Ninja Editor
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Bay Area, CA
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Formerly Roboman, still
awesome Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
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It is surprisingly bland. It's lost a lot of Cadillac's hard-edged look. With a different grille, it could be a Camry. It's especially puzzling because GM has Buick for the conservative-styling set; Cadillac has less reason to water down their styling than anyone else in the business.
At least the interior looks okay. Still, GM, I am disappoint. I also think they're setting themselves up for problems with the ATS name, but that's neither here nor there. I'm very interested to see what the new MKZ looks like, and whether Lincoln can pull off a, well, Cadillac-sized transformation. The new Fusion looks interesting: and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong |
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M AH - ch ain saw
Join Date: May 2004
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Formerly Roboman, still
awesome Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
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There MKZ attracted a surprising amount of pre-unveil buzz (you know, for a Lincoln), and I'm not going to lie, it is pretty svelte, albeit not particularly unconventional. Ford does seem to be serious about the whole "reinventing Lincoln" thing.
It's technically a concept, but it's a thinly disguised look at the MY2013 production vehicle; expect the glass roof and the tiny side mirrors to go and the wheels to be replaced with smaller ones, but that's about it. Styling-wise, I like how the narrow LED headlights flow out of the "butterfly" grille, now adorned with horizontal bars. As on the new MKS, a hood strake draws the eye to the classily downsized Lincoln badge, and the rear lights stretch the width of the vehicle, a new design trademark borrowed from the marque's crossover vehicles (or, less generously, from Dodge). Like the 2013 MKS and MKT, the new MKZ will feature Lincoln Drive Control and a Continuously Controlled Damping adjustable suspension as differentiators from the Ford product on which it is based (in this case, the new Fusion). The current MKZ is available in a hybrid version at, impressively, no additional cost. If this continues with the new model I could see the re-energized Lincoln marque attracting attention from those wanting guilt-free luxury; the new Fusion Hybrid gets exceptional mileage, and other luxury hybrid sedans (such as the Lexus HS) have proven quite disappointing in that regard. and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong |
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Formerly Roboman, still
awesome Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
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Two reasons:
First, a major area of growth for luxury marques is sub-3 Series/C-Class models. BMW has the 1 Series, Audi has the A1 and A3 and potentially a new A2, Mercedes-Benz is said to be interested in bringing the A- or B-Class to the US, Lexus has the CT, Acura has the new ILX, and on and on and on. In Cadillac's sedan nomenclature system, the first letter denotes the vehicle's class, in alphabetical order — the ATS slots below the CTS which slotted below the STS and will now slot below the XTS, &c. By using the first letter of the alphabet for their 3 Series fighter, Cadillac is making it awkward should they ever decide to release a sub-ATS model, such as a vehicle based on their own Urban Luxury Concept. Second, and more importantly, the ATS is part of Cadillac's plan to go upmarket to match BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which is essential if they're going to justify their continued existence alongside Buick in GM's brand portfolio. The idea is that selling a new, 3 Series-sized/priced ATS will allow the current CTS (currently sized like 5 Series but priced like a 3 Series) to grow in price to match the 5 Series (E-Class, &c.). But I think it would be much easier for Cadillac to introduce a downsized "CTS" at the same price as the current CTS than to introduce a next-generation "CTS" that increased significantly in price overnight. If I were GM, I would have launched the ATS as the new CTS, and launched a refreshed, somewhat upmarket model of the current CTS alongside it as, say, an ETS, halfway between the price of the current CTS and Cadillac's target (the 5 Series). Then, when it was time for that model to be redesigned, I'd increase the price the rest of the way, to match the 5 Series head-to-head. In short, I think that push come to shove, the names should be tied to the price class, not size class, of the cars, as that's more easily comparable. People are used to cross-shopping the CTS with the 3 Series now, and I think it will be harder to convince them that, no, the CTS is really Cadillac's 5 Series competitor, which is why it's okay that the price is going up $8,000, whatever, between model years. That's going to be a tougher sell than a smaller "new CTS," I think. and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong |
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M AH - ch ain saw
Join Date: May 2004
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Got it! Thanks.
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Ninja Editor
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Bay Area, CA
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All else being equal, luxury cars will pretty much always get worse mileage than non-luxury models, because more features usually means more weight.
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Sub-PowerBook Lobbyist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Washington, DC
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Who the fuck cares about BMW (for arrogant wannabes), Mercedes (rich old geezers), and Cadillac (old American geezers)?!? I've been waiting for a true sub-PowerBook for more than 10 years. The 11-inch MacBook Air finally delivers on all counts! It beats the hell out of both my PowerBook 2400c and my 12-inch PowerBook G4 -- no contest whatsoever. |
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meh
Join Date: May 2004
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Formerly Roboman, still
awesome Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
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Anyways. The MPG of the current Lincoln MKZ hybrid matches that of the Ford Fusion hybrid. If the new MKZ pulls that off with the new Fusion hybrid's crazy-high MPGs, it will be a very impressive number indeed. Yeah! Them BMW drivers are almost as bad as those Apple snobs, who buy ridiculously expensive computers just to look cool. and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong |
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careful with axes
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hillsborough, CA
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Fusion >3400 pounds BMW 5-series >3800 pounds MB E-Class >3800 pounds Audi A6 >4000 pounds All these mid-size sedans are as big or heavier than large-size sedans from 20 years go. |
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meh
Join Date: May 2004
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careful with axes
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hillsborough, CA
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These cars are physically larger in every dimension...and that has nothing to do with car safety standards or technology. If technology could do anything, it's make cars lighter with stronger alloys, carbon fiber, thermoplastics, etc.
