View allAll Photos Tagged Stylish-Interior
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
The Website for The Pennsylvanian gives an overview of the building and its history. That description is as follows:
"At the turn of the Century, a golden age when railroads were the fashionable way to travel, the then Pennsylvania Railroad erected a magnificent edifice, The Pennsylvanian Union Station. It was the gateway to Pittsburgh, the gateway to the West.The spectacular entrance to this gateway is a National Treasure - The Rotunda. A grand circular dome, with skylight, supported by four arched corner turrents. Within the interior of the Rotunda are ornamental plaques, dated "1900", and naming the four great destinations - Pittsburgh, New York, Philadelphia and Washington - serviced by Union Station. Above each plaque, the head of a woman, crowned with feathers, watching over these early travelers of a grand new age.
From the Rotunda, the journey continues to the Grand Concourse, the central feature of the elegant Office Space and Special Events at The Pennsylvanian. Nearly 10,000 travelers a day journeyed through this majestic structure with its arched openings, marble floors, ornately decorated walls, and vaulted ceiling topped by a 40 foot high translucent skylight that bathes this space in natural light.
Adjoining the Grand Concourse, The Pennsylvanian Residential Apartments and Corporate Homes have their own private entry into a lifestyle of elegance and style reborn from a previous age. From the welcome of the front desk attendant, to the stylish interiors of these apartment homes, featuring high ceilings and oversized windows, every effort has been made to make living here grand."
This is a spectacular structure. I will be back to photograph in the future. I would have liked to have the entire ceiling in the picture; however, this was taken at 11mm with the camera actually on the ground facing upward. Only if the structure was a little higher or the ground would sink just a snidge.
Camera: Nikon D70
Exposure: 0.02 sec (1/50)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 11 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/6 EV
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
Taken in the sitting area of our Hotel room in Amsterdam. Being at home is somewhat of a let-down at the moment :-))
Selecting the UP arrow in the top right corner on this pic works quite nicely :-)
Sincere thanks to all who view, comment upon or make a favourite of any of my shots, for they are a help and pleasure in equal measure. Phil
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
The boat is the Wolk Canal Cruise.
Riverboat Wolk (translated to “Cloud”) is a unique appearance on the Amsterdam Canals.
Thanks to a working, quiet and clean steam engine from the 19th century, and the luxuriously stylish interior with mahogany oak, beautiful historic details and double glazing cast in bronze, this beautiful ship is a real head-turner.
Including hospitable captain & host;
100% electric;
Comfortable pillows;
A clean toilet on board;
Drinks, lunch, dinner;
Flexible roof;
Music system & microphone;
Heaters. (Wolk Canal Cruise promotion material)
In 1990 the EuroCity Vauban (Bruxelles-Midi - Milano) carried an ancient "Breda" type restaurant car of CIWL, modernized in the 1980s, with a stylish interior.
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
In 1990 the EuroCity Vauban (Bruxelles-Midi - Milano) carried an ancient "Pistoiesi" type restaurant car of CIWL (No. 2973 or 2976), modernized in the 1980s, with a stylish interior.
The image of a modern living room for a sales catalog presents a stylish interior with contemporary furniture, clean lines and neutral tones. Large windows allow natural light to flood in, while accessories and artwork add a personal touch to the space.
You can find a large number of full-resolution photos under a Creative Commons license on my official website: nenadstojkovicart.com/albums
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
Interior of Reading Transport Streetdeck 901. Very stylish interior with lots of gadgets and comfy seats.
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
Three top business women from Galway, Cork and Dublin win Network Ireland Business Women of the Year Awards
Friday, 21 October, 2011: The Galway founder of the successful travel pack for flyers, an internationally renowned hairdresser from Cork and the Head of Prudential Supervision at the Irish Banking Federation were presented with Network Ireland 2011 Business Women of the Year Awards, sponsored by Celebrity Cruises, today at Dublin Castle.
Ms Julia McAndrew, the founder of Compleat Travel Essentials Packs, the new Galway company that sells to over 4,000 retail and hotel customers, a range of specially prepared packs containing essential toiletries for those flying and travelling throughout the world, won the Network Businesswoman (New Business) of the Year. Ms Valerie Cahill, CEO Ikon Hair Design in Cork, the award winning hair styling company in Cork, won the Network Businesswoman (Self Employed) of the Year and Ms Mary Doyle, Head of Prudential Supervision at the Irish Banking Federation, Dublin won the Network Businesswoman (Employee) of the Year.
The âTrish Murphy Honorary Awardâ was presented by Network Ireland to the successful business woman, Ms Norma Smurfit, for her tireless commitment and work for a large number of charities. This is the inaugural year of this award in honour of Trish Murphy, a past Network Dublin President who contributed significantly to the organisation and also for charity. Sadly she passed away last year prematurely at the age of 53 from cancer.
Ms Mary Kershaw, President Network Ireland, an organisation representing over 3,000 women in business, said that the theme for this yearâs awards was âLocal Talent for Global Opportunitiesâ.
âOur members aspire to successfully developing their businesses by providing high quality products and services and raising the profile of their company brands among their target markets. Todayâs awards ceremony recognises their achievements. We also recognised the great charity work of Ms Norma Smurfit. She is an inspiration for business women throughout the country,â Mary said.
Celebrity Cruises (1800 932 619, www.celebritycruises.ie, the multi award-winning* cruise company sponsored the Network Ireland 2011 Business Woman of the Year Awards ceremony. Jo Rzymowska, Associate Vice President and General Manager, UK and Ireland Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises presented the awards and commented: âCelebrity Cruises is known for enjoyable holidays built around innovation, the highest standards of quality of service and enthusiasm. The members of Network Ireland share these same values and so, Celebrity Cruises is delighted to sponsor this important event,â she said.
Network Ireland encourages women to do business, market their skills and expertise with the support of other members throughout the country. It represents over 3,000 women working in a wide range of industry sectors.
Members are recognised as serious contributors to the Irish economy and decision-making bodies. Network Ireland also liaises with national and international organisations as well as key Government and State bodies throughout Europe.
The award winners each received a specially sculpted piece of crystal crafted by the Irish Glass Company, which was founded by glass blowers from the former Waterford Glass company.
*Celebrity cruises recent awards in Ireland include:
âBest Luxury Cruise Companyâ - Irish Travel Trade Awards (ITTA)
âBest Luxury Cruise Lineâ - Irish Travel Agents Association Awards (ITAA)
ENDS
FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT:
Network Ireland â David Curtin @086 28 32 123
Celebrity Cruises - Andrew Campbell-Edie (partnership.pr1@gmail.com) +353 (0)857 286711, Louise James (louisejames@rccl.com) and Surinder Manku (smanku@rccl.com) on +44 (0)1932 834 200
Notes on winners
NETWORK BUSINESSWOMAN (New Business) OF THE YEAR
Julia McAndrew â Network Galway
Julia McAndrew is a mother and an established business woman which involves a lot of travel. She saw at first hand the need for Compleat Travel Essentials Packs â specially prepared packs that contain essential toiletries for those flying and travelling a lot.
She spent a lot of time sourcing and trying out products before she found the quality of the products she was looking for, for example the wipes are organic & bio-degradable, the deodorant is natural and endorsed by the cancer treatment centre and the shaving cream is for the most sensitive skin, 3 in 1, pre, post and shave, needing no water for the best shave ever. Due to customer feedback sheâs now launching a unisex pack and a pack for children.
Now over 4,000 customers worldwide choose Compleat Travel Essential packs to feel fresh and clean no matter where they are. Compleat Travel Essentials Packs are now selling in Hotels, Pharmacies, Hospital Shops, WH Smith and Airport shops. She is already in talks with companies in the UK and the European Airports.
NETWORK BUSINESSWOMAN (Self Employed) OF THE YEAR
Valerie Cahill â Ikon Hair Design in Cork
In 1997 Valerie opened Ikon Hair Design in Cork, on the first floor of 10 Princes Street with three team members. Ikon is now a multi awarding winning salon and the team has grown to thirteen.
Valerie and her husband Decky are looking forward to opening their new salon in Cork in November 2011. She has been involved in the Irish Hairdressing Industry for the last 27 years. She started as an apprentice in Victor Franks in 1984 where she qualified and took up the role as trainer and manager till 1997.
Valerie believes that in an industry that is known for its creativity and flair, it is important to get the balance right between the creative and the business side of things. It is something Valerie and the team have been working on over the past few years.
In 2008/ 2009 Ikon embarked on a 2 year program in London with Alan Austin Smith, The Ambassador / Salon Programme focusing on the team and the business and developing both.
In 2011, Valerie took up the position as The Munster Educator for Joico, doing what she loves most and is incredibly passionate about, teaching the JCut and Colour System. In 2011 she became a member of the Irish Hairdressing Executive Committee.
Valerie Finnegan Cahill juggles motherhood (Finn 11years & Jack 6 years) and business every day. Valerie is also involved in The Niall Mellon Township Trust Charity; this year (November) will be her third trip to South Africa where she helps to build houses in the townships of Capetown.
NETWORK BUSINESSWOMAN (Employee) OF THE YEAR
Mary Doyle â Irish Banking Federation, Dublin.
As Head of Prudential Supervision at the Irish Banking Federation, Mary is responsible for liaising with the industry and relevant parties, to determine policies for the evolving range of Risk and Corporate Governance regulations now impacting on banking. She manages the overall technical work programme for Risk and Governance, both key aspects of current bank regulation, and assists in the development of related sector policy positions.
Her career path on the technical side has always involved being ahead of and part of future developments. Initially as an economist, Mary was always looking for examples of future growth sectors for investment. It also included strategic matters; corporate planning and marketing rules.
She regularly attends local and international conferences, seminars, as well as networking events on such matters. Her most recent positions relate to banking regulations, again a rapidly evolving area, where she is now involved in planning such training events for the banking industry with local and overseas speakers. She interacts with the banking industry on evolving regulations, to achieve a practical, workable regulatory framework within the Irish and EU framework.
Mary is an experienced economist with a broad understanding of business and banking as well as being a media commentator on financial markets. Having been a founding member of Network Dublin she has made a long standing contribution to Network Dublin for over 25 years and believes strongly in the networking concept. She has adapted well to new experiences and challenges, working in the UK, EU, Africa, and primarily Ireland. Throughout all this she uses her networking skills in all aspects of her life. She is Economic Consultant to Nigerian Development Bank for World Bank and was nominated by Network to the Minister for Health for the Board of Health Insurance Authority, a position she held for 10 years.
Ten Network Ireland Branches represent 500 firms nationwide in Dublin, Louth, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary North, Kildare, Waterford, Galway, Mayo
and Clare. The businesswomen nominated for the Network Ireland 2011 Business Woman of the Year Awards include:
Candidates for the Employee Award
Ms Lynda Murphy, My Waterford
Ms Eithne Cosgrave, Sales & Marketing Director, Hotel Westport, Mayo
Ms Mairead OâBrien, Accounts Manager, Nash 19, Cork
Ms Lorraine Scully, Sherry FitzGerald Kavanagh, Galway
Ms Maura McMahon, Limerick Chamber of Commerce
Ms Mary Doyle, Irish Banking Federation, Dublin
Candidates for the Existing Business Award
Ms Foinagh Ryan, Ryanâs Jewellers, Limerick
Ms Kathleen Delahan, Patient School of Motoring, Kildare
Dr Eithne Brenner, The Brenner Clinic and Faceworks, Waterford
Ms Caroline Gordon, Accountant & Registered Auditor, Mayo
Ms AnnMarie Walsh, The Tipperary Kitchen, North Tipperary
Ms Valerie Cahill, MD, IKON Hair Design Cork
Ms Jenny Beale, Brigitâs Garden, Galway
Ms Pat Reda, PJ Reda Executive Search & HR Consulting, Dublin
Ms Ann Marie Horgan, Allpets Veterinery Hospital, Louth
Candidates for the New Business Award
Ms Martina Ginty, MD Glitz & Glam Ltd, Kildare
Ms Jennifer Cody Murphy, Beautilicious, Waterford
Ms Jenny Brennan, Virtual Office Worx, Mayo
Ms Louisa Condon, The Ant Team, North Tipperary
Ms Joan Walsh, MD, Partnership Europe, Cork
Ms Julie McAndrew, Compleat Travel Essentials, Galway
Ms Juliet OâConnor, The Zip Yard, Dublin
Ms Dorothy Walsh, Dorothy J Walsh, & Co Solicitors, Co. Louth
Ms Anne Maria Moore, Beech Lodge Care Facility & Retirement Village, Limerick
Notes about Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruisesâ iconic âXâ is the mark of the worldâs top-rated premium cruise line, with spacious, stylish interiors; dining experiences elevated to an art form; personalized service, with a guest-to-staff ratio of nearly 2:1; unexpected, trendsetting onboard activities, all designed to provide an unmatchable experience for vacationersâ precious time.
Celebrity sails to Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Bermuda, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, and year-round in the Galapagos Islands. Celebrity also offers immersive cruisetour experiences in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Europe and South America. One of the fastest-growing major cruise lines, Celebrityâs fleet currently consists of 10 ships, with one additional Solstice Class ship scheduled to join the fleet: Celebrity Reflection in autumn 2012.
Three top business women from Galway, Cork and Dublin win Network Ireland Business Women of the Year Awards
Friday, 21 October, 2011: The Galway founder of the successful travel pack for flyers, an internationally renowned hairdresser from Cork and the Head of Prudential Supervision at the Irish Banking Federation were presented with Network Ireland 2011 Business Women of the Year Awards, sponsored by Celebrity Cruises, today at Dublin Castle.
Ms Julia McAndrew, the founder of Compleat Travel Essentials Packs, the new Galway company that sells to over 4,000 retail and hotel customers, a range of specially prepared packs containing essential toiletries for those flying and travelling throughout the world, won the Network Businesswoman (New Business) of the Year. Ms Valerie Cahill, CEO Ikon Hair Design in Cork, the award winning hair styling company in Cork, won the Network Businesswoman (Self Employed) of the Year and Ms Mary Doyle, Head of Prudential Supervision at the Irish Banking Federation, Dublin won the Network Businesswoman (Employee) of the Year.
The âTrish Murphy Honorary Awardâ was presented by Network Ireland to the successful business woman, Ms Norma Smurfit, for her tireless commitment and work for a large number of charities. This is the inaugural year of this award in honour of Trish Murphy, a past Network Dublin President who contributed significantly to the organisation and also for charity. Sadly she passed away last year prematurely at the age of 53 from cancer.
Ms Mary Kershaw, President Network Ireland, an organisation representing over 3,000 women in business, said that the theme for this yearâs awards was âLocal Talent for Global Opportunitiesâ.
