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Best Regards,
Shipo
Are you saying you would like to see a trend to more driver involvement and driver situational awareness?
Blasphemy! hehehe
I'd like to see that too. When I offroad, while and automatic would make things easier when crawling over obstacles, I prefer the interaction of 3 pedals and 1 hand on the gear lever and hand throttle.
Spirited driving should always be done with the squishy stuff between the ears in control, not the hard-wired computer and software.
-Paul
What do you do. I recently read a quote by Michael Schumacher that he would prefer to go back to a 3 pedal set up in his F1 car. Auto trannies are the opiate of the masses.
Mark, the new Q7 is gorgeous
But, no manual.
The issue or AN issue must have something to do with age. I am 54. I learned to drive a VW "bug" my dad had a second car a Plymouth Valiant with a "slant 6" and "three on the tree," and when he moved up to a Plymouth 318 V8 Satellite I graduated from the VW to the Valiant -- so I cut my teeth on stick shifts.
The "fancy" or lux cars (American of course) of the day were all and always automatics (which was funny since they all came with sticks but never were ordered with them unless they were for police use.)
As time has passed, I think it is safe to say that some under 40 have never driven anything but autos, the number increases when the age drops to 30 and increases again when you go under 25 year olds.
The wash techs at the local full service car washes here in River City DO NOT, CAN NOT, WILL NOT drive a stick shift car -- most of them are young men, probably under 25.
Usually if I take my wife's X3 to one of these places the wash pro has to get the manager to put the car into the wash tunnel.
If you were selling cars, why would you fight the customer who wouldn't even try a stick?
Imagine the effort required first to convince the noobie to drive a stick (grind, grind, stall, stammer) and then somehow make this new stick driver think that this is more fun, provides better performance, economy and control and hence can lead to more safety.
Tough sell.
Some people won't eat a certain food since it "looks like it tastes bad," but if you ever get them to try it sometimes they love it.
My secretary wouldn't eat lobsters cause they look icky.
I bought her a lobster tail and got rid of the shell -- ta da she loves lobster.
More's the pity, more's the pity.
Sticks are kinda, sorta, like, well, er. . .similar.
Tough sell. :surprise:
I love the Q7- but she doesn't want the Q7. She's going for something more "sophisticated".
We also don't want three Audis in the household (I already own an S4 Cabriolet and an A3 for winter) because that would be extremely creepy. (And both of the Audis we already own are blue!)
I'm thinking of Mercedes-Benz, and she would like an E-Class. My son also recommends the CLS.
Any thoughts, and any cars besides a BMW that you can recommend (I like one, but wouldn't want to own one)?
1) Lexus 139
2) Porsche 149
3) Lincoln 151
4) Buick 163
5) Cadillac 175
6) Infiniti 178
7) Toyota 194
8) Mercury 195
9) Honda 201
10) Acura 203
It's surprising how well the American brands fared, actually beating out Toyota and Honda.
Perhaps the owners aren't as critical of their vehicles.
I will attempt to present them unfiltered:
American cars have relatively few quality problems. They are currently in terms of build quality competitive. The Japanese saved the American Automobile Manufacturers and improved the quality of American made cars to the point that quality issues are not significant issues in the consumer's minds.
However, what is significant is "the products" themselves.
American car manufacturers build too many similar cars and still too many cars that while being of good to very good quality are not as desirable as the competition's.
Content configurations and current technology are also issues cited.
A new Northstar V8 equipped Buick Lucerne other than the "blue hair" factor (I represent that remark) has a four speed automatic. "Five speeds are expected," it is claimed. I have no way of knowing if this is true.
I do know that the car magazines really beat up GM for their old tech transmissions. Chrysler at least can use the 5spd from their sibling Mercedes. What does Ford use predominanty? Four speeds too?
I don't know, for certain, if this is part and parcel of what they were pontificating about, but we have been using a 2006 Trailblazer for a week while my wife's BMW is in the Body Shop for a door ding (right on the crease in the metal -- $600+ ouch!!!) -- this Chevy @ 9,000 miles on the OD and a stippie to boot is a decent car and feels as solid and quiet as anything I've been in regardless of where it is built.
I don't know if I would want one -- but I do know it seems very well made. It just seems to be really, uh, bland.
Way more bland than even the Lexus cars that are so reviewed as "too perfect" or "so perfect they are unengaging."
This Trailblazer makes a nap seem exciting, if you get my drift.
:confuse:
Thats a pretty sweeping statement, and for the most part, not really true. Buick and Lincoln are generally reliable. The rest of detroit iron.. not so much. Why do Buick and Lincoln have it together? I think its a combination of using the oldest parts GM and Ford have in their inventories, combined with owners that are VERY gentle on their cars.
There have recently been some interesting questions raised about the reliability of the reliability statistics themselves. The JD Power stats do not always agree with the Consumers Reports stats, for example, and the real questions are "why" and "are EITHER of them correct?" I think that, like MANY STATISTICS, they should be taken with a grain of salt. They are an indication only, and not an authoritative final analysis.
