Is there an American car that you would buy?
01-26-2006, 06:39 AM
#71
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 753
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by mns2k,Jan 25 2006, 01:58 PM
We have never stayed with one car model or make due to it being a domestic or import. It has always been what is available, what do we need, what can we afford.
I traded the S in for a C6 Vette (Had looked at the Boxter S but by comparison the Vette was a better value). I have been very pleased with the fit and finish of the car. It has lots of electronic toys but, no more than the Lexus or Infinity would have. While I have had it for only two months there have been no issues either mechanical, electrical or performance. Yes, the MSRP is twice the S but, it is one of the best American cars I have owned. Very solid. No squeaks or rattles (it is a convertible with the power top). The S was very reliable and other than all the TSB's which were long trips back to the dealer it was great.
I consider myself lucky in that I have never owned a car that has been a lemon or that has required a number of trips to the dealer for warrantee repairs. Even the Vega and Chevette I owned ran well.
I traded the S in for a C6 Vette (Had looked at the Boxter S but by comparison the Vette was a better value). I have been very pleased with the fit and finish of the car. It has lots of electronic toys but, no more than the Lexus or Infinity would have. While I have had it for only two months there have been no issues either mechanical, electrical or performance. Yes, the MSRP is twice the S but, it is one of the best American cars I have owned. Very solid. No squeaks or rattles (it is a convertible with the power top). The S was very reliable and other than all the TSB's which were long trips back to the dealer it was great.
I consider myself lucky in that I have never owned a car that has been a lemon or that has required a number of trips to the dealer for warrantee repairs. Even the Vega and Chevette I owned ran well.
Opened up door with elec dr latch. Closed door, tried to adust seat.(battery went dead in process)
Then tried to get out, but couldn't because of elec dr latch
They had to open hood and charge the battery before the door latch would work.
I'm sure there is some sort of way to get out with a dead battery, but why would they even have to do something like that to begin with?
Too many bells and whistles!!!
When it comes to sports cars I think KISS is the way to go.
01-26-2006, 06:45 AM
#72
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,958
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by dlq04,Jan 26 2006, 06:19 AM
I quess it depends upon one's expectations. The combination of heated 10-way power power seats with two memory settings combined with tilt steering make for the most comfortable cockpit I've ever had. The dual-zone climate controls also add to the comfort. Toss in the Bose CD player with 8 speakers and your ears are taken care of. My interior is all black with only a sprinkling of wood on the steering wheel and door. That works just fine for me. I expect some people really want more 'interior eye candy' when sitting in a car but that would be at the bottom of my want list. The only feature I hate is the cruise contol being on the post instead of within the steering wheel hub.
However, the sunroof was replaced multiple times, the radio was replaced 2x, the tranny software was reprogrammed a few times, the engine idle software updated several times, the oil pan was replaced due to stripped threads...
What it came down to was the education of the service technicians. GM stopped offering classroom education...technicians are given DVDs or VHS tapes to watch. So your technician is only as good as the amount of time he/she spent in front of a tv!
01-26-2006, 08:36 AM
#73
Community Organizer
This is from the B6 S4 forum @ AudiWorld (this is NOT my work - a fellow S4 owner penned this)Ode to MY S4 (Why I hate the Cadillac CTS)
Car in the shop because of the dumb ass detailer
Driving a Cadillac CTS and it feels like a failure
A failure in comfort drive and appeal
I can't stand the way the entire car feels
People say driving a german car I can never go back
People are right american cars suck and that is the fact.
I miss my S4-the way she drives
The CTS makes me feel like a grandma that died
Granted the CTS is not the one with the engine of a ZO6
I see why certain people like it-old people, gangsters and guys that suck ....
So in closing i say to you THAT you are lucky to have your S Four
I will never buy an american car, no, nevermore, no nevermore.
The end.
01-26-2006, 08:59 AM
#74
Originally Posted by lig,Jan 26 2006, 01:36 PM
I see why certain people like it-old people, gangsters and guys that suck ....
01-26-2006, 09:08 AM
#75
[QUOTE=f1_fanz,Jan 26 2006, 11:45 AM] I was very spoiled by my CTS.
01-26-2006, 09:19 AM
#76
Community Organizer
You're not a gangsta?
I took a CTS-V out for a quick test drive. That thing was manly!
Big torque and hp. Not as nice as the Audi but definitely faster and more entertaining (RWD vs. AWD) in a way.
Looks are of course subjective. I drove one pretty early after the release and no discounts were available and it was too pricey IMO.
I took a CTS-V out for a quick test drive. That thing was manly!
Big torque and hp. Not as nice as the Audi but definitely faster and more entertaining (RWD vs. AWD) in a way.
Looks are of course subjective. I drove one pretty early after the release and no discounts were available and it was too pricey IMO.
01-26-2006, 10:53 AM
#77
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Denton, Texas
Posts: 4,193
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by geezer,Jan 26 2006, 09:39 AM
I looked at a C6 at my local dealer, and had a problem.
Opened up door with elec dr latch. Closed door, tried to adust seat.(battery went dead in process)
Then tried to get out, but couldn't because of elec dr latch
They had to open hood and charge the battery before the door latch would work.
