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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    Golf GTI (widely thought to be the best hot hatch of the past 25 years by the way) doesn't have the 8-speed transmission or chassis or interior trim of an A4 or A5. The 2.0T engine is shared, but every automaker shares engines. They do platform share on SUVs, but the Touareg is also more expensive than an SRX, RX350 or MKX. So they aren't really starting from a mediocre product, and the Cayenne and Q7 have different engines and transmission. I'm not saying VW doesn't share stuff across the range, but for the most part their luxury brands have plenty of exclusive equipment and it is differentiated from the other brands. They aren't doing what Lexus, Lincoln and Acura do, and take a $25k family sedan and change nothing mechanically and just change the interior and front and rear fascias and call it a luxury car. That being said, I wouldn't buy an Audi, they aren't as good as BMW or Mercedes.
  2. smk4565
    I actually think the ATS looks a bit boring and a bit too like a Chevy. It just doesn't look all that expensive to me. I actually hope the CTS is far less plain and actually more aggressive looking than the ATS. ATS just isn't exciting to look at. The current CTS looks chunky and blocky to me, I hope they can streamline and and make it more athletic looking.
  3. smk4565
    You mean just like Audis, Bentleys and Porsches are? Audi interiors are top notch, and their cars offer good fuel efficiency considering how quick some of them are. Porshce 911 Turbo S 0-60 in 2.7 seconds and 25 mpg, and Bentley is Bentley. There is no mishmash of mediocre parts in those cars. They have Lamborghini and Bugatti too, that group of brands is pretty good. Where as Lexus is all Toyota has, and most of the Lexus line is mechanically a twin to a Toyota product. Personally I don't care for Audi, Porsche or Bentley, but they are not parts bin junk for $35-45k like most Japanese and American luxury brands try to build.
  4. smk4565
    Maybe not $10k nicer, but it is nicer. Lexus build quality, as far as panel gaps and leather/wood quality is better than what Buick has. The ES and RX are all they sell since they do offer entry level luxury that appeals to people that don't care about driving dynamics, in those 2 cars cases, people over 70 and soccer moms. The rest of the Lexus lineup is a decade behind the Germans.
  5. smk4565
    But imagine the 2 liter turbo diesel with the hybrid system. The 320d is 181 hp and 280 lb-ft adding around 30 to each with the electric motor should keep 0-60 around 7 seconds and probably push it to 50 mpg. The greenies will like that, and the non-greenies can buy the 335i.
  6. smk4565
    I think they will Toyota parts bin together the new IS, that is why it won't be as good as the Germans, and it till be styled to look like every other Toyota, with chrome on front so you can tell it is a Lexus and not a Camry. This is why the Germans are good, the 3-series isn't pieced together from a parts bin, it is designed with purpose. This car will be a Scion chassis, Camry transmission, corporate V6, Avalon styling, etc It is just a mishmash of mediocre parts.
  7. smk4565
    Well the ES is nicer than the Lacrosse, but the ES also costs more than a CTS. So it should be nicer than a Buick and a $37k car should sell less than a $30k car (in similar segments). Plus the current ES has been around since 07 or so, it is pretty stale. Although the 2013 car will look and drive in a stale fashion anyway.
  8. smk4565
    Seems like a lot of extra money over a 335i, unless the hybrid has a lot of the equipment packages thrown in. But to pay $8k over a 335i for a barely quicker car, it better be posting 40 mpg to justify the price difference. And agreed with Oldsmoboi, what they need is diesel power!
  9. smk4565
    ATS is 182.8 inches long and the CTS is 191.3. There is already a gap there. If they want to go to a 10 inch difference to 192.8 I am sure no one would notice, but any bigger than that and the CTS is getting too big. It is still a sports sedan.
  10. smk4565
    CTS doesn't need more exterior size, more interior room would be nice though. The car needs to get better, not bigger. Cadillac used to always try to do that bigger = more luxurious idea, that doesn't work anymore.
  11. smk4565
    According to Car and Driver numbers, 2013 M5 is 4387 lbs, and the 2012 CTS-V is 4220 lbs. The 5-series with and height are within a half inch of the CTS, the 5-series has 3.5 inches more in the wheelbase and 2 inches more overall length compared to the CTS. But I think the 5-series has gotten a bit big, although it still splits the difference between the 3 and 7. The current CTS on wheelbase, height, width and length is within 0.5 inches in every direction of a Mercedes E-class. The E-class is the sales champion, it's a good size car, no reason for the CTS to get bigger, it is already the same size as the heart of the segment. And for whatever it is worth, the CTS is already about an inch longer than the Lexus GS, though smaller than the Infiniti M37.
