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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    I know someone that recently bought a 2008 tC because she needed a used car under $10k and there isn't a lot sporty looking with low miles in that price range. There is a lot of back seat leg room, more than a lot of full size sedans, and the dual moonroof is cool. Other than that the interior is cheap and basic. They drive a little like the Grand Am to me, sort of punchy off the line, stiffer ride, and a little noisy. This isn't at all my kind of car, but I can see why people in their early 20s buy them. I think the Hyundai Veloster is better at the mission of being a cheap and sporty looking coupe to appeal to young people. The problem with the under $20k segment is the Corolla and Cruze seem built for people in their 50s or 60s, they just have an old image to me. The Mazda 3 and Focus can't be bought in a coupe, only a hatch. So you either have to over pay for a Civic coupe or buy a Scion or Hyundai, or Kia Forte.
  2. smk4565
    I have heard good things about Continental DWS also, it seems like they are one of the top all season tires. Michelin makes a good tire, but they aren't cheap. I bought Pirelli P Zero Nero a few times for my Aurora, because they are comparable to a Michelin and usually like $130.
  3. smk4565
    They might as well just shut this brand down. As long as your top seller is a mechanical twin to an Accord but with a goofy center console you are not a contender to the German luxury brands. Acura doesn't have 1 unique chassis, engine or transmission in the group, the body panels even look the same as Hondas. I don't get why anyone would buy a Lincoln or Acura, you could buy the Ford or Honda and save $10,000 or go buy a Cadillac, Infiniti or German car instead.
  4. smk4565
    I like a metal needle gauge, I am not a fan of the computer screen gauges. But it seems like all cars will go that route eventually. I assume you have the V6 then.
  5. smk4565
    I wouldn't drive that if they paid me $5800 to take it.
  6. smk4565
    The 2013 model is obviously going to sell at a discount because the 2014 model is a big leap forward. Look at what 2013 Silverados are selling for, even the new 2014 Silverados have 15% off MSRP incentives this month. Mercedes operates at about a 7% margin, compared to BMW and Audi which are over 10%, but understandable with Audi, most of the mechanicals are shared with VW, and BMW doesn't have too many engines or platforms, it is pretty streamlined. Mercedes most profitable car line is the S-class though, and obviously the AMG models and high end ones help that. The 2014 S-class according to Truecar.com is selling at .5% below MSRP, $93,000 for an average sale price for the base model, A V8 A8 is $81,000, V8 7-series is $84,000 and an LS460 at $71,000 for average sale price. The Lexus is so far dated and behind it is more like the Hyundai Equus at this point, the A8 sales are awful, the 7-series is hanging on since BMW has a loyal following and they do offer 6 cylinder and diesel options that are cheaper. The Porsche Panamera is the only one that averages over $90,000 and it sells fairly well in the class, probably since it isn't at all like the S-class. If Infiniti wants to go into the $100,000 segment, then they need to think Panamera or Quattroporte, because they can't build a better luxury car than an S-class, but they might be able to make a 4 door luxury GT-R style car that is a sport alternative.
  7. smk4565
    Yes, because the S-class has such a lowly image, that even with an above $90,000 MSRP it outsells any other car in its class by 2-1 or more, and and has been doing so for about 30 years. Let's think how many sedans Acura, Lincoln, Cadillac, Infiniti, Lexus, Audi and BMW sell that have a base price over $90,000, oh right, none of them do. I read on CNN Money that the S-class made an estimated $15 billion in profit from 1995-2011, which makes sense because with a $10k per car margin and 100,000 units sold globally, you come up with $1 billion per year profit. I am sure every car maker wishes they had one model that could bring in $1 billion by itself, the whole Infiniti brand probably can't do that.
  8. smk4565
    Gotta love too how Cadillac executives for 10-15 years have been stating that they know the weaknesses of the brand or places they need to improve, yet it doesn't happen. You have to wonder if the people that run this brand get it, every 5 years they want to blow it up and start all over, because the last 5 year plan didn't get them caught up to the Germans.
  9. smk4565
    I think Cadillac should use names not alpha-numeric. Lincoln and Acura are a disaster of names because none of them mean anything. You'd think MKC is a coupe, but it is a crossover, like MKX is a crossover, yet MKT is not a truck, but a crossover. MKZ is midsize, MKS is larger, it is just all random. Cadillac is heading that direction. BMW naming makes sense, 1 is small, 7 is big, although I am not a fan of odd number for sedan and even number for coupe. What has thrown BMW and Mercedes off a bit is changing engine sizes and not wanting to change all the numbers every few years. The Mercedes letters have meaning in German words, SL is "sport liecht" SLK "sport leicht kompact" etc, it isn't random. Other luxury makers stared using alpha numeric just because BMW and Mercedes did and they thought since they sell and Lexus copied Mercedes in 1989 and by 1999 they were #1 so Acura, Lincoln and Cadillac figured let's copy what Lexus did, and it didn't work for any of them. And Lexus has been able to use names like RX350 because they haven't made a new engine in 10 years. For Cadillac I think the whole lineup should be names, and they should stick with it. Names like Seville, Eldorado or Fleetwood weren't hurting Cadillac sales, crappy cars were. The average joe doesn't know the difference between an RX, SRX, MDX and MKX, and they may not have ever heard of an XTS, but I bet they know "Eldorado" is a Cadillac.
  10. smk4565
    Of course they aren't launching an S-class competitor because they know they would fail at that. They won't be able to create the luxury and prestige and heritage that the executives and world leaders want. But it makes you wonder what their target market will be, poor man's version of an Aston Martin Rapide, or Quattroporte competitor, but neither of those cars sell.
