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BUT here in Canada it sells for a big chunk of change more than a BMW 335i.
Which is fair enough because Audi's intent is not to sell too many Audi S4s so their goal is not high volume/competitive price but low volume/premium price.
I am a frugal person during economic booms and busts and competitive prices plays a big role in all my purchases.
Also I've been buying German cars for almost two decades and now is the time to buy a car with a completelly different purpose altogether: Frugality. During these times where my clients are losing money flaunting myself with a spanking new Audi S4 or S5 is not such a good idea (at least for now, who knows about tomorrow).
For people who really want to flaunt their wealth and want to buy luxury at a full price and not luxury at a incentivized 15 percent off
WalMart kind of price here is the car for you:
link title
What? The GS is not at least as "luxurious" as the Infiniti M? Well, you didn't say performance... :confuse:
Besides that I agree with your position on Hyundai, I don't think the buying public could ever see Hyundai as a luxury car maker just like they don't see it in Toyota, Honda and Nissan as well. However, can Hyundai have a spot in the luxury market with a seperate brand/dealership network? You betcha! Just simply pull a chapter out of Toyota's Lexus playbook and they should be A-Ok.
a recent health issue at a hospital and now a financial issue. :surprise:
Tag I do wish you the best. But for health reasons do stay away from NYC especially from those delis.
Um, I mean the idea of the Genesis labeled as Lexus. The GS btw is far more luxurious inside, but the performance is pathetic compared to the M.
Just simply pull a chapter out of Toyota's Lexus playbook and they should be A-Ok.
Nailed the head
Depends on the blend. But in most cases I repectfully disagree.
Starbucks Sumatra, Arabian Mocha and Ethiopian beans are among the very best.
Despite Starbucks I found a fantastic roaster who sells beans for a few hours every week at just one Costco location. Every month I track her down and I am willing to travel two hours to buy her beans.(which includes Kona and Blue Mountain Jamaican)
a recent health issue at a hospital and now a financial issue.
Tag I do wish you the best. But for health reasons do stay away from NYC especially from those delis.
Thank you, Dewey.
LOL. I loved those delis.
Gosh, it's great to be home. But now, I've still got to sell my Porsche. There aren't many buyers out there right now, but whoever gets it will get a steal of a deal, and will look back one day and be glad they bought it.
Are you going to get yourself that new Prius when it comes out?
TM
Maybe this year?
Depends on how my RWD BMW 335i drives this winter. If I spend a few days being immobile during snow storms then yes I will get a FWD Prius which is at least better in the snow. Last winter was a joke in terms of how many days my car remained on my driveway.
I know, I know who the hell buys a Prius for snow driving? Why not an Audi, a hybrid Lexus RX or even a Subaru?
Because the above cars are not fuel efficient enough. A Prius will be my way of thumbing my nose at Russia, OPEC and Venezula.
My perspective is that the final production version of the Honda Insight will have superior styling and a more attractive price than the Prius, but the Prius will ultimately deliver a superior hybrid system and thus better fuel economy.
You might consider getting an old Jeep, MDX, or other comparable 4x4 to keep around just for those slippery snowy and icey days, and the rest of the time drive what you really like to drive.
TM
A 4 x4 truck or crossover? I like my vehicles SMALL.
Front
Side Profile
Jeremy Clarkson and before that Edmunds in 2003 noticed the uncanny resemblance
TM
'Fraid not. I think we're going to be in this one for the long haul. The auto market will eventually recover I'm sure, with some adjustments and a general shift to smaller cars. I think the Q5 will be a hit and the A3 will enjoy much bigger sales than it does now, at the expense of nearly nonexistent sales of the Q7 and A8. The mid-lux market is also likely to not recover to some 150,000 sales a year for the major brands, so the A6 probably will not see a huge sales increase, even if the 2011 version is amazing. Something like the A1 could also do very well if they decide to bring it here.
I wouldn't be so sure about that. From what I've heard, those skinny, low resistance tires are absolutely horrible in the snow. A hybrid Camry might be a better choice in that situation.
