Jerry's back soon
Quote: JerryLoganHe must be back today because I'm able to post. But I see my position has been demoted some, as nearly every regular poster has finally caught onto how hilarious the resident bloviating know-it-all is with his constant cut & paste responses from the internet and accompanying numerous unsupportable assertions. One can only shake their head at the level of insecurity someone like that must have spending so much time just to get the approval of a bunch of anonymous posters. I guess his Mazda 3 doesn't do it for him. :)
Over a month out of action and his posts sound exactly like his old ones. You would think with all that time in the hole, he would at least have developed some originality.
Jerry doesn't know very much about cars; he drives an AUDI, after all. The Mazda 3 is a great little car, and I urge anyone looking for a car that's fun to drive, comfortable, and economical to consider getting one.
:-DQuote: SOOPOOAnd how could I not want breakfast with someone who's moniker is HotBlonde!
Quote: mkl654321Over a month out of action and his posts sound exactly like his old ones. You would think with all that time in the hole, he would at least have developed some originality.
Jerry doesn't know very much about cars; he drives an AUDI, after all. The Mazda 3 is a great little car, and I urge anyone looking for a car that's fun to drive, comfortable, and economical to consider getting one.
Jerry doesn't care about gas prices, he doesn't want to be seen in a little rice burner, and his wife's legs (yes, you have to actually have a wife to appreciate this part) look a helluva lot better exiting an Audi than they do from a puny little Mazda.
Quote: clarkacalI'm in the market for a new car. Budget 40-70k. I like sedans and coupes. Any suggestions?
The Toyota Camry has been a consistent winner over the last decade-plus. It has an excellent reliability record, is comfortable, fun to drive, and gets reasonably good gas mileage. You can get it with a lot of bells and whistles and accessories, but I don't think you'd have to spend even the $40K that's your lower threshold--though I haven't checked the prices lately.
Quote: clarkacalI'm in the market for a new car. Budget 40-70k. I like sedans and coupes. Any suggestions?
If you're in the market for that range of car then all you'll get from mkl is small cheap car chatter, because his wherewithall is of limited means. My opinion is you want to drive a good decent car all your life or else when you hit old age you will be very unhappy with your history of constantly choosing the inferior choice.
Quote: clarkacalI'm in the market for a new car. Budget 40-70k. I like sedans and coupes. Any suggestions?
Lexus GS.
Quote: JerryLoganIf you're in the market for that range of car then all you'll get from mkl is small cheap car chatter, because his wherewithall is of limited means. My opinion is you want to drive a good decent car all your life or else when you hit old age you will be very unhappy with your history of constantly choosing the inferior choice.
Wow, what terrible spelling and grammar!
It may be true that my "wherewithall is of limited means" (LOL!), but I have bought four new cars over the last 15 years, respectively, a Mercedes 230, an Acura NSX, a Ford F450 pickup, and a Mazda 3s, and the Mazda was the best car of all of them. What you want is reliability, and cars of European manufacture haven't done well in that area--even Mercedes, BMW, and Porsche/Audi, which surprised me when I read up on it. American manufacturers are middle-of-the-road re quality, and the Japanese brands are still far ahead of everyone else.
Note: Mercedes service and warranty replacement is second to none. When my father's 300D's engine was leaking oil, and they couldn't immediately find the problem, they simply yanked the leaky engine out and stuck in a new one, no charge. When I bought my 230 in Stuttgart, the factory was extremely helpful with every step of the process, including my shipping it home. The front fender got dented in the shipping process and they whisked it to the local dealer by express and had it fixed in two days.
I had one. It was my first "new" car (actually two or three model years old), that I bought with my game show winnings :) Crashed it three times within six months. I was just too "sporty" for me. Now a drive a Ford Focus that is actually growing on me because it is so boring. In between I drove a Mexican-made Dodge Neon that had a lot of personality.Quote: mkl654321
Jerry doesn't know very much about cars; he drives an AUDI, after all. The Mazda 3 is a great little car, and I urge anyone looking for a car that's fun to drive, comfortable, and economical to consider getting one.
Mazda3 is a great deal; it's like buying a small BMW for $14-15K.
Quote: teddysI had one. It was my first "new" car (actually two or three model years old), that I bought with my game show winnings :) Crashed it three times within six months. I was just too "sporty" for me. Now a drive a Ford Focus that is actually growing on me because it is so boring. In between I drove a Mexican-made Dodge Neon that had a lot of personality.
Mazda3 is a great deal; it's like buying a small BMW for $14-15K.
