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Comments
So true. The upcoming Outback almost looks like a new version of the Subaru Tribeca SUV.
The Audi A6 Allroad is one vehicle that surprisingly did not do too well a few years ago in USA. Audi gave that up and continued sell their Avant wagons.
Yep, though as the NYT article pointed out, Avant sales aren't exactly stellar either. In Europe they offer two Allroads, but I guess they figure for the NA market, the Q SUVs are enough. Can't say I blame them.
As with most posters here, I agree that the older Hondas were better cars than Toyota. I bought my first car, a new 1986 Civic sedan, while my close friend had a Corolla. Mine was clearly a lot more peppy and fun to drive than his. However, after that Honda did not have any interesting products for me to move up with, while Toyota has somehow managed to get its message in my head that its Lexus vehicles are for me.
I think Toyota is more successful because they focused on the meeting the needs of the bigger market.
I've been mulling on that idea for my car needs. I know plenty of people with SUVs and minivans, so perhaps I should call them when I need the large carrying capacity. This way I may end up having more options with my car choices like the upcoming HS or some nifty AWD vehicle like a Nissan GT-R...
Dual Injector
Regards,
OW
Audi is leading the Luxury field. Caddy has tanked and BMW/Merc are no better than Lincoln? Surprising. :surprise:
Regards,
OW
The platform is good. Acura styling? Well, unfortunately there is none...
The big reason that VWAG is one of the few major automakers not in a death spiral is because, ironically, their sales have always sucked in the US market. Since they didn't have a big footprint to begin with, the market collapse has hurt them a lot less than brands like Cadillac or Infiniti, which are almost entirely dependent on the US.
Despite the ire from longtime fans, Subaru's new design-by-focus group approach seems to be paying off. There's no longer anything remotely interesting about a Subaru, which is apparently exactly what the people want.
That's what happens when you get bought by Toyota.
I will miss our '05 Legacy wagon when it kicks the bucket. It's been great vehicle that handles well, gets good fuel economy with AWD and a manual transmission. The pedals are set for heal-n-toe if you so desire. Alas, no more wagon, just a neutered psuedo-SUV with cheezy tires. Its about as interesting and a 2001 Taurus wagon.
In mid July 09 a new 2009 S550 with 4matic and Premium 2 is going to cost someone 97K MSRP minus at least 10K if they can fog a mirror. On the other hand a CPO used 07 S550 with the same options is going to cost around 60K. For the really brave shoppers, 2007 S550's are as low as 42K on Ebay. You wouldn't want to visit some of the "dealers" that have them without a rifle company from the 82nd Airborne, though.
If you were going to buy it and keep it (we wouldn't put more than 10,000 miles a year on it), what would you do? Throw 27K to the wind and get a new one or save the 27K (while this would be a business purchase for me, for some people saving 27K is analgous to saving 40K pre tax).
I lease so I'd always take the new car especially with the attractive deals they have. But on pure purchase, and strictly financially, the CPO is a great deal and hard to pass up. The only issue I'd worry about is what many here have posted - and that is worry about German reliability post 3 years.
But maybe there's a better idea for you. Why not wait 4 months and take that $97K new car for $75K and almost split the difference. Those are the deals that were around on 2008 S class leftovers last year when I took the GL450 (mid November). There certainly hasn't been any real improvement in the lux car economy and manufacturers are still over-building. My friend at the MB dealership said it best (and I'm sure they'd say the same thing at the Lexus dealership), but anyway his quote was "we've lost the buyers that would extend themselves to buy the real high end cars so we are back to dealing only with the the folks that can really afford them - and for them these cars are now cheap". He wasn't referring to the entry levels but he was talking the $60K+ cars.
In some ways the RDX is a clever vehicle... but unfortunately it is waaaay too thirsty for its own good. Gas mileage that is worse than a full-sized pickup truck.
Good luck with the property search. You are looking in a beautiful area. What type of property are you seeking, and how are they pricing out?