I think Infiniti is going to be surprised that the European press (and especially Jeremy Clarkson) aren't nearly as nice about their cars as say, C&D.
link title
TM
I myself am not a fan of the Infiniti or the FX, but I can’t see it being compared to a fat ugly whatever that is.
I personally don't like coupe's I don't like the 1 series or 3 series, But I never complain how bad looking or tiny it is.
There are too many x6 haters as well, they say the x6 is useless, but I never understood this, if something is useless for you don’t mean it’s useless for others.
As for now I'm enjoying a pack of pure Indonesian Torajan coffee I brought home (sumatran happens to be from indonesia too). Very strong flavor and a hint of sour in it, well it's arabican anyway...
Infiniti however, will most likely remain untouchable for a while. This due to Infiniti's clear mission, focus on performance first, luxury second. Only the Germans are currently capable of taking Infiniti's strong blows. Smart move, walking the path both other Japanese (performance) and the Germans (value) missed. As sales remain steady, I guess this method is a success. This Hyundai does not have. Of course, for this particular reason I doubt there'll be anymore Qs and QXs coming soon, performance and value are tiny bullets in the realm of 4-wheel mammoths.
Hyundai should also start looking at it's domestic rival Ssangyong for a little lesson in interior materials. The cars are plain ugly out and bland inside, but the materials used are first rate. On par with Acura and MB I dare say, but below Lexus-Audi standard. No wonders there as Ssangyong learned 1sthand from co-developing it's earlier cars w/ MB (early models even used MB engines). Target the top-line Chairman for comparison. I experienced this car years ago (albeit in the backseat) in Incheon, s.Korea. The wood is real, smooth leather and high-quality plastics inside, plus standard TV??? There's even an extended version sold mainly to CEOs and business tycoons. A good start if Hyundai wish to learn more.
I wonder, bmlexus, which area are you at? I've never seen a single Pagani Zonda anywhere in US. The only one I've seen was a black one in Madrid... If I remember correctly it was in front of a downtown plaza with loads of red flowers, arrgghh, I can't remember the place's name.
Make a mental list of the 20 best-looking vehicles built today. How many SUVs are on that list?
Worse, SUVs are not terribly fun to drive. Think about it. What's the highest compliment that you can pay to an SUV? "It drives almost as well as a real car." Pretty underwhelming. You obviously have to live with an SUV's clumsy handling if you need the space. But if you don't, why bother?
I guess that I don't see the point of a luxury SUV. To me, luxury demands, among other things, head-turning good looks & outstanding road manners. SUVs flunk out on both counts. If you need one, go ahead & buy one. But don't spend more than $30K on it.
Actually I beg to differ, I think the ES will be fine but the GS (if Lexus leaves it as it is right now, which is just so-so in its class) will become the second victim after Acura. The reason I said that is because in my opinion the majority of the ES owners are just after the brand/badge/service/prestige-factor so it'll be pretty hard for them to downgrade to a Hyundai. GS on the other hand, attracts more (comparably speaking) enthusiasts than its FWD sibling but the car is only mediocre and really not that much better than the Genesis in performance. Sure there are also brand snobs who buy the GS but I personally think the it is going to take a harder hit (probably like couple hundred units per month) than the ES if Lexus doesn't do a fabulous job like they did for the last gen GS in the next re-design.
True but it is all relative. We already have a full time BMW 530xi touring for the snow.
I am not looking for a Zamboni. All I want is a car that is better in the ice and snow than my BMW 335i with snow tires.
Here's my personal proof.
Last winter I was stuck in the middle of a road. A Prius driving Good Samaritan passes by and stops to help me. After my car starts moving the Prius driver zooms with his thin tires ahead to another road while my car gets stuck again on the very same road. :sick:
Being unfair to the FX?
Please refer to the recent post of Jimbres.
A X6 or FX is useful to you :confuse:
Maybe you can explain to us why a X6 or a FX is so useful or exciting to you because in all honesty I cant see any uitlity or excitement in such compromised vehicles.
Dewey, maybe that Good Smaritan was driving an AWD Prius that Toyota has developed for experiments...
But here's the problem. After ten years there is still doubt among many analysts that Toyota is even making profits on hybirds.
