Help Polarbear choose a car

quote:

Originally posted by Polarbear:

quote:

But 1st Sep shouldn't be a problem, and it will save you pissing about for the next two years

Just in time for the Lexus LS500

Forget the LS500 the IS500 is due out maybe by the end of the year...picture an "IS" with 2 doors and loaded with a V8....

Lexus v Mercedes

is a bit like

Yamaha v Naim

= "no contest"

Grow up, buy the REAL thing. You KNOW it makes sense in the long run.

Cheers

Don

Originally posted by Polarbear:
Thanks for that Peter, I will be rushing out to buy one.

BTW, I only want two seats, this cars for me!

Regards

PB[/QUOTE]two seats one choice since 1951:
corvette:the first car in the world that had
two single seats and not a bench as the othercars inthe fifties.

other benefits:the first (jet like) head up display,the first serial car
out ofplastic (no korrossion).
the first car with Pax -wheel security -system.
the longest ever built type in cars history.
(think 911 started 1968).......
an a trunk that is big enough for two golf bags.
O.J.

quote:

Yes, but not half as much fun as getting the tail out round a roundabout Big Grin

Indeed

Don,

my mate's just got a lexus 300 - its done some miles but is in good nick, and I have to say the fit and finish is very good indeed. Not my bag, but I can see why he purchased it.

andy c!

quote:

Originally posted by Owen Meany:

quote:

Originally posted by Polarbear:

quote:

But 1st Sep shouldn't be a problem, and it will save you pissing about for the next two years

Just in time for the Lexus LS500

Forget the LS500 the IS500 is due out maybe by the end of the year...picture an "IS" with 2 doors and loaded with a V8....

I have my eye on the new "Supra" when its out in a couple of years. Imagine a 2 seater with a V10 under the bonnet?

Regards

PB

quote:

have my eye on the new "Supra" when its out in a couple of years. Imagine a 2 seater with a V10 under the bonnet?

A BMW M6 isn't far away from that with token rear seats. Pity it looks the way it does. Then again, you have a cd555, could be a match made in heaven!!

Peter

quote:

my mate's just got a lexus 300 - its done some miles but is in good nick, and I have to say the fit and finish is very good indeed. Not my bag, but I can see why he purchased it.

A collegue of mine had a Lexus a couple of years back. Niceish car, but for whatever reason he only kept is for about a year. And Quentin Willson used to extol their virtues on telly. But he actually owned a Merc himself.

Now my old S Class (420 which is up for sale now) has about 250,000 miles on the clock, a full Mercedes Benz Service History (never missed a single service and always at the same dealership). Never let me down. Only (non-service) parts that ever needed replacing were a battery at 12 years, one exhaust at 12 years and the two camshafts plus timing chain at 200,000 miles. The windshield was replaced at 14 years when a bloody large stone hit it.

Not really sure why i'm changing it............

Cheers

Don

quote:

Originally posted by Don Atkinson:
Not really sure why i'm changing it............

Because it's bigger than the Titantic and about to shed itself an engine?

The newer BMW's are somewhat ugly IMV...
Merc's seem to look much nicer...

quote:

Because it's bigger than the Titantic and about to shed itself an engine?

You're probably right.

25mpg isn't too bad but it isn't good, and the potential for expensive repairs is increasing, even if the engine, gearbox and diff all appear to be nicely run-in at the moment.

Plus Mrs D thinks the style looks a bit dated...........

Cheers

Don

quote:

Merc's seem to look much nicer...

Agreed. But I do have reservations about that bulbous boot. Anyway, the build quality, drive and solid feel put it into a different league than the E Class and C Class and just about anything else.

Now if it was mandatory that ALL cars had to be built to this sort of quality the environment would experience a real boost.

None of the Plebs would be able to afford a car so...........
there would be far fewer of them (cars that is), less polution and no congestion on the roads (sod the buses and trains)

The cars would last 30 years or so with many re-cyclable parts so valuable resources and energy production costs would all be saved.

The OPEC countries would go out of business and consequently terrorism would be reduced........

Plebs wages would go further because they wouldn't be trying to fund a mediocre, unrelaible mass-market car anymore, so they would be happy beacuse they could now afford the HDTV and plasma they want to watch the football on.....

.....probably some sort of flaw in this logic somewhere, it seems all too easy.....

Cheers

Don

Dear Don! [Smiley]!

As a Pleb, at least in terms of earning capacity. I have to say that I don't desire to have any form of TV screem, plasma or otherwise. I simply don't want or have a TV!

I would gladly stop running a motor if there was a good enough public transport system to allow me to get to work without it, but again I buck the trend. My Vovo 240 is seventeen years old and shows no signs of getting old. In the last seven years it has been completely reliable bar one relay failure on the fuel lift pump! At 115,000 miles it burns no oil, and being of modest performance has two tyres on the back that have done ove 60,000 miles! The fronts wore out at 50,000. She will still manage 40 mpg, which is is at least competitive with some VW Golfs, though probably not the better and newer diesel ones.

