Luxury Lounge

tagman

In California, one with a carpool sticker is worth a premium.
TM

bristol2

Just watched the game. Beautiful.

anthonyp

Although I don`t know the final cost, a friend in S C ordered a prius, with a five hundred dollar deposit and it will be here in a bout a month...In fact I know of several people who have done that....Can`t imagine anyone buying a used one for even more...We must be getting ready for harder times, as everything I purchase has a gimmic involved..People are getting squeezed and trying to pass it on to US Tony

laurasdada

Drove by the local Ferrari/Maserati dealership last night on the way home from my son's baseball game. I said, "Who wants to stop and look at all the pretty cars!" My son, said "I do!!!" Evil Wife stated, "I do not." Majority ruled, we did not. Had to explain to son how "married majority rules" works... :sick:

Lots of Ferraris circled by many Maser Quattroportes. I may have to take my son, sans EW, there this weekend...

For the Magnum, PI fans here, Copleymotorcars.com has a couple of 308gtb/si for sale. Much less expensive than my $599,000 MB SL. Yeah, MY MB SL...

dewey

How many people here have bought a car after discussing their decision for a very long time and ended up regretting their decision and as a result selling their new dream car within a few months? Seems to be quite a few people here whom fits that description. The following studies indicates that overthinking our choices may make us feel like we made a wrong choice and cause dissatisfaction.

In fact based on the studies below we make our decisions before they even become conscious. So sometimes its best to rely on our gut feelings versus over-analyzing what cars to buy.

Dutch researchers led by psychologist Ap Dijksterhuis at the University of Amsterdam recently found that people struggling to make relatively complicated consumer choices -- which car to buy, apartment to rent or vacation to take -- appeared to make sounder decisions when they were distracted and unable to focus consciously on the problem.

Moreover, the more factors to be considered in a decision, the more likely the unconscious brain handled it all better, they reported in the peer-reviewed journal Science in 2006. "The idea that conscious deliberation before making a decision is always good is simply one of those illusions consciousness creates for us," Dr. Dijksterhuis said.

Does this make our self-awareness just a second thought?

link title

esf

Absolutely.

The only reason I probably won't be buying a stick for awhile is because of my accident on a scooter a couple years back. We had the red Honda scooter for all of three days; I broke my ankle. Not fun. Glad I "thought ahead" and didn't get one for the S4.

'08 BMW X5 4.8i • '06 Audi A3 2.0T DSG • '05 Audi S4 Cabriolet

esf

Yeah, in the cell phone regard you don't have much to worry about. Just about all respectable luxury cars offer Bluetooth at this point. It works like a charm in the X5 although I don't have it in the Audis (wasn't an option in either when I bought them). Will most likely get it with my next vehicle.

'08 BMW X5 4.8i • '06 Audi A3 2.0T DSG • '05 Audi S4 Cabriolet

tagman

Damn... I sure wish my subconcious would quit changing it's mind. It's tough being at its mercy. Maybe I should spend more time thinking about these auto-buying decisions... oh yeah, that's now a bad idea.

Dewey, my response to that whole article is... :P

It's a perspective that has wide open potential extrapolations... even towards the purchase of a car!!!

I don't agree with it.

BTW, grasshopper... take this stone...

TM

circlew

If you lease, you only have a short time to live with any potential mistakes!

Regards,
OW

bmlexus

Lots of Ferraris circled by many Maser Quattroportes. I may have to take my son, sans EW, there this weekend

BTW I saw my first Maserati Grand turismo on road!!!

dewey

First and foremost I am not a psychologist.
Second of all my name is not Ap Dijksterhuis
And the third thing is I am not gainfully employed at the University of Amsterdam.

Having said all of the above I still see some truth in these studies.

Imagine a fiance doing a thorough cost/benefit analysis of his future wife.

Imagine a car nut who knows what he truly loves and what he can afford but continues to insist on going to every single dealership of every single marque to test drive and assess every single alternative against the one single car that he truly desires and then goes even further by researching every single auto mag,consumer survey and all past related auto litigation suits for all competing marques.

My bet is this fellow is better off following his gut feelings than following the conclusion of his so-called thorough research.

Anyways pardon my psychobabble. We will leave those Dutch bearded doctors with couches and notepads for another forum like Group Therapy.

lexusguy

Imagine a fiance doing a thorough cost/benefit analysis of his future wife.

Wives and cars aren't exactly the same thing. Just picking the "obvious" choice without bothering to even test the competition isn't a great way to be happy with your purchase, though I suspect that's how the E-class sells so many a month no matter how old it gets.

