Car Shopping....Difficult Time Deciding.
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3rd Gear
Joined: Aug 2019
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From: Seattle
Car Shopping....Difficult Time Deciding.
So, I've actually been an Acurazine member since 2003 but my password and login were apparently retired by Acurazine. So here I am now.
It's been literally 14 years since I last bought a car -- my beloved Acura TL 2006. And now it's giving trouble. I replaced the Transmission earlier this year (something people told me not to do), only to find my entire air conditioning going out just before the summer started. I took it to Acura and they wanted another $2800 to replace it. The car's value would have been surpassed if I did that along with the previous repair. So I have been looking at cars for the past 6 months and yes, I've been enduring summer with the windows open.
After an extensive search and test drive, I am down to 3 cars. However, while each has its strengths, there are also issues with each. My last test drive was this weekend. They were kind enough to let me drive the Lexus IS 300 and 350 in addition to the ES series. To be honest, I liked the IS 350 F more than I liked the ES (which is a direct competitor to the TLX). However, it still lacked the thrust that I'm used to in my current Acura. Additionally, the cockpit felt somewhat cramped. The car dealer felt uncomfortably close as we drove. Next, the Lexus AV system really appears outdated and cumbersome. I can't see myself adjusting the radio while I'm on the freeway. It was almost as if I needed a PhD to figure out how to get from one area to the next. The Safety system was very nice. I particularly liked the progressive adaptive cruise control. Yet, with all of the technology, something was missing. Additionally, the ES series seems like a modified Toyota Avalon. It is way too big with no AWD.
Next, I drove a Tesla Model 3. Easily, and I mean easily , the most interesting car I've ever driven in a long time. The ridiculously sparse cabin was actually a relief and the take off from 0-60 has to be experienced to be believed. At one time the BMW 5 series was the best car I had ever tested, but this car beat it by a landslide. I was actually set to join the ranks of the eco friendlies until I went to their forums followed by a check of over 40 youtube videos, most of them quite laudatory. However things such as build quality (trying to ensure that your particular car wasn't built in one of the summer sheds at the end of the quarter), the overhype of AutoPilot (which is actually relatively dangerous when it comes to changing lanes) made me feel as if I would be contributing to a multi billion dollar experiment in which my money is contributing to beta testing. In addition, No Apple Car Play and complete reliance on the large screen in the center of the cockpit is concerning. Despite this however, this car is still on my list because it creates for me what my Acura TL 2003 and 2006 did for me --- Excitement. !!! I literally have a 20-30 point heart rate increase when I sit in it.
I tested the TLX a few weeks ago and almost picked one up on the second test drive, but I deemed that the reason for almost doing that had more to do with the pushy sales representative than with any primordial "yes i must have this" hammer. It was on the second drive that I became more critical of the car and found out on this site that others were having the same issues. I loved the smooth ride and its ability to waltz through rain. What I didn't like was the jerking that it would intermittently do when it got past gear 7. I also disdained (and Some Lexus's do this also) the idling when the car comes to a traffic light. Can someone tell me how this saves gas? While on the subject of gas, I couldn't understand the gas mileage issue. I'm reading and saw for myself during the test drive (albeit one drive) that the car gets in the low 20's for gas mileage. My current Acura gets 25 mpg easily. and it has only a 13+ gallon tank If I do pure highway driving, it will get 30-35 mpg and it's 14 years old. And then of course I started looking at the forums. Although I don't see anything akin to build quality, I do see many are having trouble with the transmission which is giving me pause. I've also noted during the test drive that the car felt a little heavy. So I'm back to square one. I also drove the RDX, which was quite nice and powerful and questioned why this engine wasn't in the TLX. However I'm not in for a crossover or a SUV. Your thoughts on this. Have you had trouble deciding which car to buy?
Thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
It's been literally 14 years since I last bought a car -- my beloved Acura TL 2006. And now it's giving trouble. I replaced the Transmission earlier this year (something people told me not to do), only to find my entire air conditioning going out just before the summer started. I took it to Acura and they wanted another $2800 to replace it. The car's value would have been surpassed if I did that along with the previous repair. So I have been looking at cars for the past 6 months and yes, I've been enduring summer with the windows open.
After an extensive search and test drive, I am down to 3 cars. However, while each has its strengths, there are also issues with each. My last test drive was this weekend. They were kind enough to let me drive the Lexus IS 300 and 350 in addition to the ES series. To be honest, I liked the IS 350 F more than I liked the ES (which is a direct competitor to the TLX). However, it still lacked the thrust that I'm used to in my current Acura. Additionally, the cockpit felt somewhat cramped. The car dealer felt uncomfortably close as we drove. Next, the Lexus AV system really appears outdated and cumbersome. I can't see myself adjusting the radio while I'm on the freeway. It was almost as if I needed a PhD to figure out how to get from one area to the next. The Safety system was very nice. I particularly liked the progressive adaptive cruise control. Yet, with all of the technology, something was missing. Additionally, the ES series seems like a modified Toyota Avalon. It is way too big with no AWD.
Next, I drove a Tesla Model 3. Easily, and I mean easily , the most interesting car I've ever driven in a long time. The ridiculously sparse cabin was actually a relief and the take off from 0-60 has to be experienced to be believed. At one time the BMW 5 series was the best car I had ever tested, but this car beat it by a landslide. I was actually set to join the ranks of the eco friendlies until I went to their forums followed by a check of over 40 youtube videos, most of them quite laudatory. However things such as build quality (trying to ensure that your particular car wasn't built in one of the summer sheds at the end of the quarter), the overhype of AutoPilot (which is actually relatively dangerous when it comes to changing lanes) made me feel as if I would be contributing to a multi billion dollar experiment in which my money is contributing to beta testing. In addition, No Apple Car Play and complete reliance on the large screen in the center of the cockpit is concerning. Despite this however, this car is still on my list because it creates for me what my Acura TL 2003 and 2006 did for me --- Excitement. !!! I literally have a 20-30 point heart rate increase when I sit in it.
I tested the TLX a few weeks ago and almost picked one up on the second test drive, but I deemed that the reason for almost doing that had more to do with the pushy sales representative than with any primordial "yes i must have this" hammer. It was on the second drive that I became more critical of the car and found out on this site that others were having the same issues. I loved the smooth ride and its ability to waltz through rain. What I didn't like was the jerking that it would intermittently do when it got past gear 7. I also disdained (and Some Lexus's do this also) the idling when the car comes to a traffic light. Can someone tell me how this saves gas? While on the subject of gas, I couldn't understand the gas mileage issue. I'm reading and saw for myself during the test drive (albeit one drive) that the car gets in the low 20's for gas mileage. My current Acura gets 25 mpg easily. and it has only a 13+ gallon tank If I do pure highway driving, it will get 30-35 mpg and it's 14 years old. And then of course I started looking at the forums. Although I don't see anything akin to build quality, I do see many are having trouble with the transmission which is giving me pause. I've also noted during the test drive that the car felt a little heavy. So I'm back to square one. I also drove the RDX, which was quite nice and powerful and questioned why this engine wasn't in the TLX. However I'm not in for a crossover or a SUV. Your thoughts on this. Have you had trouble deciding which car to buy?
Thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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