TM
I found it a much better driving experience than anything I've been in yet for that vehicle type. I haven't driven the Audi Q5 yet, but just sitting in it on the showroom floor, I'd say the RDX was actually more comfortable, especially in the back seat. Wouldn't be my driver, though, but my wife's. She was equally impressed. Nicely appointed and certainly up to date with gadgetry I think, though I'm no real fan of gizmacci myself.
We have family in Carmel and Pacific Grove - our search includes those communities as well - and we have long considered a move to the area. With prices where they are we consider this the opportune moment to make real estate a primary invest on a number of fronts, eventual retirement planning one of them.
The PB location we like is the upper forest west of 68 and we've looked at anything between $600K-$1.1mil. We've offered on a 3bd on a 1/2 acre that's immediately liveable (and rentable) and still has great upside potential for my skill set down the road. The real aim is to retire in about five years, when the youngest graduates high school, to the area and have a single-level, comfortable and easily maintained home with ambience in spades. I prefer fixer-uppers because of the obvious upside, but much more so because of the potential to make it "right".
PG is still a strong possibility. Carmel a bit less so, mostly because it has changed so much from the days of our youth. It was more engaging as an artist/artisan colony. I think the low water indicator in Carmel was when Sharper Image opened on Ocean!
“Our industry has been especially badly hit by the recession and the premium sector more than others. Jaguar Land Rover’s retail sales fell by 28 percent in the past 10 months,” Chief Executive David Smith said in a statement. ”Ceasing production of the X-Type early, with further redundancies and temporary shutdowns at Halewood, is necessary to protect our other investment plans.”
Jaguar said that it will not close the Halewood plant but will shut it down temporarily for three weeks. The plant employs some 2,200 staff that are also responsible for the production of the Land Rover Freelander.
Jaguar is also in talks with the government for a loan guarantee of 340 million euro ($477.6 million) hand-out from the European Investment Bank. The loan was approved earlier this year.
Source: Reuters
Just more evidence of a failing Jaguar. The loan that was approved is yet another example of the continuation of life-support.
I wouldn't want to be the lender on that one. Some early sales of the new XJ might give Jaguar a temporary boost, as new models typically experience an initial surge in sales immediately following their debut. I don't think the new XJ will have the staying power, however, to rack up impressive sales numbers for any extended period of time.
The X-Type should have been killed and replaced with a more formidable vehicle long ago, IMO. Shame... but, I'm glad to see it go.
TM
TM
Funny, my wife and I came to pretty much the opposite conclusion. We looked at the RDX before deciding to go with the X3. The RDX is (or at least was before it got the beak) not that ugly, and certainly the X3 is no supermodel. But the interior felt extremely cheap, the ergonomics were terrible, and my wife hated the Acura knob system. That combined with the 16mpg from the "efficient" turbo 4, and the manual only passenger seat at the time sealed it. I think it has 4-way power now, but no height adjustment still isn't great.
And I like it! Looks great on the Palm Pre.
Still miss my iPhone... although it can function well as a wireless internet device and iPod... everything except phone service. But, it's not convenient to carry around more than one device, so mostly I just don't bother.
Sprint (and Verizon) has the BlackBerry Tour now... I'm going to check it out next week to make sure it's not better than the Pre, as I am still in my 30 days satisfaction window of time. I think I read that the Tour doesn't support Wi-Fi... and that should be standard nowadays., IMO.
TM
Apple Blocks Palm Pre's iTunes Compatibility
Apple had warned future versions of its software would disable the ability of the Pre to use iTunes to transfer and manage multimedia files.
Apple has dealt a blow to rival Palm by killing the Pre's ability to sync with iTunes for managing multimedia content.
Pre Block
Regards,
OW
A more formidable vehicle based on what? This was always the problem with the X-type. Supposedly a much better X-type was to debut in 2004, but management decided to rush it and the mediocre '02 car was the result. I have a hard time believing that. Ford didn't have an entry-lux RWD platform. That was no different in 2004, it still isn't. The X-type was always going to be a compromised vehicle based on a family sedan.
