Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Sedans Luxury Lounge
21278 messages, Last post on Nov 08, 2009 at 9:15 AM
You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
I'm back home after having spent last fortnight in Oxford, UK. The stay has been productive in professional terms and nice because I have again encountered some good old friends. It has on the other hand reassured my feelings on how spartan Britons are regarding heating their homes and buildings—even if the whether is snowy and well below 0ºC!  (All this being said with the most possible fondness for them and their beatiful island.)  I went and came by plane, which added pain to to my freezing because Madrid Airport was closed both times, the first one for some air controllers action and the second by bad wether. As a result I had to pass through more airports than needed to arrive to my destinations. Sort of a nightmare to avoid by all means to spend nights in airport hotels. I rather had drove and board a ferry had I knew it. When in Oxford or riding the highway to and from London Airports, I observed traffic. Regarding the number of Luxury German cars seen, my conclusion was: Audi was the leader closely followed by BMW (very closely followed in fact); MB was tailing at wide distance. This is akin to what I currently see in Spain and France. This of course was a subjective appreciation. Any of the usuals here know what is MB passenger car status in global and regional markets? I may be wrong, but I would be concerned if I my life prospects were dependent on MB selling figures. Regards, Jose
|
|
|
Replying to: jlbl (Jan 13, 2009 12:17 am)  Nothing beats creamy leather and soft surfaces.
|
|
|
Replying to: lexusguy (Jan 12, 2009 9:34 pm) Will do, sir! How has everything been going for you LG? More on the Audi. As most of you know, I have a special fondness for Audis. But I did give serious thought into buying a 330d, G37S, and I even looked at the TL SH-AWD and CTS DI. I crossed the MB C350 off the list early on due to a lack of interest for me. The TL styling is a bit polarizing for this old gray-head, right along with the MDX, it was crossed as well. Then it came down the Infiniti, which leaps and bounds better in quality than the previous model, but still trails the other Japanese, most Europeans, and one American in particular in overall polish. But it's powertrain is spot on. So believe it or not, I came down to the Audi and the Cadillac. The Cadillac has moved the needle so far ahead for GMs luxury division that it is a pity that the company was/is mismanaged so badly. The overall feel and solidness of the car seems to be from the best German studios. The low NVH levels would embarrass other supposed "hushed" cars. And then right across the road sits the Audi dealership. There sits a Race Red A4. Right from the jump, it is known that this is not your off-lease 08 A4. It sits lowerr and wider than before, with the wheels being pushed out to sides of all four corners. The interior keeps Audi's tradition of exemplary material and craftsmanship here. The finish of the overall product is stunning. Truth be told, I am still at a crossroads between the two cars. The only thing that puts a sour taste in my mouth with the CTS is the level of "bling". An extravagant array of chrome and lighting is a bit much. And with the Audi, I wish they upgraded the engines a bit more than what was delivered. Audi/VW had no decent V6 until the upcoming 3.0 The 3.6 in the Passat is okay, but the BMW 3.0tt, GMs 3.6L, and even Toyota/Lexus 3.5 will smack it silly for polish, refinement, and efficient. I am also holding my cards also for the CTS-v. I am curious about its everyday drivability and performance. Stay tuned...
|
|
|
Replying to: louiswei (Jan 12, 2009 3:58 pm) I dont have time to wait for the Holy Grail of lithium ion batteries. Those lithium ion battery plug in Priuses your're talking about will be sold in very low numbers to a select few commercial businesses. Like the electrical MINI these cars will be a rarity for this year. Despite the trials and tribulations of my investment business I have no intention upon starting a courier express business just in order to be qualified as a commercial businsess so I can own a plug in Prius. Nor do I have time to wait a few years until plug ins or electrical vehicles become more prevalent since right now with my BMW I need a dog whip and a team of Siberian Huskies for commuting in the city.
|
|
|
Replying to: tagman (Jan 12, 2009 7:17 pm) I will keep an open mind about the Honda Insight. BUTa 40 MPG figure is not impressive at all. A year ago Honda mentioned that the Insight will achieve 2nd generation Prius mileage at a far lower price. At least they seem to be keeping their promise about the lower pirce but they certainly did break their promise about mileage. Even the much bigger hybrid Ford Fusion will have superior mileage than the Honda Insight. That is a huge Honda disappointment and this Insight is a far cry from the mileage of the Honda Insight 10 years ago.
|
|
|
Replying to: blkhemi (Jan 12, 2009 4:00 pm) At least your BMW 335i has been more reliable than mine. I tend to keep cars for a very long time but that will not be the case with my BMW 335i. If I ever owned a Audi R8 that car would remain a family heirloom for many generations in the Dewey family. |
|
|
Replying to: garyh1 (Jan 12, 2009 10:21 pm) I will definitely be taking a multi-year sabbatical from buying a new German car. Though that will not be so hard for me since I already have a BMW 530xi Touring and a ancient Benz in my garage. I have test driven a Prius many times and my expectations for its handling and performance is not high at all. So I wont be disappointed. |
|
|
Replying to: jlbl (Jan 13, 2009 4:15 am) I was in Oxford 11 years ago. I rented a 98 Citroen Xsara and actually loved driving it ( I guess this had more to do with the fact that it was the first car I had rented with a manual tranny). It was perfectly small for the very narrow roads of some UK cities especially York. |
|
|
Replying to: dewey (Jan 12, 2009 3:12 pm) BTW, after a brief discussion with the wife, she is not interest in the HS250h. She has her mind set on the new RX450h. In any case, I think we are in for exciting times ahead in hybrid and electric technology.
|
|
|
Google Earth has just started a pioneering proceeding that allows seeing masterpieces hanged on museums around the world in very very very high resolution. Impressive. It has started with 14 paintings exhibited in El Prado Museum of Madrid. To watch them, the following procedure must be followed: Enter Google Earth Activate 3D in Preferences Fly to El Prado Museum Place the cursor on the Museum outline until illuminating it Click on the outline Click on one of the appearing paintings Click then on "Explore this image in super high resolution" legend below the painting And enjoy  Luxurious. I have been hours exploring the paintings at a detail one never could have dreamed of. Regards, Jose
|
|
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
