Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

stever · February 2016

Exactly. I never was much of a grinder. My weakness is that I'm just not a spender. Or maybe it's more that I'm not a shopper.

But back when I made an offer on a '99 Odyssey that I thought was accepted, I walked when they bumped the price after I returned to the dealer with my checkbook (and my salesperson even went home with me to get said checkbook). Worked out fine though because we really enjoyed driving the Quest. Guess I'll pay what's fair in my own mind, since I'm pretty happy doing without new shiny objects most of the time anyway.

driver100 · February 2016

abacomike said:

stickguy said:

for some people, something like Truecar (or edmunds price promise) is perfect. No, might not be every last $ you can squeeze out of the turnip, but you are going to get a pretty good deal without having to negotiate. Takes the pressure off.

Before I buy a car, I look up invoice on Edmunds knowing full well that the number listed is off 1% - 2%. Next, I look at TrueCar and get a feel for their numbers. Next, I check on my Fleet Discounts for the model I selected.

I always build my car on Edmunds to make sure, as I compile and massage the numbers, that I have the ammunition to make my offer. I next check out Manheim auction numbers on trades similar to mine. I then add $2000 to the auction value because my trades are pristine and have very low miles.

I subtract my fleet discounts from invoice. I subtract my trade's value. I add sales tax, fees, registration and tags. I then go into my chosen dealer, test drive the car I want, make any adjustments to pricing based on the car I selected from inventory, and make one offer, out the door, I refuse to negotiate that number. 99% of the time, I go home with a new car

.

You really do your homework...and that is good. I like the Edmunds fair price.....may go a bit lower if i am in a grumpy mood,,,,but, less stress and just doing it are important to me. I don't like to be taken advantage of, so if the dealer isn't fair or reasonable, I will go elsewhere. The Passat, they played games and gave me a high number two times, I said, this is what I will pay....Edmunds fair price - or I'll check with another dealer.

BTW...Good luck on Tuesday...hoping for the best possible results.
and Hope you got your electricity going!

abacomike · February 2016

@driver100:

Electricity came on at 8:00 PM and TV and Internet st 8:15 PM. Lit some candles and turned on some hurricane lamps. Good thing I had lots of batteries.

driver100 · February 2016

stever said:
Just forward collision and lane-departure warning systems afaik.

What's missing is blind spot monitoring. Drove a '16 Prius with that today and that feature would be a lot nicer than land-departure (assuming that the '16 Kia will only warn me that I'm heading for the shoulder, not cutting in front of a car in my blind spot - that's how the lane departure worked in the Honda we tested a while back).

My driving isn't getting any better as I age and I almost cut someone off a week ago (easy to do in the big honking minivan). And yes, I do the "lean way over and adjust your side mirrors" routine in my cars.

But everything is a compromise. To get the ventilated seats, you have to get leather. If you get the primo leather in the Soul, the leather is thinner than the "base" leather, and thus the venting is cooler. Or so it seemed and so the salesperson said. Naturally you get stuck with the harsher riding 18" wheels going with the forward collision and lane-departure warning system package. Grrr.

Just to think about. It sounds like you would like the Blind Spot Warning so really think about that one....it is one of the best inventions ever. As is the rear camera.

I was told the ventilated seats have one big drawback. If you spill coffee on them it goes right inside and can mess up electronics and get mouldy. I don't know but, I think they are more trouble than they are worth. I had them in the 535 and I could hear the fan when they were on. They had some cooling affect, but, I only used the cooling seats about 5 times in 3 years -though you are in a hotter climate, but still, a/c does the job 95% of the time.

driver100 · February 2016

abacomike said:
@driver100:

Electricity came on at 8:00 PM and TV and Internet st 8:15 PM. Lit some candles and turned on some hurricane lamps. Good thing I had lots of batteries.

