Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

roadburner

I drove the Club Sport last night and despite temperatures in the low teens(Fahrenheit) it warmed up quickly and ran flawlessly. It's hard to believe I've had it for over 22 years and 145k miles. Aside from heated seats and hands-free Bluetooth are about the only toys I wish it had, but RWD and three pedals outweigh any shortage of gadgetry.

qbrozen

I don't believe I have owned anything in my life for 22 years, except maybe some baseball cards.

stickguy

the blue tooth is easy enough. You can stick in a replacement head unit, or an add on device, to accomplish that. heated seats, just live with it.

tjc78

qbrozen said:

I don't believe I have owned anything in my life for 22 years, except maybe some baseball cards.

I have always been a stereo geek since I was under 10 and actually have some of the equipment from my early teens. That and some of my late Father’s things are about all I can think of. I can’t even imagine a care that long. I think the vehicle I had the longest was my 99 S10. I had that for over 6 years as a second car.

On another note, GM Financial planned a system upgrade at the end of the year. They are still down and can’t take payments... that’s interesting. Must have had something major go wrong. There are notes all of Twitter that they apologize for the inconvenience and it won’t affect your account or credit if your payment is late... I can’t stand the thought of anything ever late so I’m not happy. I guess I have to mail a payment in, but if they come up tomorrow or Tuesday that would certainly be faster. Going to try and get someone on the phone tomorrow.

roadburner

stickguy said:

the blue tooth is easy enough. You can stick in a replacement head unit, or an add on device, to accomplish that. heated seats, just live with it.

I know you can replace the head unit, but the current models look out of place. Porsche makes a vintage styled full-featured head unit for their 80's and 90's cars but I know BMW will not follow suit.

tjc78

Heated seats can be added too... also did your BMW have a CD Changer available? If so there are adapters that can use that port and add Bluetooth and/or an AUX input.

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright said:

oldfarmer50 said:

houdini1 said:

Looks like your plan is working. Just tell your wife it is impossible for an old man to find a job in this day and age but a woman might have better luck !

A

My wife is dead set against me going back to work. She wants me to hang around the house and wait on her.

I told you to actually read the marriage contract.

For those of us who didn't, how do we apply for a refund?

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright

It's like a lease---very expensive to get out of it.

roadburner

tjc78 said:

Heated seats can be added too... also did your BMW have a CD Changer available? If so there are adapters that can use that port and add Bluetooth and/or an AUX input.

I know heated seats can be added- if I could find the long gone BMW heated seat kit I'd be tempted- but I don't want some aftermarket hack splicing into the electrical harnesses.
My head unit and CD changer are pre I-Bus versions. The retrofits aren't available for them.

stickguy

I still have an old Bluetooth unit around someplace, that I had in my Accord. It clipped on the visor. Not integrated into the stereo, but worked fine. If a call came in, turned down the volume, pushed the button on the unit, and talked to the air. Worked just fine.

28firefighter

roadburner said:

Heated seats can be added too... also did your BMW have a CD Changer available? If so there are adapters that can use that port and add Bluetooth and/or an AUX input.

I know heated seats can be added- if I could find the long gone BMW heated seat kit I'd be tempted- but I don't want some aftermarket hack splicing into the electrical harnesses. My head unit and CD changer are pre I-Bus versions. The retrofits aren't available for them.

Not worth hacking the car apart. You’ve kept it original this long. 

explorerx4

My truck may be ugly to you, but it's beautiful to me, for example when I drove through a foot of unplowed snow to get home after getting off the local highway. None of your fancy nancy cars could have done that.

Back to smoke detectors, mine are all wired together, so in doing my research, I found out they all need to be replaced since the 20 year old models I have are not made anymore.

stickguy

when mine went I had to call and find out what the compatible model was. Mostly wanted on that would work with the ceiling mount, so I only had to replace the bracket and not the entire unit. but yes, when they get old and one goes, replace them all. The sensor piece does have an expiration date.

ab348

tjc78 said:

On another note, GM Financial planned a system upgrade at the end of the year. They are still down and can’t take payments... that’s interesting. Must have had something major go wrong. There are notes all of Twitter that they apologize for the inconvenience and it won’t affect your account or credit if your payment is late... I can’t stand the thought of anything ever late so I’m not happy. I guess I have to mail a payment in, but if they come up tomorrow or Tuesday that would certainly be faster. Going to try and get someone on the phone tomorrow.