I'm sure there is some sort of way to get out with a dead battery, but why would they even have to do something like that to begin with?
Too many bells and whistles!!!
When it comes to sports cars I think KISS is the way to go.
Opened up door with elec dr latch. Closed door, tried to adust seat.(battery went dead in process)
Then tried to get out, but couldn't because of elec dr latch
They had to open hood and charge the battery before the door latch would work.
I'm sure there is some sort of way to get out with a dead battery, but why would they even have to do something like that to begin with?
Too many bells and whistles!!!
When it comes to sports cars I think KISS is the way to go.
I bet the model was a manual transmission. It needs to be parked in reverse to shut off the accessories. If it is in any other gear when parked it will drain the battery 
. Also, there is ia lever on the floor beside each seat that if you pull up will release the door 
. The car has a proxsimity FOB like Lexus and Infinity. When you are close to the car it detects the signal from the Fob and unlocks the doors. There is no ignition key to start the car. The Fob works with the ignition as you get in and (go figure) push the start button.
What I did find humorous is the back up systems that GM put in the car just incase all the bells and whistles did not work. If the battery dies or your Fob in inoperable you can open the trunk with a key (its the only use for the key) pull the cable in the trunk and the doors will open. You can then put your Fob in a slot in the glove compartment to start the car (this is incase the Fob battery is dead). One of the bells and whistles features I do like is the indexing windows. When you open the door the window drops about 1/4 inch. When you close the door it goes back up. This makes the doors easier to close and, as in my case, stops the convertible top from "popping" up due to air pressure.
The car will also OD you on information such as (different digital displays to accompany all the regular gauges):
Tire pressure
Volts
Coolant temp
Oil temp
Oil pressure
Heads up display will show the number of G's you are pulling in a turn
Heads up display will show lateral lean
There are more but you get the drift.
BTW mine is the red convertiable
01-26-2006, 11:08 AM
#79
We all have opinions. My best friend has a caddy xlr. I'd kill to own it and am hoping she decides to get rid of it when it depreciates to a price I can afford. It is the ultimate in luxury with the wonderful sports car feel built in. I suppose the reason there are so many vehicle types is because we all like different things. Most of my friends think I'm crazy for driving around in what they think is little more than a skateboard. I beg to differ, but they love me anyway. 
Fortunately, despite the fact that I'm passionate about MY car, I would never try to force my opinions onto others.
Fortunately, despite the fact that I'm passionate about MY car, I would never try to force my opinions onto others.
01-26-2006, 11:37 AM
#80
Chris, both car's interiors look ok to me. As I mentioned earlier, its comfort and ergonomics that matter to me much more than looks.
Since this is my first American car in THIRTY-FIVE years I am hardly the best person to defend them.
The Audi A6 was clearly a better car for the combination of handling & ride. If my wife had her way, we'd own one but then since I was the one signing the check, she didn't win out. We both agree most of the electronic stuff they throw in any of these cars is wasted on us. I couldn't figure out how to turn off the radio in the Audi with all the computer tied in crap. Acura was on my short list but I never test drove it (let the flames begin) because it was too bland. I see they did have nice BMW copy cat (I am pretty sure it was a concept) at the Detroit Show that did catch my eye.
Even my Caddy is too confusing. Neither I nor the salesman could figure out where the control was for the dash lights. We both kept trying to find it in computer menu. While playing around with stuff I changed the lights and had no idea how I did it. Finally, I found it in the owners book. The control is up on the roof where one normally finds interior map lights.
All that aside, I like the exterior looks as well as any people hauler within my price range (while I test drove them, none of them really excited me -- BMW, Infinity, Audi, or even the new Lexus 350 which I waited for). I tested the Caddy on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. BTW mine is an '04 with two years left on the warranty that was only in the mid-20s out the door.
My experience with Cadillac is limited to a good friend who has been driving an STS and its been a very solid performer for him.
Since this is my first American car in THIRTY-FIVE years I am hardly the best person to defend them.
The Audi A6 was clearly a better car for the combination of handling & ride. If my wife had her way, we'd own one but then since I was the one signing the check, she didn't win out. We both agree most of the electronic stuff they throw in any of these cars is wasted on us. I couldn't figure out how to turn off the radio in the Audi with all the computer tied in crap. Acura was on my short list but I never test drove it (let the flames begin) because it was too bland. I see they did have nice BMW copy cat (I am pretty sure it was a concept) at the Detroit Show that did catch my eye.
Even my Caddy is too confusing. Neither I nor the salesman could figure out where the control was for the dash lights. We both kept trying to find it in computer menu. While playing around with stuff I changed the lights and had no idea how I did it. Finally, I found it in the owners book. The control is up on the roof where one normally finds interior map lights.
All that aside, I like the exterior looks as well as any people hauler within my price range (while I test drove them, none of them really excited me -- BMW, Infinity, Audi, or even the new Lexus 350 which I waited for). I tested the Caddy on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. BTW mine is an '04 with two years left on the warranty that was only in the mid-20s out the door.
My experience with Cadillac is limited to a good friend who has been driving an STS and its been a very solid performer for him.