update
Father and I went to the automall today to take a look at some variety of cars. Mostly luxury sedans and estates. So I have done an interior quality build review. Remember, these are only interior build quality reviews, none of these cars have been test driven. Here are the cars reviewed:
Lexus IS300
Lexus GS300
Lexus ES330
Lexus LS430
Mercedes-Benz E320 4Matic Estate
Audi A4 1.8T Quattro
Jaguar XJ
Jaguar S-Type
Jaguar X-Type
First car, the Lexus IS300, it seems like a mixed bag. The exterior is nicely designed, very sleek and a nice dab of aggression. It is rear-wheel drive too which makes it even nicer. The driving position is good, nice visibility and the gauges look absolutely gorgeous. Now, if you don't look anywhere else other than the steering wheel and the gauges, you'll be fine but if you're like a normal person and you look elsewhere, oh dear. The materials used on the driver's side seem pretty good but once you look around the car's interior, it's like an accountant got to it. The plastics are absolutely appalling. It's the same plastics used to hold my garbage. The knobs move in a rough, clicky manner, like the knobs on a baby's toy with it's panel of various knobs and buttons to produce a noise. The flaps are hideous and the dashboard clunks with an empty sound as you knock on it lightly.
The next car, Lexus ES330, this one seems much better. I'm not a fan of the exterior styling as it makes it look like a stretched mouse. The interior is much better though, this alone I think can re-deem itself from the styling. The leather is soft and very comfortable and the panels and various buttons are nicely placed in easy to reach areas. It is however, front-wheel drive I believe but, as a luxury sedan, this one is very good.
The Lexus LS430, the most expensive car reviewed this time, costing $103k CDN, it does show. The seats are large and soft but not to the point of being like an American car. The interior is also very nicely decorated, not too busy which is good. Though I did feel blinded by the various technologies they tried to cramp into the car. Overall though, still a very good car for the range.
One of the best ones today, the Mercedes-Benz E320 4Matic Estate, I absolutely love this car. At entrance, you are already greeted with one of the nicest interiors avalible. It's sedate enough so you are not flashed but not dull enough to be boring. The quality of the materials is top-notch. Even between the LS430 and the E-Class, they are in different leagues, the MB is miles ahead with it's precise dials and controls. Everything feels perfect and comfortable. It offers seats for 7 people or a bigger boot space. A nice balance between practically and style.
The Audi A4 is slightly different. It's much cheaper. The dash, again, feels like the IS300. Rough and cheap. The buttons feel like they are about to break and the dashboard holding the buttons look like they are made with lego. Great car it may be under the bonnet but I don't like the interior.
The next three are pretty similar, probably because, their interiors are very similar. The S-Type and XJ interiors look identical. It does look very elegant and the materials really show. However, the cluster of endless buttons all bunched in the cntre looks too busy for me. It took me a good 10 seconds to find where the emergency signal is, and there it was, hidden in the corner amongst the mass of buttons. The X-Type's interior was cheaper than the other two but that is expected as it is a cheaper car, built for the forbidden, the middle class.
There you have it, an interior review of the cars. There were other cars reviewed but they were out of context for being luxury sedans.
-PHaNToM
Lexus IS300
Lexus GS300
Lexus ES330
Lexus LS430
Mercedes-Benz E320 4Matic Estate
Audi A4 1.8T Quattro
Jaguar XJ
Jaguar S-Type
Jaguar X-Type
First car, the Lexus IS300, it seems like a mixed bag. The exterior is nicely designed, very sleek and a nice dab of aggression. It is rear-wheel drive too which makes it even nicer. The driving position is good, nice visibility and the gauges look absolutely gorgeous. Now, if you don't look anywhere else other than the steering wheel and the gauges, you'll be fine but if you're like a normal person and you look elsewhere, oh dear. The materials used on the driver's side seem pretty good but once you look around the car's interior, it's like an accountant got to it. The plastics are absolutely appalling. It's the same plastics used to hold my garbage. The knobs move in a rough, clicky manner, like the knobs on a baby's toy with it's panel of various knobs and buttons to produce a noise. The flaps are hideous and the dashboard clunks with an empty sound as you knock on it lightly.
The next car, Lexus ES330, this one seems much better. I'm not a fan of the exterior styling as it makes it look like a stretched mouse. The interior is much better though, this alone I think can re-deem itself from the styling. The leather is soft and very comfortable and the panels and various buttons are nicely placed in easy to reach areas. It is however, front-wheel drive I believe but, as a luxury sedan, this one is very good.
The Lexus LS430, the most expensive car reviewed this time, costing $103k CDN, it does show. The seats are large and soft but not to the point of being like an American car. The interior is also very nicely decorated, not too busy which is good. Though I did feel blinded by the various technologies they tried to cramp into the car. Overall though, still a very good car for the range.
One of the best ones today, the Mercedes-Benz E320 4Matic Estate, I absolutely love this car. At entrance, you are already greeted with one of the nicest interiors avalible. It's sedate enough so you are not flashed but not dull enough to be boring. The quality of the materials is top-notch. Even between the LS430 and the E-Class, they are in different leagues, the MB is miles ahead with it's precise dials and controls. Everything feels perfect and comfortable. It offers seats for 7 people or a bigger boot space. A nice balance between practically and style.
The Audi A4 is slightly different. It's much cheaper. The dash, again, feels like the IS300. Rough and cheap. The buttons feel like they are about to break and the dashboard holding the buttons look like they are made with lego. Great car it may be under the bonnet but I don't like the interior.
The next three are pretty similar, probably because, their interiors are very similar. The S-Type and XJ interiors look identical. It does look very elegant and the materials really show. However, the cluster of endless buttons all bunched in the cntre looks too busy for me. It took me a good 10 seconds to find where the emergency signal is, and there it was, hidden in the corner amongst the mass of buttons. The X-Type's interior was cheaper than the other two but that is expected as it is a cheaper car, built for the forbidden, the middle class.
There you have it, an interior review of the cars. There were other cars reviewed but they were out of context for being luxury sedans.
-PHaNToM