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Tagman, if some folks are miserable, don't let them drag you with them.
You, I and others are quite secure in our knowledge that nothing out there compares to the great German machines produced by Porsche, BMW, Audi and Mercedes Benz.
The provocators should be ignored. Now let's get back to talking about those great German vehicles!
Did your BMW buddy at the dealership give you an ETA on the '08?
Regarding your advice... Thanks, understood and appreciated.
TM
Most likely the appearance package would be a waste of $$, unless it looks incredible, that is. I actually wouldn't order the full package with the sportier suspension, because I understand it makes the ride too rough.
TagMan
The factory has already re-tooled for the 2008 X3s. BMW dealerships are taking no new orders for 2007 X3s. The pricing schedule for the new X3 will be out in a couple of days.
Since it usually takes 4-6 weeks from factory build to dealership, I figure by mid-September the 2008 X3s should be making an appearance. As soon as I find out my dealer has one for me to drive, I will shoot on down there. If I do decide on an X3, most likely it will be the 2008, which is why I am so eager to drive it.
2. Ambient lighting package, matches the interior lighting of 3 Series vehicles.
3. HD radio as a stand alone option.
Comments: The X3 does not need running boards. The step-in is easy. They will only dirty one's pants.
The colors are exactly the same as the 2007, which is fine with me.
I am quite happy that the X3 doesn't have the awful blindspots to the rear sides and direct rear that most SUVs have.
TagMan
.........................1983........2006
Toyota...................26.........23.8
General Motors......19.6.......20.5
Ford.....................19.5.......19.7
DaimlerChrysler*.....22.........19.1
Honda...................30.........24.2
Nissan..................27.........20.5
Why? The addition of trucks and SUVs, which are the most profitable vehicles. And, to prove that point, Toyota, even with its hybrid technology, has now joined GM, Ford and Chrylser in the fight against the recent government attempts to raise the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards. Just imagine Toyota doing THAT!!
link title
TagMan
TM
Even with a $90K sticker, $4K is quite a bit. Lincoln and Jag usually fight for the industry's biggest incentives prize, which rarely goes much above $7K. Contrast that with Porsche, who also has $90K cars, and will take maybe $150 off.
My wife averages around 22mpg with her X3, which isn't amazing but it is better than the RX300 which never made it above 18mpg. The X3's direct rivals are far worse, 16mpg for the RDX and 14mpg for the LR2, which is pretty inexcusable. That's what full-size, 2.5 ton SUVs get.
Heck, my 500hp SRT-8 JGC gets roughly 15mpg. And it runs rings around just about anything out there.
Ford to recall 3.6 million vehicles
Reuters |
August 3, 2007 - 5:10 pm
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Ford Motor Co. is recalling as many as 3.6 million vehicles because a switch that deactivates the speed control can overheat, smoke or burn, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said today.
The agency said in a notice that the switch problem could result in a fire under the hood.
The Ford vehicles involved include trucks, cars and SUVs with model years ranging from 1992 to 2004, depending on the particular vehicle.
My goodness, Ford's future looks dim enough, and to get this kind of publicity can't help matters any. :sick:
TagMan
Just so I am clear, I understand how you could have been offended and I apologize for that. Certainly I do not believe you made an intentional mistake. I had no malice in my heart when making those posts nor do I have any now. In my mind it was no more than a spirited debate. My bad.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
The error was in citing from unrealible source. The post was quite intentional, not typographical error at all.
That begs the question, why was it then later claimed to be a typo when the the number was called into question? It clearly wasn't a typo. For what it's worth, I make typos all the time. On top of that I make errors about facts too (remember that chemistry mix-up I had a few weeks ago?). Let's be honest about which is which. It's not a grave sin to make mistakes; we are all human. Covering up mistakes unnecessarily is what makes life tedius. My 16-month old is reluctant to speak because she is afraid of making mistakes (she talks through a bastardized version of American Sign language as it is much simpler); we all know that's just silly.
regarding that typo-- I take no offence whatsoever regarding all the posts that they triggered.
I purposely used icons to express my views on sales growth for both Toyota and Lexus with the intention of tweaking some noses and not necessarily offending anyone.
So lets move on......... to bigger and better debates.
And yup I am guilty as sin. :shades:
Those German fella's seem to be a little overbearing about their preferences.
So much for debating bigger and better things. Now we got a historian here interpreting certain posts in a very unique way and providing character analyses (or should I say insults) of people who like German cars better than Lexuses. :surprise:
Anyways congratulations for your two new autos. Great choice and I am sure both you and your wife will love those Lexuses.
http://www.bmwgroup.com/bmwgroup_prod/e/0_0_www_bmwgroup_com/investor_relations/- - - - - - - finanzberichte/zwischenberichte/2007/0607/_pdf/BMWGroup_Q2_online.pdf
On page2, we have:
Revenue up by 11% compared to same period a year ago;
yet Operating cash flow down by a whopping 38%!!!
As you correctly stated a couple weeks ago, if a company cooks books, it shows up in cash flows. There's our big flashing red light. If it's just a currency exchange problem shouldn't revenue and operating cash flow be in lock steps? both being affected by exchange rate fluctuations the same way. Book cooking is what's causing the vast divergence between the two.
