Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

ab348

qbrozen said:

Not sure I see Buick there. To me, the Ghibli looks like a smaller Quattroporte, which hasn't changed much since 2003.

The grille is reminiscent of Buick's waterfall vertical-bar grille. I suspect the Buick would probably be more reliable.

roadburner

28firefighter said:

Well. The X1 has been officially broken in. Someone nailed it in my wife's parking garage in downtown Seattle - driver side bumper and quarter panel.  On my agenda tomorrow to see if it'll buff out. 

That well and truly sucks- BTDT.

28firefighter

Well, good news is that it came out about 95% with rubbing compound and wax. Phew. There is one small quarter inch scratch that doesn't feel through the clear coat that I believe will buff out. 

Photo after my handywork. I was too frustrated to get a before picture....



The picture angle isn't great but you can't see any scrape!

ab348

Occupational hazard of having a new or expensive car.

I know the clearcoat on the ATS seems to scratch if you even look at it sideways.

driver100

qbrozen said:

driver100 said:

I saw one of these coming at me the other day...going the opposite direction and I thought.....wow, that must be a 2018 Buick. If that is a new Buick they really got it right!


I watched in my rear view mirror and thought....they even got the rear right.....beautiful;


I tried finding 2018 Buicks but there is nothing resembling it, so it must have been a Maserati. If Maserati copied Buick they sure made a massive improvement.

Not sure I see Buick there. To me, the Ghibli looks like a smaller Quattroporte, which hasn't changed much since 2003.

Some have more bars in the grill than others...and the grill is almost oval like a Buick's. Then, there are the portals:


Yeh, Buicks are reliable....these are average. I didn't realize it has a lot of Chrysler in it!

Although the Ghibli is based on a Chrysler 300, this four-door coupe has its own character. The Ferrari-developed V6 turbo is mated to an eight-speed automatic. The uplevel SQ-4 all-wheel-drive version we tested uses a 404-hp version. Handling is sporty and agile, the brakes are strong, and the engine emits a thrilling bark. But the stiff ride can grow fatiguing, the rear seat is cramped, and the Ghibli is louder than most sporty luxury sedans. Climbing into or out of this low-slung sports sedan can be a challenge. The interior is fitted out with high-quality leather and suede, and most controls are easy to use, except for the unintuitive shifter. Chrysler's Uconnect touch screen is a plus, but it's hard not to notice some cheap-looking switches, sourced from the Chrysler parts bins.

driver100

FF....nice color....that really suits an X1. Those touch up guys that come to your house could probably fix it up for $50. I took my wife's car to the collision shop for a minor ding....they charged $125 but I saw the touch up guy drive in to do the work...........they probably pay him $50 and charge me $125! :@

abacomike

Looks like my son and my grandson are flying in for 5 days on August 17th.  Really getting excited about that.

A Major League Baseball team's scouts saw my grandson pitch a game in a tournament in Oakland CA and the next week in San Jose, CA, and seem interested in him.  They are going to watch him closely during his senior year in High School.  His HS coach is giving him one of the starting pitcher slots on the varsity team.  His fastball has been consistently clocked at 89+ mph on the radar gun and he's only 16 1/2 years old.

I can't tell you the team that's scouting him for obvious reasons.  I am so proud of him and his father for making it possible for him.  Now, it's all up to my grandson to earn a spot on a farm team for a major league team - by continuing to build muscle and by taking coaching directions.  He's 6'2" tall and is still growing.

Even if he doesn't get to sign early with a team, the least he can do is get a scholarship to a good university.  I have a lot to be proud of, thank God!

driver100

Some very good news Mike! How great is that?

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

Looks like my son and my grandson are flying in for 5 days on August 17th.  Really getting excited about that.

A Major League Baseball team's scouts saw my grandson pitch a game in a tournament in Oakland CA and the next week in San Jose, CA, and seem interested in him.  They are going to watch him closely during his senior year in High School.  His HS coach is giving him one of the starting pitcher slots on the varsity team.  His fastball has been consistently clocked at 89+ mph on the radar gun and he's only 16 1/2 years old.

