Car shopping! Need suggestions!
 

Well, my dad is looking at getting a new car in the next year or so as a bit of a reward for himself as he approaches retirement. I'm much more into cars than he is, so he usually talks to me about what he's thinking and asks for my input. For quite a while now his "dream car" (realistic) has been the Audi A8. I'm a bit of an Audi fan and I think it's undoubtedly a nice car. With that said, we were talking about it and it seems like his desired price range will land him with more of a "bare bones" A8.

He had considered and is still considering the possibility of an A7, which I suggested over the A8 after realizing he'd be looking at a very basic A8. In my eyes, he could get a lot more for the money if he were to get a fully loaded A7 instead of a basic A8.

I've been able to confirm that he's not too concerned about the size and may even be willing to consider 2 seat sports cars. I'm almost certain a fair bit of luxury is a requirement, so I've ruled out some ideas like a Z06. I believe he'll still be more likely to pursue a luxury sedan as performance isn't quite as important to him. Some of my current ideas are the Audi A7, BMW 5 series GT, and Porsche Panamera. Those all just happen to be reasonably within the price range with a level of features I think would satisfy what he's looking for. I'm not specifically limiting myself to that specific style. I'm also going to bring up the M3, Cayman S, and CTS-V, though I don't expect those to appeal to him quite as much. SUV's are definitely not what he is looking for and I don't think he's a fan of a "true hatchback" or wagon design.

Edit: We've also talked about the Hyundai Equus. From everything I've read, it would seem it doesn't quite compare to the other top sedans (BMW 7 series, Audi A8, Lexus LS, etc) but it does seem like an excellent value with a lot of features. They seem to be putting a lot of focus on great service to separate it from the rest of the brand in order to break into the high end, luxury market.

Used is an option (good condition and low miles a must... he's looking for something decently dependable), though I know that can make things complicated with how many vehicles become a potential option with that. That does bring the A8 back into play, which is definitely something that might win him over.

If anyone has any suggestions of what else I should bring up, that would be appreciated. My hope is to show him as many options that may interest him so we can narrow it down and work on test driving the top few choices. If anyone has any comments toward the idea of a fully loaded "lower model" over a basic higher model, that would also be helpful.

6 series BMW!?

an S5 is a pretty cool car with lots of luxury but still a sporty 2 door.

Not sure why, but I had dismissed the 6 series. I wasn't aware of the sedan version and I think he'd be much more fond of that than the coupe, so that's definitely on the list I'll bring up.

I'll bring up the S5 as well... I wasn't thinking of it because of my personal bias. I drive a B5 S4 with the twin turbo engine and I'm a fan of the B8 S4 with the supercharger. While the 4.2L V8 S4's were great cars in stock form, I disliked the B6 and B7 generation because they weren't nearly as mod friendly. For my dad, that will not be an issue. Also, I believe they're changing over to the 3.0T supercharged engine that's in the B8 S4, so I will be able to fully condone it at that point. I'll probably tell him to wait for that engine if he really favors the S4.

Honestly, since this is his present to himself before he enters retirement, stick with new. Give him a full warranty, and if you can, get the dealer to throw in an extended factory warranty into the deal.

You can get quite a bit of money off of those upper end luxury cars, all you have to do is find a dealer with a car pretty close to what you want on their lot, and make them a lower offer. You would be surprised if you make the right offer at the right time, what you can walk away with at a high end brand.

If he wants an A8, start with that, and see if you can swing that deal, first.
I would start with finding a dealer that has a couple A8's sitting on their lot, and see if you can score a fairly well loaded one for the MSRP of the basic A8. That's usually doable.

Make sure you research the dealer's add on fees, and such not.
There's no point getting a great price, only to get screwed when its time to sign the paperwork.

It works much better when you can call the dealers on your dad's behalf, and let them know that you're doing all the negotiations for him, and the only thing you care about is price. That way they can't use the whole emotional experience of buying your dream car against your dad during price negotiations. That works very, very well in my experiences with it.

BC.

cts-v

If money is at all an issue, there's a Catch 22 with high-end German cars. They are generally bought for their "status" and there's no status in driving an older one. Major out-of-warranty repairs are extremely expensive (and everyone knows it). Hence, an $80k new price car will sell for ~$40k less 3-4 years later.

Is the new Cadillac ATS out of the question? He could wait for the ATS-V (twin turbo V-6)

http://autoweek.com/storyimage/CW/20...dillac-ATS.jpg
http://image.motortrend.com/f/397226...S-interior.jpg

Lexus GS F Sport?

http://images.thecarconnection.com/m...00368070_m.jpg

http://www.gotbroken.com/wp-content/...re-588x387.jpg


or GS460?

http://img2.netcarshow.com/Lexus-GS_...llpaper_06.jpg

I'd imagine the CTS/CTS-V would win over the ATS for him, but it's worth taking a look at.

