Need help choosing a new car...

[stonyc]

... for my mom. The last car she owned was a Volvo S80 and she liked it, was especially impressed by the safety features and stability. The only thing she didn't like about the car were some engine issues... whether it was the actual engine itself, or just the sensor, I'm not sure. In any case, she's looking for a new car... so let me lay out the situation and then I'd be happy for any of your input:

- she wants a luxury-class car (no Ford, Chevy, Kia, etc.)
- she's been happy with Japanese brands in the past (Toyota, Nissan in particular) and wouldn't mind going back
- she's not adverse to getting another Volvo
- money is not a problem, within reason
- not a big fan of SUV's or crossovers

The number one contender right now, given those conditions and knowing how/where she drives is the Lexus ES. I drive a Jeep Cherokee Sport :), so I'm not all that familiar with this market... so if you could throw any help this way, I'd appreciate it.

And I apologize in advance for another car thread. :)

[juanster]

u shoul take a look at the new audi's they are sooooooooooooo nice this year, acura is making really nice cars too

[ErikCLDR]

I would check out acura's. Aside from the IS and LS, none of their cars seem that interesting to me- they look like toyotas with a lexus symbol. The new LS i think isn't as cool looking as the old one for some reason.

Audis are quite unreliable and very expensive to fix.

[quagmire]

With the new CTS coming this fall, I bet you could find a pretty good deal on the current gen. What does your mom prefer? RWD, FWD, AWD? The Lexus ES is not a bad car at all. My dad and I test drove it last October. Interior was pretty comfortable and used good materials. Not for me, but your mom will probably like it.

[Chris Bangle]

Jaguar XJ
BMW 5 series
BMW 335i

[mac 2005]

Have you tried Cars.com? The site has a "lifestyle" search option (link: http://www.cars.com/go/criteriaSearch/lifestyles.jsp) that allows you to search for vehicles based on your budget, how you plan to use it, etc. It will show you all the vehicles that match what you're looking for, so you'll see some stuff you might not have thought of--or even known about.

[stonyc]

Have you tried Cars.com? The site has a "lifestyle" search option (link: http://www.cars.com/go/criteriaSearch/lifestyles.jsp) that allows you to search for vehicles based on your budget, how you plan to use it, etc. It will show you all the vehicles that match what you're looking for, so you'll see some stuff you might not have thought of--or even known about.Oh cool, I'll give that a try.

I personally like the IS too.. but think it might be too "sporty" for my mom.

I think FWD or AWD would be optimal, considering the Michigan winters.

I'll check out the Acura and BMW sites now..

Thanks for the suggestions so far, appreciate it. :)

[quagmire]

Oh cool, I'll give that a try.

I personally like the IS too.. but think it might be too "sporty" for my mom.

I think FWD or AWD would be optimal, considering the Michigan winters.

I'll check out the Acura and BMW sites now..

Thanks for the suggestions so far, appreciate it. :)

The IS is RWD so that will rule it out. It is basically a smaller RWD ES. I would then recommend the BMW 328xi. The 335i doesn't have xDrive yet( BMW's AWD system). I am sure though the 328xi will be more then enough for your mom.

[sysiphus]

Why not the new S80?

[stonyc]

Why not the new S80?She's not opposed to it at all, but like I mentioned briefly before, although she loved the car overall she had some minor issues with the engine... so she's open to other ideas.

[Phat Elvis]

Infiniti M.

A beautiful car, you can get all wheel drive, and it crushed all comers in the latest consumer reports. It pains me to say all of this since I love Audis.:rolleyes:

[stonyc]

The IS is RWD so that will rule it out. It is basically a smaller RWD ES. I would then recommend the BMW 328xi. The 335i doesn't have xDrive yet( BMW's AWD system). I am sure though the 328xi will be more then enough for your mom.Well, you can get the IS in AWD.. but thanks for the tip on the 328xi, I'll definitely mention it when I talk to her next.

Right, more research on the 328xi and Acura TL.. thanks for the help so far. :)

[Jasonbot]

Mercedes Benz is awesome!

Subaru is also cool is you want power, loads of it, and the whole Japanese thing with AWD and all.

[Chrismcfall]

Is there a 4WD Audi cheaper than the RS4? The rs4 is nice, but is about £50,000 ish:eek: How about a 3/5 series estate?
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http://tuningnews.blogsome.com/images/KWBMW3erkl.jpg

5 (bit too big to attach)
http://www.bmwworld.com/pics/5er/13782_1024.jpg

[Roy Hobbs]

[QUOTE=Chrismcfall;3486424]Is there a 4WD Audi cheaper than the RS4? The rs4 is nice, but is about £50,000 ish:eek: How about a 3/5 series estate?
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QUOTE]

ALL Audi's are available with AWD

[Chrismcfall]

Aha. I say take a look at an a4 then. Or an a6. If she wants to stick with Volvo, the new s40 looks nice.

