Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Now they have the 'Resort Tour'. Stay at a certain Ritz-Carleton hotels and you can take one out for a few hours.
If you are in Charlotte and stay at the R-C, my kid will show you how the iDrive works.
I'm game - just don't tear the tranny out of my 11 year old minivan when you put it through the paces please.
None were close to me so all I got was a left-over T-Shirt. :shades:
I did once get an Edmunds.com baseball hat about 10 years ago from a contest that got me into the New York Auto Show that year. That was a heap big fun event.
I went to Zoom Zoom Live, a Mazda event at FedEx Field, and ended up with a new Miata in my driveway. :shades:
You never know...my wife has been to a couple of those events and added some cars to her short list as well.
BMW did the Susan G. Komen thingy where they donated money per mile of test drives for breast cancer research and I drove every single model they had in the lot.
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/12/lexus-debuts-gs450h-ahead-of-frankfurt/
fintail will try to contain his excitement now.
4WS is always fun, anyway.
I just don't see that model ever being a volume leader for Lexus in that segment. I am also tiring of these "because we can" hybrids.
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
Easy, they change the type of event. That way they end up with more upscale mooches.
So, has Toyota ever had a similar event? I might go if they have an LFA available.
4WS can be neat. I think they always have trouble packaging it so that it's light and affordable.
A while back I remember Preludes had that, my roommate's girl friend owned one.
Then Mazda tried with the MX-6, IIRC.
GM pickups tried most recently, but cancelled after they found few takers. It would sure make U-turns less frightening.
They call it a "spindle" and my guess is it will become Lexus' signature.
The CT has a hint of the same thing, though more subtle.
Events, let's see...
Toyota had Taste of Lexus a few years ago. It was among the best to make direct comparisons because they had the best variety of brands to drive.
GM has a tour each year. I was hoping to go this year but had a conflict. Bummer.
BMW has an "Ultimate Driving Event" every once in a while. They usually go up against Benz, Lexus, and Audi. Oddly never Infiniti.
I forget what Benz called theirs. Haven't been invited in a while. Maybe fintail ratted me out.
Audi had an amazing event at Summit Point race track. That was an absolute hoot, taking a Q7 on the banking of the carousel was something else...
You could pay and take a hell ride in an R8, but I passed. Did get to sit in one.
Subaru hosts events too, maybe when the BRZ launches they'll do another.
Volvo had a "Fire and Ice" event when they started promoting their AWD. Not sure how I got invited, but I've always been an AWD fan (Subaru and Quattro) so that was no surprise.
Mazda had the "Zoom Zoom Live", but that was a while ago. RX8 was fun to spin around their little autocross. Lines were brutal, though.
Toyota had the Prius launch at (where else?) Whole Foods. That was just a walk-in event. Pay your $80 bucks for 6 things and test drive a hybrid.
To be honest the well has gone dry. I think the auto market took a nose dive, from 17M sales to what, 11 or 12? So there just isn't that sort of money for marketing to play with.
A buddy of mine is a BMW CCA member and he just went to the Baltimore F1 Grand Prix and they got to sit in an Aventador. Pretty sweet.
If Toyota ever did bring an LFA my guess is you'd only get to ride as a passenger, though that's status quo. Benz does that for AMG, too.
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/14/audi-shows-off-near-production-r8-e-tron-prot- otype/
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/14/brabus-reveals-prototype-high-performance-4wd- -full-electric-e-cl/
And in the economy class:
http://green.autoblog.com/2011/05/31/report-bmw-i3-to-bow-at-2011-frankfurt-moto- r-show/
How about 14 of them?
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/12/gordon-murray-and-toray-unveil-electric-t-wav- e-ar1-concept/
GS is tame, even handsome, compared to the some of the stuff being shown at Frankfurt.
Good things these gull wings distract you from the front and rear of this Benz:
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/13/mercedes-benz-f-125-f125-frankfurt-video/
I'm not diggin' the blunt noses, I guess a nod to euro pedestrian crash standards? They make the headlights look droopy.
Same with the new B-class:
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/14/2012-mercedes-b-class-frankfurt-2011/
I liked the old one a lot better. This one seems depressed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLD-ibf7l6k&feature=player_embedded
I like it when Dan Neil says his hand fell asleep.
That B-class is production ready.
Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110913/OEM/110919921/1491#i- xzz1Xxj4CShT
Yeah, the B class isn't a concept. Just a new one with the corporate nose. We'll likely never see it unless we move to Canuckistan anyway.
Even the Audi A2 gets the mouth - albeit capped off:
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/13/audi-a2-concept-frankfurt-2011/
IMHO Benz should bring the B- here. Phase out the Smart ForTwo and sell that instead, perhaps even in the same showrooms.
