New Entegra Insignia vs. Aspire

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by rvguy02

Sure... spend my money for me - ! We're talking to Entegra's factory guy shortly to discuss these issues. The Aspire is tempting, but $30k+ is a lot of money when we're paying down our daughter's college loans. I think we need to think long-term as well - how will the 360hp hold up 5-10 years from now vs. going with a Spartan chassis and the 450hp?

We went through that with our DSDP vs MADP. Ended up getting the DSDP and adding $35,000+ in options and changes. Haven't regretted it too much although we really like the new 2012 DSDP's or a used '06 or newer Essex.
Looked at the Entegras, Tiffins and Newmars at several rallies we went to this year. Lots of carry over between them but I'd still buy another Newmar.

[rvguy02]

If all goes well we have decided to purchase the Aspire. Today will be a pivotol day with negotiations and getting everything lined up. The extra monthly payment for the Aspire vs. the Insignia gives us a lot more including the Spartan chassis, the 450 hp engine, aqua-hot, high cargo capacity, etc... We felt that over the 10+ years we plan on keeping this coach we will appreciate these added features. Granted, coming from a 10 year old gas coach either coach will seem like a dream.

[La-Z-Boy]

You hang tough today and go get 'em!!

[rvguy02]

Negotiating done, credit app filed, and just waiting for approval. It's off to Middelbury for a factory tour tomorrow followed by a test drive and a final decision on the Aspire or Insignia. It should be an exciting day other than the heavy rain being predicted .

With a little luck we'll be heading south in a beautiful new Entegra coach this weekend.

Thanks for all of the suggestions and comments. We'll see which coach wins!

[mccsix]

Love my 2011 Insignia, and my bank acct.
Say hello to Joyce at Entegra for me
Gene McCarthy

[Ann n Gene]

inquiring minds want to know????? WHAT WON OUT, WHAT ARE YOU DRIVING, PICTURES, ETC ETC ETC. DO NOT keep us in suspense, give us the word.

[rvguy02]

And the winner is... ASPIRE 40DRQ! We were late to the factory due to horrific weather in the midwest (and being blown all over the place in my Dolphin W-22 coach - along with all the semis out there). Despite this there was time to tour the coach and drive it through the country roads around Middlebury. It was amazing. The build quality is great, the ride was phenomenal, and the staff at Entegra was very helpful. Tad took us through the coach and was a pleasure to work with.

After the coach tour and ride, it was off to the dealer (Terrytown) in Grand Rapids. Bruce Vandyke is our salesperson and has been great. He was really hoping we would take the Insignia so they could move their last remaining unit, but I think he knew the Aspire was what we really wanted. Having said that, the Insignia is a beautiful coach. If anyone is looking for one, Bruce will give you an amazing price on the 2011 they have in stock. By the way, I won't get a commission for saying this or sending business his way (but if he offers me a free tank of diesel I won't complain)! I appreciated their help and attitude at the dealership so I'm happy to try and send business their way.

We pickup the coach in a couple of days and start our trip south right away. Based on our tour and riding experience, I expect great things in the coming years. Yes, this coach will cost us more than the Insignia, but the features really worked for our needs. I'll try and post photos in the coming days as time permits.

Entegra really has impressed us with this coach. After being convinced for years that our ultimate coach would be a Phaeton or Allegro Bus, we are thrilled with this purchase.

Thanks again for all the posts and thoughts about this decision. It's never easy spending this much money, but we expect to get many happy years on the road with our new Aspire.

Stuart

[Ann n Gene]

Stuart, CONGRATULATIONS!!! Hope you said hello to Joyce and Don at the factory, those folks are really great to work with. I hope you love your new Entegra as much as we do ours, it is like a dream come true. Have fun and try to wipe that smile off your face........ in the next few years at least! Seriously, you got a great coach and with many advanced features and it will serve you for years to come. Glad you have the hard work of the decision behind you and now can just relax and enjoy the experience.

[Bee950]

Welcome to the club!!! Cant wait to see the pictures.

[rvguy02]

Just a quick update... Bruce and Angela at Terrytown came through again and are sending us the loan documents overnight so my wife can sign them and we can pickup the coach a day early. They knew we really wanted it tomorrow but my wife could not get away from work. This way my daughter and I will drive there tomorrow, move everything over from the old coach, do the walk-through, and drive it home. That will give us a big jumpstart to our trip on Saturday since the dealership is about 3 hours away from us. It's always nice to have people that help make things easier - especially when you're spending so much money.

[Cruzer]

Congrats!

I've been to the factory a number of times and did road tests and magazine reviews on the Aspire, Anthem, and K3 Cornerstone. You did good with the Aspire. The new Aspire is very close to the Anthem. Same chassis except for the front axle. The Insignia required additional Y bracing on the rear that Entegra installed to help support everything. The Spartan is beefier and doesn't need that. Plus you'll find you maintenanace on the Spartan less over the years because they sweat the details better than FL. After all, it's usually the little things that fail and add up to a sizeable amount over time. I'm sure you'll be very happy with the Aspire. If you want more details on how they are built, check out RVcruzer.com - Entegra Coach Construction Overview . It's a 2011 Anthem but the 2012 Aspire is built to the same basic standards.

[slabman]

Cruzer, thanks for your always salient comments on coach build quality of the various mfrs. Are you of the opinion Entegra may have moved ahead of Tiffin in this regard?

[Cruzer]

Yes

[slabman]

That's impression I got after your initial trip to the factory a couple years ago. Sad...but I have to agree with you. So what does this say about those folks at Red Bay?