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

Michaell · June 2016

Starting to get a fair number of lease questions on the '17 C Coupe. Numbers are pretty atrocious, as you can imagine. MB wants to clear out the '16 inventory first.

stickguy · June 2016

we were just exploring options. No numbers discussed. But not surprised to hear that.

fintail · June 2016

Yeah matte doesn't win me over. It looks really bad when dirty, too. It kind of works in a pearl white, but seems to get worse as the color gets darker.

I predict some blowouts on leftover 2016 E-class at the end of the year. I suspect there will be a bit of stock, as there was with the prior C.

stickguy · June 2016

I would be fine with them rolling a bunch of E class into service loaner fleet, stuff like that, and in Fall 2017 having them hit the market 1 YO with low miles. Then the indy guy I like can pick some up that I can get for a big discount!

fintail · June 2016

There's a good chance that will happen. I know it happened with much of the stock of the E400 hybrid that nobody bought. My local dealer has a loaner fleet of mostly basic C and E. I suspect the higher option or rarer cars will eventually sell before hitting the fleet.

texases · June 2016

There was an E400 hybrid? News to me!

stickguy · June 2016

more new civics. They are everywhere. Like ants if you drop an ice cream cone at a picnic.

Honda must have a winner on its hands. I need to drive one eventually. And convince myself I can live with the rear styling!

ab348 · June 2016

stickguy said:
more new civics. They are everywhere. Like ants if you drop an ice cream cone at a picnic.

Honda must have a winner on its hands. I need to drive one eventually. And convince myself I can live with the rear styling!

Son of Crosstour!

berri · June 2016

Sadly, it just seems like the ugly stick has become a new car design tool all too often lately. Maybe ugly is too harsh, perhaps weird or bizarre may fit better on some of the latest designs, particularly out of the Asian companies.

fintail · June 2016

The new Civic looks like an excellent car, with many potential configurations and a good amount of value, but yeah, pretty it aint.

The current styling theme, especially among mass-market makers, is "different for the sake of being different". We can thank Toyolex, I guess. Sadly, when one does it, many others will mimic it - the designer community isn't too creative these days. Safety first.

tlong · June 2016

I find the Mazda 3 much more attractive than the Civic. As do I the CX-5 over the CR-V. But that's just me.

Michaell · June 2016

Finally spotted a Tesla Model X in the wild today. White, which is not the most flattering color.

And, also spotted a new style Civic while out delivering. Yes, the rear styling leaves a bit to be desired, but the feedback from the press is so very positive about the rest of the car.

fintail · June 2016

Something about the rear quarter angle on the CR-V bugs me, it's like it is aggressively overstyled. Perfect for the demographic who wants to ride high and feel safe and invincible in a CUV, perhaps.

berri · June 2016

Toyota and Lexus are looking more anime than car styling anymore to me. I'm just finding most of their newer stuff plain old butt ugly.

tlong · June 2016

fintail said:
Something about the rear quarter angle on the CR-V bugs me, it's like it is aggressively overstyled. Perfect for the demographic who wants to ride high and feel safe and invincible in a CUV, perhaps.

But of course riding high means easier rollover, so less safe in my book.

stickguy · June 2016

if they come out with a nicely equipped touring level, turbo, 6 speed stick, I can overlook the interesting rear end styling.

fintail · June 2016

Yep, riding high may not be safer, but it makes the driver feel safer, and that's what the market segment is all about.

I know CR-V in Europe can be had with a stick in numerous configurations.

texases · June 2016

Modern CUVs have little problem with rollovers, what with stability control.

tlong · June 2016

texases said:
Modern CUVs have little problem with rollovers, what with stability control.

So help me understand this. A few years ago I knew a couple who got a new Range Rover. Within the first week of ownership they were cut off on the freeway and the husband swerved violently to avoid the car in front, and rolled it. Fortunately they were both wearing their belts so were more or less unhurt, but the Range Rover was totaled. Would stability control have prevented this?

kyfdx · June 2016

tlong said:

texases said:
Modern CUVs have little problem with rollovers, what with stability control.
So help me understand this. A few years ago I knew a couple who got a new Range Rover. Within the first week of ownership they were cut off on the freeway and the husband swerved violently to avoid the car in front, and rolled it. Fortunately they were both wearing their belts so were more or less unhurt, but the Range Rover was totaled. Would stability control have prevented this?

Possibly.. he didn't roll because he swerved. Rollovers happen because you lose control, car goes into a skid, and then while skidding, the wheels hit an object (like a curb) or you leave the roadway. If the stability control keeps you from losing control of the vehicle and you stay on the roadway, then the rollover likelihood would be small.

It's all about the center of gravity. Lower is safer, but modern crossovers aren't all that high, even compared to sedans.

texases · June 2016

Exactly. I saw a Corolla on its roof a few weeks ago as a result of losing control. And I said CUVs. Big tall SUVs like the Range Rover are more subject to rolling, but much better than they used to be.

fushigi · June 2016

Yep. Engineering matters. My Outlander has an aluminum roof for lower CoG. Coupled with the torque-vectoring AWD and other systems it's dead stable. When released, reviews had it out-slaloming a lot of sedans.

fintail · June 2016

A not at fault Range Rover crash? There's something you don't see every day

I wonder what it would take to roll something big heavy and relatively low like an S-class, or an old 70s Caddy or Lincoln.

berri · June 2016

I think stability software helps, but when you sit higher and have a higher profile physics can also come into play. So my feeling is that rollover is still more probable in a higher sitting crossover than a sedan, but not nearly as much as a decade ago. Bottom line; buy what you like.

texases · June 2016

While all of that is true, it turns out SUVs have just about the lowest death rate of all vehicles, cars included. This is true even if looking specifically at rollover accidents. Only 'very large' cars have a similar death rates. You'll need to page down a ways, look for the bar chart titled "Driver deaths per million registered passenger vehicles..."
http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/general-statistics/fatalityfacts/passenger-vehicles

berri · June 2016

I wonder if the elevated seat position and visibility also play into that? I'm sure something big smashing into something small can sometimes be ugly. But I also wonder if the car stat may be a bit influenced by all the small sporty vehicles that attract younger drivers too?

texases · June 2016

I bet you're right. It just means there are now other factors that are much bigger than the center of gravity.

tlong · June 2016

berri said:
I think stability software helps, but when you sit higher and have a higher profile physics can also come into play. So my feeling is that rollover is still more probable in a higher sitting crossover than a sedan, but not nearly as much as a decade ago. Bottom line; buy what you like.

