Hello from the upstate of SC! Happy to be on the forum & very happy to have our new '02 Q45 sitting in the driveway. I recently sold my daily driver, an '01 Mercedes E320 w. nearly 150k mi., & thought it high time to get back into a Q 15 years after selling a pristine '90 model. That was my wife's car and has always been one of her (& my) favorites. After a couple days of searching online, we found our new Q in Charlotte at a small Subaru dealership. With 79k mi. on the clock and a clean no-accident history, it was traded in by a 90-year-old gentleman on a new Outback.
Lovely titanium paint w. unmarked willow leather, it's a base model except for the gold-tone badging & 17" chrome wheels. The 1.5 hour drive home on I-85 was a treat - effortless, silent speed. The dealer had replaced the belts & tensioner and done a 4-wheel alignment & oil change, but the 7-year-old Yokohamas were a bit past it. The next day I threw on a set of V-rated Pirelli P7 All-Season Plus - quiet, comfortable & w. reasonably responsive handling. Hard braking revealed just a little front disc shimmy, so I'll replace the rotors/pads after the first of the year. A change of plugs (NGK Iridiums) & transmission fluid is about all that's left on my short list. That, and unraveling the secrets of the radio/HVAC interface.
The Q is a road burner of the 1st order, a "performance sedan for gentlemen" as one reviewer put it. Can't wait to take it on our annual 3-hour Interstate trek to TN for Christmas.
to NICO Rick! I'm just down the road from you in Columbia.