Funny, I actually prefer the styling on the new Astons to that of the previous generations. The new cars have edgier styling, which gives them a little more character and are a little less boring IMO. And the interiors on the new cars are far nicer than in any previous Astons that I have ever been in. I would never own any of the previous generation Astons just due to the interior. I also like the fact that they are using the Mercedes M178 from the AMG GT S. It's a phenomenal engine that is easy to modify and seems to be quite reliable, plus it sounds phenomenal! I've actually been considering an AMG GT S for my next car mostly due to the beautiful soundtrack that engine makes, especially for a car that has twin turbo chargers that tend to attenuate some of the engine noise.

 

Since the new ones have Mercedes parts all over, you will have to keep in mind of the cost of parts and overall reliability. The mid 2000s Aston's parts are relatively cheap compared to the new Astons. Granted, the mid 2000s Astons used a lot of the European Ford parts, but it does it's job well and doesn't break. I also cannot look at the interior of the newer ones the same ever since a reviewer mentioned the center console looks like the opening of a woman's reproductive area, the DB11 especially. Regarding the AMG GTS, I have an acquaintance that works for a Mercedes dealership as the lead service technician and he told me how awful the reliability is for Mercedes and refers to AMG as "AMG=All Money Gone." The stories I hear from him about everything that goes wrong with them makes me glad I don't have a Mercedes, not that I really want one. My neighbor though, is a huge Mercedes fan. Owns 5 of them (one is a 190E) but I don't see the appeal in them since they all look the same. Just my two pennies worth.

 

Yeah, just a little bit...

It looks like that car was a corporate car trailered to car shows and titled in GA by Hyundai's financial arm located there. Then it was sold at auction as a used car and the dealer who has it now picked it up. It is most definitely a used car and would not be available for current Hyundai lease specials. You will not want to try to lease a used car through another bank like someone suggested earlier. The payment will be much higher than a brand new one at the same price.

 

Neighbor was nice enough to let me drive his new black BMW 540i (G30 generation I believe is what they call it?) I thought it would have a 4.0 liter V8 engine, since the older BMW badges meant something. Nope, just a 3.0 liter inline 6. Felt so heavy, and sofa-like. He was surprised I didn't like it. When I told him I came from an E39 he had no idea what it was. This is what BMW has come to unfortunately, with an audience that buys it for the badge and doesn't know the history or other generations. The steering is what killed me: Only comes with electric power steering. Felt like a Camry, and it has 2 batteries in the back. One for the accessories and the other to turn the car over. Disappointed with BMW, all because Bangle had to ruin everything. He had the M-package too which was supposed to make it feel sporty, but the feeling and handling cannot be compared to the golden era generations (E38/E39/E46) nor did it have any magic like the BMWs from the past.

Also, a few weeks ago a co-worker bought a Honda S2000. I was really happy for him, and asked for a ride sometime. @4DRZ I know that "never meet your hero" feeling. The S2000 wasn't as good as I expected it to be. In fact, it was worse. The gauge cluster really ruined it for me too. I wish they had regular analog needles instead of that digital bar cluster. Felt like my older Civic I used to own. Steering was not as good as I expected it to be, and I just found out it was electric. No wonder I didn't like the feel, felt so unnatural like every single car I've driven that has electric power steering. I was sad because I wanted to own one, but after that I don't want one anymore. Not to sound like a hairdresser, but I enjoyed the Miatas from that time more.

The Y63 Nissan Armadas are actually really good bang for the buck right now. Especially when it's a competitor to Toyota's expensive Land Cruiser. I know the Aussies make supercharger kits for them since they have the Armadas there as Patrols and some of them made 1000 whp with supercharger kits. That is an insane sleeper, but I'd probably keep it stock and take it offroading whenever I'm in the mood for fun.

 

A 3.0 V6 in the 5 series boat? Yeah, that doesn't sound fun at all. A new M5 might change your mind.

Now I remember the stupid display in the S2000. I am surprised to hear your review of the way it drives though. I have a friend who is way more serious than me about racing and is an incredible driver and he swears by the car. He just gutted the S2000 he has been using for track days for years and years to train people and put a cage in it.

Those Armadas are bulletproof and are the 2nd Nissan to be an exact clone of an Infiniti (QX80) so the top trims have safety features and build quality not seen on normal Nissans until a few years later. Unfortunately, the digital display in the center of the dash was a carryover from a previous generation so it seems a bit outdated now. I believe it was the first Nissan to have double pane glass on the front windows too so it is remarkably quiet. Very nice suv. Now if I could just get my GM to stop taking them as his demo...

