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Sedans Luxury Performance Sedans
10007 messages, Last post on Dec 01, 2009 at 7:40 AM
You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: larryoflebanon (Aug 07, 2005 1:23 pm) The E350 got some fresh ponies this year like the BMW, but otherwise not much has changed. Theres not enough data on MB to know if they really have the problems under control or not, though they did reasonably well on IQS this year. The E has no bluetooth system, and to do hands-free stuff you must use the MB phone, which is lame. I'll stick with my Treo 650, thanks. I like the GS300 a lot more than I like the 430. The GS300 doesnt have the ultra agressive VDIM stability system as in the 430, or the variable ratio (AS) steering, which makes it a much less annoying car. The electronics are also the easiest to use in the class, though I didnt really have any trouble with the Infiniti system, which I think is designed better than the RL's. Like the RL, the GS is on the small side in terms of interior volume, and the trunk design is poor. CR said the driving position was "flawed" in their report, but I was able to get comfortable. It sounds like you didnt have a problem there either. The GS300 could use more horses, unfortunately it wont get them for at least a year. The A6 is very nice, and its interior (IMO) is much nicer than the Benz and the BMW. I also like MMI better than iDrive and COMAND. If I were gonna go German, I'd go with an A6. The lower price compared to the E and 5 also makes a V8 an option, and unlike Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, and BMW, you can get the V8 and AWD together. Reliability is again unknown at this point, but Audi has been doing much better with that than either MB or BMW lately. The Acura (again IMO) is just an OK car. Its a good value at $45K, but I wouldn't pay any more for it than that. Acura set the MSRP a bit too high. For 2006 Acura is adding a "Technology package" that adds Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), basically the same as MB's PreSafe and Lexus' PCS systems. The radar also allows for auto cruise controll. The car will also come with Michelin PAX Run-Flat tires. The Acura can offer you almost everything that anyone else can in terms of technology, but as you said, you're driving basically a big Honda. The Infiniti is my favorite car in the segment. The M35 can make short work of the GS and RL in terms of acceleration thanks to short gearing, but at the same time that means higher revs (and more engine noise) at highway speeds. The Infiniti is the closest to the BMW in terms of driving dynamics, at a much better price. The interior space feels much bigger than GS or RL. |
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HMMMMMM...WHAT A COINCIDENCE! All our dingposts rang loud and clear in my brain earlier this afternoon as my wife and I were walking back to the RL sitting there in a nice wide spot on a new furniture store parking lot. Eagle-eye Karen spotted a scrape in the right rear quarter panel of the otherwise immaculate 8 month old celestial silver beauty. Looks like a trailer hitch and it gouged pretty deep. OK ....thats something that was not expected and quite frankly I'm done blowing steam. Life's too short and I'm not going to sweat the small stuff. I'll get it fixed and move on!
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Replying to: nvbanker (Aug 06, 2005 4:19 pm) I love to drive. I'd rather do it in something that does it well, but I enjoy thousands of miles a year in rental appliances for business. OTOH, I've blasted through the Canadian Rockies in the middle of the night in my own very capable vehicle with the aurora on display and no traffic anywhere around, and touched the face. . . (oh wait, that's for those who fly). In my world, the journey is the important thing. The car (or truck) is. . . the vehicle. |
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Replying to: lexusguy (Aug 06, 2005 4:32 pm) 
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Replying to: jjacura (Aug 07, 2005 4:37 pm) |
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It's kind of cracking me up all the people in here bashing the RL for looking just like an accord. [It does I must admit] These are the same people who are proudly driving there Infiniti M forty Maximas, or there Lexus GS three Avalons, or there Audi A Passats. I realize that some of these have the advantage of being on a different platform but PALEASE, if your talking about styling these cars all look like there less expensive siblings. It's called cost savings and all car manufactuers do it. The bottom line is everyone in here is money conscience so this BS about " I'm not gonna spend that money on an overpriced accord" is rubbish. And don't tell me money isn't a factor, cause if it wasn't a lot of y'all would be over on the Bently- Rolls Royce thread. Just feal the need to stick up for a fabulous car 
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| Interesting how when Ford or Honda do it, it's shameful - but when Lexus does it (ES-300 & IS) it's BRILLIANT! | |
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Replying to: nvbanker (Aug 07, 2005 6:07 pm) Something like 40% of the ES330 comes from the Camry, which allows Lexus to sell the ES for a very reasonable price. Thats fine. What's not fine was the old Maxima GLE and Infiniti I35, which were the exact same car except for the styling differences. Thats a rebadge, which is bad. The original IS was pulled from the JDM Altezza, and was not related to any US market Toyota. The new one is built on a chopped version of the GS's platform, so I'm not sure what you were going for there. The RL uses Honda's global midsize architecture, the same one thats under the Accord. The M35\45 use a lengthened version of Nissan's front-midship architecture, which is in almost everything they make. That doesnt mean I would call the RL a rebadged Accord or the M a rebadged Maxima. The GS doesnt use any mass-market US Toyota platform, but that doesnt make it a better car than either RL or M. I just think Acura dropped the ball with the RL styling, which is so anonymous it could be a Honda "insert name here".
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Replying to: lexusguy (Aug 07, 2005 7:03 pm)
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Replying to: dhamilton (Aug 07, 2005 7:26 pm) One guy farther back was upset because the RL got high marks for luxury, but low marks for style. In other words he thought that the two were one in the same. I've never gotten a luxurious feeling from being on the oustside of 500 thread count sheats. In conclusion, I say drive what you want. Just don't bash the RL for looking like an Accord as you drive away in your look-a-like Lexus Avalon |
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