They came through for you....exceeded expectations. I am finding big companies are doing this more often now, cable companies and airlines especially....they give you a time later than expected, that way you feel they worked their butts off to fix the problem.

stickguy · February 2016

My Sonata has vented seats. I put them on once last summer and did not really notice anything special. I doubt I will ever turn them on again. But, I do like the perforated feature. Does breathe a little bit better.

abacomike · February 2016

driver100 said:

Just forward collision and lane-departure warning systems afaik. What's missing is blind spot monitoring. Drove a '16 Prius with that today and that feature would be a lot nicer than land-departure (assuming that the '16 Kia will only warn me that I'm heading for the shoulder, not cutting in front of a car in my blind spot - that's how the lane departure worked in the Honda we tested a while back). My driving isn't getting any better as I age and I almost cut someone off a week ago (easy to do in the big honking minivan). And yes, I do the "lean way over and adjust your side mirrors" routine in my cars. But everything is a compromise. To get the ventilated seats, you have to get leather. If you get the primo leather in the Soul, the leather is thinner than the "base" leather, and thus the venting is cooler. Or so it seemed and so the salesperson said. Naturally you get stuck with the harsher riding 18" wheels going with the forward collision and lane-departure warning system package. Grrr.
Just to think about. It sounds like you would like the Blind Spot Warning so really think about that one....it is one of the best inventions ever. As is the rear camera. I was told the ventilated seats have one big drawback. If you spill coffee on them it goes right inside and can mess up electronics and get mouldy. I don't know but, I think they are more trouble than they are worth. I had them in the 535 and I could hear the fan when they were on. They had some cooling affect, but, I only used the cooling seats about 5 times in 3 years -though you are in a hotter climate, but still, a/c does the job 95% of the time.

Driver, if you lived in South Florida from May through November, you'd change your decision about ventilated seats in a second. After being outside in 95 degree heat and 80% humidity, as you sit in your hot car and the sweat rolls down your back and pools in other body cavities, you press the ventilated seat button and cool air surrounds your moist buttocks and your lower and upper back, you thank the Lord for adding that option for $450. Those ventilated seats work great with the heated seats - warms you up twice as fast.

As for coffe or drinks in the car, I never drink anything in the car. You can rationalize not getting ventilated seats because they could short out or cause mold, but believe me, they are a Godsend!

abacomike · February 2016

Driver, as for your comment about blind spot monitors, they are the greatest invention for automobiles. I could live without lane tracking, but with Mercedes-Benz, they are part of the same option package.

stickguy · February 2016

I have blind spot monitoring as an (almost) must have for the next car. really like the feature. Though I don't want any kind of active lane watch stuff that moves the car around. I just like the extra set of "eyes". Back up camera is non-negotiable as a must have.

I might not use the vented seats, but I love the heated steering wheel. I laughed at that as a silly frill, until I got one and started using it. Fantastic feature!

berri · February 2016

Seems people want blind spot detectors, but dealers don't stock them.

stever · February 2016

I really think the blind spot detector was the best feature of the otherwise underwhelming Prius. Funny, we really enjoyed the 2014 rental we had for a couple of weeks in December. Something about the new one - just a bit disappointing. Maybe my expectations were too high. More of my test drive impressions at this link.

I'd say the back up cam was even more important than the blind spot, but that's soon to be standard equipment on all new cars if it isn't already, thanks to the NHTSA.

Down here the ventilated seats seem to work best wearing shorts and a tee-shirt. I wonder if the Mercedes seats are really actively cooled instead of merely ventilated? The Kia seats vent best with the AC on high.

oldfarmer50 · February 2016

stickguy said:
I have blind spot monitoring as an (almost) must have for the next car. really like the feature. Though I don't want any kind of active lane watch stuff that moves the car around. I just like the extra set of "eyes". Back up camera is non-negotiable as a must have.

I might not use the vented seats, but I love the heated steering wheel. I laughed at that as a silly frill, until I got one and started using it. Fantastic feature!

My blind spot monitoring comes with me from car to car at no extra cost. Since it got it's cataracts fixed it even warns me to avoid suspicious Owls a mile away that might be up to no good.

iluvmysephia1 · February 2016

So, stever, are you and the Mrs. headin' back out car shoppin' tomorrow again? What color of Kia Soul is suiting your fancy? Automatic tranny, for sure? Good for you guys, you'll become a couple more hamsters! We're kind of a large army, you know.

stever · February 2016

Not heading out tomorrow for car shopping. Or if we do, it'd be to look at the Encore again. Blue is the first choice, then white. That was an issue with the two Souls we drove today - both were silver. Gotta switch.

