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And then there's D) all of the above.
Unless I left the dang thing in 2nd or 3rd gear I was NOT feeling EVER I was in the right gear. Now, you long time posters and readers know that I have had dozens of stick shift cars -- the manu-matic isn't even close.
I do not fault your want for a car that reduces the things you have to do to drive it. Frankly I can even understand this want/need.
I just want to be able to have a car with the lux and power and AWD performance of an A6 that comes with the OPTION of a stick shift. I do not want to impose my personal lunatic fringe desires on you.
But PLEEEEESE don't tell me the manu-matic is even close to a stick shift. My 6 speed tipronic is the best automatic I have ever had. This is like telling you the last root canal I had was the least painful of the root canals I have had in the past 54 years. "Well, that may be true, but it is STILL a root canal."
Now, having said all this (and repeated it often), I actually "like" my tiptronic. Having driven the DSG and CVT (both in Audis, one of them with the wonderful 3.2 engine), I could almost certainly learn to LOVE the DSG and soon forget the tiptronic or as some call these things, "slop-tronic" transmission and the manual transmissions.
Forgive me but I find it difficult to imagine that anyone who took a long test drive in a BMW 5 series with the stick or an Audi S4 or even A4 3.2 with stick shifts, would find the automatics currently offered "superior" in ANY way, unless you MUST use a hand held cell phone (which will be outlawed within this decade, I am confident.)
Yep, I am the screaming voice in the wilderness.
For I would actually pay MORE for a stick shift version of an A6 SLine or a BMW 530xi sport (if one actually would be brought to this side of the Atlantic.)
On the other hand, I am, despite my protestations to the contrary, not unwilling to just "go with the flow" and buy the auto versions.
I have met the enemy and it is ME.
Of course those of you who think the "P" should be completely removed from the LPS cars remain, unsympathetic and unempathetic -- and the latter "un" is the most disconcerting.
Whatya gonna do? :confuse:
The point though is that we much of the appeal of LPS is the symbol of success that we thing we can show to ourselves, family, or neighbors.
If we were really rich, why would we buy bmws or Benz? Before each of these rich guys became rich, I bet they didn't drive the kind of cars we own now.
We are the suckers that pay the high profits enjoyed by investors like Buffett.
My 911 has already depreciated $6k since I bought it two weeks ago.
Before each of these rich guys became rich, I bet they didn't drive the kind of cars we own now.
a car is simply something to get you from point A to point b, so why spend a bundle when something perfectly acceptable can be gotten for a (relative) pittance?
Maybe it's that those who have the serious money don't feel the need to shout it from the rooftops;
Most the billionaires on the list do not own average cars that are worth a pittance. In fact most their cars are ostentatious:
Porsche 911 convertible
Porsche 959
Bentley Flying Spur
Bentley Continental GT
Rolls Royce Phantom
Hummer H2( I would not call this SUV a humble vehicle)
Oh yes there are the exceptional billionaires like Warren Buffet. Dont forget Buffet has to live up to his folksy and humble persona. Can you imagine how many Buffet fans would be turned off if he bought himself a Maybach? Warren would not ruin his folksy reputation by buying a Maybach even if owning such a car is what he truly desires.
Another exception is Alice Walton. This is a lady rancher who is not afraid to break her nails. What sounds more appropriate for her: a elegant silky soft luxury car or a pick up?
And Jim Walton her brother. Yes his cars are modest but have you noticed that his car collection includes a 59 Cadillac. If this Cadillac is in mint condition it may be worth even more than the newest Rolls Royce.
The one exception I cant explain is Ballmer. He desires to buy the upcoming Lincoln Zephyr(a ostentatious version of the Mazda6). Maybe Ballmer is a Buffet fan :confuse:
After receiving a real nasty speeding ticket two weeks ago the most practical thing for me to do is forget the sports car and just buy a turtle slow i4 manual Accord.
Unfortunately I am very unpractical.
Oh, is that so? Are you speaking from genuine experience or are you really just making your best guess?
:P
TagMan
What was more surprising was no BMW's in any ones garage.
I lived for a year or two in Norwalk, CT, and I drove up and down Putnam Ave in Greenwich a few times just to admire the amazing dealerships there... Wow! The Rolls Royce "palace" on the corner is just a beautiful sight. You can see all of the world's finest vehicles in just a 1-2 mile stretch. Awesome for any car lover.
The maids drive 330i's.
Just follow the arrows....
He is in his '80s, and you can still see him regularly, tooling around with the top down...
He is a self-made billionaire.... started from scratch..
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I now live a stone's throw from an "Automile" which while having all the usual suspects, will be enhanced this spring with a brand spankin' new Porsche/Audi and Jaguar dealer. Oh, boy! Which, to post somewhat to topic, will have Luxury Performance Sedans...
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
Why not? BMW for years has offered the same engines in the 5-series as the 7.
Yeah, I never understood that either. The only possible explaination I can think of is that they didnt want the GS350 having more horsepower than the GS430.
