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Similarly, while Motor Trend's comparison test rated two Japanese cars (Acura and Infiniti) ahead of BMW (third place), there was no Bangle-bashing: "The fifth-generation BMW 5 Series, with its flame-cut flanks and take-no-prisoners suspension, hit the ground running in the 2004 model year. Here's a thoroughbred, the product of decades of setting the benchmark all other automaker's sport sedans aspire to. Just look at the stance, the way the body sits on the chassis, ready to pounce on any opportunity to show its stuff on a challenging stretch of road. The smoothness and flexibility of BMW inline-sixes are legendary, and the 225 horses of the 2979cc engine seem more spirited than their numbers might otherwise suggest. And BMW is one of the only automakers courageous enough to offer a six-speed manual gearbox in a $50,000 sedan."
Also, if a potential buyer was to consult Consumer Reports to compare BMW 5-series, Audi A6, and Mercedes E-class, they would only find the BMW recommended, with the Mercedes and Audi dismissed as unreliable.
So, I don't think the best way to characterize the BMW 5-series sales success is that it is being snapped up by savvy contrarian buyers who are thumbing their noses at CR and at critics of Bangle. BMW simply has the (well-earned) best place in the collective consciousness of buyers with $50,000+ to spend on a car. Mercedes and Audi have been trashed by CR and Mercedes' CEO has had to show up at auto shows promising to improve reliability. And except for Lexus, most buyers in the category targeted by this forum just don't think "Japanese car" when they look for a car with which they identify.
When you travel by air (such as Boeing 777), the chance that it's going to crash is about 1 in 1 billion (not exact number, but on that order).
Another imagined plane, with a rate of 1 in 1 million, is considered extremely unsafe statistically, even though it is still unlikely to happen to you.
We all make our choices. I would personally choose that extra order of peace of mind, since it doesn't even cost more.
I think you're correct, but not in the way your wording implies.
You obviously love driving Audis and, having had no trouble with any of your previous Audis, you're strongly, perhaps immutably, inclined to buy more. That all makes sense.
Your ownership experiences, however, would not be a reason for someone else to ignore survey data. The reason to ignore surveys would be that the methods of collecting, analyzing, reporting, or drawing inferences from the data are flawed. And many good arguments have been made on this forum to strongly suggest that CR and JDP reports are flawed, especially in that they suggest to readers that they will regret buying most German cars (since, collectively, German car owners have reported an average of 1.5 problems per vehicle, while Japanese car buyers have only reported 1.2 problems per vehicle -- I made up that approximation -- but it's not far off and I think you'll get what I mean).
To me, the most persuasive part of your message is not "trust me and not surveys when I tell you your Audi will be trouble-free," but rather "hey, if you love what you see and feel when you test-drive an Audi, get it, and don't be dissuaded by surveys for which you cannot get access to the data and so are pretty limited to what the editors and researchers (of CR and JDP reports) tell you that you should think."
On the other hand, as an earlier response (using airplane crash analogy) to your posting suggests, if there was unambiguous data available about car reliability and it showed conclusively that German cars broke down by the side of the road an average of twice a month, while no Japanese car had ever been reported to breakdown, then that would be something to consider.
As I arrive safely and unscratched at the airport I would choose to drive off with either a BMW or Audi versus any other car. :P
As I arrive safely at the airport I would choose to drive off from the airport with either a BMW or Audi versus any other car.
Not even a Porsche? :surprise:
M
Correctly recalculated, the consume was 40.9 miles per US gallon.
(Former estimations posted by me here in Edmunds as well as those written in my user profile were rightly calculated in US gallons, however.)
Regards,
Jose
The audi event was interesting--there was music, fantastic food, reiki, massage, but driving the cars almost seemed to be an afterthought, and you couldn't drive more than two of them. I was really dissapointed, i did want to drive everything.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
They should all be buying/leasing the Lexus GS. NOT! :P
No matter how you spin it, the simple truth is more people looking for an LPS pick the 5 series.
The numbers say so.
Unless Porsche decides to confront the 5 head on, this superiority will continue ad infinitum, IMNSHO.
The media's assessment of the BMW 5-series new design actually has been mixed.
Automobile Magazine did what you claim "the media" does: "The BMW 5-series breaks the classic unified automotive form into a collection of fractured surfaces, and it's the only car in our memory that has inspired mention of a painting by Picasso. But, as in so many discussions of cubism, the word beauty never enters our conversation about this car."
But Motor Trend told got readers excited about the 530i with: "The fifth-generation BMW 5 Series, with its flame-cut flanks and take-no-prisoners suspension, hit the ground running in the 2004 model year. Here's a thoroughbred, the product of decades of setting the benchmark all other automaker's sport sedans aspire to. Just look at the stance, the way the body sits on the chassis, ready to pounce on any opportunity to show its stuff on a challenging stretch of road."
