16th Sep 2011, 11:52
A Lexus limo would sort of seem like a VW limo. They just aren't truly luxurious or big enough to compete with real luxury cars such as Lincoln or Cadillac.
Ad hype casts Lexus as a "luxury car", but a co-worker of mine has one, and it is simply a very poorly disguised Camry with acres of cheap plastic in the interior. There is not, never has been, and never will be a Lexus that can come close to the solid and luxurious feel of the big body-on-frame Lincoln Town Car or Cadillac.
My family has owned Lincolns since 1984. Up until 2008 they were Town Cars. Due to a down-sized garage, an MKZ was substituted for the Town Car that year. It is like the Lexus: a thinly disguised cheaper car (in this case a Ford Fusion), and nowhere near as luxurious and opulent as the Town Car. I'd also hate to see how driver and passenger would fare in a crash in it compared to the bullet-proof and indestructible Town Car.
16th Sep 2011, 14:37
16th Sep 2011, 11:52 is correct - these modern luxury cars are far worse and enormously more costly. Most drivers nowadays have never ridden in or driven a full sized traditional body on frame V8 sedan, so they really don't understand. Even the Oldsmobile Delta 88s I had ('82 and '84) were better than a modern luxury car, though not technically a luxury brand.
16th Sep 2011, 17:36
Sadly the age of large American cars is over. 2011 marked the end for the Cadillac DTS, Buick Lucerne, Lincoln Town Car, and Mercury Grand Marquis. These were the last few models that held out with some remnants of the past glory (some more than others). The imports like Lexus have permanently left their impact. The cars we drive now have more in common with the Japanese imports than any American car of the past. With the cost of fuel soaring and no relief in sight, not to mention the preposterous standards the EPA is setting, we will probably all be driving sub-compacts like the rest of the modern world in 10-15 years. It is really very unfortunate that the modern American car is thought of as nothing more than a convenience appliance. There was a time when the automobile was something special to be proud of. I will always think of that time fondly.
17th Sep 2011, 12:38
"There was a time when an automobile was special and something to be proud of "
I completely agree. I'm a younger guy, and I feel I missed out on all the great cars. I was born in 1982, just about the time FWD and imports were getting popular.
I had some FWD beaters in high school, but now that I can afford it, I only drive 80's Caprices, LeSabres, Fleetwoods, Crown Vics or Town Cars.
The build quality, attention to detail, ride quality, comfort, luxury, and reliability in these cars is way better than anything made in the 2000's.
I take advantage of being able to drive these while I can, as in the near future with the price of gas rising, we will soon all be riding in cheap plastic econoboxes.
May as well enjoy the glory days of Detroit iron while you can, it makes me proud to drive a car built in America from a way gone time when we actually had pride in our products and cared about supporting our own industry and economy, as well as the middle class autoworker.
Sadly those days are long gone, most people prefer to spend more money on an inferior, disposable import, just because it's a status symbol that shows you are better than others.
Gas will have to reach a ridiculous price before I give up my V-8 RWD land yachts, however these cars are so cheap to run otherwise, that even with gas cost, they save you money in the long run.
17th Sep 2011, 14:25
A changing world requires changes in many areas of our lives. We are clearly and irrefutably destroying our climate with man-made carbon emissions. This summer saw the highest temperatures on record for many areas of the U.S. as well as Europe. No one can deny the need for smaller, lighter and more fuel-efficient cars. Because of cheap gas, greed and ignorance, the U.S. has lagged behind the rest of the world in this respect. More enlightened European countries long ago shifted to smaller and more fuel-efficient vehicles.
The dilemma this has created for the U.S. is that our highways are cluttered with huge, heavy vehicles that can easily demolish smaller cars. Recent safety studies here indicated that you are 3 times more likely to die in a crash in a small unibody car than in a larger body-on-frame SUV. For this reason, huge numbers of Americans drive larger vehicles out of fear for the safety of themselves and their families. I am one of them. Though I personally drive a small unibody sedan (Fusion) that gets 34-38 miles per gallon, I still feel safer with my wife driving her big body-on-frame SUV. This dilemma will persist for decades for Americans. These larger vehicles will last 30-40 years. Yesterday I parked next to a decades-old Suburban.
I see them every day in traffic here. The Explorer came out 20 years ago and there are huge numbers of those '92 models still on the road.
Sadly, our rather spineless government has steadfastly refused to legislate off the roads these larger vehicles. Due, no doubt, to pressure from oil companies, little real progress has been made in the U.S. in removing large vehicles from our roads. Our pathetic efforts at improving gas mileage are laughable. Our current fuel mileage regulations still leave us way behind the mileage cars have been getting in Europe for decades. Until that changes drastically, larger vehicles will continue to dominate our highways. And out of fear of being squished, many of us will continue to drive larger vehicles for our own safety.
17th Sep 2011, 14:46
It's not possible for a car to "run flawlessly" with a clogged catalytic converter. A non-functioning converter blocks the exhaust, generating back-pressure that causes very noticeable loss of power and a lot of excess heat that can melt interior carpet padding. A very noticeable drop in fuel mileage is also generally noticed.
If a car has a lighted "check engine" light and has no noticeable symptoms within a 2-week period, one can generally assume that the "problem" is either harmless, or that the too-sensitive light is trying to make money for the dealer or a shop. The lights on Fords are notoriously sensitive. I've turned ours off simply by running a tank of premium gas through it. I always run the codes, and in 99% of the cases it comes up "EVAP system". That is a catch-all term that can be as harmless as a loose gas cap. It basically means "Take me to the dealer and get ripped off".
The check engine light on my Fusion came on two years ago. The code came up "engine running too cool". This was confirmed by the dash gauge, which indicated a lower running temperature. Since cooler running engines produce less stress, degrade the oil more slowly and get better fuel mileage, I have chosen not to replace the thermostat (which is a real bear on a Fusion). My fuel mileage has gone up noticeably, which is another deterrent to "fixing" it. I have gone from an average of 485 miles per tank to 505 per tank. Power is up, and it runs just as smooth as always.
Unfortunately car makers have used scare tactics to try and get people into their service departments for unnecessary repairs. Looking at the owner's manual info on the check engine light makes one believe that your car will explode and kill you if you don't instantly take it to a shop. Not so. ANY problem serious enough to require attention will let you know in very obvious ways. If your car runs as good as ever, doesn't overheat, makes no odd noises and shows no drop in fuel mileage, you can ignore that stupid light forever.
15th Sep 2011, 17:12
Actually there are Lexus limos out there (why, I don't know), but the reason you don't see them is because Lincoln and Cadillac have always been the #1 choice for a majority of limo and airport service companies. My brother-in-law has an airport and limo company, and most of the Lincolns he has used have topped out with over 400,000 miles.