The Car Thread ... !

[0388631]

You are correct. I've been seeing GTIs for $4-5k off sticker. There was a NoVA dealer offering $6-7k off Autobahn trim GTIs a few weeks ago. Quite tempting in the low $20s. I had a MKV GTI 4dr briefly and loved it.

Golf Rs are $1k off sticker on the lower end model around here. MSRP for the higher trim DCC/NAV model.

Those aren't bad markdowns! They're a bit more here. There Golf R is much lower than 1K off sticker, but I believe you guys see lower markoffs due to the R having AWD and thus being more important during the winter.

The Focus RS is a pretty cool car, but I can't get over the mid-life crisis boy racer looks and the mediocre Ford interior (Sync especially.) The Golf R might be slower, but it's a more comfortable DD with a higher quality interior.

I would love to get into a Golf R (or Mini) sometime down the line.

I came across the current R around this time last year and was quite taken aback at how well appointed it was for its price point. Plus, the dual clutch it uses in automatic versions is apparently quite good, with minor lag on downshifts. The MK7 R did sell for slightly higher than MSRP according to some owner videos I've watched since then. It's a fantastic little car. I can't see why you'd want a Mini.

Yup, awful initial quality so far, as reported on Swedespeed. I guess that's what happens when you buy an all-new car with all-new engine/platform in its first model year. It's a recipe for disaster.

That's the forum. And, yes, that applies to just about any manufactured item. Let others be the guinea pig.


BTW, I've been meaning to ask, what's the biggest difference in an F sport trim Lexus? Not the F, but the F Sports. Different driving mode and worse interior seems to be the common theme. Also the seats are less comfortable compared to the normal cars.

 

[Suture]

Installed APR downpipe 4 days ago, updated tune to 2+. Clutch slipping oh well. You all know the saying...

 

[2298754]

Funny you bring this up. There is a Subaru dealership two cities over, but everytime I pass by their lot they've got tumbleweeds blowing past, so to speak. In the last 10 years alone I've seen less than a dozen Subari's on the streets. They're not very popular here, except for the WRX and the STD variant.

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2016/08/usa-auto-brand-sales-results-july-2016-ytd.html

Susie's sales numbers are quite impressive for such a niche brand. They outsell VW and Mazda.

Subaru says the company has now sold more than 10,000 Outbacks in 29 consecutive months and more than 10,000 Foresters in 36 consecutive months.

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BTW, I've been meaning to ask, what's the biggest difference in an F sport trim Lexus? Not the F, but the F Sports. Different driving mode and worse interior seems to be the common theme. Also the seats are less comfortable compared to the normal cars.

Sporty styling (usually uglier IMO) and better suspension. I hate the F sport LFA-style gauge cluster too. It looks cheap

http://www.lexus.com/models/IS/packages

Performance and styling upgrades including suspension tuning, bolstered sport seats, exclusive 18-inch wheels*and more.

on the GS F sport, I think you get variable dampers and such too

 

[bunnspecial]

FWIW, with regard to Subaru-I see Outbacks all the time around here. The people who have them absolutely rave about them.

I don't specifically look for them, but from what I've seen they hold their resale value quite well also.

 

[0388631]

Susie's sales numbers are quite impressive for such a niche brand. They outsell VW and Mazda.

Oh wow. That's a healthy growth over last year. As I said, I believe they're more popular in the midwest, east coast and to a point, the PNW because of the very different climate there. California itself is multi-climate and while I'm a now native resident, I can't quite comment as accurately. But as I said, in my extensive travels in California, I haven't seen many. There's a joke to be made of Subaru's with Uhaul trailers hitched at the back, but it's incredibly inappropriate for a public forum.

Sporty styling (usually uglier IMO) and better suspension. I hate the F sport LFA-style gauge cluster too. It looks cheap

The grill will grow on you. Like an infection. I'll agree with you on the gauge cluster. As I've said in the past, I like analog clusters more. I'll have to get over that if I want the E63 next year. But the Lexus incorporates motorized units and LCD/LED. I can't imagine the cost to repair that motor if/when it dies. I'll repeat myself, despite my utter hatred for Audi, their take on digital dash is impeccable.

on the GS F sport, I think you get variable dampers and such too

And Lexus wonders why they're not outselling the more expensive M5 or the E63. Even when they're now slashing 15K off the lot price in certain parts of the country, while the rest remain at the standard 10K discount.