âOur members aspire to successfully developing their businesses by providing high quality products and services and raising the profile of their company brands among their target markets. Todayâs awards ceremony recognises their achievements. We also recognised the great charity work of Ms Norma Smurfit. She is an inspiration for business women throughout the country,â Mary said.
Celebrity Cruises (1800 932 619, www.celebritycruises.ie, the multi award-winning* cruise company sponsored the Network Ireland 2011 Business Woman of the Year Awards ceremony. Jo Rzymowska, Associate Vice President and General Manager, UK and Ireland Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises presented the awards and commented: âCelebrity Cruises is known for enjoyable holidays built around innovation, the highest standards of quality of service and enthusiasm. The members of Network Ireland share these same values and so, Celebrity Cruises is delighted to sponsor this important event,â she said.
Network Ireland encourages women to do business, market their skills and expertise with the support of other members throughout the country. It represents over 3,000 women working in a wide range of industry sectors.
Members are recognised as serious contributors to the Irish economy and decision-making bodies. Network Ireland also liaises with national and international organisations as well as key Government and State bodies throughout Europe.
The award winners each received a specially sculpted piece of crystal crafted by the Irish Glass Company, which was founded by glass blowers from the former Waterford Glass company.
*Celebrity cruises recent awards in Ireland include:
âBest Luxury Cruise Companyâ - Irish Travel Trade Awards (ITTA)
âBest Luxury Cruise Lineâ - Irish Travel Agents Association Awards (ITAA)
ENDS
FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT:
Network Ireland â David Curtin @086 28 32 123
Celebrity Cruises - Andrew Campbell-Edie (partnership.pr1@gmail.com) +353 (0)857 286711, Louise James (louisejames@rccl.com) and Surinder Manku (smanku@rccl.com) on +44 (0)1932 834 200
Notes on winners
NETWORK BUSINESSWOMAN (New Business) OF THE YEAR
Julia McAndrew â Network Galway
Julia McAndrew is a mother and an established business woman which involves a lot of travel. She saw at first hand the need for Compleat Travel Essentials Packs â specially prepared packs that contain essential toiletries for those flying and travelling a lot.
She spent a lot of time sourcing and trying out products before she found the quality of the products she was looking for, for example the wipes are organic & bio-degradable, the deodorant is natural and endorsed by the cancer treatment centre and the shaving cream is for the most sensitive skin, 3 in 1, pre, post and shave, needing no water for the best shave ever. Due to customer feedback sheâs now launching a unisex pack and a pack for children.
Now over 4,000 customers worldwide choose Compleat Travel Essential packs to feel fresh and clean no matter where they are. Compleat Travel Essentials Packs are now selling in Hotels, Pharmacies, Hospital Shops, WH Smith and Airport shops. She is already in talks with companies in the UK and the European Airports.
NETWORK BUSINESSWOMAN (Self Employed) OF THE YEAR
Valerie Cahill â Ikon Hair Design in Cork
In 1997 Valerie opened Ikon Hair Design in Cork, on the first floor of 10 Princes Street with three team members. Ikon is now a multi awarding winning salon and the team has grown to thirteen.
Valerie and her husband Decky are looking forward to opening their new salon in Cork in November 2011. She has been involved in the Irish Hairdressing Industry for the last 27 years. She started as an apprentice in Victor Franks in 1984 where she qualified and took up the role as trainer and manager till 1997.
Valerie believes that in an industry that is known for its creativity and flair, it is important to get the balance right between the creative and the business side of things. It is something Valerie and the team have been working on over the past few years.
In 2008/ 2009 Ikon embarked on a 2 year program in London with Alan Austin Smith, The Ambassador / Salon Programme focusing on the team and the business and developing both.
In 2011, Valerie took up the position as The Munster Educator for Joico, doing what she loves most and is incredibly passionate about, teaching the JCut and Colour System. In 2011 she became a member of the Irish Hairdressing Executive Committee.
Valerie Finnegan Cahill juggles motherhood (Finn 11years & Jack 6 years) and business every day. Valerie is also involved in The Niall Mellon Township Trust Charity; this year (November) will be her third trip to South Africa where she helps to build houses in the townships of Capetown.
NETWORK BUSINESSWOMAN (Employee) OF THE YEAR
Mary Doyle â Irish Banking Federation, Dublin.
As Head of Prudential Supervision at the Irish Banking Federation, Mary is responsible for liaising with the industry and relevant parties, to determine policies for the evolving range of Risk and Corporate Governance regulations now impacting on banking. She manages the overall technical work programme for Risk and Governance, both key aspects of current bank regulation, and assists in the development of related sector policy positions.
Her career path on the technical side has always involved being ahead of and part of future developments. Initially as an economist, Mary was always looking for examples of future growth sectors for investment. It also included strategic matters; corporate planning and marketing rules.
She regularly attends local and international conferences, seminars, as well as networking events on such matters. Her most recent positions relate to banking regulations, again a rapidly evolving area, where she is now involved in planning such training events for the banking industry with local and overseas speakers. She interacts with the banking industry on evolving regulations, to achieve a practical, workable regulatory framework within the Irish and EU framework.
Mary is an experienced economist with a broad understanding of business and banking as well as being a media commentator on financial markets. Having been a founding member of Network Dublin she has made a long standing contribution to Network Dublin for over 25 years and believes strongly in the networking concept. She has adapted well to new experiences and challenges, working in the UK, EU, Africa, and primarily Ireland. Throughout all this she uses her networking skills in all aspects of her life. She is Economic Consultant to Nigerian Development Bank for World Bank and was nominated by Network to the Minister for Health for the Board of Health Insurance Authority, a position she held for 10 years.
Ten Network Ireland Branches represent 500 firms nationwide in Dublin, Louth, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary North, Kildare, Waterford, Galway, Mayo
and Clare. The businesswomen nominated for the Network Ireland 2011 Business Woman of the Year Awards include:
Candidates for the Employee Award
Ms Lynda Murphy, My Waterford
Ms Eithne Cosgrave, Sales & Marketing Director, Hotel Westport, Mayo
Ms Mairead OâBrien, Accounts Manager, Nash 19, Cork
Ms Lorraine Scully, Sherry FitzGerald Kavanagh, Galway
Ms Maura McMahon, Limerick Chamber of Commerce
Ms Mary Doyle, Irish Banking Federation, Dublin
Candidates for the Existing Business Award
Ms Foinagh Ryan, Ryanâs Jewellers, Limerick
Ms Kathleen Delahan, Patient School of Motoring, Kildare
Dr Eithne Brenner, The Brenner Clinic and Faceworks, Waterford
Ms Caroline Gordon, Accountant & Registered Auditor, Mayo
Ms AnnMarie Walsh, The Tipperary Kitchen, North Tipperary
Ms Valerie Cahill, MD, IKON Hair Design Cork
Ms Jenny Beale, Brigitâs Garden, Galway
Ms Pat Reda, PJ Reda Executive Search & HR Consulting, Dublin
Ms Ann Marie Horgan, Allpets Veterinery Hospital, Louth
Candidates for the New Business Award
Ms Martina Ginty, MD Glitz & Glam Ltd, Kildare
Ms Jennifer Cody Murphy, Beautilicious, Waterford
Ms Jenny Brennan, Virtual Office Worx, Mayo
Ms Louisa Condon, The Ant Team, North Tipperary
Ms Joan Walsh, MD, Partnership Europe, Cork
Ms Julie McAndrew, Compleat Travel Essentials, Galway
Ms Juliet OâConnor, The Zip Yard, Dublin
Ms Dorothy Walsh, Dorothy J Walsh, & Co Solicitors, Co. Louth
Ms Anne Maria Moore, Beech Lodge Care Facility & Retirement Village, Limerick
Notes about Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruisesâ iconic âXâ is the mark of the worldâs top-rated premium cruise line, with spacious, stylish interiors; dining experiences elevated to an art form; personalized service, with a guest-to-staff ratio of nearly 2:1; unexpected, trendsetting onboard activities, all designed to provide an unmatchable experience for vacationersâ precious time.
Celebrity sails to Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Bermuda, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, and year-round in the Galapagos Islands. Celebrity also offers immersive cruisetour experiences in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Europe and South America. One of the fastest-growing major cruise lines, Celebrityâs fleet currently consists of 10 ships, with one additional Solstice Class ship scheduled to join the fleet: Celebrity Reflection in autumn 2012.
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
Screenshot taken from the Classic Car Auctions site.
Original photographer and date unknown.
Note the stylish interior with two-tone door cover.
Simca had its golden age in the 1950s and 1960s. Shortly after the war the idea of an own sports car appeared in the head office of Simca. In october 1947 head of the Simca company Henri Pigozzi (1898-1964) visited the Milan Car Show. There he was impressed by the Fiat 1100 Cabriolet Élaboré prototype designed by the young Giovanni Michelotti at Studio Pininfarina, which very much remembered him to the fluid silhouette of the Cisitalia 202 Berlinette. Pigozzi obtained the license to build such a sports car. The first prototype was shown at the Paris Salon de l'Automobile in October 1948.
During 1949, the Simca 8 sports car continued to be developed in collaboration with Facel-Métallon, who actually finished the design and built the car.
Finally in October 1949 production could start.
The Simca 8 Sport had an aluminium body and was available as a cabriolet and from April 1950 also as a coupé.
Both models had a two piece windscreen in the beginning. In Oct. 1950 the one-piece windscreen appeared only on the coupé.
For Oct. 1951 the five horizontal bars in the grille on the 8 Sport were replaced by three wider bars.
In April 1952 the 8 Sport was replaced by the Simca 9 Sport.
In 1958 Chrysler Corporation bought 15% of Simca shares to get an easy entrance to the European market. The benefit was both ways. In 1959 Simca entered the US market: Chrysler dealers began to sell French Simcas. Already in 1960 Simca had reached the 7th position in the top 10 of sold foreign imports (17,077 pieces).
It is very well possible that older luxury Simcas such as this Simca 8 Sport were sold on the US second hand market because Simca was known meanwhile.
This Simca 8 Sport Coupé was later imported back to the Netherlands.
Seen at the viewing days of the Palmen Barnfind Collection Auction initiated by Gallery Aaldering, Brummen and provided by Classic Car Auctions, location Dordrecht.
More info: www.gallery-aaldering.com/nl/the-palmen-barnfind-collecti...
More photos: www.classiccar-auctions.com/nl/lot-details/18260/Main%20c...
Most of the cars offered were in a relatively good shape. But some 15 cars were in a terrible condition, mostly caused by corrosion. I wonder what the value could be for the potential buyer. Spare parts? Garden object?
1221 cc L4 engine.
Ca. 920 kg.
Production Simca 8 Series: Nov. 1937-July 1951 (Berline).
Production Simca 8 Sport Coupé this version: April 1950-Oct. 1951.
Original first reg. number: June 30, 1951.
New US reg. number (import documents present).
For sale since May 24, 2023.
Halfweg, July 30, 2023.
© 2023 CCA/Sander Toonen Halfweg | All Rights Reserved
The Bridgford routes are set to get Yutongs next year, displacing the Enviro 200 MMCs. It doesn’t feel like these have been on the green routes two minutes, but it’s been five years already. Either there will be some fairly young E200 MMCs coming onto the second hand market in the coming months, or maybe 301-308 will join 309/399 as spare buses.
Apparently the MMCs aren’t the most liked machines in the fleet, so I could see why NCT might want to sell – especially when there’s no shortage of work for small sized but modern single deckers with operators running tendered services etc. And it’s not like NCT’s ones are dealer spec either, with their driver A/C and stylish interiors. NCT are probably still paying off the money for their initial purchase, which they’ll get back if they sell and remove a fairly nonstandard type from the fleet at the same time.
Then again, unless the upcoming Yutong order is enough to also cover the spare fleet then they’d still be left with a bunch of Solo SRs to replace, so the MMCs might simply be painted silver and cascaded down to oust the Optares. The issues there though are that the MMCs are smaller than a regular midi and not really a suitable substitute for an E12, plus there’s only nine of them. Put four on the 53/54 and then there’s five left (plus 399), so not very many at all.
Of course if they sold the MMCs they’d need to buy even more Yutong spares anyway, and the upcoming batches for 2025 might include enough E10/E12 spares to make up the number alongside the E200 MMCs if they also became spares. But in that case I still think they’d need about five or six Yutongs to ‘break even’ with the current single deck spare fleet, which isn’t actually big enough right now. Add a couple to cover the 29 and a couple more to be safe*, and that’s around ten spare E10/E12s they’d need.
*by which I mean, to replace deckers or off-route Yutongs being used on random Trent Bridge routes due to a general lack of spare single deckers.
So, erm, ‘sell’ or ‘spare’, what do you reckon? I’m leaning towards ‘spare’ but I wouldn’t be surprised either way. Unless NCT do something completely left-of-field like paint some pink for the 29 or something!
307 climbs Angel Row with a 9 on 3.7.24
YX69 NRO
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
This black-and-white photograph, displayed at the Amerikalinjen Hotel in Oslo, captures a moment of cosmopolitan glamour aboard one of the Norwegian America Line's ocean liners, likely between 1967 and 1971. Set in the first-class dining room, the scene is filled with well-dressed passengers—women in satin gowns and elegant updos, men in tuxedos—gathered at a formally set table with fine linens, folded napkins, and glasses of red wine. Behind them, waiters in white coats tend to a grand buffet, and a large mid-century modern mural anchors the room’s stylish interior.
Founded in 1910, the Norwegian America Line (Amerikalinjen) operated transatlantic passenger and freight services between Norway and the United States. By the postwar decades, its ships like the MS Oslofjord and MS Bergensfjord had become floating ambassadors of Norwegian design, comfort, and modernity—offering affluent travelers not only passage, but an experience of ritualized elegance at sea. This photograph evokes a lost era of ocean travel, when the Atlantic crossing was still an occasion for formalwear, fine dining, and international conversation beneath chandeliers.
This text is a collaboration with Chat GPT.
Three top business women from Galway, Cork and Dublin win Network Ireland Business Women of the Year Awards
Friday, 21 October, 2011: The Galway founder of the successful travel pack for flyers, an internationally renowned hairdresser from Cork and the Head of Prudential Supervision at the Irish Banking Federation were presented with Network Ireland 2011 Business Women of the Year Awards, sponsored by Celebrity Cruises, today at Dublin Castle.
Ms Julia McAndrew, the founder of Compleat Travel Essentials Packs, the new Galway company that sells to over 4,000 retail and hotel customers, a range of specially prepared packs containing essential toiletries for those flying and travelling throughout the world, won the Network Businesswoman (New Business) of the Year. Ms Valerie Cahill, CEO Ikon Hair Design in Cork, the award winning hair styling company in Cork, won the Network Businesswoman (Self Employed) of the Year and Ms Mary Doyle, Head of Prudential Supervision at the Irish Banking Federation, Dublin won the Network Businesswoman (Employee) of the Year.
