By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
After all, they are concentrating on quality now! Can't do 2 things at once, now, can we?
Regards,
OW
As coworkers know that I am somewhat enamoroed of the Jag XK, they asked me if I would be happy if they put a Leaper on the hood of my TL. My reply:
"No. However, if you put circa 1985 Tawny Kitaen on the hood of my TL, that would be somewhat of a good start!"
'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...)
Sigh...
TM
Sigh, squared...
Nice pearl necklace, Mrs. Coverdale!
'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...)
link title
IMO, this review lacks substance.
TM
Other than the upcoming Prius G3, the lineup looks pretty weak, IMO. The Highlander isn't all that bad and does makes sense for an SUV, but its styling isn't exactly anything to get excited about. The Corolla and Avalon are as boring as it gets, and even the Camry isn't any big deal at this point. The Solara is pathetic, and even the Matrix is old. The rest of the lineup is also sleep-inducing. I'm not a big Tundra fan either.
When the auto industry finally pulls out of the slump... I wonder how well Toyota will do with this kind of lineup. Just my opinion here, but I think Toyota is a sleeping giant... that needs to wake up soon... or else.
TM
Regards,
OW
BTW, Tag promised to test drive the 2010 RX350, but he has yet to do so. But it is a moot point since I am sending someone to kidnap him for two hours and force him to test drive the new RX as I indicated above after he pulled that horrible April Fool's joke on me yesterday
The problem is which marquees will qualify?
The French, German and Italian incentives provide between 1,000 and 5,000 euros to swap out old cars for less-polluting and more-efficient new ones. The laws vary by nation, but they do typically cover any new car purchased, regardless of origin. The major stopping point in the U.S. Congress for a similar program is argument over whether the “cash for clunkers” programs would be applicable to new, domestic-badged cars, domestic-built cars, or any car, regardless of origin.
Cash for Trash
Regards,
OW
I'm not sure, but when I think ugly, one automaker comes to mind.
Well to be fair, it is a preview test. The G convertible is a much better effort than the terrible Lexus IS convertible, but I think it still pales compared to the gorgeous S5 drop top. Also, the VQ V6 doesn't exactly produce the most sonorous engine note around. I'm not so sure I would want to hear that with the roof off.
The chart above shows the dramatic change over time in the car options that car buyers consider "essential." In 1985, fewer than 9% of car buyers considered an AM/FM cassette tape player an essential car option, partially at least because of the active secondary market for car stereos that allowed car buyers to customize their cars' sound systems. Now that almost everybody considers a car stereo system an essential car option, the stereo systems are installed at the factory, which makes them theftproof, which has pretty much ended car stereo theft.
The chart shows many other vehicle options that are now considered "essential," when in 1985 they were considered expensive "non-essential" features.
Regards,
OW
That's awesome information.
Back in the old days, according to the chart, the one option that was in the highest demand was a set of "cast alloy/special wheels". Oh yeah, baby... heck with everything else... me wants dem wheels!
TM
I will eventually get to drive one. My curiosity is way too peaked to ignore it. Afterall, you are willing to spend a lot of green for this vehicle... and Dewey had some positive statements to make about it. Maybe there's something to it.
I said MAYBE.
I'm so busy with life's stuff right now, I can't predict when I'll test it... but I am a man of my word, and I will get to it one day. And, I can't wait to tell you all about it!!
In the meantime, congratulations on your vehicle. I strongly believe that everyone should feel good about the vehicle they drive whenever possible. And from the sound of it, you will love your new RX. Only two to three months to go.
BTW, if I see a couple of your cronies snooping around here, I cannot be responsible for what might happen to them. :surprise:
TM
My wife has a loaner for the next week, a 328i hardtop convertable.....Thinking of yourself, I drove it today, and they have improved the I drive system, although I don`t think you got that...The car drives very nicely, absorbing the bumps etc very nicely, and the top was fun for a change, although at first, I felt as though all the tourists could just hop in the car with me...Other than the more powerful engine, I think your car is a winner---particularly for single person driving, or a pax, but nothng in the back seat would be comfortable.....I didn`t find the rear headrests to be too concerning, but do think they could be toned down.....All in all a very nice comfy car Tony
I just came back from a nice long drive in the 328i and it didn't disappoint. I usually start the vehicle with the windows closed. Today I had the windows and sunroof open as it was 84 degrees and sunny, and man that engine sounded like a 747! Never heard that before. The windows do a great job of insulating me from it.
I don't have the idrive. The only 2 options I don't have are the navigation and logic 7 premium stereo. The basic stereo with 10 speakers is just fine for my ears.
Like all BMW's, if you want to like them, you must not be afraid to step on the gas and treat them a bit roughly. I've been doing that lately and the 328i shines.
You are right-the car is a winner-just enough luxury touches combined with great performance-a wonderful all-around vehicle. I have the driver's sport seat all the way back and nobody would really feel comfortable back there, behind me.
What's really nice is the cold weather package which lets you flip both rear seats down creating a huge trunk. Nice!
