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Entry Level Luxury Performance Sedans

16087 messages,  Last post on May 09, 2013 at 9:32 AM

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What is this discussion about? BMW 3 Series, Infiniti G37, Acura TL, Lexus IS 350, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Cadillac CTS, Volvo S60, Audi A4, Acura TSX, Car Comparisons, Sedan

Messages Page 294 of 1609

#2927 of 16087 I picked the Mercedes C-class sport sedan by evilangel

Nov 08, 2004 (1:16 am)

These are just my 2 cents why i picked my C230K Sedan 2 days ago
1. Love the 2005 style, AMG style kit, standard 17" RIMS and the big oval exhaust.
2. RWD
3. too many 325i on the road and the 2006 3-series will be out sometime next year, don't want to drive an "old" car in a couple months.
4. Dealer offered $4000 off MSRP that makes it around $30K w/ Auto, Sunroof, Xenon, and CD changer.
5. i can see the little star on the hood when i am driving... people are getting realistic nowadays
6. It's somewhat underpowered but i am ok w/ that coz i don't top my car more than 5% of the time 7. It's well balanced in terms of pricing, comfort, and performance.
 
About the 04 325i (my close friend got one and i have borrowed it over a weekend), engine is smooth, steering is responsive (hers doesn't have sport pkg)
 
Another friend got a 03 IS300, torque is great, gear is long (especially 1st and 2nd gear) fun to drive, but not worth the $33K, i paid my 05 C230K Sedan for under $30K
 
Audi 1.8T Quattro, some turbo lag, great style, price bumped up a lot with all that options. If you are considering the Audi, wait till next year's 2.0L direct injection engine that had 200horses and faster response
 
only spend about 3 miles in the TL. It's FAST!!! some torque steering, interior is great, comfortable, tons of standard features. but it depreciates more than a BMW and MBZ and it's still a Japanese car. If they make it RWD, it will replace my MBZ in my garage. I think if Acura make the TL RWD, it will cost at least $3000 more.

#2928 of 16087 Driving Dynamics by riez

Nov 08, 2004 (7:03 am)

fedlawman... I'll take FWD seriously when F1, Champ, IRL, Nascar, etc. have FWDers competing and winning!
 
Of course, you had the knowledge to bring up the MINI COOPER S. Almost a dedicated track go-cart. The MINI is very specialty model. But the underpowered base model isn't anything to write home about. (In Europe there are even a MINI One and, I believe, a diesel.)
 
The TSX (Euro-Accord) is a nice car. Reasonably priced. Excellent value. Great size. But to be serious, you have to have the 6-speed manual, in order to wring the most out of the high-reving enging. I'd love to know what percentage of TSXs sold in USA are coming with the automatic. I couldn't imagine driving a 4-cyl auto TSX!

#2929 of 16087 TL and torque steer by heel2toe

Nov 08, 2004 (7:53 am)

Honda/Acura has indicated that the SH-AWD system presently found in the new 2005 RL will become a distinguishing characteristic of the Acura brand. Obviously, the 2006 TL would be a great candidate for that...
 
John

#2930 of 16087 Re: I picked the Mercedes C-class sport sedan [evilangel] by jrock65

Nov 08, 2004 (7:57 am)

Replying to: evilangel (Nov 08, 2004 1:16 am)
Pretty fair review.
 
One quibble: The TL has higher residual values than the C230 or the 325.
 
"Still a Japanese car": I'm not sure why it's this is used in a pejorative sense. The reliability reputation of Japanese cars is much better than European cars. Perhaps you're referring to the generaly looser steering of Japanese cars.
 
The TL is not getting the RWD any time soon, but it will probably get the SH-AWD from the RL. It'll add $2000 to the price, in all likelihood.

#2931 of 16087 Re: ...Kdshapiro ... by rroyce10

Nov 08, 2004 (8:20 am)

Replying to: kdshapiro (Nov 07, 2004 7:22 am)
**People cross shop anything. What they cross shop has no bearing on how sales numbers are presented** ......
 
                    Bingo.!
 
          Some may spend months researching Bimmers or Benz's and in the final minutes, go home in a TL or a 300C, they might like the "name" Mercedes, but perhaps they leave in a Audi ... it depends on a potpourri of things: prices, their own personal taste -payments-, the way the vehicle handles or sounds .. that said, most make their final decision when they actually "feel/touch and drive the vehicles" .. it's a never a perfect science.
 
                           Terry.