My wife has a bum left leg - well, it's fine but she doesn't trust it enough to have a manual in our only car. Has a rod in it from a ski wreck. So an automatic, which is the only option in the higher trim levels anyway.

iluvmysephia1 · February 2016

I like the Buick Encore, too. Good choice.

I'm gonna do our taxes today but need to wash the Soul, too. I've decided ta not purchase the '68 Datsun 411 Bluebird. I'll just research old 411's and 510's for later. If we want a new car again it'll be a Toyota iA or a Kia Soul, also. The Soul just passed 60,000 miles. Oh, I'm not abandoning the vintage Datsun sedan idea completely. Just waiting till another time. I definitely have the space in the mammoth 1,035 sq/ft detached garage.

I'm just sensing it's not the right time - but with this car nut things could change quickly. The vintage Datsun sedan will be a hobby car, not a daily driver.

The '08 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS purchase was a stick with it until ya do it kind of a thing - I'd researched that car on the net for literally 200 hours by the time I drove the 209 miles NW ta Avondale, AZ, to buy it. It would've taken a big 'ole haboob ta stop that purchase on that particular Saturday afternoon in March '07.

driver100 · February 2016

"abacomike"><
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Driver, if you lived in South Florida from May through November, you'd change your decision about ventilated seats in a second. After being outside in 95 degree heat and 80% humidity, as you sit in your hot car and the sweat rolls down your back and pools in other body cavities, you press the ventilated seat button and cool air surrounds your moist buttocks and your lower and upper back, you thank the Lord for adding that option for $450. Those ventilated seats work great with the heated seats - warms you up twice as fast.

As for coffe or drinks in the car, I never drink anything in the car. You can rationalize not getting ventilated seats because they could short out or cause mold, but believe me, they are a Godsend!

Mike, I realize cool seats are going to be a good option for some climates, and yours is near the top of the list. I assume stever is in a warmer climate than I am usually in, so I am just giving him something to consider. When we are in Florida, temp can be 90, back home in the summer temp can be 85 or 90 with lots of humidity and I found I used the cool seats once or twice a year.

I just wanted to give stever a different perspective to consider, and he can use your experience to possibly help make a more informed decision.

venture · February 2016

abacomike said:

explorerx4 said:

My wife didn't like the interior color of the MKC she drove, so the salesguy said they would locate one.
They gave me a printout of the vehicle that they wanted to trade for.
When I got home, I put the VIN in a search engine and found out where it was.
It was listed as dealer ordered, so it may not be on the ground there.
Last night the saelsguy called me and said they found one, but not the one they originally tried to get.
Most of the dealers in our area have between 6 and 15 in stock.
I went on the Lincoln website and found a dealer in Staten Island that has over 70!
4 matched what my wife is looking for, so I'm guessing that is where they are getting it from.
Supposed to be in tomorrow, so we may look at it tomorrow or Saturday, if they get it late.

When I used to dealer trade with a local dealer (20 or less miles away), it would cost me $350-$500 for transporting the car to my dealership and sending a replacement vehicle back to the sending dealer.

If I had to go further than 20 miles, it could cost me $500-$1000 for transportation both ways. That is why dealerships hate to dealer trade - it comes right off the bottom line. What I was usually able to do is sell a car I had in stock and take off whatever it would cost me to dealer trade.

I remember one such example I had to deal with. This customer wanted a black M45 loaded with flaxen colored leather interior. MSRP was about $60,000. The closest dealer that had what he wanted was a small dealership in an Atlanta suburb. That dealer wanted an M45 in white with black interior. It would have cost me $1750 to send him the white car and for me to pick up the black car.

I had a black M45 with black leather incoming from the port of Jacksonville with the same MSRP. I said to the customer that if he would take the black leather interior, I would drop the price another $2000. He jumped at the deal and even though I only made $300 net profit on the deal, I was able to sell one of my cars instead of paying freight to grab one from Atlanta.

Dealer trading is also problematic - whenever you transport a vehicle on a truck, there is always the possibility of damage - not just to the paint or bumpers, but also to the car's suspension.

