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The New Car Fanatic Thread

Assman

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Fat Bastard

Fat Bastard 591

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12 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

8 years ago I bought a two year old A6 with 14K miles on it for about $25K less than new. I have loved it. There have been a couple of pricey repairs along the way (motor and transmission mounts, some cooling system parts that wore out, brake jobs suck) but overall I think it was money well spent because it’s great to drive and has a kickass stereo and didn’t break the bank.

Now that it’s almost at 100K miles I’m getting the itch to replace it. I really want something with CarPlay in it. But I don’t love the new A6 designs. My first car was a beater Mercedes and I always said I would own another, so I’m looking at lightly used E and CLS class. But damn if MB doesn’t make it annoying with all the models and trim levels. I can’t figure out which ones I should be looking at.

I don’t care about max horsepower. I live in a city. But I don’t want anything anemic: the 3.0 over the 2.0 A6 was a no brainer. I do want high end audio and a great interior.

Can any of you Benz experts weigh in?

If you’re looking at used, I’d personally look at the CLS (previous body style). Even though it’s built on E class chassis, it looks substantial and as formidable as an S class IMO. The new CLS’s have been completely emasculated and look like shit. Can probably nab a v8 (non-AMG) and have a blast

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drewlaws
drewlaws

Submitting a new frivolous acquisition - 991.2 Carrera GTS in agate grey with 7MT. I haven't had a "fun" car in years. The itch has been growing and I settled on a manual 911. I've been patiently wait

Assman
Assman

I've been looking for over 2 years for a Miami Blue 991.2 slick top with a 7MT and RAS, and finally found one. Carrera T with all the aforementioned options and 9k miles. Fucking love this thing.

Atxracer
Atxracer

Hah. It couldn’t go over 20mph at that point and was just going to the dealership from the truck. She’s home now. Will try to post more pics tonight but here she is.  

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Buzzrock

Buzzrock 14786

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I'm gonna keep on buying pristine used black 2008-2009 MB E350s at under 50k miles for the rest of my life if I can find them.  Two so far.  Seriously great model of a car. 

I’m not a big fan of the planet-of-the-mutants front end on those, and the lack of technology would bug me. But the price is right.
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DalTxHornFan

DalTxHornFan 3073

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41 minutes ago, Buzzrock said:


I’m not a big fan of the planet-of-the-mutants front end on those, and the lack of technology would bug me. But the price is right.

Seems rather classic to me, style wise, but YMMV.  Both years have Bluetooth connectivity, satellite services and such.  No backup camera or auto assist driving stuff.  I'm OK with that.  Just a great road car that has given me lots of miles over the years. 

image.jpeg.7dfc3f926fe007d56df4c3e8f4d86d97.jpeg

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Gravy Train

Gravy Train 970

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12 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

Well that’s my other conundrum. I kinda want a 4Runner. 

A 4Runner, even new, will instantly feel like an older vehicle than your A6. Its drivetrain is a good decade older (in design) than your 2013 A6.  Road manners are sloppy, slow, inefficient.  I still don't get the appeal, and for those who claim it's due to reliability, what do you have against oil changes?

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Buzzrock

Buzzrock 14786

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Lol. The Toyota mafia is going to find this thread.

The boy is starting to want to hunt and fish more, and he already dirties up everything he touches (I drive him to baseball in his moms car for that reason). Hence my interest.

But I’ll probably get another German saloon. They are awfully nice to drive.

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Chewbacca

Chewbacca 7664

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Lol. The Toyota mafia is going to find this thread.

The boy is starting to want to hunt and fish more, and he already dirties up everything he touches (I drive him to baseball in his moms car for that reason). Hence my interest.

But I’ll probably get another German saloon. They are awfully nice to drive.
Shit, I love Toyotas. I have 2 Landcruisers. I don't get why the current 4Runner is so popular, either. It is dogshit slow and all the tech is old. Will run forever, though.
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Anton Chigurh

Anton Chigurh 3317

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Shit, I love Toyotas. I have 2 Landcruisers. I don't get why the current 4Runner is so popular, either. It is dogshit slow and all the tech is old. Will run forever, though.

I will say that I expected to care more about having a ridiculously slow vehicle. I do wish it was faster, but I don’t care as much as I thought I would, if that makes sense.
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fattyflattie

fattyflattie 4630

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53 minutes ago, Anton Chigurh said:


I will say that I expected to care more about having a ridiculously slow vehicle. I do wish it was faster, but I don’t care as much as I thought I would, if that makes sense.

How often do you tow?  I don’t care about speed but I cannot stand being underpowered while towing. 

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Gravy Train

Gravy Train 970

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19 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

Lol. The Toyota mafia is going to find this thread.

LOL, bring it.  TMNA doesn't offer a single interesting product anymore, at least not something that isn't outclassed, better-engineered, better looking, or certainly better driving.  They're mere appliance-cars for those who don't have the time or don't really care about cars.  I get the '90s were cool and some believe the '90s are still alive today, but at some point we gotta move on before the rusted-out C-channel Tacoma frame halves itself.  The two cars they do offer with any sort of character (GR 86 and Supra) were contracted out (to Subaru and BMW).  The J200 Land Cruiser got to the ripe age of 14 years before it was replaced and they even managed to screw that up for U.S. consumers.  It's now a Lexota with 50-series radials on 22"s. 