I can't tell you the team that's scouting him for obvious reasons.  I am so proud of him and his father for making it possible for him.  Now, it's all up to my grandson to earn a spot on a farm team for a major league team - by continuing to build muscle and by taking coaching directions.  He's 6'2" tall and is still growing.

Even if he doesn't get to sign early with a team, the least he can do is get a scholarship to a good university.  I have a lot to be proud of, thank God!

My niece lives near Orlando and her oldest son is showing professional potential. The proud Papa has spent tons of time helping develop his skills. He's about 13 but they're anticipating at least a college scholarship.

This is the niece who got rear ended by the garbage truck. The update is she has 6 damaged disks in her back. Yikes!

fintail

New Maseratis are popular among the hellspawn of "investor" residency purchasing types here.

Here's a Quattroporte that had an oopsie during a snow event here a few years ago, this was a couple blocks from me. BC plates, shocking! I didn't see the driver, but there's a good chance they were under 25. Ah, the new Belle Epoque.

venture

My wife and I were leaving a baseball game and while walking past a Lexus SUV she commented, "Boy. That's an ugly car." She was referring to the grill on either an RX or NX, F Sport.

It made me laugh because she is the one who passes me on our road and doesn't even notice. She has zero interest in cars. Evidently she does not have zero interest in ugly though.

nyccarguy

@isellhondas, look at the top pic, above the wheel well.  There is a surface scratch

ab348

Since it's mid-summer what say we all cool off with a good snow accident reel to the tune of Yakety Sax?

Colorado Springs Snow Job

driver100

ab348 said:

Since it's mid-summer what say we all cool off with a good snow accident reel to the tune of Yakety Sax?

Colorado Springs Snow Job

Reminds me why I want to be in Florida....from the end of Oct to the first week of April.

I hate that feeling of sliding on ice....and losing control of your car....knowing, there is going to be the sound, of crunched metal!

driver100

fintail said:

New Maseratis are popular among the hellspawn of "investor" residency purchasing types here.

Here's a Quattroporte that had an oopsie during a snow event here a few years ago, this was a couple blocks from me. BC plates, shocking! I didn't see the driver, but there's a good chance they were under 25. Ah, the new Belle Epoque.

Poor guy....I checked pictures of Ghiblis and Quattroportes and they are identical, except for size. Talk about Cs and Es looking similar, these are identical. I must have seen the Quattro one....it looked pretty large.

qbrozen

driver100 said:

driver100 said:

I saw one of these coming at me the other day...going the opposite direction and I thought.....wow, that must be a 2018 Buick. If that is a new Buick they really got it right! I watched in my rear view mirror and thought....they even got the rear right.....beautiful; I tried finding 2018 Buicks but there is nothing resembling it, so it must have been a Maserati. If Maserati copied Buick they sure made a massive improvement.

Not sure I see Buick there. To me, the Ghibli looks like a smaller Quattroporte, which hasn't changed much since 2003.

Some have more bars in the grill than others...and the grill is almost oval like a Buick's. Then, there are the portals: Yeh, Buicks are reliable....these are average. I didn't realize it has a lot of Chrysler in it! Although the Ghibli is based on a Chrysler 300, this four-door coupe has its own character. The Ferrari-developed V6 turbo is mated to an eight-speed automatic. The uplevel SQ-4 all-wheel-drive version we tested uses a 404-hp version. Handling is sporty and agile, the brakes are strong, and the engine emits a thrilling bark. But the stiff ride can grow fatiguing, the rear seat is cramped, and the Ghibli is louder than most sporty luxury sedans. Climbing into or out of this low-slung sports sedan can be a challenge. The interior is fitted out with high-quality leather and suede, and most controls are easy to use, except for the unintuitive shifter. Chrysler's Uconnect touch screen is a plus, but it's hard not to notice some cheap-looking switches, sourced from the Chrysler parts bins.

