Consumer reports chooses the top 10 picks for 2009.

[565]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29391305?pg=1#Biz_Consumer_Reports_picks_0902

A Chevy, a Hyundai, a Mazda, a Honda, and a Nissan (Infiniti), and the other 5 were all Toyotas.  No Europeans made the list.

[ifcar]

This is from February.

[S204STi]

May as well have been the Top 10 Toyotas of 09.

[565]

This is from February.

My bad, just saw it on MSN

[Cobra93]

It's MSNBC.  Who would dare to disbelieve them? 

[hotrodalex]

Yawn.

[sportyaccordy]

Greenest car yay

I agree w/the Infiniti.

[cawimmer430]

 

[BimmerM3]

I FUCKING HATE SLIDE SHOWS. I DON'T WANT TO LOAD THE PAGE 11 TIMES TO READ 10 SMALL CAPTIONS. FUCK.

[Laconian]

I FUCKING HATE SLIDE SHOWS. I DON'T WANT TO LOAD THE PAGE 11 TIMES TO READ 10 SMALL CAPTIONS. FUCK.

They love your page views.

[Secret Chimp]

They confused best overall car with best overall bore.

[Madman]

The Mazda MX-5 is the only decent car on that list.  I wouldn't touch any of the others if you paid me.

Cheers,
Madman of the People

[CJ]

The Elantra is quite the nice car.  You might be surprised.

[ifcar]

The Mazda MX-5 is the only decent car on that list.  I wouldn't touch any of the others if you paid me.

Cheers,
Madman of the People

It takes quite a snob to refuse to touch a Lexus LS460 or Infiniti G37. Or most any other new car, for that matter.

[Madman]

It takes quite a snob to refuse to touch a Lexus LS460 or Infiniti G37. Or most any other new car, for that matter.

I just don't get the appeal of either of these two cars.  Most of the competitors in their respective classes are better.  The LS460 is a boring barge that looks as though it was tailored for people with one foot in the grave and the G37 looks like a Chinese BMW.  Yes, I know the G37 is, by all accounts, an excellent car to drive but I just don't care for the styling.  And if I'm spending that kind of money for a car, I'd better damn well love the way it looks!

The Elantra is quite the nice car.  You might be surprised.

Make it the Elantra Touring and you've got a deal.  The photo showed the Elantra Sedan, so I wasn't sure if they were including the Touring version in their assessment or not.  The two are very different cars.  The Elantra sedan is more forgettable (and regrettable) than Pauly Shore's career but the Touring is actually quite nice.  So make that two cars on that list I would have; Mazda MX-5 and Hyundai Elantra Touring.  You can keep the rest.  The last thing anyone needs is another Accord or Camry.


Cheers,
Madman of the People

[Submariner]

The Elantra is quite the nice car.  You might be surprised.

I'll walk.

[cawimmer430]

Guys, history was made in this thread right here, right now. 

[ifcar]

I just don't get the appeal of either of these two cars.  Most of the competitors in their respective classes are better.  The LS460 is a boring barge that looks as though it was tailored for people with one foot in the grave and the G37 looks like a Chinese BMW.  Yes, I know the G37 is, by all accounts, an excellent car to drive but I just don't care for the styling.  And if I'm spending that kind of money for a car, I'd better damn well love the way it looks!

You said no one could pay you to touch it. For that kind of money, you don't have to love how it looks.

"It's not my choice for the money" makes a lot more sense.

[93JC]

the G37 looks like a Chinese BMW. 

BMWs looks like Chinese BMWs.

[Raza]

I just don't get the appeal of either of these two cars.  Most of the competitors in their respective classes are better.  The LS460 is a boring barge that looks as though it was tailored for people with one foot in the grave and the G37 looks like a Chinese BMW.  Yes, I know the G37 is, by all accounts, an excellent car to drive but I just don't care for the styling.  And if I'm spending that kind of money for a car, I'd better damn well love the way it looks!

