Car Brand Opinions

[woodman1999]

I've begun the hunt for a new car to replace my Chevy Impala. As we already have a family SUV with the 3rd row, I am looking primarily at SUVs without a 3rd row. Additionally, I've somewhat eliminated sedans as getting my 6'4" frame up and out of there isn't worthwhile. So far I've test driven the following:

Audi SQ5 - great driving car, but it's a little cramped and I don't love the infotainment center. It looks like someone just stuck an iPad on the dash and called it a day.
Audi Q7 - yes, this does have a 3rd row, but it would live in the down position most of its life. Very comfortable, still fun to drive, but it's bigger than I think I want
Lexus RX 450h+ - spectacular interior. good infotainment and extremely comfortable seats. But the oomph isn't there like it is in the Audi's and the engine got very noisy going up a hill.

Planning on driving the BMW X5 plug in hybrid Wednesday to see how that goes. I also got an SQ7 priced out for fun, but I don't think I need to spend nearly that much.

Does anyone have any experience with these brands good, bad, or otherwise? Any suggestions on alternative SUVs in this family?

 

[LurchFrinky]

I have a Q5 and my wife drives an A3. We are both really happy with the our cars and the brand in general. My Q5 is a 2017 MY, so the infotainment screen is quite small, but I actually prefer it that way. I don't keep up constantly, but I know the system in 2018 looked hideous, and some of their changes are good, and some bad.
Have you looked at the Audi Q8? It's actually between the Q5 and Q7 in size.
And Volvo has some options in the same size/price range. A lot of it comes down to personal preference and what parts of the driving experience are most important to you.

 

[woodman1999]

I have not looked at the Q8. In fact, the salesperson never even mentioned it as an option, which I find odd.

As a bit more info, I am planning on leasing, as I do like the idea of changing out cars every three years, but we'll see just how appealing that is after I see the numbers.

 

[herm0016]

my favorite cars are cheapish and paid for on day one. I don't think my advise would be helpful here.

 

[woodman1999]

my favorite cars are cheapish and paid for on day one. I don't think my advise would be helpful here.

What is it that you don't like about leases? I've never done one before, always paid cash so I could be convinced not to.

 

[Kaido]

What is it that you don't like about leases? I've never done one before, always paid cash so I could be convinced not to.

I leased for like 10 or 15 years & had really good experiences:

1. Fixed monthly cost (less than a loan payment)

2. No major cost surprises (no $500 tires etc.)

3. Had a job close by, so the mileage limitations worked for me & I could get a loaner for the day if needed

I just needed something really reliable & low-hassle because my car is critical to my job. Downside is you don't own anything at the end, so you're basically paying a monthly service fee for a rent a car. If you're in no rush, sometimes you can find crazy lease deals floating around:

 

[woodman1999]

Thanks for the insight on the lease experience. My job is fairly close by, so I don't think the mileage restrictions will be an issue. Right now, the Q7 is around $900/month and the lexus is around $750. I'll see what the BMW is tomorrow, but that 150 is a big difference over the 3 years.

 

[Greenman]

What is it that you don't like about leases? I've never done one before, always paid cash so I could be convinced not to.

My issue with a lease is that it's never ending. Yes, you get a new car every three years, but you pay monthly forever. I generally drive my vehicles for at least 250k miles before retiring them. That worked out to around ten years before I retired. Only one of them ever had no residual value because of body damage and a ceased engine, but it had around 260K miles on it.
On a cost per mile bases, the numbers just didn't work for me, not by a long shot.
I should also note that I don't care at all about bells and whistles. I required AC and a radio, that's it.

 

[Ken g6]

Lexus RX 450h+ - spectacular interior. good infotainment and extremely comfortable seats. But the oomph isn't there like it is in the Audi's and the engine got very noisy going up a hill.

If you don't think the RX 450h+, which does 0-60 in ~5 seconds, has enough oomph you're looking for a lot of oomph! There are several pure EVs in this class that should have good lease deals if you hurry and get them before the US government gets its act together to kill them. The Kia EV6 and Ford Mustang Mach-E come to mind. Edit: Also the Hyundai Ioniq 5 if you don't think it's too small.

There's also the (politically fraught) Tesla Model Y, but skip it if you don't like the look of "someone just stuck an iPad on the dash and called it a day".

 

[woodman1999]

I know everyone has been DYING for an update. I ended up with the Lexus 450h+, black exterior, macadamia interior. Probably the two hardest colors to keep clean, but they look good together.

Choice came down to a few things. I thought the interior on the lexus was nicer and more comfortable for someone my size. The whole interior just seemed nicer and you got more bells and whistles for the price.

Speaking of price, the lead for 39 months@ 10k miles was under $600, far and away cheaper than a BMW.

I know the drive on the BMW is a bit better, but the lexus is no slouch.

Anyway, happy so far. And if it turns out not to be my favorite, I can always change it out in a few years.

 

[Kaido]

I know everyone has been DYING for an update. I ended up with the Lexus 450h+, black exterior, macadamia interior. Probably the two hardest colors to keep clean, but they look good together.

Choice came down to a few things. I thought the interior on the lexus was nicer and more comfortable for someone my size. The whole interior just seemed nicer and you got more bells and whistles for the price.

Speaking of price, the lead for 39 months@ 10k miles was under $600, far and away cheaper than a BMW.

I know the drive on the BMW is a bit better, but the lexus is no slouch.

Anyway, happy so far. And if it turns out not to be my favorite, I can always change it out in a few years.

Pics or ban!

 

[woodman1999]

Nevermind... realized I have a few on the phone.

 

[Kaido]

Nevermind... realized I have a few on the phone.
View attachment 121083View attachment 121084

Great color! A+ wheels

Going to do ceramic?

 

[woodman1999]

Thanks!

Definitely considering it. I have to price it out and just triple check to make sure there's nothing in the lease agreement on it, though I doubt there would be.