I'm surprised at what is considered the premier forum for talking gaming, there are so many with such limited means who would rather have fuel economy over class.
A Mazda 3 is a girl's car, and any old man seen driving around in one would be laughed at more than Rosie O'Donnell in a bikini. Comparing it to ANY BMW is something that'll get you put into a very deep hole in Germany. The Dodge Neon is an absolutely horrific excuse for a car. Focus, not so bad.
Quote: mkl654321The Mazda 3 is a great little car, and I urge anyone looking for a car that's fun to drive, comfortable, and economical to consider getting one.
mkl - I have to agree. I'm on my 3rd Mazda now, and all have been wonderful cars. I love the Mazda 6 I'm currently driving. It's got everything I want, gets decent mileage, was a better deal than any of the comparable cars we looked at even before tacking on the loyalty bonus rebate we got. Their 'Zoom-zoom' commercials are right on target too. It's a fun car to drive!
Quote: EvenBobJerry, you were reinstated 3 days late, make sure those 3 days are applied to your next suspension. Time served and all that..
10:4.
Quote: EvenBobJerry, you were reinstated 3 days late, make sure those 3 days are applied to your next suspension. Time served and all that..
But doesn't bad behavior take away that "good time"?
Quote: mkl654321But doesn't bad behavior take away that "good time"?
You been spying on JL while he's been inside?
Cars : I'd look at BMW's, but that's just me and my love of German built cars. Most fun I've had driving cars have been in VW's and 3-series.
I wouldn't go near Toyota with their various issues they've had recently. Too much drive by wire.
Mazda's are fun to drive. Might well be under your budget.
The only American brand I'd touch is Ford, not least because every mechanic worth their salt likes working on them. You could always get a classic 'stang and spend lots on it.
Older VW's are good, but they had some problems with the transmissions and seals on the Mexican built cars up till around 2007, and since then I don't know because I don't buy cars new, so haven't looked.
Quote: thecesspitYou been spying on JL while he's been inside?
Cars : I'd look at BMW's, but that's just me and my love of German built cars. Most fun I've had driving cars have been in VW's and 3-series.
I wouldn't go near Toyota with their various issues they've had recently. Too much drive by wire.
Mazda's are fun to drive. Might well be under your budget.
The only American brand I'd touch is Ford, not least because every mechanic worth their salt likes working on them. You could always get a classic 'stang and spend lots on it.
Older VW's are good, but they had some problems with the transmissions and seals on the Mexican built cars up till around 2007, and since then I don't know because I don't buy cars new, so haven't looked.
He kept throwing feces on the guards when they came to feed him.
The Toyota "issues" were really a tempest in a teapot. I've had so many American cars die under me in the last 30 years, I ain't never touching another one--but the defects that cause transmissions to blow up, engines to die, and electrical systems to stop working aren't publicized as "safety recall issues"--they're just unglamorous, "crappily built" problems.
I wonder whether BMWs come with automatic testosterone dispensers--whenever I see someone blowing past other people and cutting them off, it seem like 3/4 of the time, they're driving a Beemer.
Quote: JerryLoganFrom what I've read & seen the best cheap cars made are by Hyundai.
I drive a Hyundai Accent because that is what I can afford at this point in life. I will say it is the best value of any car I have ever owned. As life lets me get a nicer vehicle I will look at Hyundai again as in 5 years all I have put into it is a battery (they go fast in Phoenix) brake pads/shoes, and a few light bulbs. Soon their engines will all have timing chains instead of belts. Hyundai will soon do to Toyota what Toyota did to GM.
Given a free Genesis vs BMW I would take the Hyundai. German cars seem too over-engineered to me.
Quote: JerryLoganFrom what I've read & seen the best cheap cars made are by Hyundai.
Yeah, but they drive like shit and feel like being inside a kids go kart. Same with Kia. I'd prefer a good second hand car to a new Hyundia or Kia.
Quote: mkl654321I wonder whether BMWs come with automatic testosterone dispensers--whenever I see someone blowing past other people and cutting them off, it seem like 3/4 of the time, they're driving a Beemer.
It's the real engine thrumming away that does it... goes straight up to the prostrate gland.
Here, I'm normally cut up by a Lexus or Infiniti. Those cars have drivers who can't.
Quote: thecesspitYou been spying on JL while he's been inside?
Cars : I'd look at BMW's, but that's just me and my love of German built cars. Most fun I've had driving cars have been in VW's and 3-series.
.
My current car is a 330i but after some very bad experiences with BMW service departments I swore to never buy one again.
