Go give the QX50 a drive.
I'm near Olympia, and frequently drive to Bend. The car has been beyond phenomenal.
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Automotive Discussion Thread | OT2 | Zero to pointless fighting faster than a GT86
- Thread starter AlphaSnake
- Start date
I'm near Olympia, and frequently drive to Bend. The car has been beyond phenomenal.
No doubt. I assume the QX 30 is going to be better for me - especially aesthetically and in terms of cabin, but I imagine there will be amazing deals on the 50 for that very reason.
They'll likely be adding the TT V6 to it as well.
They'll likely be adding the TT V6 to it as well.
I sure don't NEED that but if the fuel economy is even halfway decent, I will add it to the consideration list.
You can't argue with Nissan powerplants. However, what percentage of this thing is Nissa, versus Mercedes? TBH I'd love a combination of Infiniti mechanicals with merc finishes, driver assist, insulation and so on.
Celcius
°Temp. member
Argh, there's a clicking noise coming from the back of my car that's driving me crazy. It happens sometimes when driving over humps or bumps in the road (even slight ones), but I'm alone in the car so can't get back there to pinpoint it. Then this weekend I go on a road trip with a car full of people and don't hear a single sound. Then today I'm driving home from work alone and it starts up again I got fed up and called the dealership to setup an appointment, but as soon as I get off of the phone it stopped, so I drove home and just cancelled the appt since the noise wasn't happening. I was looking around in the trunk and nothing seems to be loose, and also checked the torison bars but they seem to be snug. It almost sounds like something plastic clicks out of place and then back in place? Has anyone else ever heard of something like this? The car is a 2010 Camry (well out of warranty).
I got fed up and called the dealership to setup an appointment, but as soon as I get off of the phone it stopped, so I drove home and just cancelled the appt since the noise wasn't happening. I was looking around in the trunk and nothing seems to be loose, and also checked the torison bars but they seem to be snug. It almost sounds like something plastic clicks out of place and then back in place? Has anyone else ever heard of something like this? The car is a 2010 Camry (well out of warranty).The QX30?
It's basically a GLA250 with different skin and the Infiniti touch/take on the interior (which they've improved, IMO).
The powerplant is a Merc design, but I think I read somewhere that Nissan is actually building them? I might be wrong, and I'm sure Alpha knows one way or another.
djSyndrome
Member
Welp, sounds like I have the 86 crickets. Anyone get this successfully diagnosed and fixed? Car is still under warranty.
The fix is embrace the wild side in your boxer. There's no fix. If you are annoying enough to the dealer they will replace your fuel pump and you will drive a loaner for 2 weeks, just to get back on your car and hear crickets 3,000 miles later.
The best fix is find the gas station that gives you the least crickets and stick to it. Mine likes a Shell near me, if I fill up at Wawa or 7-Eleven it's like a mid-summer sunset by the rainforest.
AlphaSnake
...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
Mercedes-Nissan designed powerplant. Mercedes-sourced DCT. For Infiniti the motors will be built in US, though.
AlphaSnake
...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
I had to check what this even was...and wow that's just bizarre. I see YouTube videos of brand new cars with dealer tags doing it.
How weird. Is it loud enough to hear in the cabin during normal operation or only while idling/sitting still? Sounds like it's related to the fuel pump and the quality of the gas but yeah, that chirping is definitely weird.
djSyndrome
Member
Only at idle. I just switched to Mobil from Chevron and they seem to have died down a bit. Guess I'll have to track which gas does what.
I'm also partially deaf, so if I notice it then it must be really bad. The wife chalks it up to Strange Subaru Noises and just turns the radio up.
How is this not fixed with an aftermarket fuel pump? Shouldn't that fix it? Or is the issue that it should be covered under warranty with a factory part and not reoccur?
djSyndrome
Member
Why should I put an aftermarket fuel pump on a car with less than 8000 miles on it? This is the manufacturer's problem to solve.