Explorer, do a very close inspection of the vehicle before you make a decision. You'd be amazed at what can happen to a car that was transported from one dealer to another.

I don't know if Infiniti has a holdback, but doesn't the initiating dealer also lose the holdback on the car?

abacomike · February 2016

stever said:

I really think the blind spot detector was the best feature of the otherwise underwhelming Prius. Funny, we really enjoyed the 2014 rental we had for a couple of weeks in December. Something about the new one - just a bit disappointing. Maybe my expectations were too high. More of my test drive impressions at this link. I'd say the back up cam was even more important than the blind spot, but that's soon to be standard equipment on all new cars if it isn't already, thanks to the NHTSA. Down here the ventilated seats seem to work best wearing shorts and a tee-shirt. I wonder if the Mercedes seats are really actively cooled instead of merely ventilated? The Kia seats vent best with the AC on high.

I believe they are merely ventilated - but with three fan speed settings - L, M, H! My AC gets cold immediately so there is very little delay in pushing cooled air up through the seat cushion as well as the upper and lowe back. I only use the ventilated seats in the late sting through late fall when it is steaming hot.

Having white leather seats will help keep the seats cooler in summer.

abacomike · February 2016

venture said:

explorerx4 said:

My wife didn't like the interior color of the MKC she drove, so the salesguy said they would locate one. They gave me a printout of the vehicle that they wanted to trade for. When I got home, I put the VIN in a search engine and found out where it was. It was listed as dealer ordered, so it may not be on the ground there. Last night the saelsguy called me and said they found one, but not the one they originally tried to get. Most of the dealers in our area have between 6 and 15 in stock. I went on the Lincoln website and found a dealer in Staten Island that has over 70! 4 matched what my wife is looking for, so I'm guessing that is where they are getting it from. Supposed to be in tomorrow, so we may look at it tomorrow or Saturday, if they get it late.

When I used to dealer trade with a local dealer (20 or less miles away), it would cost me $350-$500 for transporting the car to my dealership and sending a replacement vehicle back to the sending dealer.

If I had to go further than 20 miles, it could cost me $500-$1000 for transportation both ways. That is why dealerships hate to dealer trade - it comes right off the bottom line. What I was usually able to do is sell a car I had in stock and take off whatever it would cost me to dealer trade.

I remember one such example I had to deal with. This customer wanted a black M45 loaded with flaxen colored leather interior. MSRP was about $60,000. The closest dealer that had what he wanted was a small dealership in an Atlanta suburb. That dealer wanted an M45 in white with black interior. It would have cost me $1750 to send him the white car and for me to pick up the black car.

I had a black M45 with black leather incoming from the port of Jacksonville with the same MSRP. I said to the customer that if he would take the black leather interior, I would drop the price another $2000. He jumped at the deal and even though I only made $300 net profit on the deal, I was able to sell one of my cars instead of paying freight to grab one from Atlanta.

Dealer trading is also problematic - whenever you transport a vehicle on a truck, there is always the possibility of damage - not just to the paint or bumpers, but also to the car's suspension.

Explorer, do a very close inspection of the vehicle before you make a decision. You'd be amazed at what can happen to a car that was transported from one dealer to another.
I don't know if Infiniti has a holdback, but doesn't the initiating dealer also lose the holdback on the car?

Yes! The dealer trades are transferred by computer to the selling dealer's inventory.

Mr_Shiftright · February 2016

If say a person were an....ahem...fairly aggressive driver, wouldn't blind spot detection, lane watch and collision avoidance drive him just nuts? Last year I rented a new Tahoe that had some of this and I really struggled to find the instructions to shut it all off. It was very annoying.

abacomike · February 2016

Mr_Shiftright said:

If say a person were an....ahem...fairly aggressive driver, wouldn't blind spot detection, lane watch and collision avoidance drive him just nuts? Last year I rented a new Tahoe that had some of this and I really struggled to find the instructions to shut it all off. It was very annoying.

You can shut down lane tracking and blind spot monitoring - but I cannot turn off accident avoidance.

sda · February 2016

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I was able to sell one of my cars instead of paying freight to grab one from Atlanta.

