Article Comments - Comparison Test: 2007-2008 Sport Sedans

475 messages, Last post on Jul 25, 2008 at 5:41 PM

You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens

What is this discussion about? Cadillac CTS, BMW 3 Series, Infiniti G35, Mercedes-Benz 350-Class, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Car Comparisons, Sedan

Comparison Test: 2007-2008 Sport Sedans - This is exactly why we gathered this group of sport sedans. That is, to find out if the 2008 Cadillac CTS, 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport, 2008 Lexus IS 350 or 2008 Mercedes-Benz C350 Sport can topple the Bavarian champ — the 2007 BMW 335i. In the spirit of the segment, each car in the test is outfitted with sport package hardware — usually a stiffer suspension and bigger wheels and tires — and an automatic transmission. (more)

Outline

Messages Page 34 of 49: 1; ...; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35; 36; 37; ...; 49; Prev; Next; Last

#322 of 475 Re: 2008 Motor Trend Car Of The Year... [vic10] by roadburner Nov 23, 2007 (10:27 pm)
Replying to: vic10 (Nov 23, 2007 11:15 am) The mystique of the reliable MB or BMW is just that. And that opinion would be based on owning how many BMWs and Mercedes? I would imagine if you took a 150,000 mile BMW and compared it's maintenance cost to a 150,000 mile Caddy or Lincoln, the difference would buy a nice Harley to drive on weekends And you know that to be a fact because??? The last two BMWs that I've driven past 100K miles have been a 1997 528iA(130K) and a 1995 3 Series(112K). Maintenance and repairs costs for the 5er were averaging $60-80 per month- including one set of V-rated tires. My wife sold it to buy an X3 and the current owner has taken it well past 150K with no major expenses. This year my 3er cost $57 per month to run because it required an Inspection II service, a coolant flush, a front end alignment and a thermostat. Over the life of the car the monthly service/repair costs have averaged $45 per month, a figure which includes the cost of three sets of Z-rated summer performance tires. How do these running costs compare to a Caddy or a Lincoln of similar age and mileage? I don't know- and I suspect that you don't either. I hear the "BMWs are gosh-awful expensive to fix." mantra thrown around from time to time, but when I ask for specifics things usually get pretty quiet. And about that Harley; the least expensive H-D is the $6600 XL 883 Sportster- and in the HOG hierarchy riding one is akin to driving a 1979 924 to a PCA event. In any event, I would be surprised to find that there is a $6600 difference in maintenance and repair costs between a Caddy and a Bimmer over 150K, especially considering that a new BMW owner pays nothing for maintenance for 4 years/50K. while the wife took to(sic) Caddy to the mall. Ah yes, the primary mission profile of 99% of all Cadillacs... Replies to this message: vic10 (Nov 24, 2007 9:38 am)
#327 of 475 Re: 2008 Motor Trend Car Of The Year... [roadburner] by vic10 Nov 24, 2007 (9:38 am)
Replying to: roadburner (Nov 23, 2007 10:27 pm) Of COURSE I'm not basing my MB/BMW comments on owning the cars. Why in the world would I want to own car who's primary justification is yuppy image? And you consider $60 - $80 per month maintenance cost to be acceptable? My American car (300C) costs me $30.00 about every 4 months for an oil change. But the funniest (i.e. naive) comment was: BMW owners pays nothing for maintenance for 4 years/50K. OF COURSE that's not built into the purchase price.....
#328 of 475 A Few Observations... by roadburner Nov 24, 2007 (10:10 am)
1. None of the cars in this test are bad cars. Each one has different strengths and weaknesses. It is up to the buyer to determine which one best meets his/her needs. 2. BMW has essentially defined this market segment since 1966. It has done so by building cars that combine comfort, practicality, and performance in a way that few automakers have been able to emulate. The comments about BMW selling cars through deception and "smoke and mirrors" is complete rubbish. Name one other marque that is consistently acclaimed by every US, British, and European car magazine- as well as Consumer Reports(though I must admit, it does make me nervous that the CR nerds have started to like most Bimmers ). Name another marque that has a larger and/or more active enthusiast base. 3. BMWs are not perfect. I have repeatedly criticized Munich's current penchant for cramming more and more electronics and associated gadgetry into their cars, never mind their increasing size and weight. As I said in another topic, if I buy a new M3 sedan, I'll consider it to be a descendent of the E28 M5- not the E30(real) M3. 4. Prior to the release of the first CTS, Cadillac had ZERO credibility in this market segment. The CTS was a tremendous first step that proved the division could build a car for people who still had all their own teeth. Sadly, some dealers haven't received the message, as witnessed by the infrequent sightings of CTS sedans fitted with fake convertible tops, The CTS-V is a classic. The guys at Cadillac finally get it. 5. I hope the Infiniti wins several more comparos; The G35 is a terrific car, and BMW has a tendency to become fat and lazy when they remain at the top of the heap. And anyway, competition improves the breed. 6. Someone else will have to chime in on the Lexus and Mercedes, they've never made an appearance on my short list. 7. A few people on this board would like to think that BMW drivers are closed-minded sheep who won't even consider another car. Methinks that they would be very surprised if they could look into the garages of many hard-core BMW enthusiasts. For example, one guy I know also owns a Bloomington Gold 1966 Corvette convertible. I also know two Bimmerheads who have built sweet '55 Chevy street machines. A past President of BMW CCA owns several pre-1969 Shelby Mustangs. My modest garage also contains a Jeep TJ and a Mazdaspeed3, not to mention a Triumph Speed Triple. FWIW, I bought the MS3 instead of a BMW- and I also considered an S4, a Charger SRT-8, a 2004 Mach 1, and a Shelby GT(which I WOULD have bought if I could have found one without a ridiculous ADM sticker). 8.If I wanted to blow this segment wide open, I would build a sedan that weighs less than 3000 pounds and I'd fit a normally aspirated inline six making at least 250 hp. Dream on, I guess... And now, back to the show. Replies to this message: vchiu (Nov 26, 2007 6:40 pm) roadburner (Nov 26, 2007 7:32 pm) drtravel (Dec 02, 2007 10:02 am) kdshapiro (Dec 02, 2007 10:15 am) drtravel (Dec 03, 2007 9:48 am) and 30 more... roadburner (Dec 02, 2007 11:22 am)