Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

If we have reached the point that we have to design cars for people who are too inept to turn on their headlights then I fear that our civilization is doomed.

That is probably the excuse the government will use when they mandate self drivers with no steering wheel.

jmonroe

abacomike said:

I was over at the local Mercedes dealership this morning to meet with the service manager - a friend of mine. I asked him about the value of purchasing a 2-year pre-paid maintenance program for the S450. He said that since there is a 5 month pull-ahead program with leases from Mercedes Benz Financial, I probably will only need to have services done twice, one A service and one B service. He said it would not benefit me since he can price the two services at a discount to me which would be far less than purchasing a pre-paid 2 year maintenance package. So much for that - it is because I get a discount on service and parts due to the fact that I belong to the Mercedes Benz Club of America.

The next question I asked had to do with replacing the right wiper arm - there was a little paint chipped off. He looked at the wiper arm and said he will order one for me at no charge and no cost for labor. Since I had a minor complaint with the S450 within the first 6 months of ownership/lease, he has available to him, through MBNA, up to $1000 in what he called "WOW" money in order to keep high-end consumers happy about their Mercedes Benz experiences. Thus, within the next three months, I need to come up with how I want to use the thousand dollars - in the form of restaurants, TV's, etc. Interesting approach to making sure Mercedes Benz clients are WOWED by their experiences.

He also mentioned that since I will be servicing my car at their dealership, I can bring it in anytime for a carwash whenever they are open. Nice to be treated better by my servicing dealer's service department than where I bought the car.

Suggestion, put it towards a 2019 when they show up. You have an image to maintain, you know.

jmonroe

isellhondas

stickguy said:

Lots of cars still don't have auto lights. My Jetta doesn't (and really is annoying when I have to drive that one!). You are correct, the digital dash is a big part of the problem. You don't get that visual reminder. Plus, now there are DRLs, so you do get some front illumination. Not hard to not realize especially in a well lit area.

" really annoying"\\

Really? You find it that annoying to reach over and turn your headlights off or on?

Just curious....

andres3

oldfarmer50 said:

andres3 said:

I'd say about 8 years ago I was standing behind a PA State Trooper at a Bob Evans type restaurant while driving to a hockey tournament with Son #1 and his 2 hockey players. It was raining and he was taking off his clear plastic parka and the thin clear covering on his Smokey hat. I stuck up a conversation with him and said, "I guess you don't like patrolling the roads on a day like this" and he replied, "it's part of the job but you're right I don't like it". I asked, "how much leeway do you he give drivers on a day like this"? He said, "just a little less than good days but if they are riding the left lane and are creating a hazard or are weaving in and out of traffic and I feel they are a hazard to other drivers, I have no choice so I have to pull them over". I said, "I guess if you pull them over on a day like today, they aren't going to be able to talk you out of a ticket, huh"? He smiled and said, "you got that right". I wanted to have some fun so I asked him if all of his fellow troopers felt the same way about having to get out of their patrol cars on a rainy day. Without a bit of hesitation and no sense of humor like he seemed to have had while we were talking, he moved a little close to me, looked me right in the eye and replied, "EVERY DAMN ONE OF US".

If you want an ally about left lane huggers, I'm all in on this with you on that.

jmonroe

__________________

That's a true story. I use it to prove my point that none of my tickets were warranted, because I've never been given a ticket while it was raining!!!!! !!!!

And that doesn't surprise me one bit!!!!

An officer has to be VERY bored, severely under the monthly quota, or just plain dumb to bother with me. Hence, why I've never been bothered with in foul weather!

When the CHP Officer talks about how they are busy chasing the bad guys down for DUI's, among other things (had defensive driver training per my company policy every year just the other day), it just doesn't compute how they have any time to spend or waste on little ol' me!

I've heard that the rain interferes with the radar.


I feel most immune from traffic citations during heavy fog. Don't even have to be worried about the eye in the sky then!

isellhondas

ab348 said:

I don't think I've ever turned my auto lights off ever since my first car with them in 2003 came along. I remember being surprised with my Intrigue back then the first time I drove into a parkade during a sunny day and finding the lights suddenly turn on.

Aren't automatic lights standard on most cars now?

Up here the big gripe I hear on radio shows is that you need to turn on your lights even if they are automatic to make your taillights come on so you can be seen better in traffic. Again, I don't understand that.