I've seen those notices also. They surely needed an upgrade of some sort but it seems to have gone off the rails. When the last payment on my '14 ATS lease was absorbed by the dealer when I got the '17, I was confused when they handed me a cheque for that amount. A week or two later I got an invoice in the mail from GM Financial for that payment. I found it odd in that they were auto-withdrawing the previous 35 payments from my bank account with no problem but not that one for some reason. I tried to pay their invoice through my bank and found they were not in their system. I contacted them and asked how I could make the payment. Learned that there was no way to do it without sending them something in the mail, either a cheque or a form authorizing them to charge my CC. So I had to buy a stamp. I found that very bizarre in this day and age.

driver100

explorerx4 said:

My truck may be ugly to you, but it's beautiful to me, for example when I drove through a foot of unplowed snow to get home after getting off the local highway. None of your fancy nancy cars could have done that.

Back to smoke detectors, mine are all wired together, so in doing my research, I found out they all need to be replaced since the 20 year old models I have are not made anymore.

Smoke detectors should be replaced at least every 10 years....ours had an expiry of 8 years.
Sometimes a new model will replace your old one and you can keep the wiring and bracket...google the model and manufaturer and see if there is a newer version.

The truck is bada$$ ugly......in a good way, looks mean. Or could say, it looks so bad it looks good, and that in these days.

stickguy

my Sonata lease ended the same way. I got an email about having to make the last payment. they stopped at 35. I called to question it, and the answer made little sense, but I was able to do it online. Not a big deal, just weird.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

roadburner said:

snakeweasel said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

driver100 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

roadburner said:

isellhondas said:

I think you're on to something! Shame on me! How a BMW could tell that I had committed a mortal sin by buying a bulb at NAPA instead of at the dealer I'll never know! It took the car a few hours to figure out it had been violated!

I know that I’ve explained this before, but that issue has absolutely nothing to with whether the bulbs are OEM; the problem is the TYPE of bulb. European manufacturers use bulbs with a silver base instead of a brass base. BMW at that time had designed the bulb check system to monitor bulbs by sending a very low current to the bulbs to detect continuity. The copper bases corroded and or had too high of a resistance. BMW has yet to learn that US drivers never read the OM and will try to use the cheapest generic part whenever possible. 

Silver? Why not gold? It's an excellent conductor!

There is not being practical.....and then there is being ridiculous.

Actually gold is not as good a conductor as copper, but has the advantage that it doesn't tarnish. So that would be the only advantage in a car. Silver is a better conductor than either but corrodes, as does copper. So really, gold plated BMW bulbs are not that far-fetched as a solution to a problem--and think of the marketing potential!

is corrosion on the bulb really that much of a problem? I really can't think of a time when I had a bulb stop working due to corrosion. 

The bulbs still illuminated; the corrosion was enough to block the trickle of current the car sent to the bulb to verify continuity, so the system reported a burned out bulb.

To me it seems like BMW was just engineering a vehicle that needs to have officially sanctioned BMW parts to run. 

I call it brilliant marketing. Most of the money for dealerships is made selling parts and service. The foreign luxury brands found a way for dealerships to make money, and found a way to keep their finely engineered cars running properly....by having trained technicians and proprietary equipment.

Maybe if the other auto makers did that they wouldn't have to have been bailed out.

ab348

explorerx4 said:

My truck may be ugly to you, but it's beautiful to me, for example when I drove through a foot of unplowed snow to get home after getting off the local highway. None of your fancy nancy cars could have done that.

I don't think your truck is ugly. Maybe it needs a wash, and personally I would prefer a different type of wheel, but it's certainly not ugly.

roadburner

The thing about the BMW bulb issue is the simple fact that silver based bulbs aren’t even remotely proprietary or OEM BMW parts - I bought those rare and specialized bulbs at my local AutoZone.

nyccarguy

Hi everybody. It has been a crazy couple of weeks since we too delivery of our 2017 Honda Pilot Touring AWD. I've got some initial impressions that I'd like to share with you.

As @stickguy pointed out, the only 2 things shared in common with our former 2011 Pilot EXL w/ Navi is the fact that it is a Honda Pilot. This guy is big. Longer & wider (just what all 'muricans want). It takes some getting used to. The night we picked it up, it was raining and foggy outside. The ride home from the dealership was 30 minutes of back roads. Neve racking (and not fun) to say the least. We even stopped for dinner at a restaurant that was "valet parking only." I pulled up and told the guy that I literally just picked this rig up from the dealership. I just can't let you... The guy was cool and directed me to a nice spot on the end away from the other cars.

