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The only reason I would buy a Leaf is to be different and use it for running errands. No way I could justify it from a financial standpoint. Same goes for the Prius unless you have a fairly long commute. Financially I am better off driving one of my 3 paid for vehicles, even if gas goes to $10 per gallon.
By the way it looks like the EPA used the ridiculous 5 cents per KWH that GM was touting way back when for the Volt.
How about 61/39 for the ES 350, which is what my wife drives?
ES 350 Specs
My frame of reference is a rear drive 3-series BMW, which is 50/50 or damned close to it. So for me, the ES is a nose-heavy hog.
That explains the $47/month being much lower than the more realistic $80 something per month figures for electricity costs.
Point is - you will NEVER break even with a Leaf. I'm even ignoring the cost of the 220 volt charging station, and using the best-case scenario.
With a Prius at least there are break-even points, if you drive enough miles.
The 3 series has good balance but it's much smaller than the ES and RWD, meaning it competes with the Lexus IS. For the IS the 2008 model was 52/48 but another source says 54/46. Call it low 50s.
It's closer than people would like to think, and better than Audi for instance.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
With those big 24" rims with tons of chrome.....
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
And also about tax credits for VW & a half-dozen other assorted subjects...
Lexus LS460L loses to Hyundai Equus
The ES is nose heavy, but not all Lexus are.
The LS has held its own against the 7 and S. Buts its an aging model like the rest of the line-up. But the GS has been a sales failure for Lexus. Its probably their Achilles heal right now in their line-up. Its due for redesign for 2012, so is the ES so will see what changes are made and if it can help its sales or not.
The LS is doing just fine, holding its own against fresher competitors. The ES and RX are doing extremely well.
31 3:05.4 BMW M3 COUPE LL2 2/10
32 3:05.4 LEXUS IS F LL2 2/11
33 3:05.6 BMW M3 COUPE LL2 11/08
34 3:05.6 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA S LL3 2/10
35 3:05.8 PORSCHE CAYMAN S LL3 2/10
36 3:05.8 PORSCHE 911 TURBO LL4 8/07
37 3:05.9 FORD MUSTANG SHELBY GT500 LL2 8/07
38 3:06.4 JAGUAR XKR LL3 2/10
39 3:06.5 MERCEDES-BENZ C63 AMG LL2 11/08
40 3:06.5 MERCEDES-BENZ E63 AMG LL3 2/11
More importantly it shows that the F team gets it, and that could bode well for the upcoming GS and IS redesigns, since I'm sure they had input.
The old IS-F took 3:14, so they shaved nearly 10 seconds from the lap time.
"Subaru is leading development of the 086A"
Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/features/auto_news/2011/1101_toyota_extending_subaru_p- roduct_sharing_to_highlander_tribeca/index.html#ixzz1A0422Atl
I was relieved to read that Subaru's version would continue with a boxer engine, no clones please!
Let's see how it competes with upcoming revisions...
I know it doesn't rhyme but it's my fav)
And represents my impression of Toyota lately by all the shirkin' they've been indulging in this past decade. Having just read almost 500 posts of faulty Matrix manuals of victims who owned 03 and 04's. And...unbelievably, there is still no responsibility taken by the corporation; whose unmitigated effrontery is gettin' old..
I think that "no soup for you" really speaks volumes..
Never have been much of a rhymer, but:
Toyota in 2011? Be underdog to Pleven
No thriven for Toyota in 2011
I'm not surprised you only skimmed that given it was good news for Lexus. LOL
Watch the 2nd video to see the part about how poorly the E-AMG brakes performed. C&D noted the IS-F was the only heavy sedan whose brakes did not fade.
IS-F and E63 don't compete with each other in the real world, the former competes with the C63 (which is now a few years old)....E63 is at least a few hundred pounds heavier.
Patiently awaiting widespread use of the twin turbo AMG units, and who knows what else could be in the pipeline.
My point was that most updates are cosmetic. This one was heavy on the functional aspect.
It will do nothing but improve the entire breed, so Lexus can bring it on.
I sat in an IS-F, but didn't get to drive it, at a Taste of Lexus event. The seats are fantastic.
From a functional stand point, Lexus needs a bit more back seat legroom in the new IS. From a tuning stand point, just make sure this new F series team has input in the mainstream (non-F) cars.
The IS350 has a ton of potential - it's a great powertrain worthy of a chassis with more sporting pretentions.
I'll report my average rate when my bill comes today from Dayton Power and Light.
I'm in CA as well, our rates have been that high. They are tiered like income tax rates. Our initial rate is only around 11 cents per kwh, but each tier of usage goes higher. Right now our next kwh is 28 cents, but in the summer when we are air conditioning it is in the low 30's, like gagrice. I guess maybe we are energy hogs, or maybe the tiers are set too low to encourage conservation. We do have a pool and that does not help, running the pump every day (and yes, water is still a liquid at our winter temperatures!).
