OT - Might be time to sell my 2000 Pontiac Formula. What to get?
08-26-2002, 06:35 PM
#22
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If you like the Acura you might want to look at the Infinity G35. If you want to save some money, look at the Nissan Altima 3.5, it will surprise you. Bang fo the buck in a sedan is the Subaru WRX ... an absolute ball to drive, though it probably would be too small for a family.
08-26-2002, 09:10 PM
#23
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GS400 - never heard any gripes. Fast, smooth, quiet.
Lincoln LS - I know several folks who love 'em - one used to own an Acura 3.2.
BMW 540 - used for under $30k
All the Caddy's are front-wheelers. Bigtime Torque, but I'm a RWD guy. Sevilles have plastic crap breaking off inside all the time.
Jag - I can't get over my horrid experiences keeping the 3 of them my sister owned running. They are a quality automibile now, but I can never recommend one due to the sad junk they used to be.
Infiniti is probably the "sleeper bargain" of the bunch. About a 540 sized car (maybe a tick smaller) and good power and quality fit and finish.
Of the US cars, I'd lean towards the Lincoln LS.
The 540 is hard to beat from cool-ness, but BMW service is overpriced and if you don't keep the dealer services up to date, plan on taking a $2000 bath at trade-in time.
300M is a dang nice product, but the interior parts are hard and plasticky.
Lincoln LS - I know several folks who love 'em - one used to own an Acura 3.2.
BMW 540 - used for under $30k
All the Caddy's are front-wheelers. Bigtime Torque, but I'm a RWD guy. Sevilles have plastic crap breaking off inside all the time.
Jag - I can't get over my horrid experiences keeping the 3 of them my sister owned running. They are a quality automibile now, but I can never recommend one due to the sad junk they used to be.
Infiniti is probably the "sleeper bargain" of the bunch. About a 540 sized car (maybe a tick smaller) and good power and quality fit and finish.
Of the US cars, I'd lean towards the Lincoln LS.
The 540 is hard to beat from cool-ness, but BMW service is overpriced and if you don't keep the dealer services up to date, plan on taking a $2000 bath at trade-in time.
300M is a dang nice product, but the interior parts are hard and plasticky.
08-26-2002, 11:37 PM
#25
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All good pieces of advice.
So far I seem to be leading toward the LS Sport V8 (in black... looks nice and sinister that way).
To speak about quality...
This is my second Firebird. First one was a '91 TA 5.7L TPI, yada yada. That car was very well put together and I never had a single complaint about it other that the fact that GM wouldn't provide a manual trans with the 5.7L engine. Quality and fit and finish were really good on this car. On this one (and I feel almost like I'm betraying a true friend by talking this way) the fit and finish is absolutely lousy. First, the body panels do not line up well (everything is a little off, or was rather. Things were put back together a little straighter after someone ran into it in a parking lot) and second the paint is horrible. Nothing but orange peel on the top surfaces (which GM/Pontiac claims is within limits, after all, it is a production car) and a huge splotch in the hood where it looks like the metal flake all ran together. The widow trim has tar coming out of it (though mine is not as bad as my father-in-law's daily driver Camaro) and some of the rubber around the driver's window is ripping (because the driver's window does not ride in the track correctly, a common F-Body flaw) That's it for the outside. Inside, the trim is so easily scratched that I'm afraid of having anyone else besides us getting in and out of the car. The foot panels are scratched to hell and back as is any other surface where your feet or jacket or whatever touches. Also, while driving home one day, the passenger visor just fell out of the roof. WTF?! So I'm definitely not impressed with GM quality (maybe quality is so bad because GM could give a crap about the Camaro and Firebird). So if a Ford can beat this, then I'm there (though looking at some Fords and Lincolns ten years after purchase has me wondering as well)!
On the other had though, this car does freaking haul ass! I ran it at the track with about 3k miles on it (total breakin mieage on the LS1 is about 10k for optimum power output) and ran a first time best of 13.27 @ 107 MPH.... while having accidentally left the AC running! After a little more technique I got it down to a 13.15 @ 108 MPH, all 100% bone stock. Then I added a couple of minor boltons (factory WS6 cat-back and a LS1 Motorsports Direct-Flo airbox cover) and with some driving changes, etc. managed to run a 12.96 @ 111 MPH on the stock Eagles in 80* weather. It is definitely a "factory freak" of a speedy car. This is why I ordered the car in the first place, to have a speedy fun to drive, quick car. Unforunately, the quality issues plus the want for something a little more "classy" has me really thinking hard about selling it off (just three months ago I was saying to friend that I'd never get rid of it... I said the same thing about my 10-sec '69 Dodge Coronet that I sold to buy the first TA).