When it comes to my prime interests - cars, electronics, and cameras, I always research everything, and am almost always happy with the results.

tagman

My bet is this fellow is better off following his gut feelings than following the conclusion of his so-called thorough research.

THAT, I agree with.

And... when it comes to cars, everyone should throw away all Consumer Reports Magazines once and for all!!!

However, in all seriousness, researching some things is actually a good idea. Particularly appliances and consumer electronics and gadgets, IMO.

The problem can be the source of research information.

TM

m4d_cow

Have they become a true rising star now? I'd say yes for audi but a big no for cadillac.
Audi's sales rise significantly these days, at least thats what a bmw salesman said. The big-oh grille however turn off female buyers who thought its too masculine. I personally find Audis a compelling choice, but with prices now rising wayyy too close to bmw's I'll have to think twice. I mean an A4 costing $1200 under equally equipped bmw 3 series is a real turn off.
Cadillac, on the other hand...umm... tanked imo. Yes I like the new northstar engine and the cool design. But aside from the fact that sales tanked, I'm recently eyeing out for a good deal on STS. Sales may falter, but the quality is good if priced right. There are even NEW '07 models on dealer lots, I'm expecting killer deals on these.
What do you people think???

laurasdada

"...Just picking the "obvious" choice without bothering to even test the competition isn't a great way to be happy with your purchase... "

Were you writing about cars or wives?

jlbl

lexusguy

Were you writing about cars or wives?

Hahaha. Cars. There's no Wife and Driver Magazine, you have to go with your gut on that one.

laurasdada

I chose wisely. I'm not sure that she would say the same regarding her choice... :surprise:

Thank goodness for beer. She was drunk and I was beautiful...

There is such a very limited inventory of new XK in the Boston area, especially coupes (2!). I wonder if it is due to the sale/transition to Tata or is the factory churning out more XF, less XK/XJ? Appears that deals on the XF are beginning, I noted (didn't read the fine print) $599/mo for an XF.

If only the stock market would have many months of irrational exuberance again.

2001gs430

I used to be a big fan of the 308gtb just because it was on Magnum PI. I had no idea of its specs, still don't. My other dream car was 007's Lotus Esprit...

2001gs430

Seems to be quite a few people here whom fits that description.

Are you talking to me???

There is some truth to this article. However, car buying research should prevent you from over paying for your favorite brand/model.

laurasdada

It wasn't really Magnum for me, it was the beauty of the 308. And I agree re: The Esprit, especially after being featured in one of the best of the (Roger Moore, at least) Bond's, "The Spy Who Loved Me." Barbara Bach, I loved you! Lucky Ringo...

tagman

I had a 328 GTS for a while. Gorgeous car, but it should have been a better-built car than it was. I was terribly disappointed in the quality, or I guess I should say lack of quality.

The gold diggers and other chicks came out of the woodwork. Amazing what that sexy Ferrari would do to the female mind.

One year... and I had all I could stand.

TM

dewey

Cant disagree with what you are saying below:

When it comes to my prime interests - cars, electronics, and cameras, I always research everything, and am almost always happy with the results.

But whose to say we cant be happier if we follow our unresearched gut-feel?

When the first generation Infiniti G35 came out in the early part of this century I pondered why buy a BMW 3 series? But I knew perfectly well that I wouldn't despite the superior specs of the Infiniti since I knew I would not have been as happy with an Infiniti as a BMW . That may sound highly irrational and narrow minded but I am not ashamed in admitting this since I know there is not a single human being out there that makes hundred percent rational decisions on the things they love.

Show me a Mr. Spock and I will show you a fictional character.

m4d_cow

Well, for starters prices in Miami and Phoenix area have dropped by over 40% the last time I checked. Miami takes the worst hit.
Alas despite the extreme property tax for non-residents, it doesnt stop foreign millionaires from China and Canada to swoop in and buy pretty much every house for sale.

dewey

Regarding your statement below:

Are you talking to me???

The answer is yes. And others including myself.

Doing research I keep on wanting sensible cars like a Hybrid Highlander back in 04 and a hybrid Camry in 06 and no luxury cars since there is nothing sensible about a luxury car whatsoever. In fact my first years at Edmunds were spent at Hybrid forums.

