Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

High End Luxury Cars

1440441443445446463

Comments

  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    Perhaps you caught my lettle mention of the upcoming BMW convertible with the retractible hardtop? And , of course, with that sweet 300 hp twin-turbo engine?

    My secret plan is to get the wife to trade in that oversized Jag... and convince her she'll have much more fun in that Bimmer. (Of course, so will I!)

    TagMan
  • deweydewey Member Posts: 5,251
    And , of course, with that sweet 300 hp twin-turbo engine?

    It's the sweetest of the sweet engines out there whether it's in the form of a sedan or a covertible coupe. The engine in itself is worth the price of the car. (at least IMO), especially with the way some HELCs are priced.

    I am one happy owner :shades:
  • dhamiltondhamilton Member Posts: 878
    have driven both, pretty hard around a track actually.
    [numerous times]

    I got out of the LS very impressed, I got out of the S class and forgot the LS. It's nice, just no where near the "drivers car" that the S is.

    "I don't have to stick my head up a bulls [non-permissible content removed] to know I like steak"
    Chris Farley
    Tommy Boy
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    Great post!

    Just consider the huge number, maybe even the vast majority, of LS buyers that have placed deposits down and purchased the car without ever having even driven it!!!!!

    Maybe, just maybe, if they had tested the vehicles the way you did, they'd have seen things differently. But then again, some of them might be frightened from being connected to the road, and there's always that "reliability" thing... frightened that the S-Class will fall apart in their driveway into a bucket of bolts right before their very eyes... and the embarassment of all the neighbors witnessing that lemon being towed away.... NO WAY!... it's much safer to be reliably disconnected. ;)

    TagMan
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Let's lighten up on the personal insinuations and get back to talking about the vehicles themselves. We are not here to talk about each other nor are we here to talk about caricatures of imaginary purchasers.
  • hpowdershpowders Member Posts: 4,330
    I sat in it 2 weeks ago in the showroom. None on the lot to drive, unfortunately.
    No twin turbos of any sort as dealer demos.

    I shall return! :)
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    If you ultimately accomplish a test, let me know what you think of it. If I get a chance this next week, I'll pay a visit to my local BMW dealer and scope things out and I'll report back to you. Wonder if there's any chance I might get that "Royal Treatment" from a BMW dealer? :confuse:

    TagMan
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    The way you keep showing up, I might have to perform a little of that "R & D" you recently posted about...
    as in "Running & Ducking". ;)

    TagMan
  • hpowdershpowders Member Posts: 4,330
    Tell 'em powders sent ya. Then DUCK!!! ;)

    I will go there sometime in March to re-check out the merchandise. I will be asking if they heard anything about the diesels. I hope to find at least one twin-turbo to drive. :shades:

    Across the pond they are raving about BMW combining
    twin-turbos WITH diesels! I'm starting to get light-headed! :surprise:

    If BMW came out with a twin-turbo diesel 7 Series, I am capable of completely forgeting about the Audi A8!
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    :D

    They've got a lot going on! What scares me is that I'll buy one, and within 6 months something even more incredible will become available. :confuse:

    TagMan
  • houdini1houdini1 Member Posts: 8,327
    Maybe, just maybe, if they had tested the vehicles the way you did, they'd have seen things differently

    Uh, I believe that was my line to you earlier!

    You remind me of the old joke about the guy who said he was not a doctor, but he played one on tv. In this case you could say, well I didn't really drive the LS but I read a review or two and might have even sat in one.;)

    2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460

  • hpowdershpowders Member Posts: 4,330
    I agree! Goes that way for all technology. Can't keep up with the innovations! With that mindset, none of us would have a computer. We'd all be waiting!

    This is the reason why I will not sign on for longer than a 2 year lease! Wish I could do one year. That would be terrific!

    I hope my next vehicle has the twin-turbo/diesel combo! It has to be here by summer of 2008! I'll be watching! :shades:
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    houdini,
    There is ZERO indication that the LS provides driving dynamics that seriously connect the driver to the road, and there is 100% indication that the LS isolates the driver from the road and his environment, providing a rolling sanctuary of peace and quiet. That's fine if you want that.

