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

texases

I may just drop by the Acura dealer, about 2 miles from my home...

lemko

Been away a long time. I bought a new car for my wife almost two years ago. Here is her then-new 2016 Buick LaCrosse.

lemko

Here's my wife with her then-new 2016 LaCrosse and her 2005 LaCrosse:

kyfdx

@lemko Where have you been?!

benjaminh

@lemko Welcome back! How do you like the LaCrosse?

stickguy

welcome back. That picture really shows how car styling evolved over the last decade, from low with visibility to tall and blocky.

the car, not your wife!

berri

I hadn't really noticed how the Lacrosse look got taller until I saw those two side by side. I don't think anyone makes a nicer boulevard cruiser better than Buick. Quiet, smooth and comfortable...and the wife looks nice too

berri

In the latter 00's I rented a Lacrosse pretty much like your wife's previous (blue) model and drove a big chunk of Route 66. I thought the car fit the cruise, and I enjoyed the drive and the car on that trip.

stickguy

walking the dog today passed a newer Regal parked on the side of the road. I actually liked it quite a bit. I could probably be enticed by one with the 2.0T and right colors/options (if it was cheap enough!)

ab348

stickguy said:

walking the dog today passed a newer Regal parked on the side of the road. I actually liked it quite a bit. I could probably be enticed by one with the 2.0T and right colors/options (if it was cheap enough!)

There was one at the dealer a couple of weeks ago and it really did nothing for me, was actually quite disappointing. Styling seemed off and the interior was disappointing. Had zero interest in it. That's something coming from a GM loyalist like me.

fintail

Welcome back lemko, nice to see you and the new car. Is she going to keep it for 11 years like the old one?

kyfdx

stickguy said:

walking the dog today passed a newer Regal parked on the side of the road. I actually liked it quite a bit. I could probably be enticed by one with the 2.0T and right colors/options (if it was cheap enough!)

Lease programs are no good..

stickguy

they still make them? I thought they had been discontinued. I was thinking used.

so, what are the hot leases these days? Asking for a friend of course...

ab348

stickguy said:

they still make them? I thought they had been discontinued. I was thinking used.

It's a brand-new design for 2018, available in a large hatchback or a wagon in the USA. Canada only gets the hatchback sedan, called a "Sportback". The 2018 is bigger than the previous model with worse styling and a cheapened-up interior if you do not go for the top-line trims. The one I saw had remarkably ugly cloth-and-vinyl seats. From all reports they drive well but so did the previous model like the one I had, which looked far better IMO. They have virtually no presence in the market here. The one I saw was a special order that the dealer brought in for someone, but they do not carry any inventory of them locally.

stickguy

thanks. I saw the prior model. I don't remember what the new one looks like.

fintail

Yeah, yet another attempt by GM to market a car which is a boring mainstream run of the mill full size entrant in the Euro market as some kind of premium product. Are some variants still made in Germany? Those won't be helped by 45's moronic trade war babble.

Saw 2 new Leafs on the road - now marginally less awkward! At Costco the display car was a Q60.

ab348

All of them are made in Germany now, under contract to PSA in the Opel Russelsheim plant.

fintail

Saw 2x Model 3 now, just about to blend into the background like the S and X.

Also saw 2 late model Ferraris, nowadays I assume exotic rentals or sketchy offshore money (as vetting is only for po folk).

And 2 new style Jeeps, seems to be a few on the road already.

Topped it off with a Google street view car - this one was a 5 door Elantra, maybe the Bluetec and I will be saved for posterity on a street view scene.

tjc78

lemko said:

Here's my wife with her then-new 2016 LaCrosse and her 2005 LaCrosse:

I loved my 2012 LaCrosse.  Heck even my wife talks about how much she liked it.  

andres3

tjc78 said:

lemko said:

Here's my wife with her then-new 2016 LaCrosse and her 2005 LaCrosse:

I loved my 2012 LaCrosse.  Heck even my wife talks about how much she liked it.  

