I spotted a NEW (insert make/model) today!

stickguy · August 2016

the interior is just a tad nicer in the Honda.

explorerx4 · August 2016

Those FS trucks have big blocky front ends because they are designed to tow several times their weight and need lots of cooling.
I saw that one of the car magazines had to have the transmission in their long term Pilot replaced at just over 21k.
Not sure if the Ridgeline has the same one.

ab348 · August 2016

explorerx4 said:
Those FS trucks have big blocky front ends because they are designed to tow several times their weight and need lots of cooling.

Plus it makes them look macho.

stickguy · August 2016

explorerx4 said:
Those FS trucks have big blocky front ends because they are designed to tow several times their weight and need lots of cooling.
I saw that one of the car magazines had to have the transmission in their long term Pilot replaced at just over 21k.
Not sure if the Ridgeline has the same one.

you said that with a straight face? Funny how a few generations ago, they had sloped front ends you could see over, and towed just fine.

the new look is all about trying to come across as Macho and tough, practicality be darned.

tlong · August 2016

Well given that a high fraction of truck owners (and probably SUV owners as well) don't use their vehicles much for the optimized purposes, practicality IS darned. But it adds profits for the automakers...

fintail · August 2016

Saw what might be a Bellevue trifecta - white Model X, Stepford driver, no front plate. Also not new but amusing, saw three "7" Audis in a short span - normal A7, S7, RS7, in that order. The latter is the one.

explorerx4 · August 2016

Still looking at buying something new.
Stopped by a multi line dealer today that has Audi Ford Lexus and Porsche.
I was looking for a Ford.
On the remote lot, where most of the Fords are, I saw 4 Audi's up on bricks, with no wheels/tires.
An S5, A6 and 2 TT's. Guessing the TT's were performance models as they had quad exhaust pipes.
Lot of money gone there.

fintail · August 2016

Saw a new E class on the road, I think my first not parked at the dealer - the side creases are more horizontal, which might be the best giveaway as it looks so much like a C from a distance. Also saw a guy getting into an i8, very awkward.

texases · August 2016

A new Caddy XTS...hearse:

Mr_Shiftright · August 2016

I used to say "I wouldn't be seen dead in a Cadillac", but now.......?

tlong · August 2016

I hope you don't catch me riding in that one any time soon...

tjc78 · August 2016

I guess they have to make them out of something .... The newer cars just look really stupid as hearses. Town Car and Devilles looked so much better.

berri · August 2016

Seems like a lot of hearses, like cop cars, are going the SUV route. I see many Suburban's in livery forms these days.

Mr_Shiftright · August 2016

berri said:
Seems like a lot of hearses, like cop cars, are going the SUV route. I see many Suburban's in livery forms these days.

FUVs?

tjc78 · August 2016

They all should use Lincoln MKTs. They look like a hearse straight from the factory.

fintail · August 2016

Saw a Caddy XT6 on the road this morning.

ab348 · August 2016

fintail said:
Saw a Caddy XT6 on the road this morning.

No, it would have been either an XT5 (SUV) or CT6 (big sedan).

fintail · August 2016

Ha, this dopey alphanumeric scheme their one trick pony CEO brought over from Infiniti doesn't agree with my mind.

ab348 said:

fintail said:
Saw a Caddy XT6 on the road this morning.
No, it would have been either an XT5 (SUV) or CT6 (big sedan).

berri · August 2016

I'm guessing that somewhere down the road we may see a return to actual vehicle names. The letters and numbers, at least to me. have really become meaningless in most cases, if not sometimes confusing.

stickguy · August 2016

I saw a burgundy XT5 on the apron outside the caddy dealer. Nice looking. Sharper than the SRX it replaced.

Michaell · August 2016

berri said:
I'm guessing that somewhere down the road we may see a return to actual vehicle names. The letters and numbers, at least to me. have really become meaningless in most cases, if not sometimes confusing.

For domestic makes, maybe.