I'm sorry, call me a dinosaur or whatever but I just don't understand the excitement over automatic lights. Two of our car have them and we really don't use them. On dark rainy or cloudy days I turn my headlights on and we get a lot of days like that here. For me to turn my turn signal stalk and turn them off or on is no big deal! Just like rain sense wipers! What a joke! I can tell when it's raining!

Our 2016 CRV has push button start! I don't get it! So did my 1952 Chevy!

I guess I'm getting to be a curmudgeon.

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

Could some of the NY/NJ/PA peeps in here do a better job than the author of this piece did of explaining how this situation came to be, how the before and after matches up, whether the new road will be any better, and why it has been so apparently messed up for so long? I found the article very confusing and it raised more questions than answers for me.

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2018/01/30/i-95-is-almost-complete-60-years-late/

That article was confusing but the last time I drove I-95 up from Washington I got confused trying to cross into NJ and ended up in Philly. Took the road up the other side of the river and crossed back in NJ before finding the Jersey turnpike.

andres3

jmonroe said:

I'm surprised no one has mentioned what seems to be the latest trend for driving at night at least here in the eastern Burgh suburbs. This bugs the hell out of me and it's not funny. Too many people drive with their lights out. I'm not talking when they are in mall or parking lot areas that are pretty well lit, I'm talking about when they are well down the road driving along oblivious to everything. When I'm about to pull out onto a road at night, I look more than twice I'll tell you that.

I think it might be because with today's cars vs. the cars of the 80's and earlier, the dash lights up on cars today even though your lights are out, not a good excuse but maybe this is why. Then again today's cars have the "auto-lights" ON feature so I don't know why people turn that off.

More than likely the auto-lights ON feature was incorporated for just these types of idiots so now maybe we need a mandatory installed "kick-in-the-[non-permissible content removed]-driver's-seat", to wake up these idiots so they turn their light ON. I just saw this again while out tonight. I was behind this idiot and he/she drove for about 2 miles before he/she turned off onto a street just past where I live. I have no idea how long he/she drove like that before I got behind him/her at a left turn lane. I hope something is done before too many people are wiped out because of this.

Maybe some of the guys in here have their own ideas about this. I just gave you mine.

jmonroe

I've noticed the techs at auto repair shops have a habit of turning off my Auto-On lights. I could have been ticketed for driving without headlights briefly. That would be an interesting small claims suit against the tech that turned it off. I always leave them on, so by habit I didn't check to see. Technology is making drivers more lazy and I make more "assumptions" because of it.

stickguy

isellhondas said:

stickguy said:

Lots of cars still don't have auto lights. My Jetta doesn't (and really is annoying when I have to drive that one!). You are correct, the digital dash is a big part of the problem. You don't get that visual reminder. Plus, now there are DRLs, so you do get some front illumination. Not hard to not realize especially in a well lit area.

" really annoying"\\

Really? You find it that annoying to reach over and turn your headlights off or on?

Just curious....

The annoying part is having 2 cars that I drive all the time that have it, and one I drive every few months that I have to remember to turn on and off. The physical act is not too hard for me!

jmonroe

isellhondas said:

ab348 said:

I don't think I've ever turned my auto lights off ever since my first car with them in 2003 came along. I remember being surprised with my Intrigue back then the first time I drove into a parkade during a sunny day and finding the lights suddenly turn on.

Aren't automatic lights standard on most cars now?

Up here the big gripe I hear on radio shows is that you need to turn on your lights even if they are automatic to make your taillights come on so you can be seen better in traffic. Again, I don't understand that.

I'm sorry, call me a dinosaur or whatever but I just don't understand the excitement over automatic lights. Two of our car have them and we really don't use them. On dark rainy or cloudy days I turn my headlights on and we get a lot of days like that here. For me to turn my turn signal stalk and turn them off or on is no big deal! Just like rain sense wipers! What a joke! I can tell when it's raining!

Our 2016 CRV has push button start! I don't get it! So did my 1952 Chevy!

I guess I'm getting to be a curmudgeon.

"getting"?

jmonroe

andres3

jmonroe said:

fintail said:

It's a limit on a sign, but most cars made in the past 70+ years will exceed it without issue. I have to question why it should not be exceeded - and if the people making the decisions can ante up when asked how they reached ab optimal number. Besides, most cops don't really enforce much within 10 or so over on the highway - no matter if a sometimes artificially low 55 (hello Oregon) or a more open 70, so it's moot, for me anyway, as I seldom drive faster than that 10 over.

