Not to mention one of the worst cars on the road in terms of tech for the price. If I wanted a Volvo nav screen, I would have bought a Volvo.
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The Car Thread ... !
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Not to mention one of the worst cars on the road in terms of tech for the price. If I wanted a Volvo nav screen, I would have bought a Volvo.
Yup, even Volvo doesn't use that old piece of crap NAV anymore.
There have been rumors that Mercedes is looking at a takeover of Aston for the last few years. Hopefully it happens. They have the money (and technology) to make Aston relevant again. Just look at what Audi did with Lamborghini!
It would certainly help them compete with Volkswagen (Lamborghini, Bugatti) and Fiat (Ferrari).
Fiat owned 50% of the company for the better part of a half-century, but increased its ownership of Ferrari to 85% in 2008.
Want to see a brand that has benefitted a ton from Fiat ownership? Look no further than the interior of the Jeep Cherokee.
That is truly beautiful for an entry level crossover.
Fiat needs to get moving as far as I'm concerned.
1) Dump the Chrysler brand. It's hot garbage.
2) Figure out a luxury car marque in the US. Chrysler isn't it.
3) Get the Alfa Romeo 4C the heck over here, followed by more models. The Lombardy auto manufacturer makes affordable Ferraris.
I agree with this. The new Fiat-inspired interiors are pretty damn good.
Too bad the exterior is dreadful though... and the car seems to be plagued with quality issues (pertaining to the new ZF 9AT transmission)
Hmm... They need to revamp the Chrysler brand. I think Dodge needs to be dumped. They haven't had quality product under the Dodge nameplate in a long long time... The new 200C seems like a good start to Chrysler.
I think Alfa is going to become that? or Maserati?
Sergio seems to have pissed off all the Fiat dealers in the US, who were promised the 4C and Alfas, in general. It looks like the 4C will be sold at Ferrari dealers, and not all of them. I recently looked at the dealer list... There are no dealers in the Northeast (MA/RI/NH/ME, etc).
While the 4C is a gorgeous car (I saw it at the New York Auto Show), it isn't enough for Alfa. They need a full lineup and it needs to happen ASAP.
If they keep delaying the Alfa introduction (like they have been for years now...), they need to sell the brand to someone who is willing to devote the time and resources to the brand. VAG has been wanting Alfa for a long time now and I think that they would be the perfect owners. I honestly don't think Fiat could do it themselves. They've completely botched pushing Maserati going downmarket.
As an Audi/BMW owner, I'm the target market for Ghibli, but it is complete junk. Cheap Chrysler switchgear, thin leather, questionable build quality... And it isn't selling at all. I've seen dealers advertise almost $20k off MSRP for Ghiblis all over the East Coast. Even the new Hyundai Genesis feels higher quality than the $80k Ghibli.
Thought this was interesting... After 12 years, they're finally coming out with a new XC90...
http://www.autoblog.com/2014/08/26/2015-volvo-xc90-revealed-official/
Interior is well-done, but I'm not sold on the exterior. Looking at the price of the First Edition, a loaded one will approach $70k. There is no way I'm spending that much on a Volvo with questionable future reliability and resale, especially over the equivalent BMW/Audi/Porsche/Mercedes/Lexus. Not to mention, the entire 4 banger line-up...
http://www.autoblog.com/2014/08/26/2015-volvo-xc90-revealed-official/
Interior is well-done, but I'm not sold on the exterior. Looking at the price of the First Edition, a loaded one will approach $70k. There is no way I'm spending that much on a Volvo with questionable future reliability and resale, especially over the equivalent BMW/Audi/Porsche/Mercedes/Lexus. Not to mention, the entire 4 banger line-up...
I miss my old Alfa Romeo, a lowly Alfetta Sedan 1.8L with the DOCH dual carburetor engine kicking 3-series bmws, i've never driven a car that handles that good since.
I would love a 4C, heck i'd be very happy with a late model 159. hopefully they (Alfa, Fiat) make it in the US since that's where most of our second hand cars come from.
I would love a 4C, heck i'd be very happy with a late model 159. hopefully they (Alfa, Fiat) make it in the US since that's where most of our second hand cars come from.
Ford's ST series are doing very well over here, and now there are rumors of the Focus RS making its debut here in the USA.
http://www.autoblog.com/2014/08/29/2016-ford-focus-rs-awd-us-sales-likely/
http://www.autoblog.com/2014/08/29/2016-ford-focus-rs-awd-us-sales-likely/
I never owned a car from the Big Three till I bought my '13 Fiesta SE (though, having been designed in the UK and built in Mexico it's American-ness is compromised
). It's an excellent car - good handling, comfortable ride, exceptional fuel economy by US standards. The manual transmission is quite good for a car in this price range. The electric steering is fine for everyday driving though the lack of feedback would be a problem for competitive driving. Plenty of room up front and not at all bad in the back either. Most Americans are obsessed with large autos but after downsizing to this car I am converted. I can see getting a golf-sized car but I really don't need anything bigger.I desperately wanted a Fiesta ST but they hadn't made it to dealers at the time and I needed a car. Maybe next time.
