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Sedans Luxury Lounge
21346 messages, Last post on Nov 23, 2009 at 6:51 PM
You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: ljflx (Mar 27, 2009 7:01 am) It makes little sense if the older version will be equipped with the old hybrid system. The older version's hybrid system and battery costs 30 percent more to manufacture than what is in the new Prius. Selling a higher cost car like the older Prius at a significantly lower price than the newest Prius simply does not add up. And what makes even less sense is the old Prius getting the new hybrid system and battery as the new Prius. Such a situation would make the new Prius look really overpriced and somewhat redundant especially when the most important thing about any hybrid is its hybrid system and its battery. And yes London is a great city. It's been almost 10 years since I was last time there and I am looking forward to going there again.
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Replying to: lexusguy (Mar 27, 2009 5:03 pm) Which Audi is being pictured here?
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Replying to: tagman (Mar 27, 2009 12:16 am) Beyond that, I would encourage you to continue to contribute your valid opinions and unique perspectives as usual. Okay, but please don't be so hard on me next time, I am a sensitive boy 
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I stopped in a BMW dealer earlier in the week and came across four sales reps leaning on their elbows looking for a warm body to talk to. I gave them an easy target as I told them to show me the new 7, I'll list my thoughts below, I didn't take a test drive but yesterday I drove to lunch with a guy in my office who just got one so I drove it back to the office and I'll share my opnion of the drive as well. PRO's - I think the car looks cleaner from a design standpoint than the old model, the interior is much better, not quite Audi level but good. They moved the shifter back to the console which is better as well. The sales guy was pitching their extended wheelbase which was longer than before, he also showed me this little camera at the front which can see around traffic at an intersection to provide a better level of safety. The car did drive really well, a ton of acceleration, it was impressive, the handling was very good but not great, the car is heavy. CON's - While the design is cleaner it was not impressive to me, the car didn't look special, in fact they had a short wheelbase sport model that looked too much like a 5 series until you really looked close. I think that BMW has put so much tech into the car that it is really not following their old mission of great driving cars, now it wants to be all things to all people. The sales guy was really excited about the electronic owner's manual that can be accessed from I-Drive, while this is a nice feature, so what. I also think that they are trying to bring their interiors up a level but not by using better design and materials, they are doing things like adding chrome trim around whatever they can, looks good but more can be done. Overall I think that their timing is unfortunate, as we know from our current discussions here, not that many people are looking to spend $90K on cars right now. I also think that it will get kudo's from the usual car mag's but I don't know if I would pick it over the competition if I was buying a car today.
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Replying to: clembo (Mar 28, 2009 2:13 am) I think this is a worldwide problem in many industries and it's leading to higher costs for no reason at all. I hardly think it's limited to BMW but in the auto industry they are probably first in trying to garner a headline with news or a breakthrough. I-drive, which is probably the biggest waste in auto technology is a perfect example. The Lexus auto park feature is a close second and I'm sure MB and Audi have others that can be nominated. This is all probably going to die off as we enter this new age of less leverage and tougher money access and it's probably better for all in these wasted cases of un-needed technology. This is a problem in many other industries too. We bought a Thermador freezer and refridgerator (built in freedom series) that allows them to be separate units or fused. Since most are replacements for old built-ins, a very low percentage of people can opt for separate units. Naturally we fused them. I wish i would have gone back to Sub-Zero. The latter had condensation issues but was so smartyly laid out inside. The Thermador is terribly designed inside and the new digiital icemaker is awful. I've had the repairman to my home 5 times so far (in 2 years) and he told me he gets 10 calls a month on this icemaker. The old ice-maker was literally flawless. The guy told me if he got 10 calls in 5 years he got a lot. We made him find a reason to replace the whole icemaker as we come off warranty in 30 days. Going digital doesn't mean it's going better and why on earth anyone needs digital technology to fill a glass with ice is beyond me. The problem we have is too many manufacturers violate the No.1 rule in business. If it's not core to you then don't fix unimportant side processes that are not broken.
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Replying to: ljflx (Mar 28, 2009 10:29 am) What a coincidence! About 3 years ago we bought a side by side top of the line Kitchen Aid refrigerator/freezer complete with an ice maker and dispenser. It's been a big disappointment. In this time span they had to replace the entire freezer door due to faulty wiring that made the ice dispenser stop working. Just last week, it stopped working again. Who knows? Maybe it's the motor this time. Why can't they make these things reliable like our Lexus vehicles  ?
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Replying to: cyclone4 (Mar 28, 2009 11:02 am) Kitchen Aid used to make Thermadors built-ins and they probably still do, but not the Freedom Series. That's pure Thermador and these days Bosch bought Thermador. But I'll bet you the ice maker technology is from Kitchen Aid. I wanted another Sub-Zero but my wife was disgusted with it's excess condensation, a known Sub-Zero flaw in the past. We almost went Viking and we're sorry we didn't.
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Sorry I dropped off for a while, but you folks are so prolific that it is hard to keep up! Anyway, I spent the last 3 months watching the used car market for my perfect "bargain" car, and I finally got it - a late '07 MB S550 4matic. It's black on black (very sleek and sexy), with just about every toy MB makes: Night Vision, Distronic cruise control, and - most importantly for me with my back problems - these incredible upgraded seats that include a gazillion adjustments, active bolsters that cradle you around curves, and even a really nice massage function. I know it is oh so financially incorrect these days, but I got it for almost $40K off of sticker, with over 3 years of factory warranty left (I then purchased another 2 yrs of extended MB warranty, so I don't have to worry about all the gizmos breaking for another 5 years). And since I got it from an MB dealer, I get all the benefits of a new car buyer (it gets picked up by a valet for service who leaves me a Benz rental, etc.). It makes buying a new one really hard to justify. Driving home yesterday on wet highways, the car was as stable as a rock, thanks to the AWD. Sitting in the massaging seat, surrounded by black leather and wood, listening to my own music on a DVD of my MP3s, I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn't sitting in my library at home. It's a helluva car. I only wish they imported the short wheelbase version to the US - it is monster big. But I am getting used to the size already (at least until I have to park it in a tight underground garage). And my wife is now driving my '05 LS430 and is very happy with it. Just had to share my excitement with my forum friends here. I'll even throw in a smiley face!
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Replying to: ljflx (Mar 28, 2009 1:41 pm) BTW, if you haven't done this already, I suggest a reverse-osmosis water filter for the water that goes to the icemaker and water dispenser. The frig's built-in charcoal filters can't begin to compare. Your ice and water will be awesome. We even use a reverse-osmosis filter at the wetbar, where we also have a sub-zero ice maker... the R/O filters honestly make a difference.  TM
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