Everything they make is either based on the Mazda6, the old Volvo S80, the old Lincoln LS, or the European EUCD platform that they use for the Mondeo and the Euro market minivans. There is no BMW 3 series killer in that bunch, and there never has been. The X-type never should've existed in the first place.
You are most likely correct about the XJ. The S, LS and 7 are impenetrable as the standard mainstream full-lux cars, and the A8 and Maserati QP are strong alternative choices to the big three. The XJ is finally competitive power wise with the S-class, but it's just too weird. Other than the Quattroporte, I think buyers of these cars are a conservative lot, and they're going to be put off by the XJ's oddball interior.
Probably the XJ's biggest problem though is I can't see anyone going from a current VP or XJR to the new car. It's a totally different buyer, and I just don't think there are enough out there.
Seems very unlikely. Isn't it just a Bold with a new coat of paint on it? I've never been one for BB, I find the trackball annoying, and I cannot get past the fact that their keyboards require you to shift every time you want to use a period or a comma. The BB web browser also stinks.
Given the more recent, vast improvements in interiors at Caddy, I think we may actually through the 2010 SRX in the mix too. Never cared for the Art & Science look much, but it's more acceptable to me now as automotive styling in general has, by and large, taken a nosedive over the last few years.
Palm has now released its SDK, so I also expect to see some good apps coming to the Pre in the near future.
There are other internet services that can offer music. It hurts Apple more than it does Palm, IMO. Apple allows its iTunes software to exist on non-Apple desktop platforms, but is trying to hurt Palm by placing limitations at the mobile level. It's a contradiction to not allow iTunes on non-Apple products at the mobile level, but allow them at the desktop/notebook/netbook level. It's stupid.
TM
The problem isn't the trackball. The trackball would be great if it was controlling a better phone in general. Also, not every BB has required the shift for the period and comma, but most do, and unfortunately, the Tour is one of them.
Also, I am curious to see if WM 6.5 turns out to be an improvement.
TM
The reviews I've seen on the new SRX have been mixed, but it's worth at least looking at for sure, and the interior is much nicer than both Acura SUVs. Honestly I wouldn't waste your time with the current X3, it's ancient and about to be replaced, and my wife hasn't been enamored with it. The sport suspension isn't livable, and the standard setup has a kind of vagueness to it that isn't great. There is no BMW magic in the steering at all, it's pretty much dead as a doornail. Ours also has very annoying throttle hesitation and that lovely transmission that kicks down gears like a mule. Supposedly that's better in the newer years.
That's very good advice, IMO.
The new upcoming X1 will take over as the entry-level SUV, leaving the X3 to be more like a smaller version of the X5... meaning it should likely be a more luxurious and better-handling vehicle than the one it replaces.
TM
While you and I agree on a lot, I disagree on the Jaguar X. It was a decent car, sold poorly. The late in the game wagon (was it called an "estate"?) would have done well if it had been developed before late in the 8th inning of their game here in the states.
The new XJ faces a hard slog here in New England. The northeast market demands AWD and Jag doesn't have it. In any car. Good strong dealers with product on hand are also nice. There simply aren't any strong dealers left in New England. Moreover, Jag has linked up with Land Rover and since LR sales are way off, the dealers don't even have that to fall back on to fund putting in three of four new XJs on the floor.
Can someone loan them a dime to call Haldex and get AWD coming?
Yeah, it's becoming less and less excusable to not have an AWD option. First it was just the A8, then Mercedes followed with 4matic, and now the 7 and LS have AWD variants as well. Though I would argue that the XF needs it more than the XJ does, since the entire mid-lux segment other than Jag offers AWD.