I believe that is incorrect. The next 300 will be based on the platform developed by Maserati.

oldfarmer50

fintail said:

New Maseratis are popular among the hellspawn of "investor" residency purchasing types here.

Here's a Quattroporte that had an oopsie during a snow event here a few years ago, this was a couple blocks from me. BC plates, shocking! I didn't see the driver, but there's a good chance they were under 25. Ah, the new Belle Epoque.

Who would take a car like that out in snow and salt? Must be a lease.

oldfarmer50

I'm getting the car buying itch again. Haven't bought anything since last fall. I'm finding my hand reaching for the phone to call on some low mile CL hooptie a couple times a day. Have no use for another car but I tell myself "I'll give it to a relative" (classic addict rationalization).

What's worse, I'm fantasizing about the new 2018 Mustang. 460 hp. Sub 4 sec 0-60 magnetic suspension. Even though I haven't put 10k miles on my 2015 yet.

Is this a sickness? Do I need help?

nyccarguy

And don't forget, you're still stalking those leftover 2015s at your local dealer

pensfan83

The wife and I did some lot browsing yesterday afternoon at the nearby Jeep/Dodge dealer and we also took a ride to the Acura dealer...our reward for a hard day of yardwork and garage cleanup. I'm now more anxious than ever to start shopping.

stickguy

I'm falling behind. And don't have a free weekend until last week in August. So probably won't be getting out much until mid September, barely 2 months before lease end. Situation getting dire over here!

nyccarguy

@stickguy - a Wrangler Unlimited would suit you perfectly.  You do mostly in town driving, it's a convertible, it comes in stick, high residual, leases decently...

iluvmysephia1

I don't think I've chimed in on the upstate NY job opportunity yet here. I had the Skype interview about 10 days ago and apparently failed it. Or there was something else that she didn't like about me. So scratch that one. Colorado Springs is also scratched off. I'm not 'Scrubs' enough for them, either, at the USAFA. So there's a hospital gig in St. Joseph, MO, another one in Trenton, MO, another one in south-central Nebraska. I'm getting a phone call from the Manager in Nebraska this afternoon. So we'll see.

The local KC one is only PRN, even though the job adverstised said full-time nights. I interviewed in person for that one, however, and told the Manager to consider me for that one. One night a week is better than no nights per week. Then there's an opportunity out west in mid-Arizona that I have an opportunity to get. So the gears are in place to go back to work - I just need someone to reach out to me with a pen in their hand saying "sign here, please!"

fintail

No salt here, which can make things amusing. Probably both a lease and a lease paid for by someone else.

oldfarmer50 said:

Who would take a car like that out in snow and salt? Must be a lease.

fintail

Quattroporte has a small window in the C-pillar not seen on the Ghibli. Otherwise, very similar styling language.

I have no pity for this driver. No doubt insurance and daddy's wallet will compensate for the bad roads and likely iffy driving ability.

driver100 said:

Poor guy....I checked pictures of Ghiblis and Quattroportes and they are identical, except for size. Talk about Cs and Es looking similar, these are identical. I must have seen the Quattro one....it looked pretty large.

pensfan83

stickguy said:

I'm falling behind. And don't have a free weekend until last week in August. So probably won't be getting out much until mid September, barely 2 months before lease end. Situation getting dire over here!

Sounds like we're in the same boat but now two of the next three weekends are booked solid. I've tried not to start shopping too early so as to giving false hope I'm buying now but by the time I have a free weekend I'll have maybe a month to do something. At least I've been able to do all of my research in the interim

oldfarmer50

nyccarguy said:

And don't forget, you're still stalking those leftover 2015s at your local dealer

Yeah but those "demos" probably have more milage than mine and have been sitting in the salt spray right near the road for over 2 years. I'm a fool but not that big a fool.

oldfarmer50

iluvmysephia1 said:

I don't think I've chimed in on the upstate NY job opportunity yet here. I had the Skype interview about 10 days ago and apparently failed it. Or there was something else that she didn't like about me. So scratch that one. Colorado Springs is also scratched off. I'm not 'Scrubs' enough for them, either, at the USAFA. So there's a hospital gig in St. Joseph, MO, another one in Trenton, MO, another one in south-central Nebraska. I'm getting a phone call from the Manager in Nebraska this afternoon. So we'll see.