#2932 of 16087 Re: Real World Comparisons [riez] by maxhonda99

Nov 08, 2004 (9:05 am)

Replying to: riez (Nov 07, 2004 1:26 pm)
"I can see reasonably informed rational buyers comparing FWDers like TL, TSX (the Euro-Accord), and ES to each other, but find it hard to see them comparing a RWD car, say a 330i or IS300, to a FWD car, like the ES330 or TSX. One drive in each will tell you how dramatically different are the two cars."
 
Wait, so someone who compares a TL to let's say a 330i is irrational??? Let's face it the majority of people buying cars don't buy a car based on FWD or RWD but rather on which car they like better. To most buyers driving dynamics don't even matter in the sense you talk about because the *majority* of buyers don't take off-ramps 80MPH and basically, don't drive aggressively. Typically, safety, ride, comfort, and features are on most buyers minds. I don't think when a buyer doesn't care about their car being FWD or RWD, they are being irrational.
 
And in the real car buying world, buyers compare cars more in terms of price then size or what wheels are being driven by the engine.

#2933 of 16087 Re: Real World Comparisons ....Maxhonda99 ... by rroyce10

Nov 08, 2004 (11:04 am)

Replying to: maxhonda99 (Nov 08, 2004 9:05 am)
........ The one thing about all this RWD discussion forgets is: Geographics ...
 
             Most buyers in Denver, Chicago and Richmond probably haven't forgotten that 20/30 inches of snow they will be seeing - soon .....
 
                                 Terry.

#2934 of 16087 Re: Driving Dynamics [riez] by fedlawman

Nov 08, 2004 (11:36 am)

Replying to: riez (Nov 08, 2004 7:03 am)
1. Well, how about a series that's actually based on cars that regular folks like you and I own - The SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship? The TSX's driven by Kleinubing and Plumb won just as many races as the BMW 3-series. The Mazda 6, Protege, and Nissan Altima are also very competitive.
http://www.speedarena.com/news/publish/touring_cars/article_5249.- shtml
 
2. Of course, when discussing FWD performance, the Mini immediately comes to mind. Still, even the "underpowered base model" will outhandle any car in this forum's segment, and is a blast to drive.
 
Also, the Volvo V40 T5, Saab 9-3, Mazda 6, and TSX all offer performance that's comparable to any car in this forum's segment. Now, I'll concede that perhaps a professional driver on a closed course could extract a .10 or .20 sec advantage out of the RWD cars, but not you or me...especially on public roads.
 
3. You claim to be a performance-minded enthusiast, yet when you said, "you have to have the 6-speed manual in order to wring the most out of the high-reving engine," you make it sound like getting a root canal. I didn't enjoy my root canal, but the slick 6-speed MT and sewing-machine smooth 7500 RPM rev limit is what sold me on the TSX.

#2935 of 16087 Misc by riez

Nov 08, 2004 (12:03 pm)

fedlawman... I prefer 6 and 8 cyl engines. More useable torque, esp. at low(er) RPMs. The TSX would be a blast to drive hard on the track, though you'd be shifting a lot and running very high RPMs. I don't do too much of that. I tend to stay in 3rd and 4th gears when "playing" with my car on the twisties in the real world. What are the RPMs for a TSX 6-speed in 3rd gear at 60 mph? 4th at 80 mph? (I do miss my old '98 540i6. Great engine and transmission.) Despite all the attempts, no one yet has repealed the laws of physics for front-heavy powerful FWDers. Ugly things like torque steer. That is why Acura, Audi, and Subaru use AWD.
 
rroyce10... Geographics can have a huge impact on sales. Friend of mine lives in a metro area that has about 100,000 people (say within 50 miles radius), but that area does NOT have a single Audi, BMW, MB, Acura, Infiniti, or Lexus dealer. She is forced to consider cars like CTS or LS because she doesn't want to drive 75-100 miles for sales and service. There really aren't that many dealers for some marques (e.g., Infiniti or Lexus), esp. when compared to Cadillac or Lincoln.

#2936 of 16087 Luxury, FWD, and The Average Buyer/Driver by riez

Nov 08, 2004 (12:06 pm)

If all we care about is the average driver going about their normal routine, then why don't all you luxury FWD advocates push decent cars like Kia Amati and Hyundai XG350? Just compare room, ride, and luxury equipment. You'd save a fortune compared to ES330, I35, loaded TL. You could buy the bigger, more luxurious car for about same as the smallish 4-cyl Acura TSX (Euro-Accord). I'd love to hear why the ES330 is so much better car than the XG or Amati! I've put 60,000 nearly trouble-free miles on my '00 Hyundai Sonata GLS V6 5-speed manual, TC/ABS, leather, sunroof, etc. I'd take that for $20,000 over an ES330 for $35,000 any day!!!

Messages Page 294 of 1609

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