Check out my new service loaner!
- Thread starter Sandwich
- Start date
Yeah, the difference between AWD and RWD for any of the cars I'm looking at is usually pretty minor (180lb in the stinger, not impact on MPG) but it's an option that I don't really need, and it's expensive, and it won't add anything on a day to day basis, just make the car a bit more nose heavy and stable in the snow, which can often be fixed by putting actual winter tires on your car.
Inifiniti is not out, just need another, less rushed, test drive. I should be able to get one next week. I like the hybrid because it uses the VQ engine, which I have loved in the past, but the back seats are less spacious than some of the other cars I'm looking at, and there's a lot of value in that with two kids back there.
A buddy of mine has a beautiful Audi S4 and says he wishes he could turn the AWD off. He just can't seem to get the same joy out of driving it vs his old M3. Says it's plenty fast and handles well, but it just doesn't scare you like a proper RWD car does.
This spring we are doing a swap and do a few high speed runs to compare. His car was about 5x more than mine, but is newer and nicer.
Offer to jimmyean it for him.A buddy of mine has a beautiful Audi S4 and says he wishes he could turn the AWD off. He just can't seem to get the same joy out of driving it vs his old M3. Says it's plenty fast and handles well, but it just doesn't scare you like a proper RWD car does.
This spring we are doing a swap and do a few high speed runs to compare. His car was about 5x more than mine, but is newer and nicer.
Dude its a f'ing Kia. If it's been out a month you can snag one at cost or close to it. Trust me, those dealers do not want those turds rotting on their lot eating up good floor plan money.
I had a colleague who would track his S6 often. He was into drifting so he had the drive train modified to a permanent RWD.A buddy of mine has a beautiful Audi S4 and says he wishes he could turn the AWD off. He just can't seem to get the same joy out of driving it vs his old M3. Says it's plenty fast and handles well, but it just doesn't scare you like a proper RWD car does.
This spring we are doing a swap and do a few high speed runs to compare. His car was about 5x more than mine, but is newer and nicer.
#not-redLet me toss another one into the mix;
Have you considered a Suzuki Carry or similar vehicle? It can be had in AWD or RWD and manual transmission. I bet it could be fun to whip around like a go cart.
JUST LOOK AT IT!
There are several people here at work who have those little kei trucks. Such a perplexing trend. JDM yo!
They seem interesting. The one huge downside is that they seem geared for slow city driving. Doing 120km/h in them, in fifth gear will have the engine pegged at 6600rpm.
They seem interesting. The one huge downside is that they seem geared for slow city driving. Doing 120km/h in them, in fifth gear will have the engine pegged at 6600rpm.
When they have an engine smaller than the vast majority of motorcycles, you have to gear it down.
Don't be an asshat on public roads. No, seriously. Buy some track time or keep it in your pants.
https://www.herbchambersalfaromeo.com/new/Alfa+Romeo/2017-Alfa+Romeo-Giulia-429c7e790a0e0ae844812eb167b6b6e3.htm
really tempted to lease this ridiculous thing for $400/mo for two years...
really tempted to lease this ridiculous thing for $400/mo for two years...
The most important question will be what kind of loaner will they give you when it is in for warranty repair. Otherwise I support this message.
infiniti always gives me really nice infinitis...just sayin’...
Do it, I want a ride in that voluptuous personal carriage dall'Italia.
BMW will make sure your loaner is an X1 or 3 GT.
it's an italian car with chrysler parts. what could possibly go wrong?All the looks of an Edsel, with Italian reliability.
225 tires. lolz. Probably shitty run-flats too.
Well the dealership sells Alfas, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Bentleys. They have 7 Quadrifolios on the lot as well as a $2.5mil Enzo. Apparently a Koesinnggesneiingeseg is being delivered today for people to moisten. So, if I get a loaner, it's probably not going to be a lesser trim than the lease special.