Dealer trading is also problematic - whenever you transport a vehicle on a truck, there is always the possibility of damage - not just to the paint or bumpers, but also to the car's suspension.

Explorer, do a very close inspection of the vehicle before you make a decision. You'd be amazed at what can happen to a car that was transported from one dealer to another.

Good advice Mike. I remember wanting a specific color on the 98 Mazda Millenia L that I purchased as I turned in the 96 that I had leased for 24 months. Actually my salesman who was a friend and who I had worked with before suggested the color, Twilight Mica Blue. I also wanted the upgraded Bose and cold weather package to match what the 96 had. They found the car near Atlanta and agreed to get it for around $300 more. As it turned out they sent one of their folks to Atlanta and drove the car back to Charlotte. When I got it the car had almost 300 miles on it. To my chagrin, the car already had pecks in the paint on the front bumper and hood from the drive up, which I did not notice until I got home. Buyer beware!

I wish you a quick recovery on your procedure next week.

graphicguy · February 2016

Mr_Shiftright said:
If say a person were an....ahem...fairly aggressive driver, wouldn't blind spot detection, lane watch and collision avoidance drive him just nuts? Last year I rented a new Tahoe that had some of this and I really struggled to find the instructions to shut it all off. It was very annoying.

Yeah....if you go tearing through your 'burg (not that I would ever do that), turning off the nannies is imperative (specifically, lane keep assist and accident avoidance). As unobtrusive the "engine start/stop" feature is on the CTS, I turn it off when I'm burning up the road, too.

stickguy · February 2016

I see a big difference between active and passive. BLIS to me is just an evolutionary improvement on rear view mirrors. And mostly a little light you barely notice if not looking in them. And on the sonata, there is a big button to push if you want it off.

Now active stuff, where the car tries to drive itself, would make a hustling driver nuts. And I suspect is harder on many cars to disable. I don't really want any of that crap.

cdnpinhead · February 2016

Roadburner said it best when he referred to this stuff as the Helen Keller package.

stickguy · February 2016

Blind spot monitors and back up cams aren't IMO. Unless you consider mirrors the same thing. To me, more and better info is a good thing. And that is much different than the car deciding I don't want to go where I am pointing!

PF_Flyer · February 2016

All these things are just tools. I am the most important safety feature in my vehicle. Just saw a review of a vehicle complaining about blind spots because of roof pillars, and saying how he never uses mirrors when changing lanes because "use of mirrors is an accident waiting to happen". I don't quite get that sentiment.

[Deleted User] · February 2016

Mr_Shiftright said:
If say a person were an....ahem...fairly aggressive driver, wouldn't blind spot detection, lane watch and collision avoidance drive him just nuts? Last year I rented a new Tahoe that had some of this and I really struggled to find the instructions to shut it all off. It was very annoying.

My Subaru's system hasn't been overly intrusive, even with aggressive driving. If the collision alarm goes off, then I'm coming up on another vehicle or other object too close and it's a real threat. Blind spot detection looks for cars next to me and only lights up an LED in the side mirror, which means I shouldn't be moving into their lane no matter the circumstances.

The one spot that could be intrusive is the lane departure, which is an audible warning. If you're weaving in and out of lanes in a straight section of road and not using blinkers, then yes, the system is going to beep. In the curves I've noticed the system doesn't alarm, which is interesting. The collision avoidance and adaptable cruise still work no matter the twisties, but lane departure system seems to turn off. I can "straighten the lines" without the system blaring at me. For better or worse, I'm grateful for that feature.

Turning off the systems is a simple button push on the dash. Couldn't be easier. In 25 years when some guy enters my Outback in a demolition derby, they'll be grateful for those buttons

stever · February 2016

That's exactly why I want this stuff. Almost cut someone off who was in my blind spot not long ago. My neck enabled me to avoid hitting them, but they weren't in my mirror.

My personal safety tooling is getting rusty - the old neck doesn't swivel like it used to.

