Looking for a mid-size domestic car recommendation

Thanks! Just to clarify, I don?t care too much if it is domestic. I really like the simplicity, and seat arrangment of Dynasty (I can easily pack 6-7 people in there).

Reply to
steve
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You must be satisfied with the performance of your Enron stock too.

Reply to
Art

Are you talking about this car -

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? As best I can tell the Dynasty has the folowing specs:

Wheelbase, in. 104.5 Overall Length, in. 193.6 Overall Width, in. 68.9 Overall Height, in. 53.6 Curb Weight, lbs. 3276 Cargo Volume, cu. ft. 16.5 Seating Capacity 6 Front Head Room, in. 38.3 Max. Front Leg Room, in. 41.9 Rear Head Room, in. 37.8 Min. Rear Leg Room, in. 38.9

This is roughly the size of a Ddge Stratus, Chevy Malibu, Honda Accord, or Toyota Camry. The biggest problem you are going to have is matching the 6 passenger seating. Most cars that are similar in size only offer 5 passenger seating, even though most actually offer more seating room that the Dynasty. The Ford Taurus is larger than your Dynasty, and it does offer 6 passenger seating as an option. The Toyota Avalon and Ford Crown Victoria also offers 6 passemger seating as an option. But that's about it. Everything else with 6 passenger seating is larger and more expensive. And in many case, even the larger more expensive cars, like the Chrysler 300, don't offer 6 passenger seating.

Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

Art wrote:

That's easy, Art: I don't own any stock. I don't gamble in the stock market, other than the small amount of mutual fund gambling I do by virtue of the fact that I have a (minimally contributed to) company 401K. I sleep better at night than I would otherwise. Yet despite all the 'wisdom' of the 'financial experts' that would indicate otherwise, I seem to be enjoying a happy and fulfilling life, and probably will be for many, many decades to come. You, on the other hand, seem to be whining about every little thing at the least opportunity. See how strange this is?

If your participation in the stock market is causing you to make ridiculous assertions like we've seen here about how unfair it all is that some people make more money than others, perhaps you might want to get out of it, too.

Clearly, if you've got enough skin in the stock market game to fret about how much other people get paid, you're in far, far too deep. Maybe there should be a "stock holder's anonymous' similar to the various gambler's anonymous groups out there.

I've been thinking you need some professional help for quite awhile now, Art. Maybe this is just the sort of thing you need.

--Geoff

Reply to
Geoff

Here's a big, time-saving hint, Ed: Life ain't fair. It isn't supposed to be. Get over it.

However, most large corporations are run

Oh, geeze. Here we go with the class envy.

Yep, that's why GM is in business: to rip off the little guy.

Silly me, I thought they built vehicles and provided financing.

If stock holders

Well, duh! Did you just figure this out? Of *course* it's gambling,

*who* told you otherwise? Some MBA?

The big players (banks,

Guess what, Ed: everyone tries to cast their job performance in the best possible light. That is simple human nature. If you really expect otherwise, you're badly misinformed.

As far as living like a Sultan is concerned: I've got *no* argument with anybody who has the means to live in the manner they so choose. They don't bother me, and I'm quite sure I don't bother them. Most contribute *far* more than their fair share to society through their efforts and taxes, and dammit, I'm not going to be the one to try and take their chosen lifestyle away from them. I may not always agree with how they live, and I may not want to be like them, but does it hurt me that they do so? Absolutely not. I just hope they buy enough cars and computers to make for a persistent, positive upswing in the parts of the economy that concern me, and as for the rest, that's between them and their maker (if any.)

--Geoff

Reply to
Geoff

The Ford Modular is a pretty marginal engine design with about 1001 weak spots and band-aids applied to it over the past 10 years to make it serviceable (yes, I was a fan of the Windsor smallblocks). BUT I will say that the last 5 years or so have been pretty solid, especially the

4.6 version. The early ones did tend to spew blue (cylinder sealing issues) but that seems to be pretty well in hand now. After all, the engine in the police CV is the same as all the rest except for the dual exhaust.

GMs are OK if you get the Buick 3800 engine. The Chevy 3400 v6 and (heaven forbid) the "Ecotec" 4 are both execrable little junkers. And even then, some model years of the 3800 also tended to mix their oil and water all to eagerly (bad intake gasket design).

I'd pick a 3.5L-powered Chrysler (Intrepid, Concorde, Vision, 300, LHS) in a heartbeat. Avoid the 2.7L v6.

Reply to
Steve

"Improvements" is not the same thing as "All New".

Obviously you love those boats, more power to you.

