Dave68

Check their list of auto categories, such as electrical, body hardware, etc. and you will see that their ratings on the C5 and C6 are dead-on. I've had to take my C5 in many times for things like leaky diff, faulty door lock module, column lock, horn not working, pulsating brakes, etc, etc.

In fact, every car we've owned where CR showed issues, ended up having those exact issues. (Mazda, Maxima, Quest, Monte Carlo, Accord, and Mustang) Again, it doesn't matter how much they know about cars; they are reporting data from actual owners. If you think their data is not accurate, then send them your own data. Anyone who's had a Grand Cherokee without problems for the first five years should be in the Guiness Book of World Records.....They're THAT rare.

stic5

Man your biases are probably the strongest of anyone I've ever met. Stop preaching and start conversing. We're talking cars here, not politics or religion.

I would say that Corvettes and Grand Cherokees are two of the better made and more reliable cars on the road. Sure they may have your minor electical issues here and there, but tell me how many die in 10 or 15 years. Their engines and transmissions are tough, and that's what counts. CR and other reliability publications put too much weight on minor problems that don't keep cars off the road. Look at it this way... in the 90s Jeeps had electrical issues with some of their power bells and whistles, while fewer Camrys were having much more serious issues with dropping transmissions at about 80k miles. Publications like CR penalize the Jeeps more than the Camrys just because stuck power windows might be more common, but we all know which issue was more serious.

JLC629

GC's and Jeep in general, IMO, are sub-par vehicles. The interiors, drive train, suspension and so on are dated. They are certainly not up to the standards of their competitors, yet the MSRP does not reflect this. Of the not-so-Big 3, Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep consistently come in last and theres a reason for this.Yes, you will have die hard Jeep customers, mainly because of the Wrangler, but even that is a purpose built vehicle that's not meant for the masses. CR may not be right 100% of the time but it's the little things, as you mention, the electrical gremlins that get to people not necessarily dropping a tranny. It's just poor quality control.

YO-EL

G37X in the driveway now!

Infiniti 2009 G37X AWD
0 down, $410/month (includes 9% PA tax), 10k miles, 39 months.
PLUS they took our Acura RL, which had 10 months left on lease,
(655/month) & bought it outright to release me of it...!

Saving some good money over the RL, AND got a great deal on a new car.
On their site, the lease deal is $399/mo + tax, with $3999.00 down!

I think I did pretty good!

Todd157k

First off, the IS250 is quieter inside. The auto trans shifts so smooth you almost don't even know it changed. The interior seems to be a little better quality too.
The stock brakes are so touchy, you WILL jerk the car for the first couple of days of driving.

stic5

Not bad.

JerriVette

I would look at swapalease.com There are many awesome deals and you have no liability compared to the previous owner.

Lots of people are bailing out of leases with this economy and you might find some really smokin deals.

Otherwise the Infiniti G37X is a fine vehicle. I'd chose that out of the vehicles you've mentioned..(edit) I see you chose the Infiniti G37 x and its a great vehicle. Best of luck with it. Nice ride.

RED HAWK

You should be able to get an IS 350 close to the price of a G35 and have an equal power level versus that of an IS 250. I had an IS 350 that I traded for my IS F. I've driven the G35 and felt the Lexus had it beat in refinement, quality and I like the IS looks better. Good luck with your choice.

Dave68

I hear that the ISF has a very harsh ride vs the IS350. Is that true?

RED HAWK

It has a firmer ride. Personally, I love the feel of it versus the 350. The F feels more buttoned down and tight. Compared to my Viper the F floats like a butterfly.

Dave68

You might want to avoid the east coast, then. Those potholes will jitter most "firm"-riding cars into the weeds.

MVR 155

We have some potholes here in the Chicagoland area that will swallow half of your car

My TL Type S has a very firm ride for a 4 door luxury/sport sedan that borders on downright harsh when driving on severly roughed up sections of road..... however, I would not trade it as it makes the car very sure footed/confident at highway speed and around turns. I traded my 2006 TL because I thought it was a bit on the soft side..... I have driven the IS and while it has amazing acceleration it was a bit on the soft side as well...... Im sure the ISF has addressed the issue I wished the IS cars had just a little more interior room as I love the look and power (especially the ISF), it would definately be on my short list of cars to replace my TL-S with next year.

RED HAWK

Test drive an F and you will buy it. Make sure you put it in sport mode and hit 3600 RPM for the second intake plenum to open up. Use the paddles. Post some pics on this thread(subscribed) when you get it please.