All the best from Plebian Fredrik

PS: To Nigel, Polarbear: I would not rule out the C70 model Volvo. It is a splendid car, and has other virtues than most of the more exciting offerings suggested. I think in some ways Volvo can still be regarded as a poor man's Mercedes, but it is a car that makes no statement about the owner, except that the owner feels no need to make a statement! The other advantage is that it is probably cheaper than most of the fancy things you could go for, thus freeing up money for more gramophone axpenditure!

Fredrik,

You couldn't qualify as a car-Pleb, no matter how hard you tried.

You drive the car-salesman's nightmare. A car that will last forever, not breakdown and is as economical to run as most of the modern cars on the road today.

My wife's old E Class (230TE Estate) is almost 17 years old (Aug 89) has done 128,000, has never broken down, only needed one battery replacement and one exhaust replacement. It drives like a dream and looks like it came out of the showroom yesterday.

Buying well-built cars like Mercs and Volvos makes economic sense both financially and environmentally.

You cannot therfore, qualify as a pleb. Sorry Fredrik.

Cheers

Don

quote:

PS: To Nigel, Polarbear: I would not rule out the C70 model Volvo. It is a splendid car, and has other virtues than most of the more exciting offerings suggested. I think in some ways Volvo can still be regarded as a poor man's Mercedes, but it is a car that makes no statement about the owner, except that the owner feels no need to make a statement! The other advantage is that it is probably cheaper than most of the fancy things you could go for, thus freeing up money for more gramophone axpenditure!

Hi fredrik,

Not a bad suggestion. Vlovo do some very good cars now, however they are not what I am looking for.

I am not in the market for a Mercedes either, again nice cars but not for me,

Regards

PB

How about one of these?

or one of these?

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupe/112_0503_2007...s_lf_a/photo_03.html

Polar bear! like i told you yesterday:
no 911,no ,lexus ,no aston martin,no ferrari,no jaguar B U T:corvette cr6 Z06 D I D the 24 hours of le mans.
And :like i admitted yesterday: audi won the
non serial "aeroplane "class.

you need the best sports car all over the world???
go for a vette!

O:J.( today happy corvette freak,and knowing
that it will never be everybodies taste to
drive a vette. )

quote:

Originally posted by Polarbear:
or one of these?

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupe/112_0503_2007...s_lf_a/photo_03.html

No - doesn't have the style of the AH.

Oh dear! I'll bet if you were to leave the lights on and try to get out of that Lexus, there'd be a warning chime "Bling, Bling"!

Perhaps you could save money and buy one of these. The newer models have a heated rear window to keep you hands warm in the winter, when pushing it to the service station.

PB,
Has anyone suggested a nearly new Noble? Much rarer than a 911 and much greater wow factor. I toyed with the idea of getting a late air cooled 911. I test drove one last year (cannot for the life of me remember the exact model) and thought it very cumbersome and awkward compared to a bog standard Boxter. What a boxster lacks in grunt, it more than makes up for in balance and fluidity. In the end I didn't get a new car...the Missus blew everything on a new house. As a matter of interest, were you sniffing around ebay last night, bidding for my cd5x? Are you in the throes of converting friends to Naim?
Keith

Hi Keith,

I had a good look at the Noble last years, fantastic car.

What puts me off is reliability problems. I was talking to the local dealer and they advised against due to reliability problems. I have been ther befoer with my car and I don't want to go back there again.

I also don't like the safety aspect, come into collision with anything and the Noble will fall apart. I want something a bit more substantial. Ok that means slower but I can live with that.

Yes that was me on ebay last night, I followed it until a minute to go when my computer crashed and I got beaten at the final post.

I help source items for one or two forum friends. I don't get anything out of it other than the satisfaction of putting something back into something I enjoy very much,

Regards

PB

PB,
If you are looking for reliability as well, then you should be giving the VAG a wide berth. My wife's new A4 has had a few electrical and gear box problems, whereas my 8 year old Fiat Coupe 20vt is completely reliable. This is probably because Pininfarina raided Japanese and German parts bins to build the Coupe!!
The ebay winner of my CD5X is keeping a low profile. If you are still interested you can contact me at leonard@opmfurniture.co.uk. No sweat if you're not, I'll relist.
Keith

quote:

German parts bins to

VAG not German then?

BTW Mercedes are unreliable too judging by the number replacement cars we supply.

No intention of going VAG Keith, more than likely it will be a new style Nissan 350Z, there isn't a lot wrong with the one I have now. For the money I don't think there is much that can touch it,

Regards

PB