The âTrish Murphy Honorary Awardâ was presented by Network Ireland to the successful business woman, Ms Norma Smurfit, for her tireless commitment and work for a large number of charities. This is the inaugural year of this award in honour of Trish Murphy, a past Network Dublin President who contributed significantly to the organisation and also for charity. Sadly she passed away last year prematurely at the age of 53 from cancer.
Ms Mary Kershaw, President Network Ireland, an organisation representing over 3,000 women in business, said that the theme for this yearâs awards was âLocal Talent for Global Opportunitiesâ.
âOur members aspire to successfully developing their businesses by providing high quality products and services and raising the profile of their company brands among their target markets. Todayâs awards ceremony recognises their achievements. We also recognised the great charity work of Ms Norma Smurfit. She is an inspiration for business women throughout the country,â Mary said.
Celebrity Cruises (1800 932 619, www.celebritycruises.ie, the multi award-winning* cruise company sponsored the Network Ireland 2011 Business Woman of the Year Awards ceremony. Jo Rzymowska, Associate Vice President and General Manager, UK and Ireland Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises presented the awards and commented: âCelebrity Cruises is known for enjoyable holidays built around innovation, the highest standards of quality of service and enthusiasm. The members of Network Ireland share these same values and so, Celebrity Cruises is delighted to sponsor this important event,â she said.
Network Ireland encourages women to do business, market their skills and expertise with the support of other members throughout the country. It represents over 3,000 women working in a wide range of industry sectors.
Members are recognised as serious contributors to the Irish economy and decision-making bodies. Network Ireland also liaises with national and international organisations as well as key Government and State bodies throughout Europe.
The award winners each received a specially sculpted piece of crystal crafted by the Irish Glass Company, which was founded by glass blowers from the former Waterford Glass company.
*Celebrity cruises recent awards in Ireland include:
âBest Luxury Cruise Companyâ - Irish Travel Trade Awards (ITTA)
âBest Luxury Cruise Lineâ - Irish Travel Agents Association Awards (ITAA)
ENDS
FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT:
Network Ireland â David Curtin @086 28 32 123
Celebrity Cruises - Andrew Campbell-Edie (partnership.pr1@gmail.com) +353 (0)857 286711, Louise James (louisejames@rccl.com) and Surinder Manku (smanku@rccl.com) on +44 (0)1932 834 200
Notes on winners
NETWORK BUSINESSWOMAN (New Business) OF THE YEAR
Julia McAndrew â Network Galway
Julia McAndrew is a mother and an established business woman which involves a lot of travel. She saw at first hand the need for Compleat Travel Essentials Packs â specially prepared packs that contain essential toiletries for those flying and travelling a lot.
She spent a lot of time sourcing and trying out products before she found the quality of the products she was looking for, for example the wipes are organic & bio-degradable, the deodorant is natural and endorsed by the cancer treatment centre and the shaving cream is for the most sensitive skin, 3 in 1, pre, post and shave, needing no water for the best shave ever. Due to customer feedback sheâs now launching a unisex pack and a pack for children.
Now over 4,000 customers worldwide choose Compleat Travel Essential packs to feel fresh and clean no matter where they are. Compleat Travel Essentials Packs are now selling in Hotels, Pharmacies, Hospital Shops, WH Smith and Airport shops. She is already in talks with companies in the UK and the European Airports.
NETWORK BUSINESSWOMAN (Self Employed) OF THE YEAR
Valerie Cahill â Ikon Hair Design in Cork
In 1997 Valerie opened Ikon Hair Design in Cork, on the first floor of 10 Princes Street with three team members. Ikon is now a multi awarding winning salon and the team has grown to thirteen.
Valerie and her husband Decky are looking forward to opening their new salon in Cork in November 2011. She has been involved in the Irish Hairdressing Industry for the last 27 years. She started as an apprentice in Victor Franks in 1984 where she qualified and took up the role as trainer and manager till 1997.
Valerie believes that in an industry that is known for its creativity and flair, it is important to get the balance right between the creative and the business side of things. It is something Valerie and the team have been working on over the past few years.
In 2008/ 2009 Ikon embarked on a 2 year program in London with Alan Austin Smith, The Ambassador / Salon Programme focusing on the team and the business and developing both.
In 2011, Valerie took up the position as The Munster Educator for Joico, doing what she loves most and is incredibly passionate about, teaching the JCut and Colour System. In 2011 she became a member of the Irish Hairdressing Executive Committee.
Valerie Finnegan Cahill juggles motherhood (Finn 11years & Jack 6 years) and business every day. Valerie is also involved in The Niall Mellon Township Trust Charity; this year (November) will be her third trip to South Africa where she helps to build houses in the townships of Capetown.
NETWORK BUSINESSWOMAN (Employee) OF THE YEAR
Mary Doyle â Irish Banking Federation, Dublin.
As Head of Prudential Supervision at the Irish Banking Federation, Mary is responsible for liaising with the industry and relevant parties, to determine policies for the evolving range of Risk and Corporate Governance regulations now impacting on banking. She manages the overall technical work programme for Risk and Governance, both key aspects of current bank regulation, and assists in the development of related sector policy positions.
Her career path on the technical side has always involved being ahead of and part of future developments. Initially as an economist, Mary was always looking for examples of future growth sectors for investment. It also included strategic matters; corporate planning and marketing rules.
She regularly attends local and international conferences, seminars, as well as networking events on such matters. Her most recent positions relate to banking regulations, again a rapidly evolving area, where she is now involved in planning such training events for the banking industry with local and overseas speakers. She interacts with the banking industry on evolving regulations, to achieve a practical, workable regulatory framework within the Irish and EU framework.
Mary is an experienced economist with a broad understanding of business and banking as well as being a media commentator on financial markets. Having been a founding member of Network Dublin she has made a long standing contribution to Network Dublin for over 25 years and believes strongly in the networking concept. She has adapted well to new experiences and challenges, working in the UK, EU, Africa, and primarily Ireland. Throughout all this she uses her networking skills in all aspects of her life. She is Economic Consultant to Nigerian Development Bank for World Bank and was nominated by Network to the Minister for Health for the Board of Health Insurance Authority, a position she held for 10 years.
Ten Network Ireland Branches represent 500 firms nationwide in Dublin, Louth, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary North, Kildare, Waterford, Galway, Mayo
and Clare. The businesswomen nominated for the Network Ireland 2011 Business Woman of the Year Awards include:
Candidates for the Employee Award
Ms Lynda Murphy, My Waterford
Ms Eithne Cosgrave, Sales & Marketing Director, Hotel Westport, Mayo
Ms Mairead OâBrien, Accounts Manager, Nash 19, Cork
Ms Lorraine Scully, Sherry FitzGerald Kavanagh, Galway
Ms Maura McMahon, Limerick Chamber of Commerce
Ms Mary Doyle, Irish Banking Federation, Dublin
Candidates for the Existing Business Award
Ms Foinagh Ryan, Ryanâs Jewellers, Limerick
Ms Kathleen Delahan, Patient School of Motoring, Kildare
Dr Eithne Brenner, The Brenner Clinic and Faceworks, Waterford
Ms Caroline Gordon, Accountant & Registered Auditor, Mayo
Ms AnnMarie Walsh, The Tipperary Kitchen, North Tipperary
Ms Valerie Cahill, MD, IKON Hair Design Cork
Ms Jenny Beale, Brigitâs Garden, Galway
Ms Pat Reda, PJ Reda Executive Search & HR Consulting, Dublin
Ms Ann Marie Horgan, Allpets Veterinery Hospital, Louth
Candidates for the New Business Award
Ms Martina Ginty, MD Glitz & Glam Ltd, Kildare
Ms Jennifer Cody Murphy, Beautilicious, Waterford
Ms Jenny Brennan, Virtual Office Worx, Mayo
Ms Louisa Condon, The Ant Team, North Tipperary
Ms Joan Walsh, MD, Partnership Europe, Cork
Ms Julie McAndrew, Compleat Travel Essentials, Galway
Ms Juliet OâConnor, The Zip Yard, Dublin
Ms Dorothy Walsh, Dorothy J Walsh, & Co Solicitors, Co. Louth
Ms Anne Maria Moore, Beech Lodge Care Facility & Retirement Village, Limerick
Notes about Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruisesâ iconic âXâ is the mark of the worldâs top-rated premium cruise line, with spacious, stylish interiors; dining experiences elevated to an art form; personalized service, with a guest-to-staff ratio of nearly 2:1; unexpected, trendsetting onboard activities, all designed to provide an unmatchable experience for vacationersâ precious time.
Celebrity sails to Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Bermuda, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, and year-round in the Galapagos Islands. Celebrity also offers immersive cruisetour experiences in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Europe and South America. One of the fastest-growing major cruise lines, Celebrityâs fleet currently consists of 10 ships, with one additional Solstice Class ship scheduled to join the fleet: Celebrity Reflection in autumn 2012.
This is 2nd project of T-SITE. They are well known so good, stylish interior store with cafe.
湘南のT-SITEです。3つのうちで一番地味かな？
---------------------------------------
湘南T-SITE - 建築グラビア Architecture Gravure
Gallery : photowork.jp/christinayan01/architectural/archives/6490
---------------------------------------
Shonan T-SITE (湘南T-SITE).
Designed : Klein Dytham architecture (デザイン：クライン・ダイサム・アーキテクツ).
Architect : Nihon Sekkei (設計：日本設計).
Contractor : Hazama Ando Corporation (施工：安藤・間).
Completed : 12 December 2014 (竣工：2014年12月12日).
Structured : Steel frames (構造：S造).
Costs : $ million (総工費：約億円).
Use : Store (用途：店舗).
Height : ft (高さ：m).
Floor : 2 (階数：地上2階).
Floor area : 79,717.521 sq.ft. (延床面積：7,406㎡).
Building area : sq.ft. (建築面積：㎡).
Site area : 151,771.14 sq.ft. (敷地面積：14,100㎡).
Owner : Culture Convenience Club (建主：カルチュア・コンビニエンス・クラブ).
Location : 6-20-1 Tsujido Motomachi, Fujisawa City, Kanagawa, Japan (所在地：日本国神奈川県藤沢市辻堂元町6-20-1).
Referenced :
world-architects.blogspot.jp/2014/12/kda-shonan-t-site.html
www.nihonsekkei.co.jp/projects/1716/
www.japan-architect.co.jp/jp/works/index.php?book_cd=1015...
Cavendish Mews is a smart set of flats in Mayfair where flapper and modern woman, the Honourable Lettice Chetwynd has set up home after coming of age and gaining her allowance. To supplement her already generous allowance, and to break away from dependence upon her family, Lettice has established herself as a society interior designer, so her flat is decorated with a mixture of elegant antique Georgian pieces and modern Art Deco furnishings, using it as a showroom for what she can offer to her well heeled clients.
Lettice is nursing a broken heart. Her beau, Selwyn Spencely, son of the Duke of Walmsford, has been sent to Durban for a year by his mother, the Duchess of Walmsford, Lady Zinnia in an effort to destroy their relationship which she wants to end so that she can marry Selwyn off to his cousin, Pamela Fox-Chavers. Lettice returned home to Glynes to lick her wounds, however it only served to make matters worse as she grew even more morose. It was from the most unlikely of candidates, her mother Lady Sadie, with whom Lettice has always had a fraught relationship, that Lettice received the best advice, which was to stop feeling sorry for herself and get on with her life and wait patiently for Selwyn’s eventual return. Since then, Lettice has been trying to follow her mother’s advice and has thrown herself into the merry dance of London’s social round of dinners, dances and balls. However, even she could only keep this up for so long, and on New Year’s Eve, her sister, Lally, suggested that she spend a few extra weeks resting and recuperating with her in Buckinghamshire before returning to London and trying to get on with her life. Lettice happily agreed, however her rest cure ended abruptly with a letter from her Aunt Egg in London, summoned Lettice back to the capital and into society in general. Through her social connections, Aunt Egg has contrived an invitation for Lettice and her married Embassy Club coterie friends Dickie and Margot Channon, to an amusing Friday to Monday long weekend party of Sir John and Lady Caxton, who are very well known amongst the smarter bohemian set of London society for their amusing weekend parties at their Scottish country estate and enjoyable literary evenings in their Belgravia townhouse. Lady Gladys is a successful authoress in her own right and writes under the nom de plume of Madeline St John, so they attract a mixture of witty writers and artists mostly.
Now we find ourselves in the cosy and cluttered, old fashioned Art and Crafts decorated drawing room of Gossington, the Scottish Baronial style English Art and Crafts castle near the hamlet of Kershopefoot in Cumberland belonging to Sir John and Lady Gladys, where Lettice, Margot and Dickie have joined their hosts along with a few stragglers who arrived on a later train to Carlisle who were chauffeured to the house from the railway station there.
Lady Gladys stands by one of the full length windows looking out at the countryside beyond. Her face crumples up as she stares at the roiling and dark clouds in the sky. She pats her finger waved grey hair anxiously, as though trying to protect it from being spoiled by the rain she perceives is coming, “Looks like the weather is on the turn, John.”
“What’s that, Gladys?” her husband pipes up, glancing over the top of his book from his Savonarola chair by the crackling fire.
“I said it’s starting to cloud over.” she replies in a slightly louder voice, turning to face him so he can hear her more clearly. “I do hope that it doesn’t rain on Pheobe and the other ramblers.”
“I’m sure they can all shelter in a barn somewhere.” he replies. “It will be a new and novel experience for some of them.”
Snorts and muffles giggles come from a few of the guests sitting about the room enjoying indoor pursuits.
Sir John looks over at the clusters of heads lowered together and chuckles good-naturedly as he remarks, “Don’t get so self-righteous you lot!” He closes his book. “I bet it would be a new and novel experience for most of you too!”
Lady Gladys wanders across the room, toying with the long string of pearls about her neck and takes a seat, just as Lettice appears at the door of the drawing room.
“Oh, do come in Lettice,” Lady Gladys says warmly from a corner of the Knole sofa* upholstered in William Morris’** ‘Strawberry Thief’ fabric. “Come and sit with me.” She softly pats the cushion next to her, the action emitting a small cloud of dust motes.
“Thank you Lady Caxton.” Lettice replies as she walks across the room, squeezing between the clusters of chairs and occasional tables, some occupied by the late arriving guests, including Dickie and Margot, playing a range of parlour games on offer from the Gossington games cupboard.
