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I spotted a NEW (insert make/model) today!

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  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    For me, those vehicles make the image no matter who drives them.

    Always amused me that wannabe gangsta rappaz, vacuous affluent housewives, and aging WASP men like the same vehicles.

    And on the new car subject...in this economy I notice a lot less newer versions of those things than I used to spot. Maybe one good thing about these slow times.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    That's probably more of a problem in Van than most places on the continent, with the abundance of transplanted, suspicious, and often irresponsible wealth. I see things there that are never seen to the south.
  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    Hmmm. Should I consider myself lucky for driving in a sea of BMWs, Mercedeses, and new Porsches among other things, or unlucky because I'm not the one driving them :cry:

    Heck, I see a Porsche Cayennes and BMW X6s probably 4 to 5 times a day. It would be more if I'd poke my head out of my showroom more often. And this isn't even in down town or any affluent area.

    Last cool sighting was a new S Class with what appeared to be a full on Lorinser treatment. The wheels looked very sharp.

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Where's the mob with pitchforks and guillotines when they are needed

    If for nothing other than to rescue beautiful cars like the S63 from neglectful rich slobs. I bet most of the surviving classic luxury cars out there belonged to original owners who were true auto enthusiasts or second owners of more modest means who appreciated them - not status-seeking overpaid fat slobs whose only notable trait is having been born with the right last name.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    It's exactly the same in the boom-burb where I live. I see high end everything all the time - I am desensitized to it. Sometimes it hard to turn a corner without seeing a late model Range Rover/Cayenne/GL-G/X5 (X6 isn't so big here for some reason) etc. It is kind of cool in that one gets to see new models pretty quickly after introduction.

    Around here my old W210 is probably seen as old and worthless by the trust-funder cowards and other posers...but that's fine with me. Real enthusiasts know better.

    I saw some kind of tricked out W211 on my way home tonight...lowered looking, big wheels, silver and spotless...but I don't think it was an AMG car.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    I have a feeling the original owner of my E55 was that way. It had low mileage, sold just out of warranty. It was spotless inside, but showed some careless ownership outside, that I corrected over a period of months. No window sticker or important records were kept, and the jerk lost the spare key. The dealer told me the guy came in and bought a new LS (this is when the new style just came out) for cash. I bet that harsh suspension wore him out, and he needed some isolation :shades: The car certainly gets more love now than it did the first half of its life.

    A spotless older model gets more respect from me than a neglected new car being driven for attention. That works for all makes.
  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    Spotted a new Panamera in Silver.

    Um no thanks. :sick:
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Your blue fintail, (what year is it again? I keep thinking 1965) would attract more attention than a slovenly new S63. There's a lady in my neighborhood who drives an early 1980s W126 that looks spotless. When I traded my 2002 Cadillac Seville STS, I had provided a thick binder with all the service records going all the way back to the day I purchased it. I hope somebody who really appreciates the car bought it.

    Per new car spotting, I spotted a new dark gray Challenger Hemi across from the neighborhood post office on Rising Sun Avenue this morning.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    The fintail is a special case...it gets attention like a Ferrari would (it's a 64). I've had someone follow me in it to ask me questions...and almost every time I drive it I get a wave or a thumbs up, and people will often compliment it in a parking lot or gas station. I do keep it spotless, and it is a perfect period color...that helps.

    When I sold my W126 I wanted it to go to a good home, and I made sure it went to someone who knew MB and would keep it maintained. I have no doubts it is still on the road. Those cars will always turn my head. A pristine W126 has as much class as any new car.

    I think I actually saw a Panamera this morning too. It was still pretty dark and it was at a slight distance, but I saw something with that big and weird shape.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    Quite a few new cars today...saw a new 5er, E63, various new normal Es (at the MB dealer), a couple of S400 hybrids (one loaded sticker at 110K!), Panamera, Accord Crosstour, and the big new Subaru sedan.
  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    Yeah I saw a new Legacy Wagon today, not sure if it was an Outback or not, but it looked huge, like a mid size SUV, not just a jacked up wagon anymore.