"Will Toyota be in Heaven in 20 11?"
It rhymes.
Let's think ahead for 2012:
"Will Toyota need some elves in the the 2012's?" :P :shades:
But the rate doesn't even matter.
A Leaf (or Volt for that matter) leases for $110 per month more than a Prius, and there's no way you'll recoup that $110 on fuel savings.
Forget the Prius, even. You can lease a Chevy Cruze for, what, $169 a month? Remember, the Volt is a shortened Cruze platform.
So the Volt's big brother costs less than *half* as much. Fuel won't even put a dent in that, especially if you go with a 40mpg EPA highway Cruze Eco.
Ours for this bill is 10.7 cents. Our kwh use is 2600 roughly in an all electric home. I don't know how the steps for our billing are tariffed.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
"No more fear for Toyota this year?"
And then in 10 years we can still have the same topic name!
Our wonderful high rates are 24 hours. There are no "non-peak" hours.
I'm not even sure what my rates are. Wifey pays that bill.
Funny thing is the CNG Honda Civic GX probably makes more sense from a financial stand point.
I'm still willing to wager upcoming models will be tuned for softness and isolation above and beyond all else, unless they were an F badge.
Even a regular G35 or 328i is fun.
My largest bill last year was $199.77. That was for 948 KWH. At that point I was just shy of going to the next highest rate. Our base is 325 KWH which is around 11 cents per. It goes up rapidly after that. So if you add an EV on top you can see it would be at a much higher rate. With no off hour rates. And SDG&E does not let you store up solar energy. It only saves as much as you put out at a given time. Your bill in CA would be close to $600 per month.
PS
That is why I tell people driving a Sequoia is the least of my bills. Electricity and water are higher than gas for the vehicles.
He pointed to demographics, pent-up demand, scarcity of used cars and affordability of new cars as factors for U.S. auto growth."
Toyota Forecasts 12.5 Million Sales in 2011; Focuses on Hybrids (AutoObserver)
On the driving costs, The True Cost of Powering an Electric Car says it'll boil down to your kilowatt rate.
Automakers have used more lease and financing deals this year because of the unusually low cost of money.
But makers of luxury cars traditionally sweeten the pot of dealer cash this time of year to hide the year-end sales push from customers, analyst Toprak said.
For the year 2010 the facts are as follows :
Year Brand Sales Incentives
2010 AUDI 91,083 $2,852
2010 BMW 196,833 $3,590
2010 CADILLAC 130,207 $4,572
2010 LEXUS 201,769 $1,986
2010 LINCOLN 77,768 $5,054
2010 MERCEDES-BENZ** 196,288 $3,552
**Without Sprinter and McLaren
And this interesting fact about Lexus -it lowered the incentive spending than last year::
""Some other interesting highlights from luxury sales so far this year:
• The top six U.S. luxury makes all increased sales this year while every make, but Lexus, lowered their incentive spend compared to last year.
• Cadillac had strong momentum in 2010, increasing sales by 38 percent compared to last year, while decreasing incentive spend by nearly 15 percent. On a side note, Cadillac was the only make from the top six to have a decrease in transaction price.
• Lincoln, the other major U.S. luxury make, increased sales by seven percent, but what’s encouraging about Lincoln is they only decreased incentive spending by 1.4 percent, yet increased transaction price by almost 12 percent, almost seven percent higher than any of the top six luxury makes. This means Lincoln got its buyers to spend on higher trim levels or add-ons than last year, only helping to increase its profit margins on vehicles.
• Audi is on track to have its highest sales ever in the U.S., which happened in 2007, selling 93,506 vehicles. They need only 1,703 sales to reach its 2007 sales number. But can Audi break 100,000 units sold in the U.S. is the real question? We are TrueCar.com think Audi should surpass the 100,000 mark for the first time ever.
• If the recalls continue to hamper Lexus, 2011 could be the year they lose their rein as the leader in luxury sales in the U.S. to either BMW or Mercedes-Benz with the introduction of new models.
• Overall, we saw the luxury segment increase sales by 23.4 percent, yet decrease incentive spending by 12.2 percent and increase transaction price by 2.5 percent. ""
So BMW and MB had 3500 whereas Lexus had 1900 ,, Cadillac and Lincoln had 4500 and 5000 .. So the actual facts need to be posted. Not twisted or convoluted facts. So Lexus is the clear winner and this in the year of SUA and image issues.. Go figure !! The public is not stupid to buy into these SUA events !! :P
http://blog.truecar.com/2010/12/08/lexus-should-win-luxury-battle-in-2010-top-lu- xury-make-for-11th-straight-year/
Time for some honest and accurate reporting !! :lemon: :shades:
I also remember the story of the dust to dust article when another article said overall, the Hummer uses less energy than the prius. This article arouses much controversy, especially from hybrid lovers. I always smile when I remember this story.
