Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Here's a question for driver100. Could you sell your Canadian purchased and registered car in Florida? Recently saw a CL ad in Tampa for a car with Canadian plates and title. Don't know much about it but unless you were taking it back to Canada I figure nothing but trouble.

Interesting. To the best of my knowledge, this is what would happen;
First, whether you sell the car at home or in Florida you have to take the plates off the car...they stay with the owner.
I believe you can then go to the DMV and register the car for Florida. When you do that you would probably have to pay sales tax on the car (7%), and then you can sell it, provided it meets all the mechanical requirements.

My guess is he is hoping to sell it to a Canadian who will either register it here or will drive it back.

I don't see how it could be a good deal for an American to buy this car, unless he is desperate to sell it for health reasons or something.

Just off hand I would think there would be a problem over the different emissions requirements between countries. Even if the same I'm sure there would be some bureaucratic hoops to prove it.

A sudden death while on vacation was my first thought.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

What are the choices of fragrance? Do they have.......real leather?

All this talk of smells brings me back to a question I asked about a year ago of how dealers freshen their trade-ins. I took what RB said that their guy blends his own "stuff" and what I read on the net and bought two fragrances from The Chemical Guys, new car smell and leather, in spray bottles. I have to manually squirt a couple onto the carpet front or back. Works great and lasts. I open the door to my 3-year old Malibu, a great car, and I am greeted with high line leather scent with a little new car scent. I open the door to the Cobalt and I get new car smell.

Before that I had read about car manufacturers adding scents to the new cars to effect a certain image of that vehicle. To wit, the MB scented oil dispenser. Others mentioned putting a small towel on the underside of the seat where it's not likely to be noticed or disturbed.

Now to hear about the pink noise someone mentioned?

imidazol97

iluvmysephia1 said:

Tee hee hee, oldfarmer50. Good one. Actually I'm fine with people buying new cars constantly. It's their money. And it's good for business, eh?

I can actually see trading cars frequently and absorbing the higher per year (per month in some cases, LOL) cost as part of entertainment budget. Although keeping a car that's relatively trouble free a long time is much cheaper, there's no tire brand hunting for the replacements, etc.. We've never been for cruises or long vacations like some folks, so I can justify the expense here. It's that I don't see other cars that I want out in the mix.

I used to buy a new car every 2 years, one for me, one for my wife, so I was trading in a 4-year old car each time. worked well.

abacomike

driver100 said:

qbrozen said:

abacomike said:

Just got home from visiting friends and while I was driving on the Turnpike, I noticed a faint aroma emanating from the A/C ducts in the car.  It was a pleasant smell, so I knew it wasn’t an odor from one of the landfills.

After parking the car, I opened the glovebox to verify I had the vehicle registration from the Mercedes dealer in the envelope along with the insurance binders and I saw a small jar on the left side of the glovebox.  I tried to remove it to determine what it was but it was attached to the inside of the glovebox from the top.  There was a liquid in the jar.

So, I opened the owner’s manual and searched the index for an explanation as to what it might be.  Low and behold I found it - it’s a kind of “atomizer” that provides a sort of mist that gives off a fragrance that freshens the air in the car through the ventilation system.  According to the manual, the amount of fragrance released can be adjusted through the “systems” menu in the car under the HVAC submenu.  There are 5 different fragrances available through the parts department of a Mercedes dealership.  It is replaced every 10,000 miles during routine maintenance.

All I could think of in response to this discovery is that, “...you’ve got to be kidding!”  

Benz has had that for quite a while now in the S class. I think it was originally touted as aromatherapy. Guess now they changes it to "atomizer" to sound more advanced.

I called it an “atomizer”.  they call it “fragrance.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/551128073124512966/

What are the choices of fragrance? Do they have.......real leather?

I haven’t figured out what scent is inserted in the system now!  Leather would be nice. 

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Here's a question for driver100. Could you sell your Canadian purchased and registered car in Florida? Recently saw a CL ad in Tampa for a car with Canadian plates and title. Don't know much about it but unless you were taking it back to Canada I figure nothing but trouble.

Interesting. To the best of my knowledge, this is what would happen;
First, whether you sell the car at home or in Florida you have to take the plates off the car...they stay with the owner.
I believe you can then go to the DMV and register the car for Florida. When you do that you would probably have to pay sales tax on the car (7%), and then you can sell it, provided it meets all the mechanical requirements.

My guess is he is hoping to sell it to a Canadian who will either register it here or will drive it back.

I don't see how it could be a good deal for an American to buy this car, unless he is desperate to sell it for health reasons or something.

Just off hand I would think there would be a problem over the different emissions requirements between countries. Even if the same I'm sure there would be some bureaucratic hoops to prove it.

A sudden death while on vacation was my first thought.

