[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by NinadJoshi

Yup... they say each Raptor sold causes gas prices to go up by 10 cents nationally

A wise friend once told me, no matter how many horses you have under the hood, you are still good enough only for 80 mph before the cops cop on you

With the Raptor, you can do 80 Mph on must surfaces, the cops won't be able to catch up . Anyway, unless there really is the requirement for a pickup truck, I would rather stick with a SUV. If you want something butch and stylish go for one of the body on frame SUVs.

[dr.abhijeet]

Originally Posted by amitoj

. And if in US I can't drive a V6/V8, then where can I?...
So, given all this flux and movement, dont you guys think i would need a vehicle bigger than a cross over etc? If not, then what would be an ideal vehicle for me, in the Tundra budget?


But jokes apart, i guess i can wait a bit before going for something like a tundra.

You guys are too practical.--not me
I will have to hide this thread from my wife

But jokes apart, i guess i can wait a bit before going for something like a tundra.

I agree , You need something bigger, and since you like tundra, May I suggest Used Sequoia if that is out of reach, the 4Runner. AFAIK, Pathfinder is due for a recycle this year and will switch to monocoque.
If you are really in the mood for american experience, suburban/Yokon Denali
Just to confuse everyone more!

[mohit]

Originally Posted by Sahil

Rav4 offer best bang for the buck but I am not confident with the build of Jap cars. Would feel more at peace in terms of safety with a german.

Subaru doesn't appeal much either.

Priorities are as below to be more clear:
Safety > Maintenance > Feature > Brand > Resale > FE > Price

The resale is largely dependent on what stage of it's lifecycle is the car. I'd prefer buying a recent launch or atleast a facelifted one.

Folks with experience in snow driving, does one need to change to winter tyres or having all season are good enough?

You guys think I should consider AWD sedans such as the new 3, A4, C, etc? My only reason for not considering is the ground clearance is an issue during snow, SUV is easier to drive and I think SUV's are better built to handle highway mishaps.

On Cars vs SUVs : Most vehicles that end up in a ditch during the snowstorms are SUVs and the reason is very simple - People think they are driving SUVs so are immune to laws of physics and do not slow down. Sedan drivers take it easy as the chance of getting stuck is higher.

On Jap vs German/European - I'll never let a loved one drive an unreliable car when they are living on their own. A car that can break down is a greater danger than a car that is less safe in your opinion (Look up safety ratings and then make up your mind).

My picks:

Subaru Impreza hatch (AWD, small, not too fast and still looks good).
Lexus IS 250 AWD

[amitoj]

Guys, any reason why the Dodge Charger SXT AWD should not be considered??
In terms of size, it seems to be bigger than most of the competition and then some, including A4 and the 3.
In terms of power, it has a 3.6L V6. And reviews seem to be pretty good too. They claim to have overcome Dodge's biggest pain point of drab interiors.

Yes yes I know I am flip flopping

But between an SUV, pickup and a sedan, i would anyday prefer a sedan first, and then a pickup and very reluctantly... an SUV.

[vivekiny2k]

If i had to pick a car purely based on looks and road presence, I would pick up charger any day. But keeping in mind MPG, long term reliability and maintenance issues, there are better cars in that segment.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by vivekiny2k

If i had to pick a car purely based on looks and road presence, I would pick up charger any day. But keeping in mind MPG, long term reliability and maintenance issues, there are better cars in that segment.

It got 31 mpg in govt tests. I think i am ok with that. Besides, what better mpg can one expect from a V6?
As for long term, i may choose to lease it for 3 years only.

Apart from that, i have almost written off tundra from the list and scribbled in Ram 1500.

Somehow Dodge seems to be appealing more to my desi vfm brain

I have been surfing edmunds and kbb a bit. Any other sites you guys can recommend?

[aah78]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Guys, any reason why the Dodge Charger SXT AWD should not be considered??

In terms of power, it has a 3.6L V6. And reviews seem to be pretty good too. They claim to have overcome Dodge's biggest pain point of drab interiors.

. No reason why you shouldn't consider the SXT. The Pentastar V6 has been widely praised by auto-jurnos.
Plus, it has the new 8-speed automatic from ZF , and AWD will be useful in NH winters too.

Originally Posted by vivekiny2k

long term reliability and maintenance issues

Yes, you will definitely have to check up on reliability and maintenance issues but otherwise it's a good car.

[vivekiny2k]

Originally Posted by amitoj

It got 31 mpg in govt tests. I think i am ok with that. Besides, what better mpg can one expect from a V6?
As for long term, i may choose to lease it for 3 years only.

Apart from that, i have almost written off tundra from the list and scribbled in Ram 1500.

Somehow Dodge seems to be appealing more to my desi vfm brain

I have been surfing edmunds and kbb a bit. Any other sites you guys can recommend?

Cars.com

Also I am told the cummins engine are bullet proof, it's the car around them that falls off in case of dodge. So ram might work well for you

[vineethvazhayil]

The charger with the pentastar v6 and the zf 8 speed is a good car. While you are at it, check the chrysler 300 also.. Very similar car..

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by aah78

Yes, you will definitely have to check up on reliability and maintenance issues but otherwise it's a good car.