Doubtful we'll see the Germans or the luxury Japanese brands do this, however. Too much cachet in the brand name, not the model name.

stickguy · August 2016

at least the Germans have distinct model naming that helps (the engine/trim, that is off the rails.)

easy to know how to compare a 3/5/7 series. Or a C/E/S class..And X or Q signifies the SUV version.

IMO, does not work the other way, when everything starts with say XT like Lincoln, and there is no apparent logic or consistency to the rest of the name.

and names can be just as bad, unless they are clearly established, and don't change (civic/accord, Malibu/Impala). coming out with new names frequently is just as bad, though maybe easier to learn.

I guess it really is Caddy and Lincoln that are causing the problems.

stever · August 2016

stickguy said:
easy to know how to compare a 3/5/7 series. Or a C/E/S class..And X or Q signifies the SUV version.

Not for some of us.

fintail · August 2016

For the Germans, the engine-related number has become less accurate over time, but the model identifier remains easy to remember. C/E/S, 3/5/7, A4/A6/A8, etc. It's intuitive. MB actually made things a little easier for the CUV/SUV line, by linking them up to their relative position compared to cars (GLA/GLC/GLE etc).

Names changing over time ended up being an issue for domestics. In 1957, a Bel Air was the top model, in 1959 a Galaxie was the top model, and so on. By 1970, both of those were not the top model. Bumping a name down in rank doesn't help with equity. The same braintrust who brought the weird structure to Infiniti has brought it to Caddy.

kyfdx · August 2016

Then, you have Infiniti, where everything starts with a Q.

Why not just leave the Q off?

stever · August 2016

Good Q.

Mr_Shiftright · August 2016

Played with a new gadget in a 2016 Ford F150 4X4 today, called "Trailer Assist".

Basically, you put the car in reverse, press this thingie/button, and the truck goes into high idle speed, and a camera shows you a top view of your trailer on the dash screen. Then you use the rotating thingie/button to actually steer the trailer as the truck moves backwards. "It" knows the type of trailer and all the important dimensions because you plug those in beforehand for your particular trailer (tongue length, width, etc).

I'm pretty good backing up trailers already but for some folks who haven't practiced--they really suck at it.

Michaell · August 2016

Mr_Shiftright said:
Played with a new gadget in a 2016 Ford F150 4X4 today, called "Trailer Assist".

Basically, you put the car in reverse, press this thingie/button, and the truck goes into high idle speed, and a camera shows you a top view of your trailer on the dash screen. Then you use the rotating thingie/button to actually steer the trailer as the truck moves backwards. "It" knows the type of trailer and all the important dimensions because you plug those in beforehand for your particular trailer (tongue length, width, etc).

I'm pretty good backing up trailers already but for some folks who haven't practiced--they really suck at it.

I'd be a perfect candidate for that technology. Not that I've driven much while towing a trailer, but the whole "opposite" thing just confuses me.

Mr_Shiftright · August 2016

I learned how to do it in the Army---even in the dark! It's tricky if you pick the wrong type of trailer for your truck. You can get impossibly fast reactions from the trailer, making corrections difficult.

stever · August 2016

I had a utility trailer I used with my '74 Jeep CJ-5. Should have renamed myself Jack Knife. I learned the hand on the bottom of the steering wheel trick but what I mostly learned was that any idiot can buy a trailer and immediately hit the Interstate and toddle along at 70 mph with no clue.

Over the years, one friend jack-knifed his camper on a freeway bridge blocking the two northbound lanes, two friends dropped their jet boats off their trailers in the middle of busy intersections and another guy had his utility trailer pass him and wind up in a field a half mile ahead of him.

Should be a towing endorsement required on the driver's license for those who pull trailers. Check the safety chains when you see trailers in parking lots - rarely will you see them property hooked up.

And if you see someone toting firewood with a homemade trailer made from a pickup bed, yikes!

fintail · August 2016

Saw an XT5 (is that right?) today.