Emissions controls, driving lights, some cars have only kilometers - no miles etc may have to be checked out. There are brokers who specialize in these things BUT, I think the costs are adding up. Death or sudden heart attack would be my guess too.

graphicguy

oldfarmer50 said:

ab348 said:

The ATS has a "lane keep" feature which I find troublesome. I noticed it do it once and after that I tried testing it on a few deserted country roads. It's weird. It seems to sense the painted lines on either side of the road. It also seems to somehow sense pressure on the steering wheel. So if you have a grip on the wheel but are not paying attention it doesn't seem to work. It also sometimes doesn't seem to pick up on every painted line so sometimes it does its thing but sometimes it doesn't. I don't really see the value in it the way it is implemented. A warning of some sort might be more useful.

What happens when snow covers the lines or salt makes the whole road as white as the lines? Does it just give up and drive you in a ditch?

Just came back from a trip to Indianapolis, up and back, yesterday. Visited my sister.

It was raining the entire time, construction on I465 and I74 didn’t help matters.

The good news, got 32 MPG at some 75 MPH and some 45 MPH construction, in the rain.

The autonomous driving features worked well...keeping the car in the lanes, in the dark, in the rain, even through the winding contstruction site. Yes, the car’s “brain” asks for steering input every minute or so. But, aside from that, it worked well.

While I probably won’t use it all the time, it was helpful in the construction sites, doing the slow traffic creep with the radar cruise set....stopping/starting/braking/accelerating/steering through the heavy traffic 45 MPH zones.

stickguy

Imid, sounds like my 6 year plan I used to follow, and will likely go back to. That is, replace a car at 6 years old. With one (the wife’s) bought new, and the other one bought at 3 YO and kept 3 years. Key is to get them off cycle! Can also do 2 new cars, just costs more.

ab348

oldfarmer50 said:

Handy indicator of when it's time to sell. When the jar is empty the car gets traded.

Might be cheaper than what M-B charges to refill the bottle anyway.

ab348

imidazol97 said:

Before that I had read about car manufacturers adding scents to the new cars to effect a certain image of that vehicle.

Back in '09 when I bought my Lacrosse I noticed in the literature for the car that Buick took pains to describe the seat leather as "Nuance leather". I had no idea what that was until well after I had the car. When I finally looked it up, it turned out that Nuance leather is a special type that is impregnated with additional leather scent, so it always smells new. Buick seemed to use that for a few years but I haven't seen it on any Buick this decade.

qbrozen

imidazol97 said:

Now to hear about the pink noise someone mentioned?

https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/mercedes-benz/next/connectivity/pre-safe-sound-playing-pink-noise-in-the-split-second-before-impact/

roadburner

abacomike said:

Just got home from visiting friends and while I was driving on the Turnpike, I noticed a faint aroma emanating from the A/C ducts in the car.  It was a pleasant smell, so I knew it wasn’t an odor from one of the landfills.

After parking the car, I opened the glovebox to verify I had the vehicle registration from the Mercedes dealer in the envelope along with the insurance binders and I saw a small jar on the left side of the glovebox.  I tried to remove it to determine what it was but it was attached to the inside of the glovebox from the top.  There was a liquid in the jar.

So, I opened the owner’s manual and searched the index for an explanation as to what it might be.  Low and behold I found it - it’s a kind of “atomizer” that provides a sort of mist that gives off a fragrance that freshens the air in the car through the ventilation system.  According to the manual, the amount of fragrance released can be adjusted through the “systems” menu in the car under the HVAC submenu.  There are 5 different fragrances available through the parts department of a Mercedes dealership.  It is replaced every 10,000 miles during routine maintenance.

All I could think of in response to this discovery is that, “...you’ve got to be kidding!”  

Your 7er likely had the same feature as well- you just never activated it.

imidazol97

Speaking of 740Li that @abacomike had, has it gone up for sale on the MB website? Curious how much they're asking...

OR did they transfer it to a sister BMW store owned by same group? Or to a cooperating BMW store out of their group.

roadburner

driver100 said:

Jmonroe, I was very disappointed with Mercedes’s short demonstration of the new car. BMW genius was far superior to the experience I had with the 740i.

MB has a different philosophy. No use flooding your brain with too much info at first. Do what you can and then come back and ask questions. I find most of the staff can help answer questions. It may be best to write them down as you think of them, make an appointment, and ask. Be sure to ask if there is something they can think of that you aren't even aware of....like special odors.

It's obvious that you have no understanding of how the BMW Genius program operates. The purpose of the BMW Genius is not to "flood your brain." I rarely spend more than 30-45 minutes with a customer at the initial delivery, and I may ramp it back considerably if I sense that the customer is overwhelmed. We strongly recommend that customers return after a couple of weeks for a second delivery- what BMW refers to as an "Encore." At that point the customer is more familiar with their car and I can then address any questions they may have.
I think Mike can vouch for how well the process works.

suydam

Both the Honda, Chevy and Buick dealers I dealt with did the same thing. About half an hour showing how everything works, pairing the phone, etc. and then all of them said to come back whenever I had a question or set of questions. And I did so 2 or 3 times.

graphicguy

Forgot to mention, visiting my sister (the Jag and Mercedes fan), her husband (my BIL) just bought a Volvo XC 90 Wagon. We went out to dinner and he drove.