Many statistics are only as good as the method in which they are compiled and the method in which they are represented, as they can often be manipulated either at the point of compilation or the point of representation.
Further, even if the reliability statistics are only to be used as a general guide, they do point out that the differences between some of the models are rather small and not as significant as some would have us believe. It's not so black and white as to say that since Lexus represents the most reliable vehicle, for example, that all the others are not a good choice. This is Lexus marketing . . . as they would have us believe that . . . and why not, if it's to their advantage.
So, what then is the reason for the different results from different studies? The reason is that the compilation method is different. The surveys are conducted utilizing different methods of gathering data, and often actual service records are not utilized, but a car owner's "opinions" are recorded, and that becomes the record. Also, there are issues of "money" in these surveys. For example, who is paid for the survey, or who is rewarded for the result of the survey, and can the survey be used in marketing for a price?
Further, there are the implications from voluntary recalls. What a shame it is to penalize a company statistically for making a voluntary recall, and then it shows up as a greater number of service issues. This puts backwards pressure on the manufacturers to do voluntary recalls. Instead voluntary recalls should be an important preventative method of keeping our cars safer and more reliable, not less reliable as the statistics would indicate. It's a twisted misrepresentation of reliability.
To sum up, consider how much weight you give to these reliability studies, and look at them CAREFULLY, if you are going to rely on them too heavily.
http://www.autospies.com/images/uploads/large/SP32-20060131-204619.jpg
5 = 4,681
E = 2,465
GS = 1,978
M = 1,892
STS =
A6 = 1,617
RL = 773
http://www.autospies.com/images/uploads/large/SP32-20060131-204654.jpg?undefined-
http://www.autospies.com/images/uploads/large/SP32-20060131-204757.jpg?undefined-
http://www.autospies.com/images/uploads/large/SP32-20060131-204828.jpg?undefined- ">
Actually, the article in my paper says it's the JD Power 2005 Vehicle Dependability Study, so it can't be very old and dated, although it doesn't say what month it was done in 2005.
I am just curious to know the Dependability numbers for BMW, MB and Audi?
Or even better could you provide the link to the site that has these stats?
Thanks
Now, while that's almost true I cannot avoid seeing the ratings since they are touted so much.
Now we parse these things so much, "Initial Quality" -- is this different than "Quality after the first payment is made?"
It all depends on what the definition of "is" is sometimes.
And is quality the same a reliability and is reliability the same as durability?
The answer is "it all depends."
I have no idea, back to my temp Trailblazer, if the thing is reliable or durable. It "seems" at 9,000 miles to be of high quality which I would imagine would perhaps translate into some kind of durability rating. Too soon perhaps to make the connection that it will be reliable for certain.
I suspect it would be possible to have a durable and reliable vehicle that you felt was of very low quality.
My dad's 1966 Plymouth Valiant was durable and we beat the tar out of it -- it was, however, of the lowest quality I could imagine. But it took a lickin' and kept on tickin'
Today, I am wearing a somewhat inexpensive watch, a Tissot -- it looks attractive it probably will outlive me but I have a couple other watches that I believe to be of much higher quality (and they cost a lot more too), but I have no reason to believe they will be of any higher durability or reliability, in fact I have two automatic watches that are probably considerably more fragile.
Does this mechanical/quality/durability/reliability kind of view translate to cars? Is a Maybach (sp?) of higher quality or durability or reliability? Or is it simply of the highest quality but unreliable like so many here seem to attribute to Mercedes?
The fit and finish especially of the interior of my Audi is of equal to or higher than the best quality around (and this even if it is just an opinion is not limited to my personal opinion), but even if the Audi lovers and haters all agreed with that, well does that make it of greater quality, reliability or durability or perhaps just a style that is "it" at the moment?
I take it as a given that we all want higher durability and reliability and I assume we all want higher quality and higher performance and greater safety and even better efficiency.
Yet it often boils down to that old saw, you can have -- fill in the blank -- "very fast or high value or high quality" but you may pick only two.
Seems there is some correlation with cars, here. :surprise:
Next survey: "IQ of People who Purchase a Hummer!" No offense, Hummer owners. Please don't run over my TL!
The Mini was cited for "small cupholders." Defect is in the eye of the beholder...
Mark: OT. I've got an Automatic Seiko chronograph, circa 1978. Still fully functional including day/date and chronograph functions. It still holds a charge longer than my newer Tag Heuer. Cars and watches, favorite toys for boys!
'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...)
“We are striving to make 2006 an all-time record-sales year for Audi of America,” said Johan de Nysschen, Executive Vice President of Audi of America. “With the addition of the A3 3.2 quattro premium compact and the upcoming Audi Q7 performance SUV, 2006 looks to be a very bright year for Audi.”
OK, here is a question for the real fact finders here -- is there any available data that would tell the MODEL Name/number of the 5, E, GS, M & STS.
My dealer, as I have noted says "40%+ of the 5's are either 525xi's or 530xi's" -- I would think our climate has something to do with this, wonder what the overall numbers are, that is?
The M's sold here at the ONE Cincinnati dealer are "mostly" M35X's -- whatever that means.