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Mittens

Mittens 8075

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On 9/3/2022 at 1:07 AM, Gravy Train said:

TMNA doesn't offer a single interesting product anymore, at least not something that isn't outclassed, better-engineered, better looking, or certainly better driving.

I see this sentiment pop up every now and then, and I get that the 4Runner and Tacoma haven't been updated in years, but I also never see the better engineered, better looking, better driving options listed.  What are the superior vehicles one should be driving over those two?

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Gravy Train

Gravy Train 970

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True body-on-frame options?  They don't really exist anymore... mostly for good reason, though it's one of the remaining pearl-clutching values of a Toyota fanboy.

Superior, but for different reasons:  Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Grand Cherokee.  Scoff at their reliability ratings, but also take a deeper look at the hardware both offer.  One available in a turbodiesel, the other with an outgoing V8 that will be replaced with a turbocharged inline-6 before Toyota gets their powertrain shit figured out.  The Grand Cherokee has better approach/departure angles, slightly greater clearance and all from a Continental-supplied air suspension that's been on that platform for more than a decade now.

The updated GM Colorado/Canyon look like a tasty option over the Tacoma.  I get that some prefer the primitive design of these two, but that's difficult to justify now with their price.

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Sam Lin

Sam Lin 3538

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On 9/3/2022 at 1:07 PM, Gravy Train said:

TMNA doesn't offer a single interesting product anymore, at least not something that isn't outclassed, better-engineered, better looking, or certainly better driving.

If you are referring just to truck/SUV lineup, no argument from me.

 

But if you are referring to all TMNA, just...no. Toyota has the most exciting sports car lineup of the Japanese options right now (which is a huge shock/disappointment for me as a longtime Honda/Subaru fan). And double no on the "better-engineered" comment. There is no way anyone can criticize Toyota engineering for dominating the quality statistics for 15+years running. You don't get there by luck and you don't get there by management decree; you get there and you stay there because of a hardcore dedication to it across your entire company culture.

GR Yaris, a true batshit crazy homologation special in an age when those have all died off.

GR Corolla, which is going to play in the same playground as the Civic R and Golf R for less money.

You dismiss the GR86, but the development stories say that the chassis was largely Toyota, and that powertrain was the reason for the partnership. WIthin 10 seconds of my first drive in one, I commented that they'd nailed driving feel. (Not hyberbole on 10 seconds; couple of friends went for a mountain drive and we stopped and changed cars every few miles. I swapped into the FT86, clutch out and pulled out onto the road, and made my comment.) That's not because of Subaru engineering.

You dismiss the Supra, but again, same story, powertrain was where they partnered up.

And even if it IS a partnership, compare with others. Honda is giving you Civic Si and CivicR (same chassis both). Nissan is doing the GTR and the 400z, which is just a reskinned 370, which was a reskinned 350. Subaru has the BRZ (partnership) and WRX. Mazda gives you the Miata. Toyota is providing 4 options, all excellent, all with distinct flavor at distinct price points, when everyone else has one or two.

 

And that's not mentioning Rav4 Hybrid, which would single-handedly starve every competitor of all CUV sales if they could only build enough of them to keep dealers in stock.

It also leaves out Lexus LC500 and RC-F, which both are quietly some of the best values in their class and objectively may be the best built in their class, and manage to out-lux Mercedes for how nice an experience the cabin is. I would argue that at the "mass-produced" high end, Lexus retains more focus on the product than BMW/Merc/Audi, all of whom have distinctly slid in feel and design over recent generations. Both of those Lexus feel more like someone actually gave a shit about making it the best thing they could design and build (except the infotainment. I have no defense for the infotainment.)

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Gravy Train

Gravy Train 970

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I don't agree with their garish spindle grille and "how many different material textures can we fit in this interior" approach to Lexus styling, but the LC500 was done right, it's practically their current-production halo car for the marque.  It's still outclassed by the Germans, aligning the BMW M850i and Merc AMG-GT C as direct competitors.  The RC-F is a dated, bloated, fat cat with Mustangs and Camaros embarrasing it now.

The GR Corolla isn't available in the US yet, but cool for undercutting Honda on price.  My sentiments are toward the NA-market of TM, where we get the most watered-down versions of their portfolio.

I'll continue to dismiss the Supra because BMW still does it better and it's their own damn car.  If you like the platform, just buy the Z4 M40i-- it's faster, better-appointed, and actually passes muster in a wind tunnel test.

You can't get a RAV4 Prime anywhere near MSRP at the moment--  but if we're realling doing this, and its potential buyer is willing to put up with its hideous looks, there's a Hyundai Kona to undercut it on price, a VW ID.4 in a more attractive and proven global BEV platform or a Volvo XC40 Recharge to compete with it directly, with better tech.