“Ah!” the hostess wags her finger admonishing at Lettice. “I might be older than your mother, my dear, but here, we are egalitarian. We are all on a first name basis. I am Gladys and Sir John is just, John. Hmmm?”
“Very well, thank you, Gladys.” Lettice replies awkwardly, a little startled by this revelation, as she sits on the opposite end of the sofa, closest to the fire.
“Gladys is an old Fabian*** from before you were born, Lettice.” Sir John adds with a kindly wink from his seat opposite her.
“Not so much of the old, thank you John!” Gladys remarks, pretending to be offended. “Remember, I’m younger than you.”
“That doesn’t say much when you compare yourself to all these youngsters!” He waves his hand about the room.
“That’s why I like young people,” Gladys smiles indulgently at Lettice, directing her comment to her rather than her husband. “They help keep me young with their talk of nightclubs, the latest shows and the like.”
“More like it gives you fodder for your next novel, Gladys.” He looks lovingly at his wife, a mischievous glint in his sparkling blue eyes and a cheeky smile playing across his lips. “Writing vicariously through others.”
“It pays to keep up to date with the latest trends, John. I don’t want to fall out of fashion.”
“I don’t think your novels will ever fall out of fashion, Lady… err, Gladys.” Lettice remarks magnanimously.
“You’re a flatterer, that’s for certain!” Lady Gladys chuckles. “You’ll get on. I shall graciously accept your compliment.” Her pale, wrinkled face stills for a moment as a far away look glazes over her eyes. “We none of us think we will fall out of fashion, but we do, in one way or another – especially as we get older. Take this room for example. Decorated in what was once the height of fashion. Would you decorate your home in this way, my dear Lettice?”
From her vantage point, Lettice gazes around the room. Looking at the William Morris ‘Strawberry Thief’ pattern on the sofa, woven carpet and the Morris ‘Poppies’ wallpaper, Lettice estimates the room, like most around the grey stone castle, were decorated in the late Nineteenth Century during the heyday of the Arts and Crafts Movement. A hotch-potch of furnishings that jostle comfortably for space suggests a period of prosperity driven acquisition over the ensuing years up until the Great War, yet each piece is of high quality and well made, implying her hosts’ dedication to the arts, as do the ornaments that cover surfaces around the room, all of which are beautiful and handmade. Old paintings of Scottish landscapes remind Lettice of Sir John’s proud heritage, whilst the large number of books tell her of Lady Caxton’s literary pursuits and success.
“Oh, I think it’s charming,” Lettice replies. “You obviously have an eye for fine workmanship and artistry.”
“But?” Lady Gladys picks up Lettice’s unspoken thought.
“But no, I wouldn’t decorate my home like this.”
“That’s the correct answer, Lettice.” Lady Gladys replies kindly. “And, if I were your age, I wouldn’t either. It’s fusty and old fashioned.”
“It is lovely though, and all my modern ideas would look out of place in a room like this. You need to have older things here, not what is fashionable and up-to-date. It would look out of place.”
“Tea, Lettice?” Gladys leans forward towards the low beautifully hand embroidered footstool before her and picks up an empty cup. “Or would you prefer coffee?”
“Oh, tea will be fine Lady Cax… err, I mean, Gladys.” She chuckles awkwardly at such familiarity with people she barely knows. “White and one sugar, please.”
“Good. I’ve never been one for coffee myself.” Lady Gladys pours tea from the silver pot into the cup over the sugar, and adds a slosh of milk, before she passes it to Lettice to stir. “I do hope you found your room to be satisfactory, Lettice.”
“It’s lovely. Thank you. I shall feel like Sleeping Beauty when I retire.”
“Hhmmm,” Gladys smiles understandingly. “Yes. I thought you’d like the décor in there.”
“The Art Nouveau wallpaper is lovely. It is William Morris, like in here, is it not?”
“Yes,” Lady Gladys remarks with a surprised lilt in her voice. “How clever of you to notice. It’s ‘Sweet Briar’, so your reference to Briar Rose is most apt, my dear.”
“My Aunt Eglantine has it in her bedroom in Chelsea. She loves William Morris too.”
“And you, Lettice? Do you like William Morris?” Lady Gladys asks.
“I like a mixture of old and new, Lad… Gladys. I think a well placed antique on a modern table adds elegance, and I think a William Morris cushion,” She pulls the cushion from behind her back and looks at it thoughtfully. “Could look splendid as an accent on a plain coloured settee.”
“How is Eglantine?” Sir John asks, changing the subject as he takes a sip of his own cup of tea.
“I didn’t know you were acquainted with my Aunt, Sir John, until my aunt told me of my invitation to this weekend.”
“Just John, my dear.” he corrects Lettice politely, causing her to blush. “Remember the old Fabian in the room.” He nods at his wife. “And yes, Gladys and I have similar artistic and literary pursuits to her, so we know Eglantyne quite well.”
“I have some of her pieces,” Lady Gladys remarks proudly and indicates firstly to two dainty pots of hand painted petunias on the mantlepiece, which are part of Eglantyne’s pre-war work, and then to a pedestal next to a very full bookcase, where one of Lettice’s aunt’s more modern pottery pieces sits. “She is a wonderful ceramicist and artist. She can create such beautiful sinuous lines in pottery. It really is remarkable.”
“She doesn’t do that so much now,” Lettice remarks.
“That’s a pity.” Lady Gladys replies a little sadly. “It’s a shame to waste such a gift.”
“Her arthritis slows her somewhat when it comes to ceramics, and she is seldom happy with the results. She’s following different pursuits these days.”
“She paints now, doesn’t she?” Sir Caxton asks.
“She does… John. She’s currently painting a piece for the Royal Academy.”
“Excellent! We shall look forward to seeing that, shan’t we Gladys?”
“Oh indeed, John. And of course, she has her embroidery.” Lady Gladys adds.
Lettice laughs softly. “I fear sometimes that if I sit still in her drawing room for long enough, one day she might embroider me.”
A thunderclap breaks outside. It’s noise echoes through the atmosphere inside, sending a collective shiver through the guests in the room.
“I told you, John. Pheobe and the others are sure to get rained upon now.” She glances around the high wing of the Knole sofa to the window. Looking back at Lettice, she picks up her own teacup and tops it up with tea from the pot before continuing, “Pheobe, our niece and ward, has taken all the other young guests for the weekend on a ramble about the estate to help everyone work up an appetite for dinner. I do hope they will be back soon, especially now that it’s going to pour.”
“I bet they all went to the pub in the village for a lark.” Dickie remarks from where he sits. “And they are quite cosy and warm in there. They’ll be back when they are good and ready.”
“You may be right, young Dickie!” Sir John chortles.
“I’m puzzled,” Lettice says, her face crumpling up in thought. “As to why you asked me here for the weekend.”
“Puzzled, my dear?” Lady Gladys asks.
“Yes. I must confess I was very surprised to receive your kind invitation – delighted, but surprised. I mean, we’ve never met as far as I’m aware. Is it because of your connection to my aunt?”
“Well, that does have a little to do with it, Lettice,” Sir John explains. “You are your aunt’s favourite niece…”
“She says that to all of us Si… err, John.”
“Well, be that as it may, she has spoken to us about you and your talents over many years, particularly since you have come of age. However, Gladys and I keep our own eye on the artistic scene in London, so your name has been mentioned to us a number of times on different occasions.”
“Really?” Lettice asks in astonishment.
“Oh yes,” adds Lady Gladys. “Surely you must know that you’re gaining quite a reputation now, for your stylish interior designs.”
“Especially after that article in Country Life, showing the work you did for Margot and Dickie,” Sir John nods in the direction of the couple, ensconced together on an Art Nouveau sofa, happily playing cards. “It looked wonderful! So fresh and elegant with all those clean lines that are so fashionable now.”
“We did so want to finally meet you, dear Lettice.” Lady Gladys adds.
“Well,” Lettice blushes. “I’m very flattered, and honoured to be invited to Gossington. Your weekend parties are famous for being filled with fun and enjoyment.”
“Then I hope we shall not disappoint, dear Lettice.” Sir John beams.
“I’m sure with the return of the others, you won’t be starved for wit and aristocratic intelligentsia.” Lady Gladys adds. “Your aunt tells us that you can be quite witty yourself, and you obviously have intelligence amongst other attributes.”
Lettice notices a look exchanged between her two hosts but can’t read what it means.
“Ahem, Lettice,” Sir John clears his throat awkwardly. “I’m afraid that Gladys and I have a confession to make.”
“A confession?”
“Yes,” Lady Gladys explains. “I’m afraid that we’ve invited you here with an ulterior motive, my dear.”
“Oh?”
“Not that we aren’t delighted to have you here for your charm, beauty and obvious intelligence.” Sir John assures her with hands raised in defence.
“Yes.” Lady Gladys soothes in agreement with her husband. “As I said before, we’ve heard such great things about your interior designs, so you are under no obligation to agree to our request.”
Lettice suddenly looks about the room again, her eyes darting anxiously from surface to cluttered surface as she makes a calculated assumption. Her eyes grow wide and her cheeks pale. “You’re your request, La… Gladys?”
“Gladys my dear, you’ll scare the poor girl! She’ll think we want her to redecorate this old pile of stones from the cellar to the battlements.”
“Oh no!” Lady Gladys assures Lettice. “We don’t want you to redecorate our home! No, I have far too many treasures here to ever think of parting with. Good heavens no!”
“Then what?” Lettice asks cautiously.
“Well, it’s Pheobe.” Lady Gladys explains. “She’s moving to London. Now that she’s of age, she has decided to pursue a career in garden design, and she’s been accepted to a school in Regent’s Park associated to the Royal Academy, so she’ll be in London more often than she has been.”
Lettice looks on, puzzled and unsure as to how she can be of service to her hosts’ ward. “You want me to decorate her rooms in your London townhouse?”
“Oh no my dear!” Sir John defends. “Like here, our London house is very much an Arts and Crafts relic.”
“No. Pheobe’s father, my youngest brother Reginald, was part of the civil service in India before the war.” Lady Gladys continues. “He and Pheobe’s mother, Marjorie, died of cholera out there.”
“Oh, I am sorry.” Lettice says sadly, putting her hand to her chest.
“Thank you my dear. My brother bought a pied-à-terre**** in Bloomsbury for when they were in London.”
“Gladys actually lived in it when she worked as my secretary before she married me.” Sir John adds.
“Yes.” Lady Gladys acknowledges. “Anyway, when Reginald died, he bequeathed his pied-à-terre to his only surviving child, Pheobe. It was to be held in trust for her by us until she came of age. Now she is of age, we’re giving her the flat to live in. It will be more efficient, as when we go to London, we take staff from here, and when we aren’t in London, there is only a caretaker looking after the house. Pheobe can manage the flat without the need for any live-in staff, and she can finally have some independence from us, which I suspect she craves.”
“The flat hasn’t been redecorated since Reginal and Marjorie lived there.” Sir John adds.
“It’s so old fashioned.” Lady Gladys agrees. “It isn’t good for Pheobe to live in a flat surrounded by the ghosts of parents she hardly even knew. You’ll be sitting next to her at dinner tonight, and dear Nettie, who has some considerable sway with Pheobe. We’ve suggested that Pheobe talk to you herself. We’ll obviously foot any bills if she likes your ideas, which we’re quite sure she will. Will you consider it, my dear Lettice? It would be such a great favour to us, and to Pheobe of course.”
“Well, I’ll certainly consider it, Gladys.” Lettice replies.
“Splendid! Splendid!” Lady Gladys claps her hands in delight. “I knew you’d be open to the idea!”
*The original Knole Settee (also known as the Knole Sofa) is a couch chair that was made in the 17th century, probably around 1640. It is housed at Knole in Kent, a house owned by the Sackville-West family since 1605 but now in the care of the National Trust. It was originally used not as a comfortable sofa but as a formal throne-like seat on which an aristocrat or monarch would have sat to receive visitors. It was wide enough that a monarch and consort could be seated side by side. As of 2021, it is kept at Knole House in a transparent case.
**William Morris (24th of March 1834 – 3rd of October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, writer, and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement. He was a major contributor to the revival of traditional British textile arts and methods of production. His literary contributions helped to establish the modern fantasy genre, while he helped win acceptance of socialism in fin de siècle Great Britain. In 1861, Morris founded the Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. decorative arts firm with Burne-Jones, Rossetti, Webb, and others, which became highly fashionable and much in demand. The firm profoundly influenced interior decoration throughout the Victorian period, with Morris designing tapestries, wallpaper, fabrics, furniture, and stained glass windows. In 1875, he assumed total control of the company, which was renamed Morris & Co.
***The Fabian Society is a British socialist organisation whose purpose is to advance the principles of social democracy and democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist effort in democracies, rather than by revolutionary overthrow. The Fabian Society was also historically related to radicalism, a left-wing liberal tradition.
****A pied-à-terre is a small flat, house, or room kept for occasional use.
This very cluttered and overstuffed room may appear like something out of a historical stately country house, but it is in fact part of my 1:12 miniatures collection and includes items from my childhood, as well as those I have collected as an adult.
Fun things to look for in this tableau include:
The Knole Sofa covered in William Morris’ ‘Strawberry Thief’ pattern comes from Mick and Marie’s Miniatures in the United Kingdom. The cushions on it, and on the Savonarola chair opposite also feature the Morris ‘Strawberry Thief’ pattern in 1:12 size, and came from an American seller on E-Bay. The Savonarola chairs are made by high-end miniature furniture manufacturer JBM Miniatures.
The large embroidered footstool in front of the fireplace was made by the high-end miniature furniture maker, Bespaq, but what is particularly special about it is that it has been covered in antique English floral micro petite point by V.H. Miniatures in the United Kingdom, which makes this a one-of-a-kind piece. The artisan who made this says that as one of her hobbies, she enjoys visiting old National Trust Houses in the hope of getting some inspiration to help her create new and exciting miniatures. She saw some beautiful petit point chairs a few years ago in one of the big houses in Derbyshire and then found exquisitely detailed petit point that was fine enough for 1:12 scale projects.
The small round footstool in front of Sir John’s Savonarola chair has been hand embroidered as well, and was acquired from Kathleen Knight’s Dolls House Shop in the united Kingdom.
The silver tea and coffee set on the large embroidered footstool, consisting of milk jug, sugar bowl coffee pot and teapot come from Warwick Miniatures in Ireland, who are well known for the quality and detail applied to their pieces. The silver tray upon which they stand also comes from Warwick Miniatures. The four dainty floral teacups with gilt edging scattered about the room are part of a larger tea set that I acquired from Beautifully Handmade Miniatures in Kettering.
