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High End Luxury Cars

24723 messages,  Last post on Jan 28, 2013 at 6:55 PM

You are in the Sedans Forum.

What is this discussion about? Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Jaguar XJ-Series, Lexus LS 460, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Volkswagen Phaeton, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz CL-Class, Sedan



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.

Messages Page 938 of 2473

#9370 of 24723 Re: merc1 [merc1] by syswei

May 10, 2005 (6:13 am)

Replying to: merc1 (May 09, 2005 10:22 pm)
according to Lexus not an E-Class fighter, but a 5-Series fighter. That to me says sport is a little higher up on the priority list this time around
 
A fair statement, I think. And my perception is that the reviews view this edition as more sporting than the 1998 edition.
 
Sports sedan target missed
 
Not sure about that, some see it differently. Automobile magazine on the driving qualities of the 545: "The V-8 is wickedly strong, and the engine seems able to unleash a thunderclap of power at any rpm. The trouble is that it's hard to get a handle on it. The effort of the variable-ratio active steering goes light once you move the steering off center, and the chassis floats just as the front end heels over. Gillies says, "It feels as if BMW is using all this steering technology to enhance the driving experience without realizing it often isolates you from feeling what's going on with the chassis and tires.""
 
Same article about the GS430: "the GS proves to be the easiest car to drive quickly, especially since it weighs only 3860 pounds. Lerner says, "It takes no time at all to get up and go, and once it's going, it keeps scooting along with seemingly unlimited verve." Gillies adds, "The engine is amazing, with wonderful refinement and midrange power, while the transmission shifts so unobtrusively it could apply for a job as a butler."..."The GS should finally get Lexus the respect it deserves," says Lerner, "because it competes with the European marques in terms of emotion, élan, and prestige.""
 
Other reviews differ of course, but I don't think it's fair to say for the GS that the luxury sports sedan target was flat out missed, more like "not as sporting as the 5-series in the eyes of some reviewers".

#9371 of 24723 Re: merc1 [syswei] by syswei

May 10, 2005 (7:11 am)

Replying to: syswei (May 10, 2005 6:13 am)
Even the C&D comparo, which you cite as being more sporting-oriented, isn't all that favorable to the 5 (leaving out the engine choice):
 
"the manumatic six-speed in our test car...resisted our inputs with pigheaded obduracy, particularly on the tight Streets of Willow road course, where it would simply ignore requests. Other times it would shift without being asked."

#9372 of 24723 syswei - emotorcons by pat

May 10, 2005 (7:34 am)

Replying to: syswei (May 09, 2005 5:42 pm)
The emotorcons are still here. There seem to be some instances where some folks' preference to display them unchecks itself. Go to your preference settings (upper left) and you should be able to turn them back on. The software folks are looking at this.

#9373 of 24723 Re: bentley Lexus Mercedes [blckislandguy] by stroudman

May 10, 2005 (8:37 am)

Replying to: blckislandguy (May 09, 2005 4:28 pm)
For what it sounds like Tony's purposes would be, the Arnage would be ideal. A true touring car whose value has plateaued a bit, unlike the S which if bought new, would drop substantially. And Tony, if someone's going to drive you around, even better. You can enjoy the ride and take in the sights, without worrying that some chatty teenager on a cellphone will run into you while you're trying to smell the roses.

#9374 of 24723 stroudman by syswei

May 10, 2005 (8:51 am)

You had been skeptical of payback times with the hybrids and to followup on that, I think that once the realworld pricing falls...i.e., the premium over invoice falls toward what it is with the RX330, the RX400h will be imminently reasonable as a economic proposition...and the buyer gets better performance to boot.
 
Edmunds did a review here
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=105527
and it says in part: "The Lexus RX 400h commands an $11,000 premium over a base RX 330 but comes with almost every possible feature. Put all of it's features on a regular RX and the leap to the hybrid is about $3,000. Add in your tax credit and the difference is just a grand....buying a hybrid or diesel SUV could be a good financial move. Based on the mileage we got [breakeven is] about six years in the RX 400h. That might sound like a long time if you're planning to lease one, but add in the $2,000 hybrid tax credit available in 2005, you'd break even after about two years."

#9375 of 24723 Re: stroudman [syswei] by stroudman

May 10, 2005 (11:40 am)

Replying to: syswei (May 10, 2005 8:51 am)
As long as you can financially, and philosophically, handle the freight on a fully loaded RX, then it sounds like a great product. The only thing I can compare it to personally is my diesel product, and most, not all but most, of the folks in the market for them want as stripped-down a vehicle as they can get. I don't believe the lexus crowd is the same way, however.

#9376 of 24723 Re: stroudman [stroudman] by syswei

May 10, 2005 (12:53 pm)

Replying to: stroudman (May 10, 2005 11:40 am)
I'm curious to know what you're seeing from CDI prospects...do they tend to be cross shopping against conventional ICE cars like the E350, or is more the RX400h?

#9377 of 24723 Re: stroudman [syswei] by pat

May 10, 2005 (2:14 pm)

Replying to: syswei (May 10, 2005 12:53 pm)
Did you get your emotorcons back? Was the problem what I posted earlier?

#9378 of 24723 Re: stroudman [pat] by syswei

May 10, 2005 (2:18 pm)

Replying to: pat (May 10, 2005 2:14 pm)
I looked at my preferences and indeed the box was mysteriously unchecked. I have now checked it off and yes they seem to be back, I just haven't had a need to add an icon to a post.

#9379 of 24723 Re: stroudman [syswei] by pat

May 10, 2005 (2:32 pm)

Replying to: syswei (May 10, 2005 2:18 pm)
Okay, just wanted to make sure that it was a known problem rather than something new. Just fyi, the box controls only whether you see them, not whether they would show up for someone else in a post of yours. So if you had typed a smiley while it was off, you would have seen just the characters but others would have seen the emotorcon. Thanks for letting me know.

Messages Page 938 of 2473

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