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Check out my new service loaner!

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,850
9,556
AK
A co-worker has one. Pretty nice car, stupid fast.
The SS was the G8 which was the Holden Commodore. The Australians made some absolutely nuts supercharged versions that we never got, but the SS did finally bring the magnetic shocks to the offering, if it wasn't exactly a stand-out. When I see them though I can recognize them and some things like wheels and exhaust seem to make a good difference. If this one has the magnetic shocks...might be a good buy.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,628
5,441
The SS was the G8 which was the Holden Commodore. The Australians made some absolutely nuts supercharged versions that we never got, but the SS did finally bring the magnetic shocks to the offering, if it wasn't exactly a stand-out. When I see them though I can recognize them and some things like wheels and exhaust seem to make a good difference. If this one has the magnetic shocks...might be a good buy.
It's the last year of the Commodore's production this year, the most powerful offering has 474kw and 815Nm.
https://www.hsv.com.au/gtsrw1/#keyfeatures
Now we get a re-badged Opel Insignia which will let common people experience European car service and parts prices, yay.

Oh, there was a Ford 6cy turbo that made ~370kw on overboost, it seems a few of those engines are making their way to the States now too.
 

boogenman

Turbo Monkey
Nov 3, 2004
4,290
973
BUFFALO
The SS was the G8 which was the Holden Commodore. The Australians made some absolutely nuts supercharged versions that we never got, but the SS did finally bring the magnetic shocks to the offering, if it wasn't exactly a stand-out. When I see them though I can recognize them and some things like wheels and exhaust seem to make a good difference. If this one has the magnetic shocks...might be a good buy.
He had the G8 before getting the SS. The 2 don't even compare, SS is a lot nicer all the way around.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,030
5,918
borcester rhymes
Thankful update:
Wife got her Subroru. Took about 5 minutes. At least I can buy my car without guilt now!

New test drives:
Took a spin in another Giulia, felt great, again. They didn't have the used one I came to look at so I test drove one to show the kid and to verify that the transmission on the used one from before was bogus. It was, the new car shifted great.

Also tested a Chevy SS with a stick. One popped up locally and I went to look. Horrifically ugly blue color. They don't allow real test drives on performance cars, so my test consisted of about a quarter mile straight road and then a u-turn and back to the lot. The car felt typical GM, loads of power without a ton of finesse. Couldn't really test out the suspension because the road was so smooth. Couldn't really test out the steering because the road was straight. It was surprisingly easy to drive, with light clutch action and light steering, and the exhaust had a joyful crackle and pop as you slowed down. Unfortunately, 40k is a big ask for that car/mileage. A direct competitor is the CTS Vsport, which has the same horsepower, more torque, better mileage, electronic differential, and a few other luxury amenities. Stick vs. automatic, but I'm beginning to think a stick isn't the right choice for toting tykes.

Also drove a Genesis G80 5.0. WOO that's a nice car. Out of my price range, but the Hyundai badged version is in. Fantastic acceleration, remarkably smooth and quiet, with more features than I knew how to browse through. I loved that car. The 5.0 gives it the horsepower that the Hyundai 3.8 lack (I test drove one earlier and felt it was underpowered). Will be on the lookout for a 5.0 ultimate locally if I get the chance.

So now it's looking like it's going to be one of these three cars- a Giulia, a Genesis, or a Vsport. I just need to find one in good shape that isn't in Indiana. I'm having a difficult time pulling the trigger on a local used Giulia as it lacks the sport package and the interior is ULTRABEIGE. I worry that the kids will do a number in short order.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,030
5,918
borcester rhymes
That will go kaputt and give you hell.
That's fair for things like lane keep assist, electronic diff, gigantic moonroof, sunshades, active headlights, 8 speed automatic, better soundsystem, active lane keep, pre collision warning, and other things I'm missing,
BUT
there are other luxuries that shouldn't break- better sound damping, aerodynamic mirrors and thicker glass, and, of all things, a black headliner which adds a little je ne sais quois sportiness to the affair.

I'm thinking the Vsport is the car I'll go with, just need to find the right one or pay to have carmax ship one here from Denver. Not in love with the idea, but carmax offered the most for the rav and I would save tax on the equity in the rav if I bought another car there....
No need to worry, it will happen.
That's what I figured. Most Gooleeaas are offered in black, this one has the cream interior which is beautiful to look at, very scandanavian in influence (see volvo)....but the goldfish I vacuumed out of the seatbelt pockets in my rav4 have me thinking black leather instead...

Still a nice thread, I've been following since the beginning. A lot of the cars are not available over here, but it's always fun to browse and look for them on websites.
thanks for the comments. This is mostly just train of thought at this point, but it is interesting to hear people's comments when I bring up such and such a car. Now that wifey has a ride, I have a budget, and can pull the trigger.
 