I did turn off the lane departure feature on the Hondas we test drove. I'd use it on the freeway but it's a nuisance around town.

imidazol97 · February 2016

tyguy said:
In the curves I've noticed the system doesn't alarm, which is interesting. The collision avoidance and adaptable cruise still work no matter the twisties, but lane departure system seems to turn off. I can "straighten the lines" without the system blaring at me. For better or worse, I'm grateful for that feature.

I believe the algorithm for the lane keep on my Malibu is that it turns off when the steering wheel has been intentionally turned away from straight. The theory is that if the wheel is straight and you're drifting sideways you need to be notified. I also can just turn off the beeps for the lane keep but it still flashes a light in the speedometer.

The blind spot detection is different: it goes crazy if there's a car in the blind spot and the turn signal is turned on to do a lane change. I believe it also blinks wildly if the wheel is turned to do the lane change without turn signal. I'll have to check that out.

abacomike · February 2016

tyguy said:

If say a person were an....ahem...fairly aggressive driver, wouldn't blind spot detection, lane watch and collision avoidance drive him just nuts? Last year I rented a new Tahoe that had some of this and I really struggled to find the instructions to shut it all off. It was very annoying.
My Subaru's system hasn't been overly intrusive, even with aggressive driving. If the collision alarm goes off, then I'm coming up on another vehicle or other object too close and it's a real threat. Blind spot detection looks for cars next to me and only lights up an LED in the side mirror, which means I shouldn't be moving into their lane no matter the circumstances. The one spot that could be intrusive is the lane departure, which is an audible warning. If you're weaving in and out of lanes in a straight section of road and not using blinkers, then yes, the system is going to beep. In the curves I've noticed the system doesn't alarm, which is interesting. The collision avoidance and adaptable cruise still work no matter the twisties, but lane departure system seems to turn off. I can "straighten the lines" without the system blaring at me. For better or worse, I'm grateful for that feature. Turning off the systems is a simple button push on the dash. Couldn't be easier. In 25 years when some guy enters my Outback in a demolition derby, they'll be grateful for those buttons

On my CLS, the Lane Departure Warning merely sends a vibration feedback to my steering wheel. Blind Spot Monitors illuminate a red triangle in the side mirrors - but if my turn signal is activated, the red light flashes and an audible alarm sounds.

stever · February 2016

Shoot, I didn't play with turning on the turn signal - just as well, would have freaked out the semi driver. And the saleswoman in the back seat.

berri · February 2016

Do car salespeople really think riding with you on a test drive helps sell the car? I find them a hindrance and tend to steer myself toward dealers that just let you drive it. Most of them don't really know much about what they are selling anyway and just want to point out nonsense like how the stereo sounds or pepper you with questions like "are you buying today", "where do you work".

driver100 · February 2016

Mr_Shiftright said:
If say a person were an....ahem...fairly aggressive driver, wouldn't blind spot detection, lane watch and collision avoidance drive him just nuts? Last year I rented a new Tahoe that had some of this and I really struggled to find the instructions to shut it all off. It was very annoying.

It could only be annoying if you are cutting in front of people when you shouldn't be, otherwise the blindspot warning only goes off if you are going to go into traffic when you shouldn't be. The warning is a flashing light, which isn't a problem...or it beeps if there is a car where you are trying to be.

The only time I found it to be a problem is if say 2 lanes are turning right or left, you may get a beep if the other car next to you is nearby as the device thinks you are signalling to go into his lane - a small price for such a great safety device.

driver100 · February 2016

One warning which I am not sure how I feel about it is a warning that comes on after you drive for 3 hours...it beeps loudly and says it is time to pull over for a coffee.....I am not making that up...it is true!

driver100 · February 2016

stever said:
Shoot, I didn't play with turning on the turn signal - just as well, would have freaked out the semi driver. And the saleswoman in the back seat.

Good idea stever, if you don't like the blind spot warning just make your lane changes without signalling....3/4s of the people in Florida do that anyway.

Very annoying when you could pull out to make a left turn and the car coming from the left doesn't use his signal to make a right turn.....it would be so easy for them to do that.

abacomike · February 2016

driver100 said:

One warning which I am not sure how I feel about it is a warning that comes on after you drive for 3 hours...it beeps loudly and says it is time to pull over for a coffee.....I am not making that up...it is true!