2 times in a row I took a half day off to have a part replaced, only to be told they ordered the wrong part. No apology, no explanation, just a sheepish look of embarassment.
At another BMW service department I dropped my car off to have an electrical issue fixed (under warranty) and when I picked it up she explained they replaced something totally unrelated that had been recalled. I got in my car, turned it on, electrical problem not fixed. Wasn't even worth complaining at that point. Just drove off.
Quote: clarkacalMy current car is a 330i but after some very bad experiences with BMW service departments I swore to never buy one again.
Since you seem to enjoy the driving aspect of cars, I'd have to say that bmw/mazda/audi may be your best bet if that's a priority - Sure, you could get a Lexus GS, but when I've driven a Lexus, it doesn't matter which one (IS/GS/LS) - the size of the car changes, but the driving feel stays the same. My mom has a CTS (non-V) and it's the perfect size/performance in a sedan, even if it is a bit of a porker on the scale. I've got a Mazdaspeed Miata, but it's only my toy during the temperate months.
Of course, you could up your budget and get a Maserati Quattroporte, but then, the maintenance would kill ya. ;)
-B
Quote: mkl654321
I wonder whether BMWs come with automatic testosterone dispensers--whenever I see someone blowing past other people and cutting them off, it seem like 3/4 of the time, they're driving a Beemer.
It's Bimmer, actually. Beemer is the motorcycle.
Quote: zippyboyIt's Bimmer, actually. Beemer is the motorcycle.
It may be different in the US as I'm pretty sure it's 'Beamer' here in the UK.
I drive a Mazda too, the RX8-r3, which is a fun car to drive. My next car, if all goes well, is the Nissan GTR - I'm surprised that it wasn't suggested as I thought that Nissan had a good reputation and it did fall within the price threshold (just), although I think that Nissan have just tagged on an extra $10,000 for the 2012 model (and made it even quicker).
Quote: zippyboyIt's Bimmer, actually. Beemer is the motorcycle.
I thought it was Beamer, actually?
Quote: thecesspitI thought it was Beamer, actually?
Nope. Bimmer=car, beemer=motorcycle. I have an M roadster and subscribe to Bimmer Magazine. Just sayin'.
further explanation
Quote: thecesspitAlways be my Beamer to me, whatever the "real" term is, and my friends will understand what I mean too...
Particularly if you're speaking and realize all the terms are homonyms :P
Quote: thecesspitYeah, but they drive like shit and feel like being inside a kids go kart. Same with Kia. I'd prefer a good second hand car to a new Hyundia or Kia.
I had a Kia Forte as a rental the last time I rented in Vegas. I was reasonably impressed given what it was. It beat the equivalent Chevy fleet car hands down.
BTW AZDUFF, my son has an Accent at college and he also loves it. I think the Kia line is related to Hyundai somehow, like Camaro and Firebird used to be?
I don't know how anyone could buy or trust a Toyota these days. That explains why mkl's praising them. Is he ever in touch?
Quote: MathExtremistI had a Kia Forte as a rental the last time I rented in Vegas. I was reasonably impressed given what it was. It beat the equivalent Chevy fleet car hands down.
I should point out, I'm never driving new cars, except for the rare rental, so I am comparing to a five year old car. And actually, I normally don't get to drive the rentals...
Quote: JerryLoganThere's a lot of good cars out now and after driving a V8 Genesis two weeks ago for about 1/2 hour, I have to say that I liked it more than my A8. Hyundai's warranties are great, the car was more solid feeling than mine, and it could move. I'm going to test drive a new Equus soon which they say is even better.
BTW AZDUFF, my son has an Accent at college and he also loves it. I think the Kia line is related to Hyundai somehow, like Camaro and Firebird used to be?
I don't know how anyone could buy or trust a Toyota these days. That explains why mkl's praising them. Is he ever in touch?
Spoken from someone who drives an Audi, one of the worst brands for reliability over the last two decades. And if you're ignorant of Toyota's excellent reliability record over the same period, that isn't my problem. Are you ever in touch, Mr. Singer?
Quote: mkl654321Spoken from someone who drives an Audi, one of the worst brands for reliability over the last two decades. And if you're ignorant of Toyota's excellent reliability record over the same period, that isn't my problem. Are you ever in touch, Mr. Singer?
Wake up and read the news instead of thinking you're making it. Toyota now holds the record for most recalls in a given period of time.