Enjoying the new 3 Series GT quite a lot. I know it's a very mar-mite type of vehicle, with some hating the way it looks, and others thinking it has no place even existing, but personally I think it's absolutely ideal for it's very specific market, that is those who want something roomier inside than the other 3 series models (and even the 5 series!), but retaining the large boot capacity and overall economy, as well as that level of comfort.
Space.
It's weird to me that the 3 GT has more legroom than the 5 Series, and more boot capacity than the 5 GT. If internal space is a real consideration, eg you have a big family and/or need added baby seat plus passenger space, as well as a roomy boot for the pushchair plus shopping etc, the 3 GT is pretty much ideal. More than near enough every other model BMW offer minus the 7 series, which is strange given it's confined to a 3 series model. Overall the cabin is just extremely spacious and comfortable, and has an almost 7 series limousine esque aura about it, only minus the even more ludicrously luxurious and elaborate looking leather and instruments. But the legroom in the car really is massively generous, and the boot space too.
Ride.
Ride wise, I guess it's sort of like a combination between a BMW sedan and SUV. Not quite as nimble as the regular sedans (though certainly very close), but with the added benefit of a higher ride height. extra comfort and added visibility. It feels slightly more executive as a result, whether you prefer that or not will be purely subjective, but it's certainly quite a unique driving experience, and in Sport/Sport+, it still tightens up and gives you added precision. The steering is also a little heavier than the 3 series, and even compared to the bigger X5. I also find the cabin very quiet overall, with little in the way of vibrations or drama.
Issues and surprise positives.
My biggest complaints at present would be the visibility from the rear windscreen, which is quite small, as well as the lack of a rear wiper (still not a big issue). I also find the heating takes a bit longer to really fire up than I'd have liked, but that might just be because lately it's been really cold (around freezing temp).
There's decent little touches that I didn't expect, or didn't expect to enjoy as much though, like the one pull rear seat drop, the as standard automatic boot, the overall excellent fuel economy, the rear spoiler which can be activated at any time, the frame-less doors, the quality of the sound system, which is better than the X5's BMW Advanced Set up, and so on. BMW has definitely done well to improve the audio quality, because before I felt some of their systems were far too bass heavy, and not articulate or accurate enough. Whilst before I found the new Mercedes, Jaguar and even Hyundai's optional advanced sound systems better overall, now BMW seems to have caught up. I honestly don't think the Harmon Kardon upgrade is even necessary. Hell I use Sennheiser HD800 and Beyerdynamic T1 headphones in my home set up, and to get the 3 GT's sound balanced, only a very slight EQ is required (slightly increased treble). Comparatively in the X5 I had to reduce bass in a big way, as well as drop the mids and increase the highs.
Overall, at this point and time, I'm not really sure why anyone would buy a brand new 5 series over the 3 GT, at least right now, unless they really hated the way the GT looked. I am however confident the new upcoming 5 Series, which should see a refresh soon, will be a big improvement, and easily one up the 3 GT in nearly every regard (besides price).
I will also add that the company cars we have are all much faster than my personal car (naturally with them all being 3-5 ltr engines and much higher spec), but I wouldn't exactly say the 320D is slow. In Sport+ with Sport Auto or Sport Manual enabled, it still puts out respectable enough performance, at least for everyday driving.
Lastly, I really do think the M Sport version is a must. Without it, it just looks even more bloated and less aggressive.
3 GT vs 3 Sedan track times compared
On a side note, I saw this video where the 3 GT's track performance is compared to the 3 sedan's, both 320d variants, both non M Sport, and surprisingly enough, despite the GT's extra weight, size and bulk, on the track it was only 0.9 seconds slower overall. With a best lap time of 2:40.2 vs the sedan's 2:39.3. Pretty crazy when you think about it.
3 GT vs 3 sedan lap time comparison
The earlier 3 Series sedan test.
BMW 118d & 320d @ Buddh International Circuit
Space.