    Do you somehow believe that when I finally do drive it, I will say something different than practically everyone in the world has already said?

    Yes, I agree with you that I would get more exposure to the genuine nature of the drive, but I have not commented on those subtleties, because to do so I would have to drive it. So, I have not made any comments that are beyond what I already know about the vehicle... including my opinion, which is that I don't like the way it looks inside or out!

    When I do finally drive it, i'll let you know the result... I'm sure you will be shocked at the answer.

    TagMan
  • lexusguylexusguy Member Posts: 6,419
    I remember driving in Montana many years ago and I was impressed by the lack of speed limits on their highways(if there were speed limits I was not aware of them) . My enjoyment immediately disappeared as I passed the Canadian border and was on the lookout for patrol cars.

    The story of Montana's no speed limits is as follows:

    "From December 8, 1995 to May 28, 1999 Montana's daytime automobile speed limits were "reasonable and prudent", according to interpretation by Highway Patrol officers. Fines were increased and motorists were advised to drive carefully according to existing weather and road conditions. American speed enthusiasts were delighted and the state's Interstate highways got a reputation as the Montanabahn. Congress was not amused, and neither were many Montana residents. With a little help in potential Federal funding restrictions, speed limits were restored. Montana's maximum speed limit is now 75 MPH on the Interstates"
  • gshocksvgshocksv Member Posts: 77
    Just to clarify, at least according to Edmunds, the LS 460 has better acceleration than S550 and BMW 750i.

    I don't know which MBZ dealer you went to, but MBZ dealers have the worst reputation for bait and switch. My boss, who does have a S550, was treated the bait and switch. Another co-worker of mine, who has a SL 550, was treated a bait and switch. Myself, I have an E350, was treated bait and switch. When they told me they gave me the rate of a C230, I told them to give my #@(* check back. They of course went back for 5 minutes and honored the first deal....

    I do have to say, I never did experience the legendary customer service from Lexus. As a matter of fact, Lexus reps were so arrogant, and told me that I pretty much have to take whatever they have... that's after waiting for about 30 minutes to get anyone to talk to me.

    There are some myths about MBZ, and some myths about Lexus, they're not always true.
  • houdini1houdini1 Member Posts: 8,327
    Tagman, please don't take me too seriously. I do this mostly for fun. I know. I need to get a life but it is just too cold and snowy here to play golf, so....sometimes I have some fun with you. I have not driven the new S either (but I have looked at a lot of pictures) so I understand your point of view.

    I like and respect most of your opinions, and the views and opinions of others here as well, but sometimes I just have to give a little jab here and there. I will try to behave.

    What we all have in common is our love of fine automobiles and of driving fine automobiles. Thank goodness we don't all like the same ones because that fact has given me hours and hours of entertainment here.

    Now, have a great week-end and go out and drive that LS!

    2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460

  • deweydewey Member Posts: 5,251
    Whenever I visit BMW, they toss me the keys of any new BMW that I want to drive. I expect to get first hand knowledge of the new diesels that way. As soon as they come off the boat, I'm there!

    I love BMWs but I hate their services with a passion. Most obnoxious sales reps, most obnoxious services and most obnoxious clientele . There is nothing at all that I like about my BMW dealership except the coffee and their variety of morning newspapers. After warranty I look forward to returning to an independent shop that services only BMWs.
  • deweydewey Member Posts: 5,251
    From December 8, 1995 to May 28, 1999 Montana's daytime automobile speed limits were "reasonable and prudent",

    That sounds right! I was there during Apri 1999. Good timing on my part.
  • dhamiltondhamilton Member Posts: 878
    I receive pretty good treatment every where I go.

    The worst I've gotten has come from domestic dealers, and cheap Japanese [Subaru]

    Bmw has always been very kind, even though we aren't current owners.[X5 will probably be the wife's next ride.]

    I've posted before that our Infiniti service has been an 11 out of 10 stars.
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    Good post. :)

    TagMan
  • deweydewey Member Posts: 5,251
    Expect to see re-generative braking in the next generation BMW 7 series. It will be available in the 5 series during March. Regenerative braking will reduce fuel consumption by three percent. In addition I read elsewhere that BMW active steering reduces fuel consumption by another three percent(since it is primarily electrically powered versus being mechanically powered). Both features add up to about 6 percent in terms of fuel savings.