The car on the left is definitely more "Lexus" like than the one on the right. I think that's a good thing for the intended market and audience.

stickguy

stopped at the Audi dealer today. Had a gorgeous A5 sportback, on the showroom floor. Midnight blue over rock gray, all loaded up. Sticker of almost $55K! and that was a 2.0t. But, super nice looking in and out.

andres3

stickguy said:

stopped at the Audi dealer today. Had a gorgeous A5 sportback, on the showroom floor. Midnight blue over rock gray, all loaded up. Sticker of almost $55K! and that was a 2.0t. But, super nice looking in and out.

Must be those Trump German car tariffs!

Actually, Audi is getting too popular, they are starting to price like BMW and MB.

explorerx4

Last year I was looking in a multi brand lot. Saw an A4 I liked, 52k.

ab348

I have 2 problems with Audi, or at least my perception of Audi. First, their dealer locally has cultivated a rather elitist and unapproachable image, acting like their vehicles are made with 24K gold. Secondly, i have a hard time with the perception I have of many of their models being FWD VW-based, and the price premium they try to charge for such a vehicle. But maybe I'm just old and cranky.

fintail

Saw 4x Model 3 today, 3 of them white.

Also saw 4x new CRV, which for some reason seemed even more dull than usual, maybe because of the annoying flashing CHMSL and the driving manners of the club, which is a combination of a two handed uptight grip on the wheel combined with dopey lane changes.

Best sighting was a new KTM Duke 1290 in the workplace garage, one of my favorite modern bikes.

texases

Followed a new Accord, first time. Not a great view:

Mr_Shiftright

I kinda like the guppy-mouth tailpipes though.

stickguy

Looks similar to the new S90 Volvo to me.

texases

The taillights are too busy, with that hanging body colored section on the trunk lid. Similar to the Civic, which is also busy.

More overdone than either the Civic or S90 to me:

fintail

Only one Model 3 today, and a new style Expedition, rental.

Mr_Shiftright

One day, one of us will spot one of these. Can you predict the zip code? I'm gonna guess L.A.

thebean

Saw a new Jag F-Type R Convertible today in my suburb of Dallas. Kind of a dark burnt orange color. Thought at first it was an SVR, but when I caught up with it, I saw the emblem on the rear was R only. Still, pretty odd for our little town.

Mr_Shiftright

Those have a great exhaust note, don't they? I think so.

thebean

Yes it did. Even with my windows up and AC going, I could hear it. Then, when the guy stepped on it to change lanes, it sounded fantastic. I had no idea they sounded that good.

texases

One near my house, it's surprisingly loud. Also burnt orange, seems like a popular color.

explorerx4

I've only seen an F Type at the airport in the luggage pickup carousel area.
It seemed pretty quiet.
Great looking car.

berri

Did they build that blue Rolls out of Lego's Shifty

Mr_Shiftright

Adobe bricks, I think.

fintail

When I had the F-Type S rental car in Germany, I would be sure to have the exhaust on "loud" mode when in the city

fintail

90210?

I bet I could see one just as soon if I hang out in Vancouver, the regional home of dirty money. I wouldn't discount the idea of it showing up around here either.

Mr_Shiftright said:

One day, one of us will spot one of these. Can you predict the zip code? I'm gonna guess L.A.

fintail

4 or 5 Model 3 today, zzz.

berri

I've seen several of those Tesla Model 3's. They don't seem well proportioned to me, kind of chopped off looking. It was rather curious how Consumer reports dumped on it initially and then quickly reversed???

sda

What an angry rear end of the new Avalon!

stickguy

well, at least it is a consistent theme with the front end.

fintail

1958 rises again.

Mr_Shiftright

I call it "The Birthday Cake" School of Design.

berri

The Avalon hasn't been a big seller, but I wonder if overwrought design on the Camry would sell as well if it didn't have the Toyota reliability reputation? Looks seem to be hurting the latest Accord a bit.

texases

berri said:

I've seen several of those Tesla Model 3's. They don't seem well proportioned to me, kind of chopped off looking. It was rather curious how Consumer reports dumped on it initially and then quickly reversed???

It was all about the brakes. They went away after  an emergency stop or two, then Tesla fixed some programming, the braking improved. Then CR gave their recommendation. 

explorerx4

Now those Model 3's are going to need brakes every 10k.

fintail

If it was so easy, why didn't they program it properly to begin with? Weird.