car advice - Page 4

motivez · 05-09-2008, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by 7960

Beautifully said.

Expect someone to reply "but if you're buying a mansion then the money to heat it isn't an issue." Apparently some of the people in this thread have never heard of a budget.

It doesn't make sense to me either, I mean, just because you have the money to buy something expensive, doesn't mean that all things being equal in two comparably expensive items, you'll want the less efficient of the two

It's just throwing away money assuming you like them both about the same amount, and just because you have enough of it to buy something expensive doesn't mean you want to throw away an extra $1000 a year (or whatever)

7960 · 05-09-2008, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

It doesn't make sense to me either, I mean, just because you have the money to buy something expensive, doesn't mean that all things being equal in two comparably expensive items, you'll want the less efficient of the two

It's just throwing away money assuming you like them both about the same amount, and just because you have enough of it to buy something expensive doesn't mean you want to throw away an extra $1000 a year (or whatever)

yep

my wife is going to drive 25k miles next year no matter what she's driving. if she picks the 18mpg car then we'll spend (today's prices) $4580 on gas. If she gets the 26mpg car then we spend $3170.

The difference is $120/month. I don't know about you but I'd rather be having fun with that than putting in a gas tank.

Ardentfrost · 05-09-2008, 10:39 PM

What is this 18 mpg car that you were thinking about?

7960 · 05-10-2008, 12:13 AM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

What is this 18 mpg car that you were thinking about?

pick an SUV
audi S6 and S8 and A8
caddy STS and CTS
half of mercedes' 4-door cars

A_C_E · 05-10-2008, 01:08 AM

Don't buy your wife anything with "Audi S" in the name. It'll be wasted

7960 · 05-10-2008, 01:13 AM

Originally Posted by A_C_E

Don't buy your wife anything with "Audi S" in the name. It'll be wasted

I've been a passenger in an S8. It was new, and it was impressive. I doubt I'd buy one though. For the same money I could get a comparable car but with more options (toys)

Ardentfrost · 05-10-2008, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by 7960

pick an SUV
audi S6 and S8 and A8
caddy STS and CTS
half of mercedes' 4-door cars

You ruled out SUV in the first post.

You just said the Audi stuff you wouldn't get b/c of options.

The caddys get 26 on the hwy, 18 around town. The "around town" mpg isn't that much less than all the others you're looking at, and get just as good on hwy (which is what your wife will be driving if she's going 25k miles next year) as others you're looking at.

Doing a spot check, all the Mercedes I see that get that low of gas mileage are out of your listed price range.

So again I ask, what car have you SERIOUSLY considered that you said no to because of the mpg. You made your mpg decision when you started this thread by choosing a class of car like you did.

And you're really in the last class of cars (if you move from less to more expensive) where mpg might matter to the buyer. Someone isn't going to choose the class you did if mpg really means a lot to them, but if someone is willing to go more expensive, mpg is even less of a concern. You can see this in the mpg in cars more expensive than your range. As the price of the car goes up, the mpg goes down. I just saw the $100k Mercedes models have 14-17 mpg.

You just don't see very many really fuel efficient cars in the more expensive ranges.

But I must be wrong because the real pricing and mpg of cars means nothing compared to people in this thread "not seeing how $2k per year won't make a difference."

A_C_E · 05-10-2008, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by 7960

I've been a passenger in an S8. It was new, and it was impressive. I doubt I'd buy one though. For the same money I could get a comparable car but with more options (toys)

Even still, Audi S is a driver's car. Lots of horsepower, great handling, manuals or tiptronic transmissions. If the wifey isn't into cars (guessing not), then I doubt it would be worth it, you know?

7960 · 05-10-2008, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

The caddys get 26 on the hwy, 18 around town. The "around town" mpg isn't that much less than all the others you're looking at, and get just as good on hwy (which is what your wife will be driving if she's going 25k miles next year) as others you're looking at.

Gas Mileage of 2006 Cadillac CTS

MPG (city)
14
MPG (highway)
23
MPG (combined)
17

Doing a spot check, all the Mercedes I see that get that low of gas mileage are out of your listed price range.

used?

2006 C- and E-class both have plenty of cars that are sub-$35k

So again I ask, what car have you SERIOUSLY considered that you said no to because of the mpg. You made your mpg decision when you started this thread by choosing a class of car like you did.

No. In that class of car there are individual cars that are higher and lower on the continuum. What I said was I want a car that's higher in the range.

You just don't see very many really fuel efficient cars in the more expensive ranges.

But you do see some that suck (see the CTS above).

Listen, I'm done going line by line replying to this. I'd like suggestions for cars that fit the criteria I listed. In the criteria is a mileage I'd like to meet. When you buy your car you can leave that off if you ask for suggestions, but I'm not leaving it off. Do you have a suggestion or not? And if you don't, why are you still posting?

Ardentfrost · 05-11-2008, 10:21 AM

Because I find this trend of wanting good gas mileage in heavy and powerful cars to be weird. Good gas mileage is "in" right now and people are grasping onto it even if they don't REALLY care about it. I still say 23-26 is crappy gas mileage, particularly when there are legitimately nice cars out there with good mileage over 30, diesels and hybrids even higher than that.