Then on Page 18, we have the explanation for which black hole the cash flow disappeared into:
Net Assets
The balance sheet total of BMW group increased by euro 6,671 million or 8.4% compared to 31 December 2006. Adjusted for chagnes in exchange rates, the balance sheet total would have increased by 9.1%. The main reason for this increase on the asset side of the balance sheet were leased-out products (+16.7%), inventories (+26.9%) and re-ceivables from sales financing (+8.3%).
In other words, the company's cash flow is disappearing into piles of unsold and partially unsold (i.e. leased) cars as the company indulges in financial wizardry chalking up leased cars for revenue and profit when in reality the car is less than half sold, as the residual is more than half the car's nominal sale price.
BMW has cash flow woes?
Do you even know what cash flow woes are?
Haven't we discussed these 06 results many times over and over again in this forum?
If it makes you happy to think that BMW has cash flow woes so be it.
So to end this tedious discussion why dont I just say what you said in prior posts:
Yes BMW has cash flow woes. BMW is in very serious financial trouble like Enron was. And it is doomed.
There are you happy.
Have a nice day.
That's an interesting take on the data... however, the primary focus is the disappointment with Toyota's participation and support with the "Detroit 3" to block the higher CAFE legislation that is in the works.
It goes to show that Toyota is really just like them... and is looking after itself in order to manufacturer and sell more gas hogs in the form of bigg SUVs and trucks.
This shows the two-face nature of Toyota,and it's just more proof that Honda is the genuine "green" Japanese company. Afterall, Toyota doesn't make the same profit on the hybrids. On the surface their hybrids make them look "green", but in those smoke-filled back rooms Toyota has been aggressively lobbying for gas guzzlers.
TagMan
Toyota has shown its true colors by lobbying for gas guzzlers. I'm not judging it, but I'm not ignoring it either.
TagMan
TM
Come on, let's stop the spin for a moment. Honda doesn't offer any full size trucks. Toyota is a full line manufacturer. If you want to spin "lobbying for gas guzzlers," I'd label Toyota "championing for American freedom." :-)
Congrats on the LS. At some point I'm going to have to retire my 430, and I will probably go in that direction as well. Heart says Quattroporte, but head says LS460, and the head usually wins those arguments. In any case, I'd much rather drive a Gran Turismo than a QP. 12mpg is a bit easier to swallow if its a weekend car, rather than a daily driver.
Automobile in their current issue (September, 07) has a quick preliminary review ("Driven") of the 2008 XC70 by Don Sherman. In a word, the car sounds awful at a time when this segment is getting more and more competitive. While the HP is up from 208 to 235HP, the performance is unchanged at best because the weight is up 400 pounds. While 4.2" longer, the cargo room in the back went from 37 cubic feet down to 33. The car is still directs 95% of the power to the front wheels in the dry. Gee, lets review: heavier, no faster, holds less, still FWD, ...This is progress??
So, who will benefit? Suburu and now Saab with its smaller AWD 9-3 wagon for sure at the bottom end. But maybe also Audi with their good looking Avant.
Is anyone home at Ford?
The highly-touted MDX is even worse-big slope of the "floor" from front to rear!
I'm not totally satisfied with any of BMW's offerings out there right now. The 335i is too small coming from a 5'er and the 535i reviews have been less than ecstatic. The X3 didn't pass the crash test. I would never drive a BMW that didn't. I have about 10 months to make a decision.
Like I said, I will float an offer of $30k at BMWFS in May for the 545i. This comfortable, powerful car has behaved flawlessly and I don't see anything better out there. Low miles too!
I hope you and jcoby will stick around for a while to make these discussions a little less one sided. Your help and support is appreciated.
Dewey, thanks for your reply and understanding. I am looking forward to future discussions.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
235hp simply does not cut it in a midsize luxury car, not when Toyotas, Nissans and even Hyundais have 270hp. Volvo should drop the NA 3.2 entirely, and use the turbo version as the entry-level engine on their cars. That still wouldn't be enough to catch the 300hp+ Infiniti, Lexus, BMW, or Cadillac engines, but it would be better than Audi's 3.1 and competitive with Merc's 3.5.
“I have modern lead-acid batteries in the car now, but I can still run the original Edison batteries,” Mr. Leno said. “You can just rinse them out, replace the electrolyte, and they’re ready to go. They still work fine, after almost a hundred years.”
“It’ll go for about four or five hours on a single charge, at about 20 to 25 miles an hour. Its range is about 110 miles, just about what most electric cars made these days will do. So we really haven’t come very far in a hundred years."
Link
Moreover, I can imagine myself having a ride in it and raising my hat in order to greet passing-by people! (Quatro Porte and Gran Turismo may do the job as well.)
Apart from its being at the electric forefront, this car is appealing by its neat interior/exterior aspect. Near my home there is a RR museum plenty of old master pieces. One can spent hours looking at the robust mechanics and the silky interiors.
Jose
Gone for a driving week-end.
Of course the article doesn't mention that it produced about two horsepower. Weighing close to half a ton, I have to assume that acceleration on the way to the top speed of 20mph was a bit leisurely.
What an elegant automobile! I can almost see Jose tipping his hat to the ladies as he stately motors by.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460