The G Man

That is a nice looking car, how much would a car like the Citroen C5 cost in US dollar and why they dont sell it in the US?

mmarshall

French cars left the U.S. market in the 1980s because of relatively low sales and worse-than-average reliability (my own brother, for example, had a 1979 Renault R5, and it was comfortable, but, mechanically, a joke). Peugeot made a durable diesel engine back then (one of the few), but the rest of the car was not that well-built either.

Of course, that was 20-30 years ago, and French cars, presumably, have gotten somewhat more reliable. I'm with you....I'd like to see some of them return to the American market.

A Citroen's U.S.-market price would depend, at least partially, on the Dollar-Franc exchange rate, which, like with many exchange rates lately, have been rather volatile and unpredictable.

Back at least close to the thread topic, I'm also with you in that I would have liked to have seen a Citroen compared to the cars in the article.

The G Man

I test drove the CTS 2 years ago, I was not impress at all, it quickly fell to the bottom of my list after the test drive. I even like the RL better. And CR's top pick, the M35 was unrefined, bad gas mileage, neck breaking suspension and the exterior design is from the 90s.

IS-SV

btw, the franc ceased to be legal tender after 28 February 2002.

Gojirra99

Yep, replaced by the Euro ...

mmarshall

Correct......I meant the Euro. My typo.

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

Some may not care much for the RL due to it's acceleration, but I would take an RL over any Lexus sedan if involved in an accident or in inclement weather.The SHAWD does just what it says it does. One minute under the RL will impress anyone with it's overly large underpinnings and structure. It truly is an impressive car under all of that aluminum. Though I no longer own the RL it was one of my favorite sedans as it just did everything right-with a few electrical hickups here and there.

mmarshall

Yes, something else you and I agree on.

I found the Lexus GS300 AWD, when I reviewed it, somewhat more refined in its quietness and powertrain smoothness than the RL, but lacking the RL's tank-like structural feel and thunk-solid doors.

mmarshall

Tire noise often develops as a result of edge-feathering (a one-directional, saw-tooth effect on the outer tread), even with normal, factory-spec alignment. That can be reversed, to an extent, by cross-rotating the tires left to right (which allows them to roll in the opposite direction, and front-to-back if necessary. Some shops won't cross-rotate radial-belted tires, using the decades-old caution against doing so because of possible belt separation. That was true decades ago, but is no longer the case....you can cross-rotate safely now, unless you have a uni-directional tread like with some high-performance or purpose-design rain tires. Then, of course, they have to stay on the same side of the car. Some cars with different-size wheels front-to-back, of course, make it even more complex, preventing front-rear rotation.

This really got to be a problem with the early-production Nissan 350Z. Premature tire-wear problems and excessive road noise from bad suspension/alignment specs drove many owners nuts. Nissan replaced many tires free and tried a number of revised settings.

The G Man

If I get a nickel for every good RL review and an explanation of why it doesn’t sell well, I would be a rich man

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

Another review where the Lexus GS is considered a 'forgotten' car and not worthy of finding a spot in the comparison. Not a bash against Lexus, just many press comparisons generally exclude Lexus products but will almost always include the 5 series-minus CR.

LexFather

I believe the GS was already tested, like the 5 series so they tested the HS instead. Not sure what other press comparisons you are talking about where Lexus was not included.