It's weird to me that the 3 GT has more legroom than the 5 Series, and more boot capacity than the 5 GT. If internal space is a real consideration, eg you have a big family and/or need added baby seat plus passenger space, as well as a roomy boot for the pushchair plus shopping etc, the 3 GT is pretty much ideal. More than near enough every other model BMW offer minus the 7 series, which is strange given it's confined to a 3 series model. Overall the cabin is just extremely spacious and comfortable, and has an almost 7 series limousine esque aura about it, only minus the even more ludicrously luxurious and elaborate looking leather and instruments. But the legroom in the car really is massively generous, and the boot space too.
Ride.
Ride wise, I guess it's sort of like a combination between a BMW sedan and SUV. Not quite as nimble as the regular sedans (though certainly very close), but with the added benefit of a higher ride height. extra comfort and added visibility. It feels slightly more executive as a result, whether you prefer that or not will be purely subjective, but it's certainly quite a unique driving experience, and in Sport/Sport+, it still tightens up and gives you added precision. The steering is also a little heavier than the 3 series, and even compared to the bigger X5. I also find the cabin very quiet overall, with little in the way of vibrations or drama.
Issues and surprise positives.
My biggest complaints at present would be the visibility from the rear windscreen, which is quite small, as well as the lack of a rear wiper (still not a big issue). I also find the heating takes a bit longer to really fire up than I'd have liked, but that might just be because lately it's been really cold (around freezing temp).
There's decent little touches that I didn't expect, or didn't expect to enjoy as much though, like the one pull rear seat drop, the as standard automatic boot, the overall excellent fuel economy, the rear spoiler which can be activated at any time, the frame-less doors, the quality of the sound system, which is better than the X5's BMW Advanced Set up, and so on. BMW has definitely done well to improve the audio quality, because before I felt some of their systems were far too bass heavy, and not articulate or accurate enough. Whilst before I found the new Mercedes, Jaguar and even Hyundai's optional advanced sound systems better overall, now BMW seems to have caught up. I honestly don't think the Harmon Kardon upgrade is even necessary. Hell I use Sennheiser HD800 and Beyerdynamic T1 headphones in my home set up, and to get the 3 GT's sound balanced, only a very slight EQ is required (slightly increased treble). Comparatively in the X5 I had to reduce bass in a big way, as well as drop the mids and increase the highs.
Overall, at this point and time, I'm not really sure why anyone would buy a brand new 5 series over the 3 GT, at least right now, unless they really hated the way the GT looked. I am however confident the new upcoming 5 Series, which should see a refresh soon, will be a big improvement, and easily one up the 3 GT in nearly every regard (besides price).
I will also add that the company cars we have are all much faster than my personal car (naturally with them all being 3-5 ltr engines and much higher spec), but I wouldn't exactly say the 320D is slow. In Sport+ with Sport Auto or Sport Manual enabled, it still puts out respectable enough performance, at least for everyday driving.
Lastly, I really do think the M Sport version is a must. Without it, it just looks even more bloated and less aggressive.
3 GT vs 3 Sedan track times compared
On a side note, I saw this video where the 3 GT's track performance is compared to the 3 sedan's, both 320d variants, both non M Sport, and surprisingly enough, despite the GT's extra weight, size and bulk, on the track it was only 0.9 seconds slower overall. With a best lap time of 2:40.2 vs the sedan's 2:39.3. Pretty crazy when you think about it.
3 GT vs 3 sedan lap time comparison
The earlier 3 Series sedan test.
BMW 118d & 320d @ Buddh International Circuit
So it's the latter then.
After I picked up my car from the shop today for the thermostat replacement I drove it home and immediately washed it. We had a rare sunny day in the low 50's here in North Georgia (it's either been rainy or really cold or both since January started) so I took advantage of it.
One thing I will say for my BMW is that the paint still looks great when the car is clean and that the fit, finish and build quality is very good. Please excuse the iPad picture but with the afternoon sunlight I thought it looked rather nice.