This is why Volvo is in trouble. They completely lack upscale cache. $70k can get you something a whole lot better.
Despite the fact that I have no plans to replace my TSX, I went over to the local Acura dealership to try a TLX 4 cylinder.
If I happened to own a 1G TSX, the 4 cylinder TLX is a logical progression. The tech package was about as well equipped as the RLX I had as a loaner last year. The DCT is such a huge improvement over the 5AT in the TSX. And yet, I am still quite happy with the TSX as the interior of the new car is not noticeably better IMHO. Also, the TLX is supposed to be quieter, but I didn't notice.
Again, great car. Lots of added technology for which the A caliper brand is famous, but not significantly better than a TSX in any way other than transmission.
If I happened to own a 1G TSX, the 4 cylinder TLX is a logical progression. The tech package was about as well equipped as the RLX I had as a loaner last year. The DCT is such a huge improvement over the 5AT in the TSX. And yet, I am still quite happy with the TSX as the interior of the new car is not noticeably better IMHO. Also, the TLX is supposed to be quieter, but I didn't notice.
Again, great car. Lots of added technology for which the A caliper brand is famous, but not significantly better than a TSX in any way other than transmission.
In the 1970s, during my childhood we sometimes had in a long, single-track driveway, five vehicles. For a while the mix probably included:
- Ford Anglia
- Ford Anglia estate
- Ford Cortina
- Hillman Super Minx estate
I should add, no more than two or three were roadworthy at any one time.
Our own driveway aside: the sound of people in the neighbourhood trying, failing to start a Ford was as recognisable as the sound of cuckoos from the churchyard on a Sunday morning. I have happy memories of push-starting the Cortina, along the driveway, many mornings before school in my teens.
Used cars owned by me over the past twenty-something years:
- Hillman Super Minx
- Hillman Super Minx estate, with overdrive and more from a Humber Sceptre
- Ford Cortina estate
- Mercedes-Benz 230TE (S124)
- Ford Granada Mark III, top-of-the-range Scorpio, estate, automatic
- Mazda 323
- Mercedes-Benz 300TE (S124)
- Mercedes-Benz E280 Elegance estate (S210) 5-TRONIC
I no longer assume that Mercedes-Benz will be costly to maintain. The 300TE experience was enlightening.
Longer and shorter introductions to my driving history, including my reasons for preferring Mercedes-Benz.
In this age of manufacturing, it's becoming increasingly less likely for cars to have problem. In general, most cars should and will last without a huge amount of maintenance for the first five or six years.
A number of the German reliability issues come from drivers buying used automobiles with a large number of miles and questionable maintenance history. Japanese and American cars have the same problems, however the price to fix the European cars is just so much greater than an American or Japanese car.
Real world, are Mercedes-Benz vehicles that much less reliable than Acuras and Lexus's? No, probably not, but the cost to maintain is much higher.
Low budget S124 (300TE) total cost of ownership: reflections
A highlight from when I sold it:
for a 1988 vehicle, all recent MOTs have been amazingly low cost for four years, just £104.41 (£58.63, £0.00, £43.80, £1.98) plus test fees. Not bad, eh?
Yeah, I'm pretty sure the average Volvo buyer gave up on them a few years ago when they spent so many years selling the same outdated XC90 year after year. Those early XC90 buyers have moved onto MB/Audi/BMW/Lexus, etc. And there is no way they're going to come back...especially at that $70k price-point.
What does this offer that a Cayenne doesn't?
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Some of the reviews have talked about how the interior isn't nearly as good as the TSX/TL were. Some evident cost-cutting it seems. I really liked the TSX, but am not sold on the TLX. It just looks boring. Oversized ILX... which isn't a good thing at all
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Not bad... looks cute. However, I want a small high-revving turbo.
Yeah, theres been talk of an S2000 successor for some time, that would be a turbo 2.2-2.5, same layout FE/RD. The last kind of semi-crazy rumor I heard was it being targeted between the next gen NSX, and the S660 tiny roadster, and being mid-engine with some kind of AWD system. Plus, a price tag up in the 60s.
That sounds exactly _not_ like a next gen S2000 to me.
Typical Honda. Parade out their turbos only to not use themYeah, theres been talk of an S2000 successor for some time, that would be a turbo 2.2-2.5, same layout FE/RD. The last kind of semi-crazy rumor I heard was it being targeted between the next gen NSX, and the S660 tiny roadster, and being mid-engine with some kind of AWD system. Plus, a price tag up in the 60s.
That sounds exactly _not_ like a next gen S2000 to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySvb44ucuIE
Can't wait to drive a 4C. Too bad, I don't have a dealer around here. Stupid Fiat...
Can't wait to drive a 4C. Too bad, I don't have a dealer around here. Stupid Fiat...
Ha!
My S2K was my first Honda, probably my last, not because it wasnt a stellar vehicle, but Im just ready to move on, and I dont really pursue makes, I shop specific models.
I watched the launch livestream and was disappointed that we really didn't get much information on the car... Hopefully they'll release more information about it soon enough. I want to know what's powering it!