The trade-off with the more powerful 335i is the better gas mileage I am getting-averaging close to 26 mpg- and so far, no speeding tickets.
I will be looking at the Porsche Cayman soon, possibly this week, just to see what I am missing, if anything. The wife is already upset-telling me "you just got a new car!!!" I replied that I'm only "just looking." I want to drive a base Cayman to see how it accelerates and handles compared to my car.
No Cayman S which could not be fairly compared to a 328i and would provide more power than I could use.
After the Porsche Boxster, I can't think of another vehicle that sells for less than $80,000 that would provide more topless fun than any BMW convertible.
Florida weather is fantastic! Come on down Tony! Enjoy that 328i convertible! :shades:
It is always nice to ready your posts....I was down there acouple of weeks ago, and you are right it is practically summer there...Here in Charleston, it is very springlike, and I have a grandson getting confirmerd tomorrow, therefore the next stopping point for me is the mountains, as I have to get the house opened ---then back to Florida after that frigid experience...If you can believe it , it is supposed to snow next Tuesday evening, and I might experience it....
I really was impressed with the 3, and imo it feels like a much bigger heavier car..As Charleston is such a compact city, the convertable does make me feel a bit un protected..Someone could easily just jump in with me---then what do I do? I just hope they can fix the 5 stationwagon, as it really is the right car right now for my wife, It would seem that all the auto manufacturers, and dealers should treat us customers in a reasonable way, after we citizens have gone to bat for them,---but NO--
My neighbor just tried to buy a bmw and was treated just as in the past...It is hard to buy a car..Strange....My wife does like the 3 though so that is a positive in case the 5 starts to give her problems...Good to read you word Tony
The 3 feels like a "much bigger heavier car" because it is! It is nothing like my first 325i from 1993, but I have grown to like the new one-more luxury, better seats, but a bit less tossable. Still, the reviews continue to be ecstatic and the 3 Series continues to win comparo after comparo as the folks at Infiniti, Mercedes and Lexus continue to scratch their collective heads in utter bewilderment as BMW vehicles remain unmatched in the entry-level luxury sports segment.
I know exactly what you mean, Tony-last October I sent e-mails to a lot of BMW dealers to purchase/lease a 3 Series.... very few answered me.... this is the way they treated a "sure thing"-a customer who has been with them exclusively since 1993! I guess they would rather be proud than realistic.
This week when I visit Porsche, I will take the "sales temperature" of the room. I've never been inside a Porsche showroom before, but can't imagine it would be much different than a BMW place... more attitude than eagerness.
I've never driven a Porsche before. Hope they have a basic Cayman that I would like to drive.
It is always a pleasure to converse with you, Tony!
Regards,
Hpowders
So long,
Jose
At current oil prices, we will send $700 billion dollars out of the country this year alone. Projected over the next 10 years the cost will be $10 trillion — it will be the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of mankind.
We can't changeover fast enough.
Regards,
OW
Both you and Howard have great cars, and The seating is even more improved than what it was a few years ago, which is very good...Too bad Dewey had such problems ....I`m with Dewey though, as if you can`t trust the car, and have it break on you a couple of times--that`s it---Tony ps sorry about the flu--probably caught it from students....
It pays to research these vehicles thoroughly before buying them. There were plenty of folks all over cyberspace posting about getting stuck in their 335i's due to faulty high pressure fuel pumps. I considered purchasing a 335i last October as a risk I did not wish to take.
Eh, the government will fix it by printing money and spending, right?
Yeah, 2x or 3X the insanity! Like a rubber band, this, too will snap back!
Regards,
OW
So far Mrs. Plan Man has been very understanding.
Enjoy! I can't even imagine how many speeding tickets I would get if I drove that car....
Regards,
Jose
I am so thoroughly enjoying this I'm not sure it isn't obscene...
:shades:
Hi Gary and everyone else,
Thanks for the welcome. I don’t care for the exterior design of the 7-series at all. To me it resembles an LS with predictable BMW signature elements cobbled onto the front. And the Lexus exterior design is more flowing, pleasing to me. However, I do like the interior, especially the more swept forward attitude of the dash.
Have you guys talked about the Panamera yet? I would imagine so. That’s one car I look forward to driving, and the humpback doesn’t bother me as much as the impressions we got from masked test mules through the years. I really like the front and the interior seems to look much better than an impression I got from a preview shot we saw some time ago.
I see you guys have been talking about the Prius. I am also interested. I will probably go for high mileage on my next work horse. However I like the current design and its Lambo lines (haha, please don’t laugh) better than the new one, not that it’s much different. I see they also managed to slip in some BMW scar tissue I mean flame surfacing as the character line below the beltline. Eh, I should be used to that stuff by now, right?
But I am keen on the Tesla S...although there was some disdain for the center stack screens here on LL.
At $50K, I believe they have over 500 orders so far. Here is the news...and the full article link.
