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10006 messages,  Last post on Nov 26, 2009 at 6:59 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

#7041 of 10006 Re: The real AWD showdown [lexusguy] by markcincinnati Mar 28, 2006 (5:24 am)
Replying to: lexusguy (Mar 27, 2006 9:42 pm) That was an allroad technically. Replies to this message: lexusguy (Mar 28, 2006 9:34 am)
#7042 of 10006 Re: BMW....not for the vertically challenged :) by ghstudio Mar 28, 2006 (7:07 am)
Replying to: lexusguy (Mar 27, 2006 4:01 pm) Perhaps in Germany all people are the same size, but in other parts of the world there are the tall and the short. BMW has decided that you and I will be comfortable without adjustable seatbelt height. This brilliant non ergonomic engineering caused us to walk out of our BMW dealer (our '03 530 (pre Bangle) lease is up in a month)...the seat belt on the new 5 series (and 3 series) is fixed on the doorpost (no adjustments) and cuts across my wife's neck...she's a petite 5' 0". While she can adjust the seat up to eliminate this, she finds that it's also helpful to be able to reach the pedals   On a $50K+ car, she should not have to wear one of those aftermarket devices that pull the seatbelt down. The old style 530 had a sliding mount on the door that was coupled to the seat position automatically....even that's gone. We found no seating problems on the Lexus, Acura or Infinity and our Graphite/Wheat M35 will be waiting when our BMW lease is up. Replies to this message: rayng (Mar 28, 2006 2:59 pm)
#7043 of 10006 Re: Thouch screens... >:-P [shipo] by tayl0rd Mar 28, 2006 (9:28 am)
Replying to: shipo (Mar 27, 2006 5:49 pm) I'd have my "navigator" do it, but she spends most of her time sleeping. Her idea of "keeping me company" on a long road trip."    My "navigator" can get herself lost on the way to work. :-/ Like yours, she too loves to keep me company by sleeping for all but the last ten or fifteen miles.   You guys are lucky! My "navigator" forces herself to stay awake so she can harrass me about my speed the whole way! Replies to this message: hpowders (Mar 28, 2006 10:44 am)
#7044 of 10006 Hybrid turbo (bio)diesel by 2001gs430 Mar 28, 2006 (9:31 am)
I wonder if this is the next challenge/niche for car companies? Replies to this message: dewey (Mar 28, 2006 9:41 am) docnukem (Mar 28, 2006 10:17 am) dewey (Mar 28, 2006 11:24 am) markcincinnati (Mar 28, 2006 10:21 am) 2001gs430 (Mar 28, 2006 10:47 am)
#7045 of 10006 Re: The real AWD showdown [markcincinnati] by lexusguy Mar 28, 2006 (9:34 am)
Replying to: markcincinnati (Mar 28, 2006 5:24 am) Allroad\A6, close enough. It still definitely proves that all AWD systems are not created equal. Audi should use clips from that in a commercial.