Dave68

The reason why I was inquiring is because according to more than a few reviews about the ISF, it tends to "beat you up" and thus gets tiring after being driven for more than a short period of time. Their comparison is the BMW M3, which (according to the same editors) handles as well or better but without the "extra harsh" ride.

I've also read quite a few times that the Mazda RX8 has an uncanny combination of smooth ride and very good handling. More than one owner has told me this as well. Of course, it's not nearly in the same power category, but Mazda seems to have nailed the "cake and eat it, too" suspension.

Rick B

I purchased a 09, A4 2.0T quattro , with tiptronic for my wife last year.
She is not a car person at all , but absolutely loves this car. (Her only requirement is a good stereo)
She just turned 10k, with no problems whatsoever.

I just picked up a 2010 S4.
So far so good, the car is very comfortable, quick and handles very well, especially in the snow

Now that the A4/S4 is built on the A5/S5 platform, there is more room in the back seats over the previous models. This is a big plus for me, as I occasionally have to take out clients, and it was pretty tight in my old 07 A4 Avant

I have owned quite a few Audi's over the years and would not hesitate to buy another.

My oldest son is driving a 99, 2.8 A4 quattro that I purchased new in 99I think it has around 150k, last time I asked.

There has been a few recalls over the years, most recently it was the coil packs on the 04 1.8T Avant that my youngest son is driving. Service has been excellent at the dealership and the bottom line is that I have never been left stranded in an Audi, unlike my experience with some GM products.

I have not purchased anything Japanese since the 80's (Toyota Supra) so I cannot speak from experience about the Acura, infinity or Lexus, except to say, they look pretty nice.

I am pretty **** when it comes to maintenance, and use Mobil 1 in all my vehicles, so maybe this might have something to do with my positive reliability experience.

Dave68

It appears that you have been very lucky with your 99. Those models typically start acting up after the warranty period has expired and common problems with A4s include engine cooling, transmission, fuel system, electrical, power equipment, audio system, and body hardware. Again, in a majority of cases, problems start occuring during the 4th year of ownership. I used to know more than a few Audi owners. Presently, I know none; most, if not all have fled to more reliable brands.

MVR 155

If it had a little more interior room it would be on my very short list..... car is just too tight in the backseat and I must have a car to take clients in..... no exceptions or compromise in this area.

MVR 155

The 2010 S4 is currently number one on my short list of cars to replace my TL-S with next year, I have always loved the S4's but the tight backseat was really a deal breaker for me, since they are on the new platform there is noticeably more room (checked the car out thoroughly at the Chicago Auto Show). Any other feedback you can provide at this point regarding the S4? Did you get the locking/sport differential? Did you go with the DSG or manual trans?

Rick B

I took one off the lot with manual trans, sports differential.
Nav,Silk Napa leather, carbon fiber inserts and the 19" rims.
Ice Silver exterior/Black with silver (white) interior.

I really didn't want the Nav, but it had everything else I wanted.
The back up camera that came with the NAV is a great feature that I had no previous experience with and have gotten used to and really like.
I also got a good deal on a set of snow shoes mounted on S5 rims that someone ordered and never picked up.


Acceleration is great!! both from a dead stop and on the highway
I haven't had a good chance to really test the sport rear, however I am very pleased with the overall performance and handling so far.
It definitely rides much stiffer than my wife's A4, and because it's pothole city around here, I've been pretty cautious on the back roads.

The only complaint I had was the brakes. They started squealing like a pig in a slaughterhouse at around 100 miles.
I was going to bring it back to the dealer until I checked on an Audi forum and learned that this was very common until the brakes are set properly. I followed the recommended procedure and the noise went away.
(It would have been nice if the dealer had given me a heads up, since this is so common and from what I read, they have the same issue with the brakes on a 250k Bentley)

MVR 155

Thanks very much for the review Rick.... I really appreciate it. I have been putting off test driving one because I really dont want to be itching to buy it before next year this time Im used to dealing with the squealing brakes between the Z06 and my TL-S with the Brembos so no worries there. I will be getting the DSG trans when I do purchase as my wife doesnt drive manual and with using the car for work/multi tasking it doesnt make much sense to get a manual (thats what the Z06 is for). Im really glad they finally have a true sequential manual that has gotten rave reviews so far. Thanks again for your review and if you dont mind I may hit you up via PM down the road to see how the car has been treating you after owning it for the better part of a year.

Mike