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Gravy Train

Gravy Train 970

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22 minutes ago, Sam Lin said:

And double no on the "better-engineered" comment. There is no way anyone can criticize Toyota engineering for dominating the quality statistics for 15+years running. You don't get there by luck and you don't get there by management decree; you get there and you stay there because of a hardcore dedication to it across your entire company culture.

You can also get there by recycling the same powerplant and/or transaxle in the highest volumes of production, retaining it for a decade or more.  The E180 (prior-gen) Corolla had adopted LED headlamps but base trims of the car still featured a 4-speed auto.  The 1GR-FE says hi, and, though it's about to be replaced, it's a FOURTEEN year-old engine with port injection, still offered new with a warranty in the Tacoma and 4Runner.  Architecturally, that long block is over TWENTY years old now, just that it got a second cam phaser in 2009.

They're dedicated to putting relics on the road and shouldn't be awarded for such reliability claims.  Actually, fuck them that their consumer lets them get away with it.

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fattyflattie

fattyflattie 4630

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3 hours ago, Goofyboy said:

I’ll drive my 2017 Tundra until it dies. Something about just doing some basic maintenance, change of batteries and you’re good for 200,000 miles. My wife has a fun car if I ever want something more.

You’ll get more than that. I’ve touched or will in next year touch 300 with my last 3 GMs with batteries, brakes, and tires.   Some small items here and there or course (GM hubs holla + Harvey), nothing that has ever required an actual shop.  Modern vehicles should absolutely be expected to reach 250 without an issue, and 300 without major issue imo.   

*not familiar with German luxury 

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G650

G650 13553

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15 hours ago, Okie State said:
16 hours ago, Goofyboy said:
German luxury means I trade in the wife’s car around 75,000. That’s when the last one had some seals go bad and $4k of engine work was needed.

Can't imagine why anyone would choose reliability over that.

 

You spend enough time on the road every day and you will.

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52-80

52-80 19015

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On 9/5/2022 at 9:17 AM, Gravy Train said:

I don't agree with their garish spindle grille and "how many different material textures can we fit in this interior" approach to Lexus styling, but the LC500 was done right, it's practically their current-production halo car for the marque.  It's still outclassed by the Germans, aligning the BMW M850i and Merc AMG-GT C as direct competitors.  The RC-F is a dated, bloated, fat cat with Mustangs and Camaros embarrasing it now.

None of these cars are meant for performance.  BMW 8 is blobby and ugly.  This interior doesnt appear very appropriate for a grand tourer. 

LC500 with N/A V8 all day everyday.

mb_smaller.jpg

 

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TwiceHorn

TwiceHorn 30912

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On 9/1/2022 at 7:39 AM, Buzzrock said:

8 years ago I bought a two year old A6 with 14K miles on it for about $25K less than new. I have loved it. There have been a couple of pricey repairs along the way (motor and transmission mounts, some cooling system parts that wore out, brake jobs suck) but overall I think it was money well spent because it’s great to drive and has a kickass stereo and didn’t break the bank.

Now that it’s almost at 100K miles I’m getting the itch to replace it. I really want something with CarPlay in it. But I don’t love the new A6 designs. My first car was a beater Mercedes and I always said I would own another, so I’m looking at lightly used E and CLS class. But damn if MB doesn’t make it annoying with all the models and trim levels. I can’t figure out which ones I should be looking at.

I don’t care about max horsepower. I live in a city. But I don’t want anything anemic: the 3.0 over the 2.0 A6 was a no brainer. I do want high end audio and a great interior.

Can any of you Benz experts weigh in?

Don't sleep on some of the smaller displacement or 4-banger forced induction engines.

They may not top end like a bigger six, but how often are you going 130+.  The low-end torque delivers a lot of smilles per mile for "exuberant" driving around town and on the freeways, if not flat-out top speed runs.

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DalTxHornFan

DalTxHornFan 3073

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On 9/5/2022 at 4:43 PM, Goofyboy said:

German luxury means I trade in the wife’s car around 75,000. That’s when the last one had some seals go bad and $4k of engine work was needed.

My current E-Class MB is at 136K, and I got well over 200K each from the three prior ones.  You do need to stay on top of their service intervals, but you have to avoid the dealerships.  As an example, Park Place MB in Dallas specializes in providing the most expensive "free" coffee ever to those unfortunate MB owners who venture there for service.

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G650

G650 13553

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On 9/6/2022 at 3:04 PM, 52-80 said:

None of these cars are meant for performance.  BMW 8 is blobby and ugly.  This interior doesnt appear very appropriate for a grand tourer. 

LC500 with N/A V8 all day everyday.

mb_smaller.jpg

 

I like Mercedes but they have got to get rid of those fugly ass AC ducts, and the steering whee buttons look like they are for a fucking tractor.

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TwiceHorn

TwiceHorn 30912

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43 minutes ago, G650 said:

I like Mercedes but they have got to get rid of those fugly ass AC ducts, and the steering whee buttons look like they are for a fucking tractor.

And how bout that shifter?  I know they're nothing more than a toggle switch anymore, but geez.

And I found the "tree" shifter on more pedestrian vehicles to be oddly off-putting, especially because the console is now so crowded with eeeelectronics, there's no room for one.

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