Re: Q45 vs. 200

["Reed Hitchcock" <services@fedbar.org>]

Geez..  Always amazes me how a simple observation can explode into global
thermonuclear war..  But..........

I have owned several Japanese cars, and have loved some of them.

I had an '85 Prelude that would run circles around a lot of other cars in
its class.  It handled beautifully, but it had a cheap-looking mid-80's
Japanese techno interior..  It went to 190K mi without so much as new plug
wires..  There is something to be said for that, especially since I was on a
college student budget..

I had a '94 Miata A-pkg until very recently.  I only sold it because I
didn't want to make 2 car payments (the 100CSQW and the miata)..  My
mother-in-law bought it from me, and I miss it like mad (though I DO have
visitation rights)..  A quattro can do a lot of things, but I can't throw
the top back and hit the backroads in my Avant like I could in the miata..
Helluva car..  Want another one.  I also get a little jealous when I see
guys tooling around in 3rd gen RX7s, nice cars..  Lot cheaper than a
comparable 911, but still out of my price range..

However, the point I was making in my post about degrees of Camry (and
comparably Maximas and Q45s and so on) was based on some experience.  My
folks have owned Lexus (Lexi?) and Camrys for the past several years, and
they just do not seem to be made with the same passion as the German Cars..
The interiors seem cheesy, the steering is numb.  The leather wears out a
LOT faster..  Japanese luxury cars are fine _machines_, but few are fine
_automobiles_ and most lack character, in my humble opinion.

(Then again, I have seen "character" as it relates to cars defined as
character _flaws_ in more than one popular automotive enthusiast rag)

-Reed
'92 100CSQ Avant
'89 Cabriolet

used to own..
'94 Miata
'88 Legend Coupe
'85 Prelude
'84 Quantum GL5 Wagon
'77 Alfa Spider