Our '11 Pilot didn't feel like such a big rig from behind the wheel. This one makes you question how close you are to the left or right side of the lane (or road). I definitely CANNOT fit another vehicle in our garage if the Pilot is parked inside.

One article I read (either C&D or TTAC) said that this current iteration of the Pilot is as close as you can get to a Minivan without the sliding doors. That's accurate. It has "Minivan Seats" that are upright with an adjustable armrest on the side. There is a MASSIVE console in-between the driver and passenger. I'm a skinny guy (5'10" 160 lbs) and it has taken a while to get comfortable. The front is very minivan-ish as is the raked windshield. The back (3/4 rear view) of the Pilot reminds me of the MB GLS.

The exterior and interior are finished very nicely. Panel gaps are laser precise. Interior materials are nicely finished. ZERO squeaks or rattles. The heated seats, remote start, power tail gate, and keyless go are all wonderful features.

Current mileage is 944. We've taken our new Pilot on a short New Year's road trip to Kalahari Resorts (indoor water park in Pocono Mountains, PA) and I've driven it the last 2 days back and forth to 2 of my older son's travel hockey games to Norwich CT (1 hr, 45 minutes away) and Northford, CT (1hr away). The new Pilot SHINES on the highway. You wouldn't believe this car is rolling on 20" wheels. I'm so happy I crunched the numbers and opted for the Touring this time. I LOVE the adaptive cruise control (ACC). It really reduces driver fatigue on highway trips when there is a lot of volume of cars on the road (not necessarily traffic). Once it slows down to 18 mph, the ACC automatically shuts off.

Cargo space is another big plus. I bought a 24" Toro Snowblower from Home Depot the day before a big storm hit and fit it behind the 2nd row of seats along with "a couple" of things my wife had me stop at Costco for. You guys all know why "a couple" is in quotes.

Saturday, one of the Moms asked me to drive her son up to the game in Norwich (about 1 hr 45 minutes away). He's the goalie, so in addition to his "regular" hockey bag & my son's bag, he has a second bag for goalie equipment that doesn't fit in the hockey bag, plus his pads and 2 sticks. On the way home, I ended up taking another kid back with us. The Pilot swallowed all the gear without issue. I'm glad I didn't have my Infiniti.

The integrated BluRay player is fantastic. We drove back and forth to PA and didn't hear a peep from the kids. Same thing with the hockey games. Boys watched "Mall Cop" & "Home Alone 2." It comes with wireless headphones that allow the driver to listen to music and not have to listen to the movie.

I was hesitant about buying a Pilot with the 9 Speed AT because of some problems I read about (performance and reliability). So far, so good. The transmission shifts so smooth that you don't know what gear you are in once you take off. It isn't a HEMI powered Durango, but the Pilot's V6 is smooth and strong. I don't know why so many people are violently opposed to the Auto Stop/Start feature. The car shuts off & there is a slight vibration when it turns back on.

So far, we are very pleased with our purchase. There are a few gripes that I'd like to throw out there.

The brakes. Much more pedal travel than I'm used to. They seem adequate at best.

The lack of a volume knob bothers me. I use the steering wheel controls, but my wife doesn't like not having a volume knob.

Apple Car Play. SO far, I do like it, BUT it will NOT use WAZE through my iPhone. If I had an Android, then I could use WAZE. What gives?

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

tjc78 said:

On another note, GM Financial planned a system upgrade at the end of the year. They are still down and can’t take payments... that’s interesting. Must have had something major go wrong. There are notes all of Twitter that they apologize for the inconvenience and it won’t affect your account or credit if your payment is late... I can’t stand the thought of anything ever late so I’m not happy. I guess I have to mail a payment in, but if they come up tomorrow or Tuesday that would certainly be faster. Going to try and get someone on the phone tomorrow.

I've seen those notices also. They surely needed an upgrade of some sort but it seems to have gone off the rails. When the last payment on my '14 ATS lease was absorbed by the dealer when I got the '17, I was confused when they handed me a cheque for that amount. A week or two later I got an invoice in the mail from GM Financial for that payment. I found it odd in that they were auto-withdrawing the previous 35 payments from my bank account with no problem but not that one for some reason. I tried to pay their invoice through my bank and found they were not in their system. I contacted them and asked how I could make the payment. Learned that there was no way to do it without sending them something in the mail, either a cheque or a form authorizing them to charge my CC. So I had to buy a stamp. I found that very bizarre in this day and age.

