$60k+ to spend on what vehicle?

[Safeway]

Very true sdifox. Granted, it won't be my 'only' vehicle, it will be my primary.

 

[sdifox]

That is true, but if we are talking about reliability, my Toyota is the best car in this list then.

Lexus should be part of his consideration. It's not just one factor you know.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Not sure if serious. It would be a sad day to have a Volvo poster on your wall. At least Ford has/had the GT.

Just saying how awesome the car looks has very little bearing on whether it's actually a good car. Sure a Maserati is flashy and cool, but who in their right mind would buy one as a daily driver, especially a used one?

 

[sdifox]

Very true sdifox. Granted, it won't be my 'only' vehicle, it will be my primary.

Definitely check out Ford Taurus SHO.

Key is what is your wife willing to drive? Mine liked C350 so I picked up an E350 (used) and she complains it's too big...


but then she likes to be driven anyway so...


Incidentally today the odometer rolled over 100,000km. 21month a go when I got it it had 42k km on it

 

[JulesMaximus]

Only so much you can do with a Corolla engine in it, even if you try to lose the weight.

You'd have a lot of fun driving with a 200lb buddy too. By a LOT I mean a lot slower.

So how much do you know about cars? Let's measure. D:

I've driven one with a 200lb friend and I can assure you that it was not slow. 190hp in a car that weighs less than 2000lbs is a whole lot of fun.

You clearly know nothing about this car.

For the OP, I'd recommend a Mercedes-Benz CLS550. I've driven one and it is a hell of a nice luxury cruiser and it's a sedan. It looks fantastic too.

 

[Demo24]

Just saying how awesome the car looks has very little bearing on whether it's actually a good car. Sure a Maserati is flashy and cool, but who in their right mind would buy one as a daily driver, especially a used one?

I would, but definitely not a used one. I wouldn't mind a bit of discomfort on my daily drive as long as it put a smile on my face. Besides, if I could afford a Maserati, pretty sure I'd be able to afford a more laid back car for cruising.

 

[Kirby]

You clearly know nothing.

Fixed.

 

[teatime0315]

If you were going to go 5 series, I'd either get an M5 used, or maybe 550 lightly used. The 528s and 535s are so common and underpowered for 60k. I honestly don't think the 528 and 535 are worth it with a 60k budget.

 

[exar333]

That is true, but if we are talking about reliability, my Toyota is the best car in this list then.

Enough said perhaps?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Fastest at what? Some random Autocrossing course that doesn't get over 60mph?

Let's see how it does at a ring that needs a bit of power:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%BCrburgring_lap_times

Oh look, A Chevy Cobalt is faster.

Dumbass...

One is a subcompact rental car and the other is a mini-exotic. NOBODY cross shops these two cars.

 

[Malak]

You want a nice, comfortable, fancy sedan, right? Honestly I only have 2 choices if it were me:

Audi S6
MB CLS550

The S6 has more horsepower and AWD, but the CLS is arguably better looking. A test drive would be best to make that decision. The prices are identical.

Now if you are seriously looking at coupes, I have only one choice. Audi S5. That thing is sex on wheels and going to be far cheaper than a CL550 which starts past the 100k mark. The S5 is half the price, but not half the car. The S5 is faster, better looking IMO, and again you get quattro. It is a no-brainer there.

I was always a sedan guy myself, but after years and years of driving sedans I've come to realize I almost never ferry around anyone in the back seat. I'm going for a coupe for my next car myself.

 

[Imported]

Same as what's wrong with Hankook - they aren't Michelin.

I haven't found a street tire (UTQG of 140+ is what I define as streetable, others may differ) from Michelin that performs better than the Hankook R-S3s on a track.. and I'm not alone.

None of this had anything to do with what we were discussing, which were Yokohama tires. And you don't need Michelin 200mph rated tires on a Lotus, which was what I was saying.

Speed ratings are hardly a determining factor for what tires one should get. I don't need W-rated tires on my G35 but I still have them.

 

[MikeMike]

the new A8 is nice as hell as well...
CTS-V is a much smaller car

 

[KentState]

I haven't found a street tire (UTQG of 140+ is what I define as streetable, others may differ) from Michelin that performs better than the Hankook R-S3s on a track.. and I'm not alone.



Speed ratings are hardly a determining factor for what tires one should get. I don't need W-rated tires on my G35 but I still have them.

I think that speed rating and handling performance go hand-in-hand with tires as well as thread life. Same reason why I had W rated tires on my Mazdaspeed when it topped out around 130mph in 5th gear.

 

[Imported]

I think that speed rating and handling performance go hand-in-hand with tires as well as thread life. Same reason why I had W rated tires on my Mazdaspeed when it topped out around 130mph in 5th gear.

I understand that completely. Guess I wanted to make it known that speed ratings aren't the only factor in determining what type of tire to pick.

 

[Safeway]

the new A8 is nice as hell as well...
CTS-V is a much smaller car

Yes, but cannot afford.

 

[Safeway]

You want a nice, comfortable, fancy sedan, right? Honestly I only have 2 choices if it were me:

Audi S6
MB CLS550

The S6 has more horsepower and AWD, but the CLS is arguably better looking. A test drive would be best to make that decision. The prices are identical.