    But at what cost? Who likes active steering anyways and what will this new regenerative braking feel like on the roads?

    link title

    BMW has introduced a regenerative braking system on the latest version of its 5-Series executive saloon, the first time the technology has appeared on a car other than a hybrid. The system works by harnessing the energy lost through braking to re-charge the battery via an intelligent alternator, cutting CO2 emissions and fuel consumption by around three per cent. Brake Energy Regeneration, as BMW calls it, is part of the company's wider Efficient Dynamics programme that aims to reduce vehicle weight, lower fuel consumption and improve efficiency in other areas such as aerodynamics, all with the aim of lowering CO2 emissions fuel consumption.
  • deweydewey Member Posts: 5,251
    image

    SOURCE: link title

    The publication was apparently able to cajole BMW into building the ‘Air Camper’ seen above. Tied into the launch of BMW’s 1-series a couple of years ago, this is the first time we’d seen the inflatable domicile, so we thought we’d pass it on.

    The unique item attaches to the back end of the car, allowing campers to make use of the inside of the car, and is inflated is by a low-voltage fan hooked up to the car’s cigarette lighter. All-in, the Air Camper can accommodate two people.

    Us? We think this pneumatic Stay-Puft thing is pretty neat… certainly cooler than the camping attachment that Pontiac offered for the Aztek (the black-only tent failed miserably in what could’ve been its biggest potential contribution– covering up the car’s hideous form altogether).
  • hpowdershpowders Member Posts: 4,330
    I agree. They can be arrogant.
    But when I drive there in my current BMW and ask for the salesguy who I dealt with last lease and I tell them I want to take a drive, they throw me the keys and say "have fun!" for as many vehicles as I have time for. No salesman along for the ride. Priceless! :)
  • hpowdershpowders Member Posts: 4,330
    I'll take a pass on that one! :surprise:
  • hpowdershpowders Member Posts: 4,330
    Most reviewers have panned BMW's active steering with a passion.
    I have driven other manufacturers' vehicles with the equivalent steering mechanism and I totally hate it.
    I hope it will always be optional on BMW vehicles.
  • deweydewey Member Posts: 5,251
    What better way to hide a Bangle Butt?
    It's a great solution for Bangle Butt hating BMW owners . :D
  • dhamiltondhamilton Member Posts: 878
    I get that to at Infiniti.

    One time it came in the form of an 03 M5. I had it for about a half hour. WEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!
  • hpowdershpowders Member Posts: 4,330
    That BMW can probably be cured by a good oncologist. :)

    LOL re: covering up the Bangle butt!! ;)
  • hpowdershpowders Member Posts: 4,330
    Yeah! There's nothing like the experience of being treated like a repeat customer.
    I always mention my salesman's name and that I leased my current BMW from him.
    They let you do a lot when they know you are serious and have a 545i to leave as "collateral."

    Disappointed they didn't have a twin-turbo demo 2 weeks ago.
    I'll try again in March. Very eager to drive one!
  • designmandesignman Member Posts: 2,129
    It's a great solution for Bangle Butt hating BMW owners .

    My ears are ringing. ;-)
  • esfesf Member Posts: 1,020
    You own a Carrera S Cabriolet, if I remember-- don't you think you're doing well enough to get a CL550? It's a beauty, inside and out, and oh, that engine...

    '06 Audi A3 2.0T DSG • '05 Audi S4 Cabriolet • '04 Lexus RX330
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    You own a Carrera S Cabriolet, if I remember-- don't you think you're doing well enough to get a CL550? It's a beauty, inside and out, and oh, that engine...

    Ha! Yeah, your right, but man, there is a limit to how much $$ goes into cars. Besides, I've got the bug for that upcoming 335i convertible to share with the wife, if I can get her to part with her Jag.

