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About Me
My (realistic) dream cars: BMW M5 and Corvette Z06.
My (unrealistic) dream cars: Lexus LF-A and Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
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Advance Pursuit
Let the car talking begin!
Went to the Audi performance driving event last Friday and I had an opportunity to drive the A4 3.2 Quattro on the infield track at California Speedway in Fontana as well as its competitors (328xi, IS250 AWD and C300 4Matic). Overall I have to say that I am not impressed by the new A4 at all.
The interior material quality is no longer class leading, both the Lexus and Bimmer have better quality materials. Fit and finish is still top notch but which one isn't in this segment? Okay, maybe not so much for the Infiniti...
I wasn't too impressed by its performance as well, the 3.2L V6 is a disgrace especially in the entry lux segment, Audi needs to get with the program by offering a more competitive V6. The steering is light, lighter than the IS250 (yes, you heard me right), although still confident through corners and turns but 328xi blows the A4 out of the water in that area. Chassis doesn't appear to be as rigid as the Bimmer and Merc (like a tank but not in a good way) but slightly better than the Lexus. If I have to rank the 4 cars just based on performance it would be:
328xi > A4 3.2 Quattro > IS250 AWD >>> C300 4Matic
Overall while taking everything into consideration the ranking would be:
328xi > IS250 AWD > A4 3.2 Quattro >> C300 4Matic
The loaded A4 3.2 Quattro that I drove carries a sticker of $48k and a loaded 2.0T Quattro commends $44k. I find myself asking a question: Why should I get the A4 at that kind of price with less performance while I can get something else cheaper like the G35, 335i and IS350? Sure you would say AWD but let's not forget that the G35 and 335i also have AWD variants. One of the Audi rep told me that the A4 is meant to compete with the 328i and they have the S4 to compete with the 335i. OK, Mr. Smart Guy, then can you please tell me why should I buy a S4 at over $50k while with couple grands more I can get myself a M3 sedan?
I just don't get Audi.
The Hyundai Genesis is without a question one of the most high profile new cars, if not the highest, of the year. Before even getting a chance to drive it and reading the reviews I was positive that this car will bring the Hyundai brand to a different level but I still had doubts in my mind. When the positive reviews starting to come in I was convinced that this car is good, very good as matter of fact, but I was still not a “believer”. However, that had all been changed after my test drive today and all I can say is WOW!! This car is so good that in my opinion it deserves nothing short of its own brand, own badge and own dealership network. Followings are my impressions about the car.
Exterior: Sleek, inoffensive, and simple. It’s not difficult for one to realize that Hyundai had incorporated a lot of elements from the competing brands such as Lexus, BMW and Infiniti when designing the Genesis but overall it looks very well executed. The paint job is top notch with minimal orange peels and all the panels lined up nicely with minimal and luxury car standard gaps. I still do not like the “Klingon grille” and would prefer the optional 18” wheel to come without the chrome-like finish but those are just nit-picking to be perfectly honest.
Interior: This is really where this car shines, the materials used and fit-and-finish is all top notch and the center stack ergonomics is excellent in my opinion. The navigation system that comes with the tech package is very user friendly and the interface response time is fast. Personally I still prefer touch-screen over the knob/joystick type of setup but the one in the Genesis is definitely something I can live with. I was pleasantly surprised that the majority of the interior surfaces are rubberized thus provide a high quality, soft-touch feels. The only part that felt cheap is the top of the center console which is covered with hard plastic material. The biggest complaint I have about the car is the seats. First of all the leather quality isn’t really up to the luxury car standard and the seats are way too soft with a “spongy” and “bouncy” kind of feel. Also, the front seats are very flat, lacking both the side bolster and thigh support.
Driving: Overall the car felt confident with a balance ride quality between comfort and performance. It is no BMW in terms of road feel and handling but it can certainly hold it own against its major competitors. The steering weight is on the heavy side and that is good for this car. The only time that the weakness of the chassis shows is when the car is getting pushed to the limitation, for example, during high speed turns. Under those conditions the steering becomes very light and the road feel becomes vague. In my opinion this is the only time that one will be able to tell why its luxury brand competitors like the 5er, E-class and GS cost at least $10k more. However, for 95% of the drivers the Genesis will serve them just as good as its more expensive foes.