I doubt the GS will interest him. My mom currently has a GS350 which he may take over, get her a new car and then wait until earlier next year to get himself a new car. He likes it quite a bit and says it's a nice car, but it doesn't meet what he'd personally choose if getting a new car.

If he were to do used, it would be VERY lightly used. It's pretty surprising how much lower the price gets on some of those cars after some very mild use. He'll likely still go after new, but I figured I'd mention used as an option since it isn't completely out of the question.

He knows about some of the maintenance costs associated down the road and has considered that when it comes to the price range he's looking at.

What about an ISF?

M3?

I don't like Lexus ever since they came out with a Lexus Corolla Hybrid that costs 20k more than a corrolla and gets worse mpg than my old o2 corolla

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog....hfd_02_opt.jpg

http://www.hybridcars.com/files/2012...0h-Driving.jpg

Every time I see one, I have the strongest of urges to crash into the nearest, hardest thing

M3 was on my original post list. IS-F will be added just to be fair and since it might appeal to him. I'll also throw in the S4, though its not exactly a direct competitor to those.

Audi S5

Go with the Cadillac or Mazda Miata.

The Miata will be perfect for him.

It will give him everything he wants. Then after a couple of years he will say that was fun, now I want a luxury car.

He will never regret living a youthful life in the Miata.

he's looking for something decently dependable

That should disqualify any Audi.

They are reasonably trustworthy for the first three years, then they go to hell quicklike.
Expensive bits fall off at an ever increasing rate, and then it starts to get really grim - the ONLY way I'd consider another would be on a three year lease and happily give it back at the end.

Don't take my word, check with any longterm owner, an Audi forum or even Consumer Reports (you'll find their damning evidence under the title "Worst Of The Worst - Used Cars to Avoid")

I guarantee you he's not looking for something like the Miata. Performance is not a deciding factor to him and luxury is something he cares about. Also, the Miata would be too small for him to comfortably buy. He might find some enjoyment from it, but I know it's not at all what he'd want. It's a great and fun car, but it's not really comparable to what he's considering. Considering he dismissed cars like the Cayman and TT RS, I have no doubt he would turn it down.

He will still have a daily commute of 80-90 miles for work for a few more years, so reasonable comfort is important. It would also be worth mentioning that he ruled out manual transmission. It just doesn't interest him for his only car.

As for Audi reliability, I drive a 12 year old S4 with 170,000 miles on the original engine. I'm not going to pretend it has been trouble free, but it's hasn't been too terrible either. I've been fairly active on some Audi forums and the general consensus is, depending on specific model, that you shouldn't expect them to be the most reliable but it's not unreasonable to choose many for a daily driver. I'm really not sure how long he intends to keep this car, so I can't comment on that specifically. We will definitely research the reliability of whichever cars he is leaning toward when the time comes.

I went through the list I had tonight, which included the Audi S4, S5, TT RS, A7, BMW M3, 5 series GT, Porsche Cayman (S), Panamera and the Hyundai Equus. Of those cars, he's heavily favoring the A7 and the 5 series GT. The 5 series GT really caught his attention because it offers a bit more room than the A7 since it's built more closely to the 7 series dimensions while the A7 is more similar to the A6 dimensions. He's going to take a look at the S4 and S5 whenever we go look at an A7, but I'm not sure he's really interested. The Equus is definitely something he's interested in, but we both want to see it and drive it before seriously considering it. At the very least, it has sparked a good amount of curiosity and interest.

I now realize that the 6 series and Cadillac completely slipped my mind, so I will bring those up tomorrow.

It reminds me of seeing Jedi step into a Miada at 7stock two years ago. enough said.

The caddy looks good...if i just could afford it.

Dude; I'll stop ya short and agree with stealth. And in the end; if you want to find the perfect car for you than talk to ppl. don't pretend you know what you are talking about. i am not trying to be mean; just tough love. If you have any questions you can PM me and I am more than willing to help.

I assume you're talking to me, but not sure what you mean or specifically what you're referring to.

Jaguar XF. Get the XF-R if he wants the power.

https://www.rx8club.com/picture.php?...ictureid=32745

http://www.lolwut.com/layout/lolwut.jpg

Just a quick teaser... I only had my phone on me so I only snapped this shot:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8153/7...ef2591a4_z.jpg

5 Series GT :)