    Beyond that, she's mentioned the X5 as an MDX replacement, and once the 335i convertible is released this spring, we might suddenly find ourselves buying two new Bimmers at the same time, who knows? (Will that get us a better deal? LOL)

    Now if she doesn't like that X5, then I will immediately steer her to look at the GL, and if she likes it, wait for the diesel version.

    So as nice as it is, I don't see a CL550 in the picture.

    TagMan
  • dhamiltondhamilton Member Posts: 878
    I just read somewhere that a diesel X5 is supposed to hit sometime in the fall.

    Will your wife consider the Q7 3.0 TDI when it arrives?
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    I just read somewhere that a diesel X5 is supposed to hit sometime in the fall.

    A diesel X5!! Now you're talking.

    Will your wife consider the Q7 3.0 TDI when it arrives?

    She doesn't like the Q7's style for some reason, but she thinks the X5 is hot.

    TagMan
  • deweydewey Member Posts: 5,251
    The blurb below from the NY Times describes in essence what we've been arguing about these past few years:

    But I’m reminded of James Joyce’s short story “The Dead.” In it, a man’s wife reveals that as a teenager, she had a boyfriend named Michael Furey who died of pneumonia after trying to visit her during a terrible storm. The husband dejectedly realizes that compared with this crazy dead guy, he hasn’t brought much to the table in the way of passion. He’s just going through the motions.

    I wonder if a Lexus owner wouldn’t eventually have a similar epiphany. Maybe he or she would be driving along one day and suddenly remember a ride from the past, some rascal of a sports car that was fast and exciting but blew its final head gasket long before its time. Maybe that car instilled in them the idea that fun precludes reliability, that luxury and excitement are mutually exclusive
    .

    SOURCE: NY Times
  • houdini1houdini1 Member Posts: 8,327
    Brings to mind my very first car. A used 1953 Nash Rambler. It was 1959 and I was 16. Sort of a washed out burgundy color. Three speed manual with overdrive for 4th gear.

    I can still remember its very best feature: Both front seat backs would fully recline!! :blush::);)

    2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460

  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    Brings to mind my very first car. A used 1953 Nash Rambler. It was 1959 and I was 16. Sort of a washed out burgundy color. Three speed manual with overdrive for 4th gear.

    I can still remember its very best feature: Both front seat backs would fully recline!!


    Houdini,

    Here's your car, buddy!!

    image

    Don't say I never did anything for ya'! ;)

    TagMan
  • deweydewey Member Posts: 5,251
    I can still remember my first car when I was a teenager. A used rusty silver 78 Ford Granada with a red vinyl roof. Both front seats were unable to recline no matter what the situation was. :(

    And no the picture of the Vitalis hair sprayed guy below was not me as a teenager.

    image
  • lexusguylexusguy Member Posts: 6,419
    I started with a Falcon a bit like this one:

    image
  • houdini1houdini1 Member Posts: 8,327
    Thanks. I am shocked that even a picture has survived for that long! I don't recall mine looking that "sporty" but that is pretty close. Maybe because mine was pretty much worn out by the time I got it. I loved it though.

    2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460

  • houdini1houdini1 Member Posts: 8,327
    Ahhhh! One of the finest cars ever made. Simply gorgeous!

    2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460

  • designmandesignman Member Posts: 2,129
    Here’s my first, identical to this specimen except for the wheels. I had the 3-spoke OEM hubs. It's a 65 Impala SS, three on the tree. Had it converted to a 3-speed Hurst on the floor. I also installed the first-ever 8-track tape deck by Panasonic. Not long after my older brother came home with a BMW 2002. That was my indoctrination into the world of Euro cars and I never looked at American cars the same way again. BTW, you could fit about 6 sets of golf clubs in the trunks of the cars back then.

    Thanks to Houdini and Tag for starting this. Adds a nice touch. I just hope Pat doesn't sue us for being OT. ;-)

    image
  • lexusguylexusguy Member Posts: 6,419
    Not long after my older brother came home with a BMW 2002. That was my indoctrination into the world of Euro cars and I never looked at American cars the same way again.

