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The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Green Bay was easy, but we didn't think about the Oshkosh fly-in and had a heck of a time lining up a rental car the one time we flew in there.
You must know that my sister is a retired UAL flight attendant. :shades: She won't use her passes any more; hates the idea of getting stranded and they changed the system when they merged with Continental so her seniority apparently doesn't count for much.
But mostly she can't figure out the computer system to get a pass.
Think we're going to go to Milwaukee first and then spend the weekend in Chicago and this time I want to go to the museum with the lions out front and walk the city a bit...see some real city life and that midwestern charm I've always heard about.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Milwaukee will surprise you. It has several decent museums, a nice botanical garden and an excellent zoo. Plenty of German food and sausage if you're into it as well, but I'm not sure if there are any active breweries anymore. Actually there a number of nice Midwestern cities; Minneapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City and Indianapolis all come to mind. For a bit smaller towns, Omaha and Des Moines will surprise you as well.
I booked an economy model for a total of $170. The rental location is off site (I flew into Burbank). No economy models available (shock!) so I'm upgraded gratis into a 2013 Chevy Cruze 2LT. While over black leather, 11500 miles.
Not a bad little ride. The small turbo engine is pretty peppy, though the transmission seems to be a bit slow to respond to large throttle inputs. Still, I'm getting about 30 MPG in mixed driving so far.
The only issue was that it was completely out of washer fluid. I spent $3 to get a bottle and fill it up myself.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The Phylacophical and Spelling Challenged Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Speaking of rental cars, a building I jog by has a "coming soon" sign, I think for Budget/Dollar, so I'll hopefully get to see what's new in the fleets.
".I usually bring about 100 $100 bills whenever we travel for tips "
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Unfortunately, more drama at work. Seems someone got ticked at me for picking the cars I did...crazy sh-t really! I see a vehicle in the line I like, I walk over to it...end of story. But others think I should wait until they choose which is ridiculous...it's not like I run over and besides, I walk with a cane so really, how fast can I go? This needless drama is making a fun job a real pain in the [non-permissible content removed]. In the chase van, I just put on my headphones and rock out to my music. Hate to be anti-social but enough is enough. And most things I say are ignored anyways...we have too many "A" personalities and I'm just not one of them. Like tonight, i mentioned I introduced myself to the other chase driver that everyone hates and they all gave me sh-t! Told them I did nothing wrong and always treat people nicely upon meeting them. If they do me wrong at some point, I'm done but always give folks the benefit of the doubt. Well this went over like a lead balloon & some of the comments I got were downright rude. Hey, I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't...I just can't win here with all these stupid personalities. So now, it's just "hello" and "goodbye" as I'm there to work and for the paycheck, nothing more. Too have a few laughs is just a bonus.
Then on the way down, one of the real "a-holes" was saying that folks who have no other income should get 1st shot at working and folks like "me" who have income should work less. Now what a stupid thing to say...i need the cash just as much as the others since the wife lost her main job March 1st. $1000.00/mth. cut in household income hurts folks so I'm not playin' that game. If he calls, I'm gonna work...period. he already asked us to take a day off this week and I told him sure if that makes it so everyone can work. I ain't going to be the only one though...that wouldn't be fair to me. All I want is to be treated Fairly and like everyone else...no one should get special favors though the guy who came up with this ridiculous idea does...the boss just favors him and gives him the most hours. Pointless work drama...don't want or need it so plan to just keep very quiet from now on and watch my back. I'll still be friendly but more reserved and keep the iPod on most of the time. Got my paycheck today...finally. Put a smile on my face!
The Reserved Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
I hope you get a Sixt run again soon, they should have a nice E with Sirius on it waiting for you :shades:
No fair memorizing fob shape and feel. :shades:
Hint: MBs just have fobs, no traditional keys, so feel around for that :shades:
Some people supposedly can pick out certain letters from bags of Scrabble tiles.
Hoping we get to do another Key West or Jacksonville run soon and get a fun vehicle to drive with like a sunroof and SiriusXM so I can "get into the zone" for a few hours. These little trips are o k but the longer ones are the best. We sometimes drive caravan style or meet up for a meal but the majority of the time, i just cruise along at "Sandman speed" and do my own thing. I like to touch and feel things in the vehicles and listen to the engine, car guy stuff to see why some vehicles are nicer than others and as to why some excite me more than others to begin with. Like last night, both times they had the 10 vehicles lined up bumper to bumper and I only had a short time to look down the aisle to see which one I wanted to drive. I love it when i see three or four that would be just perfect as if someone takes one, there's always a few more that will work just as good for me. There's still so many that I haven't driven and some that I really need more road time with. So no matter what here, I'm good and most of them have the features that everyone wants. Things like SiriusXM or a sunroof are just the icing on the cake for me. And I still want to try some of the bigger vehicles like a Tahoe or even a Suburban...why not try 'em all once. The Expedition is one that really intrigues me now as I've heard that they are very easy to drive and their large size isn't really a factor at all. I must admit though that with the higher winds with the rainstorms and the brisk acceleration of the Sedona, there were a few times where my heart was up in my throat and I grabbed that wheel for dear life. I did notice that I did keep the speed down and wouldn't use the cruise in traffic or really squally weather...I wanted that extra control and really needed it at times. At first I thought I was driving the 8 cylinder engine one but found out later that Kia only makes the 6 and 4 cylinder automatics, it was that powerful and just some slight pressure on the gas pedal made this van take off. Bet the 4 is a very fast vehicle also just not as touchy there. it's funny, there were 9 Dodge caravans and this one Sedona lined up and a really nice co-worker mentioned to me how nice they drive, the same guy who always tried to snag me a Mustang. he's a super cool guy and comes from a family of very talented and well known singers. he told me to get the Sedona if possible as I'd really enjoy the ride. He's also a car nut and gets it so he leads me to some fun vehicles he knows I'll like...and he hasn't let me down once yet!