John

Reply to
John Horner

US law enforcement is in love with big rear wheel drive vehicles, and everyone else dropped out of that game. It is a wonder that the Japanese police are able to do their jobs without access to the Crown Vic. Of course if one looks at the relative crime rates of industrialized countries then the US police do not seem to be very effective. I would not consider the vehicle choice of US police departments to be an indicator of great expertise.

From

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:

Murders per 100,000.

  1. Russia Federation 18.07
  2. United States 6.32
  3. Malaysia 2.73 Taiwan 1.17 Spain 1.08 Japan 0.58

Rape per 100,000.

  1. United States 34.20
  2. England and Wales 14.69
  3. France 13.38 Taiwan 8.82 South Korea 4.38 Spain 3.23 Japan 1.48

Serious Assault per 100,000.

  1. Australia 713.68
  2. England & Wales 405.20
  3. United States 357.94 Taiwan 37.30 Spain 23.94 Japan 15.40

Robbery/Violent Theft per 100,000.

  1. Spain 169.85
  2. United States 169.02
  3. France 144.10 Taiwan 14.35 South Korea 11.74 Japan 2.71

Reply to
John Horner

The Dynasty and New Yorker are significantly larger cars than the Stratus, Malibu, Accord and Camry. More LHS and 300M sized - bigger than a VandenPlas or Sovreign Jag. Bigger than a 3500 or 3.5 Rover. Almost the size of a small Rolls. As for the Taurus, it sure feels like a smaller car than the Dynasty/New Yorker. The Crown Vic IS larger. The Avalon is roughly the same size.

Reply to
nospam.clare.nce

My brother's shop services a fleet of limos. The only ones blowing smoke rings are the Caddies. I don't think there's a limo in the fleet with less than 300,000Km on it. The Lincs and Crown Vics just keep on going like the Energizer Bunny, while the Caddies keep coming back like an onion sandwich.

Reply to
nospam.clare.nce

"C. E. White" wrote: | | Art wrote: | >

| > Hi Mike... I see you found the Chrysler group. | >

| > The old technology give away on the CV is the wheelbase. Everytime I see | > one on the road (not often) I wonder where the people in the backseat put | > their legs. | | They put them on the floor. I am 6'3" and I never have any | trouble riding in the back of my Mom's Grand Marquis.

They may put their feet on the floor. If they put their LEGS on the floor, this I got to see! :)

By the way, the new Five Hundred has nearly TWICE the knee room in the back seat that the Panthers (CV and GM) have....

john cline ii, who thinks someone is confused....

Reply to
john cline ii

So you are telling all of us that "Mr Wagoner" who did not form the company, does not own a controlling interest in the company and did not raise the funds to create the company is exponentially more valuable than the guy working on the line? Than the VP who's ready to take his job? Than the Sr Manager? If so you are either naive or delusional. "Mr. Wagoner" has not done as good a job as any number of any European CEO's earning a fraction of what he "receives".

You are saying that Mr Wagoner" is the absolute best that could be retained? I'm somewhat sceptical. As are, I would imagine the shareholders of Toyota who are getting a MUCH better bang for their investment buck (or Yen as the case may be)

Not cheap, efficiently. Say tie his wage exclusively to the performance of the company. If the company does better than before he arrived, paid. Worse, No-Pay. Sounds simple & if he is a good as you state, he'd jump at the chance.

Don't think that's the point here.

Hmm..... Ask the People in Flint Michigan their opinion on this matter.

Ahh yes....So that we can retain world stability, low oil prices, & good relations with the allies..... I'm not GWB's enemy, But I think there are better candidates (not that I'm a Kerry fan by any measure)

Tell me Geoff. Are you happy with your Car Insurance Premiums? Odds are that your insurance company has money invested in GM / Ford & other large Blue chip companies with similar pay scales for the CEO's. Guess who's premium dollars are helping to pay for these bloated salaries.... These are real Dollars & a pile of quality dollars have to be shaved off of every car to pay that wage.

We love the cars, not the Business school graduates who couldn't get a job at Enron or Tyco or Arthur Anderson or Adelphia or or or or....

Reply to
Full_Name

Agreed

maybe yes, maybe no

Right.... A car manufacturer that is unable to retain it's massive market share and is forced to go after a completely different market in order to survive. (tells one more about the banking industry than it does the auto sector)

The stock market is not supposed to be gambling. Ever heard of a prospectus? or an Audit? The people at Enron & Tyco forgot about those as well.

