I am graduating in less than 8 weeks and will be looking to replace my 2003 TL Type-S. Before anyone says not to buy a car after graduation, I have been in a internship for 2 years as a DoD contractor. That internship has turned into a well paying full-time job and I do not have any student loans. The cars I have been looking at for the past few months have been all over the spectrum and I am trying to narrow them down. I would like a car that is fun to drive and still gets decent mpg on the hwy. The cars that I have been eyeing are the '12 TL SH-AWD (going to test drive a manual on Monday), Chrysler 300s awd, G37x sedan, Charger awd, and as the odd ball, the Mustang GT premium (maybe a vert). Anything else I should consider or any thoughts? Also, the car has to get at least 25 mpg on the hwy.

 

Where are you going to be commuting to?

If you're staying in the Baltimore Area, a manual would be ok. If you're driving into DC or NoVA, I have a feeling a stick is going to get really old.

I say this as someone who lives near Ft Meade and drives to DC and Reston from time to time. Rush hour in a manual really sucks.

 

Going to working on Ft. Meade and will probably be living in the Laurel or Odenton area.

 

Out of that list, I'd take the 300.

...but a Taurus SHO would be

 

Charger, huh? Just make sure it's the SRT8

 

If the Charger is a R/T, then that's my vote.

 

It would be, probably the R/T Max in AWD.

 

Awesome! I love the G37x as well but the interior is a bit cramped.

 

How much room do you need? How much power?

 

Room is not a huge concern. Room for 4 adults would be nice, which eliminates the Mustang. More than 300 hp power wise, but I am not looking for SRT8 or V series kind of power. I want to still get decent MPG.

 

Can anyone tell me how well the awd system in the 300 and the Charger works in comparison to the TL?

 

I'd get the G37x or Mustang GT, although I'm not sure if the 5.0 get's over 25 mpg highway. I test drove one and fell in love, it's a beast! The interior is decent but as soon as you push that pedal you don't care about that anymore

 

According to Ford, the GT with a manual gets 26 mpg. Not to shabby

 

Yep, a lot of torque and a tall overdrive will do it.

 

But then the whole 4 passenger thing kinda kills it.

 

TL 6MT, S4, 335 xdrive

 

I would love a S4, just don't want to pay the money for it lol

 

I'm guessing your budget is $40k? You can get a CPO 2010 at that price. The E90's are also being discounted heavily since the F30 is out now.

 

I was thinking the same thing. 2009 M3 or 2010 S4 ...

Maybe a C63 sedan =o

 

Good luck getting 25 mpg highway

 

Mustang, 300, or Charger.

 

You're all over the place with that list

But I was very impressed when I test drove a 300s on a AutoX course last year. The charger will be similar...but the rides will be different. Luxury vs Sport. I like them both.

 

Alight, over the past 3 days I have driven the CTS 3.6 AWD Performance, Acura TL SH-AWD 6 Speed manual, and a G37X coupe w/ nav, performance, and sport pkg. Here are my impressions:

Cadillac CTS:

Good
-Interior fit and finish is great
-Heated steering wheel and ventilated seats were awesome
-Ride quality was a good mix of sport and luxury
-Quiet ride and the engine was smooth

Bad
-Very heavy, did not feel like 318 HP
-Seats are crap, no bolstering, felt like I was going to slide out in a corner.

Acura TL

Good
-The manual transforms this car into a real treat to drive
-Great, smooth, and linear power delivery
-Features and fit/finish for the price was the best of the three
-Cheapest of the group

Bad
-Steering was a little light
-No readily available

Infiniti G37x

Good
-Great engine and plenty of power
-Seats where great and the adjustable bolsters were a nice touch
-Navigation worked well

Bad
-The 7-speed transmission was crap, it was shifting all the time and seemed bulky
-fit and finish was just OK for a car of its price point
-Gets pricey, the car was 50k with the 3 packages

So it out of the three, the TL was the winner hands down. It was the most fun to drive, the cheapest, and had just as many features as its competitors.

 

Would your opinion change if you could get a 6-speed manual G37?

 

What were the sticker pricing for each? Any discount?

If you like the TL the most after test driving each, you should purchase that one!

 

In AWD? Then I would consider it, but the price would come into play as well.

 

The Cadillac's msrp was 52k, the Acura was 43k, and the Infiniti was a hair over 49k.

 

Gotcha. Do you plan on test driving the Charger, 300, and Mustang?

 

Wow.. the TL is much cheaper then.

Good luck.

 

Glad to see the TL can still compete.

 

Tl

 

Yeah I probably will, I need to look at everything so that I know I made an educated decision.

 

Does anyone know how the manual TL will fair in resale value compared to its automatic counterpart? Will the auto have a higher resale value?