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post #6766 of 10008
8/20/12 at 11:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by RFX45 View Post


There has always been overlaps like these that isn't limited to Porsche. Price a fully-loaded 335i and it'll climb to the same price as an M3, same with Audi and Mercedes. This is where Japanese luxury cars like Lexus and Infiniti becomes a bargain, for the same or more power (albeit not as great when it comes to driving dynamics), a little bit less in price but they are loaded with standard features that are pretty damn reliable too.

 

this was the driving force behind me getting a japanese car.  there's no doubt bmw rules the roost in driving dynamics but it's $10k+ more when you factor in add-ons.  plus as soon as the bmw warranty runs out, you better sell the car, return the lease, or have a mini fortune stored away just in case b/c repairs are very expensive.

 

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Find Finn View Post


The Us Abarth is marketed as the SS in Europe and the general consensus seems to be, that the SS isn't worth the extra money, as you can get better upgrades for less else where.

 

 

oh good to know.  i'll have to read up on the reviews from europe to see the general consensus.  the mini is the obvious choice for a small urban car but it's a little too common around here.

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post #6767 of 10008
8/20/12 at 11:32am
The new 2013 500 Turbo is definitely worth a look. Here's what Autoblog had to say about it when announced this week:
Quote:
The big change worth talking about is under the hood where Fiat has employed a detuned version of its 1.4-liter MultiAir turbocharged inline-four, good for 135 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. That represents increases of 34 and 52, respectively, over the standard 500, but falls 25 hp and 20 lb-ft short of the mighty Abarth. That grunt is matched with a five-speed manual transmission, and specific performance enhancements include a sport suspension, better steering calibration (to be fair, we've heard that one before with the Abarth), stiffer shocks and upgraded brakes. Sounds potent. And we certainly hope that the Turbo's sport-tuned exhaust delivers the same sort of throaty growl that we've fallen in love with on the Abarth. (In case you forgot, head over to our First Drive and hit the play button on the video to hear that superb exhaust note.)

Visually, the Turbo is set apart from base models with the addition of a unique aero kit and smoked-out headlamps. Inside the cabin there are sport seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and optional heated leather seats. The coolest interior feature, however, is that the 500 Turbo will employ the Chrysler Group's Beats by Dr. Dre audio system. Good, since the standard stereo in the 500 is, well, not good.

The 500 Turbo goes on sale this fall priced from $19,500, (*)excluding $700 for destination.

Which begs the question: Is this new Turbo model a better overall package than the super-fun Abarth? It's cheaper, offers the same sort of chassis upgrades, sacrifices a small amount of power and has that killer new sound system, all for a few thousand bucks less than the range-topping Scorpion.
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post #6768 of 10008
8/20/12 at 11:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JunyaYamamoto View Post


oh good to know.  i'll have to read up on the reviews from europe to see the general consensus.  the mini is the obvious choice for a small urban car but it's a little too common around here.

The Cooper S has a lot of problems from what I've heard.

If I was in the market for something that size with high HP, I would get an Abarth or BMW M135, the Abarth sounds amazing for such a little car.
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post #6769 of 10008
8/20/12 at 12:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Find Finn View Post

The Cooper S has a lot of problems from what I've heard.
If I was in the market for something that size with high HP, I would get an Abarth or BMW M135, the Abarth sounds amazing for such a little car.

M135? The Abarth starts at $22k while the 135 M starts at $39k not to mention it is pretty rare these days. Even the 128i starts at $31k. I know pricing is different where you are at but even there the price difference must still be pretty huge between the two.
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post #6770 of 10008
8/20/12 at 12:08pm
The F20 came out a couple months ago and with it came the M135, the one series has a golf sized boot, the only small hot hatch that comes close to it is the A1, but the rear space is terrible, so the size and the fact it's 3.0 V6 bi turbo ads a bit to the price.


car_photo_500728_25.jpg



The old one is pretty far down in price and you can get a lightly used 135 coupe for the same as a brand new Abarth
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post #6771 of 10008
8/20/12 at 12:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Find Finn View Post


The Cooper S has a lot of problems from what I've heard.
If I was in the market for something that size with high HP, I would get an Abarth or BMW M135, the Abarth sounds amazing for such a little car.

