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Luxury Performance Sedans

10007 messages,  Last post on Dec 01, 2009 at 7:40 AM

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What is this discussion about? Lexus GS 430, Acura RL, BMW 5 Series, Volvo S80, Audi A6, Infiniti M35, Infiniti M45, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Cadillac STS, Sedan

#3632 of 10007 GS300 vs. M35 by lexusguy Aug 15, 2005 (8:57 am)
In my opinion, the GS300 drives much better than the GS430, which has the HAL 9000 on your back. You think, hey I'd like to take this turn really hard, lift the throttle and bring the tail around a bit. "Sorry Dave, I'm afraid I cant let you do that".   If your looking for a comfortable, quiet ride, a stellar NAV system, and flat cornering and ripping acceleration arent of critical importance, the GS300 could be a very good choice. The M is a polar opposite of the GS. It has SPORT branded on to its face, so that everyone can see. The GS has a little sport tatoo on the shoulder, so that it cannot be seen under a work shirt.   The wood in the M is a matte finish, no gloss. If you're the type that thinks gloss = class, then yes, the M's wood will probably look cheap. I think both finishes are fine. I prefer the wood with light leather, and the aluminum with dark leather. I do wish though that Infiniti would offer the third black laquer trim that is available in Japan, that is my favorite of the three.   I didnt have any problems with a jumpy throttle in the M. I thought both the V6 and V8 were great, but the M45 Sport is definitely the star of the show. If you're going to go that way, you have to go all out. Now all they need to do is offer a Nismo M45 Sport with a supercharger and 450hp+.
#3635 of 10007 autoweek on GS and M by mariner7 Aug 15, 2005 (11:47 am)
"The fundamental difference between the two is that the Infiniti has built-in sporty goodness, while the Lexus takes a fairly good substructure and tries hard to make it great through electronics."   Pretty much the same stuff as eveyone else on these two, but very well written. Lexus has got to look forward to end of comparo season, meanwhile the merciless spanking continues!   http://www.autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=102927
#3636 of 10007 Re: Question about testing cars? [msu79gt82] by jjacura Aug 15, 2005 (11:51 am)
Replying to: msu79gt82 (Aug 15, 2005 8:30 am) With all do respect MSU we welcome you to the RL forum and hope you continue to have a good experience with your buying decision. It would also be good to hear from you about what you do like about the car. Edmunds subjectivity? Probably no more questionable than CR's. Replies to this message: msu79gt82 (Aug 16, 2005 8:57 am)
#3637 of 10007 Re: Question about testing cars? [msu79gt82] by hihomike Aug 15, 2005 (11:55 am)
Replying to: msu79gt82 (Aug 15, 2005 8:30 am) I would think that there IS an attempt by Consumer Reports, Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Edmunds, etc., to be as objective as possible when rating and comparing new vehicles. As for which is better than the other, I cannot say, nor can most - one would have to objectively look at their test perameters, editors, evaluators, etc. If they all used the same criteria model for their tests, I would think the results would be more similar.   What I do is look at ALL evaluations and then extract from each what is important to me rather than aver that Consumer Reports is more objective than the other evaluations, or that Motor Trend or Car and Driver is better. Each source contributes information aimed at better informing the buying/driving public.   So, as to which is the better evaluative process is not as critical as the fact that each comparison done provides "food for thought" or information that assists one in selecting the car that best fits his/her needs.   That's what I did when I got my 06 530i. It didn't receive all the rave reviews the M35/45 or Acura or Audi received, but it helped me test drive those vehicles that were tested. I agreed in some cases, with the evaluations, and disagreed in others. Remember, people buying cars have different needs, and many of them are subjective, i.e., style, comfort, room, power, handling, etc.   If an individual buying a new car was completely objective in his/her motives/needs, then we would be buying cars based upon mags. In my case, I bought my car based upon information reported, and then made my decision after driving them. Replies to this message: docnukem (Aug 15, 2005 12:07 pm) jjacura (Aug 15, 2005 12:15 pm) hihomike (Aug 15, 2005 12:28 pm) msu79gt82 (Aug 16, 2005 9:07 am) pat (Aug 16, 2005 9:41 am) bjbird2 (Aug 16, 2005 12:04 pm) cstiles (Aug 16, 2005 12:26 pm) syswei (Aug 16, 2005 12:27 pm) and 1 more...
#3638 of 10007 Re: Question about testing cars? [hihomike] by docnukem Aug 15, 2005 (12:07 pm)
Replying to: hihomike (Aug 15, 2005 11:55 am) I agree. I don't think you could go wrong with any of these cars. While I am happy to see the M do so well in various comparos, my biggest concern was rear seat room (three kids and all). Although the numbers suggest it is somewhat larger than the GS and RL, sitting in it at the NAIAS told me that the numbers don't tell the whole story. It feels much larger and more comfortable (from a size point-of-view, at least). If the RL won all the comparos, I still would have got the M. Now, if I had four kids, I would have ended up with a 6 spd MT G35 coupe and left the hauling solely to the SUV.
#3639 of 10007 Re: Question about testing cars? [hihomike] by jjacura Aug 15, 2005 (12:15 pm)
Replying to: hihomike (Aug 15, 2005 11:55 am) Don't you think most people coming into this forum have brought forward with them an opinion that probably won't be changed very easily. I have been a long tome Honda/Acura owner and ultimately wanted to own the flagship. Now that that decision was made, like most owners I am a bit protective of that decision as most of us are. However, I've been reading these forums for some time now and it's been an education. I am no longer so resolute. Any one of these cars in this forum would be a pleasure to own and I like reading about them. It's enlightening to read from some of the real knowlegable car guy's postings and we know who they are. I also enjoy a sense of humor and that gets demonstrated often enough. This is an exceptional forum right here and I'll just hang around it for a while. It's fun! Replies to this message: hihomike (Aug 15, 2005 12:28 pm)
#3640 of 10007 JJAcura by docnukem Aug 15, 2005 (12:25 pm)
Question for you, since you are a long-time Acura owner. Do you see Acura moving in a different direction than when they were first launched? The reason I ask is I always liked the look of the original Legend. I thought it was launched as a premium luxo sedan (not sport). Now with the RL, it seems like they are moving towards the sport side of things (where the old Integra and Vigor used to lie--dating myself a bit here). Do you see this as well, and do you see it as a good thing or otherwise?   By the way, I test drove a Vigor a long time ago. I don't see why it didn't sell better. Replies to this message: jjacura (Aug 15, 2005 1:32 pm) warthog (Aug 15, 2005 3:03 pm) jjacura (Aug 15, 2005 9:18 pm) lexusguy (Aug 15, 2005 3:20 pm) gohorns1 (Aug 15, 2005 7:45 pm)
#3641 of 10007 Re: Question about testing cars? [jjacura] by hihomike Aug 15, 2005 (12:28 pm)
Replying to: jjacura (Aug 15, 2005 12:15 pm) I guess what you are saying is the bottom line is that these LPS's have been tested, retested, evaluated, compared, etc., to such an extent that if an individual purchased any of them in the top 5, they would be very happy, indeed. I don't know if I could completely agree with you.   I would not be happy with a front-wheel drive vehicle or an AWD vehicle. This eliminates several from the group. Next, the M seats for the driver were just too harsh for me as I have a bad back. The GS300 was cramped for my left foot - almost didn't know where to put it as it was so uncomfortable. Thus, I was left with limited choices.   Yes, all the LPS's are great vehicles, but not great for everyone. That's why there are several out there and thank goodness for that.

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