As for reliability ratings, I partially agree with you.
CR currently dismisses all German cars as unreliable. But in JDP's press release of their 2006 initial quality survey, they said: "Brands with the fewest defects and malfunctions include BMW, Chrysler, Hyundai, Lexus, Porsche and Toyota."
In so far, as consumers are ignoring CR, well maybe, but it's just as possible that many buyers who want German cars are not going to seriously consider Japanese cars, so they'll be influenced to buy a BMW by CR's comparisons among German cars, and there CR claims the BMW 5-series will be more reliable than the Audi A6 and the Mercedes E-series.
So, I think there's a fair amount of support in the media for people who want a German LPS to buy the one that has long been established in their minds as the best one to drive and now is routinely assessed as more reliable than other German LPS cars.
Strong though the engine of the A8L may well be, it ain't no match for the brakes of the A8L. Said another way, if you were really braking, even if the engine was at full throttle, your car would have stopped rather quickly.
My bet is that you thought you had your foot on the brake when you were really mashing the throttle instead.
Best Regards,
Shipo
To both camps, I can only say, "if you like it, it's good."
Some interesting reading for y'all.
http://stereophile.com/news/071706infiniti/
John Feng
As I've said in the past, car stereos is the one area where I think Bose has done some very good work, and it seems that the most recent Infiniti\Bose collabs are the best of the lot. The top level Infiniti M stereo is easily a match for Lexus\ML, Volvo\Dynaudio, or Acura\ELS, and it seems as if the system in the new G will be as good if not better.
The reason why Bose car audio can be so good is exactly the same reason that holds back the home products. Priorities. The Bose engineers working with Infiniti have the exact same goals as the Mark Levinson engineers. Make the system sound as good as it possibly can. You don't have to worry about making a cutesy system with plenty of WAF when you're making a car stereo.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I don't know how one can hear it effectively given the loudness of the engine.
Seems like a complete disconnect between Bose home and car audio.
Now, an upgrade, a factory upgrade to the one I have -- perhaps for $995, would possibly have merit.
I listen to Sirius a lot, but I also listen to a lot of Books on CD -- the extra fidelity while nice, has little financial value with my listening habits.
I applaud the constant move upscale, but the M's Bose system and the system that was, in 2005 at least, in the Acura (w/DVD audio) fantastic.
Unsurprisingly, Bose's previous efforts to compete directly with traditional speaker companies such as the 701 and 801 have all been killed off, probably because they were awful. For whatever reason though, the 901s are still made. Considering the age of their design, the production cost is probably almost nil, so that could explain it.
The 2007 GS350 will have 303 hp and 274 torque.
The V6 GS will go from slowest-in-class to fastest-in-class. I'd expect a mag to get 5.6s or so.
No word on a GS460.
Unlikely.
I HOPE there is a move to increase the P, but horsepower alone is not going to make it so.
Well, they're either going to release it at the same time, or kill off the GS V8 entirely. Theres no way the 350 and 430 will co-exist.
Well, they do co-exist in Japan.
HP alone doesn't suddenly transform the car, and aside from handling, my disappointment with the car has more to do with the interior and trunk room than anything else. Things that even 300 hp can't fix, unfortunately.
But, assuming gas mileage remains similar, which I expect it will, Lexus will have quite the efficient LPS there, even if it is a little short on the P.
My local dealer claims the GS350 will be available mid-August.
2025 BMW i5 - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2025 MB GLE450e - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
Just exactly what class is that again?
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
GS350
M35
530i
E350
RL
A6 3.2
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
No official confirmation, but I don't see why not, seeing as how there is a GS350 AWD on sale in Japan.
link title
The test report of the 535d I saw on British TV was impressive to say the least.
Of course, Mercedes has some fine TD cars too -- hope these choices soon become OUR choices.
I am fine that you cannot accept the idea of good audio in a real sports car. Your believe and preferences are as valid as mine.
My view: These types of cars aren't always used exclusively on the track. Plus, the Cayman S isn't THAT loud (we've had one in the lab many times) when you're just tooting around town. Back when I had an NSX-T to drive, there were times when the audio system was really nice to have, and other times when it was completely irrelevant.
Feng
As processors become cheaper and faster, it becomes more feasible, but for something like replacing the muffler - you'd go from inaudible to open straight pipe if you blew the fuse or the amplifier. I think that may be the main reason they haven't used it. At least with a regular muffler, you usually get a heads up that the thing is about to fail.