Bottom Line: Again, WOW!! I am sold. Hyundai is coming, Toyota and Lexus, you better watch out. If I am in the market for a large sedan there is no doubt in my mind that this will be the car. Period.
I am going to start a list of cars/trucks/SUVs that I have driven before. The list will be constantly updated.
Acura: TL, TSX, '90 Legend
Audi: A4
BMW: E90/92 335i, E46 M3, Z3, X5
Buick: LaSabre
Chevy: Impala
Dodge: Magnum, Neon
Ford: Mustang V6, Fusion, Expedition
Honda: '92 Accord, '97 Accord, '98 Accord
Infiniti: G35 (coupe & sedan)
Lexus: IS250, IS350, RX350, RX400h, GS350, GS460, ES350, IS F
Mazda: 6
MB: GL550 4Matic
Mini: Cooper
Nissan: Maxima, Altima, 350Z, Murano
Pontiac: G6, G8 GT
Saab: 9-3
Scion: tC
Toyota: '99 Camry, '06 Camry SE, '05 4Runner, '06 Avalon
Volvo: S60
Okay, The short version of the story is that I almost pulled the trigger to buy a 2005 e46 M3 SMG with only 8k miles ...
Here's the longer version if you are still interested:
Ever since I got back from the track day my interest in a slightly used M3 has been growing on me. So couple weeks ago I went to my local BMW dealer and told one of the sales that if he ever comes across a SMG M3 (just can't live with a manual as my DD in LA) with low mileage ( < 25k ) then let me know. Last Wednesday I got an email from him saying that they just received one so I made an appointment to have a test drive on Friday afternoon. Man, was that car sweet or what!! I guess you can call me a believer now because from now on I would really think twice before bashing on the M3 ever again...
The power delivery is seemless, SMG is a bit jerky but once I got the handle of it, it's actually pretty good, instant shifting too. The ride is smooth but handles cornering with a lot of confidence, I guess that's the lengendary M performance for ya. The only thing that kept me from getting the car is the sticker price. The dealer was asking for $43.9k with a kbb suggest retail price of $47.9k, they dropped it to $42.9k at the end but I just couldn't justify of getting a used car for over 40 grands. The car is in mint condition, the interior looks brand new and is in better shape than my car even it's one year older. So I told the sales that I have to sleep on this over the weekend then walked away.
On Saturday I went to the Lexus performance driving academy, this is one of the 3 events replacing the Taste of Lexus. As participants we got to drive the IS350, GS460, GS450h and IS350 with F-sport in house tuning accessories in an autoX type of course. At last, as the main course, we got to drive the IS F in the road track inside the California Speedway for couple laps following the instructor. Boy, that IS F was so smooth on the track but yet so confident with its handling, the only connection between that car and the regular IS are the looks and Lexus smoothness, for everything else this is like a completely different car.
After both experiences I have to say that given a choice I would definitely take the IS F over the e46 M3. But how would it stack up against the e92 M3 is yet for me to find out.
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I got an hour to burn this morning so I decided to pay my local Pontiac dealer a visit to check out the new G8. Currently they only have the V8 GT and the sales person told me that none of the dealers currently have the V6 version. After talked to the sales for about 5 minutes I was able to get a test drive, it was short but definitely gave me a better understanding about GM's new hottest car. Following are my observations and opinions:
Exterior: From the pictures I have already came to like G8's styling and to see it in person certainly did not disappoint. This car looks GOOD! The 19-inch 5-spoke wheels fit the big sedan very well and the overall flow of this car is very nicely done. Maybe GM should seriously consider having Holden to take over its sedan design projects. I would say the only down side of the exterior styling is the hood scoops, I personally rather not having those but sure enough there are people who like them. The paint quality is mediocre at best, orange peels are excessive and very obvious.
