Luxury Performance Sedans

Replying to: domenickamarc (Sep 27, 2006 6:28 pm)

Energetic discussions.
 
Well good then. And thank you.
 

 
(And shipo: Well, OK. But only if you insist.)
 
Pete

Replies to this message:
• drewsrx (Sep 29, 2006 5:04 am)

I agree, having readily accessible buttons for common functions is nice, and Audi/BMW have made strides in doing that. Audi's climate control can be handled via the dials/buttons on the dash. BMW's can control stereo functions on the steering wheel and some buttons around the CD player on the dash.
 
Everybody seems to forget though that pretty much any screen in BMW's iDrive is accessible via Voice Command. Press a button on the wheel to activate it, enter command, and there ya go.
 
I will also admit that Japanese LPS's like Infiniti, Acura, etc have a much better way of doing it, but I still like the functionality all stored in one spot. Perhaps a mix of iDrive/MMI functionality with Infiniti/Acura user friendliness would be good.
 
My experiences with LPS sedans tells me that I like whatever my wife likes. Her likes are not based so much on the P in LPS, but the L and the S. She picked her ride not on prestige, but because she liked the color combinations, the fact that it was not a common color, and that it rode like a dream for her. I wanted a V8 option, but was overruled and the price would have been higher than we could go at that time. I'm willing to admit that we got what she wanted, but keeping the spouse happy is part of a good marriage. Besides, most of the time, she has good taste (so I wonder why she picked me sometimes) and I can't complain. She indulges my Jeep hobby (most of the time) so it is a win-win.
 
-Paul

Replies to this message:
• domenickamarc (Sep 29, 2006 7:16 am)
  • low_ball_88 (Sep 29, 2006 7:56 am)
  • markcincinnati (Sep 29, 2006 8:00 am)
    • erickpl (Sep 29, 2006 8:21 am) and 1 more...

Back in the days when smoking (in a car) was even done, a friend of mine -- a smoker -- would kid me and say "Mark gets a new car every time the ash tray gets full."
 
Since I am not a smoker, I only related to this comment in a symbolic way. My friend, now not a smoker (and I never permitted him to smoke in my cars in any case), meant I replaced my cars pretty often and with great regularity. Indeed, I have never had a car beyond the original factory warranty, to this day. Remember, I am of the belief that repairing cars, especially European cars is "breathtakingly expensive," so much so that it is less costly to maintain a permanent car payment (on the rental basis of equal to or less than 39 months.)
 
Please don't try to burst my bubble.
 
Well, truth be told, one of the triggers of this replacement behavior -- in addition to the above remark -- is I "get the itch." I have, as pretty close friends, folks who own dealerships or who sell cars for a living and we share the passion for new, cool cars. These friends are often offering up drives of the flavor of the month (and well, it would be rude NOT to test drive the cars they offer, wouldn't it?) Hence, for years, my 1978 model would begat a 1980 and . . a 1995 would be followed by a 1997 then by a 1999 and a 2000 and a 2001 and so on.
 
However, therefore, notwithstanding, something has changed (and the change has affected by wife, too.)
 
My 2005 A6 was in for its 25,000 mile check up (oil change, really.) The Audi Advantage (at this point, anyway) and the Dealer's practice, thus far, is to give an A6 customer an A6 loaner. My 2005 A6 is a fully loaded (98% loaded) 3.2 version. My loaner was a 2006 "premium package, cold weather package" (or whatever they called the stuff I have in mine in 2006) 3.2 version with practically no miles on it (a couple thousand.) It was silver, it had black leather, it had 18" wheels but none of the technology package stuff I have come to love. It did have a radio, of course, but NOT sat radio.
 
My day involved about 100 miles of mostly local greater Cincinnati driving and I was pleased to have a "brand new" A6 as a loaner rather than one of the many Enterprise Compacts that I have had over the years if I get to the dealer too late in the day to be able to use their pool of A3's, A4's and A6's (once I got an A8 and once an S4 -- albeit with an auto trans.)
 
So, I am enjoying my day in my new (newer than mine) A6. But wait, a first -- an epiphany, no kidding, a real epiphany (as it relates to cars, at least) -- for me at least, I did not see any need to even ask my favorite salesperson if I could "early out" and "upgrade" to a new A6. This car did not feel more powerful, more nimble, quieter, more comfortable, more competent, "more" (or better) anything in any way.
 
Typically once I get to about 20 - 30,000 miles, I am at least a little tired of my cars (even Audis, well, cut off my legs and call me shorty!) And, as if part of a subtle marketing tool, the "loaner" cars seem to spark this tiredness. The new(er) loaner cars usually have features, functions, performance -- SOMETHING -- that gets me thinking, "time to trade up."
 
Now, something really untoward could happen, I suppose, to change my mind (perhaps the new B8 A4 with my "dream" engine -- a 3.2T FSI -- underhood), but just this week I ordered new Pirelli PZero Nero M+S tires (UHP All Seasons to replace the HP Grand Touring OEM's) for my A6 and I am truly looking forward to a transformed handling experience due to this upgrade.
 