The car is expected to sell for $49,900 — factoring in a federal tax credit of $7,500. And consumers who reserve their models early must pay a $5,000 refundable fee. This might sound a little steep, especially in this economic climate, but the company claims that when you consider how much money you save on gas with the car, the price is equivalent to a $35,000 gasoline-powered car.
The Model S can be charged by connecting to any standard electrical outlet, and each charging session can take it 300 miles. Based on released stats, it doesn’t seem to be underpowered either, with a top speed of 130 miles-per-hour. There is also some fun icing on the cake: a 17-inch touchscreen with 3G connectivity, allowing passengers to tap into Pandora Radio or Google Maps on the go. Check out a video of a test drive below.
Tesla S Pre-Order
Nice. And, I agree, ouch my eyes!
'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...)
While the nation's lenders ran amok during the boom, Andy Beal hoarded his money. Now he's cleaning up--with scant help from Uncle Sam.
Andy Beal, a 56-year-old, poker-playing college dropout, is a one-man toxic-asset eater--without a shred of government assistance. Beal plays his cards patiently.
For three long years, from 2004 to 2007, he virtually stopped making or buying loans. While the credit markets were roaring and lenders were raking in billions, Beal shrank his bank's assets (Beal Bank) because he thought the loans were going to blow up. He cut his staff in half and killed time playing backgammon or racing cars. He took long lunches with friends, carping to them about "stupid loans." His odd behavior puzzled regulators, credit agencies and even his own board. They wondered why he was seemingly shutting the bank down, resisting the huge profits the nation's big banks were making.
Now, while many of those banks struggle to dig out from under a mountain of bad debt, Beal is acquiring assets. He is buying bonds backed by commercial planes, IOUs to power plants in the South, a mortgage on an office building in Ohio, debt backed by a Houston refinery and home loans from Alaska to Florida. In the last 15 months Beal has put $5 billion to work, tripling Beal Bank's assets to $7 billion, while such banks as Citigroup and Morgan Stanley shrink and gobble up billions in taxpayer bailouts.
Beal has barely got a dime from the feds. A self-described "libertarian kind of guy," Beal believes the government helped create the credit crisis. Now he finds it "crazy" that bankers who acted irresponsibly are getting money and he's not. But he wants to exploit their recklessness to amass his own fortune.
"This is the opportunity of my lifetime," says Beal. "We are going to be a $30 billion bank without any help from the government." Not much next to the trillion-dollar balance sheets of the nation's troubled banks, but the lesson here might be revealed in the fact that this billionaire is not playing with other people's money--he owns 100% of the bank and is acting accordingly.
Thank yo, Mr. Beal!
Now, why didn't he become our Treasury Secretary??
Regards,
OW
Gorgeous! I love the quad exhausts and the RS4 wheels. You've got more guts than I do, I would be too afraid to drive an "arrest me red" coupe. The black S6 draws little unwanted attention.
I'm not a fan. I think the exterior has the same problems as the Cayenne - two many "heritage" cues plastered on to a design where they don't belong. I'm baffled by the interior. I think it looks straight out of 1986.
According to Snopes, red ticketing is an urban legend. My detective friend across the cul de sac, who takes traffic duty every 90 days, concurs.
What I did find interesting is that, according to the numbers, silver draws disproportionately fewer tickets than it should. My last car was silver. Loved the car - hated the color. A mistake I don't plan ever to duplicate - life is far to short to settle, n'est-ce pas?
I love the simple elegance of black LG, I just never enjoyed the maintenance. Absolutely stunning when spiffy, though.
Since everyone seems to be candid, I'll admit that I love the wheels and exhaust, but prefer the look of Crimson or Guards Red on a Porsche or Ferrari. Even a Honda S2000 or Miata. It's just my personal and honest opinion that cars like yours, mine, and Clembo's and Phil's and LG's, for example, are better in red when they are a convertible. Your model would be better-looking in a some of the other color choices, IMO.
But, that said... yours is the only opinion that truly matters on this car, and I hope you'll give us your driving review after you've had some time to toss her around for a while.
TM
I can think of another job above that where that kind of mentality may be needed, not to mention having it wear off on Congress.
That's a fair enough criticism. I guess you want them to explore more. Porsche is austere, minimal, bauhaus, not inclined to boldy go where no one has gone with regard to form.
I was just about to post a "hello" to you!! I'm mobile... in SoCal this week.. must post from my iPhone, in between the "stuff".
As usual, I find it a genuine pleasure to read your posts.
No more 911. Sold it to a very nice pediatrician in Missouri.
How are you?
TM
Others may still find reason to purchase in the grey palette, but I personally am truly sick and tired of everything coming in some form of silver. I might have gone for white in another platform, but I thought it came off just a tiny bit effeminate on the TT.
Mica. I also loathe mica. No more metallic paints for me, if I can avoid it.
It is all a rather personal businesss, then, isn't it?
At a staring price of $89K, it will be a limiting factor in this new economy, particularly in the USA. Not to mention the S model ($93K) and the Turbo ($132K).
I would prefer the abandoned CS concept that BMW mothballed at those price points.
Regards,
OW