I make all my payments by snail mail. Don't want anyone to have access to my accounts.

qbrozen

nyccarguy said:

Hi everybody. It has been a crazy couple of weeks since we too delivery of our 2017 Honda Pilot Touring AWD. I've got some initial impressions that I'd like to share with you. As @stickguy pointed out, the only 2 things shared in common with our former 2011 Pilot EXL w/ Navi is the fact that it is a Honda Pilot. This guy is big. Longer & wider (just what all 'muricans want). It takes some getting used to. The night we picked it up, it was raining and foggy outside. The ride home from the dealership was 30 minutes of back roads. Neve racking (and not fun) to say the least. We even stopped for dinner at a restaurant that was "valet parking only." I pulled up and told the guy that I literally just picked this rig up from the dealership. I just can't let you... The guy was cool and directed me to a nice spot on the end away from the other cars. Our '11 Pilot didn't feel like such a big rig from behind the wheel. This one makes you question how close you are to the left or right side of the lane (or road). I definitely CANNOT fit another vehicle in our garage if the Pilot is parked inside. One article I read (either C&D or TTAC) said that this current iteration of the Pilot is as close as you can get to a Minivan without the sliding doors. That's accurate. It has "Minivan Seats" that are upright with an adjustable armrest on the side. There is a MASSIVE console in-between the driver and passenger. I'm a skinny guy (5'10" 160 lbs) and it has taken a while to get comfortable. The front is very minivan-ish as is the raked windshield. The back (3/4 rear view) of the Pilot reminds me of the MB GLS. The exterior and interior are finished very nicely. Panel gaps are laser precise. Interior materials are nicely finished. ZERO squeaks or rattles. The heated seats, remote start, power tail gate, and keyless go are all wonderful features. Current mileage is 944. We've taken our new Pilot on a short New Year's road trip to Kalahari Resorts (indoor water park in Pocono Mountains, PA) and I've driven it the last 2 days back and forth to 2 of my older son's travel hockey games to Norwich CT (1 hr, 45 minutes away) and Northford, CT (1hr away). The new Pilot SHINES on the highway. You wouldn't believe this car is rolling on 20" wheels. I'm so happy I crunched the numbers and opted for the Touring this time. I LOVE the adaptive cruise control (ACC). It really reduces driver fatigue on highway trips when there is a lot of volume of cars on the road (not necessarily traffic). Once it slows down to 18 mph, the ACC automatically shuts off. Cargo space is another big plus. I bought a 24" Toro Snowblower from Home Depot the day before a big storm hit and fit it behind the 2nd row of seats along with "a couple" of things my wife had me stop at Costco for. You guys all know why "a couple" is in quotes. Saturday, one of the Moms asked me to drive her son up to the game in Norwich (about 1 hr 45 minutes away). He's the goalie, so in addition to his "regular" hockey bag & my son's bag, he has a second bag for goalie equipment that doesn't fit in the hockey bag, plus his pads and 2 sticks. On the way home, I ended up taking another kid back with us. The Pilot swallowed all the gear without issue. I'm glad I didn't have my Infiniti. The integrated BluRay player is fantastic. We drove back and forth to PA and didn't hear a peep from the kids. Same thing with the hockey games. Boys watched "Mall Cop" & "Home Alone 2." It comes with wireless headphones that allow the driver to listen to music and not have to listen to the movie. I was hesitant about buying a Pilot with the 9 Speed AT because of some problems I read about (performance and reliability). So far, so good. The transmission shifts so smooth that you don't know what gear you are in once you take off. It isn't a HEMI powered Durango, but the Pilot's V6 is smooth and strong. I don't know why so many people are violently opposed to the Auto Stop/Start feature. The car shuts off & there is a slight vibration when it turns back on. So far, we are very pleased with our purchase. There are a few gripes that I'd like to throw out there. The brakes. Much more pedal travel than I'm used to. They seem adequate at best. The lack of a volume knob bothers me. I use the steering wheel controls, but my wife doesn't like not having a volume knob. Apple Car Play. SO far, I do like it, BUT it will NOT use WAZE through my iPhone. If I had an Android, then I could use WAZE. What gives? Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

What do you mean about not using Waze? Do you just mean it won't display on the nav screen? Because that did not surprise me at all. I have waze displaying on my phone and it interrupts my streaming music and plays the voice prompts through the stereo. So I think it works fine.

driver100

NYC Your new Pilot sounds like a much more sophisticated vehicle than then your last model. It sounds like some of the changes you aren't too sure about...like the size and the seating position. It has been my experience that as you get used to the changes that will become your new normal....and you will get used to those things.