The local KC one is only PRN, even though the job adverstised said full-time nights. I interviewed in person for that one, however, and told the Manager to consider me for that one. One night a week is better than no nights per week. Then there's an opportunity out west in mid-Arizona that I have an opportunity to get. So the gears are in place to go back to work - I just need someone to reach out to me with a pen in their hand saying "sign here, please!"

Hiring has become such a legal exersize and a political event that I'm suprised anyone gets hired.

I remember back in my social worker days I applied for a job in a unit dealing with child sex abuse. From the start it was clear that my gender made me persona non grata in their eyes. They talked down the job and tried to persuade me I wouldn't like it. When I persisted they became openly hostile. The interview was very uncmfortable with a team of lawyers sitting in the background to make sure I had nothing to sue them over.

abacomike

I took a stupendous fall this morning after parking my car in the covered parking garage at the mall.  I got out of my car, locked the doors and walked right into a parking curb and fell forward scraping both knees, both elbows and forearms and ended up. Right on my face.  I could not get up by myself.  One of the drivers called security and they helped me stand.  

I am am sore all over - shoulders, elbows, back, sides - I'm just a mess.  I dressed all my wounds with peroxide, alcohol, bacetracin and bandaids.  I am in bed and will stay there.  I feel like I've been through a ringer. 

roadburner

I hope you bounce back soon; that sounded pretty rough.

pensfan83

Well if I stick with Audi my dealer options are pretty much narrowed down to two and considering the distance I live from one of them I'm pretty much down to my current dealer Not that I've been unhappy with them at all but if the need arose to cross-shop I'm limited unless I go out of state. I'd sooner be car less than buy from anything in the Cochran auto group.

http://www.observer-reporter.com/20170629/south_hills_audi_acquired_by_1_cochran

driver100

roadburner said:

I hope you bounce back soon; that sounded pretty rough.

+1 Yeh Mike, Those things can really shake you up....take it easy and get better soon.

carnaught

@abacomike, ouch...Sorry to hear. Rest, icepacks and tincture of time. Feel better, and careful now.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

iluvmysephia1 said:

I don't think I've chimed in on the upstate NY job opportunity yet here. I had the Skype interview about 10 days ago and apparently failed it. Or there was something else that she didn't like about me. So scratch that one. Colorado Springs is also scratched off. I'm not 'Scrubs' enough for them, either, at the USAFA. So there's a hospital gig in St. Joseph, MO, another one in Trenton, MO, another one in south-central Nebraska. I'm getting a phone call from the Manager in Nebraska this afternoon. So we'll see.

The local KC one is only PRN, even though the job adverstised said full-time nights. I interviewed in person for that one, however, and told the Manager to consider me for that one. One night a week is better than no nights per week. Then there's an opportunity out west in mid-Arizona that I have an opportunity to get. So the gears are in place to go back to work - I just need someone to reach out to me with a pen in their hand saying "sign here, please!"

Hiring has become such a legal exersize and a political event that I'm suprised anyone gets hired.

I am so glad I am not out there in today's job market.

The marketplace is very competitive these days. Even professionals like doctors and dentists are working weekends and evenings. You have to do almost anything to get experience and to get your foot in the door.

Like you mentioned oldfarmer, there is political correctness to contend with, a guy may be a much better fireman, but they have to hire so many women............

stickguy

pensfan83 said:

Well if I stick with Audi my dealer options are pretty much narrowed down to two and considering the distance I live from one of them I'm pretty much down to my current dealer Not that I've been unhappy with them at all but if the need arose to cross-shop I'm limited unless I go out of state. I'd sooner be car less than buy from anything in the Cochran auto group.

http://www.observer-reporter.com/20170629/south_hills_audi_acquired_by_1_cochran

come over to the east side. Competition in the main line area is pretty fierce.