 

[0388631]

Yeah, I agree. It does look rather good. I'd probably get one over an Infiniti or Acura. Has a very euro-vibe to it.

http://blog.caranddriver.com/badge-...costs-2650-more-than-its-hyundai-predecessor/

Found your X5 replacement.

 

[2298754]

http://blog.caranddriver.com/badge-...costs-2650-more-than-its-hyundai-predecessor/

Found your X5 replacement.

Haha. Impressive car for the money, but I'm still not sold on Korean cars. I doubt they hold up as well as their Japanese competition.

I still need that stupid airbag replaced before thinking about a replacement
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I'll repeat myself, despite my utter hatred for Audi, their take on digital dash is impeccable.

Yeah, the Audi Virtual Cockpit is probably the best in the business. I've seen some recent Volvo and JLR products with their digital dashes and none of them are as well done. They all lag or don't have a high-res screen. The Virtual Cockpit runs at 60fps.

The one in the W213 looks quite good too, but haven't sat in one yet. I finally saw one on the road the other day.

And Lexus wonders why they're not outselling the more expensive M5 or the E63. Even when they're now slashing 15K off the lot price in certain parts of the country, while the rest remain at the standard 10K discount.

I think the styling is pretty off-putting to most buyers. I wonder if the 4GS would've done better if it didn't have the hideous grill. The E63/M5 fly under the radar. Unless you know what to look for, the average person will think it's just another BMW or Mercedes-Benz.

The pre-facelift 4GS was probably best implementation of the predator grill. Too bad they ruined the car for 2016.

 

[bunnspecial]

I found a nice little photographic reference of 80 years of Morgan design history

Also a nice little sales chart for British Leyland through the late 1970s

 

[0388631]

Haha. Impressive car for the money, but I'm still not sold on Korean cars. I doubt they hold up as well as their Japanese competition.

I still need that stupid airbag replaced before thinking about a replacement

I was actually joking. It's not unheard of for a Hyundai transmission in their "higher end" cars to crap out at around 45K miles.

The one in the W213 looks quite good too, but haven't sat in one yet. I finally saw one on the road the other day.

I've yet to see one in person, but from what I've read, the implementation is much better than that in the S class's.

I think the styling is pretty off-putting to most buyers. I wonder if the 4GS would've done better if it didn't have the hideous grill. The E63/M5 fly under the radar. Unless you know what to look for, the average person will think it's just another BMW or Mercedes-Benz.

The pre-facelift 4GS was probably best implementation of the predator grill. Too bad they ruined the car for 2016.

There's people who like it, there's people who hate it, and then there are people who are straddling the center divide. Your assessment is correct, but the exhaust note and general rumble of the E63 and M5 will cause people who are aware of their surroundings to lookup. I've seen my fair share of people get startled when there was an M5 or E63 in traffic, and the driver pressed the accelerator. I think the M5 is a fab car, mainly because it's much more subtle in looks, plus that thing has much more power than is stated.

I feel Lexus are copying what Audi did and it's going to take some fine adjustment over generations or mid generation face lifts to get it right. My main grudge with Lexus at the moment is their weird tailights. My 2IS350 has that typical Japanese mantra of design but the 3IS seems to be lost in design language. It's going to take Lexus some time to perfect European style design and get a grip with their power. I'm sure Lexus can extract more power from their engines but don't to maintain long term reliability. FI is the way to go, and I have no doubt that Lexus can come up with a scheme that minimizes lag and puts down power throughout the band.

 

[mojolicious]

I found a nice little photographic reference of 80 years of Morgan design history

My then 12-13 year old uncle watched the Battle of Britain from the relative safety of Elstree, around ten miles north of central London. He was always a frustrated Spitfire pilot, but the nearest his post-war service got him to his dream was some sort of air traffic control posting in Scotland. There's a great photo of him in uniform, pipe in mouth, standing in front of a rank of Lancasters. Unless you look carefully you'd think he was a Wing Commander rather than an 18 year old boy.

He also spent eight months at Spandau, in the period between the arrival of the Nuremberg prisoners and the start of the blockade/airlift. The ruins of Berlin dispelled his enthusiasm for warfare but he still fancied himself a fighter pilot, so on leaving the military he did the next best thing and bought himself one of these bad boys...

I don't think he had it for more than a year, but long enough to get more photos of him standing alongside with his pipe in his mouth. On one occasion he was out with my mother (this was circa 1950, making her 17/18) when one of the exhaust pipes dropped off. He stopped and sent her to pick it up. They get rather hot after a while – who knew?!? – and she spent the next fortnight with both hands in bandages.

