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I seem to remember a lot of people asking this about the VX as well... before test driving it, or seeing what it WAS capable of.Quote:
Originally posted by Heraclid
Tone, you mean the Porsche? Capable how? Off-road? Or do you mean from an accleration standpoint?
I admit I don't know jack about the Porsche Cayenne. If I wanted to I would. I am perhaps a bit guilty of underestimating it, but keep in mind I was thinking mostly in terms of off-road performance. It HAS to be fast, after all - it's a Porsche! It's expected of them. I still think it is probably suited to a certain crowd and probably has to make some sacrifices in order to be "refined'. But I haven't read any reviews, so I don't know to what extent that is true. The Touareg by VW is the sleeper off-roader I think. Low-range transfer case and an air suspension with adjustable ride height.
Then it's probably safe to say that you don't have enough info to pass judgement.Quote:
Originally posted by Heraclid
I admit I don't know jack about the Porsche Cayenne.
Personally, yes... the Cayene is fast... but to me, a truck-like Porsche is just not right and it doesn't look right. Even the VW variant, the Tourag, with it's more conventional SUV looks still doesn't look right to me. Something odd about the proportions. Granted, technically, both vehicles are pretty impressive. I don't believe in do-all, be-all anything. A sporty truck will never match a thorough-bred sports car. Likewise, a high riding 4wd thorough-bred sports car (even a rally car) can never match a purpose built truck. You can't carve canyons in a truck like you can with a sports car... and you can't go rock crawling or river fording with a rally car. For those who just like cars... you have to have at least one of each. :)
Paul, I didn't say it sucked. I just don't like it looks-wise. I feel like you do about Porsche-like trucks.
I stated that I had my suspicions about it - I did not however present them as the gospel truth about the thing. Just a gut feeling.
Add me to the fx-45 list of lovers . Only five more years and this baby is paid for. Keep her forever add the fx-45 .:p
That FJ looks like a H2 Hummer rear ended a Jeep full of Smurfs. They might have wanted to put a different color on the website for their example. Looks like it has some cool features though.
Umm... there's a reason why the FJ concept is done in those colors. It's the color of the original FJ40. I love the FJ40 and I have no problems with those colors.
My dad had an FJ-40 when I was but a boy...he bought it used and it had a chevy 6 cyl. in it. He called it his "chevota"...lol.
I got to admit that I miss the fun we had in it. Don't know if this concept is up to truly bringing back or otherwise capturing the
essense of the original or not...but for nothing else it at the very least reminds one of the original. Also was designed to compete against the H2...that much has been devulged. I do like how the rear doors are incorporated to give a 2-door look yet offer the ease of rear-entry of a 4-door. I hate the look of crew-cabs! Was the biggest complaint I had about the Avalanche!
Not sure how everyone missed this, but earlier in this thread I stated that the VX glovebox doesn't lock. Of course it does! Not sure what I was thinking... my work vehicle glovebox is like that. <shrug> Sorry. Guess this 5 hours of sleep isn't cutting it.
Quote:
Originally posted by Andrey
I have 25K on my "99 Ironman, so I have some time, right ? ;py;
Gee, I sure hope so! My 2000 Kaiser has yet to break the 13k mark!
....sT
Here's my migration....Volkswagen Bugatti Veyron
http://www.vwvortex.com/news/09_01/bugatti/01.jpg
Not quite the off-road capability of the VX -- but check out these specs...
1001 horses
top speed around 251 mph
0-186 mph -- 14 seconds
How fast does the VX go 0-186? ;)
The only problem is it produces so much torque it burns up every tire they've tried
to put on it. VW is hoping to have more advanced tire designs out in time to put this
monster on the market in April.
Oh, by the way.. only $1,000,000.
Pah...I'll stay with my VX -- it's cooler looking anyway.
Might have to argue with you on the "cooler looking" part - but at $1M - the VX is definately cheaper!! Did I say that? I meant the VX is a better VALUE!!
You know, there is a reason why names like Porsche or Infiniti, or even Volkswagen, that I won't mention Volvo go into the SUV business. It is not to be an off-road kings, it is to bring more customers, who otherwise would not even look at their products. What happens is - IMHO - they lower their standards to produce a car more interesting to constantly changing demand, but they also loose a lot on quality and most of all - again IMHO - their charisma, or whatever you want to name it.
My husband is completely in love with Mercedes. It was a costly brand of cars and with great reputation. It WAS. Now, as they targeting people with income below the Country Club standard, their quality of products worsens. Especially since they moved assembly line and production of over 65% (? I think that's the number) parts to U.S., Mercedes lovers grow in disappointment. Our ML320, partly maybe because it was one of the first ever on the market, is a great car, but honestly I would not buy it again, not even better model.
I think some cars, or names are not designated to be off-road cars. They should stay where they are - sports machines; fast, expensive and extravagant. Cayenne is for me kind of like a freak of nature - Porsche and dirt just don't go together if you know what I mean...
I wouldn't say Porsche, Infinity, VW, BMW, or Volvo have produced an SUV that would be considered below its own standards for an automobile. The Volvo has won numerous awards for safety and overall. Besides that, they are all pretty pricey, and I don't believe bring the brand down past any level they haven't already set for themselves. Besides that, why DO all SUVs have to be off-road worthy? Everything on this site that is compared to the VX is stompped on because "the VX would kick its ***** off road!". So what. SUV doesn't mean off road. Its a utilitarian vehicle. If people wanted an off road capable vehicle, then I hope they would be smart enough to buy one that IS capable... SUV or not.
By the way... the Mercedes SUV... I always thought looked like a puffy, near-van. I rarely like any Mercedes model. To me, it is just overpriced quasi-luxury. Even Car and Driver said of the new Cadillac CTS that it is the best of both worlds (luxury and performance), if Mercedes is classic luxury and BMW is performance.
Ultra-refined and rugged just don't go hand-in-hand beyond a certain point and then something has to give. You can get into trouble trying to do everything well and spreading yourself too thin. Besides, you can only make a high-riding SUV so sporty anyway. Hey, I'm sure it is a great vehicle in many ways and I admire the ballsy move into the SUV arena, though.
Dallas4U, that Mercedes does have the edge on the VX in a few ways, though. And I don't think an SUV should have to be excellent off-road, but it should be fairly capable and do it better than a car and be AWD. That's just my opinion though and it depends what "utility" means to you. Nothing can do it all the best, but to me a true SUV is supposed to do all of it respectably. Yet many (if not most) are underpowered and don't really do any of it all that well.