The books on the table to the left of the photograph between the two Savonarola chairs are 1:12 size miniatures made by the British miniature artisan Ken Blythe. They are novels written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Most of the books I own that he has made may be opened to reveal authentic printed interiors. In some cases, you can even read the words, depending upon the size of the print! I have quite a large representation of Ken Blythe’s work in my collection, but so little of his real artistry is seen because the books that he specialised in making are usually closed, sitting on shelves or closed on desks and table surfaces. These books are amongst the rarer exceptions that have been designed not to be opened. Nevertheless, the covers are copies of real Victorian bindings. What might amaze you even more is that all Ken Blythe’s books and magazines are authentically replicated 1:12 scale miniatures of real volumes. To create something so authentic to the original in such detail and so clearly, really does make this a miniature artisan piece. Ken Blythe’s work is highly sought after by miniaturists around the world today and command high prices at auction for such tiny pieces, particularly now that he is no longer alive. I was fortunate enough to acquire pieces from Ken Blythe prior to his death about four years ago, as well as through his estate via his daughter and son-in-law. His legacy will live on with me and in my photography which I hope will please his daughter.
The wonderfully detailed red and white chess set in the foreground of the photograph came from Kathleen Knight’s Doll’s House Shop in the United Kingdom. The set came in its own hand crafted compartmented wooden box with a working sliding lid which can be seen just in front of the Pig-a-Back and Ludo game boxes. The chess game is set up correctly with a match in progress. I wonder who will win? The table on which the chess game is being played comes from Mick and Marie’s Miniatures in the United Kingdom, whilst the two red velvet seated chairs drawn up to it, I acquired from an auction some years ago. The pieces date from the 1970s and are very well made.
The box of Ludo and Pig-a-Back are both 1:12 artisan pieces, produced authentically to scale with great attention to detail by Little Things Dollhouse Miniatures in Lancashire.
Sir John and Lady Gladys’ family photos on the mantlepiece are all real photos, produced to high standards in 1:12 size on photographic paper by Little Things Dollhouse Miniatures in Lancashire. The frames are from various suppliers, but all are metal. Only one, the larger square frame at the back, leaning against the tall blue vase on the left-hand side of the mantle is sterling silver. I t was made in Birmingham in 1908 and is hallmarked on the back of the frame. It has a red leather backing.
The two small vases of primroses on the mantle are delicate 1:12 artisan porcelain miniature ornaments made and painted by hand by ceramicist Ann Dalton.
The two dark blue double handled gilt vases with floral banding at either end of the mantlepiece, I have had since I was a child. I was given them as a birthday gift when I was nine.
The two tall blue glazed jugs featuring irises at either end of the fireplace came from Mick and Marie’s Miniatures in the United Kingdom, as did the brown glazed jug on the tall pedestal in the corner of the room next to the bookcase.
The grey marble French barrel clock on the mantlepiece is a 1:12 artisan miniature made by Hall’s Miniature Clocks, supplied through Doreen Jeffries Small Wonders Miniatures in England.
The Georgian style fireplace with its heavy wooden surround and deep mantle in the background was made by Town Hall Miniatures supplied through Melody Jane’s Dolls’ House Suppliers in the United Kingdom.
The glass fronted bookcase is a replica of a bookcase belonging to Abraham Lincoln and is part of the Lincoln Collection, made and distributed in America.
Lady Gladys’ book collection inside the glass fronted bookcase are 1:12 size miniatures made by the British miniature artisan Ken Blythe. Ken Blythe was famous in miniature collectors’ circles mostly for the miniature books that he made: all being authentically replicated 1:12 scale miniatures of real volumes. I have quite a large representation of Ken Blythe’s work in my collection. Each book is a 1:12 replica of a life sized volume with an authentic cover. To create something so authentic to the original in such detail and so clearly, really does make these miniature artisan pieces. Ken Blythe’s work is highly sought after by miniaturists around the world today and command high prices at auction for such tiny pieces, particularly now that he is no longer alive. I was fortunate enough to acquire pieces from Ken Blythe prior to his death about four years ago and through his estate courtesy of the generosity of his daughter and son-in-law. His legacy will live on with me and in my photography which I hope will please his daughter.
The paintings hanging on the walls are all 1:12 artisan pieces made by Amber’s Miniatures in the United States. The wallpaper is William Morris’ ‘Poppies’ pattern, featuring stylised Art Nouveau poppies. William Morris papers and fabrics were popular in the late Victorian and early Edwardian period before the Great War.
The miniature Arts and Crafts rug on the floor is made by hand by Mackay and Gerrish in Sydney.
The stylish interior of a 1963 Ghia L 6.4 Coupe that was on display at the 2016 Art of the Concours car show held at the Kansas City Art Institute in Kansas City Missouri.
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang (Lao: ຫຼວງພຣະບາງ, literally: "Royal Buddha Image (in the Dispelling Fear mudra)," is the capital city of Luang Prabang Province in north central Laos. The city is located at the confluence of the Nam Khan and Mekong Rivers about 300 km north of Vientiane. The population of the city is about 50,000.
The city was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name. It had also been known by the ancient name of Chiang Thong. Until the communist takeover in 1975, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. The old town centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
via WordPress ift.tt/1TTe20B
Introducing my favourite top 5 restaurants to celebrate Valentine’s Day in 2016!
So far, I have been kept in the dark about where our celebration is going to be this year, and this is because Mr. New Yorker is good at keeping secrets. Below are some of my favourites from our 8 years together. While we are both not Valentine’s Day advocates, we are always up for good food, I think that Valentine’s Day is still another way to celebrate our journey together. Although, we do avoid the date all together by celebrating the week before (tip: great for avoiding crowds of couples sitting much too close together).
What are some of your favourites?
1. Clo Maggiore
If either one of you are wine aficionados, then make sure to bring your reading glasses. That is because Clo Maggiore has one of the longest wine lists I have ever seen. Ordered by region, taste, colour, it is the size of small hard-cover encyclopedia. If not, the in-house sommelier is always happy to help and pair your choice of dishes with the appropriate drink.
Oh, and the interior is breathtakingly beautiful with white dainty flower and greenery adorning the ceiling. If you are the type that like a fireplace to complete the romantic surroundings, they have that thrown in as well! The only catch is to book months in advance, to ensure that you have secured you and your date a seat within the surroundings of this beautiful in-demand dining room.
2. Berners Tavern
This was the venue chosen to host the BAFTA’s after party in 2014. And I can see why.
The grand interior is fabulous to look at and definitely brings back an old-school chic its ornate ceiling. The food doesn’t disappoint either as this is another restaurant under the popular restauranteur Jason Atherton, if you like the style of food from Social Eating House and Little Social, that is. For an glamorous evening of dining experience, this is my place to be.
3. Yauatcha
When I was a little girl, my parents installed fairy lights and glow-in-the-dark stars in my room on the ceiling. I always had a fascination of the starry night sky.
Yauatcha, a stylish Taiwanese tea house/dim sum restaurant, completed my fantasy of dining under the stars with its gorgeous underground dining room in Soho. There is also a candle light wall flickering in the distance.
Along with its stylish interior, Yauatcha completes the package by providing a delicious menu for both savoury and sweet taste buds. I loved the lobster dumplings and gourmet rice congee. Its patisserie selections are just too cute to eat, and its afternoon tea is great value too.
4. Wild Honey
Traditional but relaxed, Wild Honey is an establishment in its own right.
As someone that is creative, I appreciate the beautiful dishes at Wild Honey which have been turned into pieces of art. The colours dance on each plate as the flavours bounced on the tongue.
Sourced from fresh seasonal produce, its dishes are surprisingly reasonably priced with a short but sweet wine list to pair up various tastes.
5. Bob Bob Ricard
I’m saving the best for last of course!
As a huge fan of art deco 1920’s styling, Bob Bob Ricard is the place I love to return again and again to experience the glamours settings of Russian hedonism. This is the ultimate choice to take that special someone you wanted to impress. Make sure to press the button (on each table) for champagne to toast the night away. Oh, and order this signature chocolate glory
The Palácio Ludovice Wine Experience Hotel glows warmly in this Lisbon night scene, its grand entrance lit against the richly colored yellow facade of the Baixa district. Once the residence of João Frederico Ludovice, the royal architect to King João V, the palace has been transformed into a boutique hotel celebrating Portugal’s wine culture. Elegant wrought-iron balconies and the sculpted archway frame the illuminated doorway, offering glimpses of the stylish interior beyond. The cobblestone street and tram tracks in the foreground anchor the scene in Lisbon’s historic rhythm, blending centuries of architectural heritage with modern luxury and a timeless urban charm.
Bekijk deze video op YouTube:
Why is the all-new Alfa Romeo considered Premium?
Premium means something “of superior value, out
of the ordinary”...like an Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce.
Alfa Giulia is The Big Test Winner MOTORtrend!
GIULIA VS. 330I VS. A4 VS. C300 VS. ATS VS. XE VS. IS VS. S60
Who Makes the Best Compact Luxury Sports Sedan?
MOTORtrend looked at the whole picture, including price, depreciation, reliability, dealer experience, safety, infotainment features, and cargo- and passenger-carrying capacity. But given the nature of this category, subjective criteria also come into play, so things such as styling, brand image, overall appeal, and driving enjoyment are major factors in this test.
Every year, a half-million Americans are willing to pay a substantial premium for the experience of owning, driving, and of course being seen in one of these premium cars.
Our entry criteria were simple: a modest-down-payment, $399/month lease for 36 months, four doors, and a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The contenders: the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Audi A4 2.0TQuattro, BMW 330i, Cadillac ATS 2.0T, Jaguar XE 25t, Lexus IS 200t F Sport, Mercedes-Benz C300, and Volvo S60 T6 R-Design.
Ride & Handling
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Hit: Driving experience
The single most important attribute of a luxury sport sedan is the driving experience. It must handle like a four-door sports car, but it must also ride acceptably well for a luxury car. Nailing that balance is no easy task, and many came up short.
The biggest disappointment came from the BMW, which created the benchmark for this segment three decades ago. We’ve long criticized the latest 3 Series for being too soft, and this latest update hasn’t addressed that. The ride is comfortable, yes, but at the expense of handling, which no longer feels as sharp or focused. Rather than the class leader, it’s class generic.
On the other end of the spectrum is the Alfa. It was the nearly unanimous driver’s favorite, simultaneously a marvelous car to drive fast and still a comfortable commuter. The steering is quick, responsive, and talkative. The chassis responds perfectly to every input while muting every bump. More than any car here, it put the sport in sport sedan without suffering a jarring ride as a trade-off. A close second to the Alfa is the Cadillac, which got the vote from the lone dissenter. But its equally phenomenal chassis and steering were offset by a less luxurious ride quality.
Similar ride and handling trade-offs were the rule among the Lexus, Jaguar, Mercedes, and Audi. The Lexus handles nicely and rides well, but its portly curb weight made it feel heavy and dulled its responses. The Jaguar and Mercedes handled very well, but rubber-band tires and stiff shocks hurt their ride quality. The Audi both handled and rode very well, but the experience was very isolated and disconnected from the road. Many an editor likened it to a driving simulator.
The Volvo, which once overachieved in this category, felt a generation behind. The heaviest car here, its weight was a constant presence in corners despite the all-wheel drive’s best efforts to yank it out of the corner and down the straight. The steering was full of vibration from the all-wheel drive, and the ride wasn’t spectacular. In a hot segment, it’s just out-classed.
Audi A4 2.0T Quattro
Miss: Lack of passion
Performance
BMW 330i
Miss: Enjoyment—doesn’t do what the design suggests
Given the range of vehicles you could lease at this price, your decision to go with a sport sedan suggests you value performance. As such, this attribute likely weighs heavily on your purchase priorities. It’s the bedrock attribute of this segment.
The BMW 3 Series defined this segment and ruled it for decades, but in this test, it comes up average. It’s slightly above midpack in acceleration but among the worst in braking and just average in our instrumented handling tests. Still, judges praised its linear acceleration, minimal turbo lag, and excellent transmission programing.
If you want absolute performance at this price point and fuel economy, look no further than the Audi. A sleeper, the conservatively styled A4 is the quickest both in a straight line and around our figure-eight test. Its dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive give it a performance and traction edge off the line. But beyond 60 mph the Alfa’s best weight-to-power ratio and shortest gearing deliver the best performance, reaching 100 mph 1 second quicker and finishing the quarter-mile 3.3 mph faster than the Audi. Likewise, the Mercedes, with its Sport package, equals the Audi’s best-in-class figure-eight performance while stopping shorter. The Alfa’s figure-eight performance was severely handicapped by its overly aggressive stability control, which couldn’t be defeated.
The Cadillac comes up surprisingly short given its second-most powerful engine and second-lightest curb weight. We attribute this to its tallish first gear and somewhat lazy transmission. The Jaguar’s second-shortest gearing compensates for its second-worst weight-to-power ratio to produce solidly midpack performance.
The Lexus earned its slowest straight-line performance fair and square with the second-highest curb weight (despite being only rear-wheel drive) and the second-least powerful engine. It just felt overburdened. What the Lexus lacked in power, though, it made up for in handling.
Then there’s the odd case of the Volvo. A turbocharged and supercharged T6 variant rather than the directly comparable turbocharged T5 we requested, it was the most powerful in the test and blessed with all-wheel drive and the R-Design sport package, not to mention a Polestar engine software upgrade. It was also, however, the heaviest. As such, it was third-quickest to 60 mph and stopped second-shortest, but it was slowest on the figure eight by a good margin.
Efficiency
Jaguar XE 25t
Miss: Interior quality, design, and ergonomics
Gas is pretty dang cheap right now, but it won’t always be. Even when it’s cheap, it’s still an expense. There’s also an expectation of good fuel economy that comes with a downsized engine. After all, you want some payback when you give up horsepower and torque.
According to the EPA’s standardized lab test, these vehicles all return very similar fuel economy. Going by window stickers alone, we see most get around 23/32/26 mpg city/highway/combined. The Jaguar fares the worst, posting 21/30/24 mpg rating. The Mercedes just beats out the Alfa and the Audi by returning a best-in-test 24/34/28 mpg city/highway/combined. As you can see, it’s not a broad spread.
Here, our Real MPG partnership with Emissions Analytics is invaluable. In real-world testing, the Mercedes fell 2 mpg short across the board, abdicating its top spot. The Jaguar redeemed itself in city and combined ratings, and the Lexus dropped to a worst-observed 20.4/31.1/24.2 mpg city/highway/combined. Meanwhile, the Alfa soared with an observed 28.2/37.9/31.8 mpg city/highway/combined, well above its EPA estimates in all categories. We must caution, however, that our Alfa Romeo and Lexus were preproduction units, and both could show different results once their final software calibrations are made.