You are correct, driver. The driver alert system measures the way you steer and the frequency you adjust steering, braking, maintaining a straight forward direction, etc. It also measures time you have been driving. If the system senses you are not reacting appropriately, it illuminates a message telling you to pull over for coffee or stop driving for awhile. Excellent safety technology!

Mr_Shiftright · February 2016

I could live with blind spot assist and rear view camera, no problem, but stop and start, collision avoidance, the 3 hour alert and lane assist, no way. Don't these engineers realize that in California we'd drive 3 hours just to get the best fish tacos?

I'm perfectly fine with collision avoidance and lane assist for anyone who thinks they need these things, and I'm even pleased they have them.

graphicguy · February 2016

driver100 said:
One warning which I am not sure how I feel about it is a warning that comes on after you drive for 3 hours...it beeps loudly and says it is time to pull over for a coffee.....I am not making that up...it is true!

Hmmmm.....not sure how I feel about that one.

Lane keep assist is a simple button to turn off/on on the dash on my car. As IMID points out, it's a "steering wheel nudge towards the center of the lane" kind of thing if you begin to drift to either edge of your lane and your turn signal is not on. No beeps.

Seat vibrates if you're close to anything while driving. If you're close to something on the left, your left butt cheek vibrates, same for the right.

If you get to close to anything in front of you, a bunch of red LCDs light up on your windshield. If you're closing too fast, the brakes are also applied. Plus, there's a graphic on the LCD screen between the Speedo and Tach that shows your relative distance.

For the rear, yellow and then red triangles light up if you're getting too close to something while reversing.

Lots and lots of alleged safety features have been added over the last few years.

All of mine are pretty easily defeatable, though.

Mr_Shiftright · February 2016

I think everyone has to evaluate it for themselves. Perhaps when I get older and less alert or flexible, I may change my tune, park in the right lane and listen to War and Peace on my flash drive.

stever · February 2016

berri said:
Do car salespeople really think riding with you on a test drive helps sell the car?

The Toyota saleswoman asked if we wanted her to tag along. I said sure - kind of wanted to see how the Prius performance was with a third person in the car. She was quiet on the ride. I dunno, I've liked most of the salespeople I've met and I enjoy quizzing them about "bizness". Seems pretty rare that they interfere with my test drive.

The other benefit of having them along is that I don't have to worry about getting lost.

andres3 · February 2016

stever said:
I really think the blind spot detector was the best feature of the otherwise underwhelming Prius. Funny, we really enjoyed the 2014 rental we had for a couple of weeks in December. Something about the new one - just a bit disappointing. Maybe my expectations were too high. More of my test drive impressions at this link.

I'd say the back up cam was even more important than the blind spot, but that's soon to be standard equipment on all new cars if it isn't already, thanks to the NHTSA.

Down here the ventilated seats seem to work best wearing shorts and a tee-shirt. I wonder if the Mercedes seats are really actively cooled instead of merely ventilated? The Kia seats vent best with the AC on high.

The 2016 Q5 2.0T Quattro loaner I had the other day didn't have a push button start nor a backup camera. I'd rather have the push button start as I'm more used to having that and miss it when a car doesn't have it. I find back up camera's a little gimmicky because you still have to pay attention to your surroundings, sides, and front end when backing up.

andres3 · February 2016

graphicguy said:

driver100 said:
One warning which I am not sure how I feel about it is a warning that comes on after you drive for 3 hours...it beeps loudly and says it is time to pull over for a coffee.....I am not making that up...it is true!
Hmmmm.....not sure how I feel about that one.

Lane keep assist is a simple button to turn off/on on the dash on my car. As IMID points out, it's a "steering wheel nudge towards the center of the lane" kind of thing if you begin to drift to either edge of your lane and your turn signal is not on. No beeps.

Seat vibrates if you're close to anything while driving. If you're close to something on the left, your left butt cheek vibrates, same for the right.

If you get to close to anything in front of you, a bunch of red LCDs light up on your windshield. If you're closing too fast, the brakes are also applied. Plus, there's a graphic on the LCD screen between the Speedo and Tach that shows your relative distance.