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,513
7,056
Colorado
Also drove a Genesis G80 5.0. WOO that's a nice car. Out of my price range, but the Hyundai badged version is in. Fantastic acceleration, remarkably smooth and quiet, with more features than I knew how to browse through. I loved that car. The 5.0 gives it the horsepower that the Hyundai 3.8 lack (I test drove one earlier and felt it was underpowered). Will be on the lookout for a 5.0 ultimate locally if I get the chance.

So now it's looking like it's going to be one of these three cars- a Giulia, a Genesis, or a Vsport. I just need to find one in good shape that isn't in Indiana. I'm having a difficult time pulling the trigger on a local used Giulia as it lacks the sport package and the interior is ULTRABEIGE. I worry that the kids will do a number in short order.
Don't disregard the Hyundai badging. Wifey's Infiniti JX35 is identical to the QX60 from the following year with new badging, but we got it for 25% the price for a par car. People are dumb, take advantage of it.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,030
5,918
borcester rhymes
Don't disregard the Hyundai badging. Wifey's Infiniti JX35 is identical to the QX60 from the following year with new badging, but we got it for 25% the price for a par car. People are dumb, take advantage of it.
I'm right on top of it, Rose. The 2015 Hyundai Genesis differs from the G80 very little. In 2017 it was just a badge, the 2018 I drove had a new, electronic shifter, and cloth covering the A pillars. I wanted to drive it specifically to guide me on buying a 2015 Genesis Ultimate 5.0 should one come up on Carvana or Carmax. The 2015 is actually marginally a better car. It came with adaptive suspension that 2017 and 2018 did not. Though I haven't driven a 2015 5.0, the one with the electronic shifter automatically reverted back to automatic mode after a few paddle shifts. Would not want that for performance driving. Perhaps the mechanical shifter can be forced over into manual mode and just stay there.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,931
13,129
Portland, OR
I will say there is an older guy in my hood who just picked up an AWD Stinger GT and had I not known, I would not have thought it to be a Kia.

I would get the RWD, but they look damn good and have some good specs.
 

Flo33

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2015
2,057
1,298
Styria
what, no 924?
http://www.thedrive.com/vintage/2384/whats-the-worst-porsche-of-all-time

I agree, the 914 is the worst, but a worked over 944 that's sat in some guys apartment building parking lot for the last 4 years outside of Hartford might be a close second.
A friend has a black 944 turbo in pristine condition, fun car. Icing on the cake is a signature from Walter Röhrl on the hood.
Nonetheless it is missing 2 heads at least.

Friend of my father owns a 928 GTS, also a nice one and getting pretty rare over here.
 

dexter

Turbo Monkey
Sep 23, 2001
3,053
99
Boise, Idaho
I will say there is an older guy in my hood who just picked up an AWD Stinger GT and had I not known, I would not have thought it to be a Kia.

I would get the RWD, but they look damn good and have some good specs.

There are 2 in boise. Thematte gray one, every time i see it, pump fakes me into a jag f sport/ Aston/ exotic and gives me minor wood. They really made a great looking car.... too bad it says Kia on it (I’m petty)
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,861
4,155
Copenhagen, Denmark
Amazing to see how much talk about the Koreans. I am equally impressed with what they do however they were not an option as a company car where I work and their SUV offering was not a match with the Volvo. I was seriously considering the plug in hybrid Kia Optima before I landed this job. I think all of that is only a matter of time here too before they will be a contender in the company car segment. Super refreshing to see them doing smart things. The Hyundai i30 N is really cool too.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,030
5,918
borcester rhymes
Hyundai/Kia is 90% of the way there with their vehicles. A lot of times it's just a few minor things and the car would be 100%. For the Genesis, it's weight. For the Kia, it's build quality and suspension tuning.

The thing that holds the brand back, however, is their dealerships. The Kia dealer I visited was terrible. The Hyundai dealer was great, but Genesis dealers are vaporware, and the Hyundai guy didn't really want to deal in Genesii. Hyundai needs to figure out where to sell Genesises and Kia needs to not exist. You can't pitch $19/mo leases and $55000 cars in the same showroom.
 

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,504
In hell. Welcome!
Speaking of dealerships, inside I495, nothing is worse than Volvo/Jaguar stealers. All are fucking thieves and assholes. One of the reasons I will never get a Volvo again.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,931
13,129
Portland, OR
There are 2 in boise. Thematte gray one, every time i see it, pump fakes me into a jag f sport/ Aston/ exotic and gives me minor wood. They really made a great looking car.... too bad it says Kia on it (I’m petty)
This one is pearl white with bright red Brembos up front. I would rock it.
 

dan-o

Turbo Monkey
Jun 30, 2004
6,499
2,805
Speaking of dealerships, inside I495, nothing is worse than Volvo/Jaguar stealers. All are fucking thieves and assholes. One of the reasons I will never get a Volvo again.
We’ve had good luck with the dealer in Danvers. Volvo Village (?). Super transparent and easy to work with.
 

boogenman

Turbo Monkey
Nov 3, 2004
4,290
973
BUFFALO
Hyundai/Kia is 90% of the way there with their vehicles. A lot of times it's just a few minor things and the car would be 100%. For the Genesis, it's weight. For the Kia, it's build quality and suspension tuning.

