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

ateixeira

I was walking on Pennsylvania Ave and his whole fleet drove by.

Let's see, I saw 2 Suburbans, 2 Durangos, 2 DTS Caddies, and about a dozen motorcycle cops.

First time I've seen them using Durangos, so that's new.

texases

In Dallas :confuse:

fintail

I saw several of those in Vegas too. I think I read they cost something like 60K new.

texases

The odder thing - it was for hire as a taxi, under one of the local chains! Expensive publicity stunt, I guess.

stever

You can find a similar one at a trendy boutique hotel in Santa Monica used as an airport shuttle. (link).

kyfdx

I thought that looked familiar...

magnette

I saw a Hummer H2 today - totally blinged out, of course - which is not an everyday event here, even in Essex, where I was - and if it costs you 35 dollars to fill up a Mazda 3, it costs me 37 pounds, every time I fill up my Vauxhall Corsa ( a 1.2 litre diesel).

magnette

Re the London Taxi, I read that the manufacturers are actually planning to push it in some parts of the States, as it is comparatively fuel efficient - although they are also planning to move some (ie probably all) production to China in the next few years...
That shape has actually been with us for a few years now, although the more familiar FX4 was here from 1959 to about 2002, in one form or another so taxi designs don't change much. Some bloke in our street has one, and he always seems to be heading off for his first fare at about six in the morning, so I don't really need an alarm clock if he parks outside our house...

british_rover

For some reason I thought engines in those Taxis were really, really dirty. Is that something they fixed after 2002?

andys120

For some reason I thought engines in those Taxis were really, really dirty. Is that something they fixed after 2002?

You haven't seen dirty til you've been in a New York Cab that's been on the street for a few months. Perhaps what you heard about is the sooty, smelly diesel exhausts the London Cabs used to emit. I assume that's a thing of the past w modern diesel tech.

british_rover

Thats what I meant by dirty as in exhaust emissions not dirty like cosmetically.

texases

I ended up behind a new black 911 GT2 at a light today. What are they, $200,000? Well, the light turns green, and...he stalls Hate when that happens!

ateixeira

Saw 2 Smarts this weekend, so finally they're starting to show up more.

Also saw a new Accord this morning.

Plus a Highlander.

Plus an X5. Looks like the old one from behind.

Also saw a base Grand Caravan, probably a fleet car. They really strip those down.

guss

my first Smart on the road ,skinny and goofy was the first thing I thought.

kylechoffman

San Diego and Newport respectively, last weekend

lemko

I saw my first Smart yesterday travelling west on Market St. near City Hall in Philly.

fintail

I saw two new Matrix today

And a funny one... It was a new style Porsche Targa, I am not sure of the model exactly. I was driving by the local Porsche dealer, and a guy was getting into it while an employee was watching. The guy started it up with the door open, talking to the employee. The car came to life and started smoking like it was on fire, a huge amount of blue smoke was billowing out. It reminded me of my old car when a piston ring broke.

andys120

Isn't that "Matrices"?

kyfdx

Dang! Beat me to it..

lemko

...black BMW 650i coupe.

giancarlo51

New cars in and around the Seattle 206 area:

BMW M6: gorgeous

2008 Honda Accord V6 coupe: drop dead gorgeous, the 18 inch wheels look really dowdy and cheap and even small in the photos, but in person they got presence and they are hot.

A few Bentley Continentals gorgeous again

ateixeira

An Accord gorgeous?

You're too easily impressed.

kyfdx

Very nice... much better than the pictures..

stickguy

A new silver 128. Followed by (I believe they were together) an M3 coupe, still with the temp tag on it.

Seeing them back to back, the bigger car was much better proportioned. The 1 series looked too chunky.

Of course, if they had just brought over the 5 door, I would have put a deposit down on it already!

Oh, I sat in a new TSX at the dealer the other day. LOoked OK. DOn't like the grill, but the rest of the car is fine. Interior was comfy, but the center stack was a bit busy.

ateixeira

I saw one this morning also.

They had one at the mall, and I sat inside. It's nice, a step above your standard economy sedan, but not quite luxurious, either. I liked the seats. Didn't drive it, of course, the mall has too many pedestrians.

I see a Rogue about every 5 minutes.