I was expecting you to either say something profound that enlightened me to your point of view on the mostly thin range of mpg in the class you have chosen, or to be like "well, I really just don't want the options that end up shaving off MPG on these cars." Something like that.

Instead you have focused on the outliers in the class, which you likely wouldn't have wanted ANYWAY.

7960 · 05-11-2008, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

Because I find this trend of wanting good gas mileage in heavy and powerful cars to be weird. Good gas mileage is "in" right now and people are grasping onto it even if they don't REALLY care about it. I still say 23-26 is crappy gas mileage, particularly when there are legitimately nice cars out there with good mileage over 30, diesels and hybrids even higher than that.

I was expecting you to either say something profound that enlightened me to your point of view on the mostly thin range of mpg in the class you have chosen, or to be like "well, I really just don't want the options that end up shaving off MPG on these cars." Something like that.

Instead you have focused on the outliers in the class, which you likely wouldn't have wanted ANYWAY.

What outliers? there are cars in the class I'm looking that get REAL mileage under 20mpg and there are cars that get REAL mileage over 25mpg. Why is it weird to want one of the ones that gets better mileage?

Next time you ask for advice or suggestions and give a list of wants remind me to pick one and tell you that's not important to you for some reason *I* deem unimportant.

Ardentfrost · 05-11-2008, 12:02 PM

I find mileage to be very important.

And finding one or two cars with less than 20 mpg in the class you're looking in is called an outlier. So is the diesel mercedes I found that got 40 mpg. The norm is for those cars to get between 23 and 26 mpg.

motivez · 05-11-2008, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

I find mileage to be very important.

And finding one or two cars with less than 20 mpg in the class you're looking in is called an outlier. So is the diesel mercedes I found that got 40 mpg. The norm is for those cars to get between 23 and 26 mpg.

I don't think you're making much sense man

He wants a nice, mid range luxury/professional car, and wants one that gets on the upper end of the mpg scale for that class

What's so strange about that? Just because he can afford something with options on it doesn't mean he wants to pay more for fuel when there are options that will let him pay less.

I think there's a difference between a car for power / sports driving, and a professional mid range luxury one..

For example, people who buy a BMW M3 are obviously aware of the poor fuel economy before they decide to buy one, no one who wants a car in the same class as an M3 is going to say "Well, I want something like an M3, but I want it to get 25mpg" .. it's a different class of car entirely than what he's talking about. It's certainly reasonable to say that he wants a professional, mid range luxury car that gets certain MPG..

A_C_E · 05-11-2008, 04:02 PM

So after all this pointless bickering, which models are you particularly looking at?

7960 · 05-11-2008, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by A_C_E

So after all this pointless bickering, which models are you particularly looking at?

I'm information gathering.

6SpeedTA95 · 05-12-2008, 09:46 AM

Wow, how did I miss this thread?

I find it odd that the Maxima isn't professional enough. I also drive a 2002 maxima, mine's an SE with a 6MT (no auto) yet I always get comments about how quiet it is or how nice it is...some of this from some fairly high level managers with various energy/transportation companies. I think what it comes down to as you correctly pointed out your wfie simply doesn't like the car.

More professional? G35, BMW 3 Series or Lexus of some sort???

A_C_E · 05-12-2008, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

Wow, how did I miss this thread?

I find it odd that the Maxima isn't professional enough. I also drive a 2002 maxima, mine's an SE with a 6MT (no auto) yet I always get comments about how quiet it is or how nice it is...some of this from some fairly high level managers with various energy/transportation companies. I think what it comes down to as you correctly pointed out your wfie simply doesn't like the car.

More professional? G35, BMW 3 Series or Lexus of some sort???

6SpeedTA95 · 05-12-2008, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by 7960

yep

my wife is going to drive 25k miles next year no matter what she's driving. if she picks the 18mpg car then we'll spend (today's prices) $4580 on gas. If she gets the 26mpg car then we spend $3170.

The difference is $120/month. I don't know about you but I'd rather be having fun with that than putting in a gas tank.

If mileage is a big priority I've gotta recommend a 3 series BMW. A 325i, 328i or 330i. Their mileage is pretty respectable, you'll get 20+ in the city and 28 to 30 on the highway.

ArrestMeRedZ28 · 05-12-2008, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

More professional? G35, BMW 3 Series or Lexus of some sort???

I'm trying to convince my roommate to pick up a G35. He's got ~ $20k to spend on "toys" I think he's going to get an Integra and a 600RR

Ardentfrost · 05-12-2008, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

If mileage is a big priority I've gotta recommend a 3 series BMW. A 325i, 328i or 330i. Their mileage is pretty respectable, you'll get 20+ in the city and 28 to 30 on the highway.

Yeah, but the 3-Series Beamers have way small back seats. I mean, you CAN get back there if you're an adult, you just don't want to.

Them shits is pretty sweet though. Even though you never get gas mileage that good on them b/c when you get behind the wheel, your foot starts to feel REAL heavy