Your car is looking bright and shiny. The home DIY stuff is rife with job specific tool purchases, hours of frustration in less than ideal working conditions, convoluted solutions, etc... But you also get the winning breakthroughs, beer drinking, satisfaction and comfort in a job that you know all the care in the world was taken to complete, and saving big $$$ on labor and parts if you don't use mostly genuine BMW. Still, huge savings. The time cost is the biggest but you get really good at getting stuff off the car fast. I know this car better than any I've had before it which made the required engine replacement that much more frustrating. I knew exactly what I had. Now, I'm learning and getting the new one there.
So, I fixed the vacuum leak at the DISA. The unit works great and the flap doesn't rattle at all. The molded gasket was shot and that took about 45 min of scraping with a 90 degree pick. I Install the o-ring to replace the gasket, install the unit and get everything buttoned up. Start it up... and it runs like dog shit. Started spraying carb cleaner on some likely culprits and then I shot the lower intake boot small elbow. The idle immediately picked up.
The accordion bellows on the little offshoot has to make a 90 degree bend when installed and that area is notorious for cracking.
It was replaced 5 years and 30k miles ago and with that part it's just a matter of time. Ordered that and the upper intake boot which I have no record of being replaced before. I was supposed to drop my car off at the dealer this morning to have the driver side airbag replaced and I get told that they don't have the part... I wish the lady didn't lie to me and tell me that did have it. That Takata airbag recall is a bitch.
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I saw a dark grey Skyline GT-R with temp tags on the road going through Lubbock over the weekend. Must be a ton of importing going on now.
I know it is totally subjective but I really dig the look of the BMW GT cars. I think you made the right call. One of the areas that I think BMW is already strong in is usable interior space, especially for passengers, and you've taken that already strong attribute and cranked it up a notch. How can that not be fantastic? =)
And in regards to the sound system, it is good to hear that BMW has stepped up their game. The "BMW Professional Audio" 10 speaker setup in my car is decent but is a big step down from the standard Lexus setup that was in the IS250 that I owned for a while. The BMW is a little bass heavy and doesn't do a good job with clear highs or with separation of frequencies, things that the Lexus did very well.
Sounds like you are enjoying the car and hopefully it will continue to be a good one for you.
Thanks for the compliment! And I totally agree about being able to do your own wrenching. For me, cleaning and detailing are about as DIY as I get but even that is highly satisfying, especially on a nice day like this past Saturday.
And it sounds like you've got your hands full with yours. Hopefully you will be able to get that all sorted out and be back on the road with it soon.
When I lived in a less dusty area, my car was meticulously detailed and stayed clean. Detailing and cleaning it was one of my favorite time sinks and very therapeutic. I'll be moving in to my girlfriend's house and out of my apartment later this year and can't wait to make use of her garage so I can detail and clean. My orbital buffer and materials have been neglected for FAR too long.
Skel1ingt0n
I can't *believe* these lazy developers keep making file sizes so damn large. Btw, how does technology work?
Finally found a 2015 Challenger Scat Pack under $35K with low(ish) miles somewhat close by.
There's a black one in a city about two hours away: $34,799 with 30K miles. 8" U-Connect, but other than that, it's barebones: cloth, basic sound, no fancy driver assists, etc. But hey, $35K.
I'm planning to put $10K down. Which will get my payments where I want them. Not going to get this one, as it's mid winter right now and I have a wedding in April; but it gives me a lot of faith I'll find what I want in the late summer.
There's a black one in a city about two hours away: $34,799 with 30K miles. 8" U-Connect, but other than that, it's barebones: cloth, basic sound, no fancy driver assists, etc. But hey, $35K.
I'm planning to put $10K down. Which will get my payments where I want them. Not going to get this one, as it's mid winter right now and I have a wedding in April; but it gives me a lot of faith I'll find what I want in the late summer.
I had to go look up what the "scat pack" is but it appears that it is the first level of Challenger that gets the 6.2L V8, which is the top of the line motor until you get to the Hellcat. Sounds like a pretty beastly cruiser. Good luck with your search.
6.4L, actually, but yeah.