Large pickups are also a good candidate for pace cars, at least around here - a feeling of invincibility, and maybe some kind of FOP badge or similar get out of jail/ticket free card, too.

The real issue is idiots in the left lane, a book can be written about that

jmonroe said:

WRONG may be a question to those who question if something is "fair" but a speed limit is just that, it's a LIMIT that should not be exceeded. And if it is exceeded you have broken the law which by definition is not legal. I don't agree with speed limits in a lot of areas but I'm not willing to take my chances in court saying, "judge, you know that is too low of a limit for that road". Yes, I drive over the limit most of the time but not so much that I draw attention to myself and as a result I have not gotten speeding tickets.

For the last 8 years that I worked I drove the PA Pike 40 miles round trip, it was a very easy drive. The speed limit then was 65 MPH and I did around 72 or 73 routinely with no problem. Not too long after I retired they raised the speed limit to 70 across the whole PA Pike. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I went to watch Grandson #3 play hockey yesterday and I took the PA Pike. I set the cruise to 77 and just sailed along but there were some cars and one semi that passed me. I don't know what you can get away with now that the limit is 70 but I don't want to push my luck.

I feel it is much more comfortable not having to be on the lookout for the cops all the time but I know others who don't mind doing that. Son #1 is one of those but he didn't learn that from me. I've been with him many times, especially when we go to Myrtle Beach, and I hear him say, "there's my pace car. Let's see how this goes". He lays back a couple hundred feet so as not to get caught in the fallout and off he goes. Only once has his "pace car" been pulled over and he just slows down and starts looking for his next "pace car". That's more work than I'm willing to put up with when I drive.

FWIW, the pace car is almost always a BMW, Mustang, Camaro or some other sporty type car. Not any common 4 door sedans that I can remember.

jmonroe

It seems you don't like "limits on a sign" and that is your choice as long as you are prepared to suffer the consequences although you have said you don't usually drive more than 10 MPH over the "limit" so that tells me that even you aren't willing to get caught, which is a good thing. Now, "left lane idiots", that's another subject and I agree with you completely about that. That just drives me nuts when I see it.

I'd say about 8 years ago I was standing behind a PA State Trooper at a Bob Evans type restaurant while driving to a hockey tournament with Son #1 and his 2 hockey players. It was raining and he was taking off his clear plastic parka and the thin clear covering on his Smokey hat. I stuck up a conversation with him and said, "I guess you don't like patrolling the roads on a day like this" and he replied, "it's part of the job but you're right I don't like it". I asked, "how much leeway do you he give drivers on a day like this"? He said, "just a little less than good days but if they are riding the left lane and are creating a hazard or are weaving in and out of traffic and I feel they are a hazard to other drivers, I have no choice so I have to pull them over". I said, "I guess if you pull them over on a day like today, they aren't going to be able to talk you out of a ticket, huh"? He smiled and said, "you got that right". I wanted to have some fun so I asked him if all of his fellow troopers felt the same way about having to get out of their patrol cars on a rainy day. Without a bit of hesitation and no sense of humor like he seemed to have had while we were talking, he moved a little close to me, looked me right in the eye and replied, "EVERY DAMN ONE OF US".

If you want an ally about left lane huggers, I'm all in on this with you on that.

jmonroe

isellhondas said:

ab348 said:

I don't think I've ever turned my auto lights off ever since my first car with them in 2003 came along. I remember being surprised with my Intrigue back then the first time I drove into a parkade during a sunny day and finding the lights suddenly turn on.

Aren't automatic lights standard on most cars now?

Up here the big gripe I hear on radio shows is that you need to turn on your lights even if they are automatic to make your taillights come on so you can be seen better in traffic. Again, I don't understand that.

I'm sorry, call me a dinosaur or whatever but I just don't understand the excitement over automatic lights. Two of our car have them and we really don't use them. On dark rainy or cloudy days I turn my headlights on and we get a lot of days like that here. For me to turn my turn signal stalk and turn them off or on is no big deal! Just like rain sense wipers! What a joke! I can tell when it's raining!

Our 2016 CRV has push button start! I don't get it! So did my 1952 Chevy!

I guess I'm getting to be a curmudgeon.

Anything that saves a second and is one less thing I have to think about is useful to me. Auto-lights is one of those features. Leave it on and forget about it forever.

Push-Button start is the same thing, saves time not having to turn a key (let alone find your keys).

Rain sensing wipers is probably a step too far. I do like my automatically dimming rear view mirror though.