One thing I really like is a hood on a car....I don't like to feel I am driving a bus or a van....but, if I liked the car I might even get used to that.

The E400 has a volume control so my wife can reach over and turn down my music....the C250 doesn't...I prefer it if she can't get at it

Nicely done review....I like a well done review by real people rather than "the experts".

driver100

Speaking about size....I saw this Nissan Armada park in a spot that was between a Toyota Corolla and a Honda Civic.....it was huge in comparison......looks way wider and about 6X larger than the cars. A small thin older lady jumped out of the drivers seat and went in to the gym. Of course, she parked it crooked, and it took up the whole space within the lines.

Unless her husband uses it for work or something this thing just looked like a pain to drive.

Unfortunately I can't find a picture comparing it to a mid size car.

ab348

The Armada used to be built on the Titan pickup platform but I understand it is now derived from the Nissan Patrol SUV. Regardless it is their big body-on-frame SUV, like the Tahoe and Expedition. It is ridiculously big and I cannot imagine they sell many of them but there seems to be some market for such things. See the Escalade for the extreme version of that.

ab348

I've watched the last few episodes of The Grand Tour, the revived Clarkson/Hammond/May show that Amazon decided to produce after they departed the BBC. I hope they are making lots of money from Mr. Bezos' company because the program itself is not very good. I found their last few seasons of Top Gear equally ridiculous and juvenile, but this is even worse. The most recent episode had a totally unfunny piece about Clarkson making a YouTube video of extreme driving on a farm that went on forever and was not at all entertaining. I guess "indulgent" might be the appropriate descriptor for the program. I wonder how long it will last.

stickguy

Apple car play is slick, for what it supports. But Apple is proprietary to a fault so you can’t run waze or google maps through the interface.

You can of course use them through normal Bluetooth with firing up CarPlay. I only use it in the Elantra if I need to run the navigation.

nyccarguy

@qbrozen

There are a few USB ports.  1 of them is specifically for Apple CarPlay.  If I plug my phone in to one of the other USB ports, or even leave it unplugged to stream, WAZE will not play through the speakers even if the WAZE recognizes the MY17 Bluetooth.  I'll have to look through the owner's manual later and try to find a solution.

nyccarguy

@explorerx4

i cannot believe how much snow is up by your neck of the woods.  I'm glad you got some good use out of your F150.

qbrozen

nyccarguy said:

@qbrozen

There are a few USB ports.  1 of them is specifically for Apple CarPlay.  If I plug my phone in to one of the other USB ports, or even leave it unplugged to stream, WAZE will not play through the speakers even if the WAZE recognizes the MY17 Bluetooth.  I'll have to look through the owner's manual later and try to find a solution.

Sounds odd. The only way I won't hear the prompts is if I'm not plugged in AND not streaming music through BT. If I'm plugged in, I can even listen to the radio or satellite and it will automatically switch over to the phone when a voice prompt is playing and switch back to what I was listening to after.

fintail

Escalade, Armada, and the like are the mcmansions of the car world.

graphicguy

Pro reviews for Camry vs Accord.....

Edmunds...
“Pricing

The base trim levels for both sedans are similarly priced, with the Camry starting at $24,380 and the Accord landing at $24,445. Starting points for models with optional engines reveal a larger difference — $35,285 for the Camry V6 and $31,185 for the Accord 2.0T. Keep in mind when comparing the prices that Honda offers the optional engine in four of the six Accord trim levels, and Toyota reserves the V6 choice for the two most lavishly equipped trim levels.

EDMUNDS SAYS: Toyota and Honda have stepped up the mainstream sedan game in a big way with the latest Camry and Accord. The Camry has a bold look and a powerful V6 engine, while the Accord exudes the class of a more expensive car. Fuel economy is strong with either one, though the Accord boasts more space and standard driver assistance features. Both cars should be at the top of your shopping list when test-driving new sedans.

