What kind of car should I get?

[rangisrovus19]

So I'm looking at 04 Acura TLs, bmw 3 series coupe (preferably) and sedans, or infiniti g35s.

anyone have any experience with any of these and have some pros/cons they would like to share?

 

[Phil Ayesho]

The biggest question is what you will use that car for.
If you need a sitable back seat the BMW3 is a nice ride.

the M3 is astounding. one of the most balanced cars made in terms of speed, handling, comfort etc.
If you want a pretty hot performance coupe, the G35 with the 250 horse engine is Great, but you want to test drive the version that had active rear steering ( otherwise it tends to hop thru corners at high speed.)

I have not driven the Acura...

But one car you don't list that you might want to give a test drive is the Audi TT-S.

If you plan on a car with a "tiptronic" style transmission then you owe yourself a test drive of the TT.

Of the 3- BMW, G32, and TT... the DSG or "S-tronic" transmission is vastly superior.

There are two types of Auto/manual transmissions... the G35's is a "tiptronic" which is a 5 or 6 speed automatic transmission that you can manually push thru the gears via the stick.
But Tiptronics have a torque converter and are somewhat mushy.

Then there are the TRUE auto clutch manual transmissions. These have an actual clutch that is servo controled mounted on a true 6 speed manual gearbox.
Mercedes. Porsche, and BMW all offered one... But they all suffered from the same problem, indecisive, laggy shifting.
Seriously- the BMW full auto trans performs far better than their autoshift manual.


Audi, however, fields the Real solution... a six speed gearbox hooked to TWO servo clutches. One for 1st, 3rd, and 5th... the other for 2nd, 4th, and 6th.

As you are accelerating along in 3rd, the alternate clutch is already preselected for 4th- at the shift point, one clutch just lets go as the other clutch engages... Smooth as silk.
You can saw thru the gears manually via the shift... but even better are the paddle shifters on the steering wheel.
Or in rush hour traffic, just let the car shift in full auto.
I love driving... and I can say that I do not miss a clutch pedal one bit. The performance and speed of the Audi DSG is superior to even the best stick.

Audi's twin clutch transmission is so phenomenal that its the transmission on the 1000 hp Bugatti Veyron , and Porsche has decided to shitcan its previous auto clutch trans and have Audi develop a 7 speed DSG for them.

Add to the DSG transmission Audi's excellent quattro drive system, and you have a driving experience that is amazing.

Some folks LIKE drifting thru a turn, but to me that is just a narrowly avoided loss of control.
With a quattro I don't spin tires, don't have my rear drive pointing the car... And I can do things in rain no BMW or Porsche driver can even dream of.

I loved the G35 coupe, especially the body styling of the pre-2008 models... but in the final analysis, it has a trunk... and I needed more versatile storage than that.

I loved the Cayman, but it was over priced and had no real usable storage space at all.

The TT won me over with its Hatch back versatility, its astounding transmission, and its quattro stability.
If you have never driven one... I recommend it highly.

 

[2322]

The maintenance costs on a BMW are horrendous. I'd got with Infiniti myself as the G35 is a true sleeper, huge bang for the buck, and likely has the best maintenance rating.

 

[Phil Ayesho]

They say BMW stands for Bavarian Money Waster.


The G35 coupe is a beautiful car.... definitely my second choice.... but I would rather have the manual than their tiptronic mushbox

 

[pym]

I guess i'd be wasting my time suggesting a car made by the big 3. 'OUR' economy and industry could use your money. My Ford has been very good to me.

 

[nwarluvs2jo]

I've been a loyal Honda /Acura owner until recently, and my first thought would be to go for the TL, but the G35 owners I've talked to all rave about their car. If you can handle the maintenance cost on the BMW and you're more into driving, the BMW would be my pick. Watch out on the '04 and even some of the '05 TL for weird dash problems, (a greyish almost powderlike coating that shows up). The leather in the TL isn't the best either. I really wish they would bring back a proper Legend again.....

I would go and test drive all 3 and see what you like best. Should be able to get some killer deals right now.