 

[Suture]

Those look like so much fun.

 

[2298754]

It might be not be as rare or exclusive as a Neiman Marcus edition, but still breath taking!

 

[0388631]

It's rather a large Bloomingdales.

On a more serious note, I can't look at a Maserati like you or Mr. Neiman Marcus Maserati do.

 

[A.Goldberg]

It's rather a large Bloomingdales.

On a more serious note, I can't look at a Maserati like you or Mr. Neiman Marcus Maserati do.

See I'm not quite even sure why they chose Neiman Marcus as a special edition. While NM does sell some limited self-branded clothing items and odds and ends, I imagine the bulk of there sales come from the other 3rd party brands they sell. There NM branded items generally are cheaper than the other brands. I have a couple NM sweaters- great quality, still pretty $$, but it's no Brunello Cucinelli or Tom Ford that costs $1,000+. Or Prada, Givenchy, or Gucci.

Neiman Marcus as far as I know has always been known as a premier department store, not a premier designer or garment-maker.

It's like if the Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer Edition was instead the Ford Explorer JCPenny Edition.

 

[0388631]

Personally, I can't imagine wanting to buy a Maserati other than the operatic sound it can produce in select models. That said, I also don't fancy buying a car just for its operatic sound and the gift that keeps giving; having to continuously dump money into the car to keep it running.

 

[Suture]

Personally, I can't imagine wanting to buy a Maserati other than the operatic sound it can produce in select models. That said, I also don't fancy buying a car just for its operatic sound and the gift that keeps giving; having to continuously dump money into the car to keep it running.

Agreed, and I feel the same about Ferrari. Although if I had the means, I'd probably through all caution into the wind for an older Ferrari.

 

[iLog.Genius]

Agreed, and I feel the same about Ferrari. Although if I had the means, I'd probably through all caution into the wind for an older Ferrari.

That's your opinion and I respect that but the Ferrari is way more special than any Maserati. Other than the sound of some Maserati's (which I'm a huge fan of), at any Maserati price point, there are many cars to seriously consider:

BMW 5er/6er, Jaguar XF/F-type, Porsche Panamera/911, Audi A6/A7/A8, Mercedes CLS/AMG GT, Aston Martin, I'm sure there are others.

Ferrari has its share of competitiors but they bang out hits like the 458, F12 Berlinetta and even when switching to forced induction, they still don't miss a beat with the 488 GTB and California T. You would be hard pressed to pick any competitor over a Ferrari if you had the money. I can't say the same about any Maserati.

 

[Muscle Master]

So I think I settled on a Durango R/T with Awd and that Hemi... Quite expensive new but a found a CPO with 27,000 miles 7 year... 100,000 mile warranty

Mercedes Benz chassis, ZF transmission, 390 lb ft of torque, and that Hemi Exhaust!

The race track tail light are just sex at night.. Gonna test drive it and possibly buy it on Monday. Gonna see if I can haggle the price and trade in on my Rav I need at least 20,000 for it. My girl got approve for $27,200 and the Durango is $35,000 and a year 14... I would like to put 0 down but a sneaky hospital bill dented her credit and hasn't been resolved yet.. We'll see

http://www.frankcvideon.com/used/Dodge/2014-Dodge-Durango-358f7c540a0e0a6b2f4f287b0cf02165.htm

 

[daneoni]

Never been a big Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche or Lambo person. i mean i can see the appeal but If money was no object i'd probably only rent them for a year just to get the 'experience' and then promptly dump them.

Maserati styling doesn't appeal to me, Ferraris sound nice but i know i'd get bored after a while, same with Lambo. Porsche I'm indifferent.

I'm more of an Aston person. Those i would definitely own if i had the means. I don't think i've come across an Aston model i don't like...maybe the Rapide

 

[bunnspecial]

I was forced into buying a new set of tires yesterday. I clipped a curb a week and a half ago, and noticed Wednesday that I had a bubble. I checked my logs(I honestly couldn't remember) and found that the current Bridgestones had done about 47,000 miles-not too bad, but between the amount of wear on them and my obsessiveness about having four matched tires I thought I'd just bite the bullet and throw a new set on.

I shopped around a bit and found Pirelli Centurato P7 A/Ss on sale at a regional chain for $100 off a set of four. Plus, their base price($168) was less expensive than by a significant amount of compared to the exact replacement for my Bridgestones($210 each) or the OEM Michelins($225 each). I've always held Pirellis in high regard, but they've sort of fallen off my radar in the past few years since they seem to not have a lot of visibility in the US.