I'm not one who cares about reliability, and BTW mine hasn't missed a beat yet. I care about looks, style, power, and feel for the road. Audi excels in all of those areas. I get a new car every few years anyway because I deserve one. You've got a Mazda 3 because you deserve it. And I can just hear the giggles as your class of fresh men see an old guy drive by in one of them :)
Quote: JerryLoganWake up and read the news instead of thinking you're making it. Toyota now holds the record for most recalls in a given period of time.
I'm not one who cares about reliability, and BTW mine hasn't missed a beat yet. I care about looks, style, power, and feel for the road. Audi excels in all of those areas. I get a new car every few years anyway because I deserve one. You've got a Mazda 3 because you deserve it. And I can just hear the giggles as your class of fresh men see an old guy drive by in one of them :)
Goodbye, Jerryhole.
Addition : I've had some experience with BMW service department and I've not been entirely impressed. I've only used them to get some simple work done (tires, keys and liquids), and will be going back to my good mechanic who doesn't deal with that sort of thing if he can avoid it for more regular servicing.
Quote: JerryLoganThere's a lot of good cars out now and after driving a V8 Genesis two weeks ago for about 1/2 hour, I have to say that I liked it more than my A8. Hyundai's warranties are great, the car was more solid feeling than mine, and it could move. I'm going to test drive a new Equus soon which they say is even better.
BTW AZDUFF, my son has an Accent at college and he also loves it. I think the Kia line is related to Hyundai somehow, like Camaro and Firebird used to be?
I don't know how anyone could buy or trust a Toyota these days. That explains why mkl's praising them. Is he ever in touch?
Hyundai owns Kia. They are doing a sort of Chevy/Pontiac relationship but with Kia being a little cheaper but sportier and the Hyundai as a more commonsense everyday brand. Even Genessis and Equus are marketed as "commonsense luxury." They are like Buick once was years ago. Back then, Buicks were almost as nice as Cadillacs but many peopole bought Buicks because they did not want friends or customers seeing them driving a Caddy. If I had the cash I'd buy a Genessis (Equus is too large for my taste and needs) as IMHO German luxury makes have been overplayed since the mid 1980s and you are now paying too much for that propeller on the hood.
You have it right on Toyota Quality--it is no longer there. 4-5 years ago car magazines started saying that the quality of Toyotas they tested was "a little off." Then Consumer Reports removed Toyota from the "automatic reccomend" list and said they would have to wait for reader repoted data like almost everyone else. (Subaru and I forget one other still are good eonoug often enough to get auto-reccomends for quality.) Then the recalls-the real ones not the unintended accellaration.
Toyota has become where Buick was in 1980 in an aging customer base and bland but decent product. Since 2002 or so they were infatuated with catching GM so they built factories and introduced new models at too fast of a rate. Now it is comming back to bite them, they are an average car with a high price point. And GM almost took the world sales lead back last year thanks to sales in China. VW is gunning to get the leader position. Toyota would have been smarter to grow at a normal rate and staty midpack, now they have a giant bullseye on them.
Hope your son gets the service from his Accent I am getting from mine. At this rate when I do get a nicer car the Hyundai will remain as my "winter salt car" when I do upgrade.
Quote: JerryLoganHa! The reason I got my son that Accent is because he beats cars into the ground without a care in the world. It can take a pounding even in those Massachusetts winters. But as far as service goes, he just drops it off at some place in North Adams and I call in a credit card number!
Sounds like a good deal for one of you :-)
I don't beat mine, but I do know she will do 105 mph wide open on a flat New Mexico Interstate. Not bad for the cheapest car sold in the USA.
Quote: JerryLoganFrom what I've read & seen the best cheap cars made are by Hyundai.
The 2011 Sonata is incredible. Take the badge off and you wouldn't think it was a Hyundai. I've never liked those cars, but I'm coming around.
Quote: thecesspitYeah, but they drive like shit and feel like being inside a kids go kart. Same with Kia. I'd prefer a good second hand car to a new Hyundia or Kia.
All I can say is drive the 2011s. They are a world apart from the old model. You might not like the car regardless, but you will definitely have a better opinion. I did. No I don't own one, and probably never will. But they're damn good.
Quote: toastcmuI've got a Mazdaspeed Miata, but it's only my toy during the temperate months.
Cheers, brother! I drive a supercharged '97, I've had it for 11 years (and Miatas for 12, counting the one that got totaled early on in its life.)
Quote: MoscaAll I can say is drive the 2011s. They are a world apart from the old model. You might not like the car regardless, but you will definitely have a better opinion. I did. No I don't own one, and probably never will. But they're damn good.