  11. smk4565
    The electric SLS AMG has 737 HP, so if they use that set up they would have the speed but the range would be lousy and the car would be crazy expensive. It isn't a good idea now but in the 2020-2025 time frame if batteries improve I can see them doing it.
  12. smk4565
    Pure electrics aren't very good, with the exception of the Tesla Model S which is still pretty limited by batteries. I think Mercedes is right to do the plug-in, and they have diesel models also, those are the best ways to get good efficiency for now. Perhaps 10 years from now when battery technology is better they will do a pure electric.
  13. smk4565
    Bentley already has a car on the A8 platform, so what is next, a Bentley A6 or A4? VW group has Audi to be the luxury brand, and Porsche for sports cars. Those 2 brands should be able to cover the $50-125,000 range. There is no reason for a Bentley to be under $150k, it is supposed to be expensive and over the top. An SUV is a bad idea too.
  14. smk4565
    Nothing rusts like an 80s Toyota, lol, I don't think there are even any 90s Toyotas that aren't rusted out. Heck, I have seen Toyotas from the 2000s with rust all over them. I don't think people that buy a Mercedes car, care at all that they sell commercial vans or trucks, if they like the car they will buy the car. It obviously doesn't matter in Europe, where Mercedes does quite well, and they do quite well here too. I think any other luxury brand would trade to be in Mercedes position with maybe the exception of BMW since their sales levels are about the same and they have a younger customer base. The Euro van is the new wave, I think the Transit will do well, GM's offerings in the commercial segment are going to look really dated really soon unless they rethink their vans. The Sprinter is expensive, so it will never be a volume threat to Ford, GM or Ram.
  15. smk4565
    I hope this car is good and gets Jaguar more into the main stream. Sadly I read today that the XK is being killed after the 2015 model year, so they will have 3 sedans and the F-type.
  16. smk4565
    The Town Carvalanche is biblically terrible. You do have to wonder though if they spent the money for the dual exhaust package which increased horsepower from 190 to a mind blowing 210. Because 190 hp from a 4.6 liter V8 is pathetic, but when you start talking 210 hp, it goes into a whole other realm.
  17. smk4565
    I think they should leave the V-class at home, at least for passenger duty, perhaps a cargo version for commercial applications could work since the Sprinter is huge. All wheel drive is a good idea for the snow belt. One thing that annoys me about the Sprinter is the V6 diesel is dated and sucks, 188 hp and 325 lb-ft and a 5-speed, when the 3.0 V6 in the cars has over 210 hp and over 400 lb-ft. A power upgrade and adding the 7-speed to the V6 would make sense. The "Mercedes" trait that the Sprinter has is engineering, build quality and longevity. The hauling companies will buy it because they know they can put over 300,000 miles on it, and the gas mileage is decent for a vehicle that size.
  18. smk4565
    What about a Hyundai Genesis? That has more front leg room and head room than any Cadillac or Chrysler 300 or Ford Taurus. It's pretty big.
  19. smk4565
    It looks awesome so far.
  20. smk4565
    They improved the 5.3, and it isn't that old an engine, it isn't like the Northstar circa 2010 when it had been on the market for 17 years with little improvement. But upping hp by 40 and adding 1 mpg and adding $2,000 to the price isn't really going to draw in hoards of new buyers. The 2014 Silverado is better than the 2013, but it is a minor evolutionary improvement, I just don't think they did enough to "wow" anyone.
  21. smk4565
    I agree the Mazda 3 and 6 are nice cars, both among the best in their classes. The 3, Elantra and Focus are my favorite cars of the small car class, and I think if I had to drive one it might be the 3. The 6 is pretty good too, I'd probably take a Fusion or Optima in that class if I wanted something a little sporty, if I just wanted roominess and soft seats maybe the Accord and Camry are good bets, but the 6 is a strong contender.
  22. smk4565
    Regarding the Mercedes 3.5, that engine came out around 2006, after about 5 years they reworked it and added direct injection so it got a power boost, and they are phasing it out next year for the 3.0 turbo V6, but it will have had about a 10-12 year run. The BMW straight six has been around forever yes, but they also have added the turbo 4, added diesels changed around the M engines, so the 3-series each generation has offered something fresh. On the pick up truck front, Ram added the diesel and an 8-speed, Ford is planning the 2.7 Ecoboost V6 and a rumored diesel, plus the weight savings, so those two have offered something new to attract new buyers. With luxury cars, you have a market of current luxury car buyers and people trading up, with pickups I feel more like you have to steal buyers from the other brands, because people probably aren't going from a Camry to a Tundra like they go from a Camry to a Lexus. That is why Ford is making radical changes with the F150, GM didn't really make any huge improvement that is going to make F150 drivers switch.
  23. smk4565
    Exterior hasn't changed much over 3 generations, but sometimes that works for cars. The interior is boring and spartan, and who really wants a front wheel drive sports car that costs $45k. Just go buy a Golf GTI and save the money.
  24. smk4565
    The Jeep looks better than any of the Japanese small utes, but I still like the Kia Soul a bit more. The thing I wonder is, Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge products are not know for reliability to begin with, and Fiat I believe ranks last in JD Power reliability in the USA, and Fiat is usually one of the worst in Europe also. It is as if they found a way to make a Jeep even less reliable by building it on a Fiat chassis and giving it a Fiat engine.
  25. smk4565
    The new Silverado looks similar to the old one, it is hard to tell them apart unless side by side. And the engines and transmissions are basically carry over, they might claim it is new, but it is still a 5.3 V8. HP and gas mileage might be up slightly, but there is nothing ground breaking added to these trucks. They have up to $7,000 discounts in March so maybe that will get sales going.
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