Pretty nice freaking ride.....I liked it. Comfy...had all the bells and whistles. It seemed relatively quick on its feet...at least for a wagon. That said, I didn't drive it.

I was dutifully impressed.

abacomike

roadburner said:

Jmonroe, I was very disappointed with Mercedes’s short demonstration of the new car. BMW genius was far superior to the experience I had with the 740i.

MB has a different philosophy. No use flooding your brain with too much info at first. Do what you can and then come back and ask questions. I find most of the staff can help answer questions. It may be best to write them down as you think of them, make an appointment, and ask. Be sure to ask if there is something they can think of that you aren't even aware of....like special odors.

It's obvious that you have no understanding of how the BMW Genius program operates. The purpose of the BMW Genius is not to "flood your brain." I rarely spend more than 30-45 minutes with a customer at the initial delivery, and I may ramp it back considerably if I sense that the customer is overwhelmed. We strongly recommend that customers return after a couple of weeks for a second delivery- what BMW refers to as an "Encore." At that point the customer is more familiar with their car and I can then address any questions they may have. I think Mike can vouch for how well the process works.

Yes!  BMW Genius program is far superior to Mercedes Benz.  I received a call from the BMW Genius last year to schedule an Encore Delivery.  It was great and he gave me his cell phone number to call him whenever I had a question.  For the first month, I called him 3-4 times until I had mastered all the technology.

Mercedes gave me 20 minutes and that was it.  Then on Saturday, I had someone else help me - not the delivery specialist.  I am still overwhelmed by the technology in the S Class.  Much more to learn and master than BMW.  Too much technology in the S Class and too confusing to access what I want/need.  At least I figured out the adaptive cruise and auto-steer functions so I can drive up to my brother’s place next week.  Since I do not need the self parking feature, no problem.  But getting the correct display up on the correct screens is a true challenge.

BMW was easy because you could call up anything using voice commands.  Mercedes is not so easy - you need to ask or command using the appropriate terminology.  But, I think the S Class Sedan handles and rides much better than the 740i.

ab348

There probably is no good way to do this orientation given the baffling technology that is now in many vehicles. Every time I went through it in the lot upon delivery I just nodded a lot but really couldn't absorb much of it at all. It took several reads of the manuals, sometimes some online searching, and lots of trial and error before I got comfortable with what I wanted to use, which in turn was a fraction of the overall number of things available,

Michaell

And, given that Mike is likely in the 85th percentile in terms of understanding technology, imagine how daunting that stuff would be for anybody else with enough cash to get an S-class (save rappers and sports figures).

stickguy

My latest delivery was wander out to the car and make sure the keys worked. I did the rest. Pretty simple basics, plus largely the same as my previous ride. I went home and read all the owners manuals to figure out the little nuances and details.

abacomike

ab348 said:

There probably is no good way to do this orientation given the baffling technology that is now in many vehicles. Every time I went through it in the lot upon delivery I just nodded a lot but really couldn't absorb much of it at all. It took several reads of the manuals, sometimes some online searching, and lots of trial and error before I got comfortable with what I wanted to use, which in turn was a fraction of the overall number of things available,

I have the same attitude as you do, ab.

What I would suggest is that everyone (whoever is interested) visit a Mercedes dealership and sit behind the wheel of a 2018 S450 Sedan, with engine or ignition on, and play with the technology.  

On the steering wheel, there are two small square black buttons (one on each side).  If you press the left one, it brings up options for the drivers instrument cluster.  The right one is for the main screen in the center of the dash.  You then put your thumb on the surface of either little button and move you thumb left, right, up or down, like a touch screen mouse, and pull up a myriad of options, layouts, info, etc.  That, in and of itself, is mind boggling.  

There is a driver’s side dash button to pull up the rear sun screen and to pull up the side sunscreens for the rear side windows, you pull up on the rear window power window switches.  On the BMW, you just press one button quickly for the rear screen or hold it down for all rear screens.

Then, there is a screen you can pull up to select the ambient interior light color(s) - 64 colors or you can set it to change subtly as you drive.  Who the heck needs 64 color options?

This car will keep me very busy!

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

roadburner said:

Jmonroe, I was very disappointed with Mercedes’s short demonstration of the new car. BMW genius was far superior to the experience I had with the 740i.