Cockpit/Cabin
Much of what makes a luxury sedan is its interior. After all, it’s the place where you spend time and the part of the car you spend the most time looking at, touching, listening to, and interacting with.
Regardless of the metrics used to score such subjective criteria, the Mercedes comes out on top. The elegant design and top-quality tactile materials made it a unanimous favorite among the judges. It also scored high marks in quietness, comfort, and rear-seat space. It was let down slightly by a cut-rate Garmin navigation system integrated into the otherwise all-Mercedes infotainment system.
The Audi also was well-received by the judges. The technical superiority was obvious; its virtual cockpit digital dash looked like something out of the future and offered features and functionality no competitor could match. We were also impressed with its impeccable build quality and excellent materials. It took demerits for a slightly tight rear seat, somewhat sterile design (apart from the dash), and slightly louder interior than we’d prefer.
Lexus came in a strong third, with high marks for build quality, materials, and interior quietness. Its design was controversial, and the rear seat was a bit cramped, but the seats were lauded for their comfort and support. The infotainment system and its finicky joystick interface earned unanimous scorn, even from the most generous judge. Even dismissing the controller, the system itself looks old and outdated, and it isn’t especially intuitive.
Other cars let down by their infotainment systems were the Cadillac and Jaguar. Although Cadillac’s CUE system is the best iteration to date, many of the judges still found the touch-sensitive controls difficult to use while driving and not always responsive. The Jaguar, also sporting its best infotainment system in years, drew complaints for being unintuitive and for crashing on several editors. Both cars were also hammered for their nearly unusable rear seats and rather dull interior designs.
The Volvo and BMW, meanwhile, were complimented for their comfort and decently sized rear seats but criticized for their dated interior designs and average materials quality. The BMW clawed some points back with its ergonomics, and the Volvo did, as well, because of its excellent seats. The BMW took hits for its incomprehensible Apple CarPlay integration, and the Volvo was dinged for its loud interior, especially for admitting rough engine noise into the cabin.
Lexus IS 200t F Sport
Miss: Front-end styling, acceleration
Then there’s the Alfa. Praised for its interesting and stylish interior design, it took knocks for its wonky ergonomics. We liked its decently large rear seat and comfortable front seats, but we took issue with the fit and finish and some cheaper materials.
Safety
Volvo S60 T6
Miss: Age. It just feels old.
As it was with fuel efficiency, our competitors are evenly matched in both government and insurance industry crash tests. No competitor scored lower than four stars out of five in the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s testing or Good in an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash test. (IIHS scores range from Poor to Good in crashworthiness testing and from Basic to Superior in crash-prevention systems.) Still, there are details to be examined here.
We should note before going forward that neither the Alfa Romeo nor Jaguar have yet been tested by either U.S. agency. The cars have been crash tested by their manufacturers and the results accepted by the NHTSA, so they can be sold in the U.S. Both cars also received five out of five stars in Europe’s Euro NCAP crash testing. We should also note that some data used here comes from the 2015 and 2016 model years, but the vehicles in question have not changed substantially between then and the current model year.
As you might expect, the Volvo came out on top of a very competitive field. The company, which stakes its reputation squarely on safety, had perfect scores in every crash test and top marks in the IIHS’ tests for seats and crash avoidance systems, as well as high marks in IIHS tests for headlights and LATCH child seat anchors. It is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+, along with the Audi and BMW.
Among the rest of the pack, only the Volvo and Cadillac achieved a five-star front crash rating from NHTSA. The rest received four stars. All but the Mercedes-Benz received a five-star rollover rating from the NHTSA—the C300 scored four stars. Every competitor received five stars overall from NHTSA.
The IIHS hasn’t completed all tests on every competitor. In crash-prevention testing, the BMW and Lexus were the only two tested cars to receive an Advanced rating on their crash-avoidance systems. The rest received Superior grades. The Cadillac and Mercedes received Poor ratings for their headlights, and the rest tested received an Acceptable rating.
Value
Mercedes-Benz C300
Miss: Stiff ride with sport package
Because you’ll be paying the same lease price on all these competitors, value requires a different measurement. After all, no one wants to pay the same for a lesser car. How you define value is up to you, but for the purpose of this comparison, we’ve framed it as the content and performance you get for your $399 monthly payment. (And because many people buy out their leases, sticker price and retained value matter even in a leasing context.)
On this metric, the Audi shines brightest. Although its purchase price is on the higher end of the group, the return on investment is high. The Audi boasts the highest performance in our instrumented testing while also offering far more features than the rest. With price equalized, there’s no questioning the Audi’s dominance in the amount of car you get for the money. The Alfa scores high on performance and boasts the cheapest purchase price as-tested but has fewer features.
In the middle of the pack, the Jaguar offers quite a few features but is let down by low performance scores and a high as-tested price. The Lexus lands in a similar boat, but boasts a better as-tested price. The BMW, Cadillac, and Mercedes all offered a similar balance of performance and content. Cadillac, Mercedes, Lexus, and Volvo all sent cars equipped with sport handling packages, potentially in lieu of other content for the same money. BMW and Cadillac also tend to charge extra for features others include standard.
The Volvo stands out as a difficult case. Because a T6 R-Design was supplied, it carries the highest starting price and second-highest as-tested price, but it also snuck in a supercharged and turbocharged engine with by far the highest horsepower and torque output. As such, it performed well in testing and had high feature content. But at a $399 lease price, you’d actually get a T5 Inscription Platinum and give up the performance advantage.
Cost of Ownership
Time is a luxury and therefore so is reliability; no one wants to spend extra time at the dealer.
Unfortunately, the information on the all-new Alfa Romeo Giulia is incomplete. Having returned to the U.S. market only recently, there simply is no empirical data regarding reliability, maintenance, repairs, and depreciation on an Alfa Romeo—although past models have taken slings and arrows in European quality ratings. We’ve calculated values for those categories based on information from multiple sources, and we took an average of costs for the rest of the competitors.
Per our partners at Intellichoice, the Cadillac is the car whose lease you might consider buying out. Although not the cheapest in any category, low costs across the board keep the Cadillac’s five-year cost of ownership to $45,592. Conversely, the Lexus suffers high insurance, fuel, and maintenance costs, giving it the highest five-year cost at $52,254.
There’s also the matter of complimentary scheduled maintenance. Sometimes it’s baked into the lease price, sometimes the manufacturer eats the cost as an incentive that changes from year to year based on the marketing department’s whim. At present, Jaguar offers five years/60,000 miles of free maintenance; BMW, Cadillac, and Volvo offer three/36,000 miles, and Lexus gives the first two services in the first year for free. Alfa Romeo, Audi, and Mercedes still charge for routine maintenance.
We would also point out that the difference between the most and least expensive car to own over five years is less than $7,000, illustrating again just how evenly matched the competitors are.
Conclusion
We considered every facet of these nine cars. We debated long and hard over how to weigh each category, given the values of buyers in this class. We wrestled with reputations and missing data, balanced the marketing and hype, and noted the differing expectations and priorities between leasing and buying.
However, in a class where passion, prestige, and performance often take precedence over cold hard facts and logic, we follow our hearts as much or more than our heads.
As a result, the back of the pack is populated exclusively by older models who have seen the segment pass them by.
The Volvo, which finished in second place the last time around, is showing its age. Far and away the oldest car in the test, it was outclassed at nearly every turn. Thoughtful updates have kept it on life support, but a new engine is no substitute for the comprehensive updates needed to make the S60 truly competitive, and the all-new car can’t come soon enough.
The BMW 3 Series easily won our last Big Test in this class, but even with a recent refresh we found it lacking. It led no categories and inspired little love from the judges, except for its zingy engine. The pressure is on Bavaria to up the next edition’s game if it wants to improve on its seventh-place finish here.
Cadillac ATS 2.0T
Miss: Rear seat
The Cadillac and Jaguar fought fiercely for position in the middle of the pack, with the American just edging out the Brit. Both cars drove wonderfully, but both were kneecapped by penned-in rear seats. The deciding factor ended up being the Jag’s glitchy infotainment system.
An excellent all-around performer, the Mercedes-Benz C300 is by far the most luxurious car here while still offering serious performance credentials. If its options packages were more value-oriented and the Sport edition carried a more luxurious ride, it might’ve managed the silver instead of bronze. It’s a similar story for the fourth-place Lexus, which punched above its weight class on many fronts but couldn’t overcome a weak engine and infuriating infotainment system.
Finishing in an honorable second place is the Audi A4. On paper the Audi wins in terms of features and space, while matching the Alfa’s objective performance, but a sterile personality and a sense of isolation from the driving experience kept it out of first place. If you aren’t willing to try the Alfa until all the data is in, the Audi is an excellent second option.
But because lease deals are a temporary fling, a shopper has the luxury of making make a decision with as much emotion as pragmatism. By that measure, the Alfa Romeo Giulia stacks up well in every category. Its incredible performance and driving experience make it the easy choice for us. We’re willing to look past the reliability question marks to experience the passion this Italian delight delivers. Without question, if it were our money, this would be the car we’d pick.
8TH PLACE: S60 T6
Stylish and safe, the Volvo can’t escape its long-past sell-by date. It’s an old car in a hyper-competitive class, and it just can’t keep up anymore.
7TH PLACE: BMW 330I
How the mighty have fallen. The reigning winner and standard-bearer of the class suffers from old age, dulled dynamics, and a lack of personality.
6TH PLACE: JAGUAR XE 25T
A new standard in the sporty-handling versus refined-ride equation, the Jaguar was undone by its tiny back seat, boring interior styling, and buggy infotainment system.
5TH PLACE: CADILLAC ATS 2.0T
The best sport sedan chassis in the class is let down by a useless back seat and barely acceptable infotainment system.
4TH PLACE: LEXUS IS 200T F SPORT
A good all-around performer, the weighty Lexus is underserved by its overstressed engine, unintuitive infotainment system, and polarizing styling.
3RD PLACE: MERCEDES-BENZ C300
The most luxurious of the field, the Mercedes needs to improve its ride quality and improve the value proposition of its pricing.
2ND PLACE: AUDI A4 2.0T QUATTRO
Smart, practical, sophisticated, and something of a Q-ship, the Audi quietly crawled its way up the podium but lacked the personality to take the top spot.
1ST PLACE: ALFA ROMEO GIULIA
Efficient, economical, quick, safe, and without question the most fun to drive, the Giulia is a car we’re willing to gamble on despite its reliability legacy and lack of cost-of -ownership data.
Der Design District hat zahlreiche Fotospots für 'elegante' und moderne Architektur, Geschäfte mit gehobener Innenausstattung und Kunstgalerien. Luxuriöse Mode- und Schmuckboutiquen sowie Cafés und Restaurants ziehen das Publikum für streetlife-Aufnahmen.
The Design District has numerous photo spots for 'elegant and modern' architecture, stores with stylish interiors and art galleries. Luxurious fashion and jewelry boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants attract for the 'streetlife' scenes.
Premium means something “of superior value, out
of the ordinary”...like an Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce.
Alfa Giulia is The Big Test Winner MOTORtrend!
GIULIA VS. 330I VS. A4 VS. C300 VS. ATS VS. XE VS. IS VS. S60
Who Makes the Best Compact Luxury Sports Sedan?
MOTORtrend looked at the whole picture, including price, depreciation, reliability, dealer experience, safety, infotainment features, and cargo- and passenger-carrying capacity. But given the nature of this category, subjective criteria also come into play, so things such as styling, brand image, overall appeal, and driving enjoyment are major factors in this test.
Every year, a half-million Americans are willing to pay a substantial premium for the experience of owning, driving, and of course being seen in one of these premium cars.
Our entry criteria were simple: a modest-down-payment, $399/month lease for 36 months, four doors, and a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The contenders: the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Audi A4 2.0TQuattro, BMW 330i, Cadillac ATS 2.0T, Jaguar XE 25t, Lexus IS 200t F Sport, Mercedes-Benz C300, and Volvo S60 T6 R-Design.
Ride & Handling
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Hit: Driving experience
The single most important attribute of a luxury sport sedan is the driving experience. It must handle like a four-door sports car, but it must also ride acceptably well for a luxury car. Nailing that balance is no easy task, and many came up short.
The biggest disappointment came from the BMW, which created the benchmark for this segment three decades ago. We’ve long criticized the latest 3 Series for being too soft, and this latest update hasn’t addressed that. The ride is comfortable, yes, but at the expense of handling, which no longer feels as sharp or focused. Rather than the class leader, it’s class generic.
On the other end of the spectrum is the Alfa. It was the nearly unanimous driver’s favorite, simultaneously a marvelous car to drive fast and still a comfortable commuter. The steering is quick, responsive, and talkative. The chassis responds perfectly to every input while muting every bump. More than any car here, it put the sport in sport sedan without suffering a jarring ride as a trade-off. A close second to the Alfa is the Cadillac, which got the vote from the lone dissenter. But its equally phenomenal chassis and steering were offset by a less luxurious ride quality.
Similar ride and handling trade-offs were the rule among the Lexus, Jaguar, Mercedes, and Audi. The Lexus handles nicely and rides well, but its portly curb weight made it feel heavy and dulled its responses. The Jaguar and Mercedes handled very well, but rubber-band tires and stiff shocks hurt their ride quality. The Audi both handled and rode very well, but the experience was very isolated and disconnected from the road. Many an editor likened it to a driving simulator.
The Volvo, which once overachieved in this category, felt a generation behind. The heaviest car here, its weight was a constant presence in corners despite the all-wheel drive’s best efforts to yank it out of the corner and down the straight. The steering was full of vibration from the all-wheel drive, and the ride wasn’t spectacular. In a hot segment, it’s just out-classed.
Audi A4 2.0T Quattro
Miss: Lack of passion
Performance
BMW 330i
Miss: Enjoyment—doesn’t do what the design suggests
Given the range of vehicles you could lease at this price, your decision to go with a sport sedan suggests you value performance. As such, this attribute likely weighs heavily on your purchase priorities. It’s the bedrock attribute of this segment.
The BMW 3 Series defined this segment and ruled it for decades, but in this test, it comes up average. It’s slightly above midpack in acceleration but among the worst in braking and just average in our instrumented handling tests. Still, judges praised its linear acceleration, minimal turbo lag, and excellent transmission programing.
If you want absolute performance at this price point and fuel economy, look no further than the Audi. A sleeper, the conservatively styled A4 is the quickest both in a straight line and around our figure-eight test. Its dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive give it a performance and traction edge off the line. But beyond 60 mph the Alfa’s best weight-to-power ratio and shortest gearing deliver the best performance, reaching 100 mph 1 second quicker and finishing the quarter-mile 3.3 mph faster than the Audi. Likewise, the Mercedes, with its Sport package, equals the Audi’s best-in-class figure-eight performance while stopping shorter. The Alfa’s figure-eight performance was severely handicapped by its overly aggressive stability control, which couldn’t be defeated.