 

[Phil Ayesho]

I guess i'd be wasting my time suggesting a car made by the big 3. 'OUR' economy and industry could use your money. My Ford has been very good to me.

I would if GM, Ford or Chrysler had the brains to make some of the cars they offer in Europe available here.

Unfortunately, while foreign car makers have kept their focus on eeking performance out of smaller engines... the big 3 have focused on larger and bulkier engines and larger and bulkier cars.

Chryslers design team deserves accolades for the Charger, the 300 and some other really stylish looking models... but they are uniformly large and heavy and yield horrible mileage.

GM came out with the Solstice... which was a gorgeous little roadster... but in typical GM fashion they underpowered the car, mostly because they have invested so little in higher performance small block engines.

Audi's new TT-S squeezes 135 hp per liter out of their 2 liter engines while American companies putz along with 90 hp per liter out of their hemis.

The new mustang is a helluva good looking car... but its big, bigger than it needs to be for the job it does. It takes a 5 liter monster to move it with any zip.

 

[Rikter8]

What about the new Pontiac G8. Buy one, then turbocharge it for good measure.
The efficiency will be much better, you'll have around 600hp, and walk all over BMW, Mercedees, and Acura's, for a fraction of the price, even with the turbo.

Not to mention the durability of a Gen IV LS V8, and rear wheel drive 6 speed transmission to channel all that torque.

The looks are very similar to a M series coupe from BMW as that's who they were targeting.

 

[pym]

Perhaps my friend......but an automobile is just something i commute back and forth with. I've never seen an auto that i've owned as defining who i am. Well maybe my 67 camaro.....but that was long ago. And really, the cars i've seen listed here are pretty much lifestyle cars. I've lived in so.cal. too for a period. I well remember sitting stuck in traffic on a daily basis. In those conditions, at my age......a comfortable seat and good fuel economy rule the day. My Ford Ranger with it's 4 cylinder get's er done.

 

[Rikter8]

IGM came out with the Solstice... which was a gorgeous little roadster... but in typical GM fashion they underpowered the car, mostly because they have invested so little in higher performance small block engines.

Enter Hot Rod Magazine in conjunction with GM Performance Group to drop the first LS7 V8 into a solstice.
If that 500hp V8 is too much, you can always swap out the shitty 4 cylinder for an ECOTEC 4 popper, and turbocharge it.
That puny Eaton supercharger isn't worth the cost. Save the $2K option, and put it towards an aftermarket turbo kit.

I don't care for 4 cylinders just because you generally have to revv the piss out of them to get any torque or power. Over time they die a violent death (rods or wrist pins).

Brag horsepower, Drive torque.

 

[Rikter8]

My Ford Ranger with it's 4 cylinder get's er done.

Keep your eyes out for a Chevette for me. Or a 442 with T tops.

I don't think I'll ever find my 78 SE TransAm, so I have to improvise.

 

[Phil Ayesho]

What about the new Pontiac G8. Buy one, then turbocharge it for good measure.
The efficiency will be much better, you'll have around 600hp, and walk all over BMW, Mercedees, and Acura's, for a fraction of the price, even with the turbo.

Not to mention the durability of a Gen IV LS V8, and rear wheel drive 6 speed transmission to channel all that torque.

The looks are very similar to a M series coupe from BMW as that's who they were targeting.

The G8 is heavy, with a lot of roll. RWD V8 engines are fine for straight line acceleration, but throw one into a series of high G turns and and they are pigs.
Turbgocharging does not help, because being able to spin the rear wheels gets you nothing but new tires. And fatter rear tires to try and USE some of that power, just means you will hydroplane like a catamaran when the road gets the least bit wet....
Not to mention the gas bill of boosting compression on an 8 cylinder engine.

Its not merely horsepower... I routinely clip past much higher horsepower cars with my measely 250 horses... because a massive engine does you no good if you can't effectively transfer those horses into the road.
4, wide, grippy tires, two of them steering, puts a lot more thrust on the asphalt and with far better control than two Rear tires alone.

Power to weight does not tell you how well that power translates into thrust.


nah- gimme 4 wide grippy directionals, two of them steering, all putting power into the road... thru the fastest, most sophisticated transmission ever built...And all I need is enough horsepower that the torque can't quite overwhelm the 4 way grip.