Interior: The interior styling is probably the best I've seen in any GM cars, it is clean, straight forward and ergonomically sound. Fit and finish is night and day compare to the old Pontiacs, especially the last gen Grand Prix, I would say it is now on par with Nissan in this department. However, the orange demo in the show room (it has the moon roof. The one I drove does not) already has a loose headliner and looks like it could fall off at any moment. I don't know whether or not this is an isolated case but seems like GM still has some work to do regarding the interior. Besides the top of the dash and door panels the car is filled with hard, black plastics, which is not a surprise for non-luxury cars now a day. The look is okay but felt cheap when touching it, however it does not feel any cheaper than the Nissan Altima. The seats are supportive enough but the fake leather felt urg... fake, with the 10-way adjustable (6-way power, 4-way manual) it was easy to find a comfortable driving position.
Personally, I don't think the much criticized oil temp and battery gauges on top of the center stack look that bad as many editors have mentioned, it could look much better if the color is not red though. I have to give props to GM for the nicely integrated screen on the center stack, the look is modern and one can get all information from it. If it was up to me I wouldn't put the window switches on the center console but it certainly is not a deal breaker and one could easily learn to live with it. Overall I think it's a job well done for GM, it wouldn't wow an interior critic like me but I definitely appreciate the improvements that GM has made compare to their older products.
Driving: This is where this car shines. The suspension is firm but yet not overly stiff to make the car bumpy over rough roads. Steering is tight and road feel feedback is clear, the car drives smaller than it is (a very good thing) and it takes corners in a confident way with very little body rolls. On the dark gray demo I drove, when the steering wheel is turned there was noise coming from the front wheels, the sales told me it's probably the tires but I am not buying that. Again, I don't know if this is an isolated case or not but that tells us that GM has not yet cleaned up all its quality glitches. Performance wise, the 361-hp V8 is the shining star, the throttle response is quick, sound is great and the endless torque is pretty impressive. This is a very fast car but somehow it doesn't feel "wicked fast" as one would in a 335i or IS350, that's probably due to the weight and size of the car. When the engine is at idle, there are a lot of vibration in the cabin, it is certainly a big turn off and cheapened the car quiet a bit. Last but not least, the brake is etiquette but a little mushy for a sports sedan.
Bottom Line: Honest effort from GM and should give the BMW 550i a run for its money if one only cares about performance. When the overall package has been taken into consideration I would say the luxury sports sedans would have nothing to worry about.
If you are on a budget and looking for a performance car with decent cabin... look no further.
Knowing that the all new redesigned Acura TSX went on sale on 4/24 I went for a test drive on my day off today, the followings are my impressions and observations.
Exterior: Not a fan of the new exterior styling, especially the new Acura corporate grille. The old pentagon design was more sleeker and less "WTF...". I've noticed excessive orange peel on the black demo I drove and the paint quality is obviously not as good as other luxury brands like Lexus, MB and BMW. It's very Honda-like.
Interior: Fit and finish is very good, on par with the Honda/Acura standard. The dashboard has a strong BMW feel to it, the reason of that is due to where the navigation screen is located, right at the center and on top of the A/C vents. Given that I am not a fan of the BMW dashes, I too do not like the new design in the TSX. The old style of having the screen incorporated within the center stack looks much better in my opinion. The big down side of the interior is the utilization of the hard plastic panels. The lower half of all panels inside the car including the dashboard, center stack, center console and door panels are all made of hard plastics. Although the quality is high but it felt cheap when touching it. Also, the aluminum trim is gone and replaced by the metallic paint on plastic; to me that's okay but kind of a downgrade from the previous gen. The interior volume has dramatically improved over the last model, I am 6'1 and were able to sit comfortably in the backseat even after I adjusted the driver seat to my ideal driving position. The best part of the interior is the steering wheel, it is thick and feels very good holding on to it. The seats are supportive but again the leather quality is lacking compare to the leading luxury brands.
