mmarshall

I know this is a little off-topic, but the VW Beetle.....the foundation for the 356....was already in place. It dates back to **** Germany in the 1930's when Adolf Hitler, after observing the success of Henry Ford's Model T and Model A, ordered Dr. Porsche to design a simple, reliable car for the German masses. ( Hitler, of course, as dictator, never ASKED anyone to do anything ) . So Dr. Porsche came up with the famous rear-engine, air-cooled Beetle that was destined to make automotive history.....and was built in Mexico until very recently. The name Volkswagen comes from the German " Peoples Car ".
Anyhow....the 356. The 356, if my memory is correct ( and I won't swear to that ) was mostly just a Beetle chassis with a different body and some reworking of the engine and suspension for a little more sports-car-like ( for the time ) performance. But the swing-axle rear suspension...as later demonstrated big-time with the early 1960's Corvair....was tricky. It had the nasty habit of letting the outside rear tire tuck under during hard cornering, and if pressed hard enough would flip the car over. And having to drive a hundered miles in the wintertime just to get a tiny bit of heat and defrosting from the feeble heater....and more often then not exhaust gas and carbon monoxide mixed with it...was not a very pleasant prospect either.

LexFather

You are correct. VW and Porsche were very very related until the 911, and even the 928 after (or was it the 914) was very VW.

Little known fact, I would like to own a 356 one day. It seems it did very well in racing.

lexusls430

Id go with the MDX, because its simply an Acura. It will run for a really long time. Have you looked at the Toyota 4runner? It was just redesigned like headlights, taillights etc. You can look at the new Rav4 which also has the 3rd row, and the Highlander which you dont really like. Maybe the new RX350 will have 3rd row available? Take a look at the 4runner, its one of my favorites.

doug_999

Interesting. I was about to shoot back that it doesn't come with a 3rd row - but sure enough it does! (is that new?)

While it is a truck and she would rather not go with a truck, I just might have to have her check this out.

mmarshall

The 4Runner is as tough as nails and as durable as the Rock of Gibraltar but I don't think your wife will like the ride / handling combination on it. Not only is it stiff and trucklike ( a result of the off-road designed underpinnings ) but it is quite high and narrow and tends to be tipsy in the turns......and, of course, it doesn't have the XC90's roll-stability control, just the regular version.
It may also sit up a little higher than your wife may want...it requires a definite step up to enter.

The Lexus version of it, the GX470, is more plush inside ( though the 4Runner Limited comes close) and slightly softer-riding, but is likewise high and narrow.

Neo

iTrader: (3)

Just a few notes. I saw a new Rav4 and although it looks a bit bigger than the previous version, it it still small and the 3rd row seats are SMALL. I have not seen the new 3rd row on the 4Runner but hopefully, it is not like the Highlander's. The Highlander's interior was not designed for a 3rd row and it seems like Toyota just threw them in there to be competitive. Again, tight.

I am not saying that the MDX 3rd row is huge but they are comfortable enough for a medium sized adult on short trips. My brother in law is about 5'10", 180 and he was back there for over half an hour. He said it was OK. My father in law, who is about 5'6" and 160, has been back there plent of times too. For kids, it is plenty big enough.

The other thing about the MDX is that it is wider than most SUVs in its class. This lends to the ride stability compared to vehicles that are tall and narrow. I have taken the MDX on many corners and freeway ramps and there was very minimal roll. I could tell that the tires were approaching its limits on some of the turns but body roll was fine. I am sure the Volvo roll stability system is nice but I am OK with the MDX's setup. SInce it is my wife's car, she has never complained about it.

doug_999

The pics on Toyota's website seem to show the 3rd row disappearing into the floor. I'm curious about this. In the 4Runners I have checked out in the past, none of them had the 3rd row option. IF they (3rd row seats) do disappear into the floor, my next Q would be why don't they do it on t he GX?

With regards to the RAV4, I certainly would like to get the wife to look at it - I showed it to her on the web and she pointed out that it looked really small. I need to compare the dimensions with her RX as well. Also, right now, the Toyota website says that only the 4cyl models are available here in Chicago.

Finally, with regards to the MDX - we have one of those two car garages with TWO separate doors. Makes getting in scary with her RX. We are concerned that the MDX (which as Neo points out is one of the widest in its class) might not fit. The XC90 does come with folding mirrors - another plus.

IF the dealer had an XC90 in stock the way we would want it (basically loaded - minus the damn wood steering wheel of course), we would already own one. But those are $52K for the 2.5t and $55K for the V8 and so they don't build too many of them that way, I'm tempted to tell the dealer to just get one in (8-10 weeks lead time) and then we will get it. The thought of ordering a car we are not 100% sure of bothers me.

Oh yea, it also pings me that I might be ordering a $52,000 5 cylinder car. Not that they go for that, but still.

SilverLady

If you don't like the GX, you probably won't like the 4Runner. It is the same truck body but with a less plush ride. If I remember, the third row seats are the same kludgy fold up and against the side windows as the GX - not sure what you saw. The third row seats on both are removable.

The 4Runner is slightly shorter and the seats a bit lower to the ground (a bit too low for me, but I like truck type SUVs).

Of course, she can always do what I did, go back a third time, take another test drive in the GX, and decide I liked the ride and buy it anyway...

doug_999

What's it like dealing with those 3rd row seats? They seem like such a pain. As we will probably not be using them 80-90% of the time, they would be folded up on the side, taking up cargo space.

Och

iTrader: (3)

The MDX has then folding down, yo wont even know they are there unless you unfold them

doug_999

Right -was referring to the 4Runner/GX.

BobsGX

Since I have no use for the 3rd row seats that came on my 06 GX, I just removed them and left them in the basement. It would be nice if the Lexus dealers would order the GX without the 3rd row seats, but its an easy money making thing for them. And if you try to order a GX without the 3rd row seats, its an easy 3-4 month wait for a special order. Who wants to wait that long for a car to be built?

mmarshall

3-4 months is nothing. You would be surprised how long some people have had to wait for a car. I know one person who ordered a new Porsche Boxster when they first came out...in March of 1997. Even with Porsche adding a second Boxster plant in Finland, he STILL waited a whole year to take delivery........March 1998.

KVA

Test drive the GX again!

It is only 2 inches wider and 2 inches longer than the RX330...third row seats can be completely removed...my wife is the primary driver and she is 5'3" and loves this car 1000% more than the RX or any other SUV on the market (used to have the RX300). We test drove MB, BMW, Lexus, Acura, etc...

I suggest you drive one with KDSS and you will feel how capable it is...the nav feature can also be overridden easily either each time you start the car or hardwired, with the extra benefit of DVD in the front seat for passengers during trips. Also cost is equal...got my 2006 for invoice with KDSS, NAV, RES, etc...fully loaded. Under $50K

doug_999

But that is a demand issue. The fact that Japanese cars can't really be ordered (3-4 months is just not acceptable), is an issue I think they need to resolve. My BMW was less than 6 weeks from order to arrival at the dealer. The Volvo will be 6-8 weeks.

Well unfortunately she has given the GX the big thumbs down. The back door opening from the side, the seats that do not fold away into the floor, and the climb up into it have all made her realize how much she wants a car based SUV. We will be going to the autoshow this week here in Chicago and then probably placing our order for the XC90.