[Activ8]

Originally Posted by kraft.wagen

spot on couldn't agree more.

I(inputs from chevelle) gave him some goods/bads of Q5/X3 and let him decide if he wants to buy anything at all

Yep, that's the way. Regarding your other questions ~

Originally Posted by kraft.wagen

He liked the X3 for its handling and the gear shift(look and feel included) and felt its not very spacious and quality of plastics were not at par(is this true?)!

Kinda ridiculous, but he felt the gear shift in RX to be very primitive

The German brands have miraculously managed to keep the premium image while de-contenting their vehicles to the point of cheap. If your friend hasn't seen the old BMWs, then he probably wouldn't know why the E46 & E39 are still counted as the 'good old days' coz, nowadays anyone paying the ridiculous sticker prices for the cheap 'soft-touch' plastic interiors must be stupid.

As for Lexus, I have to disagree. No matter how boring their cars, they do a fantastic job with reliability and their ergonomics are flawless. The E90 gen and B6 gen both had NavScrns that folded into the dash. Nobody thought of the problems that moving parts cause in terms of warranties. Guess whether they'll ever be seen again?

[rajushank84]

Originally Posted by josejoseph

I'm a big time Mazda fan, but the new Mazda3 has made me angry & sad. The older one is so much fun to drive.

And the sales person was very rude to us.

Hey Jose,

I went to Oaktree once and yes the person who spoke to me was rude. But I always had a great experience with Capitol Mazda. Ended up buying my 3 from them, and eve recently went for a test drive of the 6. The sales person took his time and gave us a test drive, and no pressure to buy a car immediately. I would recommend them any day .

Agree with your comments reg the steering. I didn't TD the new 3 yet, but what you said applies to the old 6 vs the new 6. It is not bad, but without that steering feel I don't see it offering better value than an Accord.

Originally Posted by Activ8

Buying anything because of it's 'brand' and not its ultimate function is stupid and your friend is doomed to perennial disappointment. The fascination that Chinese and Indians have with brands is something to do with identity crises and another to do with 'keeping up with the Jones' image'. When you drop that pretense, you can actually like what you buy.

Clearly he is shooting way above his means - he wants a Q7/X5 but can only afford the lesser ones. Lets drop the bs about "handling" and "look of gearshift". (a) 99% people are not racing drivers and will probably never reach even 10% of vehicle capability, nor (b) is going to be able to tell the difference in handling if he didn't read magazine reviews. So stop:

The thing to do with such people is hear them out, encourage them to test drive and ultimately let them buy what they want without ANY advice. Because if he really needs an SUV and has that kind of budget, he should be buying a Grand Cherokee SRT with full leather. The capability, reliability and capacity of that vehicle will make the Audi and BMW seem foolish in comparison. And last but not least - in this country only women drive crossovers and compact SUVs. Real men buy Jeeps or trucks or Caddy Escalades.

Hmm I disagree with almost everything you said.
- Everyone, not just Indians and Chinese, is obsessed with brands
- In day to day driving you can feel the difference in a vehicle's capability in terms of handling, ESPECIALLY in SUVs. And you don't have to read any magazines to feel the difference.
- Jeep has horrible reliability reports, especially the newer ones.
- I know several people with good taste who drive X3s and Q5s. They are all guys. Only one of them is an Indian, and no the rest aren't Chinese. Buying an X3 versus an Jeep is not a question of gender, it is a question of taste.

Of the lot I would suggest the Q5. A really capable vehicle and feels great to drive. And in an SUV, I would want that Quattro.

[aah78]

Originally Posted by Activ8

And last but not least - in this country only women drive crossovers and compact SUVs. Real men buy Jeeps or trucks or Caddy Escalades.

I don't know what country you're living in but most of the statements you make on this thread are just rants.

Please post only if you have something informative to add.

[vineeth47]

Originally Posted by Activ8

And last but not least - in this country only women drive crossovers and compact SUVs. Real men buy Jeeps or trucks or Caddy Escalades.

Pretentious statement of the year among all TBHP threads !! Yes I did check the dictionary.(pretentious - ostentatious, showy ..)

[Activ8]

Originally Posted by josejoseph

A friend in looking for a new car to replace his aging car....we went to Stevens Creek, Bay Area and drove Mazda3, Corolla, Accord & Altima all 2014 models. Here is my feedback -

1. 2014 Mazda3 - Being a current owner of 2006 Mazda3 MT, the new Mazda3 is terribly disappointing.

2. 2014 Toyota Corolla

3. 2014 Honda Accord EX: My friend will most likely go for the Accord as he liked it the most for its space and refinedness.

4. 2014 Nissan Altima SV: However the engine is very noisy and doesn't sound refined.

Cross-shopping 2 segments is rare, but I'm more surprised that the price between the compact and midsize sedans are so close. The '06 Mazda 3 is a great car, the following gen has the horrid beak, which is reason enough not to buy them.