Hyundai has come a long way and is on a roll. If I were to have my choice of dealership to buy I would buy a Hyundai Store. I can see them easily catching Chrysler and maybe even Honda in market share within 10 years. And Hyundai is not even a full-line manufacturer yet. Imagine if they made a small pickup. If they made one the size of a 1980s Ranger they would sell a boatload of them.
And when you are expecting to sell those cars into a market that is going to drive them for 4 years, or for 10 years.
In the fifties, the American brands built for 100k and 3-4 years of ownership. The foreign brands, in thier home countries, were building for consumers who had to pay 4-5 times the gas price, 2 or three times the insurance cost, and starting per capita income that was in some cases, considerably less than the US.
So they engineered them different. We could build inexpensive cars, but then we decided that CHEAP was more important. Case in point: Pinto's and Vega's....
THe American brands have finally decided to compete on this principle of engineering and quality. It started in the mid-80's, and accelerated in the 90's to now. Unfortunately, millions of Americans will not buy a American brand. They have had success with a Toyota, or Honda, or even a Nissan. Why change? The cars being driven on the coasts in this country are considerably different than in the center. The proportion of foreign cars to American is reversed.
This market in the US is still the largest car market in the world. We will get passed by China and India eventually, becasue they have 4 times the people, but the percapita income has to increase significantly to allow that to happen. But it won't be long. The combined EU countries are in the running as well.
Hyundai/Kia is the up an comer now. But it could be replaced in a number of years by a brand from China or India. The engineering for the cars is out there an available, and the various internal pieces are available from many suppliers, and you no longer have to build from "scratch". So a successful car can be built now with the exterior and interior styling and a good engine being the things that you as the manufacturer have to do. The rest is "off the shelf". It might not be cutting edge, but it doesn't have to be.
Toyota and Honda have gotten lazy. The recalls are proof on the Toyota side, and Honda's stall in sales is because the engineering has faltered.
The funny things is, since GM and Chrysler have gone thru bankruptcy, they will be the tigers in the future, because they have fixed alot about thier cost structure.
And they will not be making the most of thier money here in the US either. It will be overseas that they sell the most cars.
I'm a Honda and Ford owner, generally.
SFB
Quote: SFB
Hyundai/Kia is the up an comer now. But it could be replaced in a number of years by a brand from China or India. The engineering for the cars is out there an available, and the various internal pieces are available from many suppliers, and you no longer have to build from "scratch". So a successful car can be built now with the exterior and interior styling and a good engine being the things that you as the manufacturer have to do. The rest is "off the shelf". It might not be cutting edge, but it doesn't have to be.
Toyota and Honda have gotten lazy. The recalls are proof on the Toyota side, and Honda's stall in sales is because the engineering has faltered.
The funny things is, since GM and Chrysler have gone thru bankruptcy, they will be the tigers in the future, because they have fixed alot about thier cost structure.
And they will not be making the most of thier money here in the US either. It will be overseas that they sell the most cars.
I'm a Honda and Ford owner, generally.
SFB
Car and Driver magazine recently said Honda is changing from an "engineering driven" company to a marketing driven one. They seem to have reached their "natural size" in the mid 1990s and will not get many more conquest sales. Toyota is starting to ram cars into the market via discounts and hard-sales delaer tactics. Maybe the point is that in this day and age 15% or so is what you will get in the USA market and when you go above that level sales get much harder.
I think it would be 25 years before an Indian or Chinese marque gets real market share. It took Hyundai 20 years to get beyond the reputation as a car you bought because it is cheap. The market is now more competitive. Not that it never will happen.
The comment about Honda's faltering engineering is clearly right. For instance, in 1998 I bought a new Honda V6 Accord Coupe, I am ashamed to say. Today the car remains basically the same, in other words, it still looks like a hairdresser's car.
Quote: MathExtremistI had a Kia Forte as a rental the last time I rented in Vegas. I was reasonably impressed given what it was. It beat the equivalent Chevy fleet car hands down.
When my old car crapped out on me a couple years ago, I rented a Kia Optima for a couple weeks while I was in the process of buying a new car. I was pleasantly surprised. It handled well, had good acceleration, was pretty roomy, and was nice appointed for a mid-sized sedan. After driving it for that time, we even looked into buying one, but the pricing wasn't competitive enough to pull the trigger.
I'm not a guy who cares that much about cars. I don't consider them status symbols, and could care less if all my neighbors & friends have BMW's, Audi's, Cadillac Escalades, or whatever. They are simply tools for me to use. So as long as mine works well, fits my family comfortably, and doesn't look like an eyesore, then I'm fine with it.