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

I took a stupendous fall this morning after parking my car in the covered parking garage at the mall.  I got out of my car, locked the doors and walked right into a parking curb and fell forward scraping both knees, both elbows and forearms and ended up. Right on my face.  I could not get up by myself.  One of the drivers called security and they helped me stand.  

I am am sore all over - shoulders, elbows, back, sides - I'm just a mess.  I dressed all my wounds with peroxide, alcohol, bacetracin and bandaids.  I am in bed and will stay there.  I feel like I've been through a ringer. 

Ouch! Could all your meds have screwed up your strengh and balance?

abacomike

oldfarmer50 said:

I took a stupendous fall this morning after parking my car in the covered parking garage at the mall.  I got out of my car, locked the doors and walked right into a parking curb and fell forward scraping both knees, both elbows and forearms and ended up. Right on my face.  I could not get up by myself.  One of the drivers called security and they helped me stand.  

I am am sore all over - shoulders, elbows, back, sides - I'm just a mess.  I dressed all my wounds with peroxide, alcohol, bacetracin and bandaids.  I am in bed and will stay there.  I feel like I've been through a ringer. 

Ouch! Could all your meds have screwed up your strengh and balance?

Definitely!

pensfan83

stickguy said:

come over to the east side. Competition in the main line area is pretty fierce.

I would probably head west to the Columbus/Cleveland/Akron market first since they are ~2 hours away versus 5 but I'm not opposed to going east either for the right deal. I haven't had to go out of state to buy a car since 2005 when I went to Cincinnati to buy my Mazda.

28firefighter

@abacomike Ouch! Get better!

28firefighter

pensfan83 said:

stickguy said:

come over to the east side. Competition in the main line area is pretty fierce.

I would probably head west to the Columbus/Cleveland/Akron market first since they are ~2 hours away versus 5 but I'm not opposed to going east either for the right deal. I haven't had to go out of state to buy a car since 2005 when I went to Cincinnati to buy my Mazda.

Although @stickguy is right, the competition is fierce, I actually think there are better deals to be had in the Cleveland area. Though, with Audi, I'm pretty sure at least two of the dealers up there are both owned by Penske group, so negotiation ability may not be great.

I'd probably email everyone in PA (Philly and Pittsburgh and everywhere in between) and in the Cleveland/Akron/Canton area once you know what you want.

I miss being able to drive 5 hours or less and hit 5 different major metro areas....

pensfan83

Yeah that is definitely an advantage. If I'm willing to drive 5 hours I can hit Detroit, all major cities in Ohio, DC, Baltimore, and Philly.

stickguy

pensfan83 said:

Yeah that is definitely an advantage. If I'm willing to drive 5 hours I can hit Detroit, all major cities in Ohio, DC, Baltimore, and Philly.

I was figuring that philly area had the advantage of registering in PA from the start.

ab348

Geez, Mike, that sounds rough. Take care of yourself.

Continuing on the medical front, even though it's been 10 days since my cath procedure I still feel subpar. The spot on my groin/leg where they went in is sore, feeling almost like a pulled muscle, though thankfully there is no lump, bruise or other indication of anything wrong. I think I am feeling the closure they installed on the artery. The other strange and presumably unrelated thing is that both my knees are hurting like crazy. The left knee always hurts since it need replacing but the right one is stiff now also. And I am feeling more tired than usual too. Maybe it just took more out of me than I realized.

pensfan83

stickguy said:

I was figuring that philly area had the advantage of registering in PA from the start.