The problem doesnt seem to be the fuel pump based on the many instances of people wasting time with the dealer having the pump replaced only to have the crickets come back. Some blame the low duty cycle on injectors creating the noise, some blame Obama, truth of the matter is Subaru/Toyota doesn't have a fix for it and everyone just guesses what causes it.
How much is petrol/diesel per litre in the US in the different states? I notice that the US market tends not to shy away from really big, thirsty engine's in their vehicles, whereas here in the UK it's often the opposite. We're about £1.05p per litre (which is $1.50, or $6.82 per gallon) of diesel and petrol right now, but it's the cheapest it's been in a long while. Before the big oil price decline, we were at around £1.45 per litre ($2.05, or $9.32 per gallon). Just curious how our prices compare to the US and other countries.
you can already configure the new Mercedes E-Class on the german website:
http://www.mercedes-benz.de/content...lass/w213/configurator/configurator_w213.html
the standard gauges look dumb... the whole dash is made for the digital gauges.
http://www.mercedes-benz.de/content...lass/w213/configurator/configurator_w213.html
the standard gauges look dumb... the whole dash is made for the digital gauges.
Gas/Petrol is particularly cheap right now. I filled up this morning at a local gas station and the 87 octane was $1.59 per gallon. I use premium so mine was $2.07 per gallon. And oil prices are still falling so I wouldn't be surprised to see gas fall below $1.50 a gallon on 87 octane and stay there for a while. Diesel prices are a little higher but not terribly so, maybe 20 to 30 cents higher per gallon.
It really puts things in perspective doesn't it? Americans go for the big V8's because they are fun and because we pay so much less per gallon of gas. If we were paying $7 - $10 a gallon over here I can guarantee that there would be a lot less big V8's and big SUV's on the road.
Matt Farah from The Smoking Tire gets to drive the very first Lotus Evora 400 in the USA. His impressions are pretty surprising, to say the least!
https://youtu.be/R1pU_tfMAUY
https://youtu.be/R1pU_tfMAUY
whatsinaname
Member
US gallon or UK gallon? That's about a 20% difference.
Currently, regular gas is about 40 cents per litre in my area in Michigan.
djSyndrome
Member
Still paying over $2.00 per gallon, about $2.35 for Premium outside of Seattle. You'll find that coastal cities are traditionally higher than the midwest and South.
One knock-on effect is prices of hybrids and large trucks seem to swing with the fuel prices. When gas was pushing $5 a gallon, you couldn't find a Prius, much less pay sticker for one. Now that as is so cheap Toyota can't give them away, while large truck sales are through the roof and transaction prices are up.
As much as I love my S5, I really really should have gone for an RS5. Hard lesson learned. Congrats and enjoy that lovely exhaust note.
Went to the International Car Show at Brussels yesterday. Pretty decent show.
Got to see and sit inside the new Alfa Guilia. Quite nice, although (unexpectedly) not of the same interior quality as comparable Audi's or MB's.
Jaguar F-Pace was very nice also, as was the Infinity Q30 (much better looking irl than in pictures).
Bentayga was one ugly sob.
Unfortunately no E-Class, S90 or NSX on the show floor.
I payed about 1,20 euro/ liter (which would equate to 4.90 dollar/ gallon) in Belgium yesterday, about 15-20 eurocents cheaper than in my hometown in the Netherlands.
Got to see and sit inside the new Alfa Guilia. Quite nice, although (unexpectedly) not of the same interior quality as comparable Audi's or MB's.
Jaguar F-Pace was very nice also, as was the Infinity Q30 (much better looking irl than in pictures).
Bentayga was one ugly sob.
Unfortunately no E-Class, S90 or NSX on the show floor.
I payed about 1,20 euro/ liter (which would equate to 4.90 dollar/ gallon) in Belgium yesterday, about 15-20 eurocents cheaper than in my hometown in the Netherlands.
Azzurri
Gold Member
Yea, I had an S5 but got rid of it for an S3 about a year ago. I gave my S3 to my mom cause she need a car to drive, and I found an RS5 at a price I liked, so I pulled the trigger on it.