 

i didnt know that about the cooper S.  i just knew that it was a driver's car and it cornered well.  the M135 is a different beast, and it's better than what i currently drive.  i just wanted a beat-up car as a 2nd vehicle that had a little pep.  

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post #6772 of 10008
8/20/12 at 12:21pm
A friend of mine bought a brand new cooper s last year 5k km later, it was oil less and on the back of a truck, Mini didn't know what had happened.
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post #6773 of 10008
8/20/12 at 12:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Find Finn View Post

A friend of mine bought a brand new cooper s last year 5k km later, it was oil less and on the back of a truck, Mini didn't know what had happened.

there must be lemon laws for that.  that's horrible!

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post #6774 of 10008
8/20/12 at 12:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Find Finn View Post

The F20 came out a couple months ago and with it came the M135, the one series has a golf sized boot, the only small hot hatch that comes close to it is the A1, but the rear space is terrible, so the size and the fact it's 3.0 V6 bi turbo ads a bit to the price.
car_photo_500728_25.jpg
The old one is pretty far down in price and you can get a lightly used 135 coupe for the same as a brand new Abarth


Yah, that isn't available in the US.
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post #6775 of 10008
8/20/12 at 12:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JunyaYamamoto View Post

there must be lemon laws for that.  that's horrible!


Yeah he was pissed, I think it ended up getting a new engine, to make it worse it's a 100k$ car.

Quote:
Originally Posted by RFX45 View Post

Yah, that isn't available in the US.

Okay
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post #6776 of 10008
8/20/12 at 12:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Find Finn View Post


Yeah he was pissed, I think it ended up getting a new engine, to make it worse it's a 100k$ car.
Okay

if that had happened in the US, the manufacturer would have to take it back.  I wouldn't want my new car to go through an engine transplant.  that's just inexcusable.

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post #6777 of 10008
8/20/12 at 1:00pm
100k for a Mini?
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post #6778 of 10008
8/20/12 at 1:06pm
Yup, a 100k for a Cooper S with leather and navi.
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post #6779 of 10008
8/20/12 at 1:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackhood View Post


Seriously consider whether this is true. We have the S5 as a family and I can't do more than about 90 minutes in the back seat. I'm not a big guy; 180lb 6'0" but it does get cramped. We did a trip from the UK to Italy and over the three days it got pretty damn squashed. We used to have the A6 (and now have an A8 for distance trips) and the space in that was significant. If you do any distance with people in the back then the A5/S5/RS5 may not be your best call.
Having said that, its a brilliant car in the front, and I drive it more than the A8 or the TT. The boot is also impressive, I've yet to properly fill it up with anything but garden waste.

 

for men tight (6' 180 is a good sized guy)

for a 5'7" 120 lb woman should be fine for 1 hour trips into the city for dinner/show

long trips are usually just my wife and myself

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post #6780 of 10008
8/20/12 at 1:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by impolyt_one View Post


This is the RS5 I'm used to seeing, but apparently the one you'll get in America has the stupid looking facelift front end. I am not a fan of that one, but haven't seen many of those yet. Just the original RS5. It's actually very impressive looking and much more appealing than an E92 M3, though they're around the same price where I live. The flared fenders are very evocative of 80's/90's German classics, you get a bit of VW/Porsche essence out of them when you see an RS5 in traffic. The RS5's also sound pretty good. It definitely makes for a more valuable looking package than the M3 or C63, for sure.

 

we get the face lifted one (which I like)

we also can get the titanium option: body colored front lip, black grill/window trim/rear diffuser, body colored mirrors, black exh tips, graphite wheels

this package also includes the sport exh, a bit deeper/louder

looks much better than the silver on certain colors, especially red

the std silver looks good on silver or grey cars imo

 

I want the ceramic brakes (don't need them) but 6k is steep

 

I have 1 year warranty (CPO) on my RS4, I'll look for an RS5, CPO'ed, <8-10k miles in a year or so

figure can get the car for 50-60k, and possibly with the ceramics (options depreciate brutally)

 

although the S6 muddies the water

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