In the end I relied on my gut feelings and chose BMW. A fuel inefficient car that keeps on getting me in trouble with those vigilant Toronto Traffic Patrol officers. :lemon:

lexusguy

When the first generation Infiniti G35 came out in the early part of this century I pondered why buy a BMW 3 series? But I knew perfectly well that I wouldn't despite the superior specs of the Infiniti since I knew I would not have been as happy with an Infiniti as a BMW

To me it has nothing to do with one brand or the other. It's a question of rational priorities. The 3 series was rather old at that point, but still considered the best in the segment. At launch, the G's interior materials were pretty terrible, but it had the edge over the 3 in electronics and space. What's more important?

Not much has changed. The 3 is still better to drive, more refined and still has the better interior, while the G still has more space and its electronics are still far superior. Given the choice, I'd go for door no.3, Audi. The A4 combines most of the best qualities of both cars, now all it needs is that 3.0T engine.

dewey

Definitely the BMW 335i is superior to the current Infiniti G35/G37 BUT based on my memories the performance specs of the first generation G35 at introduction was superior to a BMW 330i if I am not mistaken.

reality2

The new A4 will represent a better overall proposition than the 3-Series when it arrives. Price wise the A4 and 3-Series are the same class, so I do not see the issue. In Europe it is likely that in 2009 the A4 will regain the sales crown from the 3-Series as it did in 2004 and 2005 as the new A4's order book is way ahead of schedule.

tagman

3 is best in class. No doubt!

In fact, I'm closer than ever to buying a 3 coupe or convertible for my wife next month. But, It's HER test drive, and I can't predict her car preferences... They are not like mine.

BTW, my 135i convertible is now in my garage!! It's better than I ever could have hoped!! Gorgeous, fun and fast.

TM

dewey

Congratulations Tag for your new owned 135i convertible.
And a 3 coupe or convertible in the same garage would be a match in heaven.

My next car as I have oft repeated will likely be a new generation Lexus or Toyota hybrid model .
But maybe not! Last week I read an article in a local Idaho Falls newspaper that had reported a quote from a Toyota executive who tried to cool down the excitement about lithium ion hybrids by saying that mileage may not be as good as many expect in the upcoming 2010 models.

IF that is the case then I may end up buying the future BMW electrical or hybrid microcar instead. A BMW or Audi diesel is unlikely due to my 90 percent of the time city driving. Amazingly my BMW 335i highway gas mileage is almost 50 percent more fuel efficient than my regular congested city driving. My goal is to have a car that is very fuel efficient during traffic jams even if it means buying a tinny looking BMW microcar.

lexusguy

BUT based on my memories the performance specs of the first generation G35 at introduction was superior to a BMW 330i if I am not mistaken.

I'm not so sure about that, the old 3 was always faster than its rated power suggested. At the very least, the special 235hp version of the 330i offered for 2004 I'm sure could keep pace with the 260hp G35.

m4d_cow

Well, an A43.0 quattro used to cost roughly abour 2-3000 below bmw's similarly specd 330xi, until 2006 that is, then the gap keeps narrowing.

tagman

Dewey, I also want to see fuel efficient cars in my garage, soon.

My daughter has already indicated that she would consider a Honda Civic hybrid. I salute her for that kind of thinking. I happen to really like the Honda Civic hybrid, and think it would be terrific for her.

My wife would have to do something about that MDX. If she does like the 335i, then the only place to get the higher MPGs for her would be with her SUV. Trade in that MDX for some sort of hybrid or diesel SUV that seats 7. Hopefully, when the new Lexus RX comes out with their expected 7-passenger seating, it includes a hybrid variant. She could then drive the RX and the 335i.

I would trade in the Porsche for a fuel efficient vehicle, such as the new hybrid Honda CR-Z that might come out. Then I would have the 135i and something like the CR-Z.

That would leave me with this scenario:

Me.... BMW 135i convertible
Me.... Honda CR-Z (proposed)
Wife.. 7-passenger SUV, diesel or hybrid.
Wife.. Sport coupe or roadster
Daughter... Honda Civic hybrid (or equivalent)

TM

dewey

Wow trading in your Porsche 911 for a Honda CR-Z? That is far more radical than my wife trading in her BMW 528xi wagon or me trading in my BMW 335i for a Toyota Prius.

Things are changing so fast these past few months that I think that all luxury and performance marques need to really focus on mileage. With the screaming demand for fuel efficiency a 2015 MB DiesOtto is far too late in my opinon.

Here's an extreme ominous example of what I am saying:

BERLIN, Germany (AP) -- A German man doused his BMW with gasoline and torched it Friday in protest at skyrocketing fuel costs, police said.

The unemployed 30-year-old man drove a black 1995 BMW 3-series sedan onto the lawn outside Frankfurt's convention center grounds at about 7:30 a.m., police spokesman Karlheinz Wagner said.