The thing that holds the brand back, however, is their dealerships. The Kia dealer I visited was terrible. The Hyundai dealer was great, but Genesis dealers are vaporware, and the Hyundai guy didn't really want to deal in Genesii. Hyundai needs to figure out where to sell Genesises and Kia needs to not exist. You can't pitch $19/mo leases and $55000 cars in the same showroom.
I was at the Hyundai/Kia R&D center outside of Seoul last month, lots of good things coming very soon.

For a Hyundai dealer to sell Genesis now they had to sign a letter of intent saying that they will build a separate facility to sell and maintain/service Genesis moving forward.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,030
5,918
borcester rhymes
I was at the Hyundai/Kia R&D center outside of Seoul last month, lots of good things coming very soon.

For a Hyundai dealer to sell Genesis now they had to sign a letter of intent saying that they will build a separate facility to sell and maintain/service Genesis moving forward.
Interesting. That's what Framingham indicated- they would be converting a nearby building to a Genesis dedicated dealership. I have been a big fan of the Genesis "concept" since the 2015 "G80" came out. It's a wonderful car, but very heavy. I love that it undercuts the competition, and that they really put effort into making it a good car. The G70 should be a great car as well, but getting them on the road will be interesting.
 

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,504
In hell. Welcome!
Interesting. That's what Framingham indicated- they would be converting a nearby building to a Genesis dedicated dealership. I have been a big fan of the Genesis "concept" since the 2015 "G80" came out. It's a wonderful car, but very heavy. I love that it undercuts the competition, and that they really put effort into making it a good car. The G70 should be a great car as well, but getting them on the road will be interesting.
I wish they made a RWD MT hot hatch.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,030
5,918
borcester rhymes
So the e90 was very tempting. Plenty of wear on the inside, but surprisingly mellow to drive. Nice meaty steering and the M button is a joy. Reasonable inside and this one has the individual sound with full leather and sunshades. Terrible mileage and it's an old german car, but it fits the budget and because carmax it could be got with a warranty for under 30k....
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,030
5,918
borcester rhymes
6/10 are coupes and are therefore immediately ruled out by like 90% of people...eh. Interesting that they mention that the G70s manual is not good. I have read that it's not excellent, but not that it's bad.

I put a deposit on a Giulia yesterday and will try to get the deal completed this evening, if I can get there in time. While driving the M3, I realized a couple things- the Giulia is only about 0.3s slower to 60, comes with AWD and in this case a limited slip, returns 10mpg on average more than the BMW, is 9 years newer, and in this case only 3k more expensive. Similar in size, I think the Alfa is a better fit for the real world. Plus, no fear of the engine grenading because it's tuesday and Hans used the old batch of valve seals/cover gaskets/rod bearings/throttle actuators. The Giulia is CPO for 6y/100k miles, and I'm sure I'll have no need for that warranty...right? Plus there's a dealership down the road, so when the car is in for service or repairs, I can walk there, which I'm sure I'll never have to do. About 80% of my driving is on winding backroads following a crossover doing the speed limit so I realized how ridiculous that would be trying to chase 8000 RPM on a rare open road.

When the deal is done I'll post some photos and a new thread....!
 

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,504
In hell. Welcome!
6/10 are coupes and are therefore immediately ruled out by like 90% of people...eh. Interesting that they mention that the G70s manual is not good. I have read that it's not excellent, but not that it's bad.

I put a deposit on a Giulia yesterday and will try to get the deal completed this evening, if I can get there in time. While driving the M3, I realized a couple things- the Giulia is only about 0.3s slower to 60, comes with AWD and in this case a limited slip, returns 10mpg on average more than the BMW, is 9 years newer, and in this case only 3k more expensive. Similar in size, I think the Alfa is a better fit for the real world. Plus, no fear of the engine grenading because it's tuesday and Hans used the old batch of valve seals/cover gaskets/rod bearings/throttle actuators. The Giulia is CPO for 6y/100k miles, and I'm sure I'll have no need for that warranty...right? Plus there's a dealership down the road, so when the car is in for service or repairs, I can walk there, which I'm sure I'll never have to do. About 80% of my driving is on winding backroads following a crossover doing the speed limit so I realized how ridiculous that would be trying to chase 8000 RPM on a rare open road.

When the deal is done I'll post some photos and a new thread....!
You got a certified pre-owned one?