 

[2322]

Phil's right. Which is why my measly Forester leaves red light racers shocked with its 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds and it also zips through corners without complaint. I lose muscle cars in the twisties without much effort. I also stay on the road in all kinds of weather. Just today I went out to get some things and my driveway wasn't plowed. My driveway is a living nightmare of hairpin curves rising 300 feet with one section at a 45 degree incline. I went up and down without a single slide whereas the plow guy couldn't get beyond the first two turns. He was slipping all over the place.

 

[omgiswatdeysay]

Phil's right. Which is why my measly Forester leaves red light racers shocked with its 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds and it also zips through corners without complaint. I lose muscle cars in the twisties without much effort. I also stay on the road in all kinds of weather. Just today I went out to get some things and my driveway wasn't plowed. My driveway is a living nightmare of hairpin curves rising 300 feet with one section at a 45 degree incline. I went up and down without a single slide whereas the plow guy couldn't get beyond the first two turns. He was slipping all over the place.

Your Subaru Forester has a naught to 60 time of 4.7 seconds...? Dream the fuck on, thats Porsche territory. Thats nearly as fast as my bike from a 2nd gear slow roll.

Enter Hot Rod Magazine in conjunction with GM Performance Group to drop the first LS7 V8 into a solstice.
If that 500hp V8 is too much, you can always swap out the shitty 4 cylinder for an ECOTEC 4 popper, and turbocharge it.
That puny Eaton supercharger isn't worth the cost. Save the $2K option, and put it towards an aftermarket turbo kit.

I don't care for 4 cylinders just because you generally have to revv the piss out of them to get any torque or power. Over time they die a violent death (rods or wrist pins).

Brag horsepower, Drive torque.

4 cylinders die a violent death? Since when? In the entire history of the automotive world, 4 cylinder engines have been the most durable engines..ever. Furthermore...theres never ever been a supercharger on a solstice or sky. They come equipped with a dual scroll turbo charged ECOTEC I-4.


Sorry, I'm in shit startin mode tonight.

 

[2322]

My mistake. I should have emphasized that the spec I quoted is not stock. It has modded exhaust, up pipe, downpipe, short-throw shift, and STi turbo and IC. There are zero appearance mods on it.

Sorry. Didn't mean to confuse.

 

[Phil Ayesho]

Well, I can't say As I am a huge fan of turbocharged engines... but neither do the high performance 4s die violent deaths... far more often that I see big block 8s getting blown, burnt or busted...

The new TTs have a 2.0 turbo that develops 268 hp.... and it goes like a rocket... But I have never been a fan of the uneven thrust.


I tend to agree that hp must be in balance with low end torque.... after all its torque that overcomes inertia.

For that reason I say fuck the 4's AND the 8s... gimme a high performance 6.
I am overwhelmingly happy with the 3.2 liter narrow angle 6 in my 05 TT.
Heavier than the 4, but the torque makes up all the difference.

 

[2322]

Well, I can't say As I am a huge fan of turbocharged engines... but neither do the high performance 4s die violent deaths... far more often that I see big block 8s getting blown, burnt or busted...

The new TTs have a 2.0 turbo that develops 268 hp.... and it goes like a rocket... But I have never been a fan of the uneven thrust.


I tend to agree that hp must be in balance with low end torque.... after all its torque that overcomes inertia.

For that reason I say fuck the 4's AND the 8s... gimme a high performance 6.
I am overwhelmingly happy with the 3.2 liter narrow angle 6 in my 05 TT.
Heavier than the 4, but the torque makes up all the difference.

I'm not a fan of the narrow angle 6s as I worry about their durability given their history of flying apart in the Corrado. Granted that was their debut and I'm sure VW has improved it, but it's not for me.

The 3.5 liter twin turbo BMW engine is supposed to be amazing; automotive journalists say it's one of the best 6s ever made. I did get to drive an Alfa with their legendary wonderfully free-revving V6 and that was a load of fun. I've never driven a 911 though. I'd like to someday.