This is my feeling as well. Electronics help, but a high CG is still a high CG, and it takes less lateral G's to roll over. No electronics are going to eliminate that - at least none that we have today. Repulsion beams, perhaps.

fintail · June 2016

Today saw a silver Model X, and not new but hard to miss, a white Model S with a crumpled hood and rope or bungee cord keeping it closed. Descending into bangerdom already?

explorerx4 · June 2016

Hard to believe, but in the parking lot at work, a new Lincoln MKS.

ab348 · June 2016

explorerx4 said:
Hard to believe, but in the parking lot at work, a new Lincoln MKS.

Is that the little SUV, the bigger, SUV, the really big SUV, the midsize sedan, or the big sedan? Their nomenclature makes no sense.

explorerx4 · June 2016

MKS is a big sedan. It is difficult to figure out which on is which model.

laurasdada · June 2016

Yeah, the MKS is the Lincoln Taurus.

tjc78 · June 2016

I try and think about it by their Ford cousin

MKZ - Fusion
MKS - Taurus
MKT - Flex
MKX - Edge
MKC - Escape (I think)
Navigator (MKPlus size) - Expedition

fintail · June 2016

Dark grey Model X - definitely selling here. Makes me see dollar signs in a couple ways.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2016

I saw a guy walking his pony along Sonoma plaza yesterday. Don't know the model, but it was a compact, covered in very attractive tan hides. Unlike the Model X, definitely not zero emissions.

fintail · June 2016

Today I thought I saw a Jag approaching, it was a MKZ, apparent rental car.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2016

Not a big fan of that "baleen" grille

texases · June 2016

I'm betting he saw a 2017 with the new Lincoln look:

berri · June 2016

The new MKZ is a car I've seen several times, but one which I've never been able to make my mind up on regarding looks. Probably irrelevant though because buying it new will likely be an accelerated depreciation lesson.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2016

Oh he saw a 2017 then. Much nicer looking, I must agree. Gee, I see so many styling cues from past cars here---some going way way back---to Audi and Ferrari.

iluvmysephia1 · June 2016

Oh he saw a 2017 then. Much nicer looking, I must agree. Gee, I see so many styling cues from past cars here---some going way way back---to Audi and Ferrari.

I agree, not a bad look on that...Lincoln?

ab348 · June 2016

Saw a 2009 (or later, but I assume '09) MKZ on the road here last week with rather large rust holes in the rocker panels and front fenders. I couldn't believe it. Maybe the owner works at a salt mine.

texases · June 2016

Yeah, folks think modern cars rust a lot less, not always the case. I just got a notice on my 2011 MKZ that there's a recall for rusted out gas tanks for snow belt cars. Mine's a Texas car, so they'll do an inspection even though the recall doesn't apply to mine.

fintail · June 2016

Saw 2 MB coupes today - a new style C-class coupe and the "interesting" looking GLE coupe.

Regarding rust, maybe it is an after-effect of the Mazda partnership? Ask people from Quebec about Mazda 3s.

anythngbutgm · June 2016

ab348 said:
Saw a 2009 (or later, but I assume '09) MKZ on the road here last week with rather large rust holes in the rocker panels and front fenders. I couldn't believe it. Maybe the owner works at a salt mine.

I have seen a few fist generation Fusions with some rust as well. IIRC, that generation came out of the same Flat Rock plant as the Mazda 6, another car which I have seen numerous rust prone cars around, especially those sexy wagons.

fintail · June 2016

White Model X, no front plate, driver as expected in Bellevue. Wow, such a creative and original choice, I suspect it is parked alongside a Range Rover and a late model Porsche.

fintail · June 2016

Spotted an RLX, so they sold another one. That model could possibly be the rarest current model mainstream car available.

jpp75 · June 2016

fintail said:
Spotted an RLX, so they sold another one. That model could possibly be the rarest current model mainstream car available.

I can't tell you the last time I saw one on the road.

Saw a Model X today, the first one I've seen around here. I still don't care for the looks.

fintail · June 2016

Saw a dark blue Model X on the road - the looks don't wow me either. It's a gigantic egg. For 100K or more, there are numerous other cars I would choose first.

I stopped by the MB dealer to get a new keyfob battery, and look what was on the showroom floor (excuse the overexposed pics, it was bright):

2017 (W213) E-class, first I have seen in North America. This was a moderately equipped E300, which is now a 4 cyl car. It had LED lights and keyless, but the basic gauge package, Tex, standard roof, etc. I sat in it, very nice seats, like in a big BMW - thigh support extenders are a good thing. It has similar controls to the S. No pricing, but a salesman had some data - to get the big fancy instrument panel there is now a highest tier "P3" package, for around 10K, which includes keyless, HUD, drivers assist, etc. Pricing looks similar to 2016 models.

They also had a new C coupe, a matte grey launch edition with many options, 55K.

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

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