But FYI, the batteries of the LEAF are Lithium-Ion batteries, unlike the prius's nickel batteries.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-30/nissan-prices-u-s-leaf-battery-car-t- o-challenge-prius-hybrid.html
I have seen newer VWs, not the old VWs like the old vintage bettle, like the VW Touran. I have carefully studied the design of the seats, the many cute and innovative features, and the powerful yet economical diesel engine. And all I can say is the folks at VW are NOT dumb.
It will be interesting to see how VW tries to gain strength in the US market again.
And prostitutes affairs may not affect car quality. But compare this kind of thing with how toyota tries to interfere, fool around with those NHTSA investigations and one must realise that its like comparing corruption in the US vs in Afghanistan.
I should have expected it to be inaccurate and biased. It was from the Lexus lovers website. You don't have to spit at the messengers.
According to estimates by TrueCar.com, BMW is spending $3,162 per vehicle in December, down from $5,600 last year. Lexus is outspending BMW with an outlay of $3,580, compared to $1,275 last December. Mercedes' spending is down $105 to $4,195.
http://www.clublexus.com/forums/car-chat/543726-december-2010-and-year-end-auto-- sales.html
Again the statement you make is only for December. 1 month incentives is not Christmas. Jeez !! Again as I said-- what's next ?? Weekly or daily?? Like those daily political tracker polls..Look at the whole year 2010- Lexus had incentive of 1.9k whereas BMW/MB had close to 4k . That's a whopping difference considering the majority of BMW sales are 3 series and for Lexus it is the RX and ES. :P
Phaeton.
They need to also revamp their dealer network and improve their reliability if they want much bigger sales. I haven't seen any evidence that they get it, yet.
A match made in HELL !!! Indeed !!!
Just like Hyundai, Hyundai is still very small in some countries like those in South East Asia, but its because Hyundai is still concentrating on kicking bums in big markets like China, the US and Europe. South East Asia can wait.
So its the same with VW. Few can fight a multi front war at the sametime. Resources, time and manpower are limited. You know companies don't want to overstretch the way Hitler overstretched and fought a 2 front war that brought him down.
And if I am VW's CEO, I realise that China is today not just the biggest car market in the world, but also the fastest growing. And the ranks of the rich who can buy my higher margin / more profitable luxury cars are also growing. Better concentrate my firepower there as top priority for now.
The invasion of the US can wait, but it will happen no doubt about it. After all, the US is still the SECOND largest car market in the world, though mature already and growth is stagnant. And since toyota gets the bulk of their sales from the US (not Japan mind you), if VW ever wants to overtake toyota one day, they can do no better than to grap toyota's biggest source of income here in the USA.
Those Japanese brass back in tokyo are so ungrateful ! The US and Americans have contributed so much to their coffers yet it took decades before they appoint the first American director on their board, and shortly a while later the guy (Jim Press) jumped ship.
I wonder what those other Japanese directors have done to Jim to make him leave such a high post.
"In November, a federal judge declined to dismiss pending lawsuits against the company based on owners saying their car value has plummeted.
"And one of the lawsuits, filed in November, comes with video. In South Elgin, Ill., last May, 87-year-old Leon Przybylowski’s 2006 Toyota Corolla (not covered by a recall) suddenly took off in an Off Track Betting parking lot, crashing into a parked car and then crashing into a brick wall. Przybylowski died of his injuries, but not before saying that the car took off by itself. A surveillance camera caught this video, as Fox reports:"
Link with video of the runaway
"According to the victim's son, at the hospital, his dad told relatives, "It took off like a jackrabbit and there wasn't anything we could do to stop it."
"The family's attorney says that beyond the driver's own words, there are also two eyewitnesses who say the car's engine was revving loudly as it headed towards the off-tracking betting parlor, and toward the customers in the doorway."
Interesting that this Corolla wasn't in any of the large recalls toyota did under the pretense of those being the problems in the cars.
Electronics?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
87 years old...
Heart attack? Drunk behind the wheel? Clutsy?
I'm sorry, but if it's my fault or the cars fault, this thing would have been over after I backed into the first car... :sick:
Looks like Lexus had some seasonal deals, but when you look at the whole year, you see the full story.
Lincoln has 7 models coming soon, so their incentive numbers should drop significantly. I think they need more differentiation from their Ford clones.
They made some incredibly stupid assumptions about how long the cars would last. IIRC they said the Hummer would last 300k miles and the Prius just 100k miles. Then they calculated the total energy per mile.
Yeah, right. I don't there are enough barrels of oil left in the world to fuel a Hummer for 300k miles.
You're right, but don't they call it the Hilux SW4?