Re: 4 wheel drive questions/reliability of vehicles
 

"Dave LaCourse" <davplac@aol.comPirate> wrote in message
news:20040118002123.26490.00000165@mb-m07.aol.com...
> You guys are missing the point. The original poster was looking for an
awd
> *car*, like in *sedan*. He doesn't want to go the SUV route. He wants a
car
> that will seat four adults comfortably and has awd. The obvious choice is
the
> best awd system out there - Audi, and the car would be the A6 or the A8,
hands
> down the two best ald sedans in the world. Period!
> Dave

Are we allowed to disagre? ;o)

There is also the S80 AWD and Pacifica.

Dont' forget that in a SUV, you are 30% more protected than in a comparable
car (except large ones), according to stats from IIRS. 30% less injuries,
deaths and collisions, according to them.

I am sure that in California, you can live without AWD even if it would be
nice to have in 2% of the conditions. Your call.

Re: 4 wheel drive questions/reliability of vehicles
 

My girlfriend has a 99 Audi A4 Quatro. It is the best car i've ever
driven in winter conditions, its ride is more comfortable than any
ford explorer. I've never driven or even riden in a Sabb but they are
manufactured in Northern Europe and everytime i see them advertised
they are going through some arctic environment.

Re: 4 wheel drive questions/reliability of vehicles
 

"REInvestments" <nospam@yahoo.com> wrote in
news:mYgOb.26659$VS4.828669@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:

> I currently have both an S420 (for sale) and a Ford Explorer lease
> car. I'd like to consolidate to one vehicle since my only use for the
> 4 wheel drive is a once per month ski excursion in the snow during the
> winter.
>
> And I'm at the point where I'd like to get dead bang great reliability
> from a vehicle over a 10 year ownership (which is about 140,000 miles
> for me)
>
> I've been reading each of these newsgroups, as well as a few others
> for a while, and in each newsgroup there are ongoing complaints about
> the reliability of each marque. I'm ALMOST willing to go Japanese,
> but not quite yet.
>
> What are your recommendations for the most reliable 4 wheel drive car
> that will comfortably seat four adults, and why?
>
> Thanks very much,
> Larry
> LWallerstein@btcommercial.com
>
>

A base-equipted Mercedes E-class 4-Matic without the unecessary and trouble
laden bell's and whistles is as good a car as you are likely to find!

Re: 4 wheel drive questions/reliability of vehicles
 

"REInvestments" <nospam@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:RzqOb.28668$VS4.891977@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>
> Thanks, Dan. This was exactly the type of comparisons I was hoping to
get
> from owners of the different marques. Very informative. I'll be test
> riding both of them, but that doesn't answer the question of reliability.
> That's where real world experience is appreciated.
> >

I did plenty of research on both the cars. The Mercedes was constantly
ranked "tops in the industry" as far as reliability, and all the E-CLASS
owners I spoke with said their cars never broke and that they were the best
vehicle they've ever owned. The Audi also did well, their quality and
reliability has come a long way since the 'dark days'. I talked to one owner
who said "All I have to do is change the oil and drive" and another said it
was simply a fantastic car that gave him no trouble. This may not be the
answer your looking for, but there are also plenty of sources out there for
reliability/quality ratings. Another factor which swayed me to the German
brands is safety. BMW, Mercedes and Audi are notorious for building the
safest cars with the best innovative safety features that could save your
life or keep you from getting seriously injured in a crash. That means a lot
to me, especially when I have my kids in the car. Let us know what you drive
and what you think. Good Luck.

>
>

Re: 4 wheel drive questions/reliability of vehicles
 

On Sun, 18 Jan 2004 12:31:21 -0500, "Saintor"
<saintor1@REMOVETHIShotmail.com> wrote:
>Dont' forget that in a SUV, you are 30% more protected than in a comparable
>car (except large ones), according to stats from IIRS. 30% less injuries,
>deaths and collisions, according to them.

There's a recent New Yorker article talking about this issue, actually
(can't remember the issue, but I str Jan. 5). Basically, SUV drivers
are more likely to get into accidents for two reasons: stupid driving
because of arrogance and erroneous assumptions about their vehicles
and inability to get out of trouble. Sedan drivers know their limits
better and are able to nimbly avoid trouble. As a result, SUV drivers
seem to create more accidents and actually aren't that much safer.

I'll stick to my 98.5 A4 Quattro; it's driving great on snow tires
right now in western New York.

Re: 4 wheel drive questions/reliability of vehicles
 

Saintor writes:

>"Dave LaCourse" <davplac@aol.comPirate> wrote in message
>news:20040118002123.26490.00000165@mb-m07.aol.com...
>> You guys are missing the point. The original poster was looking for an
>awd
>> *car*, like in *sedan*. He doesn't want to go the SUV route. He wants a
>car
>> that will seat four adults comfortably and has awd. The obvious choice is
>the
>> best awd system out there - Audi, and the car would be the A6 or the A8,
>hands
>> down the two best ald sedans in the world. Period!
>> Dave
>
>Are we allowed to disagre? ;o)

Sure, you can disagre <sic>, but he is *not* looking for an SUV. He *has* an
SUV.