With regards to my terrible reviews, here's the Alfa:
Kind of a weird car, listed as mid-size but it feels tiny inside. The drivers seat is delightfully snug, squeezing my rolls back underneath my belt. The rear seats are weird, not terrible knee-wise, but awful getting in and out. Might be fine for kids, but not great for adults. The infotainment system is overly complex- you can only use a knob to do anything and there's no touch screen. The reverse camera screen is tiny, which made backing the car in next to a $300k Bentley Mulsanne a little nerve wracking. The drive was OK, unfortunately the test route took me on the most mediocre roads in the area, but the ride is smooth for being a performance sedan, and the engine's pickup was quick enough but not jaw dropping. The car definitely puts a premium on driving and not on space or usability, but when I consider what I would really love to drive (something like a 4-door miata) this car comes close. I wish the info system was just a simple touch screen with android auto, but I usually use WAZE in my toyota and only use the info system for changing the radio system or finding whatever terrible song I feel like listening to today.
The lease deal is really crazy and I like the idea of leasing while I have a family and need newer cars to avoid pricey repairs or excessive wear and tear. I have a few more test drives to do before probably not making any decision and missing out on leasing a crazy unreliable italian sports sedan.
Kind of a weird car, listed as mid-size but it feels tiny inside. The drivers seat is delightfully snug, squeezing my rolls back underneath my belt. The rear seats are weird, not terrible knee-wise, but awful getting in and out. Might be fine for kids, but not great for adults. The infotainment system is overly complex- you can only use a knob to do anything and there's no touch screen. The reverse camera screen is tiny, which made backing the car in next to a $300k Bentley Mulsanne a little nerve wracking. The drive was OK, unfortunately the test route took me on the most mediocre roads in the area, but the ride is smooth for being a performance sedan, and the engine's pickup was quick enough but not jaw dropping. The car definitely puts a premium on driving and not on space or usability, but when I consider what I would really love to drive (something like a 4-door miata) this car comes close. I wish the info system was just a simple touch screen with android auto, but I usually use WAZE in my toyota and only use the info system for changing the radio system or finding whatever terrible song I feel like listening to today.
The lease deal is really crazy and I like the idea of leasing while I have a family and need newer cars to avoid pricey repairs or excessive wear and tear. I have a few more test drives to do before probably not making any decision and missing out on leasing a crazy unreliable italian sports sedan.
More stuff you don't care about:
CTS-V:
Sure enough, this car was kind of a bag of dicks. I really wanted to like it, and boy was it fast as all get out, but it was so loose and awful compared to the tight, well put together cars I've been test driving. The shifter in the 2005 was much better than the 2007, but the seatbacks were loose, the clutch was deep, the steering was light, etc. Car was in rough shape for a relatively reputable dealer. Headlights were badly yellowed, knobs had peeling paint, and the seat motor did not move forward. They had no history on the car, and that made it relatively clear that it wasn't the one for me. Flooring it in 3rd woke you up real quick tho
Alfa rd 2:
Test drove another GOOLIA, this time base spec with RWD, and what a fine car that is. The engine burbles and shakes at idle. The exhaust note is loud but not uncomfortable. The car handles like a go kart. The chassis is tight, the steering direct, and the car is fast enough to be very fun without being scary. The infotainment needs work and the rear seats are still small, but totally doable. There are good deals on the 2017s to be had. I'm tempted.
Kia 2:
Test drove a Stinger GT, AWD. This is a great car- the GT has all of the gizmos you could want but skips the massive center LCD display, and shrinks the infotainment screen by an almost unnoticeable 1". The v6 is wildly fast, flooring it from a redlight makes the zoom zoom in the boom boom. It's a big car, and while that's good for kids and families, it feels big. It still feels very simple. While the alfa forgoes practicality for passion, the kia is the flipside of that. You get a fast car with a usable interior and usable infotainment but it all seems pretty bland compared to the "will it start today" alfa. There are no RWDs nearby and the market isn't desperate like the 2017 alfas.
Tomorrow I'm hoping to test a cts v-sport and another Alfa, this time with paddlers.