Corolla is plain-jane because it wants to be. It's USP is that it is the easiest car in the world to get into and drive. They actually did a surevey in the UK a couple of years back that found this to be the case!

Altima's VQ series engines are known for the bad NVH. The G35, G37 and Q50 have all been criticized by Consumer Reports for this even though it made Ward's Best Engines list for 11years running. They sacrificed smoothness for more horsepower while Toyota went the path of buttery smooth and is probably the only V6 engine that is as smooth as the I6 engines (inherently smoother) from BMW. What Nissan could've invested in is better engine mounting and insulation. Instead they went CVT and Low Rolling Resistance tyres :O

If you could influence your friend to go for one or two last test drive before settling on the Accord, it should be to the VW and/or Ford showrooms. I can understand the badge factor in California not permitting him to consider the Sonata (which, frankly was the best midsize 4-pot I've driven), but the Fusion looks like an Aston and has the reliability of a Camry. The VW is p-good too and with a very upmarket feel interior compared to the Accord and both would be better on price.

[Activ8]

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[ToroRosso]

Finally a Small update from my side.

- Winter is almost here and my Mom is going to be here next month, so 600RR had to go. I had sold her for the same money that I bought her for ($5700)
I had tremendous fun with the bike, but never ever exploited her fully. Going to track was always a pain, the nearest track was over 100 miles away and driving her on Freeway was pretty tiring.

Though I still managed to put around 3000 miles in the short span that I owned her.

Never had any issues and had the servicing done only once.

Riding two up is not easy and my wife hated the bike, We used to go for short 50-100 mile trips and she used to hate every moment.

Looking back, I should have may be listened to Techocrat, Ninja 650r is a more commutable user(pillon) friendly option.

Next on the Cards is a either a 48 or FatBob, though I will be getting one only just before spring.

I will put up an ownership thread with the details and pics soon.

[amitoj]

I thought the mention of Hooters might get people more excited about meeting up, but it does not seem to be happening!!
East Coast Meet Thread

[KiloAlpha]

Originally Posted by amitoj

I thought the mention of Hooters might get people more excited about meeting up, but it does not seem to be happening!!
East Coast Meet Thread

Am in the US right now, will be here until the end of January. If this meet is happening, I am game to drive down for it.

[kraft.wagen]

Originally Posted by ToroRosso

Finally a Small update from my side.


Riding two up is not easy and my wife hated the bike, We used to go for short 50-100 mile trips and she used to hate every moment.

Next on the Cards is a either a 48 or FatBob, though I will be getting one only just before spring.

I will put up an ownership thread with the details and pics soon.

Sad you had to let the 600rr go. definitely not a great bike for 2up, all my buddies hate riding it with their girls(but still they do it) and complain of the whole weight on their hands!

But I'm sure you will enjoy the Fat bob. But weren't you looking for the motorrad types ? Do give them a try, its much more comfortable to ride for long trips and do track days too.

Originally Posted by amitoj

I thought the mention of Hooters might get people more excited about meeting up, but it does not seem to be happening!!
East Coast Meet Thread

[josejoseph]

Hi All,

I'm gonna bother you guys. Again this is for my friend.

He has a 2000 BWM 7-series and he's the second owner. The car has run around 70K. Due to faulty sensors, the car has check engine light always on. He doesn't want to spend any more money on it and would like to dispose it ASAP. Carmax quoted 4K and other dealers quoted less than that.

What's the best way to dispose the car and also that he gets a good price on selling.

The location is Bay Area.

Thank you!

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by Activ8

Altima's VQ series engines are known for the bad NVH. The G35, G37 and Q50 have all been criticized by Consumer Reports for this even though it made Ward's Best Engines list for 11years running.

I have driven both the older G35 and the Murano with VQ engine and found it be par for the course when it came to smoothness , power and torque. Of course the sound track is to die for

[kraft.wagen]

Originally Posted by josejoseph

What's the best way to dispose the car and also that he gets a good price on selling.

The location is Bay Area.

Its the best to sell it at Carmax, even I have found them to give good value for the car. But if he is expecting more he must try craigslist for a week or two.

BTW where is carmax here? I thought the closest one was some 100mi away

[josejoseph]

Originally Posted by kraft.wagen

Its the best to sell it at Carmax, even I have found them to give good value for the car. But if he is expecting more he must try craigslist for a week or two.

BTW where is carmax here? I thought the closest one was some 100mi away

Carmax quoted the best price so he'll go with it. It's sad to see the car going for a paltry amount where he paid a premium to own it. The 7 series is such a majestic car. Inside & outside still looks new and it's barely run . When it's on the road, not a single driver passes without glancing it.

Carmax is located in Modesto, which is 85 miles from San Jose. It's in the north east of San Francisco.

[Jeroen]

We bought my wife's Ford Focus at Carmax and sold it back to them after three years. It was the best price I could get and it is completely hassle free. You drive up, they check your car and if you agree to their price you walk out within 15 minutes with all the paperwork done!