense, it is also probably pretty light, being made from recycled plywood and all, so you don't need much of a contact patch.

Saw a Chevy Orlando today, I think a Canuckistan market car.

Sandman6472

A few weeks after we got our white A3, they got in silver and dark gray models but to be honest, we're super happy with the white over black since we've both had silver vehicles for years, me going back to 1988. I went with a light blue Golf this time just to break the cycle for me also, light blue over beige. Have always had a black or gray interior so just hope I get used to the lighter color...so far, I've kept it pretty clean but I am alone in it like 90% of the time. That'll change eventually but for now, trying to keep it very clean.

The Sandman

berri

I'm not sure why you'd want a dark interior in Florida? I think you'll find that beige interior cooler in summer, and actually easier to keep looking good than black. The latter tends to show every piece of dust or hair in the car. Now if you are a slob in your car, then grey is the color of choice

fintail

Saw a new Murano today, now with more styling.

Sandman6472

My last vehicle was black and I didn't really like it much, the gray ones I used to have were much nicer. So far, loving the beige and since I'm usually the only one in it, it's staying pretty clean and I do love the blue over beige combo, doubt I'd really want a blue over black vehicle. And am quite happy I finally broke the silver vehicle rut we'd been in though I do like the gray and charcoal on the Golf's I've seen. But for me, the blue got me on first glance and have not looked back!

The Sandman

fintail

Saw about 12 new Mustangs at the dealer, a questionably driven Macan, and I think a RC-F.

fintail

Recent loaner sightings - C300 base base base model with no sunroof, Toyota 4 door pickup, highly equipped Corolla S.

lemko

Spotted a black Cadillac CTS at Martins Mill road and Bingham in NE Philly.

boomchek

Saw the new Murano when my 5 year old son dragged me to a few dealerships. Nice looking car, and way more different than the previous 2 generations.

Popped into a Honda dealer too. Saw the current Pilot with a tag hanging off the mirror: Lease for $180 weekly, $0 down. Cars have become so pricey that "weekly payment" ads are starting to become common. That's a whopping $780/month for a Honda suv lease.

explorerx4

It's dark out when I go to work and there was a car behind me that had some crazy lighting on it. I kind of thought it was a Cadillac, and when it turned into a lot, I saw it was a CTS-V coupe.

fintail

I've seen the weekly/biweekly thing in Canadaland for a little while. I don't see anything like that here, just 84-96 month terms. Rising prices and stagnant wages make fun.

boomchek

Maybe there are advertising laws down south that don't allow that. Up here everyone is doing it to make it seem "affordable".

kyfdx

boomchek said:

Maybe there are advertising laws down south that don't allow that. Up here everyone is doing it to make it seem "affordable".

Just like carpet used to be quoted by the square yard, and now it's by the square foot...

fintail

Saw a Lexus NX today - it's what happens when a 61 Plymouth crashes into a Nike store.

To borrow a thought, 20 years ago, nobody would have believed that Lexus would have the busiest over-wrought heavy-handed styling, some Cadillacs would be good to drive, Hyundai/Kia would make competent mainstream cars with a huge product range, and that BMW would be emulating MB.

berri

Good Lexus analogy

boomchek

fintail said:

Saw a Lexus NX today - it's what happens when a 61 Plymouth crashes into a Nike store.

To borrow a thought, 20 years ago, nobody would have believed that Lexus would have the busiest over-wrought heavy-handed styling, some Cadillacs would be good to drive, Hyundai/Kia would make competent mainstream cars with a huge product range, and that BMW would be emulating MB.

Agreed.

robr2

I saw 4 Lincoln MKZ's today. I was very surprised.

ab348

Were you visiting a Lincoln dealer?

berri

I saw a bunch of them several months ago while I was in the Milwaukee and Chicago areas. I'm guessing they are in the rental fleets. Also saw quite a few of the new versions Chrysler 200's and suspect the same.

fintail

Went car looking with a friend today, so I saw all the new Infinitis and Fords/Lincolns. Also another NX on the road.

imidazol97

@Robt2
I saw 4 Lincoln MKZ's today. I was very surprised.

@ab348 Were you visiting a Lincoln dealer?

Next question is whether there's a Ford plant somewhere in the area or Ford supplier
and a lot of people have a discount to buy Ford.