MOTOR TREND...

“Holistically, though, there’s no comparison. The Accord is more comfortable, spacious, and luxurious than the Camry. It’s quieter, rides and handles better, and drives more elegantly. It offers superior technology with a more user-friendly interface. Simply put, Toyota built a better Camry, but Honda built a better car.”


I’ve looked at a couple of video reviewers regarding these two cars, and they more or less agree with the above. Plus, there’s a pretty big price delta between the top end Camry vs the top end Accord ($3K-$4K) with the advantage going to the Accord.

I haven’t driven either yet. Maybe if I have some time to kill I’ll try. But, these are the cars everyone looks at when it’s time to find a new sedan.

abacomike

nyccarguy said:

@qbrozen

There are a few USB ports.  1 of them is specifically for Apple CarPlay.  If I plug my phone in to one of the other USB ports, or even leave it unplugged to stream, WAZE will not play through the speakers even if the WAZE recognizes the MY17 Bluetooth.  I'll have to look through the owner's manual later and try to find a solution.

My car has the same set-up for Apple CarPlay. In the console, there are two USB sockets - the right one is for Apple CarPlay and the other is for auxilary use or, if you don't want to use CarPlay, you can plug your iphone into the socket and it will just charge. CarPlay can only be used when the phone is plugged into the socket. I am not that fond of CarPlay myself. I prefer using the car's technology to set destinations and routes, answer and make phone calls on Bluetooth, or access the Mercedes Apps.

graphicguy

I too wish you could use WAZE through Apple Car Play. But, Apple Maps is much better than it was 3-4 years ago. So, I now use that almost exclusively for directions. I use my Acura’s map just tooling around to see where I’m going.

I miss WAVE’s ability to identify speed traps and traffic. Although, Apple Maps seems to have become better at traffic in it’s current iteration. AcuraLink’s real time traffic is pretty good these days, too.

Everything else, my music, podcasts, Books (via Audible), etc, I play through Car Play. I do have some multi-channel audio disks (DTS) that I play in the DVD player. They’re disks and music I can’t find anywhere else. They sound great in the ELS system. But, those are usually reserved for long trips.

All-in-all, I’m pleased with Car Play!

More and more, I’m using BlueTooth streaming and wireless charging in the TLX, too.

stickguy

I am happy with CarPlay too. Not missing built in navi. Though nice to have map always just there, not a big deal.

roadburner

abacomike said:

nyccarguy said:

@qbrozen

There are a few USB ports.  1 of them is specifically for Apple CarPlay.  If I plug my phone in to one of the other USB ports, or even leave it unplugged to stream, WAZE will not play through the speakers even if the WAZE recognizes the MY17 Bluetooth.  I'll have to look through the owner's manual later and try to find a solution.

My car has the same set-up for Apple CarPlay. In the console, there are two USB sockets - the right one is for Apple CarPlay and the other is for auxilary use or, if you don't want to use CarPlay, you can plug your iphone into the socket and it will just charge. CarPlay can only be used when the phone is plugged into the socket. I am not that fond of CarPlay myself. I prefer using the car's technology to set destinations and routes, answer and make phone calls on Bluetooth, or access the Mercedes Apps.

Agreed; my 2 Series already has navigation and I can access Siri though the voice command button; for me CarPlay would just be redundant.

venture

abacomike said:

nyccarguy said:

@qbrozen

There are a few USB ports.  1 of them is specifically for Apple CarPlay.  If I plug my phone in to one of the other USB ports, or even leave it unplugged to stream, WAZE will not play through the speakers even if the WAZE recognizes the MY17 Bluetooth.  I'll have to look through the owner's manual later and try to find a solution.

My car has the same set-up for Apple CarPlay. In the console, there are two USB sockets - the right one is for Apple CarPlay and the other is for auxilary use or, if you don't want to use CarPlay, you can plug your iphone into the socket and it will just charge. CarPlay can only be used when the phone is plugged into the socket. I am not that fond of CarPlay myself. I prefer using the car's technology to set destinations and routes, answer and make phone calls on Bluetooth, or access the Mercedes Apps.

Me too Mike.