My wife of the phrase "I love my X3," too, has no itch (at least NOT to leave the X3 family, even if she is curious about the added grunt of the new X3's 3.0 260HP motivator), no "wandering -- or wondering -- eye" for a new ride.
 
Of course, I cannot lay claim to knowing if this is true for you -- especially if "you" are one of the relatively early adopters of this new breed of LPS (such as the Infiniti M, Acura RL or even STS) -- but here is one A6 driver who has come to the conclusion that "they really screwed this one together exceptionally well."
 
I have a supply of Calamine Lotion I apparently have no current need for -- I can let you have it -- CHEAP!

Replies to this message:
• lexusguy (Sep 28, 2006 9:37 am)
  • markcincinnati (Sep 28, 2006 10:32 am)
    • lexusguy (Sep 28, 2006 12:48 pm) and 4 more...

Replying to: shipo (Sep 27, 2006 6:37 pm)

"Group hug time"
 
Pat,
 
Isn't there some rule about explicit sexual content on this forum?
 
 
 
Charlie

Replies to this message:
• shipo (Sep 28, 2006 9:03 am)
  • pat (Sep 28, 2006 1:07 pm)

Replying to: sfcharlie (Sep 28, 2006 8:22 am)

Oh dear, I do believe that I'm in trouble.
 
Best Regards,
Shipo

Replies to this message:
• pat (Sep 28, 2006 1:07 pm)

Replying to: markcincinnati (Sep 28, 2006 7:47 am)

So, I am enjoying my day in my new (newer than mine) A6. But wait, a first -- an epiphany, no kidding, a real epiphany (as it relates to cars, at least) -- for me at least, I did not see any need to even ask my favorite salesperson if I could "early out" and "upgrade" to a new A6. This car did not feel more powerful, more nimble, quieter, more comfortable, more competent, "more" (or better) anything in any way.
 
I love new cars as well, but with the way Japanese cars generally work (very light refresh after 3 years on the market, with a redesign after 6) there just isn't a need for me to upgrade often. I also think cars are at their best during the 20K-60K mile period. Magazine tests often show that cars get faster and handle better after they have broken in properly. If you're constantly getting new cars, you have to deal with the annoyance of babying the car for the first thousand miles, and then waiting for it to "settle in" for the next 10K miles.
 
Also, while my itch for the latest and greatest cars is strong, my itch for the latest and greatest in electronics is several times stronger, and I tend to spend a lot more time at the audio dealer than the car dealer. I just ordered a new power conditioner, a PS Audio Power Plant that I can't wait to get in my system. PS says that the design was inspired by BMW, so this is very loosely car related Previous PS regenerators were power hogs, with 50% of the wall's AC going to waste as heat. They also couldn't deliver enough power to my amps, so I've been using Richard Gray units. This new one though is absolutely state of the art.

Replies to this message:
• markcincinnati (Sep 28, 2006 10:32 am)
  • lexusguy (Sep 28, 2006 12:48 pm)
    • markcincinnati (Sep 29, 2006 4:52 am) and 3 more...

Replying to: lexusguy (Sep 28, 2006 9:37 am)

I know what you mean, I just made the leap to HD DVD and HD Tivo with DirecTV and the three LNB and the receiver with dual HD tuners. My first HD DVD just came today, "Serenity."
 
Shhh, don't tell anyone, I could actually possibly, maybe, perhaps, actually see keeping this A6 beyond the lease.
 
 
 
Audi's C5 came to the US in 1998 and remained pretty much the same through the 2004 MY. The 2007's at my dealer -- most of them -- are not as well equipped (and most don't even have the Premium Leather) as mine.
 
The SLine is still pretty sexy, but I am hoping the UHP new shoes will diminish my SLine lust somewhat to a medium amount. Upgrading the tires on my first A6 V8 had that effect back in 2000, at least and again on my 2003 allroad.
 
Hope springs. . . .
 
This just in, new S6 on the showroom floor -- TANG!

Replies to this message:
• lexusguy (Sep 28, 2006 12:48 pm)
  • markcincinnati (Sep 29, 2006 4:52 am)
    • lexusguy (Sep 29, 2006 5:32 am) and 2 more...

Replying to: markcincinnati (Sep 28, 2006 10:32 am)

Replies to this message:
• markcincinnati (Sep 29, 2006 4:52 am)
  • lexusguy (Sep 29, 2006 5:32 am)
    • drewsrx (Sep 29, 2006 6:49 am) and 1 more...

Replying to: shipo (Sep 28, 2006 9:03 am)

And that's unusual how?
 

Replying to: lexusguy (Sep 28, 2006 12:48 pm)

Replies to this message:
• lexusguy (Sep 29, 2006 5:32 am)
  • drewsrx (Sep 29, 2006 6:49 am)
    • lexusguy (Sep 29, 2006 8:59 am)