I do also like my cap-less gas tank.

andres3

abacomike said:

@andres3:

I believe you broke the all time record for the number of posted comments on a single page here on Edmunds.  You even broke driver’s record - impressive andres - impressive! 

14 posts and 7 consecutive posts.  Wow!

I don't think I received a badge for that record breaking feat!

stickguy

ab348 said:

Could some of the NY/NJ/PA peeps in here do a better job than the author of this piece did of explaining how this situation came to be, how the before and after matches up, whether the new road will be any better, and why it has been so apparently messed up for so long? I found the article very confusing and it raised more questions than answers for me.

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2018/01/30/i-95-is-almost-complete-60-years-late/

I’ve seen that sign many times. But yes, confusing. The big event is they are finally connecting i95 directly to the pa turnpike (shown as new exit 40). Another mystery as to why it wasn’t done when the 2nd road of them was built. I assume local politicians pulling strings. It has always been a nightmare. Had to exit one highway, go a few miles down a local road, then enter the other. Even though they crossed, making a natural place to connect.

The 95 piece is just nomenclature. But it has been annoying that they never finished the connection to 287. That was classic case of the rich people not wanting the road near them.

andres3

So there are speed limit 45 signs in San Marcos, CA, where 45 is a fairly reasonable speed limit, but nothing that out of the ordinary (people still go over 45).

Below the sign, there is another small sign that reads "Strictly Enforced."

Not sure what that means really? Does it mean they fill the monthly quotas in this location, or does it mean that while 10 over is usually safe, they will ticket people going exactly 55 MPH in this location?

murphydog

isellhondas said:

ab348 said:

I'm sorry, call me a dinosaur or whatever but I just don't understand the excitement over automatic lights. Two of our car have them and we really don't use them. On dark rainy or cloudy days I turn my headlights on and we get a lot of days like that here. For me to turn my turn signal stalk and turn them off or on is no big deal! Just like rain sense wipers! What a joke! I can tell when it's raining!

Our 2016 CRV has push button start! I don't get it! So did my 1952 Chevy!

I guess I'm getting to be a curmudgeon.

I was exactly the same, until I started trying some of these auto features. The auto-headlight in my truck are pretty dang good. Of course they are always on at night, but they seem to come on exactly as I would turn them on during our grey rainy days here in Seattle. The auto wipers are the same - I set them once and they just work, from light mist to heavy downpour they wipe pretty much as I would want them too.

I resisted for the longest time because I did not trust that the auto settings would work as desired, but both my Benz and Truck have had at least these 2 features nailed for my use

cdnpinhead

isellhondas said:

I guess I'm getting to be a curmudgeon.

Welcome aboard. I've been one since I was a teenager, but have been honing the skills for decades.

cdnpinhead

I believe you broke the all time record for the number of posted comments on a single page here on Edmunds. You even broke driver’s record - impressive .
This is most certainly true. Those with 10 - 40K post totals live in a different world, unless they work for Edmunds.

driver100

Auto ON/OFF headlights are also good because how many people leave their lights on when they get to their destination....if they used them on a dark day? I would say ON/OFF lights are almost a necessity. Sure, we could crank windows too, but, if they have the technology to have power windows....then why not?

Curmudgeon? I think dinosaur is more fitting.....which is the polite way of saying old fossil.

driver100

cdnpinhead said:

I believe you broke the all time record for the number of posted comments on a single page here on Edmunds. You even broke driver’s record - impressive .
This is most certainly true. Those with 10 - 40K post totals live in a different world, unless they work for Edmunds.

We just have more important things to say than those with less than 5000 posts.

Michaell

OK, folks, I've been doing a bit of insurance shopping ...

I am currently insured through SF - been with them the whole time I've lived in CO (25 years this summer). They've been good to work with, especially as my step-kids went through their teenage years.

However, I got a flyer from an Allstate agent close to me. I contacted them, and they sent me a quote today.

Fully 40% cheaper than what I'm currently paying for 6 months. Coverages and deductibles are the same for both companies.

Therefore, I'm suspicious. Are these 'teaser' rates to get me to sign up, then have them increase with every renewal?

They've also given me a quote for my homeowners insurance - that's about 1/3 less, but some of the numbers are pretty different (building value, etc.), so I expect that gap to close once we align everything.

I'm inclined to call my current SF agent and tell them about this, and see what they can do for me.