Cheers,
Madman of the People

Having done several hundred miles in an LS460, I understand why it's on this list and why it loses comparisons. 

It's a luxury car.  Drive a BMW 7 series with 19" wheels and their "sporty" suspension, and you'll wonder why you bothered buying it.  You could have had a Buick and a Boxster for the same price and had a cruiser and a sports car instead of one fat pig that fails to do both, no matter how hard it tries.  Drive the LS460, and its magnificent isolation will impress you; even if you don't care for isolation, like I don't.  My personal car is quite comfortable, but you can feel the road under your tires, and the steering, pedals, and gearstick all give you feedback.  The LS460 does not.  The suspension is made of marshmallows, I'm sure of it.  Though it still manages to be quite quick and competent enough in the corners that you'll never think you're driving a Buick or pre-Art & Science Deville. 

It does annoy as well, though.  The satnav screen plays it overly safe, not even allowing the RDS screen on your radio to run too long before switching back to the map (even when navigation is not on), the eight speed automatic annoyingly shifts up eagerly, but then aggressively holds on to the higher gear, so that when you want to use the ridiculous power, it takes a few seconds for the transmission to drop two gears, then realize you want more and drop two more gears.  Forget manual mode, as the transmission likes to think it knows best.  "Why are you in 4th at 45mph?  You should be in 8th!  But so you don't feel insulted, I'll leave the little '4' up on the gear indicator screen.  That way you won't know I've upshifted until you look at your rev counter or press the gas and nothing happens."  The submenus are complicated at first, but then they become easy to use once you figure out what you can do via touchscreen and what has to be done via buttons and what can go either way.  The biggest problem there is that hesitating to make a choice too long could have the screen return to home and leave you having to start over again. 

It impresses me more the more I drive it.  Much like the W140 S class, once you accept it for what it is, it all starts to come together.  Yes, the Audi A8 is technically better, but it'll never return the gas mileage that the LS460 does.  Perhaps the S550 is superior to drive, but that interior design is awful, and so is the exterior, with its Mazda RX-8 wheel arches.  Not to mention sticker price of a base S class is roughly $20,000 more than the LS.  And the Jaguar XJ?  Well, I have no excuses there.  It's a fantastic car. 

I'd never buy an LS460.  It's not even tops in the segment.  But I can see why people do.  You should give it a try before you condemn it.

[Madman]

You said no one could pay you to touch it. For that kind of money, you don't have to love how it looks.

"It's not my choice for the money" makes a lot more sense.

Okay, okay, let me clarify things a bit.  What I meant to say is I would never spend my own money for an LS460 or a G37.  Are we all clear on that?  Now if you want to pay me to drive one, be my guest.  So, when are sending me my car and my money, anyway?

Guys, history was made in this thread right here, right now. 

Well, it's nice to see my genius is finally being recognised, but I didn't think it was THAT clever.  I thought my line about the Hyundai Elantra being more forgettable than Pauly Shore's career was far more witty!  Maybe the joke was lost on you because you haven't heard of Pauly Shore in Germany?  If you haven't, consider yourself lucky!  He was the so-called "actor" (and I use that term quite loosely) who gave the world such gems as "Encino Man", "Son In Law" and "Bio-Dome".  His career fizzled out sometime in the mid-'90s and he hasn't been heard from much since.


Cheers,
Madman of the People

[cawimmer430]

Well, it's nice to see my genius is finally being recognised, but I didn't think it was THAT clever.  I thought my line about the Hyundai Elantra being more forgettable than Pauly Shore's career was far more witty!  Maybe the joke was lost on you because you haven't heard of Pauly Shore in Germany?  If you haven't, consider yourself lucky!  He was the so-called "actor" (and I use that term quite loosely) who gave the world such gems as "Encino Man", "Son In Law" and "Bio-Dome".  His career fizzled out sometime in the mid-'90s and he hasn't been heard from much since.


Cheers,
Madman of the People

I know Pauly Shore. I only saw one movie he ever starred in (Jury Duty) and then I knew to avoid this guy. He does suck.