  12. smk4565
    It does look bigger which makes me fear we have STS part 2 coming, but even Cadillac can't be that dumb to repeat that mistake. The grille looks big like an Audi grille, not really a fan of massive front grilles, but maybe the final product will be more like the current CTS size grille. Looks like a fairly evolutionary design though.
  13. smk4565
    It will no doubt be ugly, and probably not a very good sports car, since Lexus never figures out how to make something sporty. But if they start with the GT86 chassis it should be light, if they use the 8-speed as the base transmission and turbo the the 2.5L four and 3.5L V6 they could have some good powertrains. But my guess is we see carryover engine and transmission and they'll be sunk.
  14. smk4565
    Mitsubishi still makes cars?
  15. smk4565
    I have to disagree with your statement. The German trio have a few cars that are above the CTS with interiors that are very nice, but in the same size/price range, the current CTS is very competitive. Well I'd agree that the CTS competes well with the G37, A4, C-class and 3-series, but the CTS gets outsold by all those except for the A4. Now the ATS is supposed to compete with those 4 cars, so that leaves the CTS as what, Acura TL and Lincoln MKZ competitor? A midsize V6 entry lux car for $36k. The CTS will have to move up market, thus have a substantial interior upgrade to compete with the A6 and E-class or Jaguar.
  16. smk4565
    They should refresh the ZDX by killing it all together. The RLX seems like another dud in the waiting. "The RLX will be offered in a 310 horsepower, front-wheel-drive version, which will deliver superior handling performance through the application of a new Acura technology- Precision All Wheel Steer™." Yeah, the 300 hp AWD car from 2005 couldn't compete with the Germans, so now they'll try 310 hp and FWD. Why do I get the feeling that precision all wheel steer won't deliver BMW 5-series handling.
  17. smk4565
    It is interesting and sad that the Infiniti M which is a pretty good car, gets outsold 3-1 by the JX, which to me isn't much more than a Nissan Minivan with fancy trim. I guess buyers would rather have a 3 row SUV with 265 hp than a RWD V8 sedan.
  18. smk4565
    I drove a Sonata and it was pretty quiet, pretty good for a low $20s midsizer. Never drove an Optima, but I agree with mudmonster about the styling, I like it. I like how the center console angles toward the drive also, give the interior more of a sporty feel, compared with the Sonata that has a generic layout.
  19. smk4565
    I like the A-class. I can see people buying it. Personally I'd still want a rear drive Benz though.
  20. smk4565
    Well I didn't really mean to compare the GT-R to a Mustang or Camaro, just saying that Magnetic shocks may be good, but there are still better suspensions out there. So Cadillac might as well use them like crazy because at least it sets them apart from the mainstream cars and gives them something unique.
  21. smk4565
    Right, that is why it isn't good for Chevy, but a Cadillac is supposed to be expensive.
  22. smk4565
    The Mustang has a solid rear axel, I would hope the Camaro can win the suspension battle there. The Camaro being heavier and less powerful makes it slower in a straight line, but obviously the Camaro beats it in the corners. So it is a win for the suspension there to overcome the power deficit. But by the same token, a GT-R can slap either of those cars around because of what it's chassis and suspension can do. But if I were Cadillac, I'd put magnetic ride control on every single model they make.
  23. smk4565
    Yes, CAFE sucks. Hopefully this thing isn't painfully slow and runs out of range in 50 miles. But if it performs okay, they'll fool some wealthy environmentalists into buying one. If it means we get to keep the V12 S-class, then I'm okay with it. So few B-classes will be on the road, most people won't notice it.
  24. smk4565
    Let's hope, because if you take XTS platinum interior, with ATS handling and put that with a twin turbo v6 into a CTS you have a winner.
  25. smk4565
    The CTS doesn't have the interior to challenge the German mid-sizers. CTS lives in the entry level price class and doesn't sell outside the North America either. They still have ground to make up, although I believe if they go all out they can get in the conversation with the German trio. My fear is, that they dumb down the CTS interior, so they can continue to justify the XTS's existence.
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