#7046 of 10006 Re: Hybrid turbo (bio)diesel [2001gs430] by dewey Mar 28, 2006 (9:41 am)
Replying to: 2001gs430 (Mar 28, 2006 9:31 am) Hybrid bio diesels?   Only in small numbers in the LPS and HELM segment.   In the near future such technology for mainstream vehicles is a distant dream.   There is the price premium for a powerful battery and hybrid technology. Plus there is the price premium for a diesel engine . Plus there is the problem of finding fuel at a nearby station.   There may be no need to have a hybrid tutbodiesel since hybrids make turbos redundant.   This all adds up to a hefty price tag and inconvenience that only an experimental LPS buyer would be willing to tolerate. Replies to this message: docnukem (Mar 28, 2006 10:17 am) dewey (Mar 28, 2006 11:24 am) markcincinnati (Mar 28, 2006 10:21 am) 2001gs430 (Mar 28, 2006 10:47 am)
#7047 of 10006 Re: Hybrid turbo (bio)diesel [dewey] by docnukem Mar 28, 2006 (10:17 am)
Replying to: dewey (Mar 28, 2006 9:41 am) There may be no need to have a hybrid tutbodiesel since hybrids make turbos redundant   I don't know enough about turbo diesel engines. How does the hybrid make the turbo redundant? I would think that the early kick from an electric hybrid motor would offset the lag during turbo spool-up. Of course, I have only had one turbo (gas) car in my life, and the lag wasn't that bad. Are modern diesels that different regarding lag? Replies to this message: dewey (Mar 28, 2006 11:24 am)
#7048 of 10006 Re: Hybrid turbo (bio)diesel [dewey] by markcincinnati Mar 28, 2006 (10:21 am)
Replying to: dewey (Mar 28, 2006 9:41 am) In the mid-nineties, I made my first of what became 6 visits to the Audi factory in Ingolstadt. Two of the 6 visits my wife and I made just as people walking up to the gate and asking if we could come in and go on one of the tours of the facilities. One of these tours we even took although it was completely in German. Our tour guide was bi-lingual and would give us the reader's digest version of what he said in German translated into English.   Anyway, it must've been 1993 or 1994 that Audi had what appeared to be an A4 Avant (that was the size of the car and the look of the car) it was a TD engine with electric motors for the around town part of the journey.   The talk was of a car that was 100% electric but that could seamlessly power up the ICE (diesel in this case) to transfer from battery power to fossil fuel power above certain speeds where diesel mileage could be used for greatest advantage.   Diesel fuel and diesel vehicles in the US (of the passenger car variety) struggled for years in some Cadillacs and Oldsmobiles, although some Mercedes Benz cars of the 80's (with diesels) would routinely go 200,000 miles and sip diesel fuel.   They were dogs however.   One of my buddies picked up a diesel Jetta (1979 vintage?) and we filled it up in Cincinnati and with one additional fill up, as I recall, drove it to Boyne Mountain snow skiing with four of us and our gear in the car.   Talk about the little engine that could!   Now, we've come to diesels winning Sebring and powering Audi A8L's and achieving 40MPGs in a lux barge.   The governor of Montana, as unlikely a VW spokesperson as one could imagine (a Democrat governor in a "Red" state) bought a new Jetta and is powering in with 100% Montana bio-diesel.   All we need is a tiny bit cleaner fuel and diesel engines the likes of that can be created by Audi and Mercedes (and probably BMW) -- and we have made a significant dent in our fuel consumption.   The LPS cars, "ought" to be the proving grounds for such clean, powerful and economical engines. Who knows if they will be.   Audi NOW claims the new Q7 will offer diesel motivation and the tongues are wagging that this may foretell of a wider importation of diesels across the Audi product line providing both strong "S" class performance capabilities and 40% better economy using fuel that TODAY is still a few pennies less per gallon that the Premium swill most of these LPS car demand.   Be still my heart.   OK, I'm over it.   Seems too logical, too easy almost -- we'll probably just make a gazillion batteries to power a gajillion gas/electric hybrids. . .er, "because we can?"
#7049 of 10006 Re: Thouch screens... >:-P [tayl0rd] by hpowders Mar 28, 2006 (10:44 am)
Replying to: tayl0rd (Mar 28, 2006 9:28 am) When you put it that way, I guess I was lucky to order the comfort seats!
#7050 of 10006 Re: Hybrid turbo (bio)diesel [dewey] by 2001gs430 Mar 28, 2006 (10:47 am)
Replying to: dewey (Mar 28, 2006 9:41 am) There is the price premium for a powerful battery and hybrid technology. Plus there is the price premium for a diesel engine . Plus there is the problem of finding fuel at a nearby station.   The price premium would disappear with mass production of the new technologies in these vehicle such as what we are seeing today in Toyota hybrid automobiles. Of course, we are not talking about basic transportation vehicles right now. If the diesel distribution networks improved with the greater awareness of its benefits and higher demand, then this should not be an issue (big IF)

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