MB has a different philosophy. No use flooding your brain with too much info at first. Do what you can and then come back and ask questions. I find most of the staff can help answer questions. It may be best to write them down as you think of them, make an appointment, and ask. Be sure to ask if there is something they can think of that you aren't even aware of....like special odors.

It's obvious that you have no understanding of how the BMW Genius program operates. The purpose of the BMW Genius is not to "flood your brain." I rarely spend more than 30-45 minutes with a customer at the initial delivery, and I may ramp it back considerably if I sense that the customer is overwhelmed. We strongly recommend that customers return after a couple of weeks for a second delivery- what BMW refers to as an "Encore." At that point the customer is more familiar with their car and I can then address any questions they may have.
I think Mike can vouch for how well the process works.

Yes!  BMW Genius program is far superior to Mercedes Benz.  I received a call from the BMW Genius last year to schedule an Encore Delivery.  It was great and he gave me his cell phone number to call him whenever I had a question.  For the first month, I called him 3-4 times until I had mastered all the technology.

Mercedes gave me 20 minutes and that was it.  Then on Saturday, I had someone else help me - not the delivery specialist.  I am still overwhelmed by the technology in the S Class.  Much more to learn and master than BMW.  Too much technology in the S Class and too confusing to access what I want/need.  At least I figured out the adaptive cruise and auto-steer functions so I can drive up to my brother’s place next week.  Since I do not need the self parking feature, no problem.  But getting the correct display up on the correct screens is a true challenge.

BMW was easy because you could call up anything using voice commands.  Mercedes is not so easy - you need to ask or command using the appropriate terminology.  But, I think the S Class Sedan handles and rides much better than the 740i.

Ford gave me the keys and I drove away. Anything i want to use i can figure out. If i can't figure it out I probably don't need it.

I figured out sports mode in two seconds. Setting the clock took several minutes.

Priorities.

imidazol97

abacomike said:

This car will keep me very busy!

...for at least 6 months?

imidazol97

I can honestly say that the aroma therapy part of my Malibu has given no trouble at all. The sunshades for the rear and side door windows also have given no difficulty.

driver100

roadburner said:

driver100 said:

Jmonroe, I was very disappointed with Mercedes’s short demonstration of the new car. BMW genius was far superior to the experience I had with the 740i.

MB has a different philosophy. No use flooding your brain with too much info at first. Do what you can and then come back and ask questions. I find most of the staff can help answer questions. It may be best to write them down as you think of them, make an appointment, and ask. Be sure to ask if there is something they can think of that you aren't even aware of....like special odors.

It's obvious that you have no understanding of how the BMW Genius program operates.
I think Mike can vouch for how well the process works.

When I picked up my E400 they have a special "delivery room". The car is waiting there and my sales assistant go through the main points......I get a survey asking me how the delivery went, so they are pretty thorough, and anything the BMW Genius can do my salesperson can do I am quite sure. I can go there anytime and someone will show me what to do.

Let's face it...the Genius program is smart, but, mainly for the dealer. It allows the salesman to do what he does best - sell cars, and the genius can specialize in teaching. If the Genius is good at what he does, he could get promoted into sales.

cdnpinhead

Having the "opportunity" to drive rental vehicles for my job, it's interesting to see how the various manufacturers deal with things.

Setting the clock is important to me. Figuring out how to work the audio system is also important, particularly the auxiliary input, since that's what I'll be listening to most of the time. Those on here who end up living with with these technological masterpieces talk about revisiting the dealer and/or reading the manual. Those are options not available to a renter.

Beyond those two items, I'm less interested. Either way, some vehicles are much easier to figure out than others. To avoid the learning curve, I prefer choosing cars/manufacturers that I've learned before. That's getting more difficult, since they all appear to update everything every year. User-friendly, not so much. I'd compare a renter with a fair amount of exposure to these things to a new owner/driver who hasn't had to deal with anything different for 4-5 years. If I'm confused/pi$$ed off, I'm guessing they will be as well.

Probably time to retire.

driver100

A guy comes up to our door and waves me to come out. His name is George he says and he was delivering some steaks to a house near ours but they couldn't get all of the boxes into their freezer - because there is a big turkey in there right now - so he will sell these steaks for half price. I take him inside where 2 friends are helping us to install a new bathroom, maybe we will share some steaks. I thought, what could a box of steaks cost.....$40 or $50? There are about 80 steaks in 6 boxes, regular $360 that he will sell for $180 half price.

I don't have room for 80 steaks in the freezer. The steaks are beautiful, fat trimmed, all grain fed no antibiotics if what he says is true. I am getting the impression the whole thing is a big scam and this sales guy is really good at what he does. I doubt if he had a customer here....he is looking for new customers or people who will load up on steaks for a one time deal...for some quick money. Jordan Belfort - The Wolf on Wall Street got his start selling steaks door to door.....and that is who this guy reminded me of.