[Veritas&Equitas]

Well, even though I'm partial to foreign cars as well, the Chrysler 300c is a sick looking sedan, especially if you put the Bentley grill on the front...it's a sick car! And this whole setup for under $40k!

http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/427/52290997gj2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Chrismcfall]

Beaut. What can $40K get you with an Audi/Beamer?

I'm partial to a Ford Mondeo myself. Looks much better than it's soon to be replacement.

http://images.scotsman.com/2005/11/09/09road.jpg

[Veritas&Equitas]

Beaut. What can $40K get you with an Audi/Beamer?

I'm partial to a Ford Mondeo myself. Looks much better than it's soon to be replacement.

Now, look at the difference between your Mondeo and the 300c I posted, looks-wise it's like comparing a Kia to a Benz!

[dpaanlka]

She's not opposed to it at all, but like I mentioned briefly before, although she loved the car overall she had some minor issues with the engine... so she's open to other ideas.

The new S80 is amazing. It's new, as in all-new for 2007. This would be a hard car to beat, especially in the price range.

http://www.automarkt.li/bilder/news/P2006_1008.jpg

http://www.automarkt.li/bilder/news/P2006_1007.jpg

[Chrismcfall]

I don't even see the 300c in england at all most of the time! I'm not actually that good with US cars anyway. What Bmw can be got for the price of the 300c then?

[dpaanlka]

$40,000 will get you a gorgeous but severely underpowered 328xi.

[Chrismcfall]

I like the 1 range in the UK, but you're really just paying for the privilege of a beamer. Would a Golf Gti do the job stonyc?

[sarcosis]

While my Integra was in the shop, the Acura Dealer lent me a TSX for two days. I have to say, that is the best car i've driven. It drives nice, leather seats, GPS. Good amount of bells and whistles. The Acura TL is better, so i can only imagine what it would be like. But i've been satisfied by Acura's. You get the power and the suspention of sportier cars. Check out Subaru as well. Their legacy line is nice as well. This years model features different performance level swich. Check out the Subaru Legacy as well.

[dpaanlka]

While my Integra was in the shop, the Acura Dealer lent me a TSX for two days. I have to say, that is the best car i've driven.

Then you obviously have never driven an S80, or many other European luxury cars.

[true777]

I would recommend Mercedes E-class (or all-new 2008 C-class), BMW 5-series, Audi A6, or Volvo S80.

All would be phenomenal cars at still reasonable price points that are elegant for a middle-aged lady.

If she's open to a coupe she might want to check out the BRAND NEW 2008 Audi A5.

[NightFlight]

She's not opposed to it at all, but like I mentioned briefly before, although she loved the car overall she had some minor issues with the engine... so she's open to other ideas.

Almost all Volvos tend to be reliability nightmares. The new S80 has an all new 3.2 V6 which hasn't gotten positive reviews, or a pretty nice Yamaha developed V8.

I would say check out Acura too. Great cars, bulletproof reliability, and insane resale value. All have FWD, or AWD too which is good for winter :)

[Sun Baked]

I would recommend Mercedes E-class (or all-new 2008 C-class), BMW 5-series, Audi A6, or Volvo S80.

All would be phenomenal cars at still reasonable price points that are elegant for a middle-aged lady.

If she's open to a coupe she might want to check out the BRAND NEW 2008 Audi A5.

The Mercedes diesels may be worth a look.

[dpaanlka]

I would say check out Acura too.

If we're talking about Volvos and BMWs and Mercedes-Benz, Acura is just about the most boring recommendation you could have made.

[devilot]

- she's been happy with Japanese brands in the past (Toyota, Nissan in particular) and wouldn't mind going back

The number one contender right now, given those conditions and knowing how/where she drives is the Lexus ES.

If we're talking about Volvos and BMWs and Mercedes-Benz, Acura is just about the most boring recommendation you could have made. Um, that's just it--- you were talking about those cars, look at the cars the OP wrote about in his first post and later on. :rolleyes:

OP, when I read your post I immediately thought of Acura as well. Definitely wouldn't hurt to go and check out the dealership, give a few models a test drive. That said, nothing wrong w/ a Lexus, either. ;)

[Counterfit]

If you look at Subarus, check out the Legacy 2.5i Limited, or 2.5GT for more power.

The Lexus LS takes 207 feet to stop from 70MPH. That's the same as a Lincoln Navigator. The Audi A8L does he same in 171 feet.

[dpaanlka]

Um, that's just it--- you were talking about those cars, look at the cars the OP wrote about in his first post and later on.

The Lexus is still way better than Acura. What a yawner all those cars are, have you ever driven one?

