Audi power train is much tighter than the is (it’s German), but that cat is tight of you don’t care about that (literally as well, if you’re much over 6" it would be cramped).
im not a huge performance guy (respect and like it) but comfort and styling take precedence to me and my personal preference is for the is (unless you get the s4 appearance or total pack - then the Audi wins).
how’s Audi reliability these days? It used to be scary
The Lexus ES used to be based on the Camry. The newest generation, however, is based on the Toyota Avalon. The latest ES also went up by a size class: it’s now a full size car, like the Avalon. The Lexus GS is a mid size car - it’s one class size smaller than the ES. Market positioning is also significantly different between these two cars. The ES starts at $36k and the GS starts at $47k. The ES is meant for people who are upgrading from Toyotas - typically old people who have driven Camrys or something and want something better now. Hence the relatively reasonable price. The GS is a full on competitor to BMW 5 Series, Audi A6 etc., and it is priced accordingly.
Audi reliability is much better than it used to be, particularly for models like the A4, which share parts with VW. It’s easier to maintain quality if you make the same engine for millions of cars.
Awesomest luxury car? Ford F-150 Platinum. All the bsd’s in midland have one.
On the flipside, whats the douchiest economy/midsize vehicle out there? Say I wanna make a statement with my drive without spending the cash on it.
.
If by statement you mean the douchiest in the worst possible way: VW Golf with hellaflush mods and a massive roof rack.
+1 if it has stolen Bentley Continental GT wheels on it.
Test drove the IS 350, A4 and S4 over lunch today. s4 hands down. Took all my will power not to buy it on the spot.
I remember taking the elevator up after parking in my company’s garage (very expensive rates) with my MD at the time. Nice guy but he gave me the look “who do you think you are parking with the execs”. I winked at him and stared at his dunkin donuts bag with the look of “who do you think you are eating donuts”. He was beyond obese.
If i had the money I would have bought either a s5 or an A7
I lol’d, this is spot on. I do like the look of a classic BMW stanced and restored - but the hellaflush craze has hellajumpedtheshark.
Prius
The Prius is a polarizing case in terms of doucheness. On one hand, it is a genuinely practical, comfortable and well engineered car. Getting 50 mpg is great - you barely have to go to the gas station. Many engineers buy Priuses because the car is useful and well designed. The problem is that the Prius has also become the favored conveyence of the Al Gore movement, whose members believe their buying any kind of new car can somehow be an environmentally friendly action. Those nickel hydride batteries use energy to be produced. Considering manufacturing energy costs, many economy cars still have a smaller footprint than the Prius.
Other than that, it’s hard to associate many non-expensive cars with being a douche, since the price range generally excludes most people who value outward appearance over the primary purpose of transportation. However, I will submit for consideration:
Mitsubishi Lancer, particularly for people who buy it because it looks like an Evo
Anything made by Dodge
Anything made by Mini
SMART anything
Honda CR-Z
Scion
The box car by Honda
The chipmunk commercial car
great submissions, and the Golf description is hilarious. I would also like to point out a strong candidate - Hyundai Genesis with no front-grille logo. WTF? I spoke to a BSD-wanna-be recently who works at a fund-of-funds and he shared that his Hyundai gets often mistaken for an S-class by impressionable newbs… I felt like slapping that douche right there on the spot.
The Chrystler (spelling) 300 with no logo so it looks like a Bentley
True story: one time I was driving down the highway when there was a Smartcar pulled off to the shoulder. A man was on the phone about 30 feet away from the car, presumably calling for help. As I approached the car I noticed that it was smoking. Then, without warning, it exploded with flames shooting up in the air so hot that I could feel intense heat through my window from the left lane. Fortunately the driver was far enough away to avoid injury, but I’m sure he did not feel very Smart™.
Do they make them that way, or are you talking about a custom modification? The Hyundai Genesis sedan is available without logo at dealerships, catering to the subsegment of the douche market without deep pockets
My general perception has been that people buy the Hyundai Genesis, despite its “brand handicap”, because it actually is a pretty good car for the money. If you were to buy a car based solely on intrinsic value, the Genesis would be a good choice. With that being said, it is pretty well established that the Genesis is designed to look like cars from other companies - Mercedes Benz in particular. Keep in mind that the Genesis (as well as the Hyundai Equus) is designed primarily for the South Korean market, and copying other people is not as frowned upon over there as it is in the US. The lack of Hyundai badging on the car is intentional and is meant to distance the Genesis from lesser Hyundai models. I don’t know why Hyundai did not just create a luxury brand altogether, just like what Toyota did with Lexus.
I don’t know if they make them that way, but I’ve definitely seen them with custom grills and aftermarket rims/paintjob to make it seem like it.
I like the new Ford Fusion – definitely not doucey and at the 40k price point you can get a supped up hybrid version instead of a bare bones Audi / Benz / BMW. But, to each his own, if it’s the first time in your life you can comfortably afford a German car you always wanted I wouldn’t worry about what your co-workers think. I think you’re over thinking your car’s impact on your career, unless you drive to work in the batmobile or a re-commissioned back to the future delereon I don’t think it will matter.