Originally Posted by vivekiny2k

Cars.com
Also I am told the cummins engine are bullet proof, it's the car around them that falls off in case of dodge. So ram might work well for you

Yes the reliability part is an unknown factor to me.

And also looked at the RAM1500 in a little more detail. They have pathetic mileage among trucks! Ford F150 looks like a better option among the trucks now.

Originally Posted by vineethvazhayil

The charger with the pentastar v6 and the zf 8 speed is a good car. While you are at it, check the chrysler 300 also.. Very similar car..

Yes the Chrysler 300 seems to match Charger spec by spec, but the Charger's looks make it a winner for me.

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Yes the Chrysler 300 seems to match Charger spec by spec, but the Charger's looks make it a winner for me.

The 300 is designed to be the more upscale car amongst the two, if that helps. I guess you already like the looks of the Charger. Here, enjoy a nice gallery -
Autoblog - 2011 Charger

Besides, since you are already considering RWD American sedans, you have other options with the v6 engines - Ford Taurus/Cadillac CTS etc - Just to add to the confusion!

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by vineethvazhayil

The 300 is designed to be the more upscale car amongst the two, if that helps. I guess you already like the looks of the Charger. Here, enjoy a nice gallery -
Autoblog - 2011 Charger

Besides, since you are already considering RWD American sedans, you have other options with the v6 engines - Ford Taurus/Cadillac CTS etc - Just to add to the confusion!

Thanks for that link, Vineeth. There are some amazing pics there.

Taurus looks a bit odd. I liked the older versions of Taurus more. With Caddi, i can only manage a base entry level version whereas with Charger, you get nice trim and still have some cash left over.

And in all cases, i am looking at AWDs only. Otherwise the SRT would have been verrry nice!!

[NinadJoshi]

Originally Posted by amitoj

It got 31 mpg in govt tests. I think i am ok with that. Besides, what better mpg can one expect from a V6?

@Amitoj: If you want the AWD variant, expect ~16/17 city and ~25/26 freeway at best. Power to 4 wheels can distort otherwise great mpg figures.

Dodge Charger was placed 5th in the "Affordable large cars" rankings by US News, behind (by rank) Ford Taurus, Toyota Avalon, Buick Lacrosse and Chrysler 300.

That being said, the Charger is what I call a car in the 'passion' segment. Buyers of cars like the Charger, Mustang et al. are willing to forfeit some of the normal reliability and quality aspects for the vehicles in favor of performance and looks. J D Powers quality ratings for the Chargers' 2011 model year were 'low' (below average) for overall mechanical quality, powertrain quality, features and interior quality. Not much data is available for 2012 models but overall reliability is still an 'average' 6/10. Do not expect any radical surges in quality numbers from 2011.

Yet, the vehicle remains popular because of its unique 'muscle' car looks, and one has to give it full points for that.

If you don' mind a few niggles and the odd slap on the wallet now and then, then this will be a fun car.

Also, for most reliable data on fuel economy, refer to fueleconomy.gov that posts real life FE numbers for vehicles, (not manufacturer claimed ones).

[vivekiny2k]

FYI, used cars in cars.com will give you an estimate of depreciation in your area. You can use to plan if you want to sell it after 3 yrs.

[VLOCT]

Okay, I've heard all this trash talking of American cars for a while now. Just wondering, how many of you actually owned one that's made in the past 5 or 10 years. Or, are we just talking about the almighty 'Consumer Report' that supposedly is un-challengeable.

Well, I've owned three and still own two. In fact, my 1997 Mustang has 198,000 miles and has never seen a garage for anything other than wear and tear repairs (8 years of ownership) and, I've no intention of selling it. So can we please drop this infallibility of the Japs. The current crop of American cars are very good in both interior quality and mechanically.

So, if you asked me whether I'll sell my Mustang or Solstice GXP for a Camry or Accord or some other perfect Jap crap, I'm sorry, I'll laugh at your face. I happen to like to feel that I'm still alive and not sterilized yet.

So Amitoj, my personal advice, buy what your heart tells you, with limited input from the brain. To hell with the Japanese, who has convinced the world that their numb steering, dead handling and paper thin metal clad sewing machines are the greatest automobiles on the planet. What a joke! Isn't it ironic that until the early 70s before Americans where convinced that Jap cars where the way of the future, they reigned supreme? And their desiribility dropped like a stone when they attempted to ape the econo boxes. And look what has bought them back. Basic divorce from the Japanese styling and getting back to the American sensibilites of style and design.

I've had a long list of cars that I've owned including Beemers (owned a 740iL for 11 years), still own a 71 Porsche 911, Nissans, Caddys, Pontiacs, Fords, own a fully loaded Mazda CX-9 (an excellent car). I've never really had a car that let me down. I'll never own a Toyota or a Lexus (sedan or SUV), to me the most boring cars on the planet. However, I don't mind some their four wheeling machines. Mileage has never been a criteria for buying a car for me. After all, if driving is your passion, shouldn't things like performance and road holding and other such factors be of prime importance, for your personal vehicle? Now, the car for you wife, can be almost anything i.e., if she's not an auto enthusiast or just want a decent car.

Boy, am I glad that I got that off my chest.