Thing about the B is that it is pricey, almost C money and can be loaded up just as much. That and it being a hatch might make it a tough sell here.
5 years ago the sedan cost more than the 5 door hatch. Now it's the other way around. Not only that, the hatches are usually higher level models exclusively.
Americans have slowly warmed to the idea. Even the CT is clobbering HS sales.
Bring a loss leader at $29,999.99 and I think it would be well received.
I consider that a mistake. The Audi front end is what turns me off on buying one. Thankfully VW went back to a very clean styling. The Audi had that look and it was great. Sometimes what comes out of these automakers just does not make sense. By the way the GS posted is hideous to me. Looks like a cartoon character. Maybe I am getting too old to appreciate most of the automotive styling. Talked to a guy today with a Sequoia Limited just like mine. He has 150k miles on his and loves it. When he offered to buy his wife the new version she turned him down. We agreed Toyota has gone butt ugly on SUV and Truck styling. I guess I will drop a grand for a new set of Michelin LTX-MS/2s on the Sequoia. It is roomy and I just got my best tank of gas ever at 20.45 MPG over 302 miles of mountain driving. That was on Nevada Costco gas.
If Audi would bring this model with diesel to the USA, I would pay MSRP, CASH for it. My favorite Audi of all time.
I think anything would clobber HS sales, save for maybe the GS which I think has sold about 12 units this year :shades:
Sell the B at 29K - keep it below the psychologically significant 30K, and sell it fairly loaded - nav and other gadgets - and it would sell indeed. Offer a diesel too, to compete with the CT and others.
14.3 miles on a charge isn't much but the 1.5 hour re-charge time is a plus...
Still, given supply constraints, Lexus seems to have a popular entry model. Keep 'em happy and they'll buy pricier Lexus models next go 'round.
I'll stick with my Miata, though...life is short, gotta enjoy the ride.
Still, MPGe beats the Volt (if your commute is 14.3 miles or less) and of course the gas engine easily beats the Volt's iron block + massive battery pack boat anchor.
One interesting thing is that we just opened a new bldg and it has "green" parking spots with charging stations. With a 1.5 hour charge that means you could go back and forth if the commute was up to 14.3 miles each way.
I actually think it will do pretty well. Leaf gives people range anxiety, and Volt costs more even with the credit. Plus the Volt would only be more efficient if your commute is more than 14 miles but less than 35 miles:
http://www.chevrolet.com/volt/
Higher than expected.
Prius V came in lower than I expected.
Strange...
Edit: I didn't realize it, but the Prius qualifies for a $2500 federal tax credit.
So it keeps the $3500 price edge over the Volt after all.
The marketing is more selective now.
Certain brands are selling more now than ever in the US.
Charity events are kind of a marketing exception.
Good that you enjoyed all those test drives.
For vehicles acquired after December 31, 2009, the credit is equal to $2,500 plus, for a vehicle which draws propulsion energy from a battery with at least 5 kilowatt hours of capacity, $417, plus an additional $417 for each kilowatt hour of battery capacity in excess of 5 kilowatt hours. The total amount of the credit allowed for a vehicle is limited to $7,500.
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/article/0,,id=214841,00.html
Base price is a good 4-5 grand higher, though.
Maybe that's what the V stands for.
If so that's a BIG screw up. It would fail at that price.
Volt is struggling.
I'm sure it varies with equipment levels, as the more expensive models tend to come with more features that are extra-cost on the cheaper Prius.
She was looking at the Inside Line app on her iPad, so blame Apple.
Sort of like remote start, but remote cabin heat, before you leave.
2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, Prius V Priced (Inside Line)
You'd have to be crazy to buy either for that much. These are economy cars, after all, beyond the electric wizardry.
Plug-in Prius doesn't make much sense beyond the base price with that credit, if it's eligible.
Reminds me of Escape Hybrid pricing. The interior doesn't raise eye brows at the $16,999 rental fleet special pricing, but the hybrid breaks $30 grand and then it's just plain out of it's league when it comes to interiors.
From Fuel Economy website:
It must be propelled to a significant extent by an electric motor which draws electricity from a battery which
has a capacity of not less than 4 kilowatt hours and
is capable of being recharged from an external source of electricity.
From the IRS:
Qualified Plug-In Electric Drive Motor Vehicles (IRC 30D)
Internal Revenue Code Section 30D provides a credit for Qualified Plug-in Electric Drive Motor Vehicles including passenger vehicles and light trucks. For vehicles acquired after 12/31/2009, the credit is equal to $2,500 plus, for a vehicle which draws propulsion energy from a battery with at least 5 kilowatt hours of capacity, $417, plus an additional $417 for each kilowatt hour of battery capacity in excess of 5 kilowatt hours. The total amount of the credit allowed for a vehicle is limited to $7,500.
http://www.wimp.com/dragrace/