My friend was thinking about it but I didn't want to try and fit them into my freezer until he was ready to go home...and then repackage them, so I said "You don't want to buy 80 steaks" Then the steak salesman starts yelling at me that I invited him in to show the steaks and now when he has sold them I try to talk my friend out of them.....Geez!

abacomike

stickguy said:

My latest delivery was wander out to the car and make sure the keys worked. I did the rest. Pretty simple basics, plus largely the same as my previous ride. I went home and read all the owners manuals to figure out the little nuances and details.

There is one “saving grace” reference that is very helpful - the Mercedes website has “How To” help video demonstrations that take you through 25-30  technology teaching sessions that i’ve Been viewing this afternoon that are quite helpful.  All are designed specifically for the S Class Sedan.  BMW has the same thing at their website.

@cdnpinhead

Your post was quite logical about rental vehicles you select.  Makes complete sense!

tlong

ab348 said:

There probably is no good way to do this orientation given the baffling technology that is now in many vehicles. Every time I went through it in the lot upon delivery I just nodded a lot but really couldn't absorb much of it at all. It took several reads of the manuals, sometimes some online searching, and lots of trial and error before I got comfortable with what I wanted to use, which in turn was a fraction of the overall number of things available,

Pretty amazing. My first car was a used VW Beetle that had only one electric motor in the ENTIRE CAR. (windshield wiper motor)

cdnpinhead

tlong said:

Pretty amazing. My first car was a used VW Beetle that had only one electric motor in the ENTIRE CAR. (windshield wiper motor)

Crank start?

thebean

driver100 said:

roadburner said:

driver100 said:

Jmonroe, I was very disappointed with Mercedes’s short demonstration of the new car. BMW genius was far superior to the experience I had with the 740i.

MB has a different philosophy. No use flooding your brain with too much info at first. Do what you can and then come back and ask questions. I find most of the staff can help answer questions. It may be best to write them down as you think of them, make an appointment, and ask. Be sure to ask if there is something they can think of that you aren't even aware of....like special odors.

It's obvious that you have no understanding of how the BMW Genius program operates.
I think Mike can vouch for how well the process works.

When I picked up my E400 they have a special "delivery room". The car is waiting there and my sales assistant go through the main points......I get a survey asking me how the delivery went, so they are pretty thorough, and anything the BMW Genius can do my salesperson can do I am quite sure. I can go there anytime and someone will show me what to do.

Let's face it...the Genius program is smart, but, mainly for the dealer. It allows the salesman to do what he does best - sell cars, and the genius can specialize in teaching. If the Genius is good at what he does, he could get promoted into sales.

Face it driver, you are never going to be impartial when it comes to MB. You are a huge MB fanboy and anything else will never measure up. I love Hondas, but I can admit that there are areas in which Toyota is better. Believe it or not, there are better things than a MB. Not trying to be a troll - just like to see people consider other points of view.

roadburner

thebean said:

driver100 said:

roadburner said:

driver100 said:

Jmonroe, I was very disappointed with Mercedes’s short demonstration of the new car. BMW genius was far superior to the experience I had with the 740i.

MB has a different philosophy. No use flooding your brain with too much info at first. Do what you can and then come back and ask questions. I find most of the staff can help answer questions. It may be best to write them down as you think of them, make an appointment, and ask. Be sure to ask if there is something they can think of that you aren't even aware of....like special odors.

It's obvious that you have no understanding of how the BMW Genius program operates.
I think Mike can vouch for how well the process works.

When I picked up my E400 they have a special "delivery room". The car is waiting there and my sales assistant go through the main points......I get a survey asking me how the delivery went, so they are pretty thorough, and anything the BMW Genius can do my salesperson can do I am quite sure. I can go there anytime and someone will show me what to do.

Let's face it...the Genius program is smart, but, mainly for the dealer. It allows the salesman to do what he does best - sell cars, and the genius can specialize in teaching. If the Genius is good at what he does, he could get promoted into sales.

Face it driver, you are never going to be impartial when it comes to MB. You are a huge MB fanboy and anything else will never measure up. I love Hondas, but I can admit that there are areas in which Toyota is better. Believe it or not, there are better things than a MB. Not trying to be a troll - just like to see people consider other points of view.

And let's face it what does Mike know? He's only experienced both BMW and M-B deliveries.
I always pay more attention to the opinions of people who have no experience with what they are discussing...

abacomike

thebean said:

Jmonroe, I was very disappointed with Mercedes’s short demonstration of the new car. BMW genius was far superior to the experience I had with the 740i.

MB has a different philosophy. No use flooding your brain with too much info at first. Do what you can and then come back and ask questions. I find most of the staff can help answer questions. It may be best to write them down as you think of them, make an appointment, and ask. Be sure to ask if there is something they can think of that you aren't even aware of....like special odors.

It's obvious that you have no understanding of how the BMW Genius program operates. I think Mike can vouch for how well the process works.

