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Sedans High End Luxury Cars
24700 messages, Last post on Dec 01, 2009 at 12:24 PM
You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
Let's try to define this forum as being limited to luxury performance vehicles where the mainstream version in a typical configuration has an MSRP of at least $60k.
A luxury vehicle with a base price of $59k qualifies because it would typically be bought with some additional equipment, bringing the MSRP over $60k.
Vehicles like the E, 5, A6, M, or GS, even if available in certain versions over $60k, don't qualify because they are cars from companies that have higher end cars in their lineups.
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Replying to: tagman (Oct 17, 2006 7:50 am) The Japanese are much more disciplined and focused. Lexus's priority is to build the best built luxury cars, and it does it. Infiniti's priority is to build the best performance sedans that it can. They don't let themselves be distracted from their priorities, such as matching BMW M or producing outlandish expensive sports cars that find very few buyers.
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The new Blutec MB E320 does seems to be quite a different car from the 83 MB300D currently sitting in my garage. You associate 38 miles a gallon with squirrel-driven subcompacts, not a powerful midsize luxury sedan. But that is the mileage the Mercedes test car delivered in 250 miles of highway cruising. The Bluetec also posted a thrifty 28 m.p.g. in the city. Both numbers exceeded the car’s federal rating of 37 on the highway, 27 in town. Now, 208 horsepower may not sound that forceful. But take a look at the 400 pound-feet of torque, which exceeds that of the 500-horsepower BMW M5 sedan. Commanding torque — the thrust you feel when racing away from a stoplight — is the secret weapon of diesel engines. Abetted by a turbocharger in the E320 Bluetec, this results in swift 0-to-60 acceleration of 6.6 seconds. For luxury buyers who have suddenly awakened to the imperatives of economy and conservation, this is a no-brainer bargain. With a base price of $52,325, Mercedes is charging just $1,000 extra for the frugal engine and Bluetec emissions system, compared with the gasoline V-6. Contrast that with the big premiums for luxury hybrids: the Lexus GS 450h costs $8,000 more than the gasoline V-6 version, yet its overall E.P.A. rating is just 1 m.p.g. higher, at 25. In the real world, this means that in about two years you break-even with the Mercedes. In contrast, the owner of a Lexus GS 450h might as well be Rip Van Winkle: he will have to drive the car more than 130 years to get back the premium. SOURCE:New York Times |
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In my case a hybrid is more advanatageous for me than a diesel since I drive mainly in city traffic. One of the cars that got me most excited is an upcoming super gas efficient plug-in-hybrid Lexus or Toyota that can be powered solely by battery for the first 20 miles or so. The above scenario was based on the use of lithium ion batteries instead of nickel carbide batteries. Unfortunatley that may happen later than sooner due to the lithium battery problems associated with burning/overheated laptops. If you are worried that a laptop powered by a dozen lithium ion cells may burst into flames, how do you feel about cruising down the highway at 70 mph in a car powered by 6,000 of them? Lithium ion batteries wont be overheated if they are 45 to 75 percent charged like the current nickel carbide batteries in the GS or Prius hybrids. But unfortunately a super efficient plug-in hybrid needs to be 100 percent fully charged in order to be solely powered by battery for longer range driving. And 100 percent charging could lead to overheated lithium ion batteries in cars. In otherwords dont expect to find many plug-in hybrids in a few years or so unless you are willing to spend a $12K premium: A handful of companies, like A123 Systems and Valence Technology, are rushing to come up with safe lithium ion batteries specifically engineered for use in these vehicles. The big automakers won't be selling plug-in hybrids or all-electric vehicles soon, but tinkerer EnergyCS is developing a kit it hopes to sell for $12,000 or so that will replace the nickel metal hydride battery in Priuses with a plug-in lithium ion pack SOURCE:FORBES |
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The Lexus ES had tranny issues for many years. While the LS as far as I know have had no major tranny issues.
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Replying to: mariner7 (Oct 17, 2006 9:58 am) Acura is focused? Tunnel vision would be a more appropriate term. All Acura cars are based on the Accord platform. Acura is the only marque that claims to be a luxury marque without a V8 or RWD model. That IMO is far too focused for me. Infiniti, I do admire for their performance. But again Infiniti's focus is too narrow to be called focus in a positive sense. How far can a luxury marque go with just two cars: a G and a M . Who on this planet takes the Q seriously anyways? Oh yes I know, I know there will be a new Q that will stand up high among its competitors. Well in that case I will have to see it to believe it. The Lexus? Their focus is also too narrow and resembles tunnel vision. A luxury brand has to be international and not a mere one of a kind US phenemona. Lexus still has a long way to go to establish their marque overseas. Will Europeans like being groped by the seat of their pants and on their spines with that new massage LS feature? And what if their ticklish? In order to accomplish international success Lexus will have to define themselves beyond such gimmicks as electronic groping and a self parking feature that only works when there is a lot of parking space (unfortunatley when I parallel park my bumpers are usually kissing other bumpers) |
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Replying to: dewey (Oct 17, 2006 10:45 am) And braking problems as well. As long as the LS continues to be built in Japan, it will be a cut above the entry level, NA built Lexus cars and trucks. |
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Replying to: mariner7 (Oct 17, 2006 9:58 am) |
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Replying to: dewey (Oct 17, 2006 10:59 am) 
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