Thoughts?

explorerx4

@michaell,
Yes you should contact your agent to see if he can get you some better rates.
My wife called ours and he came back much lower.

ab348

cdnpinhead said:

isellhondas said:

I guess I'm getting to be a curmudgeon.

Welcome aboard. I've been one since I was a teenager, but have been honing the skills for decades.

I actually have a certificate attesting to my status.

driver100

Michaell said:

OK, folks, I've been doing a bit of insurance shopping ...

I am currently insured through SF - been with them the whole time I've lived in CO (25 years this summer). They've been good to work with, especially as my step-kids went through their teenage years.

However, I got a flyer from an Allstate agent close to me. I contacted them, and they sent me a quote today.

Fully 40% cheaper than what I'm currently paying for 6 months. Coverages and deductibles are the same for both companies.

Therefore, I'm suspicious. Are these 'teaser' rates to get me to sign up, then have them increase with every renewal?

They've also given me a quote for my homeowners insurance - that's about 1/3 less, but some of the numbers are pretty different (building value, etc.), so I expect that gap to close once we align everything.

I'm inclined to call my current SF agent and tell them about this, and see what they can do for me.

Thoughts?

I'd see what SF says, but I would consider just jumping ship. I don't think SF has been fair to you - if their rates are 40% higher. I would be suspicious if they match Allstate now that the cat is out of the bag. That ruins the trust for me.

We had a shipping company we used to transport books from England. We spent about $150k a year shipping, then new guys came along who did it for half the price, and were faster and more efficient.

The first company asked me if they could try to match the new guys. I told them if they gave me back the $75000 a year for 5 years we had spent using them I would consider going back.

isellhondas

I guess I have more seconds to spare than you do. If my auto lights turned on when it's dark and rainy I might appreciate them.

abacomike

jmonroe said:

I was over at the local Mercedes dealership this morning to meet with the service manager - a friend of mine. I asked him about the value of purchasing a 2-year pre-paid maintenance program for the S450. He said that since there is a 5 month pull-ahead program with leases from Mercedes Benz Financial, I probably will only need to have services done twice, one A service and one B service. He said it would not benefit me since he can price the two services at a discount to me which would be far less than purchasing a pre-paid 2 year maintenance package. So much for that - it is because I get a discount on service and parts due to the fact that I belong to the Mercedes Benz Club of America. The next question I asked had to do with replacing the right wiper arm - there was a little paint chipped off. He looked at the wiper arm and said he will order one for me at no charge and no cost for labor. Since I had a minor complaint with the S450 within the first 6 months of ownership/lease, he has available to him, through MBNA, up to $1000 in what he called "WOW" money in order to keep high-end consumers happy about their Mercedes Benz experiences. Thus, within the next three months, I need to come up with how I want to use the thousand dollars - in the form of restaurants, TV's, etc. Interesting approach to making sure Mercedes Benz clients are WOWED by their experiences. He also mentioned that since I will be servicing my car at their dealership, I can bring it in anytime for a carwash whenever they are open. Nice to be treated better by my servicing dealer's service department than where I bought the car.

Suggestion, put it towards a 2019 when they show up. You have an image to maintain, you know. jmonroe

JM, I am so buried in this lease that it would take a lottery win to buy out of it early!  This is a situation I have never been in - but it will keep me in a car for at least 2-1/2 years until their pull-ahead program can be utilized.

I look at it this way - it’s the kind of car that is nice to be “stuck” in.

isellhondas

Michaell said:

OK, folks, I've been doing a bit of insurance shopping ...

I am currently insured through SF - been with them the whole time I've lived in CO (25 years this summer). They've been good to work with, especially as my step-kids went through their teenage years.

However, I got a flyer from an Allstate agent close to me. I contacted them, and they sent me a quote today.

Fully 40% cheaper than what I'm currently paying for 6 months. Coverages and deductibles are the same for both companies.

Therefore, I'm suspicious. Are these 'teaser' rates to get me to sign up, then have them increase with every renewal?

They've also given me a quote for my homeowners insurance - that's about 1/3 less, but some of the numbers are pretty different (building value, etc.), so I expect that gap to close once we align everything.

I'm inclined to call my current SF agent and tell them about this, and see what they can do for me.

Thoughts?

Something sounds wrong here! That's too much of a difference. call your SF agent and give him/her a chance to respond. I've heard that the big chains that advertise on TV may save you a bit of money but after the first claim or speeding ticket, all bets are off. If something big happens afterwards they will drop you like a bad habit!

isellhondas

driver100 said:

cdnpinhead said:

I believe you broke the all time record for the number of posted comments on a single page here on Edmunds. You even broke driver’s record - impressive .
This is most certainly true. Those with 10 - 40K post totals live in a different world, unless they work for Edmunds.