When I picked up my E400 they have a special "delivery room". The car is waiting there and my sales assistant go through the main points......I get a survey asking me how the delivery went, so they are pretty thorough, and anything the BMW Genius can do my salesperson can do I am quite sure. I can go there anytime and someone will show me what to do. Let's face it...the Genius program is smart, but, mainly for the dealer. It allows the salesman to do what he does best - sell cars, and the genius can specialize in teaching. If the Genius is good at what he does, he could get promoted into sales.

Face it driver, you are never going to be impartial when it comes to MB. You are a huge MB fanboy and anything else will never measure up. I love Hondas, but I can admit that there are areas in which Toyota is better. Believe it or not, there are better things than a MB. Not trying to be a troll - just like to see people consider other points of view.

Every car i’ve Ever leased or owned was always my best car!  When I owned a 1966 GTO, everything else took second place.  Same was true for my 1967 Corvette Stingray, my 2000 Bonneville, my 2001 Lexus GS300, etc, etc.  Driver does tend to place Mercedes in a Class by itself - the car manufacturer can do nothing wrong - after all, he owns 3 of them.

Mercedes does not have a different philosophy when it comes to new car deliveries - all car dealers deliver new cars during a 25-30 minute demo of the more basic functions in order to not overwhelm the new owner.  I did that when I was a manager at the Infiniti dealership.  What really matters is the follow up after the delivery and the offer of a second demonstration of technology functions and how to access those functions.

I am a type A personality - I want to master everything about my new car’s technology and operation in the first day or two.  I remember I had a tough time with the 740i - but through perseverance and hard headedness, I was able to master everything about the car.  But this S Class is far and beyond the 740i.  Mercedes should make an extra effort to ensure that the new owner of a $106,000 MSRP car is completely satisfied and is at least at ease about the operation of the vehicle.  This did not happen.  I haven’t even gotten a follow-up call from the salesman or the dealership - and it’s been 4 days since I picked up the car.

It’s the dealership that is responsible for the above - not the manufacturer.  A manufacturer can possess tons of philosophy - but if the dealership doesn’t follow through, what good is the philosophy?  I rest my case,  

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

A guy comes up to our door and waves me to come out. His name is George he says and he was delivering some steaks to a house near ours but they couldn't get all of the boxes into their freezer - because there is a big turkey in there right now - so he will sell these steaks for half price. I take him inside where 2 friends are helping us to install a new bathroom, maybe we will share some steaks. I thought, what could a box of steaks cost.....$40 or $50? There are about 80 steaks in 6 boxes, regular $360 that he will sell for $180 half price.

I don't have room for 80 steaks in the freezer. The steaks are beautiful, fat trimmed, all grain fed no antibiotics if what he says is true. I am getting the impression the whole thing is a big scam and this sales guy is really good at what he does. I doubt if he had a customer here....he is looking for new customers or people who will load up on steaks for a one time deal...for some quick money. Jordan Belfort - The Wolf on Wall Street got his start selling steaks door to door.....and that is who this guy reminded me of.

My friend was thinking about it but I didn't want to try and fit them into my freezer until he was ready to go home...and then repackage them, so I said "You don't want to buy 80 steaks" Then the steak salesman starts yelling at me that I invited him in to show the steaks and now when he has sold them I try to talk my friend out of them.....Geez!

Standard scam. Get your guard down by mentioning the neighbor who you probably trust. That way you automaticly trust the salesman by association. I had a steak salesman say he was a classmate of my disabled son. I was going to ask him if he learned salesmanship in special education class.

https://www.bbb.org/washington-dc-eastern-pa/news-events/news-releases/2016/04/top-three-spring-scams-to-avoid/

driver100

thebean said:

driver100 said:

roadburner said:

driver100 said:

Jmonroe, I was very disappointed with Mercedes’s short demonstration of the new car. BMW genius was far superior to the experience I had with the 740i.

MB has a different philosophy. No use flooding your brain with too much info at first. Do what you can and then come back and ask questions. I find most of the staff can help answer questions. It may be best to write them down as you think of them, make an appointment, and ask. Be sure to ask if there is something they can think of that you aren't even aware of....like special odors.

It's obvious that you have no understanding of how the BMW Genius program operates.
I think Mike can vouch for how well the process works.

When I picked up my E400 they have a special "delivery room". The car is waiting there and my sales assistant go through the main points......I get a survey asking me how the delivery went, so they are pretty thorough, and anything the BMW Genius can do my salesperson can do I am quite sure. I can go there anytime and someone will show me what to do.

Let's face it...the Genius program is smart, but, mainly for the dealer. It allows the salesman to do what he does best - sell cars, and the genius can specialize in teaching. If the Genius is good at what he does, he could get promoted into sales.