In an upscale suburb at west edge of Wayne County Michigan (Detroit), I noticed a lot of
Lincolns. It has to be the fact that many worked at Ford or their relatives did and they
have a discount, so although there were many varieties of Ford in the driveways, there
were lots of Lincolns especially compared to my area here in western Ohio.

fintail

I see non-rental MKZs now and then too, and I am in an import-centric area. It's a fairly striking car. A friend of mine has a thing for them and he might end up in one - he's under 40, too.

robr2

imidazol97 said:

@Robt2
I saw 4 Lincoln MKZ's today. I was very surprised.

@ab348 Were you visiting a Lincoln dealer?

Next question is whether there's a Ford plant somewhere in the area or Ford supplier
and a lot of people have a discount to buy Ford.

In an upscale suburb at west edge of Wayne County Michigan (Detroit), I noticed a lot of
Lincolns. It has to be the fact that many worked at Ford or their relatives did and they
have a discount, so although there were many varieties of Ford in the driveways, there
were lots of Lincolns especially compared to my area here in western Ohio.

No I wasn't at a dealer and there isn't an auto plant within 1000 miles of here.

As fin noted, it's a striking car so perhaps people are finally buying them. Boston is an import centric area as well so any of the US brands are typically outnumbered.

explorerx4

Saw a Colorado today. Looks like a bigger mid size from the front, full size from the side.

fintail

And another NX today, ugh. Like the X6, QX80, new G-wagen, etc, sometimes an inverse relationship between money and taste or sense of design.

berri

I see non-rental MKZs now and then too, and I am in an import-centric area. It's a fairly striking car

I agree. I think what is holding it back is that most consumers just assume it's a Fusion in a Lincoln wrapper. That's Ford's fault over the years. I've not driven one, so I don't really know.

jpp75

berri said:

I see non-rental MKZs now and then too, and I am in an import-centric area. It's a fairly striking car

I agree. I think what is holding it back is that most consumers just assume it's a Fusion in a Lincoln wrapper. That's Ford's fault over the years. I've not driven one, so I don't really know.

I don't love the styling but it is a lot of vehicle for the money. I sat in the MKC at the auto show in November, I liked the styling overall but one thing that irked me was some of the switch gear (wiper stalk, headlight knob, etc.) was exactly the same as the Fusion/Escape, etc. I realize there's a lot of parts sharing across companies but it can't cost that much more to upgrade a few small switches.

Michaell

jpp5862 said:

berri said:

I see non-rental MKZs now and then too, and I am in an import-centric area. It's a fairly striking car

I agree. I think what is holding it back is that most consumers just assume it's a Fusion in a Lincoln wrapper. That's Ford's fault over the years. I've not driven one, so I don't really know.

I don't love the styling but it is a lot of vehicle for the money. I sat in the MKC at the auto show in November, I liked the styling overall but one thing that irked me was some of the switch gear (wiper stalk, headlight knob, etc.) was exactly the same as the Fusion/Escape, etc. I realize there's a lot of parts sharing across companies but it can't cost that much more to upgrade a few small switches.

Actually, it does, especially if you're only going to make a fraction of the number of these "new, special" switches. Every part in a car has a piece cost; overshoot the budget on just a few of them and your end sticker price goes up as a result.

I suggest you read the book "Car" by Mary Walton. An inside look at the development of the 1996 Taurus and Sable. Interesting read, especially the parts where they try to differentiate the two models.

stever

When I tossed the middle row seat in my Nissan Quest, I saved the arm rests and gave them to a buddy for "spares".

He drove an F-150. Perfect fit and the color matched his vinyl floors nicely.

(Nissan and Ford jointly built the Quest and there were a lot of Ford bits in the interior, including switch gear).

fintail

Saw a new Murano today. Definitely links to the new Maxima with its smooth harmonious styling.

jpp75

Michaell said:

jpp5862 said:

berri said:

I see non-rental MKZs now and then too, and I am in an import-centric area. It's a fairly striking car

I agree. I think what is holding it back is that most consumers just assume it's a Fusion in a Lincoln wrapper. That's Ford's fault over the years. I've not driven one, so I don't really know.

