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Sort of like saying the new E90 is a better car than the new and upcoming M5 because it's cheaper and more tossable.
It doesn't in the usa. bmw is worried there is no market for it and it will tarnish the image. if it comes here...i think it'll be viewed the same as the tsx - some kind of tweener or bridge to luxury.
the a4 was audi's base until the a3...
Sort of like saying the new E90 is a better car than the new and upcoming M5 because it's cheaper and more tossable.
LOL :P
Whoa frisco, you are truly a TL fanatic, you must have some sort of plan/manifesto when it comes to infiltrating the forums with your TL propagandha.
Anyway, i think it would be safe to say that most if not all in this forum would pick a 5 series, M45, E Class, RL over their "entry level" counterparts given price was not an issue.
The AWD RL ranked second in a 55k sport sedan comparo, beating out the 535i, E320?, GS430, etc.
The TL is a great car without a doubt, but does look strikingly similar to TSX and even a bit like an accord, if youve ever been in the interior of an Accord EX w/ leather youd probably do a double take thinking you were in a TL, Id pick the luxury/performance/exclusivity of an RL over a TL anyday
I'm sure, given your degree of refinement, you know the reference.
You may want to take all those resources you could have spent and. . .
And I prefer the TSX over both. Go figure...
1) 330i 6MT (6.1s, $42k). The best driver's car and the best interior (no idrive was a plus).
2) G35 6MT (5.8s, $34k). The best car if value considered. The best car by the numbers.
3) CTS 3.6 6MT (6.5s, forgot price). The Americans are catching up real fast.
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BTW, R&T had separate tests of the 330i 6MT and the A4 2.0T 6MT. The praised both effusively. Their numbers were:
330i 6MT: (6.2s)
A4 2.0T 6MT: (6.4s)
I wonder about that, because my e36 is rated at 189 hp, but friends who have pretty fast cars don't believe it. I drove the e90 330, and it feels fast, but it doesn't feel to me as if it has 65 more hp.
dave
If you've read the car mag "hop up" articles over the years, you know it takes a significant hp jump to produce noticeable acceleration improvements. That's why I'm always amused when someone claims they can feel the difference when they install a K&N air filter. No way one can feel a 5-10hp increase in a 200+ hp engine.
Of course, there's a lot of factors: torque@rpm, weight, gearing, etc.
dave
It is describing the cars, not the drivers. If you have so much problem about it, need to ask yourself why
Walton the W-Mart founder drove an old pickup. He didn't need to put "affordability" into words, he didn't worry about it.
BTW, objectively, an average one can "afford" a car means the cost of the car is about x% of his overall asset. That x can vary by person, can be 0.00001 for Walton, but better don't be over 30.
Car doesn't make a person, to make it short.
If you mean gear ratios, I think the G35 gearing is pretty short. Driving on the freeway at 80 mph (my usual highway cruise speed) in sixth gear you get 2.5 - 3 k rpms. I can even drive at 40 mph in sixth gear on a relatively flat road without having the engine complain.
I kind of wished 6th gear was taller so I could get better gas mileage cruising on the freeway. Oh well. Of course this shorter gearing is better for performance because you can use more gears when accelerating. Also a shorter sixth gear means you dont have to shift down if you want to pass some one on the freeeway. So I think this is a better choice after all.
But the G is definately not one of those german cars with a super tall sixth gear made for cruising at 100 mph.
but that's precisely WHY I buy a manual. I want to shift! VW and Mazda think along those "you need passing power in top gear" lines too and it makes me crazy mad because then I get lousy mileage on road trips in their cars.
Give me a really, really tall 6th. If at 80 I still need more power to pass, I'll fall back to 4th and take off. I still get over 30 mpg running 85-90 all day in my BMW but I still wish the car's 6th gear was even taller.
I bought a manual to control the car...:D
But as I said above there is a bright side -- more shifting fun at lower speeds.
I'm sure their engineers decided more oomph when you mash the pedal down would sell more cars than an extra 2-3 mpg.
Personally, <30mpg highway & <20 city will make me move on, but i know i'm not like most americans.
A1 service on Wednesday. I've asked dealer to investigate the intermittent disappearing temperature/memory settings and a rattle when the sunroof is in the "vent" position. That's it so far.
'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...)
Then you should probably go for the audi A4 2l turbo. Its mileage is pretty damn good for a 200hp car. I almost got it, but in the end could not resist the performance of the g35.
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Greetings! I'm a former owner of a '00 ES300 and '02 ES300. I *absolutely* loved the prestige of driving a Lexus. The color combo of the '00 was graphite/black and the '02 was gold/cream. I definitely prefer the black interior and I have quite honestly been spoiled with the luxury convenience features like heated seats, passenger control climate, moonroof, speed controlled volume, etc. The '02 had a Nav system, rain sensor wipers, and more bells and whistles than I could imagine but the radical change in body style reminded me too much of a Camry and I would prefer s distinct style in my vehicle. (I actually walked up to a Camry on several occasions thinking it was mine).
So now I'm looking at the '02 or '03 GS430 (I like the luxury sport sedan combo), the '04 G35 and the '04 or '05 Acura TL. I'm hearing great things about the Nav system in the TL which is not a need but a definite desire. Some of the things that I have not experienced but would like to have are:
-Bluetooth capability (I didn't have a Bluetooth capable phone when I had the '02)
-Steering wheel controls for radio/cd
-DVD/CD Player
-Voice commands for Nav
-Traffic guidance for Nav
(I hear these last 2 items are features of the TL's nav system)
Oh and my price range is low 30's. Yes, I know I want the world. (But what's a single female with no children to do these days besides splurge on herself before she's unable to do so?) I'm not sure I want to give up driving a Lex but I just might have to. Any thoughts?