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    I think Subaru might get a little too big and SUV-ish...they'd better be careful.

    The Crosstour is also even more bland and pointless looking in person than in pics. Sure beats the cool Euro Accord wagon, right :sick: ZDX will be just as awesome, can't wait to see one of those.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,733
    I think Subaru might get a little too big and SUV-ish...they'd better be careful.

    They already crossed that line, IMHO. :sick:
    The new outback is only an inch shorter (height) than a Murano. So much for being a station wagon.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    Saw a Kia Forte today...on a local Enterprise lot.
  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    but 2 Crosstours on Saturday, both in the same read that has been shown in photographs. Compare to the 30 odd Venzas I saw as well that afternoon and it'll be interesting to see if Honda can crack that market.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Folks, Outback sales were up 142% last month. :surprise:

    They actually ran out of 3.6R models with Navi. 6-8 week wait for those via factory order.

    They're big, sure, but Subaru is building exactly what Americans want.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,733
    They're big, sure, but Subaru is building exactly what Americans want.

    Oh, I'm sure they are.

    But they never did before, so why start now? :P
    I assume they've decided that being "niche" is not enough. Took them quite some time to come to that realization, though.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    :D

    LOL!

    Apparently US buyers did not want compact, manual transmission-ed, station wagons.

    So this is what we get instead.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    Bloated lookalike wannabe-SUVs. Awesome! ;) :shades:
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    New car in the garage of my apartment building - white Challenger R/T, weird stripes on the front fenders. I do not really care for this car. It's just so big. I'd rather have a Camaro if I was going for that kind of thing, I think.

    I also saw a new CL65 AMG, the V12 model...all I can say is whoa. I'd take it.
  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    it'll be interesting to see if Honda can crack that market.

    Not with the Crosstour they won't. The Venza is so much more stylish. It can totally pass off as a Lexus just with a different badge.

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Problem is if you asked enthusiasts like us to build a car, you'd end up with a diesel-only 6 speed manual sporty compact wagon that 3 of us would buy and love, but the public wouldn't go anywhere near.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I went to check out the Crosstour...31" between the wheel wells, more than a foot more narrow than the Outback's cargo area.

    Blind spots were bad, except backing up.

    Price is a couple grand higher, and that Honda dealer was out of brochures already.

    I'm not sure how many people will actually buy them, but they get a ton of traffic from Accord shoppers so it will probably still sell well.
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Now take the profits from those sales and build a couple of neat midsized to compact wagons with manuals. You won't get a lot of sales but you would be the only company building them so you would get a few more sales.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    That will tell us what Subaru is all about today...what it does with the profits from these overgrown things.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Let's be fair - they still make the WRX with a manual, not to mention the Impreza and Outback Sport 5 doors, also with manuals.

    And the Legacy GT is among the sportiest in the mainstream large sedan class.

    Too bad they don't sell the Legacy wagon here. They do in other markets.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    That new Legacy just looks too big to me. That and it resembles an Accord to my eyes. So now it's an Accord with AWD... I hope that isn't Subaru's product differentiation plan.

    It seems the NA market is where one can find all of the heavy and kind of dumbed down products. Shocking. Other markets also get diesel models...a "new" car one will probably never see on this side of the pond.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,733
    The Legacy is now 3500 lbs! No thanks.

    A compact manual diesel wagon? Hey, Juice, are you reading my diary?! :mad:

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Actually the diesel is supposed to come. I think it would pair up well with the mission of a Forester or Outback.
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Yup like Porsche. They took a good junk of the profits from the pepper and made the Cayman which is an awesome car. Too bad they took the rest of the profits and tried to pull an, "all your car companies are belong to us," and pretty much bankrupted they company.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    ...dark maroon Hyundai Genesis on Grant Avenue near Clark Street in NE Philly. This is only the second one I've seen in over a year. They are still quite scarce around here.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    Wasn't a Honda diesel supposed to come too? I haven't spotted one yet.