Arrrrgggghhhhhh!!! I'm so confused!!!!
So far I seem to be leading toward the LS Sport V8 (in black... looks nice and sinister that way).
To speak about quality...
This is my second Firebird. First one was a '91 TA 5.7L TPI, yada yada. That car was very well put together and I never had a single complaint about it other that the fact that GM wouldn't provide a manual trans with the 5.7L engine. Quality and fit and finish were really good on this car. On this one (and I feel almost like I'm betraying a true friend by talking this way) the fit and finish is absolutely lousy. First, the body panels do not line up well (everything is a little off, or was rather. Things were put back together a little straighter after someone ran into it in a parking lot) and second the paint is horrible. Nothing but orange peel on the top surfaces (which GM/Pontiac claims is within limits, after all, it is a production car) and a huge splotch in the hood where it looks like the metal flake all ran together. The widow trim has tar coming out of it (though mine is not as bad as my father-in-law's daily driver Camaro) and some of the rubber around the driver's window is ripping (because the driver's window does not ride in the track correctly, a common F-Body flaw) That's it for the outside. Inside, the trim is so easily scratched that I'm afraid of having anyone else besides us getting in and out of the car. The foot panels are scratched to hell and back as is any other surface where your feet or jacket or whatever touches. Also, while driving home one day, the passenger visor just fell out of the roof. WTF?! So I'm definitely not impressed with GM quality (maybe quality is so bad because GM could give a crap about the Camaro and Firebird). So if a Ford can beat this, then I'm there (though looking at some Fords and Lincolns ten years after purchase has me wondering as well)!
On the other had though, this car does freaking haul ass! I ran it at the track with about 3k miles on it (total breakin mieage on the LS1 is about 10k for optimum power output) and ran a first time best of 13.27 @ 107 MPH.... while having accidentally left the AC running! After a little more technique I got it down to a 13.15 @ 108 MPH, all 100% bone stock. Then I added a couple of minor boltons (factory WS6 cat-back and a LS1 Motorsports Direct-Flo airbox cover) and with some driving changes, etc. managed to run a 12.96 @ 111 MPH on the stock Eagles in 80* weather. It is definitely a "factory freak" of a speedy car. This is why I ordered the car in the first place, to have a speedy fun to drive, quick car. Unforunately, the quality issues plus the want for something a little more "classy" has me really thinking hard about selling it off (just three months ago I was saying to friend that I'd never get rid of it... I said the same thing about my 10-sec '69 Dodge Coronet that I sold to buy the first TA).
Arrrrgggghhhhhh!!! I'm so confused!!!!
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08-27-2002, 11:20 AM
#27
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I have not heard anything about that... though I do know that currently, the LS V8 Sport is a much better driving car than the CTS. Cadillac has also recently changed its marketing for the CTS making it more of a competitor of the Camry and Accord... which leaves the LS as the sole entry-level luxury American sport sedan.
Guess I need to test drive one.
Guess I need to test drive one.
08-27-2002, 12:43 PM
#28
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Acura
My folks have a TL and it is a nice ride. Quiet, classy & sporty.
The 740IL is in another league. Great car, but the cost of service sucks.
Our friends have the Lincoln. It looks nice on the outside, cool wheels, etc, but is not very roomy inside.
Tought decisions!
You could always just save some money and get a slightly used Accord.
The 740IL is in another league. Great car, but the cost of service sucks.
Our friends have the Lincoln. It looks nice on the outside, cool wheels, etc, but is not very roomy inside.
Tought decisions!
You could always just save some money and get a slightly used Accord.
08-27-2002, 05:00 PM
#29
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You could always just save some money and get a slightly used Accord.
Looks like I may very well hold onto the 'Bird afterall:
http://www.offshoreonly.com/forum/sh...635#post356635