My Legacy has Android Auto, but I can hear text messages, phone calls, etc. without using AA. My navigation has SiriusXM Traffic & TravelLink which is actually very good. I use Waze only occasionally...too much fake information.

pensfan83

Since most of the jaunts in my car are short I don't really plug into AA very much though I do use the wireless charger and BT streaming quite frequently. However when I have used AA I've found it's worked well and I can use Waze, which was appealing. Most everything else is done through BT (calls, music, etc).

graphicguy

pensfan83 said:

Since most of the jaunts in my car are short I don't really plug into AA very much though I do use the wireless charger and BT streaming quite frequently. However when I have used AA I've found it's worked well and I can use Waze, which was appealing. Most everything else is done through BT (calls, music, etc).

I do like wireless charging with BlueTooth streamed through the TLX stereo. Anything that I can play through the iPhone, I can stream through the stereo. Acura is supposed to be bringing more apps exclusive to them, but I haven’t seen any (haven’t been looking for them, though).

I am jealous that you can use WAZE via AA. My understanding is the issue is a fight between Apple and Google in not wanting the other’s map data available. To me, that’s short sighted, given not that long ago Apple even told iPhone users to default to Google Maps.

Mr_Shiftright

roadburner said:

The thing about the BMW bulb issue is the simple fact that silver based bulbs aren’t even remotely proprietary or OEM BMW parts - I bought those rare and specialized bulbs at my local AutoZone.

Yes but won't BMW know you bought them at Autozone? (just kidding)

graphicguy

One other point about using Car Play, it’s speech recognition has been nearly flawless for me. All I do is say “get directions to ABC” and it does so without hesitation. IT also does the same for when I’m sending/responding to texts.....practically flawless.

abacomike

graphicguy said:

pensfan83 said:

Since most of the jaunts in my car are short I don't really plug into AA very much though I do use the wireless charger and BT streaming quite frequently. However when I have used AA I've found it's worked well and I can use Waze, which was appealing. Most everything else is done through BT (calls, music, etc).

I do like wireless charging with BlueTooth streamed through the TLX stereo. Anything that I can play through the iPhone, I can stream through the stereo. Acura is supposed to be bringing more apps exclusive to them, but I haven’t seen any (haven’t been looking for them, though).

I am jealous that you can use WAZE via AA. My understanding is the issue is a fight between Apple and Google in not wanting the other’s map data available. To me, that’s short sighted, given not that long ago Apple even told iPhone users to default to Google Maps.

I have the capability to charge a phone wirelessly in my car, however my iPhone 7+ still needs to charge by wire. The iPhone 8+ can be charged wirelessly, but I am in no mood to go out and spend that kind of money on a new phone that I don't need. This coming November, my phone will be 2 years old and then I will consider a new iPhone - I have the extended warranty so I am in no hurry..

andres3

roadburner said:

fintail said:

Germans like complexity for the sake of complexity. It even impacted some of their WW2 vehicles. Sometimes that will impact your wallet

Germans also tend to design a car assuming that all recommended maintenance will be performed on time and followed to the letter. In contrast, US and Asian brands almost always assume little to no maintenance-aside from oil changes-will be performed. It's just a different mindset; I once heard a European engineer explain the difference between European drivers and American drivers:

"European drivers don't care if the brakes squeal- just as long as they stop the car."

"American drivers don't care if the brakes stop the car- just as long as they don't squeal."

My brakes squeal a little bit now during feather light braking, but if they last me 4X or more longer than the OEM pads, I don't care! Plus, I can stop on a dime as they say.

pensfan83

graphicguy said:

One other point about using Car Play, it’s speech recognition has been nearly flawless for me. All I do is say “get directions to ABC” and it does so without hesitation. IT also does the same for when I’m sending/responding to texts.....practically flawless.

We're an Android family so no opportunity to test Car Play but when I was reading up on the Acura most everyone was very pleased with its integration and ease of use.

Also, we had snow come through here this morning, 3-4 inches, so my wife took the Acura to work and was very complementary on how it tackled the roads. She said she had no hesitation about sticking to the back roads on the way to her office, some of which were only plowed (no salt).

andres3

Mr_Shiftright said:

Exactkly. Why did BMW take so bloody long to fix their cooling system failures. My god, it just went on and on.

And Subaru? They really couldn't figure out how to keep a head gasket on an engine?

I really do get how difficult it is to perfectly engineer a new product, and I'll give any automaker some slack for the first year or two. But to not correct issues over the span of a decade---that's just inexcusable IMO.