We just have more important things to say than those with less than 5000 posts.

And, some of us have been around here for 22 years. That can equal a lot of posts. Some better than others no doubt.

oldfarmer50

Humorous speed signs.

jmonroe

abacomike said:

jmonroe said:

abacomike said:

I was over at the local Mercedes dealership this morning to meet with the service manager - a friend of mine. I asked him about the value of purchasing a 2-year pre-paid maintenance program for the S450. He said that since there is a 5 month pull-ahead program with leases from Mercedes Benz Financial, I probably will only need to have services done twice, one A service and one B service. He said it would not benefit me since he can price the two services at a discount to me which would be far less than purchasing a pre-paid 2 year maintenance package. So much for that - it is because I get a discount on service and parts due to the fact that I belong to the Mercedes Benz Club of America.

The next question I asked had to do with replacing the right wiper arm - there was a little paint chipped off. He looked at the wiper arm and said he will order one for me at no charge and no cost for labor. Since I had a minor complaint with the S450 within the first 6 months of ownership/lease, he has available to him, through MBNA, up to $1000 in what he called "WOW" money in order to keep high-end consumers happy about their Mercedes Benz experiences. Thus, within the next three months, I need to come up with how I want to use the thousand dollars - in the form of restaurants, TV's, etc. Interesting approach to making sure Mercedes Benz clients are WOWED by their experiences.

He also mentioned that since I will be servicing my car at their dealership, I can bring it in anytime for a carwash whenever they are open. Nice to be treated better by my servicing dealer's service department than where I bought the car.

Suggestion, put it towards a 2019 when they show up. You have an image to maintain, you know.

jmonroe

JM, I am so buried in this lease that it would take a lottery win to buy out of it early!  This is a situation I have never been in - but it will keep me in a car for at least 2-1/2 years until their pull-ahead program can be utilized.

I look at it this way - it’s the kind of car that is nice to be “stuck” in.

On what page in your owners manual did you find that rationalization?

jmonroe

explorerx4

@oldfarmer50,
I would enjoy driving over the last sign @15 mph.

abacomike

jmonroe said:

jmonroe said:

I was over at the local Mercedes dealership this morning to meet with the service manager - a friend of mine. I asked him about the value of purchasing a 2-year pre-paid maintenance program for the S450. He said that since there is a 5 month pull-ahead program with leases from Mercedes Benz Financial, I probably will only need to have services done twice, one A service and one B service. He said it would not benefit me since he can price the two services at a discount to me which would be far less than purchasing a pre-paid 2 year maintenance package. So much for that - it is because I get a discount on service and parts due to the fact that I belong to the Mercedes Benz Club of America. The next question I asked had to do with replacing the right wiper arm - there was a little paint chipped off. He looked at the wiper arm and said he will order one for me at no charge and no cost for labor. Since I had a minor complaint with the S450 within the first 6 months of ownership/lease, he has available to him, through MBNA, up to $1000 in what he called "WOW" money in order to keep high-end consumers happy about their Mercedes Benz experiences. Thus, within the next three months, I need to come up with how I want to use the thousand dollars - in the form of restaurants, TV's, etc. Interesting approach to making sure Mercedes Benz clients are WOWED by their experiences. He also mentioned that since I will be servicing my car at their dealership, I can bring it in anytime for a carwash whenever they are open. Nice to be treated better by my servicing dealer's service department than where I bought the car.

Suggestion, put it towards a 2019 when they show up. You have an image to maintain, you know. jmonroe

JM, I am so buried in this lease that it would take a lottery win to buy out of it early!  This is a situation I have never been in - but it will keep me in a car for at least 2-1/2 years until their pull-ahead program can be utilized.

I look at it this way - it’s the kind of car that is nice to be “stuck” in.

On what page in your owners manual did you find that rationalization? jmonroe

I haven’t read the owner’s manual yet! 

stickguy

yes, insurance companies are big on new customer discounts. with the intent to jack the rates up every renewal. So that leads to the recommendation to shop every few years. The last couple I did call around, but found nothing cheaper (I am through AAA right now, and the rates have not changed much the last few years).