For the rear, yellow and then red triangles light up if you're getting too close to something while reversing.

Lots and lots of alleged safety features have been added over the last few years.

All of mine are pretty easily defeatable, though.

the lane departure feature would be a much better and superior feature if it sent a 10,000 volt shock to the driver that changes lanes without signaling! Now that would be an option worth paying for!

abacomike · February 2016

That "Driver Alert System" in the Mercedes-Benz that alerts you periodically to rest or pull over for a meal or coffee is called Attention Assist. It can easily be de-activated just as everything else such as Blind Spot Monitors and Lane Tracking.

There is a separate settings menu that can be accessed using steering wheel controls. Once those 3 alert systems are turned off, you must go back into setting to turn them on again - thus you do not have to keep resetting those safety features.

I have not tried to turn off the Accident Alert or Pedestrian Alert systems, but I do not think you can. I get a discount on my insurance for having Accident Avoidance (stops the car if a collision is imminent), Blind spot Monitors, Lane Tracking, Rear Back-up Cameras, etc. I save over $100 a year on my premiums.

I keep all the alert systems on all the time due to the limited visibility in my car - left and right sides and rear. If I did not have these technologies available to me, I would never have bought the CLS400. To fully comprehend what I am saying, you have to test drive that car to appreciate those technologies.

explorerx4 · February 2016

Salesguy called and they got the MKC.
Wife looked at it, liked it and it's a sale!
Picking it up on Monday.
It does have the anti pothole technology.
Traded in the Fusion, so I'll be driving her 2013 Escape for a bit.
Mostly it's going to sit.

abacomike · February 2016

explorerx4 said:

Salesguy called and they got the MKC. Wife looked at it, liked it and it's a sale! Picking it up on Monday. It does have the anti pothole technology. Traded in the Fusion, so I'll be driving her 2013 Escape for a bit. Mostly it's going to sit.

I wish your wife and your entire family many years of driving pleasure in your new Lincoln MKC. Sounds like a beauty.

explorerx4 · February 2016

@abacomike,
Considering my wife's first Escape, a 2004, is still in the family and her 2009 is still in the family, I agree!

driver100 · February 2016

abacomike said:
That "Driver Alert System" in the Mercedes-Benz that alerts you periodically to rest or pull over for a meal or coffee is called Attention Assist. It can easily be de-activated just as everything else such as Blind Spot Monitors and Lane Tracking.

There is a separate settings menu that can be accessed using steering wheel controls. Once those 3 alert systems are turned off, you must go back into setting to turn them on again - thus you do not have to keep resetting those safety features.

I have not tried to turn off the Accident Alert or Pedestrian Alert systems, but I do not think you can. I get a discount on my insurance for having Accident Avoidance (stops the car if a collision is imminent), Blind spot Monitors, Lane Tracking, Rear Back-up Cameras, etc. I save over $100 a year on my premiums.

I keep all the alert systems on all the time due to the limited visibility in my car - left and right sides and rear. If I did not have these technologies available to me, I would never have bought the CLS400. To fully comprehend what I am saying, you have to test drive that car to appreciate those technologies.

Some of the devices will probably never get used....but, if I have them I will take them. I wouldn't turn them off, I'd get really upset with myself if I had an accident because I thought I didn't need them.

I do turn off the accident alert if I am in a car wash and the sensors set the alarm off constantly as the brushes go by.

driver100 · February 2016

explorerx4 said:
Salesguy called and they got the MKC.
Wife looked at it, liked it and it's a sale!
Picking it up on Monday.
It does have the anti pothole technology.
Traded in the Fusion, so I'll be driving her 2013 Escape for a bit.
Mostly it's going to sit.

Congratulations explorer and way to go not dithering around.
But, what is anti pot hole technology....do you fly over them or does the car automatically swerve around them?
Hope you like the MKC, I liked sitting in the one I sat in...just felt right.

stever · February 2016

andres3 said:
The 2016 Q5 2.0T Quattro loaner I had the other day didn't have a push button start nor a backup camera.

Yeah, the start button is fast becoming a must have accessory too. Every car on our list has one, at tleast in the trim lines we are looking at.

Congrats @explorerx4!

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