Dave

http://hometown.aol.com/davplac/myhomepage/index.html

Re: 4 wheel drive questions/reliability of vehicles
 

"Dave LaCourse" <davplac@aol.comPirate> wrote in message
news:20040118170319.17130.00000282@mb-m03.aol.com...
> Saintor writes:
>
> >"Dave LaCourse" <davplac@aol.comPirate> wrote in message
> >news:20040118002123.26490.00000165@mb-m07.aol.com...
> >> You guys are missing the point. The original poster was looking for an
> >awd
> >> *car*, like in *sedan*. He doesn't want to go the SUV route. He wants
a
> >car
> >> that will seat four adults comfortably and has awd. The obvious choice
is
> >the
> >> best awd system out there - Audi, and the car would be the A6 or the
A8,
> >hands
> >> down the two best ald sedans in the world. Period!
> >> Dave
> >
> >Are we allowed to disagre? ;o)
>
> Sure, you can disagre <sic>, but he is *not* looking for an SUV. He *has*
an
> SUV.
>
> Dave
>
> http://hometown.aol.com/davplac/myhomepage/index.html


Correctomundo. My 02 Ford Explorer does anything I would want in an SUV.
I actually don't NEED any other car with an S420 and a Ford Explorer.
What I'd LIKE is to emulate the quality and impression value of my
passenger vehicle, and have my 4 wheel drive in my passenger vehicle. Then
I'd get rid of the Explorer, consolidate insurance coverage, and so on. I
don't think the Subaru will work, as I want to use this for my "dress up"
work car, although I think Subaru has proven itself better than anyone in
the all wheel drive passenger vehicle department over the years, and you do
get the most bang for the buck.

I think I'm down to the A-6 with the 4.2 liter engine, the Mercedes E 500 4
Matic as choices. The Audi appears to be wider, and seems to have more
rear seat room, and a longer history in all wheel drive. Neither seem
bulletproof in reliability, but I don't like the SUV platform, and I'm not
seeing a sedan from the Japanese in a four wheel drive format, unless I
missed something.

If I don't go with 4 wheel drive, then I can just keep my 99 S420. It does
everything else I want. Although I do worry about reliability on my S Class
as well, particularly since it is out of warranty.

>
>
>
>
>
>

Re: 4 wheel drive questions/reliability of vehicles
 

"REInvestments" <nospam@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:RzqOb.28668$VS4.891977@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> "Dan Manning" <DM@ourworld.net> wrote in message
> news:budbr3$2qn$1@ngspool-d02.news.aol.com...
> >
> > "REInvestments" <nospam@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> > news:mYgOb.26659$VS4.828669@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> > > I currently have both an S420 (for sale) and a Ford Explorer lease
car.
> > > I'd like to consolidate to one vehicle since my only use for the 4
wheel
> > > drive is a once per month ski excursion in the snow during the winter.
> > >
> > > And I'm at the point where I'd like to get dead bang great reliability
> > from
> > > a vehicle over a 10 year ownership (which is about 140,000 miles for
me)

<snip>

> Thanks, Dan. This was exactly the type of comparisons I was hoping to
get
> from owners of the different marques. Very informative. I'll be test
> riding both of them, but that doesn't answer the question of reliability.
> That's where real world experience is appreciated.

Hint: try and find a German taxi that isn't a Merc. You certainly /can/ find
them, but you have to look. Quite hard.

That said (and in no way intended as an insult), according to some German
friends, that reputation has taken quite a bashing since the DC merger -
some of the US-derived designs and manufacturing processes don't seem to be
quite a bullet-proof as Merc drivers were used to.

One, I know, was planning to go down the Audi route unless his pet salesman
could lease him an AMG for the price of a diesel.

Don't know what happened in the end, though. He's driven Mercs for at least
10 years and finds BMWs too "common" around Frankfurt. A bit snobbish,
methinks, but he doesn't "do" corners.. just scary speeds in scary
conditions on the Autobahn. When I get a lift, I prefer to sit in the back..
can't see the road that way :o\

And just in case I'm about to be accused of marque bias.. the BMW MINI
sources a GM-derived engine from (IIRC) Brazil, my TT is really built in
Hungary and the (2WD) Nissan 350Z has the heart of a Renault Vel Satis..
yes, /that/ one.

HTH

Hairy One Kenobi

Disclaimer: the opinions expressed in this opinion do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the highly-opinionated person expressing the opinion
in the first place. So there!

Re: 4 wheel drive questions/reliability of vehicles
 

>
>I think I'm down to the A-6 with the 4.2 liter engine, the Mercedes E 500 4
>Matic as choices. The Audi appears to be wider, and seems to have more
>rear seat room, and a longer history in all wheel drive. Neither seem
>bulletproof in reliability, but I don't like the SUV platform, and I'm not
>seeing a sedan from the Japanese in a four wheel drive format, unless I
>missed something.
>


Infinity G35X
new Lexus GS (not out just yet).

-
--
Curtis Newton
cnewton@remove-me.akaMail.com
http://surf.to/cnewton
<delete remove-me. to respond to email>
ICQ: 4899169

Re: 4 wheel drive questions/reliability of vehicles
 

your recommendations for the most reliable 4 wheel drive car
> that will comfortably seat four adults, and why?
>
> Thanks very much,
> Larry
> LWallerstein@btcommercial.com

I got 220Kmiles out of my 88 80 Quattro relatively trouble free. The
most I did was suspension rebuilds. Never was stranded.
I like the A6 Q.
>
>