Driving: Right off the line the car felt much faster than the previous model, which is not a surprise given that this new 2.4 I4 has 6 more lb-ft of torque. However, when pushed hard, the lack of horsepower immediate shows, in my opinion 201hp is definitely not enough for this car. I took the car around PV on some twisty roads to test the steering response, overall it's very precise and the car will go where the wheel is pointed at. Suspension is firm but very comfortable on rocky roads, the car felt very confident through corners with minimal body roll. One criticism I have for the new TSX is that Acura has replaced the hydraulic power steering with electric-assist. Because of that, the road feel is not as "crisp" as the previous gen and the steering felt much lighter. Oh, by the way, the brake is very Honda-mushy as expected.
Overall I would say this is an mediocre effort from Acura. It won't shock the world but will continue to provide a decent product to the customers who are looking for an affordable entry level luxury sedan.
Since I got the lowering springs installed couple weeks ago I decided to get the alignment done today. I've heard from couple friends that Firestone has a pretty good "lifetime alignment" program so I decided to check it out. The cost is $169, the program is good through the lifetime of the car with no limitations as long as I own the car. Although Firestone recommends to get the alignment done every 6k miles but I can bring it in anytime. The program is also honored by all 1,600 Firestone locations.
Since a single alignment check cost $69 at Firestone that means I'll recoup the money after 3 checks (2 after the first one), every check after is just a bonus. I personally think this is a good program especially for those who do some "spirited driving" or take their cars to tracks.
After the alignment I decided to stop by my local MB dealer to check out the new C. Overall I am not impressed nor disappointed by the car, the interior is typical MB and on par with the last generation and is still among the leaders in the entry luxury segment. The paint has obvious orange peal but looks like now-a-day that's normal even to the luxury cars (check out BMW). Lexus however, would have both of them beat in the paint department. I didn't test drive the car since they don't have any C350s on the lot and the 220hp C300 is just too weak on the powertrain for me to give it a try.
Overall not a bad execution but now they are playing catch up against competitors like the IS350, G35 and king of the segment 335i.
Okay, not exactly...
I had the Eibach springs installed on Saturday and it might be an exaggeration to say that it feels like a totally different car but to be quiet honest, that statement might not be that far from the reality.
I was surprised to find out that the springs actually give the car a smoother ride quality than before, I wouldn't call it softer but it is definitely better. The old artificial stiffness and isolation feeling was gone and replaced by a more engaging experience. The best part is that now the car can go through turns and corner with much less body roll and is much confident. To put the difference in perspective, for you Bimmer guys the difference is much greater than a sports vs. non-sports BMW. Also, the steering response is improved slightly as well.
On top of the improved handling, the lower stance due to the springs (1" front and 0.8" rear) is just the icing on the cake. It indeed looks sleeker than before.
Based on this experience I would recommend aftermarket performance springs like Eibach and Tein to anybody who is looking for better handling or to transform the car for the better without breaking the bank.
I am having a RX350 as loaner car for today due to the 25k miles service and a TSIB fix. After driving about 10 miles to work I have to say that those marketing gurus at Lexus must be genius to make this car as the number one selling luxury SUV in the US. To me this is just a floatier ES350 (yes, floatier than an ES), I personally don't think that's possible but somehow Lexus engineers have done it. Also, the seat is just about the worst seat that I have ever sat on, it offers no support what-so-ever, for a guy with long thighs like me I can't imaging of driving long distance on it. The steering is ES-like light and offers minimal road feedback. Also, there is a rattle noise coming from the center console area. The only positive areas are:
1. The 3.5L V6 is smooth but the 5-speed transmission is dated, the same engine feels much more punchier with the 6-speed on the ES.
2. Interior material quality and fit-n'-finish are up to the normal Lexus standard, which is expected of course.
Personally I just couldn't justify of paying $40k+ for a vehicle like the RX.
Went to the LA Auto Show yesterday and here are my thoughts on several high-profile new models:
Chevy Malibu: Overall exterior design is much improved over the old but the rear end looks out of place with the overall design scheme. The side profile, especially the shape of the windows, still reminds me of Acura TL. The front end looks like a bloated Cobalt but doesn't look bad at all. Interior design is great, flows very well and by just design it is probably one of the best in class. However, hard and low-grade plastics are still all over the place. I understand that all cars in this class do utilize a lot of hard plastics but at least in Accord and Camry those felt more "up class" than those found in the Malibu. Fit-'n-finish is improved but is still behind the leaders. Overall a great effort from GM but be it a Camry killer? I don't think so.
