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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: art234 (May 02, 2009 4:34 am) I have my 2009 Audi A4 Premium Plus, sport package, Nav for a week. I was thrilled with the experience. The comfort, ride and quality are fabulous. The front seat room is comparable to the M35X Infiniti's. Ride, sound control, steering and handling were superior. I read you can buy software to reprogram the A4 engine chips and gain 60 hp. $500.00 gains 60 hp. Not for me but some readers may want to know. Audiworld forums had an ad. We drove to Manhattan in pouring rain yesterday. Winding narrow parkways, bumpy streets, I-87, Sprain Brook speedway and I-287 which is in reconstruction for 5 years. The security and handling were outstanding. The ride even with sports suspension was excellent. No wifely complaints. The ride softened up after a few days driving. Now I am sold on the sports package. I am concerned about flats from potholes with the P7's but that is the cost of doing business. I am not opting for $750.00 wheel/tire insurance since it does not cover curb rash. If I ruin a tire I will pay. I only ruined one wheel in my recent life and found a new one on Ebay cheap. I am jealous you are getting the 2010 Nav. my 2009 was a waste of money. Costco sells better Navs for $300.00. Backup camera is excellent. When do you expect delivery of the 2010? Barry
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Replying to: cdnpinhead (May 03, 2009 4:29 pm) Lets go down the list: Power- it has it in spades. Not quite as quick as the BMW 335/535 but faster than the 328/528 and way faster than the 2.0T Audi. Handling - With SH-AWD it'll outhandle virtually anything out there. Interior comfort/refinement - As long as your wish-list doesn't include wood trim, the interior of the new TL is as upscale and modern a place as you'd ever want to find yourself. Standard equipment/technology - I think we all know Acura leads the pack here. You're gettiing a backup camera, SOTA nav system/screen, ipod interface, xenon headlights, built-in hard drive, bluetooth, seat memories, heated seats, etc. all for well under $38k. Quietness. lack of NVH - Again, I invite you to take a 2009 TL out for a test drive. It's as quiet as my former ES 350 with much, much more power. The drivetrain is silky smooth and there's no vibration to be felt anywhere. Quality/reliability - Have you seen Consumer Reports or J.D. Powers lately? Acura consistently tops those lists. Safety - The TL is the only car that has earned top ratings from each crash test it has been in, bettering BMW (by a wide margin here), M-B and Audi. So remind me again just what is it that relegates the TL to a pedestrian class of cars?
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"Whenever a car form Asia looks better, drives better, and handles better, the fall back position for disqualification is that it is not from Europe." That is exactly the mentality there and it is most for old timers (not always true though). When you look at the dashboard of Audi, BMWs, they are not as nice (compared to Lexus, even Infiniti and Acura). Sure, they looks solid and retro. with a touch of heritage, but, that does not equal to nice / fancy. Unfortunately, most of the chief editors for C&D and such are old timers - it takes time to achieve that position. So, until that change, the public view will be skewed - especially for those who knows very little and just follow the trends. How many times you see persons in BMW that does not know how to drive? But, it is their money, they want to spend it that way, it is perfect fine - in this economy, we need the boost from them. For the rest of us, we know what we want and what fit our needs the best. |
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...that this discussion is reserved for higher priced cars. See "What is this discussion about?" at the top of this page for examples. If you want to talk about the Acura TL, the Audi A4 or the BMW 3-series, you should go here.
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Replying to: jimbres (May 04, 2009 9:00 am) |
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Replying to: draz2 (May 04, 2009 9:14 am) If you're an Acura fan & you want to talk about the RL, stay here. But if you're interested only in the TL, then the entry-level sports lux discussion is more appropriate. Capisce? Back to our regularly scheduled programming: can a BMW guy find happiness with the Infiniti M35 or M35x? Until recently, I wouldn't have considered a Japanese entry in this market segment because none of them - the RL, the Lexus GS or the Infiniti M - offers a stick, & I don't do automatics. But now I'm an older guy with creaky knees, & I'm beginning to think that my next car just might have a slushbox. If I decide to stick with the stick, so to speak, then my next car can only be a 5-series BMW. But the field opens up considerably if I listen to my knees & go with 2 pedals. Infiniti gets high marks for its near-BMW handling prowess, so it's the Japanese brand that I'm most likely to consider. (I don't like the RL's styling or the GS's road manners.) Has anyone driven a BMW 5 & an Infiniti M recently? What are your thoughts? |
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Replying to: shmang (May 04, 2009 8:29 am) Ok, you've lost me here. BMW, when they make an effort, are capable of some very nice interiors. The new 7, the X5, and even the new Z4 are world class inside, better than any Acura or Infiniti by miles. I haven't been impressed by any Lexus interior lately. The LS460 isn't necessarily bad, but it looks rather drab when compared to the likes of the S, 7, A8, or Maserati QP. The new ES is IMO a big step back from the old one, which had acres of rich wood trim. The new ES has acres of cheap gray vinyl, with a few bits of wood on the doors and console. The ES from the passenger seat is as luxurious looking as a Corolla. Solid and "retro" (whatever that means) isn't nice or luxurious, but cheap vinyls and plastics, fake chrome and aluminum bits, and cheesy switches and gauges with cheesy lighting is? I guess I just don't understand the young people. I'll stick with Audi over Acura.
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Replying to: jimbres (May 04, 2009 10:43 am) Has anyone driven a BMW 5 & an Infiniti M recently? What are your thoughts? I drove a 545i back when it was first released, haven't driven one since. I've just never really liked anything about the car. I was a fan of the old 540i Sport, but the current one just doesn't do it for me. The next one due soon will have an improved, X5 style interior and the new iDrive system, but based on what I've seen of the 5 GT concept, it will be dull as dishwater to look at. I'm not sure that going from ugly to boring is really an improvement. The M I've driven a few times. The styling updates for '08 and the change to white gauges are definite improvements. The 7-speed auto also solves one of its major faults - high revs at highway cruising speeds. That said, the styling still isn't my favorite, and the car is still a little lacking in refinement. If your really interested in the M, I would suggest waiting for the new version due in a year or so. As of now, I would take the A6 3.0T Sport or Jag XF over the M.
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Replying to: lexusguy (May 04, 2009 11:42 pm) Strongly agree. No matter what I do, I won't do it before the end of next year. By then, we should know all about the next-generation M. Nissan has succeeded in keeping it under wraps. I can't find any pictures - just speculation that there may be a hybrid version & that the M37x will get the 7-speed. |
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