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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    The Durango is pretty big as it is, it is larger than a Grand Cherokee and 3 row. So it has the size. I don't think FCA can come up with an interior worth $70k or whatever they want to charge, or come up with an engine. You know the Grand Wagoneer would just have a Pentastar V6 and optional Hemi V8 and the grand Cherokee already has that.
  2. smk4565
    I made a mistake in a post on another thread about Lexus never having made an engine with over 400 lb-ft of torque, because I forgot they still made this thing, and I didn't realize it has 403 lb-ft. So this is the most torque heavy Lexus ever made. Not sure why anyone would pay $76,000 for this let alone $96,000, I feel like this vehicle has been on sale over 10 years with no changes but the grille, it is the Crown Victoria of large SUVs.
  3. smk4565
    I think calling it CLE makes a lot of sense because ever since they came up with the car in 2004 it has been an E-class chassis, I think the wheelbase is identical on them. Then you just have E-class sedan, 4-door coupe, 2-door coupe, convertible, wagon. It is a lot on one model, but really just the sheetmetal changes, the powertrains, hard points and dashboards can basically all be the same. Not sure about the CLS - AMG sedan idea, I know they want a GT coupe modified into a sedan, but the E63 is already a mid-size super sedan, what more are you going to get performance wise? I get that the S65 is too big to really be a sports car, it is luxury tank with a V12 that happens to be fast. I'd rather see Mercedes start doing electric performance cars to fight Tesla, screw fighting the Panamera which they already have beat.
  4. smk4565
    Genesis has to try hard as an upstart, they have no name recognition so they have to bring it. I think need to turbocharge their V8. Lexus, Infiniti, and Genesis all have NA V8s, which is what the Germans did 10 years ago. Luxury cars need torque. Think of this, the base S-class has 516 lb-ft of torque, Lexus has never made a car with over 400 lb-ft. Not even the LF-A or GS-F. That's pathetic. Genesis doesn't have a 400 lb-ft torque engine, and Infiniti's best is 414 lb-ft. The companies bring knives to gun fights.
  5. smk4565
    Agree with that, but even for people buying a $15,000 car, they can easily end upside down if they get an interest rate that isn't favorable or put no money down.
  6. smk4565
    The Genesis G90 and CT6 comparison makes more sense, they are about the same size and price, both with a twin turbo V6, although the V8 G90 would cost what the CT6 in that test cost. I think that auto guide review also hit the nail on the head. The CT6 is the better drivers car with the better chassis but falls short elsewhere, and most big sedan buyers are looking for luxury and ride quality. The G90 hits the sweet spot of the market better.
  7. smk4565
    All good points by everyone. I would say there are 2 huge problems. First people want to buy cars with no money down when they shouldn't buy a car unless they can put like 10% down on it, if sales tax alone is 7% like in my county, you need 10% down to cover taxes, fees, registration, etc, and hopefully like $500 toward the price of the car. At least then you aren't upside down on day one. 2nd problem is the 72 month car loan. That amortizes so slowly, the car is depreciating faster than you can pay down the loan. If you can't afford the payment of a 48 or 60 month loan, then you probably need to shop for a less expensive car. A $30,000 car on a 72 month loan is about the same payment at as 60 month loan of $25,000. If you shop based on 10% down and a 60 month or shorter loan, you probably won't end upside down on the car.
  8. smk4565
    Well this seems to be a bit embarrassing: Volvo S90 YTD sales: 959 E-class YTD sales: 41,403 And E-class sales are down this year since the new model just went on sale late summer, and the V6 isn't even on sale yet, but will be soon, as well as this, which is faster than an M5 or CTS-V.
  9. smk4565
    I would mostly agree, it is a test that favors the Volvo based on criteria. It is almost like saying we are out to find the best 4 cylinder all wheel drive sedan for about $30k and having a loaded up subaru vs whatever else all wheel drive you can get like a bare bones Audi A3 and saying the Subaru is best. Most that want a large or even mid-size luxury car will want at least 6 cylinders, the E300 is really for the old ladies and old men that are in no hurry to get anywhere, and 6.5 seconds 0-60 is adequate, but a V6 E-class will mop the floor with a Volvo. I don't think the CT6 was unfairly treated due to price though, it was the middle priced car of the test. The CT6 is a flawed, perhaps compromised car though. MT said they like the 2.0T more than the V6, I think the 3.6 should be dropped from all Cadillac sedans, put a turbo V6 in its place.
  10. smk4565
    I miss the days when every luxury car had a V8, but I guess on the flip side a new E43 with a 3 liter engine is faster than the 5.5 liter V8 in my car and probably gets a least 5 mpg more, so progress is good too. I am surprised the Volvo beat the E300, but I do agree with MT about the all black interiors on Mercedes and preferring the light and airy Volvo interior. Mercedes needs the E43 on sale ASAP, that is the fix because the performance you get will make it worth the money. At $70k for the 4-cylinder model that car should have every luxury goodie, that is $18k in options. $70k for 4 cylinders is a big ask, the GLE43 is priced at $67k, if the E43 is the same, I think they have what they need. Not surprised by what they said about the CT6.