My old E34 535i: Length, 185.8in Width, 68.9in Height, 55.6in Current F11 528i: Length, 192.9in Width, 73.2in Height, 57.6in |
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meh
Join Date: May 2004
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giggity Last edited by Quagmire : 2012-01-12 at 17:05. |
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I shot the sherrif.
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Well, start thinking about all the changes that have happened with cars in the last few decades.
ABS (weight) crumple zones (weight and size) heated everything (weight) electronic windows/seats (weight) airbags (weight) traction control (weight) I'm sure there are plenty more. These items not only add weight, but they also displace whatever used to be in that space, so cars have had to enlarge (in part) to accommodate new technology as well. Google is your frenemy. Caveat Emptor - Latin for tough titty I tend to interpret things in the way that's most hilarious to me |
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careful with axes
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hillsborough, CA
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Cars had all or most of these things >20 years ago, especially the luxury cars like the E34 I mentioned above.
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Last edited by Eugene : 2012-01-13 at 02:58. |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
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My wife is thinking about getting this model (not this specific one though):
slk280 Anyone familiar with the Mercedes SLK280s sold in 2007? We normally drive Hondas and Toyos. This is a step up, but it has really low miles and is ends up being priced as much as a new loaded Accord. Maybe cheaper... JTA |
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Senior Member
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I would be scared of a pre owned german car. They tend to break... in there normal state, but that being said I had a client who had a 07 SLK and loved it, no issues what so ever. So to each there own
I would say take a look at a Lexus SC430, they are good reliable asian built cars, and instead of a problematic ragtop, it is a very nice hardtop. They also have a very good Navi system, and incredible wood. |
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Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2004
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I may be getting a new car if the financing goes though... should know tomorrow some time. I'll post deets if everything goes through.
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Less than Stellar Member
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And I've got to say, I had a used VW Golf for over 5 years and I didn't have a single problem with it. Anecdotal, but still... If it's not red and showing substantial musculature, you're wearing it wrong. |
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can't read sarcasm.
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Toronto, Canada
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That said, I'm still considering a used, low mileage 2009 Audi A3. But everyone is telling me I'm nuts and to stay away from used Audi's and VW's. That the only time to buy a German brand is if you're leasing a new vehicle with warranty. And when the contract is up, give the car back. |
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Less than Stellar Member
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The VR6s and that generation of vehicle in general for VW were awful. I think that things are way better now.
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Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2004
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Well I bought a new car. Well, a used car, not new, but new to me. I like the STi but for some reason it's just not as in sync with my particular sensibilities as I hoped it would be. It's quick, it handles well, it has nice cargo space, but it just doesn't make me smile every time I drive it the way it should. So I'll be selling the STi, and over the last week I bought this. Quagmire will probably like it, Dorian probably won't.
It's a 2011 Cadillac CTS-V wagon, with a 6-speed manual transmission. It has the supercharged 6.2 liter V8 engine from the Corvette ZR1, detuned to a mere 556 HP and 551 lb-ft of torque. The transmission is also shared with the Vette, it's the same Tremec TR6060 model. I dunno, something about fast wagons really pushes my buttons. They're extremely rare and hard to find for a couple reasons. Finding used ones is hard because the first year for them was 2011 so there just aren't very many used ones available. The manual transmission is rare too, most of them are ordered with automatics. And then all CTS-V wagons are built to order because Americans don't like wagons, so there aren't very many of them to begin with. This was one of only about 7 I could find in the entire US, used. It's in Florida so I have to have it shipped out to Vegas. I'm pretty excited though, it should be here in a couple of weeks. Here's a pretty good segment from Inside Line on the CTS-V wagon. |
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Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Paris, France
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Did he really say seventy-five grand? For an estate with a big engine? You're a serious car nut, Xaqtly!
Although I personally don't like these overpowered cars, I have no problem with true enthusiasts — like you — driving them. I just hope you survive these cars to tell the tales of their excesses to your grandkids… |
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Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2004
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Yeah, it's not cheap so I got a used one. Still expensive, but no new car tax and there's some depreciation so I'm not paying anywhere near that much for it.
And yeah, it's basically a Corvette with a wagon body. But the suspension was tuned on the Nurburgring and it has huge 6-piston Brembo brakes, so it's not the old floaty station wagon of yore. There is at least a slim chance that it won't kill me. |
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Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Ottawa, ON
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I have never understood the American bias against wagons that has developed over the past 15-20 years - they used to be very common. Personally, I find that they are a stylish and practical design, good for both people and cargo, while avoiding the mediocre handling, excess weight, and awkward height of many SUVs.
When there's an eel in the lake that's as long as a snake that's a moray. |
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M AH - ch ain saw
Join Date: May 2004
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Wow, that's a hot wagon Xaqtly. I'm impressed and jealous. We'll be looking forward to the pictures.
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meh
Join Date: May 2004
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Very Nice...... |
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