That's true, good point.

andres3

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

Some guys have all the luck but this guy probably got 8 punches with this drive. Within the article it is mentioned that some cars need a drivers training course. This guy should be the survival teacher for at least one of the training hours.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/ferrari-430-scuderia-destroyed-1-hour-after-purchase/ar-AAoYz0p?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp

jmonroe

Ouch a $228000 Ferrari turned into rubble one hour after picking it up!


He says he wasn't speeding, the road was slick because it was raining. I can believe it, it doesn't take much if it rains and there is oil on the road, and with high performance tires. I have experienced some sliding in the 2WD C250 in Florida.......another reason I prefer AWD, personally.

High performance tires are great in the rain, if they have tread depth left. That's a big if.

The other important thing to remember is that brand new tires take a while to 'break-in." It is known that a new tire might have a slick coating on it; so you don't want to take those first few turns on a test drive at 100%.

andres3

28firefighter said:

Well. The X1 has been officially broken in. Someone nailed it in my wife's parking garage in downtown Seattle - driver side bumper and quarter panel.  On my agenda tomorrow to see if it'll buff out. 

I wonder if the dishonest course of action of not leaving a note relies upon these thought processes?:

A) It's a BMW; the owner can afford to fix it!
It's a BMW; I can't afford to tell them I should pay to fix it!
C) Everybody hits cars and doesn't leave a note, so why should I?
D) I already have 2 points on my license, I can't afford another one.
E) All of the Above.

What would you pay to have had a camera on that parking spot?

isellhondas

driver100 said:

qbrozen said:

driver100 said:

I saw one of these coming at me the other day...going the opposite direction and I thought.....wow, that must be a 2018 Buick. If that is a new Buick they really got it right!


I watched in my rear view mirror and thought....they even got the rear right.....beautiful;


I tried finding 2018 Buicks but there is nothing resembling it, so it must have been a Maserati. If Maserati copied Buick they sure made a massive improvement.

Not sure I see Buick there. To me, the Ghibli looks like a smaller Quattroporte, which hasn't changed much since 2003.

Some have more bars in the grill than others...and the grill is almost oval like a Buick's. Then, there are the portals:


Yeh, Buicks are reliable....these are average. I didn't realize it has a lot of Chrysler in it!

Although the Ghibli is based on a Chrysler 300, this four-door coupe has its own character. The Ferrari-developed V6 turbo is mated to an eight-speed automatic. The uplevel SQ-4 all-wheel-drive version we tested uses a 404-hp version. Handling is sporty and agile, the brakes are strong, and the engine emits a thrilling bark. But the stiff ride can grow fatiguing, the rear seat is cramped, and the Ghibli is louder than most sporty luxury sedans. Climbing into or out of this low-slung sports sedan can be a challenge. The interior is fitted out with high-quality leather and suede, and most controls are easy to use, except for the unintuitive shifter. Chrysler's Uconnect touch screen is a plus, but it's hard not to notice some cheap-looking switches, sourced from the Chrysler parts bins.

Of course it's a Buick! It has portholes doesn't it? A Special no less!

cdnpinhead

iluvmysephia1 said:

I don't think I've chimed in on the upstate NY job opportunity yet here.

Sorry to hear it's become such an ordeal. What happened to the Grand Junction thing? I love that part of the world.

driver100

pensfan83 said:

Yeah that is definitely an advantage. If I'm willing to drive 5 hours I can hit Detroit, all major cities in Ohio, DC, Baltimore, and Philly.

Out of curiosity, will you take the car to the local dealer for service...or drive out of state?

When we had BMWs I found the local dealer - even though I didn't like to buy from them (don't believe in discounting), they did good service work. I don't think they treated me different from their own customers. My guess is, if they were really busy they would give their own customers preference. I was told by someone, the dealer divisions are completely divided, service just has to make maximum profit and they don't care where you bought your car.

oldfarmer50

I meant to ask, how are our Florida posters doing with TS Emily? They say it's over Tampa but the rain looks to be down by Ft. Myers and Miami.

I wonder if there will be a rush of CL cars listed as "extra clean"?