CTS-V:
Sure enough, this car was kind of a bag of dicks. I really wanted to like it, and boy was it fast as all get out, but it was so loose and awful compared to the tight, well put together cars I've been test driving. The shifter in the 2005 was much better than the 2007, but the seatbacks were loose, the clutch was deep, the steering was light, etc. Car was in rough shape for a relatively reputable dealer. Headlights were badly yellowed, knobs had peeling paint, and the seat motor did not move forward. They had no history on the car, and that made it relatively clear that it wasn't the one for me. Flooring it in 3rd woke you up real quick tho
Alfa rd 2:
Test drove another GOOLIA, this time base spec with RWD, and what a fine car that is. The engine burbles and shakes at idle. The exhaust note is loud but not uncomfortable. The car handles like a go kart. The chassis is tight, the steering direct, and the car is fast enough to be very fun without being scary. The infotainment needs work and the rear seats are still small, but totally doable. There are good deals on the 2017s to be had. I'm tempted.
Kia 2:
Test drove a Stinger GT, AWD. This is a great car- the GT has all of the gizmos you could want but skips the massive center LCD display, and shrinks the infotainment screen by an almost unnoticeable 1". The v6 is wildly fast, flooring it from a redlight makes the zoom zoom in the boom boom. It's a big car, and while that's good for kids and families, it feels big. It still feels very simple. While the alfa forgoes practicality for passion, the kia is the flipside of that. You get a fast car with a usable interior and usable infotainment but it all seems pretty bland compared to the "will it start today" alfa. There are no RWDs nearby and the market isn't desperate like the 2017 alfas.
Tomorrow I'm hoping to test a cts v-sport and another Alfa, this time with paddlers.
wait...y u not bmw 2015 330? can be had in manual; rwd or awd...it was the other finalist when i was looking...the new 340’s manual “assist” rev matching can apparently only be turned off when stability control is as well, and steering is a bit less precise. i’m sure it would be fun as hell anyway though...
///M5 or bust.
Steering is especially bad on those, chassis dynamics are just ok for the RWD. The turbo setup with the high pressure fuel pumps and other wizardry gets expensive quick if anything goes wrong. Also significant coking in the intake manifold from direct injection (common with most DI cars, but gets worse with more miles). You can find these cars all day long with 30K miles or so, you know, when the BMW warranty and 3-year free maintenance goes away, that's usually when they need brake pads, transmission fluid changes, diff fluid changes, tires, etc. All sorts of $$$$ for that kind of stuff. Not saying don't do it, but know what you are getting yourself into with a used 3.0 turbo BMW.
The chassis dynamics are definitely better on the 330 and older 335, the N55 engine is a monster and responds well to mods. Those cars that got 300-330 HP/TQ consistently dyno that much power at the wheels, not the crank, and the torque is flat from something like 1700rpm, so it's fast at almost any engine speed. I've driven that body-style and I have to agree the chassis dynamics were better than my 4-series, or at least as good after I had modded the suspension/sways on my 4. Keep in mind, the 4 does have better suspension than the current 3 and is more sporty, just that the overall sporty-ness of these cars has decreased over the last generation. Whether you go 330 or 335 is hard to say, 330s are pretty old by this time, so you are inevitably going to be dealing with a lot of older-car issues, the 335s that came out right after those aren't far behind either. The 330 engine may be pretty reliable, but all the electronics, sensors, interior stuff, it gets pretty idealistic to think that this is all going to work on a used car and I've be burned many times. Unless you find something immaculate that you have a good idea was taken care of well and can verify that everything works, I'd be very hesitant. IME (including owning a mercedes) german cars are not the most reliable. They do make some reliable and bullet-proof parts, but I'd think a new Kia Stinger GT would be miles ahead of an old 335, even if it's not quite as "tight" handling (but it's likely to be pretty good being a new car compared to an old car with worn bushings and dampers) and just not having to worry about or fix any shit would be worth it to me. If you are buying a new car, only buy one that is within about 5 years old, otherwise, forget it, unless someone gives it to you and you can drive it off a cliff into a lake if the need should arise.
Freedom does not fit into wagons or hatchbacks.