The Cadillac comes up surprisingly short given its second-most powerful engine and second-lightest curb weight. We attribute this to its tallish first gear and somewhat lazy transmission. The Jaguar’s second-shortest gearing compensates for its second-worst weight-to-power ratio to produce solidly midpack performance.
The Lexus earned its slowest straight-line performance fair and square with the second-highest curb weight (despite being only rear-wheel drive) and the second-least powerful engine. It just felt overburdened. What the Lexus lacked in power, though, it made up for in handling.
Then there’s the odd case of the Volvo. A turbocharged and supercharged T6 variant rather than the directly comparable turbocharged T5 we requested, it was the most powerful in the test and blessed with all-wheel drive and the R-Design sport package, not to mention a Polestar engine software upgrade. It was also, however, the heaviest. As such, it was third-quickest to 60 mph and stopped second-shortest, but it was slowest on the figure eight by a good margin.
Efficiency
Jaguar XE 25t
Miss: Interior quality, design, and ergonomics
Gas is pretty dang cheap right now, but it won’t always be. Even when it’s cheap, it’s still an expense. There’s also an expectation of good fuel economy that comes with a downsized engine. After all, you want some payback when you give up horsepower and torque.
According to the EPA’s standardized lab test, these vehicles all return very similar fuel economy. Going by window stickers alone, we see most get around 23/32/26 mpg city/highway/combined. The Jaguar fares the worst, posting 21/30/24 mpg rating. The Mercedes just beats out the Alfa and the Audi by returning a best-in-test 24/34/28 mpg city/highway/combined. As you can see, it’s not a broad spread.
Here, our Real MPG partnership with Emissions Analytics is invaluable. In real-world testing, the Mercedes fell 2 mpg short across the board, abdicating its top spot. The Jaguar redeemed itself in city and combined ratings, and the Lexus dropped to a worst-observed 20.4/31.1/24.2 mpg city/highway/combined. Meanwhile, the Alfa soared with an observed 28.2/37.9/31.8 mpg city/highway/combined, well above its EPA estimates in all categories. We must caution, however, that our Alfa Romeo and Lexus were preproduction units, and both could show different results once their final software calibrations are made.
Cockpit/Cabin
Much of what makes a luxury sedan is its interior. After all, it’s the place where you spend time and the part of the car you spend the most time looking at, touching, listening to, and interacting with.
Regardless of the metrics used to score such subjective criteria, the Mercedes comes out on top. The elegant design and top-quality tactile materials made it a unanimous favorite among the judges. It also scored high marks in quietness, comfort, and rear-seat space. It was let down slightly by a cut-rate Garmin navigation system integrated into the otherwise all-Mercedes infotainment system.
The Audi also was well-received by the judges. The technical superiority was obvious; its virtual cockpit digital dash looked like something out of the future and offered features and functionality no competitor could match. We were also impressed with its impeccable build quality and excellent materials. It took demerits for a slightly tight rear seat, somewhat sterile design (apart from the dash), and slightly louder interior than we’d prefer.
Lexus came in a strong third, with high marks for build quality, materials, and interior quietness. Its design was controversial, and the rear seat was a bit cramped, but the seats were lauded for their comfort and support. The infotainment system and its finicky joystick interface earned unanimous scorn, even from the most generous judge. Even dismissing the controller, the system itself looks old and outdated, and it isn’t especially intuitive.
Other cars let down by their infotainment systems were the Cadillac and Jaguar. Although Cadillac’s CUE system is the best iteration to date, many of the judges still found the touch-sensitive controls difficult to use while driving and not always responsive. The Jaguar, also sporting its best infotainment system in years, drew complaints for being unintuitive and for crashing on several editors. Both cars were also hammered for their nearly unusable rear seats and rather dull interior designs.
The Volvo and BMW, meanwhile, were complimented for their comfort and decently sized rear seats but criticized for their dated interior designs and average materials quality. The BMW clawed some points back with its ergonomics, and the Volvo did, as well, because of its excellent seats. The BMW took hits for its incomprehensible Apple CarPlay integration, and the Volvo was dinged for its loud interior, especially for admitting rough engine noise into the cabin.
Lexus IS 200t F Sport
Miss: Front-end styling, acceleration
Then there’s the Alfa. Praised for its interesting and stylish interior design, it took knocks for its wonky ergonomics. We liked its decently large rear seat and comfortable front seats, but we took issue with the fit and finish and some cheaper materials.
Safety
Volvo S60 T6
Miss: Age. It just feels old.
As it was with fuel efficiency, our competitors are evenly matched in both government and insurance industry crash tests. No competitor scored lower than four stars out of five in the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s testing or Good in an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash test. (IIHS scores range from Poor to Good in crashworthiness testing and from Basic to Superior in crash-prevention systems.) Still, there are details to be examined here.
We should note before going forward that neither the Alfa Romeo nor Jaguar have yet been tested by either U.S. agency. The cars have been crash tested by their manufacturers and the results accepted by the NHTSA, so they can be sold in the U.S. Both cars also received five out of five stars in Europe’s Euro NCAP crash testing. We should also note that some data used here comes from the 2015 and 2016 model years, but the vehicles in question have not changed substantially between then and the current model year.
As you might expect, the Volvo came out on top of a very competitive field. The company, which stakes its reputation squarely on safety, had perfect scores in every crash test and top marks in the IIHS’ tests for seats and crash avoidance systems, as well as high marks in IIHS tests for headlights and LATCH child seat anchors. It is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+, along with the Audi and BMW.
Among the rest of the pack, only the Volvo and Cadillac achieved a five-star front crash rating from NHTSA. The rest received four stars. All but the Mercedes-Benz received a five-star rollover rating from the NHTSA—the C300 scored four stars. Every competitor received five stars overall from NHTSA.
The IIHS hasn’t completed all tests on every competitor. In crash-prevention testing, the BMW and Lexus were the only two tested cars to receive an Advanced rating on their crash-avoidance systems. The rest received Superior grades. The Cadillac and Mercedes received Poor ratings for their headlights, and the rest tested received an Acceptable rating.
Value
Mercedes-Benz C300
Miss: Stiff ride with sport package
Because you’ll be paying the same lease price on all these competitors, value requires a different measurement. After all, no one wants to pay the same for a lesser car. How you define value is up to you, but for the purpose of this comparison, we’ve framed it as the content and performance you get for your $399 monthly payment. (And because many people buy out their leases, sticker price and retained value matter even in a leasing context.)
On this metric, the Audi shines brightest. Although its purchase price is on the higher end of the group, the return on investment is high. The Audi boasts the highest performance in our instrumented testing while also offering far more features than the rest. With price equalized, there’s no questioning the Audi’s dominance in the amount of car you get for the money. The Alfa scores high on performance and boasts the cheapest purchase price as-tested but has fewer features.
In the middle of the pack, the Jaguar offers quite a few features but is let down by low performance scores and a high as-tested price. The Lexus lands in a similar boat, but boasts a better as-tested price. The BMW, Cadillac, and Mercedes all offered a similar balance of performance and content. Cadillac, Mercedes, Lexus, and Volvo all sent cars equipped with sport handling packages, potentially in lieu of other content for the same money. BMW and Cadillac also tend to charge extra for features others include standard.
The Volvo stands out as a difficult case. Because a T6 R-Design was supplied, it carries the highest starting price and second-highest as-tested price, but it also snuck in a supercharged and turbocharged engine with by far the highest horsepower and torque output. As such, it performed well in testing and had high feature content. But at a $399 lease price, you’d actually get a T5 Inscription Platinum and give up the performance advantage.
Cost of Ownership
Time is a luxury and therefore so is reliability; no one wants to spend extra time at the dealer.
Unfortunately, the information on the all-new Alfa Romeo Giulia is incomplete. Having returned to the U.S. market only recently, there simply is no empirical data regarding reliability, maintenance, repairs, and depreciation on an Alfa Romeo—although past models have taken slings and arrows in European quality ratings. We’ve calculated values for those categories based on information from multiple sources, and we took an average of costs for the rest of the competitors.
Per our partners at Intellichoice, the Cadillac is the car whose lease you might consider buying out. Although not the cheapest in any category, low costs across the board keep the Cadillac’s five-year cost of ownership to $45,592. Conversely, the Lexus suffers high insurance, fuel, and maintenance costs, giving it the highest five-year cost at $52,254.
There’s also the matter of complimentary scheduled maintenance. Sometimes it’s baked into the lease price, sometimes the manufacturer eats the cost as an incentive that changes from year to year based on the marketing department’s whim. At present, Jaguar offers five years/60,000 miles of free maintenance; BMW, Cadillac, and Volvo offer three/36,000 miles, and Lexus gives the first two services in the first year for free. Alfa Romeo, Audi, and Mercedes still charge for routine maintenance.
We would also point out that the difference between the most and least expensive car to own over five years is less than $7,000, illustrating again just how evenly matched the competitors are.
Conclusion
We considered every facet of these nine cars. We debated long and hard over how to weigh each category, given the values of buyers in this class. We wrestled with reputations and missing data, balanced the marketing and hype, and noted the differing expectations and priorities between leasing and buying.
However, in a class where passion, prestige, and performance often take precedence over cold hard facts and logic, we follow our hearts as much or more than our heads.
As a result, the back of the pack is populated exclusively by older models who have seen the segment pass them by.
The Volvo, which finished in second place the last time around, is showing its age. Far and away the oldest car in the test, it was outclassed at nearly every turn. Thoughtful updates have kept it on life support, but a new engine is no substitute for the comprehensive updates needed to make the S60 truly competitive, and the all-new car can’t come soon enough.
The BMW 3 Series easily won our last Big Test in this class, but even with a recent refresh we found it lacking. It led no categories and inspired little love from the judges, except for its zingy engine. The pressure is on Bavaria to up the next edition’s game if it wants to improve on its seventh-place finish here.
Cadillac ATS 2.0T
Miss: Rear seat
The Cadillac and Jaguar fought fiercely for position in the middle of the pack, with the American just edging out the Brit. Both cars drove wonderfully, but both were kneecapped by penned-in rear seats. The deciding factor ended up being the Jag’s glitchy infotainment system.
An excellent all-around performer, the Mercedes-Benz C300 is by far the most luxurious car here while still offering serious performance credentials. If its options packages were more value-oriented and the Sport edition carried a more luxurious ride, it might’ve managed the silver instead of bronze. It’s a similar story for the fourth-place Lexus, which punched above its weight class on many fronts but couldn’t overcome a weak engine and infuriating infotainment system.
Finishing in an honorable second place is the Audi A4. On paper the Audi wins in terms of features and space, while matching the Alfa’s objective performance, but a sterile personality and a sense of isolation from the driving experience kept it out of first place. If you aren’t willing to try the Alfa until all the data is in, the Audi is an excellent second option.
But because lease deals are a temporary fling, a shopper has the luxury of making make a decision with as much emotion as pragmatism. By that measure, the Alfa Romeo Giulia stacks up well in every category. Its incredible performance and driving experience make it the easy choice for us. We’re willing to look past the reliability question marks to experience the passion this Italian delight delivers. Without question, if it were our money, this would be the car we’d pick.
8TH PLACE: S60 T6
Stylish and safe, the Volvo can’t escape its long-past sell-by date. It’s an old car in a hyper-competitive class, and it just can’t keep up anymore.
7TH PLACE: BMW 330I
How the mighty have fallen. The reigning winner and standard-bearer of the class suffers from old age, dulled dynamics, and a lack of personality.
6TH PLACE: JAGUAR XE 25T
A new standard in the sporty-handling versus refined-ride equation, the Jaguar was undone by its tiny back seat, boring interior styling, and buggy infotainment system.
5TH PLACE: CADILLAC ATS 2.0T
The best sport sedan chassis in the class is let down by a useless back seat and barely acceptable infotainment system.
4TH PLACE: LEXUS IS 200T F SPORT
A good all-around performer, the weighty Lexus is underserved by its overstressed engine, unintuitive infotainment system, and polarizing styling.
3RD PLACE: MERCEDES-BENZ C300
The most luxurious of the field, the Mercedes needs to improve its ride quality and improve the value proposition of its pricing.
2ND PLACE: AUDI A4 2.0T QUATTRO
Smart, practical, sophisticated, and something of a Q-ship, the Audi quietly crawled its way up the podium but lacked the personality to take the top spot.
1ST PLACE: ALFA ROMEO GIULIA
Efficient, economical, quick, safe, and without question the most fun to drive, the Giulia is a car we’re willing to gamble on despite its reliability legacy and lack of cost-of -ownership data.
Bekijk deze video op YouTube:
Why is the all-new Alfa Romeo considered Premium?
Premium means something “of superior value, out
of the ordinary”...like an Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce.
Alfa Giulia is The Big Test Winner MOTORtrend!
GIULIA VS. 330I VS. A4 VS. C300 VS. ATS VS. XE VS. IS VS. S60
Who Makes the Best Compact Luxury Sports Sedan?
MOTORtrend looked at the whole picture, including price, depreciation, reliability, dealer experience, safety, infotainment features, and cargo- and passenger-carrying capacity. But given the nature of this category, subjective criteria also come into play, so things such as styling, brand image, overall appeal, and driving enjoyment are major factors in this test.
Every year, a half-million Americans are willing to pay a substantial premium for the experience of owning, driving, and of course being seen in one of these premium cars.
Our entry criteria were simple: a modest-down-payment, $399/month lease for 36 months, four doors, and a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The contenders: the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Audi A4 2.0TQuattro, BMW 330i, Cadillac ATS 2.0T, Jaguar XE 25t, Lexus IS 200t F Sport, Mercedes-Benz C300, and Volvo S60 T6 R-Design.
Ride & Handling
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Hit: Driving experience
The single most important attribute of a luxury sport sedan is the driving experience. It must handle like a four-door sports car, but it must also ride acceptably well for a luxury car. Nailing that balance is no easy task, and many came up short.
The biggest disappointment came from the BMW, which created the benchmark for this segment three decades ago. We’ve long criticized the latest 3 Series for being too soft, and this latest update hasn’t addressed that. The ride is comfortable, yes, but at the expense of handling, which no longer feels as sharp or focused. Rather than the class leader, it’s class generic.
On the other end of the spectrum is the Alfa. It was the nearly unanimous driver’s favorite, simultaneously a marvelous car to drive fast and still a comfortable commuter. The steering is quick, responsive, and talkative. The chassis responds perfectly to every input while muting every bump. More than any car here, it put the sport in sport sedan without suffering a jarring ride as a trade-off. A close second to the Alfa is the Cadillac, which got the vote from the lone dissenter. But its equally phenomenal chassis and steering were offset by a less luxurious ride quality.