And, "all I see" are Mercedes 4Matics here in River City.
Just wondering if such data points are "out there" for our consumption?
Thanks.
P.S. What happened to the RL?
BMW is the best in this regard. They have breakdowns of engine sizes, AWD/RWD, and sedan/wagon.
There is no question that the 5's sales increases came from the addition of AWD models and the M5.
None of the others provide breakdowns.
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2006/02/01/209076.html
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2006/02/01/209082.html
It appears buyers are willing to spend a premium price for European performance and handling. And I dont blame them.
Sales of the E60 are up a whopping 42.8% since January 2005.
BMW's are similar to aged vintage wine while . . . .?!?
I consider myself a German car fan -- but where did this come from?
Or perhaps a better question is what does this mean?
I may (probably do) agree that the Japanese cars appear to have "lost some steam" of late. But I find it difficult to ever count them down even if SOME of the Japanese mfgs seem to be producing somnambulant vehicles.
For the Lexus cars that have isolated and insulated and removed all the sharpness from the driving experience we are offered up some impressive Infintis who have threatened "to make the Germans irrelevant."
The Germans may be on a roll of late -- but the Japanese are hardly "flat cola."
Perhaps, again, the Japanese have turned around another car country by being sooo competitive.
Thank you Japanese mfgs, the German mfgs are grateful.
:shades:
For thanks to you, BMW which was producing vehicles with questionable reliability and integrity, was forced to stand up and take notice.
Mediocrity couldn't cut it any more.
Now BMW has finally cleaned up its act and CR has taken notice by approving the 5 series as a reliable vehicle once again.
Let's see if Mercedes Benz can follow.
Could we give up the antagonism that has recently developed and get back to the very interesting and useful conversations we've had over the last many months?
I thought that only applied to Buicks...
I had to read that twice because the first time made me think you were saying that BMW=Blue-hair Motor Works.
I am aging, but I must have bucked the trend by going with Infiniti.
(BTW, I do know what you were saying, it just sounded funny the first time).
It was just a tongue in cheek post!
In fact the Japanese are invading my garage. My wife will be replacing her vintage 83 MB300D with a hybrid Toyota Camry( We were the first ones to place a deposit for the hybrid Camry at the Downtown Toyota dealership in Toronto)
And when I replace my BMW 3 series I will definitely be open minded about the other Japanese marques including Infiniti(my only pre-requisite is a third pedal). Who knows maybe a next generation Infiniti G or a AWD Acura TL? I find it a shame that the Infiniti M and the Acura RL do not have sticks.
BMW
The heading and link above proves that it is not mere marketing spin when BMWs are referred to as passionate vehicles. Even a member of the clergy could not resist the powerful temptations of driving a BMW. What more proof do you need then that?
You crack me up . . . when the time really comes for you to replace your 3 series, there will only be one correct prescription for you . . .
3 letters.
That means that the ES350 will not only undercut the GS in price, but it will have 25 more horses, at least for the time being.
But then an IS300 would be too close to the 350. If anything, the 250 makes the 350 stand out, just from the difference between the two. And there are still those that won't cross the line and run to Acura. I don't know . . . I still think the 250 makes sense, but perhaps could use some other enhancements.
Price? Performance? Subventing (or lack thereof) of leases? Bad rep in the marketplace?
And what has happened in general to prices?
When I started down my current path, I had actually decided the Infiniti M was the way to go since it was substantially less money (than Audi which at the time I was trying hard to justify -- even with a willingness to pay a little more, the Audi was waaaay overpriced compared to a similar M and even a similarly priced BMW 530i.)
Just last week on a test drive of an M35X with a friend and co-worker, the Infiniti M35X equipped with Journey and Technology packages was over $100 more per month on a lease than the one I was quoted (which was identical) a year earlier. Interest rates? Demand so good they got cocky?
She ended up with a Cadillac CTS -- and yes I know they are not exactly the same class of car, but factoring in price the Inifiniti had increased in cost sharply over the past 10 months.
Did this kind of thing happen to Acura?
And in the prior posting of Jan '06 sales, the STS's numbers were missing. Are they now known?
And, the strength of the 5 series sales -- er, is THAT due to the renewal or continuation of BMW's aggressive subventing?
Heck, even Audi (US) is giddy with their year over year results.
What up Acura? :confuse:
Wonder which model caused the transfiguration?
Could be the miraculous new 5 series.
Chris Bangle has indeed caused the tired looking 5 series to be reborn.
Sales up a scorching 42.8% since January 2005 in the USA.
Could be the new Bangle 7 series.
Up a respectable 23.3%.
Or the Bangle 3 series-up 21.5%.
Temptation may be a sin, but the Bangle stable is indeed hard to resist.
I dont know about that. Temptations are immediate and instinctual. While Banglism is more of an acquired taste that takes time to learn.
Have you noticed how long it took for mainstream opinion to favor Bangle styling. Unfortunately most people are slow learners and as hard as this may be to believe there are still a small minority out there who find Bangle curves ugly. I cant imagine why?