Face it driver, you are never going to be impartial when it comes to MB. You are a huge MB fanboy and anything else will never measure up. I love Hondas, but I can admit that there are areas in which Toyota is better. Believe it or not, there are better things than a MB. Not trying to be a troll - just like to see people consider other points of view.

People said I was partial to BMW when I had a BMW. I like them both equally, whether I buy a BMW or an MB depends mostly on how I like the car, and the dealer has a bit to do with it.

We had a 1999 MB, a 2004 X3, a 2003 MB, 2008 BMW Cabriolet 328, 2008 BMW 335, 2012 535, 2013 A4, 2015 MB E400 and GLK 2015 E400 and 2017 E400. They are interchangeable to me. We would still have BMWs but I didn't like what the dealer did to us......gave us a really low trade-in allowance, and then we discovered the MB suited us more at the time....the 2015 was more comfortable, the seating was better, and the interior looked more appealing than a 535. If I bought a 2015 535 I would have been driving almost the same car as my 2012, I would have chosen white and it would be like driving the same car.

I like the boxier styling of a current 3 Series BMW to the latest version of the C Class. If the seating and views were better and it drove as well then I would buy it over a Mercedes.

I really like my Mercedes dealer, they are 15 minutes away and they are the easiest car people I have ever worked with. My sales assistant will go over anything with me, he has offered to come to the house to install the Homelink. My MB dealer is probably the fanciest one in North America. Nothing wrong with the Genius, but, my sales assistant can do everything the Genius can do....and they send him to Germany for courses.

I love BMWs and I love Mercedes, and I would take an Audi if I preferred it. I am fairly loyal, but, I could switch if I liked something more.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

A guy comes up to our door and waves me to come out. His name is George he says and he was delivering some steaks to a house near ours but they couldn't get all of the boxes into their freezer - because there is a big turkey in there right now - so he will sell these steaks for half price. I take him inside where 2 friends are helping us to install a new bathroom, maybe we will share some steaks. I thought, what could a box of steaks cost.....$40 or $50? There are about 80 steaks in 6 boxes, regular $360 that he will sell for $180 half price.

I don't have room for 80 steaks in the freezer. The steaks are beautiful, fat trimmed, all grain fed no antibiotics if what he says is true. I am getting the impression the whole thing is a big scam and this sales guy is really good at what he does. I doubt if he had a customer here....he is looking for new customers or people who will load up on steaks for a one time deal...for some quick money. Jordan Belfort - The Wolf on Wall Street got his start selling steaks door to door.....and that is who this guy reminded me of.

My friend was thinking about it but I didn't want to try and fit them into my freezer until he was ready to go home...and then repackage them, so I said "You don't want to buy 80 steaks" Then the steak salesman starts yelling at me that I invited him in to show the steaks and now when he has sold them I try to talk my friend out of them.....Geez!

Standard scam. Get your guard down by mentioning the neighbor who you probably trust. That way you automaticly trust the salesman by association. I had a steak salesman say he was a classmate of my disabled son. I was going to ask him if he learned salesmanship in special education class.

https://www.bbb.org/washington-dc-eastern-pa/news-events/news-releases/2016/04/top-three-spring-scams-to-avoid/

Enjoyed your article and you confirmed my thoughts. Even though they were steaks the whole thing smelled fishy. The only time we eat steaks is about 2 or 3X a year....usually at a restaurant, maybe once from the Bar BQ. 80 steaks would last us about 5 years.

I like what you said about the neighbor.........that does make him sound almost like your buddy.

driver100

Mike, you got it 98.6% correct.........and it does depend a lot on the dealership. Of course, you like the car you own...that is why you buy it.
But, you, are probably more of an MB loyalist than I am, and you switched!
I would switch too, but I would really have to like the car I am switching to a lot more, it would have to be a pretty good deal, and my MB dealer has been so good to me and faultless - so that is a hard one to beat.

I love BMWs though, they are more exhilarating to drive than an MB. MB has more comforts, they are designed for older people, and they are more user friendly. Most of the things you are finding challenging for now are pretty easy once you practice, even I have mastered a lot. I have many of the same electronic displays.

And like I say, I like a BMW 3 Series for styling, over a C Class, but, I would have to drive one before committing.

driver100

In one evening I have written more than JMonroe writes in a day.

explorerx4

Those mobile steak sellers can be quite aggressive.
I had one pull into my driveway(what?) and get belligerent.
Told him to give me a minute and I'll be right back after I call the police.

tbirdmarco

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=32AuxH9soNw

imidazol97

explorerx4 said:

Those mobile steak sellers can be quite aggressive.
I had one pull into my driveway(what?) and get belligerent.
Told him to give me a minute and I'll be right back after I call the police.