Similar ride and handling trade-offs were the rule among the Lexus, Jaguar, Mercedes, and Audi. The Lexus handles nicely and rides well, but its portly curb weight made it feel heavy and dulled its responses. The Jaguar and Mercedes handled very well, but rubber-band tires and stiff shocks hurt their ride quality. The Audi both handled and rode very well, but the experience was very isolated and disconnected from the road. Many an editor likened it to a driving simulator.
The Volvo, which once overachieved in this category, felt a generation behind. The heaviest car here, its weight was a constant presence in corners despite the all-wheel drive’s best efforts to yank it out of the corner and down the straight. The steering was full of vibration from the all-wheel drive, and the ride wasn’t spectacular. In a hot segment, it’s just out-classed.
Audi A4 2.0T Quattro
Miss: Lack of passion
Performance
BMW 330i
Miss: Enjoyment—doesn’t do what the design suggests
Given the range of vehicles you could lease at this price, your decision to go with a sport sedan suggests you value performance. As such, this attribute likely weighs heavily on your purchase priorities. It’s the bedrock attribute of this segment.
The BMW 3 Series defined this segment and ruled it for decades, but in this test, it comes up average. It’s slightly above midpack in acceleration but among the worst in braking and just average in our instrumented handling tests. Still, judges praised its linear acceleration, minimal turbo lag, and excellent transmission programing.
If you want absolute performance at this price point and fuel economy, look no further than the Audi. A sleeper, the conservatively styled A4 is the quickest both in a straight line and around our figure-eight test. Its dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive give it a performance and traction edge off the line. But beyond 60 mph the Alfa’s best weight-to-power ratio and shortest gearing deliver the best performance, reaching 100 mph 1 second quicker and finishing the quarter-mile 3.3 mph faster than the Audi. Likewise, the Mercedes, with its Sport package, equals the Audi’s best-in-class figure-eight performance while stopping shorter. The Alfa’s figure-eight performance was severely handicapped by its overly aggressive stability control, which couldn’t be defeated.
The Cadillac comes up surprisingly short given its second-most powerful engine and second-lightest curb weight. We attribute this to its tallish first gear and somewhat lazy transmission. The Jaguar’s second-shortest gearing compensates for its second-worst weight-to-power ratio to produce solidly midpack performance.
The Lexus earned its slowest straight-line performance fair and square with the second-highest curb weight (despite being only rear-wheel drive) and the second-least powerful engine. It just felt overburdened. What the Lexus lacked in power, though, it made up for in handling.
Then there’s the odd case of the Volvo. A turbocharged and supercharged T6 variant rather than the directly comparable turbocharged T5 we requested, it was the most powerful in the test and blessed with all-wheel drive and the R-Design sport package, not to mention a Polestar engine software upgrade. It was also, however, the heaviest. As such, it was third-quickest to 60 mph and stopped second-shortest, but it was slowest on the figure eight by a good margin.
Efficiency
Jaguar XE 25t
Miss: Interior quality, design, and ergonomics
Gas is pretty dang cheap right now, but it won’t always be. Even when it’s cheap, it’s still an expense. There’s also an expectation of good fuel economy that comes with a downsized engine. After all, you want some payback when you give up horsepower and torque.
According to the EPA’s standardized lab test, these vehicles all return very similar fuel economy. Going by window stickers alone, we see most get around 23/32/26 mpg city/highway/combined. The Jaguar fares the worst, posting 21/30/24 mpg rating. The Mercedes just beats out the Alfa and the Audi by returning a best-in-test 24/34/28 mpg city/highway/combined. As you can see, it’s not a broad spread.
Here, our Real MPG partnership with Emissions Analytics is invaluable. In real-world testing, the Mercedes fell 2 mpg short across the board, abdicating its top spot. The Jaguar redeemed itself in city and combined ratings, and the Lexus dropped to a worst-observed 20.4/31.1/24.2 mpg city/highway/combined. Meanwhile, the Alfa soared with an observed 28.2/37.9/31.8 mpg city/highway/combined, well above its EPA estimates in all categories. We must caution, however, that our Alfa Romeo and Lexus were preproduction units, and both could show different results once their final software calibrations are made.
Cockpit/Cabin
Much of what makes a luxury sedan is its interior. After all, it’s the place where you spend time and the part of the car you spend the most time looking at, touching, listening to, and interacting with.
Regardless of the metrics used to score such subjective criteria, the Mercedes comes out on top. The elegant design and top-quality tactile materials made it a unanimous favorite among the judges. It also scored high marks in quietness, comfort, and rear-seat space. It was let down slightly by a cut-rate Garmin navigation system integrated into the otherwise all-Mercedes infotainment system.
The Audi also was well-received by the judges. The technical superiority was obvious; its virtual cockpit digital dash looked like something out of the future and offered features and functionality no competitor could match. We were also impressed with its impeccable build quality and excellent materials. It took demerits for a slightly tight rear seat, somewhat sterile design (apart from the dash), and slightly louder interior than we’d prefer.
Lexus came in a strong third, with high marks for build quality, materials, and interior quietness. Its design was controversial, and the rear seat was a bit cramped, but the seats were lauded for their comfort and support. The infotainment system and its finicky joystick interface earned unanimous scorn, even from the most generous judge. Even dismissing the controller, the system itself looks old and outdated, and it isn’t especially intuitive.
Other cars let down by their infotainment systems were the Cadillac and Jaguar. Although Cadillac’s CUE system is the best iteration to date, many of the judges still found the touch-sensitive controls difficult to use while driving and not always responsive. The Jaguar, also sporting its best infotainment system in years, drew complaints for being unintuitive and for crashing on several editors. Both cars were also hammered for their nearly unusable rear seats and rather dull interior designs.
The Volvo and BMW, meanwhile, were complimented for their comfort and decently sized rear seats but criticized for their dated interior designs and average materials quality. The BMW clawed some points back with its ergonomics, and the Volvo did, as well, because of its excellent seats. The BMW took hits for its incomprehensible Apple CarPlay integration, and the Volvo was dinged for its loud interior, especially for admitting rough engine noise into the cabin.
Lexus IS 200t F Sport
Miss: Front-end styling, acceleration
Then there’s the Alfa. Praised for its interesting and stylish interior design, it took knocks for its wonky ergonomics. We liked its decently large rear seat and comfortable front seats, but we took issue with the fit and finish and some cheaper materials.
Safety
Volvo S60 T6
Miss: Age. It just feels old.
As it was with fuel efficiency, our competitors are evenly matched in both government and insurance industry crash tests. No competitor scored lower than four stars out of five in the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s testing or Good in an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash test. (IIHS scores range from Poor to Good in crashworthiness testing and from Basic to Superior in crash-prevention systems.) Still, there are details to be examined here.
We should note before going forward that neither the Alfa Romeo nor Jaguar have yet been tested by either U.S. agency. The cars have been crash tested by their manufacturers and the results accepted by the NHTSA, so they can be sold in the U.S. Both cars also received five out of five stars in Europe’s Euro NCAP crash testing. We should also note that some data used here comes from the 2015 and 2016 model years, but the vehicles in question have not changed substantially between then and the current model year.
As you might expect, the Volvo came out on top of a very competitive field. The company, which stakes its reputation squarely on safety, had perfect scores in every crash test and top marks in the IIHS’ tests for seats and crash avoidance systems, as well as high marks in IIHS tests for headlights and LATCH child seat anchors. It is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+, along with the Audi and BMW.
Among the rest of the pack, only the Volvo and Cadillac achieved a five-star front crash rating from NHTSA. The rest received four stars. All but the Mercedes-Benz received a five-star rollover rating from the NHTSA—the C300 scored four stars. Every competitor received five stars overall from NHTSA.
The IIHS hasn’t completed all tests on every competitor. In crash-prevention testing, the BMW and Lexus were the only two tested cars to receive an Advanced rating on their crash-avoidance systems. The rest received Superior grades. The Cadillac and Mercedes received Poor ratings for their headlights, and the rest tested received an Acceptable rating.
Value
Mercedes-Benz C300
Miss: Stiff ride with sport package
Because you’ll be paying the same lease price on all these competitors, value requires a different measurement. After all, no one wants to pay the same for a lesser car. How you define value is up to you, but for the purpose of this comparison, we’ve framed it as the content and performance you get for your $399 monthly payment. (And because many people buy out their leases, sticker price and retained value matter even in a leasing context.)
On this metric, the Audi shines brightest. Although its purchase price is on the higher end of the group, the return on investment is high. The Audi boasts the highest performance in our instrumented testing while also offering far more features than the rest. With price equalized, there’s no questioning the Audi’s dominance in the amount of car you get for the money. The Alfa scores high on performance and boasts the cheapest purchase price as-tested but has fewer features.
In the middle of the pack, the Jaguar offers quite a few features but is let down by low performance scores and a high as-tested price. The Lexus lands in a similar boat, but boasts a better as-tested price. The BMW, Cadillac, and Mercedes all offered a similar balance of performance and content. Cadillac, Mercedes, Lexus, and Volvo all sent cars equipped with sport handling packages, potentially in lieu of other content for the same money. BMW and Cadillac also tend to charge extra for features others include standard.
The Volvo stands out as a difficult case. Because a T6 R-Design was supplied, it carries the highest starting price and second-highest as-tested price, but it also snuck in a supercharged and turbocharged engine with by far the highest horsepower and torque output. As such, it performed well in testing and had high feature content. But at a $399 lease price, you’d actually get a T5 Inscription Platinum and give up the performance advantage.
Cost of Ownership
Time is a luxury and therefore so is reliability; no one wants to spend extra time at the dealer.
Unfortunately, the information on the all-new Alfa Romeo Giulia is incomplete. Having returned to the U.S. market only recently, there simply is no empirical data regarding reliability, maintenance, repairs, and depreciation on an Alfa Romeo—although past models have taken slings and arrows in European quality ratings. We’ve calculated values for those categories based on information from multiple sources, and we took an average of costs for the rest of the competitors.
Per our partners at Intellichoice, the Cadillac is the car whose lease you might consider buying out. Although not the cheapest in any category, low costs across the board keep the Cadillac’s five-year cost of ownership to $45,592. Conversely, the Lexus suffers high insurance, fuel, and maintenance costs, giving it the highest five-year cost at $52,254.
There’s also the matter of complimentary scheduled maintenance. Sometimes it’s baked into the lease price, sometimes the manufacturer eats the cost as an incentive that changes from year to year based on the marketing department’s whim. At present, Jaguar offers five years/60,000 miles of free maintenance; BMW, Cadillac, and Volvo offer three/36,000 miles, and Lexus gives the first two services in the first year for free. Alfa Romeo, Audi, and Mercedes still charge for routine maintenance.
We would also point out that the difference between the most and least expensive car to own over five years is less than $7,000, illustrating again just how evenly matched the competitors are.
Conclusion
We considered every facet of these nine cars. We debated long and hard over how to weigh each category, given the values of buyers in this class. We wrestled with reputations and missing data, balanced the marketing and hype, and noted the differing expectations and priorities between leasing and buying.
However, in a class where passion, prestige, and performance often take precedence over cold hard facts and logic, we follow our hearts as much or more than our heads.
As a result, the back of the pack is populated exclusively by older models who have seen the segment pass them by.
The Volvo, which finished in second place the last time around, is showing its age. Far and away the oldest car in the test, it was outclassed at nearly every turn. Thoughtful updates have kept it on life support, but a new engine is no substitute for the comprehensive updates needed to make the S60 truly competitive, and the all-new car can’t come soon enough.
The BMW 3 Series easily won our last Big Test in this class, but even with a recent refresh we found it lacking. It led no categories and inspired little love from the judges, except for its zingy engine. The pressure is on Bavaria to up the next edition’s game if it wants to improve on its seventh-place finish here.
Cadillac ATS 2.0T
Miss: Rear seat
The Cadillac and Jaguar fought fiercely for position in the middle of the pack, with the American just edging out the Brit. Both cars drove wonderfully, but both were kneecapped by penned-in rear seats. The deciding factor ended up being the Jag’s glitchy infotainment system.
An excellent all-around performer, the Mercedes-Benz C300 is by far the most luxurious car here while still offering serious performance credentials. If its options packages were more value-oriented and the Sport edition carried a more luxurious ride, it might’ve managed the silver instead of bronze. It’s a similar story for the fourth-place Lexus, which punched above its weight class on many fronts but couldn’t overcome a weak engine and infuriating infotainment system.
Finishing in an honorable second place is the Audi A4. On paper the Audi wins in terms of features and space, while matching the Alfa’s objective performance, but a sterile personality and a sense of isolation from the driving experience kept it out of first place. If you aren’t willing to try the Alfa until all the data is in, the Audi is an excellent second option.
But because lease deals are a temporary fling, a shopper has the luxury of making make a decision with as much emotion as pragmatism. By that measure, the Alfa Romeo Giulia stacks up well in every category. Its incredible performance and driving experience make it the easy choice for us. We’re willing to look past the reliability question marks to experience the passion this Italian delight delivers. Without question, if it were our money, this would be the car we’d pick.
8TH PLACE: S60 T6
Stylish and safe, the Volvo can’t escape its long-past sell-by date. It’s an old car in a hyper-competitive class, and it just can’t keep up anymore.
7TH PLACE: BMW 330I
How the mighty have fallen. The reigning winner and standard-bearer of the class suffers from old age, dulled dynamics, and a lack of personality.
6TH PLACE: JAGUAR XE 25T
A new standard in the sporty-handling versus refined-ride equation, the Jaguar was undone by its tiny back seat, boring interior styling, and buggy infotainment system.
5TH PLACE: CADILLAC ATS 2.0T
The best sport sedan chassis in the class is let down by a useless back seat and barely acceptable infotainment system.
4TH PLACE: LEXUS IS 200T F SPORT
A good all-around performer, the weighty Lexus is underserved by its overstressed engine, unintuitive infotainment system, and polarizing styling.
3RD PLACE: MERCEDES-BENZ C300
The most luxurious of the field, the Mercedes needs to improve its ride quality and improve the value proposition of its pricing.
2ND PLACE: AUDI A4 2.0T QUATTRO
Smart, practical, sophisticated, and something of a Q-ship, the Audi quietly crawled its way up the podium but lacked the personality to take the top spot.
1ST PLACE: ALFA ROMEO GIULIA
Efficient, economical, quick, safe, and without question the most fun to drive, the Giulia is a car we’re willing to gamble on despite its reliability legacy and lack of cost-of -ownership data.