Hmm... If you realized how little effort many of these people at the top put in to get or retain their positions you may well change your view (perhaps time will be a patient enough educator for you) if it doesn't upset you at the moment because you do not feel affect feel blessed. However don't forget another place and time ("let them eat cake") where there was a similar massive class divide. ("Petite Bourgeois") which was followed by a change in the economic structure & the ensuing "removal of the heads" of various establishments.

The people of France suffered quite badly, the elite's only suffered very briefly whilst their heads were removed.

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. We should be striving for a Meritocracy not a return to Feudal rule under any other name.

PS this isn't intended as a personal attack, merely a critique of your points.

Reply to
Full_Name

Even if you didn't buy any stock "you" own stock. Through your insurance company, your state, your town/city, your bank etc. I'll bet that you'd love a 10% + cut in your taxes with the same level of service. if they got a better return on their investments you could have that. Instead..............

I can't even begin to comment on the last three paragraphs.

Reply to
Full_Name

Jeeze, Those Japs SUCK at crime ! ! !

We're #1 We're #1 We're #1 YEAH ! ! !

PS I think that the cops choose the rear drives is that they are much less likely to spill their coffee's or lose their donuts during chases (nice soft ride). Whereas the Japs, Brits & other lots don't have access Tim Hortons, Dunkin Donuts, Krispy Kreme etc....

PPS, I also think the relative age of the populations in question has a determinant factor on violet crimes. As the police here are slapping themselves on the back for accomplishing great leaps in crime reduction as the baby boom ages....

Reply to
Full_Name

They're a great tool for a job.

Carving up a canyon road? give me a Cosworth Escort or Lotus Esprit turbo any day.

Doing double nickle across 5 states in an afternoon? Crown Vic, A/C, hot coffee, a box of dounuts and XM radio without question.

Reply to
Full_Name

Ahh... that's where you are wrong.

See on a day like today when the Provice of Ontario gave Ford $100 Million tied to the Federal $100 Million bribe to keep Ford production going here in Ontario, we're part of Canada.

However "Tomorrow" when Ontario signs a deal with Michigan, Ohio & New York to further mesh the power grids it will be Southern Ontario - USA (foot note, "Ontario" is short for "The Greater Toronto Area")

Reply to
Full_Name

Ah yes but nobody is spending their last dollar or leaving everything they own or even their family to swim on a raft, hide in a cargo box, die in the desert or the wheel well of an plane to get to any of those other countries are they?

mike hunt

John Horner wrote:

Reply to
MajorDomo

I see the service records of thousands of them in our fleet service business. I know how well they perform, are built and hold up. I was merely pointing to the outstanding value of the CV/GM.. It is your money spend it where you wish, I could not car less. Personally I drive a

2005 Lincoln LS V8 and a 2003 Mustang GT convertible.

mike hunt

John Horner wrote:

Reply to
MajorDomo

"C. E. White" wrote: > steve wrote: > > > Thanks! Just to clarify, I don?t care too much if it is domestic. > I > > really like the simplicity, and seat arrangment of Dynasty (I can > > easily pack 6-7 people in there). > > Are you talking about this car - >

formatting link
? > > As best I can tell the Dynasty has the folowing specs: > > Wheelbase, in. 104.5 > Overall Length, in. 193.6 > Overall Width, in. 68.9 > Overall Height, in. 53.6 > Curb Weight, lbs. 3276 > Cargo Volume, cu. ft. 16.5 > Seating Capacity 6 > Front Head Room, in. 38.3 > Max. Front Leg Room, in. 41.9 > Rear Head Room, in. 37.8 > Min. Rear Leg Room, in. 38.9 > > This is roughly the size of a Ddge Stratus, Chevy Malibu, > Honda Accord, or Toyota Camry. The biggest problem you are > going to have is matching the 6 passenger seating. Most cars > that are similar in size only offer 5 passenger seating, > even though most actually offer more seating room that the > Dynasty. The Ford Taurus is larger than your Dynasty, and it > does offer 6 passenger seating as an option. The Toyota > Avalon and Ford Crown Victoria also offers 6 passemger > seating as an option. But that?s about it. Everything else > with 6 passenger seating is larger and more expensive. And > in many case, even the larger more expensive cars, like the > Chrysler 300, don?t offer 6 passenger seating. > > Ed

Ed, thank you! It is nice to get such a thorough response. Yes, I am talking about that Dynasty. My Dynasty can comfortably sit 6 people (maybe more). I will look at Toyota Avalon and Ford C.V. Chrysler

300 has also been suggested on this thread, so I will take a look as well. Thank you again.
Reply to
steve

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