I would also say that the a4 doesn't *feel* like a 200 hp car, at least not to me. It *feels* darn strong.
Fortunately, there are several choices for good mileage and good power: a4, tl, 330, s40t5, 9-3.
Test drive a TL, and gun it on the freeway. Plus the TL has lots of lux going for it. :P
Hmm, so much for prestige if you're mistaking your own car for a Camry.
So now I'm looking at the '02 or '03 GS430 (I like the luxury sport sedan combo), the '04 G35 and the '04 or '05 Acura TL. I'm hearing great things about the Nav system in the TL which is not a need but a definite desire. Some of the things that I have not experienced but would like to have are:
Acura hands down has the best navi system. It makes the equivalent items in infiniti/bmw/lexus look like tinker toys.
-Bluetooth capability (I didn't have a Bluetooth capable phone when I had the '02)
-Steering wheel controls for radio/cd
common in acura. steering wheel controls are in the g but no bluetooth.
-DVD/CD Player
To watch? If that's what you mean it'll be aftermarket.
-Voice commands for Nav
Acura.
-Traffic guidance for Nav
05/06 Acura RL is the only one I know of with this feature.
Oh and my price range is low 30's.
Acura TL. done. Go find one, drive it and if you like it buy it. Acura TSX offers most of the same features for much less - under 30k. Better car imho too.
The TSX is a good car. But it's nothing like a BMW. Better tranny, better workmanship than a 3 by a long shot. But also less powerful, rides too high, has a 4 cylinder and it's got power going to the wrong wheels.
If i had to spend 26k on a car, the TSX is a strong contender. If I've got 35k, the 330i wins without a fight.
Hm. If you mean the 330i with the sport package, then maybe. It has 18 inch rims. Otherwise, i don't think the 3 is harsher than the TL.
1. RIDE QUALITY. As far as ride quality, I'd guess you prefer a cushier, luxurious ride to a sporty, tight ride. The used GS430 your considering would probably have the best ride, but with all the high-tech features you want, the TL would probably be a good compromise between comfort, price and features. The G35 has the most sporty, probably least forgiving ride of the 3. (GS 1; TL 0; G35 -1)
2. STATUS. I think Acura has the least status among Lexus, Infiniti and Acura. I think Lexus is #1 of those 3, so the GS has it here, too. (GS 2; TL -1; G35 -1)
3. FEATURES. The used GS isn't going to be the most technologically advanced. Of the 3 cars you might be considering, the TL has it hands down, with all the features you mentioned except for traffic navigation (only in the RL & maybe the Infiniti M) and a video player. You'll also have to say goodbye to rain-sensing wipers (something I sorely miss from my last car). The voice-recognition of the TL's nav and its integration with climate control and the radio is utterly amazing!!! I cannot understate this (you can be driving and just verbally tell the car to change the temp, pass temp only, direct air through particular vents, etc. You can scroll through your presets, and when there's nothing on the radio, direct the cd player to play any particular track on any particular disc - it's awesome!!!!). As an aside, the Infiniti M, which is out of your price range and might be too rough a ride, has the best technological features of any car I know. If it came with a manual transmission, it'd be my dream car. Another bonus to the TLs nav is that it's a touch-screen, which makes entering info manually much easier than otherwise, and you can enter info while in motion. My parents Lexus does not allow this. I don't know about the G35s nav, but, in general, I think the G35 is the least technically advanced of the 3, but a new G would have it over an onlder Lexus, I think. (GS 1; TL 0; G35 -1)
PRICE. I'm not checking the classifieds for you, but I know that to get all the tech features you want, it'll add much more to the GS, since it'll probably need to be aftermarket, if it can be done at all, and it'll cost the least extra on the TL b/c it's all included, except the nav, which is pretty common. Depending on the changes made on the '06 models, you might be willing to save even more $$$ by buying a used TL or G35. (GS 0; TL 1; G35 -1)
Anyway, my scoring has the TL ontop (no surprise - it's what I drive), but disregarding the scoring for a sec, you need to discount the BMW & G35 b/c they value sportiness over luxury, and you seem to prefer luxury. The GS has it in luxurious ride and prestige; the TL has it in technology. I think your choice comes down to those two, and will depend on which you value more.
PS - I think a guy will be more impressed by a TL than a GS. As a single gal, that might play into things a bit.
Comparing these highly tuned machines is not an indicator of which is faster. Each car has weight added (or taken out) based on how well they did in the previous race. If you win two races in a row, you get weight added each time. They intentionally try to level the field to make it competitive for the fans.
Front wheel drive or rear wheel drive is a personal preferance, but more people who like to drive spiritedly choose rear wheel drive (and a manual transmission). The current issue of Automobile Magazine compares what they call the best sports sedans from three continents. They selected the Cadillac CTV from the US, the BMW 330i from Europe, and the Infiniti G35 from Asia. They made a point about leaving out a very good Acura TL, because it was not rear wheel drive and therefore not a "true sports sedan". I've owned alot of cars over the years, including a number of front wheel drive models. Nothing could touch my two Miatas for handling (the Miata has 6 consecutive national championships in autocross). I currently drive a 2005 Infiniti G35 6 speed and a 2002 BMW Z3 3.0i 5 speed roadster. Rear wheel drive has a different feel to it. You either like it or you don't.