My bad, that was using Imperial Gallon (UK). But holy shit, 40 cents per litre?!! That's 28p! That means I'm currently paying 275% more than you per litre of fuel….
That's roughly 53 cents per litre, or around 37p. Crazy. You guys definitely have it good. The only one's who might have it better are the Arabs, Persians and Venezuelans lol.
Ok, so that works out to about 92p. So in the UK we're still paying around 14% more than you are in Belgium.
Yeap, it completely makes sense. It's not simply because you guys value fun factor more than we do, it's aided by the fact that it's so much cheaper at the same time. Hell, I really wanted a GT-R this time around, but at the 15-20 or so mpg I'd get around my area (very hilly), it just didn't seem worth it to me for everyday driving, especially given I also make a fair few long journeys, with multiple passengers and load in the car too. On a side note, our narrower roads and constant traffic etc probably don't help either lol.
Mattlikewhoa
Member
Met a car hero of mine last week...
Super nice guy, and took a bit of time out of prepping the floor space at TAS to talk shop (and sign a few things). I did forget to ask if he's still banned in the UK HA!
Super nice guy, and took a bit of time out of prepping the floor space at TAS to talk shop (and sign a few things). I did forget to ask if he's still banned in the UK HA!
David Incorporated Esq.
Member
Wow I can't believe how nice that motor sounds for what it is.
Forgive me for not knowing who this is?
Damn. Never realised until today that all newer BMW M Sport and/or Sport Auto models have Launch Control. Just tested it in the X5 40d and it felt rapid. Reckon I did 0-60mph in under 6 seconds, which given the size and weight of the vehicle is impressive. Don't want to test it with my 3 GT yet, not until I've properly broken it in. Pretty fun feature though, every little helps I suppose lol.
Does anyone know if Mercedes and Jaguar's pseudo sport models also have Launch Control? Eg the Mercs with the AMG add on, not the proper full on AMG Editions themselves.
Does anyone know if Mercedes and Jaguar's pseudo sport models also have Launch Control? Eg the Mercs with the AMG add on, not the proper full on AMG Editions themselves.
SliChillax
Member
Launch control is useless on rwd M cars at least, only good for burnouts.
Btw http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-car...p-grand-cherokee-srt-hellcat-trackhawk-video/
This is exciting
Mattlikewhoa
Member
It's cool, that's actually Kazuhiko Nagata or "Smoky Nagata" known for burnouts and high HP car builds from Japan. He has plenty of footage from Option JDM video that you can youtube. He owns one of the top performance shops in Japan called "Top Secret".
He's a legend in the JDM car world.
T_Exige
Member
I was lucky enough to drive the 400 in december, what a change compared to the earlier 280 bhp version! Also the small changes to the interior. The noise is incredible!
But like all Lotus cars, the price is steep, the local dealer has one for 105k euro.
Living in Europe, I still prefer the raw Exige 350.
It definitely improves something, because often when you floor it normally, there's a slight delay before power really kicks in. Perhaps turbo lag and/or reaching the right revs or something. That doesn't really happen with launch control, and instead it's more instantaneous, and with what seems like quicker shifts too.
Yes on the photos please, and congratulations!
Very cool. What show was this?
One day soon(ish) I want to test drive all of the available Lotus cars just for fun (ok I know there's only like three of them, but still!). Something about them just sort of speaks to me. I hope the Evora 400 is successful for them.
SliChillax
Member
Everytime I used launch control on my M235i it never worked properly and yes I followed the rights steps, same with my friends M4. Flooring the car had better results, I even beat a GLA45 in a drag race by just flooring it meanwhile with launch I couldn't overtake him.
Weird, I felt it helped in the X5, but it's not like I've stop watched or timed the differences. Might be interesting to do just that though. I'll report back when I've tested it with the GT, but I doubt it'll make much of a difference due to the size of the engine and overall power output. Just hoping that like with the X5, it diminishes that sub 1250-1500rpm momentary turbo/transmission lag you sometimes feel when flooring it from a complete standstill or very low speed. Do you ever get that with your M235i at all?