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Now, as the trio settles in for the long haul, they are getting ready for the next phase: less competition, more price rises."
The Oligopoly Making Car Rental More Expensive (Wall St. Journal)
(Oligopoly - why does that word sound so familiar? :shades: ).
Sixt will probably only exist at major airports, at least in the foreseeable future. They seem to have virtually no advertising/promotion, and I have read their service can be kind of quirky compared to what the usual American renter expects.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Renting a car before buying is a smart idea. There aren't a lot of vehicles that it isn't possible to rent, today. I had a Sixt E-class for 8 days out of Fort Lauderdale last year, that gave me some idea about what I would be getting into.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
I don't want a car that's too big,either. I live in a fairly congested area that can have iffy parking, anything above E-class size can be too much.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Speaking of rentals, a friend of mine is going to Orlando later this year, found stupid cheap airfare ($280 RT from SEA on Delta, so I can get miles), and talked me into coming along. I've already booked my car, getting a Sixt E-class for $38.xx/day.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
For your car, I still think you need to go for it at least once. It's your money, and you can't take it with you :shades:
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Your Civic might outlast all of us
But try as I might, there's no justification for trading the Civic...none! I do plan to check out a few used units I've found online just to see if I really could live with an RX as it might be a bit too big for my side of the garage actually. Length wise I think it just would fit but it is a wider vehicle which could pose a problem as the wife doesn't always stay 100% on the left side...luckily I'm pretty thin and can squeeze in between them. Also need to see if the step up is too much for my leg to get into the thing. I do like the dash layout though it is a bit outdated compared to the newer version but I absolutely love the wood on the steering wheel and throughout the dash...a nice upscale touch. Lexus does a nice job with their interiors and it'll probably drive Toyota smooth. The light blue is my favorite color also and I've found a few. And I'd be that using 87 octane would work out just fine as I'm not crazy over getting superior mileage figures. I would be a very happy camper to have one of these puppies on my side of the garage!
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
One good thing about the Civic is that if you do part with it, it will be easy to sell for a good price, or will make a good gift for someone.
The Lexus will no doubt be smoother than the German cars. The Germans excel at a composed highway ride, but some can be a little coarse on rough suburban roads.
Got onto Auto Trader earlier and found a whole bunch of RX350's near here but the miles are high with prices to match. Even the '07 with 55k on the clock was around the $20k price point...a lot to pay for such an old vehicle as the new generation offers so much more. Also, they had an article in the paper's automobile section about used C Classes from the last generation and it said the '06 & '07 models had the 7 speed auto trannys in them and were the better value. They also liked the styling of that generation a bit more than the current one which I tend to agree with...it looks to be a smaller vehicle which I do like. I'd be thrilled to find a lower mileage '07 in that taupe color they had which was absolutely stunning...like the MB much better than the current 3 Series also though the last generation 3 is a nice looking ride also. But need to get the wife all situated first and then I can "quietly" swing a possible deal for myself. I think the age and possible repair expenses will be the two things that bother her the most...she'd think I was crazy to purchase such an older vehicle for almost the price of a brand new econocar. And then every time it would need a repair, man I'd never hear the end of the "I told you so's". But the heart wants what it wants and mine wants more for the next vehicle, more in the sense of more lux and less econo feel. I want a power seat with leather or high line cloth and have no problem with a small 6 as long as it is a real lux vehicle. And figuring $20k cash plus my Civic out the door to get the job done should work.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
I'd spend a little more and get the 2010+ RX, smoother design. For the C, I would look for a 2012+ car, the post facelift cars have a nicer interior design IMO, and have the LEDs that some like. For these entry lux cars, leasing can sometimes be easier than buying, too - no worries about repairs. I know your wife would cringe, but it is sometimes nice to have no strings attached when it comes to a more expensive car. There will be some sweetheart leases on these cars as the model ages off.
Good luck getting a nice new rental to drive.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Got to drive a brand new Mustang vert today with just under 1400 on the clock and was very impressed with the vehicle...comfortable front seat which was a grippy cloth and a very smooth ride. It accelerated very briskly and would've put down the top but the ride was only about 30 minutes so didn't make much sense. Now if I went to Tampa or Orlando, that top would've gone down in a nano second! Good job Ford!
For my second run I got a GMC Terrain and again, it was an impressive vehicle though I didn't care for it's looks...pretty butt ugly really but the thing was comfortable and a real smooth cruiser. Easy steering and a nice overall vehicle with plenty of room though I'd never ever buy one of these. It does get the job done if one needs a smaller SUV. Almost got into a Ford Expedition but felt it was a bit too big so I passed. ALso passed on the Suburban for it's size also though one day I might not have this choice but when I do, I always go for a sedan or coupe.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
This area used to have some rental Mitsu Eclipse on the road - they seem to have vanished too.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
One of these days, I might just drive down to the Sixt location and stalk it out.