I don't love the styling but it is a lot of vehicle for the money. I sat in the MKC at the auto show in November, I liked the styling overall but one thing that irked me was some of the switch gear (wiper stalk, headlight knob, etc.) was exactly the same as the Fusion/Escape, etc. I realize there's a lot of parts sharing across companies but it can't cost that much more to upgrade a few small switches.

Actually, it does, especially if you're only going to make a fraction of the number of these "new, special" switches. Every part in a car has a piece cost; overshoot the budget on just a few of them and your end sticker price goes up as a result.

I suggest you read the book "Car" by Mary Walton. An inside look at the development of the 1996 Taurus and Sable. Interesting read, especially the parts where they try to differentiate the two models.

That book has been on my list for a while, I'm about to head overseas and may download it for the trip.

I understand that costs add up, I should have added that I never thought the switch gear in the Fusion/Escape was the greatest so it seemed even more underwhelming in the Lincoln. So it's probably more fair to say they all seemed cheap, and that stands out even more in the higher priced Lincoln. As a comparison, I didn't notice it but I'd bet the same switches in the Accord/TLX, Jetta/A4, etc. etc.were the same, but I didn't notice because they both seemed higher quality.

explorerx4

Saw my first new F-150 in the wild. Black 4x4 Super Crew. Also my first Porsche Macan. Silver S model I think. Had large exhaust tips. Silver with black accents looked pretty good. A new Genesis, which looks completely ubiquitous.

robr2

Today I saw an MB GLA in a bright blue color. It stood out against the gray and white of yet more snow....

explorerx4

I did see a GLA a while back, although I think the Macan is much better looking, now that I have seen one. Probably couldn't see either over the snow banks.in front of the house.

boomchek

A couple of months ago I got an invite to an AMG performance test drive event. I went to a local air strip where the entire AMG lineup was there to drive through the cones. They had a GLA which I didn't try, but my friend did, and said it felt cheap and not something he'd consider buying (he has a 2014 X5, and had a 2014 GL diesel before that).

I did try the new S Class, S Class AMG coupe, SLS, E63 wagon, and the new SL. The S Class coupe and the E63 were by far my favorites as they handled well for such heavy cars. But I think Mercedes will do well with their smaller cheaper entries as people love the MB badge and the low entry price.

ab348

Last week at the Home Depot parking lot I parked opposite a M-B C63 AMG, probably a 2012 or '13 model. I can only imagine what a rocket ship that thing would be. A few years ago I drove what I think was an '06 or '07 model at a used car lot here and it was great fun. This latest encounter was a couple of days after one of our snowstorms and though roads were plowed, there was still a lot of snow and ice around. Must have been a handful.

fintail

The new S coupe is a pretty fantastic machine. I think I've only seen one or two on the road. Sedan is a common sight now. All of the tuned models will probably eventually be AWD, too.

Saw a Korean Audi today, I mean, new style Genesis.

boomchek

I always loved the big MB coupes although after 10 years they tend to age quickly. I always wanted a W215 (99-06) but after driving many of them (CL500, CL600, and CL55) at my previous dealership as we were one of a few dealers that stocked them, they seem fragile to me and outdated on the inside (especially the ancient Nav unit). Add to that steep maintenance costs and it makes ownership a bit less attractive.

stever

fintail said:

Saw a Korean Audi today, I mean, new style Genesis.

High praise.

fintail

Probably will age better than an Audi esp after 10 years old. I wonder if Schreyer is behind it.

Speaking of MB coupes, yes the C215 hasn't aged well, and COMAND in pre-03 cars is really antique. I'd rather have a C140 or C216/

fintail

Came down to my car this morning, parked beside me was a brand new unplated Lexus NX. Good way to start the day. At least it was a dark color, so the 40 feet of styling in a 16 foot car was less apparent.

fintail

I got the story on the NX last night. The cat that used to park there was a white 10 year old Camry. It got stolen! So the owner replaced it with the NX. Quite a step up. It looks like a full load model too. So much styling.

boomchek

I think many Toyota people are conservative with their money, they buy them because of generally low upkeep costs, and save their cash. Once in a while they'll spoil themselves.

explorerx4

Anew Expedition, hard to tell from previous model. Grille is about the only clue. Also, a new F-150 King Ranch. No doubt about it due to the garish tailgate trim.