 

Trust me, I really wanted to like it. I always liked the looks of it, but man was it sort of disappointing. My other friend had 2 S2000s before, one with a K24 swap, and also swears that the S2000 was one of the best cars he's ever owned. It just felt much more twitchy and less predictable than a Miata from those times. And thank you, I'm glad I am not the only one who hated the display.

The only differences between the Armada and the QX80 is that the Armada doesn't have the special body control system that uses air to level out the height difference of each wheel. And it's a body on frame as well, which is amazing for offroading. I don't really care if the technology is outdated, in fact I love it that way because the less tech the better for me. It looks a lot better than the previous generation as well, in my opinion. I'd go for the trim that comes only with fabric seats since I have enough leather already. And I'd probably swap in the Japanese version headlights on it instead of the USDM ones, since I do not like the LEDs that are on all of the time. That is probably the only newer car I like that has come out in recent years, but is considered outdated from car reviewers. I can already imagine how long it would take to detail it as well since it is massive. This is how insane the superchargers are on these things.

 

That would be a nice mod on an Armada. The V8 that is in it makes it relatively quick for a gigantic suv. They all come with auto leveling rear suspension so they are great for towing if you need it- up to 8,500 lbs. The cloth seats are on the SV model and they are extremely nice for cloth, but you will probably find a lot more out there with leather. If you do start looking, be aware that they also make them in RWD in case you want AWD instead. RWD would be pretty fun for laying stripes though.

 

I'd be lying if I didn't admit to the fantasy of getting a car from 15 to 25 years ago (give or take). Something that's simply pure and nostalgic. But it always ends up just a fantasy in the context of "next car".

4DRZ, seems you want to go forward, not back.

 

I am aware of the RWD ones, and am definitely looking only for the AWDs since I personally never understood the point of having an SUV that is RWD or FWD. What is a funny difference between the QX80 and the Armada is that the Armada can run on regular unleaded petrol. Not bad for a 26 gallon capacity SUV. Yet again, people don't really buy SUVs to worry about the MPG.

On a side note, my neighbor who owns a BMW E39 M5 and all sorts of Mercedes says he would be more than glad to let me have a go in his E39 M5. I am seriously looking forward to that because it's been almost 7 years since I've last been in an E39 and still miss it to this day. Can't compare any new car to that beast, it was, IS, just a perfect machine.

 

Bingo.

In the south people buy 2wd suvs because they are cheaper and never go off road. The QX80 and Armada share the exact same engine and both run fine on regular gas. Maybe the QX80 has a slightly different tune for a touch more power that requires premium to hit those numbers?

The E39 M5 is a fun car to drive. We had one here a few years ago and I remember thinking that it was a really good driving experience and a surprisingly similar feel to how I had my G set up at the time. They still look great, but are pretty dated inside, especially for technology.

 

I think the "must have premium" gets rolled over to all the premium cars (infiniti, lexus, acura, caddy, lincoln) regardless of need because of consumer perceptions. IE, the same reason there's an expiration date on a bottle of water.

Willing to be wrong - talk to me about premium brands that take regular unleaded.

 

I never felt Infiniti was anything more than a nicely optioned Nissan. Same in kind for Acura, Lincoln, Caddy. But for some reason, not Lexus. I don't know why.

 

so the marketing machine didn’t steamroll you...

lexus really is just an upmarket Toyota. And there’s nothing wrong with that. BMW and Mercedes really are the only premium Marques I can think of that don’t derive from a more pedestrian brand (ha). Porsche will always be a vw to me, same with Audi. Volvo doesn’t strike me as a premium marque. What am I missing?

 

Jag. Geezus, how can you run down the list and miss Jag? LOL

Not that Jags are baby Aston Martins, different car companies, but it feels that way.

Volvo is its own niche between nice and lux, trying to err on the side of lux. There's a uniqueness to Volvo that I really like.

 

Jag to me is the low end of Aston, Ferrari, Lamborghini etc. I sadly don’t count them as an attainable goal for a normal working stiff like myself.

but an old e-type and a 72 stingray in the garage would make me automotively happy as an old dude.

I could also consider a kit car gt40 with a newer 5.8 trinity engine. Just the frame fab/ welding and fiberglass work would keep me busy for a decade.