I agree, and Chrysler using a lame-duck 3-speed auto in a '95 car was unacceptable too.

driver100

ab348 said:

The Armada used to be built on the Titan pickup platform but I understand it is now derived from the Nissan Patrol SUV. Regardless it is their big body-on-frame SUV, like the Tahoe and Expedition. It is ridiculously big and I cannot imagine they sell many of them but there seems to be some market for such things. See the Escalade for the extreme version of that.

I can't imagine driving any of those big barges would be much fun....it would feel like navigating a big dump truck through the traffic. To each his own.

driver100

Today, I was sitting in the C250 reading the newspaper and listening to the radio while my wife finished her game of tennis, and I hear a big thump right into my drivers door....I backed in to the space. Some woman driving a newer Buick convertible got out of her car and smacked my car with her door. I got out and we both looked at the mark left and small indentation....she tried to wipe it off with some spit and a finger. She apologized a few times and said the door got away from her. Of course, she didn't have the decency to say here is $50 bucks to get a guy to fix it up. And it would have been even nicer to say here is my name and phone number, let me know if it costs more than that.

Some people.....and they are out there.

isellhondas

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

isellhondas said:

roadburner said:

isellhondas said:

I think you're on to something! Shame on me! How a BMW could tell that I had committed a mortal sin by buying a bulb at NAPA instead of at the dealer I'll never know! It took the car a few hours to figure out it had been violated!

I know that I’ve explained this before, but that issue has absolutely nothing to with whether the bulbs are OEM; the problem is the TYPE of bulb. European manufacturers use bulbs with a silver base instead of a brass base. BMW at that time had designed the bulb check system to monitor bulbs by sending a very low current to the bulbs to detect continuity. The copper bases corroded and or had too high of a resistance. BMW has yet to learn that US drivers never read the OM and will try to use the cheapest generic part whenever possible. 

Except, a person shouldn't HAVE to read an Owner's Manual to determine which light bulb to use so, yeah, I'm guilty! I didn't read my manual. Also, I didn't try to buy the "cheapest generic part" I could find! I decided not to drive ten miles to the BMW dealer and, (shame on me) I figured a quality light bulb from a NAPA store would work just fine as they have done in EVERY other car I have ever owned!I don't know if the NAPA bulb had a copper base or not but I DO know that one day of usage wouldn't have been enough time for it to corrode!

Face it, BMW's are wonderful cars in many ways but they are also fussy cars that love to drain wallets in ways other cars don't!

If you want to play you have to pay.

I understand it not being worth it to most people, but, sometimes there is a cost to getting something so superbly engineered, it won't work with generic off-brand pr0ducts. My smoke detectors insist on Eveready batteries.

I for one don't want to play that game. Sophistication can be taken too far. Let's hope it doesn't come to the design of toilets where you have to register your DNA to a successful flush. Believe it or not that can be done.

Too much engineering is not good engineering...it's just too much engineering.

jmonroe

Thank you! My point exactly.

I guess I'm at a point in life when I want my cars to behave instead of rebel constantly.

It wasn't a matter of me wanting to skimp on my part as has been suggested! I once bought a gas cap from NAPA that looked identical to the factory cap in every way. Whe my check engine light went on the following day it was traced to the gas cap. I bought one from BMW and returned the "bad" one to NAPA and the one from BMW was actually three dollars less!

Great cars if a person wants to constantly pander to them! I no longer want to do this!

isellhondas

fezo said:

My $35 Timex doesn't lose more than two seconds either way between changing for Daylight Time.

On a complete;y different subject:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/04/opinion/how-would-jesus-drive.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region&region=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region&_r=0

FEZO!!!!!!

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN-Seriously!

Se were about to launch a search party!

carnaught

driver100 said:

Today, I was sitting in the C250 reading the newspaper and listening to the radio while my wife finished her game of tennis, and I hear a big thump right into my drivers door....I backed in to the space. Some woman driving a newer Buick convertible got out of her car and smacked my car with her door. I got out and we both looked at the mark left and small indentation....she tried to wipe it off with some spit and a finger. She apologized a few times and said the door got away from her. Of course, she didn't have the decency to say here is $50 bucks to get a guy to fix it up. And it would have been even nicer to say here is my name and phone number, let me know if it costs more than that.

Some people.....and they are out there.

You were too nice my friend. I would have insisted she give me her name and insurance card, then I would have taken a picture of the car and her insurance card. She was caught in the act, and you both knew it. If she would have refused, I would have taken a picture of the damage and her licence plate, right in front of her.