I have annual, and that is up in September. So this year I will look harder, because by then I should have the princess off on her own, so should be able to do much better (and can try out places like AARP).

tbirdmarco

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KBl5gb4bO54

imidazol97

abacomike said:

- but it will keep me in a car for at least 2-1/2 years until their pull-ahead program can be utilized.< /blockquote>

2 1/2 years. Let's see, that's about 3 oil changes? A record maybe? Just kidding.

I'm going to check with my Chevy dealer and ask if they $1000 cash from my purchase of my Malibu which they can give back to me in some form of benefits.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

Humorous speed signs.

Good signs....someone around here will want to test that last one though.

Mr_Shiftright

pensfan83 said:

qbrozen said:

I wonder if that is the same deal on those seats they advertise in the Continental commercial. 

Can you get a lifetime warranty for a Lincoln?

I was wondering the same....30 way seats in the Continental, right? I want to go test drive that car just to try the seats.

They are impressive seats. Very attractive interior, I must say, despite the cringe-worthy marketing. Apparently you can get 3 different "styles" of interior, each corresponding to a "lifestyle", as in "yacht club", "destination" and "chalet". This is only on the "Black Label" edition of the Navigator, and yes, it is marketing to wretched excess and La Belle Monde set. I was hoping for a "Let Them Eat Cake" interior, but maybe next year.

stickguy

I don't want the car (either one), but I would love to have one of those seats.

andres3

isellhondas said:

Michaell said:

OK, folks, I've been doing a bit of insurance shopping ...

I am currently insured through SF - been with them the whole time I've lived in CO (25 years this summer). They've been good to work with, especially as my step-kids went through their teenage years.

However, I got a flyer from an Allstate agent close to me. I contacted them, and they sent me a quote today.

Fully 40% cheaper than what I'm currently paying for 6 months. Coverages and deductibles are the same for both companies.

Therefore, I'm suspicious. Are these 'teaser' rates to get me to sign up, then have them increase with every renewal?

They've also given me a quote for my homeowners insurance - that's about 1/3 less, but some of the numbers are pretty different (building value, etc.), so I expect that gap to close once we align everything.

I'm inclined to call my current SF agent and tell them about this, and see what they can do for me.

Thoughts?

Something sounds wrong here! That's too much of a difference. call your SF agent and give him/her a chance to respond. I've heard that the big chains that advertise on TV may save you a bit of money but after the first claim or speeding ticket, all bets are off. If something big happens afterwards they will drop you like a bad habit!

Insurance can vary drastically. Geico was undercutting many by 100% for me. The last two renewals they've increased almost 30% in total, so the margins been cut.

Homeowner's has gone way up too, and I have that with Liberty Mutual.

I suppose I'm paying for the burned houses and cars up in Santa Rosa, CA, Ventura, CA, and for the flooded houses and cars in TX and FL.

fintail

The Bentayga has the "let them eat cake" demographic wrapped up, no point in competing with that.

Mr_Shiftright said:

They are impressive seats. Very attractive interior, I must say, despite the cringe-worthy marketing. Apparently you can get 3 different "styles" of interior, each corresponding to a "lifestyle", as in "yacht club", "destination" and "chalet". This is only on the "Black Label" edition of the Navigator, and yes, it is marketing to wretched excess and La Belle Monde set. I was hoping for a "Let Them Eat Cake" interior, but maybe next year.

driver100

andres3 said:

isellhondas said:

Michaell said:

OK, folks, I've been doing a bit of insurance shopping ...

I am currently insured through SF - been with them the whole time I've lived in CO (25 years this summer). They've been good to work with, especially as my step-kids went through their teenage years.

However, I got a flyer from an Allstate agent close to me. I contacted them, and they sent me a quote today.

Fully 40% cheaper than what I'm currently paying for 6 months. Coverages and deductibles are the same for both companies.

Therefore, I'm suspicious. Are these 'teaser' rates to get me to sign up, then have them increase with every renewal?

They've also given me a quote for my homeowners insurance - that's about 1/3 less, but some of the numbers are pretty different (building value, etc.), so I expect that gap to close once we align everything.

I'm inclined to call my current SF agent and tell them about this, and see what they can do for me.

Thoughts?

Something sounds wrong here! That's too much of a difference. call your SF agent and give him/her a chance to respond. I've heard that the big chains that advertise on TV may save you a bit of money but after the first claim or speeding ticket, all bets are off. If something big happens afterwards they will drop you like a bad habit!

Insurance can vary drastically. Geico was undercutting many by 100% for me. .