As for the 3.0, I'm sure it must be going somewhere in other markets, as Toyota's 3.3L powered cars (and the ES) are all getting the 3.5L here in the states.
The accelerator has jammed, the brakes have burned out and I'm trapped in my BMW doing 130mph
His terrifying journey, which was followed by four police cars and a helicopter, ended when he smashed the car into a roundabout, flipping it on its roof.
Amazingly, the former lorry driver walked away from the accident uninjured
Another excuse could be the one by the guy in the smashed Enzo, that a "mystery driver" did it, and then "got away".
I wonder who will be first in this class to offer 400hp on a non-tuner model? Infiniti's inevitable facelift of the M45 maybe?
M
I remember when a 0-60 time of 5.5 secs could only be done with the Porsche-built Mercedes E500 of many years ago and M5 of that time!
M
If Looks Could Kill
Car makers have long talked about the "face" of a car -- headlights for eyes, grille for a mouth and the bumper as jaws -- and auto designers say the difference between a hit and a flop may come down to a vehicle's visage. Car makers used to strive for an inviting face, but lately they're pushing an edgier look: Car faces that look meaner, angrier and, at times, even downright evil.
., says of the Audi Q7, which he plans to buy when it comes out this spring. "It reminds me of the movie 'The Mummy' -- when the monster comes out of the ground and starts swallowing everything."
Menacing front ends may appeal to drivers threatened by oversized SUVs and intimidated by the dangers of the highway,
BTW, you have to be a subscriber to view your link. Good thing you posted that excerpt.
link title
I think what bothers me the most is that it is a wasted opportunity.
TagMan
Subjectively I feel the GS exterior looks better, the Lexus red is way better than the Acura, but the Acura interior is alittle better, Lexus has too much plastic.
The Lexus ignition button is better, and the 6speed tranny is betterthan the Acura 5 speed and should have a significant acceleration advantage.
Currently the Cap cost on a RL is less than 44k with $250 out of pocket on the Acura website. A comparable GS AWD with the 3.5l and nav/Ml audio will probably sticker for
53k and be sold at around 50K giving the Acura a 6k advantage.
Any thoughts?
Oh my God that's terrible. Are you really feeling guilty??
Is your guilt focused on cars or due to spirtitual angst?
If it is related to cars then I can assure you that if every driver drove a GS450H our planet would be dead sooner than later.
There maybe one small problem that Lexus can't keep up with the demand for the vehicle... I guess I will have a year to see how this plays out.
That maybe the case for the Prius but certainly not the case for any other hybrid produced by Lexus or Toyota. In fact in Canada with our lacklustre hybrid tax incentives you could have purchased a Prius two years ago(when Prius waiting lists in the USA were longest) and have it delivered in only two months( I know because two years ago my wife was pondering replacing her vintage 83 MB300D with a Prius).
Unless Lexus intends to sell only a few dozen GS450Hs in Canada, you will have no need to worry about waiting lists.
Is your guilt focused on cars or due to spirtitual angst?
None of the above. My guilt focuses on not having to burn up too much $ (gasoline)when dusting off pesky 3 series. These people always seem to have some thing to prove when we lined up in front of everyone at red lights.
Seriously, I do about 95% of my driving around city streets in the GTA, so I prefer a car with a lot of torque at low speed.
That maybe the case for the Prius but certainly not the case for any other hybrid produced by Lexus or Toyota. In fact in Canada with our lacklustre hybrid tax incentives you could have purchased a Prius two years ago
If I read the review correctly, the premium is only USD 6000 above the current GS430, and that is not bad at all IMHO. I can't comment on tax incentives since I don't even consider them. My reaction to the review based solely on the fact that I could be owning a capable LPS that is totally different than anything out there at similar price.
Unless Lexus intends to sell only a few dozen GS450Hs in Canada, you will have no need to worry about waiting lists
I think someone mentioned that Lexus is not planning to make too many of these GS450H.
And there's also the XJ, which the X-type's look is basically a scaled down version of. '04 XJ8s are VERY affordable. In fact, you could get into a low miles '04 XJR for under 50.
Let's see now, GS450h for $57,000 (est. base) gets 22 mpg (Edmunds' figure) and 5.5 sec. 0-60 (Edmunds). BMW 330i for $36,600 (base) gets 21/29 mpg (EPA) and 6.2 sec. 0-60 (Road & Track).
So you dust the Bimmer at the corner stoplight (but you'd best stay away from the twisties) at a cost of $20K and a mileage sacrifice. I'd feel real guilty with your announced motives and that performance. What is it YOU have to prove?
Btw, I think it will keep up with the 550 too, without poluting the environment as much right?
:surprise:
Blah... I think the center stack is horrendous-looking, IMO.
Wow, I made the same assumption.... With the "450" nomeclature, I assumed it would be an 8-cylinder like the GS430 and LS430. But for it to be a 3.5L V6 gas/electric, I would say the naming is somewhat misleading...