The GM Volt with a battery that costs about $8K? Does GM really think they can break even with that car?
The race to make small cars? The profits margins assuming there are even razor thin profit margins are just a fraction of what they are for bigger vehicles.
So my question is how is the "Greening of the Auto Industry" going to lead to a prosperous Detroit. :confuse:
possible but highly unlikely. :surprise:
The "M" in M3 to me means the Mediterranean. Why? Because of the Mediterranean climate and the curvey roads along the coast makes the BMW M3 excel (California too, but that State does not start with "M").
It's a different story during Toronto winters. A Audi S4 would excel during our winters while M3 drivers are screaming for the help of a snow dog digging teams.
Jose I am sure there are many interesting Spainish routes for your BMW.
Try Range Rover.
Gorgeous.
TM
Try Range Rover.
Gorgeous.
Not in my eyes. To me, it looks like a chromed-up box on wheels. I might feel differently if I didn't see so many of 'em; sometimes, I think that 10% of the Range Rovers sold (or, more precisely, leased) in North America wind up in my zip code. Familiarity does breed contempt.
The RR illustrates the point that I was trying to make in my previous post about SUVs in general. To be useful, they have to be boxy, but that boxiness hampers the efforts of even the most talented stylist to make them look as good as any comparably priced coupe or sedan.
I guess that I'm tone-deaf when it comes to high-priced SUVs. If you gave me $75K & told me to spend it on a pricey SUV, I'd wait until you weren't looking. Then I'd buy a used Honda Pilot for, say, $15K & spend the rest on a BMW 550i - with stick, of course.
Sure there are! And I take lots of pleasure from it.
Indeed, as you know 335 Coupe size is much better than that of 5 Series to drive along up and down winding roads. HaHa, in Europe Spain is said to be only second to Swiss regarding mountainous surface. Not having the highest peaks but creased landscape.
Regards,
Jose
(Last November passenger car sales in Spain dropped by 47% with respect to November 2007. Gloomy perspective ahead for the industry.)
Regards,
Jose
LOL. Now THAT makes sense. You never mentioned a price barrier, so the RR fits the description of a good-looking classy SUV, IMHO. If money were no object and if the repair record didn't matter, I'd have one... therefore, I'm not going to get one. Hahaha. But, again, I do like its looks, at least for an SUV.
In reality, your idea about the Honda Pilot is a good one, and I'd actually consider the CR-V, unless the Pilot's third row is a requirement. The CR-V is a great value and a terrific SUV... and I find its appearance to be pleasing to my eyes. I am bewildered as to why it isn't available with a hybrid or diesel alternative powerplant. It is the perfect SUV for those powerplants, and I think those alternatives would increase sales even further.
TM
We're empty-nesters with a small dog, & the CR-V is sized perfectly for our needs. It's an ideal suburban errand-runner - easy to park & relatively economical to run (about 20 mpg around town). I also like the plain-Jane, utilitarian styling of the prior-gen CR-V.
Like you, I'm surprised that Honda doesn't offer a hybrid or diesel variant. At the same time, I'm not sure that I'd pay a premium for an alternative powerplant, given that we put only 3K miles per year on our CR-V.
Classy. Near-perfect from every angle.
One thing, however... I do like the rear venting treatment between the exhausts better in the BMW E90 M3, which is also optionally available in the standard 3-Series convertible. The lower rear bumper of the S5 is a bit bland by comparison, and is more like, say, the BMW 1er.
The soft top is a bit old hat these days...
I agree. Yes, the added storage with a softtop is a big benefit... one that I also enjoy in my 1-Series convertible, but the retractable hardtop really is the way to go. I'm expecting that the new replacement to the Mercedes Benz CLK convertible, which won't be called a CLK, might very well sport a retractable hardtop.
Truth be told, I really like this S5, I really do... but I would be hard pressed to choose it over the M3, and I suspect many others might see it that way as well. I have no doubt, though, that the QuattroSport option will be quite compelling to some.
Thanks for the pics, LG.
edit: The move from the V8 to the SC V6 is clearly an industry-wide type of shift in years to come, as manufacturers are already planning on boosting smaller engines as a "replacement for displacement"... gone will be the days of large cubic inches and many cylinders.