If someone comes to our door, we just hold the phone and dial the non emergency number for our police department. We have a no soliciting ordinance that is enforced. You should have seen some of the surprised migrant roof repair folks that went door-to-door after any big storm with hail or really high wind damage in the area. Most leave our door before the conversation is over but the police try to find them in the area if they don't have higher priority calls. There's a list of addresses that are not to be solicited.

tlong

cdnpinhead said:

tlong said:

Pretty amazing. My first car was a used VW Beetle that had only one electric motor in the ENTIRE CAR. (windshield wiper motor)

Crank start?

You got me there! OK, two!.

fordfool

oldfarmer50 said:

I know in NY it's illegal to sell one without disclosure but I wonder if it's illegal to just advertise for sale. Regardless it's slimey.

That's correct @oldfarmer50. New York requires notification of a salvage title,
or prior use as a police vehicle, cab, or rental vehicle. But dealers usually try to
hide the disclosure in the mounds of paper work, hoping the buyer won't notice.

28firefighter

OK home entertainment gurus. I need some help. 

Going to buy a second, larger TV for our family room in the new house. Looking at roughly a 65” TV for the room. Looking to spend less than $2000 and would ideally like something that is 4K with a 120 hz refresh rate. 

What do you all recommend?  The Samsung MU8000 and MU9000 series look highly recommended but the weird connect box thing apparently bothers some folks. 

abacomike

28firefighter said:

OK home entertainment gurus. I need some help. 

Going to buy a second, larger TV for our family room in the new house. Looking at roughly a 65” TV for the room. Looking to spend less than $2000 and would ideally like something that is 4K with a 120 hz refresh rate. 

What do you all recommend?  The Samsung MU8000 and MU9000 series look highly recommended but the weird connect box thing apparently bothers some folks. 

I bought a Vizio in December of 2016 with surround sound speakers including sound bars, 4K, etc.  It’s phenomenal and also made in the USA.  Their consumer hot line has helped immensely in helping me set up Netflix and WiFi with Bluetooth.  I suggest you give it a look see.

oldfarmer50

Marcothecarguy1986 said:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=32AuxH9soNw

Why do you torment me with videos like that's? How can I ever be happy with 435 when I know 755 is out there?

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/chevrolet/corvette/2019/2019-chevrolet-corvette-zr1-first-look-review/?wc_mid=4035:9643&wc_rid=4035:1116404&_wcsid=803D36F0164E42D5126522EAB2C8C7A956205D600F9255F5

pensfan83

@abacomike - congratulations on the new car, even with some of the technology roadblocks it sounds like you are very pleased with the decision and it looks great. May you enjoy it for however long you have it!

driver100

abacomike said:

28firefighter said:

OK home entertainment gurus. I need some help. 

Going to buy a second, larger TV for our family room in the new house. Looking at roughly a 65” TV for the room. Looking to spend less than $2000 and would ideally like something that is 4K with a 120 hz refresh rate. 

What do you all recommend?  The Samsung MU8000 and MU9000 series look highly recommended but the weird connect box thing apparently bothers some folks. 

I bought a Vizio in December of 2016 with surround sound speakers including sound bars, 4K, etc.  It’s phenomenal and also made in the USA.  Their consumer hot line has helped immensely in helping me set up Netflix and WiFi with Bluetooth.  I suggest you give it a look see.

WARNING: Every make is good until you have a major problem with it. We liked our Audi, until they treated us badly. We liked BMW, until the dealer valued our trade-in at $4000 below KBB (saying they had so many of them in stock), and I liked our VIZIO until we tried to use the SMART feature and it wouldn't work and then I got the run around and outright lies from their hopeless customer service department - who I am sure are told to get rid of any customers as quickly as you can, never admit it is the TVs fault. I had to test the equipment each time which takes about 40 minutes and I did it about 6 times before they admitted there was nothing they could do. Blame it on the cable company, blame it on Netflix, anything but their TV....when it was the TV. I told them I would never buy another one of their TVs again, which of course means nothing to them.

We have never had problems with our Samsungs, and all that I have said here is FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

oldfarmer50

Is this the generation with tranny issues? Always like that style and the price is right. Too right though. I'm thinking soon to fail transmission or pulled out of a flood in Florida.



https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/d/2002-honda-accord-ex-only-69k/6386291382.html

stickguy

Farmer, yes, that is the generation V6 that has weak link trannys. Though I think it was more prevalent with the bigger cars and engines. But, the one in out Acura TL was at 175K when I sold it and working fine. Accord is an OK deal probably, if you are sure it is not flooded, and don't mind that body damage. Big dent in the side might largely pop out, but the hood fitment looks off. Unless it is not fully closed.

And if 425 is not enough for you, there are plenty of places around happy to slap a supercharger on your puny weak little motor. Might not get you to 750, but I am sure 600 is doable!

stickguy

as to TVs, consumers reports just had a big test, and had a couple of high scoring UHD ones that were a good price. Worth a look there.