    In the mid '70s I was driving around in a '62 Austin Healey 3000 MkII. Very different from the Detroit pigs of the day, it was a blast. I don't think I've had more fun in a car since. A nice benefit was the very demanding double-clutch four-speed that meant only I could drive it :) The only real negative was you basically had to just hope it wouldn't rain, because it would take about 20 minutes to put the top up. Mine was very much like this one, just substitute the light blue for black.

    image
  • anthonypanthonyp Member Posts: 1,860
    That brings tears to my eyes, I wanted one so much..Never got one, but ....Tony
  • lexusguylexusguy Member Posts: 6,419
    That brings tears to my eyes, I wanted one so much..Never got one, but ....Tony



    Not only did it not have active steering, it had no power assist whatsoever. Great on the highway, but not the most fun car in the world to park. What a great sounding engine, though. It bellowed like some prehistoric beast past 4500rpm, practically begging you to redline it before flipping the overdrive switch.
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    Thanks to Houdini and Tag for starting this. Adds a nice touch.

    Your welcome, but when I posted that pic of houdini's 1953 Nash Rambler, I had no idea that all this would happen! Very Cool.

    I just hope Pat doesn't sue us for being OT.

    I'm willing to bet Pat is getting a chuckle out of this, too, and might even be inclined to post something sentimental.

    BTW, after seeing that beautiful '62 Austin Healey, I think lexusguy should change his name to luckyguy! WOW! :)

    TagMan
  • blkhemiblkhemi Member Posts: 1,717
    Sorry fellas for being absent so long, but I couldn't resist hitting the slopes in the Catskills last week and this weekend.

    Not much has happened around, huh? The same Lexus crowd pushing the same semantics about how the Lexus LS will be the second coming and will be the end of mankind as we old farts know it.

    Even Dr.Fill has topped himself on relying on Edmunds to make a point. He says that the review was "excellent". Well it's average at best, considering that the same gripes that all other publications have eluded to are still ever present.

    But the whopper to this whole conundrum is that, if the LS is just that great, and some has said that Edmunds loves the car, then why is it that for the second year in a row, the Audi A8(a 4 year old design compared to a from-sratch 4 month old design) has won the Editor's Choice crown here? Yes, that same obsolete German piece of junk has yet again stolen the LS' show. A pity.

    On to another subject, altho some may disagree surely, I'll go on record noting that the MB CL550/600 is the best looking big coupe sold on the market right now. And it will only get better when the AMG's go on sale. The CL63 looks absolutely gorgeous. With that said, Merc1 I do share your concern over the look when compared to the AMG. It's like nite and day, but it's premium all the way no matter which variant. The interior is approaching the Audi benchmark.

    BTW: My first ride was a 50' Mercury Coupe, which coincidently, I still own(big surprise ;) )

    GO BEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • designmandesignman Member Posts: 2,129
    Not only did it not have active steering, it had no power assist whatsoever. Great on the highway, but not the most fun car in the world to park.

    I forgot to mention that my Impala SS didn't have power steering either. It was an option in those days but it was good for exercise. I had two friends with those cool Healeys. One of them had to shake a cable as he turned the ignition key to get the engine started.

    I have nothing against the Bears, always liked them. But I'm rooting for Indy because Dungy and Manning paid their dues.
  • drfilldrfill Member Posts: 2,484
    Oh, if only it were that simple.

    I think that list was compiled before the LS460L made it's impression, and the Mazda3 soundly beat the Civic in comparison.

    If words like extraordinary, luscious (!), phenomenal, and drives like a smaller car, which are used prominently in the review, are examples of these semantics, than I apologize.

    This extensive list of gripes include:

    Grabby, slow brakes (which can be upgraded).

    Everyone says they'll buy an A8, it is just so great, but when it's time to sign on the dotted line......

    They buy an LS. Why? :confuse:

    Do tell, and talk slow, so I can take notes. ;)

    DrFill
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    Everyone says they'll buy an A8, it is just so great, but when it's time to sign on the dotted line......

    They buy an LS. Why?


    Reliability and price are the same simple factors that affect sales of appliances and other products.

    BTW, the A8 is at the very end of its model cycle and will be freshened and improved next year.

    TagMan
Sign In or Register to comment.