    In Europe, Switzerland especially, I saw several Foresters - all of them diesel. However, I have to wonder if this new SUV-ish model might be too big for the continental market. It wouldn't be cool if Subaru developed like Honda, with better or more sensibly sized cars available on the Euro market.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    Yes, Porsche managed the Cayenne right...sold to a certain target market, but put the money back into real cars. Normal Porsches are as good as ever today...a testament to good intentions.

    German megalomaniacal automotive management is amusing...it goes back at least to the time when MB tried to take over BMW 50 years ago.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Foresters are still very compact - shorter overall than a Chevy Cobalt coupe.

    I guess in Europe it may be considered a mid-size, but not large.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    But wider and taller, yes? It sure looks like a little tank, compared to the more petite looking old model.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Well, I feel qualified to comment since I owned the original (1998 model) for 9 years and we now have a 2009.

    It is a lot taller, but that doesn't make it any harder to park.

    It's a little wider but still feels small compared to the Sienna we also own.

    The best part is that the turning circle is actually tighter, despite a much longer wheelbase. So it's easier to manuever and park. Visibility is excellent on both, with narrow pillars and acres of glass.

    Overall I think the 09 is just as suited to Europe's small spaces as my '98 was.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    I guess we will see how the market there reacts to an obviously Americanized product. You are probably right in that it probably won't matter, as Subie is a much more niche player there even than it is here.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It did get biggie-sized, but the Forester didn't get big the same way the Outback did. It's still lighter and smaller than most of its primary competition.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    And if anything, maybe Euro customers put off by the gigantic Outback will move to the Forester. I think the brand does develop loyalty. The Outback at least looks bigger than the Forester now.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I think the brand does develop loyalty

    Big time, per RL Polk Subaru is the #1 mainstream brand, Forester is the #1 compact utility, and Outback is the #1 mid-size utility for owner loyalty.

    We're on our 3rd Subaru. :shades:
  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    Outback and Impreza here, would buy another one (for the wife at least) in a heartbeat. Me, I'm waiting for an X/T, manual version of either and Outback, legacy wagon or Forester .
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    They teased us with the Forester XTi concept, but I expect a tamer Sports XT model like the last gen had.
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    I think German megalomaniac tendencies extends to a lot more then just automotive management. That has just been the easiest way for German to express their megalomaniac tendencies lately.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    ...new white Ford Taurus Limited on Terwood Road outside Bethayres, PA.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,733
    But yesterday I saw a new '10 Mazdaspeed3 in the wild. I was driving in front of it, so got a good look at the grille/hood. It is more attractive than I thought it would be. I liked it.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    I've seen a couple CTS wagons in the past week, and today I saw a Ferrari 458 Italia (!) out in the rain. Not the most gorgeous styling, but it sounded amazing.
  • ghuletghulet Member Posts: 2,564
    Today, I saw a new Lexus HS 10 hybrid (the smallish sedan), in an interesting, if unusual for Lexus, cranberry color. First one I've seen 'in person'; Nice looking car, and not something I'd expect to see in my neighborhoood. I suspect it belongs to someone in considerably-fancier Bucktown (the neighborhood about two miles east of me) rather than someone in Humboldt Park.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    I've seen a few Equinox in the past week...either they are selling or the local rental fleets have replaced their Libertys.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I've seen a bunch also. I like them.

    If nothing else, give the Equinox the "Most Improved Player" award for this re-do, especially going from a 3400 pushrod made in China to a pair of Direct Injection engines with class leading EPA numbers.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,409
    If there was such an award, that one would have to be the winner for this year. It has to be related to the previous model only by name. Not my kind of vehicle, but it appears to be a viable competitor now.

    WTH was GM thinking by putting that hoary Chinese lump in that thing, anyway? Was it not a cheap enough feeling thing to begin with? "Let's dumb it down a notch"...terrific!
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