[devilot]

The Lexus is still way better than Acura. What a yawner all those cars are, have you ever driven one?Mm hmm. My uncle's TSX. For the record, he loves BMWs, he's owned over four or five of 'em. But he loves absolutely loves the TSX. (And for the OP, he's also owned Volvos, older Acuras, and BMWs).

Remember, the car is for the OP's mom. And she has already shown interest in a Lexus, she isn't looking for a super "fun" or "sporty" car. She's looking for luxury. Acuras manage to be luxurious without being pretentious, that's part of the appeal of them to me.

And, please remember, not everyone expects, wants, or needs the same driving experience. What you deem "yawnable" others may love, and what others deem "yawnable" you might love.

[blitzkrieg79]

I would go with what the most are saying and recommend BMW 3 series (they offer a 4 year free maintenance which will pretty much cover even the worn out break pads), and don't just look at HP numbers to see which car is the fastest, there is more to actual car performance than HP (there is also the wieght of the car, suspension, AWD system, weight distribution) and it's something that most Americans don't realize.

Anyway, as far as Infiniti (nicely dressed up Nissan), Acura (nicely dressed up Honda), and the glorified Lexus (nicely dressed up Toyota) just don't have the sex-appeal of their European counterparts, they always just imitate and never innovate.

[savar]

u shoul take a look at the new audi's they are sooooooooooooo nice this year, acura is making really nice cars too

Audi R8...mwahaha

[dpaanlka]

Anyway, as far as Infiniti (nicely dressed up Nissan), Acura (nicely dressed up Honda), and the glorified Lexus (nicely dressed up Toyota) just don't have the sex-appeal of their European counterparts, they always just imitate and never innovate.

Especially Acura. Those are just cheap cars with leather seats trying to pass as luxury cars.

[cycocelica]

I would suggest the IS 250 AWD. It looks really good and is super reliable. Plus my mom has the 350 and it doesnt have the power it should, so I would assume the 250 AWD wouldn't be a race car.

My good friend just got a brand new BMW 335i in december (spoiled bastard) and he is already having problems with it. BMW's have always been a problem with my family and the people I know who own them.

Acura TSX is a good option too.

[grumpy]

Jaguar XJ
BMW 5 series
BMW 335i

I just picked up a 2006 X-Type. Drives well, plenty of performance for my commute. Dressed up Mondeo? Maybe. But I like it. The teething problems of the earlier X-Types appear to be solved.

Of course, the XJ is nicer, but I didn't want to shell out that kind of cash. I didn't want the BMW3/MB C class simply because the parking lot is full of them. Same for the Japanese brands.

[stonyc]

I had a chat with her today and these were her (paraphrased) responses:

BMW/Jaguar was "too much" (not sure how to explain this, but it wasn't in reference to the price... more to do with the brand I think).

Audi... indifferent, didn't know too much about them.

Volvo S80, mentioned again how much she loved her old one.

Lexus IS/ES... very interested.

Acura TL... again, very interested.

So basically it seems like it will come down to if she wants to try something new (Acura/Lexus) or go with an old favorite (Volvo). Going to take her to an Acura and Lexus dealership this Saturday and perhaps take a couple for a spin.

Thanks again for all the suggestions... I'll update you all on how things end up and post some pictures. It's kind of fun spending other people's money.. :)

[dpaanlka]

So basically it seems like it will come down to if she wants to try something new (Acura/Lexus) or go with an old favorite (Volvo). Going to take her to an Acura and Lexus dealership this Saturday and perhaps take a couple for a spin.

Don't forget, the Volvo S80 is all new and different this year, so be sure to test that out too.

[Sun Baked]

Don't forget, the Volvo S80 is all new and different this year, so be sure to test that out too.

Also the Mazda-based fords, haven't been too polluted by Ford yet either.

The Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan/Lincoln MKZ should also be a decent winter vehicle.

The Mercury is likely aimed more at the womens market.

Not quite as nice and refined as the Volvo, but the people who got the Fusion AWD thought they did great in the winter.

Sort of sucks that there are only crossover versions of this from Ford, instead of the sport wagon that Mazda offers.

[sushi]

A paid for car is the best car to have! ;)

Would suggest that you start with the maximum price, see what is available, then looking at whatever criteria your mom feels important rate each car.

[NightFlight]

I would suggest the IS 250 AWD. It looks really good and is super reliable. Plus my mom has the 350 and it doesnt have the power it should, so I would assume the 250 AWD wouldn't be a race car.


I hope you are kidding around, or I call BS... Your moms IS350 doesn't have the power it SHOULD? Multiple car magazines have gotten it to run 0-60 in less than 5.5 seconds, one even posted a 4.9. I certainly wouldn't call that slow, and neither would anyone else especially seeing as how it is a automatic V6.

Don't forget that a few years ago a C5 Corvette with 350HP was running high 4 second 0-60 times, same goes for some of the earlier 996 911's.