  11. smk4565
    I think if they were going to sell it here it would be a commercial application under the Vans division and they probably didn't see a lot of commercial pick up sales at the price point they would want. Plus they are a luxury car and crossover maker first.
  12. smk4565
    Those price cuts aren't even enough to make any difference. Dodge and Chrysler are in the same situation, these are all bad cars, and there is too much information now online where people can do their own research. It isn't like the 80s or 90s when the sales people at the dealership could persuade a buyer because all their was was car magazines doing reviews, which usually were of sports cars anyway. Dodge has 20% off MSRP right now and their sales are still in the tank. Fiat could have 50% off and the Corolla would still outsell their whole line. I would bet money that they could sell the Charger for $14,995 and the Camry would outsell it 3 to 1. No one wants these cars regardless of how they discount them.
  13. smk4565
    I would say they don't need the diesel, because the plug-in hybrid replaces it. It has the low end torque, more horsepower, gets the good gas mileage and doesn't pollute as much. So this is a better way to go than diesel. What Mercedes should focus on is a 4 cylinder plug in hybrid that would replace the 4 cylinder diesel, and they could put it in a Sprinter too. The hybrid cost isn't even that much, it is probably cheaper than making a diesel.
  14. smk4565
    Jeep is know for off road though, not performance. And I don't think the folks at the Dodge-Jeep wing of FCA can make a Jeep go around corners like this Alfa probably can. The only rear drive Jeeps are the Wrangler which isn't doing anything with performance and the Grand Cherokee, the Cherokee, Compass and Renegade are front drive Fiats and Darts.
  15. smk4565
    Tesla could become a potential buyer for FCA. In a lot of ways it makes sense, Tesla needs factories and manufacturing capacity which FCA has. They wouldn't need any of those brands except for Jeep, but they could discontinue Chrysler and Dodge, and those dealerships would still have Jeep, plus Tesla, and they could build electric Jeep. In Europe they could sell Fiats, sell off the Maserati and Alfa Romeo brands to the Chinese, sell Tesla's at Fiat Dealers.
  16. smk4565
    Post of the year and paragraph of the year right here. I almost spit Pepsi all over my screen reading about the seat back positions.
  17. smk4565
    I feel like these Alfas will never go on sale, and if they do arrive at dealerships they'll be limited supply, limited options, and just no exposure or marketing dollars and no one will buy them. You should be able to sell any crossover in the thousands with ease, people walk blindly to buy the things, but someone Alfa will be the one to build a crossover with sluggish sales.
  18. smk4565
    I think the powertrains are solid and there is value in the Genesis brad for sure. However I feel like they want from ripping off Mercedes and Infiniti styling with the 2009 Genesis, to now just ripping off more current Mercedes and Infiniti design for the new car, and they put a huge Audi grille on it. I think if they had a unique design language that was stunning they would be a lot more compelling. I still get a luxury car knock off feel from these cars.
  19. smk4565
    Agreed with that, the S-class runs in the $200,000+ range, the bare bones model is $98 grand. It is in the upper echelon where Cadillac, Lexus and even Audi are not.
  20. smk4565
    Small crossover is a booming segment, but I don't think this will match up to what BMW and Mercedes are already selling. And really, Alfa Romeo has the same problem as Dodge/Chrysler. Alfa Romeo in unable to compete with BMW, Benz and Audi, just like Dodge/Chrsyler can't compete with Honda, Toyota and Ford. This thing has a ton of power which is great, but they'll charge $80,000 for the V6, and you can get a Porsche or AMG product for that money, and you'll get the performance, with better reliability and better interiors, resale, etc.
  21. smk4565
    This is such easy profit margin it is an I brainer. Truck buyers will pay $45-50k for what is basically a $30k truck with a lift kit and big tires. A Tacoma TRD is over $45k and it has a Camry power train and Camry level or below interior, but costs $20k more, easy money.
  22. smk4565
    Same 0-60 as the S550e, similar MPGe of 65 vs 63. The S550e is the cheapest and slowest S-class though, the S550e is $20k more than the CT6 plug in because it is a class higher of car. CT6 isn't really an S-class competitor, it is E-class prices.
  23. smk4565
    I love how the F-type looks, like the XK's, I like Jaguar styling overall, but I don't like how this looks. The F-pace is far better looking, this doesn't even look like an SUV. On the flip side, 400 hp, 516 lb-ft and 90 kWh batter are all very good.
  24. smk4565
    Takes a while to get an electric car built from scratch basically. The Bolt isn't going to compete with Tesla. A Cadillac sedan Tesla fighter would have to have performance above the CTS-V, that isn't something they would just draw up in a year or two. Probably more like a 4 year plan.
  25. smk4565
    The specs are good, I think the price is a bit steep. By making this the most expensive engine option, you can pretty much guarantee that it will be the least popular engine option. I always thought they should price this on par with the turbo V6 which is about $68,000 to start.
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