 

[omgiswatdeysay]

I tend to agree that hp must be in balance with low end torque.... after all its torque that overcomes inertia.

Horsepower sells cars...TORQUE wins races..

 

[B_hardasarokkk]

I thought all you redneck Okies drove chevy pickups with the optional gun rack in the back window!!!

 

[Phil Ayesho]

I'm not a fan of the narrow angle 6s as I worry about their durability given their history of flying apart in the Corrado. Granted that was their debut and I'm sure VW has improved it, but it's not for me.

The 3.5 liter twin turbo BMW engine is supposed to be amazing; automotive journalists say it's one of the best 6s ever made. I did get to drive an Alfa with their legendary wonderfully free-revving V6 and that was a load of fun. I've never driven a 911 though. I'd like to someday.

The 911 is a blast... its mid/rear engine over its rear drive gives the car a terrific balance... but you do tend to steer the car with the gas pedal more than the wheel on high speed turns... and I hate that shit. All you need to do when driving like that is hit some gravel, sand or water and you can eat shit big time.


The BMW 6 is great. But, again with the turbos... I would prefer the low end torque of a normally aspirated engine over the high revving lurch of a turbo. To get performance you are constantly keeping the engine revving high to maintain boost... high wear and short life...

The narrow angle 6 in the GTIs and TTs is not turbocharged.... its normally aspirated. The ones used in the 2004 and 5 GTIs and TTs are rock solid, and can fit places other 6's can not.
My Audi mechanic says their 3.2 6 is one of the most durable engines Audi fields. Far less troublesome than any of their fours. Although for reasons of meeting fuel economy standards they are focusing more on their turbo 4s.

The New TT has a mixed aluminum and steel body/frame that, with the lighter turbo 4 up front, yields some pretty impressive perfomance and a near perfect power balance spread over the AWD layout. It compares favorably with the Cayman.

But, seriously.... engines, AWD, power and torque... all great stuff... but until you have driven a DSG equipped car... you have no idea how critical a component the transmission can be.

The DSG executes flawless shifts with engine revs perfectly matched going up or down, in less than a tenth of a second.
Its drive by wire, the throttle, speed, g forces and load on each drive shaft are factored into the shifting schedule to determine the ideal shift. But the computer controls the actual fuel to the engine...

Slipped into Sport mode, the DSG delays upshifts to the very edge of the redline, and downshifts to keep engine revs over 2800 in the sweet spot of the power band....
If, for any reason, I am unhappy with any gear the computer has chosen, A tap on the paddle shifter puts the car into the gear I want in a tenth of a second, automatically blipping the throttle to match engine revs and maintain power.

I can floor the gas pedal and you can not even FEEL the car shift thru all 6 gears in less than 5 seconds. continuous uninterrupted power.

And yet in normal driving, the DSG tries to keep engine revs as low as possible to maximize fuel economy. I get a solid 26 on the highway.

I CAN'T blow up this engine because the DSG, even in manual mode, will perform protective shifts, keeping the engine at or below redline, and absolutely preventing the engine from being in a gear that would lug.
The result is a car tuned to run right at its limits, but prevent you from damaging it in the throes of enthusiasm.

I have beat far faster cars in a straight line peel simply because they actually DO pEEEEL- liquifying rear tires rather than actually accelerating... or, more commonly, because no matter how slick a short throw they think they have mastered, they simply can not shift as perfectly as the DSG can in Sport mode.

But where it really matters is in the twists and turns of rally driving. In sport mode the DSG perfectly keeps the engine in the powerband without any attention from me, the EPS system keeps the car straight and pointed where you want it to go, and all I have to focus on is the steering, and braking.

That lack of distraction, that certainty that I will never over-rev nor lug the engine at any point... that flawlessness in perfomance makes me look like a far better driver than I really am.
And it protects the running gear of the car from being overtaxed.

DSG rules... Porsche knows it... that's why they are switching over.
And BMW and Mercedes knows it too... they have discontinued their SMG systems to develop their own dual clutch servo.

Seriously, TRY one, if you like turbos, and like the utility of the forester...I suggest test driving an Audi S3 with the 2.0T direct injection engine and the DSG.