If I could get a 100% discount I would take it.

driver100

Black Label Navigator.....why oh why did they have to use a pop up screen?????

ab348

That center console is ridiculously big.

driver100

Not if you just had an argument with your wife.

fintail

The tablet look was a trendy thing in new designs about 5 years ago. Now some trend-setters are moving away from it in their newest designs, towards large integrated screens (see MB). The tablets are fine ergonomically, but aren't the smoothest thing in terms of aesthetics.

stickguy

there is one advantage. You can have it sit higher (for line of sight), without having such a bulky dash pod.

graphicguy

isellhondas said:

ab348 said:

I don't think I've ever turned my auto lights off ever since my first car with them in 2003 came along. I remember being surprised with my Intrigue back then the first time I drove into a parkade during a sunny day and finding the lights suddenly turn on.

Aren't automatic lights standard on most cars now?

Up here the big gripe I hear on radio shows is that you need to turn on your lights even if they are automatic to make your taillights come on so you can be seen better in traffic. Again, I don't understand that.

I'm sorry, call me a dinosaur or whatever but I just don't understand the excitement over automatic lights. Two of our car have them and we really don't use them. On dark rainy or cloudy days I turn my headlights on and we get a lot of days like that here. For me to turn my turn signal stalk and turn them off or on is no big deal! Just like rain sense wipers! What a joke! I can tell when it's raining!

Our 2016 CRV has push button start! I don't get it! So did my 1952 Chevy!

I guess I'm getting to be a curmudgeon.

Craig....do you really want us to agree with you? LOL!

I used to be amused by the fascination of “push button start” some people had. Now, the last couple of cars I’ve owned have the feature, and I like it. NO keys to pull out of the pocket....although, I kinda had arm/hand memory and was pretty fluid in pulling the keys out and putting the key in the steering column cylinder to start it.

Where it has become useful is the lock/unlock feature for doors and trunk. That’s been quite helpful. Just pull the handle and open the door. Mine locks itself with no intervention from me after I exit the car. Like that, too.

Some things, like automatic lights, I’ve had for years. And, I don’t even notice the lights knob these days. This is sort of like power windows, too. I’ve had them for so long, I notice when I get in a rental with crank windows (which is still quite rare).

Automatic heated and cooled seats are nice, but something that’s been in more recent cars. Could I live without that feature? Yeah....sure! Do I want to? Nah.....not after having the feature.

Progress? We’ve come pretty darned far. I remember my parents’ cars. Usually big steel with big V8s. None of them faster than my V6 TLX. None of them safer. They certainly handled much worse. None of them built better, or more efficient. And, even though their cars were pretty well loaded up (most were either a Caddy or a Lincoln), none of them were as luxurious as the car I drive today.

We’ve come far. I don’t want to go back.

graphicguy

driver100 said:

Black Label Navigator.....why oh why did they have to use a pop up screen?????

That’s a vehicle that would be ideal to buy for 40% off current MSRP in 18 mos.

Dash is huge, but so is the Navigator (or an Escalade).

When I was last in the Infiniti showroom, they had a QX80 (I think that was the designator) sitting there. I thought someone could park it on a beach in Maui and have a really nice place to live for a lot less than a house.

cdnpinhead

driver100 said:

We just have more important things to say than those with less than 5000 posts.

Fewer

qbrozen

fintail said:

The tablet look was a trendy thing in new designs about 5 years ago. Now some trend-setters are moving away from it in their newest designs, towards large integrated screens (see MB). The tablets are fine ergonomically, but aren't the smoothest thing in terms of aesthetics.

those introducing large integrated screens now are just catching up to Teslas from 6 years ago.

however, I really like the way Volvo did it with the intro of the 2014 XC90.

stickguy

The iPad look though is more functional for glancing at the screen without taking eyes off the road.

Mr_Shiftright

fintail said:

The Bentayga has the "let them eat cake" demographic wrapped up, no point in competing with that.

Mr_Shiftright said:

They are impressive seats. Very attractive interior, I must say, despite the cringe-worthy marketing. Apparently you can get 3 different "styles" of interior, each corresponding to a "lifestyle", as in "yacht club", "destination" and "chalet". This is only on the "Black Label" edition of the Navigator, and yes, it is marketing to wretched excess and La Belle Monde set. I was hoping for a "Let Them Eat Cake" interior, but maybe next year.

Ah, yes, the Hapsburg Edition, based on the premise that the poor take pleasure in seeing the rich enjoy themselves.