Your point is well-made, but in as much as AWD is essential to the NE market, consider that if Jaguar offered AWD, in the XF for example, they would never sell enough, given the competition, to dig themselves out of trouble. In other words, even though AWD is a benefit to a limited market, would it even be worth it for Jaguar to offer it? Frankly, I don't think so... unless perhaps they decided to make it the standard equipment drivetrain for every XF (for example)... and I'm not sure that would matter either.
TM
Vorsprung Durch Technik
100 years - not too many automobile companies can claim that distinction, yet alone such an illustrious history. Congratulations!
You, sir, are a man of rare (for the US) and sophisticated tastes. Bravo.
With a new S4 Avant in the mix, I probably would have left the TTS in the showroom, even though I no longer require the extra doors or seats.
TM: Well-priced properties in the areas of PB, PG and Carmel are moving quickly. On the others, I'm observing on-the-market times of over 100 days as a rule. The two on which we have offered are both in excess of 200 days. Many lowballs are finding the mark, but these two sellers are really asleep at the wheel. We're looking to keep things under $800K and have an easy, liveable space for a future primary residence. The beach is out of the question, but the forest is very accessible and in many ways preferable.
I spent today surveying a PB potential fixer-upper to put real remodel plans together and get costs. It is not a keeper, but a flipper. It's a real litterbox right now, but the potential is there, and I would really enjoy a project to execute all by me onesy!
Yeah, unfortunately hot wagons are a tiny niche within a tiny niche, it just makes no sense in this market. It will be interesting to see if the success (or failure) of BMW's GT variants moves Audi to offer the A5 Sportback here.
Color's good too...
My current car hasn't got one - there simply ins't enough roof for one. Suits me to a tee (that much more structural rigidity perhaps). The last four all did, and I think I may have used the feature once a year, when it just struck me as silly to have it and not use it. :confuse:
Uh, I'd have to agree with LG on that. Apple has a nice simple system that's easy to use even for beginners. However it's dictatorship nature is really disturbing. With Windows you can apply different softwares Apple won't accept.
Regardless, I like the looks but the coupe/convertible seems much nicer. Plus it lacks the sleek arrowlike shape of MB's CLS.
And I remember posting some years ago, not so many, that Audi was slowly but firmly overtaking other German brands in Europe, both in technical (AWD) and aesthetical attractiveness, and from A4 to A6 models and variants (high-end lux model buyers belong more to the corporate niche than the particular one). The last resistance was the sporty lux segment, but with Audi's last models Audi is also getting big moment to success in overtaking its rivals as well. BMW still has an aura of good engines and sporty characteristics, but now Bimmers are not the only ones having that aura (see below).
On the other hand, MB was the first brand offering good diesel engines (diesel is a big portion of the sales here, even in the lux categories, as you all know well). Then came Audi and then BMW. Audi's and Bimmers diesel engines are more appreciated than MB diesel engines for the time being.
Though MB is still selling well its C, E and S models, MB technological high-end aura comes from F1 racing winnings and high-end MB sporty models. In the same way Audi technological aura has strongly being helped by its 24 Heures du Mans past winnings. On the contrary, BMW is being beaten in F1 by MB engines, and in WTCC by Seat (which are fully made in Spain but belongs to VW as a brand) in recent seasons including this one.
FIA World Touring Car Championship
Seat Leon Cupra
So this is my "report" written in a thick Saturday early morning. (Pardon me if I could not write more clearly.
Regards,
Jose
Hot hatches and wagons seem like a dying breed in US while thy're living lavishly in Europe....
I wouldn't argue with you. Apple's refusal to allow OS X to be installed on non-Apple hardware really annoys me, since I prefer to build my own. (There are workarounds of questionable legality, but I'd rather not break the law.)
Anyway, hopefully clean diesel sells well in this neck of the globe soon. (late morning here but beautifully ripening day in NJ is unfolding very nicely, indeed.)