He then jumped out, emptied a canister of gas over the vehicle and set fire to it, Wagner said.

By the time the fire department got to the scene, the car was entirely burned out.

The Bavarian man, whose name was being withheld because he has not been charged with a crime, told police that gas prices were so high he could no longer afford to drive the vehicle.

As in many countries, gasoline prices have risen steadily in Germany; a liter of regular gasoline now costs about euro 1.55, or $9.40 per gallon.

Police were investigating whether the man could be charged with violating German environmental laws with the stunt, Wagner said. Penalties range from fines to five years in prison.

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dewey

There is a 70 percent likelihood that both GM and Ford will be in default within 5 years and specifically for GM there is a 30 percent likelihood of default within one year based on market pricing for credit default swaps.

Tata Motors of India is now worth more than GM based on stockmarket values. :surprise:

Chrysler just used up their credit lines which makes it incredibly vulnerable with all their other debts thanks to the brilliant financial engineering of the private equity firm Cerebreus .. In all likelihood Chrysler will continue with its bleeding cash flows which means they wont be able to service their debts. RIP Chrysler.

The best business management in the world is in the USA. For proof just look at US software, semiconductors, biotech, nano-technology, consumer products and aerospace companies. So what's the scoop with management at US car companies?

Unfortunately USA may soon resemble Canada in terms of being car assemblers for foreign firms. If that would be the case then most the engineering and important automotive decisions would not be made in the USA. That would be sad indeed.

jlbl

...the more factors to be considered in a decision, the more likely the unconscious brain handled it all better, they reported in the peer-reviewed journal Science in 2006.

At least it should be an interesting thing to think about. Actually the intuitive intelligence is again a current topic in cognitive neuroscience. Any one interested in following it a bit further may read:

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The author is Gerd Gigerenzer, a German scientist who currently is the Director of the 'Max Plank Institute of Human Development' at Berlin.

As Blaise Pascal said:
'le cœur a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît point / the heart has its reasons that reason knows nothing of'

Regards,
Jose

PS. Again, congratulations to TG for the convert.

blkhemi

for the time being... It's been a long time coming, but I finally got my palms around the steering wheel of a Race Silver Audi R8! While the wife and I went on a 2 month "world tour" by boat and air, my daughter was patiently awaiting the call from our dealer to inform us that the car had arrived. It is definitely a joy.

My wife is also awaiting her new ride. Since the XKR is in Jag heaven(RIP), she will be going with a new SL. And we still haven't bought a new SUV yet. If the GLK shows up immediately with a Bluetec diesel, then that is probably the route that will be taken, unless the upcoming Audi Q5 TDI proves more worthy. It seems not to distance itself from the Tiguan enough, and there will be the Porsche Roxster that will be in the spin with them.

Neighbor just bought a new XF-S. now I see why it won the M/T comparo against the other heavyweights. A very nice piece. Well done Jag. It's their show until the new 2010 A5/7 and E bow out.

How has it been for all my fellow posters??

tagman

Congrats on the R8... amazing!

Yes, I was told that all MBZ "trucks" will offer BlueTec later this year!! That is supposed to include GL and GLK as well as the others. Hopefully they keep their word.

TM

jlbl

Congrats! What a car, what a drive should it be!! Please, post your impressions.

Regards,
Jose

lexusguy

Chrysler just used up their credit lines which makes it incredibly vulnerable with all their other debts thanks to the brilliant financial engineering of the private equity firm Cerebreus .. In all likelihood Chrysler will continue with its bleeding cash flows which means they wont be able to service their debts. RIP Chrysler.

TTAC has been suggesting for awhile that most of Chrysler's employees will be getting "don't come back" notices after the end of their mandatory summer break. June was a horrific month for all three, but to me it seems like Chrysler's situation is by far the worst. Cerberus is in way over their head, and they are going to want to dump this mess and fast. Chrysler has no product. Absolutely nothing. GM and Ford have a few bright spots here and there, but Chrysler has zilch. Anybody who thinks a Durango or Aspen hybrid is going to sell needs to take a long hard look at GM's full size SUV hybrid sales. It's a ghost town.

If Chrysler doesn't go first, then it will be GM. They are burning through cash at a rate far past alarming.

Management has been completely inept at all three companies going at least as far back as 1970. This is the result of the atrocious products and quality of the '70s and '80s, the meaningless "we're better now" pledges of the '90s, and gorging on truck and SUV profits assuming the gravy train would never stop.