Saturn Aura: Everything said about the Malibu interior can be applied here...Aura does have a sportier looking exterior than the Malibu though.
Cadillac CTS: The interior of this car is just amazing. Design wise this is definitely the bench mark of the class, fit-'n-finish and material quality are also up there with the leaders like Lexus, BMW and MB. Not so crazy about the panoramic sunroof though especially with the cheap looking cover. I prefer a cover than can actually block the sunlight when I don't want it instead of the one on the CTS which lets about 40% of the light in all the time, definitely an oversight in Caddy designer's part. Exterior design is not my cup of tea, I prefer last generation's more reserved art and science look than the new one's "in your face" look.
Toyota Sequoia: I have one word to describe this SUV and that's huge. Everything is huge in this thing including interior space, engine (which shares with the Tundra and Land Cruiser), center arm rest (they might as well just put another bucket seat instead) and even center stack controls. With the gas price approaching $4 per gallon, humongous SUVs like these should just be banned and burned. Plastic materials used in the interior are on the cheap side and too many hard plastics are being utilized. Fit-'n-finish is still Toyota good though.
Subaru Impreza WRX STi: With a sticker price around $35K I’d definitely expect to see a more upscale interior than one that's currently in the STi. I understand that this car is meant to be driven but still, when I am paying above $30K for a car I expect an interior that looks and feels better than a Toyota Corolla.
Smart for Two: I was surprised by how roomy the cabin is. I am 6'1 and close to 200 lbs but I feel extremely comfortable sitting in the passenger seat. With a MSRP of $12K this thing is definitely on the high side. However, I think it'll be a success in metro areas like NYC, Chicago and Boston.
Nissan GT-R: Another car that's meant to be driven but in my opinion and my friend (who drives a G35 coupe) also agree that Nissan over-styled this car. Instead of making it cartoonish like it is right now they should've just use the old G35 coupe, make it more muscular and call it a day. The interior looks like it's been piece together by LEGO, what a mess. However, $69K starting MSRP is great for a Porsche Turbo fighter though.
Infiniti G37: Good interior and so-so exterior. Why would Infiniti designers soften the old G coupe's line to make the G37 is beyond me. I personally would be much happier with the old exterior style plus the new interior. My friend, who is driving the G35 now, after spend about 10 minutes with this car declared that he couldn't see himself getting one. A problem for Infiniti? Probably not. But definitely a concern though.
Infiniti EX35: Great interior, probably the best in class in terms of material and build quality. However, styling is a bit too soft for my taste. I personally prefer Acura RDX's technological look. Exterior wise it looks like a G35 ram into a Subaru Tribeca. It is okay but not eye opening.
MB C-class: The new C is much improved over the old one. It now looks more sporty and interior is much more modern. Material utilized for the interior is average for cars in this class, too much hard plastic used in my opinion and the fake leather seats felt horrible. Build quality and fit-and-finish is still the benchmark of the class though. The worst part about this car is probably the 3.5L V6. 268HP is definitely not under powered but with the Lexus 2GR-FSE making 306HP, Infiniti VQ35 making 306HP and the BMW twin-turbo I6 making 300HP, MB needs the 3.5L V6 to put out at least 300HP in order to be competitive.
The thing that I am most disappointed about is what I found in the BMW section. Couple months ago I saw a black M6 in my local BMW dealer with excessive orange peels on the paint. I thought that was probably an individual case given that I don't think this would happen on a $100K car if my $60K cheaper car doesn't have those. In the BMW section, I spotted a dark color 7-series so curiosity led me to exam the paint closely again, the outcome was very disappointed because I again saw obvious orange peels on the 7-series. BMW needs to do something about this because if other luxury makes like Infiniti, Lexus and MB can make the orange peels almost non-existence under naked eyes then I don't know why BMW couldn't. Ultimate driving machines? Or should it be "Ultimate Driving Machines with a lot of ORANGE PEELS"
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