Porsche purists will recoil in horror, but desperate times require desperate measures: The German sports carmaker is developing its first-ever diesel. With the gas-electric Cayenne Hybrid delayed until at least 2010 and fuel prices spiraling ever higher, the company needs an interim measure. The obvious answer, for the European market, at least, is a diesel.
It’s not so un-Porsche as you might think. The plan calls for using the 50-state-legal 3.0-liter turbocharged direct-injection V-6 from the forthcoming Audi Q7 3.0 TDI. In U.S. trim, the engine produces 221 horsepower and a very stout 406 pound-feet of torque — notably more torque than the either the direct-injection gasoline V-6 from the base-model Cayenne or the direct-injection gasoline V-8 from the Cayenne S and GTS.
In testing the diesel-powered Q7, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that the engine pulled very much like a gas-fed V-8, with the quick-witted six-speed Tiptronic transmission compensating for narrower rev range of the diesel V-6. It launches the Q7, all 5,100 pounds of it, from zero to 60 in about 8.4 seconds while returning a respectable 25 mpg.
Considering the 3.0 TDI accounts for more than 80 percent of Audi’s Q7 sales in Germany, there’s little doubt Porsche will find homes for the 15,000 diesel Cayennes it plans to build each year, starting with the European market in March. Meanwhile, the Q7 3.0 TDI arrives in North America later this year.
Regards,
OW
The drawback for hybrids and EVs is still the batteries. They are getting better, however, as LI battery packs will be showing up in more numbers. Their efficiency isn't profound yet. LI batteries still take too long to charge and they still generate too much heat, and they still have a limited range, and they use too much energy from "the grid"... the math varies on this, but equations showing 100 mpg equivalents are not necessarily the whole picture and are questionable.
The future generation of batteries will be profoundly better and there will no longer be any question as to their capabilities. They will have the range and will charge quickly... in a reasonable number of minutes. So... that's why I switched from being a total diesel supporter to being a supporter of hybrids (as well as diesel in the short term).
So... IMO, EVs will likely be the future, and hydrogen technology will have a steep ramp to climb to overcome the momentum in the marketplace that EVs will gain. Industry and politics will be on the EV bandwagen as well. Beyond that, well... technology has a way of evolving as well as being wonderfully spontaneous.
In the meantime... I'm still pumping gas. Hmmm.
TM
The US market hasn't been kind to wagons either. BMW appears to be discontinuing its wagons in the US in favor of these new, and rather ugly, 3 and 5 GTs. If the 3 GT is a hit, I could see Audi changing its mind and bringing the A5 Sportback here. It's possible the A5 SB could take sales away from the entry level A6 where there might be some price overlap, but I don't think it will hurt the A7. That's going to be a much bigger and more expensive car, that will probably range from $65-90K. Audi says the A5 SB will be priced at or below the coupe.
Apple does that in order to protect their hardware pricing model. Their computers have the same Intel processors and their notebooks are built by the same Chinese OEMs as everyone else. The only difference is the 50-100% "Apple Tax" one must pay in order to get OSX. Interestingly the first company to openly sell so called "hackintosh" machines is still in business, despite being forced into bankruptcy by Apple lawsuits. Psystar has some guts, I will give them that.
Nice to see you have been enjoying the car..I as you rarely use the sunroof....I wrote to Lexus one time (in a survey) and suggested the sunroof be moved closer to the front windshield....NO response
Exactly right, which is why some of the remarks made by the Apple faithful in the hackintosh discussions in such fora as MacRumors.com sound downright cultish. "Steve knows best what's good for us" pretty much sums them up. They're funny in a disturbing way.
That's funny Jim... but dead on. It looks to me like it's "Steve's way or the highway". I swear some of the Apple faithful could be led off a cliff.
That said, tremendous credit still goes where it is due. But... I do think a little multi-tasking would be a reasonable request for the iPhone... and how 'bout making Flash player available?... it sucks going to websites and seeing nothing except that little cube with the question mark and the message that says you need to install Flash player. No excuse.
TM