In any case, the interwebz largely gave rave reviews of the tires with some being so bold as to call it the best in class(grand touring all season).

I managed to get out the door for $750 bottom line(alignment included) which is less than I've ever paid for a set of tires for this car. Even the crummy Mastercraft tires I put on at one point were over $800 OTD.

I don't even have 100 miles on the new tires yet, but I can't get over how good these tires are, and bear in mind that I've spent well north of $1K on more than one set of tires for this car. They are dead silent and smooth as glass up to 100(I couldn't find enough clear road to go past there). It rained on me pretty well on the way home from the tire shop yesterday, and the wet traction is excellent. I haven't had a chance to do any serious cornering in them, but have no doubt that they will do well.

 

[iLog.Genius]

I don't even have 100 miles on the new tires yet, but I can't get over how good these tires are, and bear in mind that I've spent well north of $1K on more than one set of tires for this car. They are dead silent and smooth as glass up to 100(I couldn't find enough clear road to go past there). It rained on me pretty well on the way home from the tire shop yesterday, and the wet traction is excellent. I haven't had a chance to do any serious cornering in them, but have no doubt that they will do well.

Which car do you have the P7's on? Driven a F30 3er and the W205 C-Class with the P7's and they're below average even for an A/S. I find that they don't work on a sport or comfort/luxury-tuned chassis so I'm curious to see which type of car you have them where you found them to be good. I tried to go the cheaper and inexpensive route but never found a set of tires I was happy with. Ended up getting a set of Pilot A/S 3. Yes they cost a bit more but I've been very happy with them.

 

[bunnspecial]

Which car do you have the P7's on? Driven a F30 3er and the W205 C-Class with the P7's and they're below average even for an A/S. I find that they don't work on a sport or comfort/luxury-tuned chassis so I'm curious to see which type of car you have them where you found them to be good. I tried to go the cheaper and inexpensive route but never found a set of tires I was happy with. Ended up getting a set of Pilot A/S 3. Yes they cost a bit more but I've been very happy with them.

I have them on a Lincoln LS.

Perhaps it's the fact that I don't have a lot of miles on them, but like I said this car a worn a LOT of rubber in the past 8 years that I've owned it in a lot of different models and so far they're winning.

 

[D.T.]

So I think I settled on a Durango R/T with Awd and that Hemi... Quite expensive new but a found a CPO with 27,000 miles 7 year... 100,000 mile warranty

Mercedes Benz chassis, ZF transmission, 390 lb ft of torque, and that Hemi Exhaust!

The race track tail light are just sex at night.. Gonna test drive it and possibly buy it on Monday. Gonna see if I can haggle the price and trade in on my Rav I need at least 20,000 for it. My girl got approve for $27,200 and the Durango is $35,000 and a year 14... I would like to put 0 down but a sneaky hospital bill dented her credit and hasn't been resolved yet.. We'll see

http://www.frankcvideon.com/used/Dodge/2014-Dodge-Durango-358f7c540a0e0a6b2f4f287b0cf02165.htm

That's pretty fun, love the RT package, and the color (not a fan of the wheels, but I'm more of a "performance styled" wheel person).

 

[2298754]

So I think I settled on a Durango R/T with Awd and that Hemi... Quite expensive new but a found a CPO with 27,000 miles 7 year... 100,000 mile warranty

The race track tail light are just sex at night.. Gonna test drive it and possibly buy it on Monday. Gonna see if I can haggle the price and trade in on my Rav I need at least 20,000 for it. My girl got approve for $27,200 and the Durango is $35,000 and a year 14... I would like to put 0 down but a sneaky hospital bill dented her credit and hasn't been resolved yet.. We'll see

They do look great, but I can't help but think that spending $35k (especially with questionable credit) is a horrible idea. That car will be worth pennies on the dollar very soon. And you will end up with a lot of negative equity.

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Neiman Marcus as far as I know has always been known as a premier department store, not a premier designer or garment-maker.

Maserati has been getting into weird partnerships. You can get a Zegna silk interior in the Levante

http://www.interiordesign.net/articles/11864-poltrona-frau-and-ermenegildo-zegna-meet-at-maserati/

 

[0388631]

Not as silly as the Merc marble/granite trim. I'm quite curious what Audi could offer me in terms of rates based on credit, income, assets, etc.