Re: Lexus vs Audi - fair?

["linus d. toy" <linust@interramp.com>]

At 06:04 PM 02.05.96 -0800, Eliot Lim wrote:
>On Mon, 5 Feb 1996, Graydon D. Stuckey wrote:
>> On Mon, 5 Feb 1996, Eliot Lim wrote:
[wow...one of those he said she said...]
>>
>> The problem with Audi is still the
>> fact that they are a high maintenance car, and that is where the Lexus
>> excells. 
>
>you are welcome to examine my v8 service records and draw your own
>conclusions!  as i have been saying here, my v8 expenses have been
>nothing like its reputation would make it out to be.
>
>my v8 is not perfect but it certainly has NOT been expensive to own.

I think many of us on this list might describe similar experiences,
depending on our different situation and perspectives.  

I never thought my '87 4kcsq was expensive to maintain, but that might have
had a lot to do with purchasing it new and seriously using the 3 year
warranty.  that allowed all the bugs to be ironed out so that in the last 4
years i owned it, maintenance was a "sometime" thing--i.e. if the gas
mileage dropped, think about a tune-up--then maybe do the tune up :)  So
far, my '91 200q hasn't been expensive to maintain, but it's still a
low-mileage (38k) car with an extended warranty covering it (and picking up
a few repairs).  so...let's not confuse maintenance expense with reliability.

In both cases, I feel I give the cars well above average care levels,
keeping things clean, watching for problems and thinking positively about
it--you know, car nut attitude.  These cars were (are) more than just basic
transportation for me.

OTOH, there are folks out there that treat their Audi like they'd treat a
droF 4x4 pickup or an Accord--and they (or the next owner) pays big bucks
for this deferred maintenance program.  Herein lies the rub for many of us
on this list--we can buy much more car than we can afford to maintain thanks
to 60 minutes and the unknowns of the PO.

And then there was the '77 Rabbit I had that, no matter how minor the
problem, seemed like big bucks--but maybe that was 'cause I was a broke
college student then :)

better quit rambling--more than 2 pennies!

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* linus toy           email:  linust@interramp.com                   *
* seattle, wa  USA    wheels:  '91 200q 20v :) '89 Accord SEi (hers) *
*                                                                    *
* "...it's stuff that does things people want, but they don't know   *
*     how it works.  But if they did look inside it would probably   *
*     have lots of wires."                                           *
*                            --4 year old explaining 'technology'    *
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