Now if you are seriously looking at coupes, I have only one choice. Audi S5. That thing is sex on wheels and going to be far cheaper than a CL550 which starts past the 100k mark. The S5 is half the price, but not half the car. The S5 is faster, better looking IMO, and again you get quattro. It is a no-brainer there.

I was always a sedan guy myself, but after years and years of driving sedans I've come to realize I almost never ferry around anyone in the back seat. I'm going for a coupe for my next car myself.

Good choices, but the CLS550 is getting totally reworked for 2011. The S6 is too IIRC.

 

[LordMorpheus]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/18/2011-jaguar-xj-l-review-road-test/

It's so beautiful ...

 

[MJinZ]

Dumbass...

One is a subcompact rental car and the other is a mini-exotic. NOBODY cross shops these two cars.

No one said anyone cross-shops these retard. The Lotus is lackluster for its price, especially when it gets its ass handed to it by a Cobalt. It weighs next to nothing with a Corolla Engine in it. As exotic as it can get I'm sure.

I'm sure you think my Camry is fast too if you actually think a Lotus Elise is fast (and you did not drive the Exige S).

 

[Malak]

I think the Jag falls apart on the back end. It's odd, but the rear of a car can bother me a lot if I don't like the look. That's why I eventually ditched my Mazda 929.

 

[JulesMaximus]

No one said anyone cross-shops these retard. The Lotus is lackluster for its price, especially when it gets its ass handed to it by a Cobalt. It weighs next to nothing with a Corolla Engine in it. As exotic as it can get I'm sure.

I'm sure you think my Camry is fast too if you actually think a Lotus Elise is fast (and you did not drive the Exige S).

Your Camry is slow and completely numb to drive. I've driven a Lotus Elise at 120mph and it felt rock solid at that speed, I also threw it into corners that would have sent your camry skidding into the ditch. You stated that the Lotus could only reach a top speed of 150mph...have you ever driven a car, or any vehicle for that matter, at 150mph? I'd feel a hell of a lot safer going that fast in a Lotus than I would a Honda Accord.

Oh, and you're the one who made the retarded comparison of the Cobalt vs Elise...not me. And since when is a sub 5 second 0-60mph time lackluster? Seriously, you post some of the dumbest shit when it comes to cars.

 

[punjabiplaya]

was the XF already mentioned?

 

[MJinZ]

Your Camry is slow and completely numb to drive. I've driven a Lotus Elise at 120mph and it felt rock solid at that speed, I also threw it into corners that would have sent your camry skidding into the ditch. You stated that the Lotus could only reach a top speed of 150mph...have you ever driven a car, or any vehicle for that matter, at 150mph? I'd feel a hell of a lot safer going that fast in a Lotus than I would a Honda Accord.

Oh, and you're the one who made the retarded comparison of the Cobalt vs Elise...not me. And since when is a sub 5 second 0-60mph time lackluster? Seriously, you post some of the dumbest shit when it comes to cars.

4.9 seconds? WOooooo, a whole 0.1 seconds under 5, and 1/2 second faster than a V6 family sedan. That's the cut off line for FAST LOTUS OH YAH and SLOW CAMRY YO... LOL!!! I think you can slap a charger on a Corolla and it would just as fast.

120mph? I cruised at that speed coming back from NYC in my 2 hour trip. Just yawning with the foot on the pedal is enough to bring any modern car with decent power beyond 100mph.

For any modern cars, you won't feel a thing going 130+. The funny thing is that the Camry I drive is electronically limited to 162mph, and the Elise is limited to 150.

Well, at least the Evora is going to be faster.

 

[jlee]

4.9 seconds? WOooooo, a whole 0.1 seconds under 5, and 1/2 second faster than a V6 family sedan. That's the cut off line for FAST LOTUS OH YAH and SLOW CAMRY YO... LOL!!! I think you can slap a charger on a Corolla and it would just as fast.

120mph? I cruised at that speed coming back from NYC in my 2 hour trip. Just yawning with the foot on the pedal is enough to bring any modern car with decent power beyond 100mph.

For any modern cars, you won't feel a thing going 130+. The funny thing is that the Camry I drive is electronically limited to 162mph, and the Elise is limited to 150.

Well, at least the Evora is going to be faster.

Enjoy your license for the short while you still have it.

162mph? Really? Link please. My MR2 runs out of gears at 155, and I'm having a hard time believing that your Camry will outrun me....but hey, maybe it's possible.

 

[Arkaign]

Hmm. I really_really_really recommend not blowing $60k on this car, as ALL of the choices have absolutely mind-shattering value loss within the first 12-24 months. That $60k car will be worth $30k or less in two years, and probably down to $15-$20k in under 5.

However, that doesn't mean you can't find something just as nice and just as classy for around half that price. CPO 535i or 550i would be my most sincere suggestion, as they've already had that tremendous price hit from the first couple of years. A low-miles (~20-25kish) '08-'09 model should be doable for not much more than $35k if not less, and that's not bad considering they can easily roll into the $70k range with decent options.

You already have a weekend/fun toy car planned, so I'd keep the extra $25k-$30k and invest in something/anything else, than overbuying for this type of car. Even having an M5 isn't going to be all that much better than having a 528i for 95% of your driving, and only enthusiasts will be able to tell the difference, as it's just as classy as a well-done 535i or 550i.