Also saw a new Forester. We have ours on order, but these are starting to pop up a lot also. Sales were up 66% last month, no wonder I had to special order one.

texases

Juice-
Sorry to go off topic, but I'm thinking about a '05 Forester for our son - anything to look out for?

lemko

...light green metally Honda Civic hybrid. They have special wheels not seen on other Civics. I think they're quite attractive.

british_rover

I think the wheels are supposed to reduce air resistance but not sure how much truth there is to that.

bumpy

The full wheel covers do help reduce the drag coefficient; not much by itself but every little bit helps. The wheels are the easiest way to spot the Civic hybrids.

guss

I thought the wheels on the hybrid Civic gave it a goofy spaceship look.

lemko

...that Civic Hybrid would look pretty cool with some of those Bonneville Salt Flats wheels on it.

stever

This one must have been from Penske - had temporary tags on it and looked brand new. The other one I've seen in Boise was likely an import from Canada or Zap.

bumpy

The new ones have two tailights on each side while the older ones have three. There are other differences (door handles, headlight shape, etc.), but that is the easiest way to distinguish them.

lemko

I spotted what appeared to be a current generation BMW 7-Series, but the lettering on the back in BMW-esque text read "ALPINA B4." Can anybody explain what an Alpina B4 is?

fintail

Could it have been a "B7"?

I remember when I was a kid someone a few blocks away had (what I guess was a)a grey market E28 5-series Alpina. It had some odd cladding and a strange paint job. I knew it was something really odd even then...I've never seen another like it.

kyfdx

Yup.. sounds like a B7..

Alpina is a BMW tuner in Germany... These are factory approved models... I think they have a supercharged V-8.. About the same price as the V-12 models...

lemko

Yeah, it was B7. I just never seen one before.

british_rover

They are pretty rare and I think just started being officially brought into the US a year or two ago.

fintail

Saw my first new face SL



I saw it driving last night too...still no C63 sitting around.

lemko

...sort of an orangish metallic GMC Acadia this morning. I guess if you don't mind paying for gas, you can get quite a deal on an SUV these days. I was at the Ford show in Carlisle and sat in a Ford F350 Superduty. Cool truck, but I'd need to own a refinery to run it.

ateixeira

Good year. Go for it.

Foresters had head gasket issues until around 2001-2002 or so, and wheel bearings were weak until they went to the sealed type for MY2003.

The 05 should be OK, but just in case...check the bottom of the block for oil stains, both the head and valve cover gaskets (4 total). Check the front and rear main seal as well, basically the seals at the front and rear of the engine.

Drive in a figure 8 with the windows open and the radio off. Odd noises would reveal any issues with the bearings, axles, AWD, differentials, etc.

If it's smooth, quiet, and leak-free, go for it. They're great cars. I had a 98, we're buying a new 2009 today, coincidentally, and my sister has a 2003. Dad has an 01 Outback and my bro has an 04 Legacy.

The funny thing is I drive a Miata and a Sienna. The Forester is my wife's car!

texases

"orangish metallic GMC Acadia this morning. I guess if you don't mind paying for gas, you can get quite a deal on an SUV these days"

Yeah, GM thought they were going to hit a home run with the Acadia/etc, only to have $4/gallon make 16-17 mpg look 'bad' compared to cars, instead of 'great' great compared to full-size SUVs.

texases

Thanks! I've printed out your post, and will take it when we go looking. Obviousely, your family's had good experiences with Subies.

ateixeira

You're welcome. Good luck.

british_rover

I concur with all of that. My 2001 Forester Demo has almost 150,000 miles on it now with minimal problems according to my own experience and its past service history. I think I have a wheel bearing going as I am getting a little whining noise right now.

guss

on the way home from work. I was stunned, it is very similar to a BMW 5 series in size and shape.

ateixeira

Saw another one of these little buggers. Bright Obnoxious Yellow color.

ateixeira

Saw a beautiful Newport Blue Pearl Subaru Forester 2.5i Limited, PZEV model.

Then took it home. :shades:

bumpy

Supposedly yellow is a fairly rare color choice for them, and may not be available on the '09s.

fintail

Two newbies today, a TSX and a Forester. I don't like the new TSX, pointless edges and the dumb shield grille. The old one was much more homogenous and even almost elegant. Forester is typical inoffensive Subaru, should sell well to the loyal.