There should be endorsements for many types of vehicles. As it stands today, I can use the same license to drive a Smart or a 42' behemoth motorhome or a 1000hp Veyron or a relatively large rented box truck, but I need an endorsement for a 250cc Vespa. Someone bought their laws.

ab348 · August 2016

While at the car show yesterday and just sitting by our cars for a while, we saw on the nearby road - a heavily traveled 2-lane country road - some (presumed) tourists with a big diesel interstate coach-style motorhome towing a large enclosed cargo trailer - probably a 20-footer. Didn't look like driving that would be a whole lot of fun. Normally you see those things pulling cars on a dolly, but I guess these folks drove around hauling all their worldly goods, unless there was a Smart car in there.

stickguy · August 2016

I used to drive the equipment truck for my son's HS marching band, and would pick it up at the rental place (Ryder). Literally all you needed was a DL and a CC, and to be 18, and they would hand you the keys to a truck. I used to get a 26' box diesel Freightliner or International. Eye to eye with the semi drivers!

Let's just say, the instructions were minimal. Mostly where the key went, and how to put it in gear. And off you go.

man, they were so much fun to drive. Just not on tight city streets.

berri · August 2016

Hey good buddy, got you a parking spot in the truck lot at tollway oasis and diners. That's a big 10-4

fintail · August 2016

Today saw 2x Model X, facelift Model S, and a facelift A4.

anythngbutgm · August 2016

explorerx4 said:
Still looking at buying something new.
Stopped by a multi line dealer today that has Audi Ford Lexus and Porsche.
I was looking for a Ford.
On the remote lot, where most of the Fords are, I saw 4 Audi's up on bricks, with no wheels/tires.
An S5, A6 and 2 TT's. Guessing the TT's were performance models as they had quad exhaust pipes.
Lot of money gone there.

Ouch.

anythngbutgm · August 2016

2 Model X, one white and one red (the red looked pretty sharp with the slate gray wheels) and a which Volvo S90. All in Boston last evening.

fintail · August 2016

Today's sightings: white W213 E-class, white hockey stick 7er.

fintail · August 2016

Today saw an Aventador and a not exactly perfectly driven Model X.

explorerx4 · August 2016

In the parking lot at work, lots of average stuff.
3 Rav4's, Honda minivan, Ford Explorer, Lexus ES350.

fintail · August 2016

Saw a McLaren XYZ123 or whatever a new one is called, along with a couple of late model Ferraris. Kind of played out here - the BMW C650 maxi scooter I saw in traffic caught my eye more.

tifighter · August 2016

Fiata. Brown. I loved the original 124, but I'm not feeling it.

stickguy · August 2016

Fiata. Like it. Reminds me of the old Saabaru.

Mr_Shiftright · August 2016

Not sure I like that double grille.

tjc78 · August 2016

stickguy said:
I used to drive the equipment truck for my son's HS marching band, and would pick it up at the rental place (Ryder). Literally all you needed was a DL and a CC, and to be 18, and they would hand you the keys to a truck. I used to get a 26' box diesel Freightliner or International. Eye to eye with the semi drivers!

Let's just say, the instructions were minimal. Mostly where the key went, and how to put it in gear. And off you go.

man, they were so much fun to drive. Just not on tight city streets.

I once drove one of those with my left hand (I'm left handed) in a cast from KOP to Baltimore and back... That stunk to say the least.

fintail · August 2016

Saw a white Pacifica (rental) on the road, and a C63 AMG.

berri · August 2016

I always felt that white shows up design flaws, so I gotta ask your opinion on what you though about its looks (yeah, I know its just a minivan, but it is all new, so I'm curious)

fintail · August 2016

I don't mind it. It looks very European to me, something reminds me of Renault design. It also seems bigger in person than in pics. White is an inoffensive color when not trying to be trendy/

Mr_Shiftright · August 2016

White makes cars look larger, so if the styling is a bit porky to begin with, that color will accentuate that IMO.

fintail · August 2016

Saw a Model X with a front plate, they exist!

I spotted a NEW (insert make/model) today!

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