TM
Makes sense to me. Audi rates the '09 A6 3.0T, a 194", 4100lb car, at 18/33. The engine's power matches that of the old A6 4.2 (with torque available at much lower engine speed), and yet its nearly a second quicker than that car, and hugely more fuel efficient. The 3.0TFSI is easily the best V6 in the world right now, and arguably the best six cylinder engine period. I like BMW's 3.0TT as much as the next guy, but you will not see the 535xi getting 33mpg on the highway.
I have no doubt that the next RL, which is supposed to be a $70K, V8 powered RWD car, has bomb written all over it. Acura has been screwing around with the RL formula since '96, and it has never worked. Should it be a FWD, cut price W210 E-class? Should it be an AWD, techno laden uber-Accord? Should it be a full-size, V8 powered LS460 fighter? They have no idea what to do with it. No one is going to pay $70K for Acura styling and Acura materials quality. Nobody would pay $50K for that, they already tried.
I wholeheartedly agree when placing fuel economy into the equation... which, to be honest, is a prerequisite nowadays when evaluating any engine.
As much as I personally love the performance characteristics of BMW's TT powerplant, it is undeniably too thirsty... especially in light of an alternative such as Audi's 3.0 liter supercharged direct-injection V6... which delivers 290 hp, and a full 310 lbs. of torque as low as 2500 RPM. An impressive achievement, but to be fair, not quite the super-low 1400 RPM full-torque delivery accomplished by BMW's TT engine.
Nonetheless, it is indeed a spectacular engine and I'd love to have it in my 1-Series... LOL... 'cause I'm averaging a not-so-impressive 17.2 mpg.
TM
No one is going to pay $70K for Acura styling and Acura materials quality.
How true that is.
Acura continues to be in denial. There is a sort of stubborness that prevails at Acura... Too much reluctance to make the tough decisions... starting with the very difficult realization that they have blundered.
As difficult as it might be, they really must decide to take a new design direction... starting with an exterior design overhaul, then utilizing much more efficient powerplants (just look at that RDX's pitiful thirst for fuel, for example). Then, there is no question that Acura must design and implement a totally revampled interior, whereby the layout utilizes more ergonomics, and the quality of the interior materials is significantly improved... and in the process, it must represent a large step above Honda's own lineup. Until all that happens, Acura will never live up to their potential or see the success that could have been theirs.
TM
This is my kind of style:
So now I am faced with a predicament. A Toyota Prius or a Audi R8 V10 model?? Both cars have merits and there is a price difference between these two cars. I kind of favor a Toyota Prius because it is far better engineered in terms of fuel efficiency than the Audi R8.
I will only buy the Audi R8 V10 if the sales rep gives me a deal that is not far off from the price of a Toyota Prius.
Please folks wish me luck with my negotiation skills.
Just like FX. Clarkson compares it with Jabba the hut (hutt??). Well, its their opinion. Me? I actually kinda like it, but not the terribly harsh ride. Also, to my standard, the FX is actually pretty useful. Well, being single like me and bmlexus means we dont need as much "utility" as others may do...
Whoa, stop there. I think its Cibeles. Is that the one with a fountain and a very old palace? That building is beautiful, well, except for the color
I dunno, I prefer to think fo softtops as classics instead of outdated. For instance, the bentley azure and continental gtc are perfect with softtops. I cant imagine a 911with folding hardtop, just not right, not to mention impossible (due to the rear engine), lol.
My XK has a soft top, I have no problem with them. I only like retractable hard tops if they don't ruin the styling. Volvo really nailed the C70, whereas I think the 3 convertible is slightly awkward looking top up. Audis always have to be at least a bit sensible, and the soft top allows the A5 Cab to be a practical daily driver.
I don't think Porsche would use a retractable hard top just because of the weight gain and the dulling effect on the car's responses.
The thing is a 911 is still beyond reach, but a similarly styled Cayman is more affordable (and is very, very tempting). Not to mention the very existence of other 2 seaters like Corvette convertible (plus the hard to resist $12k incentive)
TM