Toyota and Nissan truck and SUV sales will be hit just as hard, but both can and are easily shifting to small cars. They won't be the ones without chairs when the music stops.

tagman

A massive industry shakeup is underway. It will last for years. The landscape will be very different when it's over.

TM

circlew

It is a nice (proposed) stable but quite a bit less formidable without the 911.

Regards,
OW

circlew

At the end of the day, there will always be the Corvette....period!

As a faithful US consumer of American Auto for over 30 years, I switched to BMW. How can I ever go back to junk status???

Regards,
OW

circlew

Who will merge with who? THAT is the question.

Regards,
OW

bristol2

Congratulations Jose. I can guarantee that tonight you are the happiest forum member alive!

jlbl

La Roja did it.

:shades:

Regards,
Jose

blkhemi

Is this 2005 all over again? Will GM self-implode? Chrysler, the company that has shunned down the face of death many, many times before, will finally meet it's maker?

The answer is yes and no. For years GM relied solely on the truck market while it's cars faltered to absolutely nothing, even the storied Cadillac brand. And Chrysler hasn't had any good product since the release of the LX platformed cars which is really well known by now- hence the newness is gone.

But just as I did in 2005 when we all had this discussion, I will take a different stance. Sure GM spends more money than it makes currently, has literally 100's of days left in inventory of large trucks and SUVs, and is too V8-heavy, there is light.

For starters, the VOLT program is moving right on schedule, and despite the Toyota company saying it's not up to the hype, it will be the first mass-market lith-ion battery powered vehicle, and will be plug-in. GM also shuttered it's full-size truck plants in an effort to sell what is in inventory already instead of churning out slow to none moving trucks like Toyota. And there has been a huge shift at GM on powertrain efficiency. They are in a deal with the Japanese company that produces the 3.6L V6 to codevelop a new series of high-power but highly efficient 4cyl engines. If the 3.6 is any indication of how the fours may be, then they should bode well.

As to Chrysler, it is in absolute turmoil. The only major point that I see in their future is that Nissan joint venture where Nissan will build them a small car and in return Dodge will build them a Ram clone. I don't know if there is a winner in this matchup because Nissans small cars aren't spectacular and if Dodge isn't selling the Ram, what makes Nissan think they can.

BTW: Could doomsday be seen for Toyota just as well? They recently scaled back there sales forecast for both US and global sales.Way back. And the Tundra and Sequoia inventory is way up and sales are WAY down. So what's to be said about that?

lexusguy

BTW: Could doomsday be seen for Toyota just as well? They recently scaled back there sales forecast for both US and global sales.Way back. And the Tundra and Sequoia inventory is way up and sales are WAY down. So what's to be said about that?

The trouble is this isn't 2005. The domestics were all down some 30% in June, compared to about 7% for Toyota. How long can that keep happening? Some are now predicting annual sales as low as 12 million vehicles, the lowest in decades, not a few years.

We keep hearing about how great the VOLT is going to be, but what is it going to cost? $40K? Good luck with that in our credit crunched, sub-primed economy with the dollar where it is. Also, how many can they actually produce? Is the VOLT going to be like Ford's hybrids where they literally can't sell more than some 25,000?

Sure Toyota is going to take a bath on the Tundra and Sequoia, but they can afford to make that mistake. Will GM be able to afford spending so much time and money on the GMT900s? I'm not so sure. It isn't just that GM is unprofitable. They are torching cash to the point where the "money left to keep the lights on" can be measured in months. Same for Chrysler.

We're in a new US auto market, where the best selling vehicles are Camcord and Civic/Corolla. I believe the F-150 is now in 5th. Toyota and Honda will be fine.

esf

So, the GX will be obsolete? That would be nice.

However, that may not happen. Toyota is crazy about three-row SUV/crossovers; not including Lexus, six out of their seven available SUVs can have a third row. I consider the Venza an SUV, but not the Sienna of course.

'08 BMW X5 4.8i • '06 Audi A3 2.0T DSG • '05 Audi S4 Cabriolet

esf

It's absolutely beautiful, isn't it? I think it's the best-looking car in the world!

Why? Well, I get AutoWeek, and this week there was an article on the new Gran Turismo S (it has about 440hp instead of 405). It was a two-page article, and right next to the second page was an article about the 2009 Aston Martin DB9. I have to say, the Maser made the Aston look boring. And yet it still conveys a sense of purity that the AM designs enjoy. Stunning.

'08 BMW X5 4.8i • '06 Audi A3 2.0T DSG • '05 Audi S4 Cabriolet