Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

tbirdmarco

 Explore for very nice on the bathroom project you doing this weekend since the wife. Away 

stickguy

Chrysler most likely just gets bought out again, so push the reset button on them, depending on the new owner!

My wife, sounds like a number of other spouses of posters here (trying not to be sexist...) Not a car person. Knows nothing about the details or mechanicals. Just wants something that looks nice, reliable, can see out of, comfy, etc. And in a badge covered "blind" test, could pick anything. Yet, they still have deep seated opinions about a brand (in many cases, one they have never actually driven) and will in fact make a decision based on the logo. And IMO it is not all just brand snobbery (but probs sometimes that comes into play).

I have pushed some Fords a few times when we were looking, and get the same "it's a Ford" line, but when I ask why, she has nothing to base it on. Though I know she did not like the design of the 2015 Escape radio/HVAC buttons on a car without NAVI (they were a kind of odd butterfly arrangement). But that was just a nitpick, not the reason to hate the blue oval!

tbirdmarco

 Send man do what you think is best with your car when you get it back if you wanna trade it in because it’s always going to be on your mind that accident do what you have to do if they total it out now might be more beneficial for you keep us all updated man we’re all here for you 

abacomike

I see that Mercedes finally came out with the E400 Sedan with that V6 twin turbo, but they kept the 329 hp version like they had in the 2016.  It is very similar to the V6 I have in my S450, but mine delivers higher torque and higher horsepower.  I’ve heard that Mercedes is looking to come out with an in-line 6 for that car either next model year or in 2020.  It is supposed to produce over 400 hp - that should be interesting.

tbirdmarco

 Driver 100 yes pretty interesting career I got here ha ha Ha can’t complain yes you never know what life will bring you down the road awesome pictures you posted from your friends trip to Cuba I know they have all those all cool cars there 

tbirdmarco

 Send driver 100 sounds like an awesome past you find two as well 

tbirdmarco

Send man and others and when it comes to being disabled people shouldn’t judge without knowing you personally in assuming that God would heal heal all and all that stuff that’s their personal belief but they shouldn’t push it on you being really religious not right you want to be religious that’s fine or whatever the case maybe in life but don’t push it on me or others don’t like people who do that George do you know what the person is going through actually really you shouldn’t judge anyone at all ever not right

tbirdmarco

 And another thing I can’t stand how many people I have around me were so close minded and don’t take me seriously due to being disabled they can’t look past that they won’t straight out tell me to my face but you can tell her he said I could count on one hand people work Schlee take me seriously even in the work please but that’s their loss it is what it is and that’s probably employers to most of them don’t look past the visual impairment that’s why have to keep on fighting not right 

imidazol97

Time change for most of us this weekend.

tbirdmarco

 I had my dad‘s girlfriend and my older brothers wife my sister-in-law they were talking together one time a year or so ago behind my back I heard everything but my brother said don’t go say anything not worth it they were saying what does he need that wall color for what is he going to do with it I guess good thing he stop me because that would’ve been a rare occasion a big fight would’ve started and usually I’m pretty cool I don’t like starting trouble with others respect others opinions Ha ha ha you’re all cool in here 

tbirdmarco

 They were saying what does he need an old car for always thought on nuts I don’t care just don’t be so close minded and talk behind my back so it pisses me off more than anything but anyway sorry for the rant guys ha ha Ha 

abacomike

imidazol97 said:

Time change for most of us this weekend.

The Florida Legislature just passed and the Governor signed a bill that would keep the State on Daylight Savings Time year-round like Arizona and a couple of other states.  Congress has to approve the time change before it can be implemented due to its affect on commerce and air travel.

The only thing I don’t like about the change is that it will be dark in winter when the kids go to school in the morning.  I consider that dangerous.

venture

oldfarmer50 said:

sandman_6472 said:

Swapped the GLA250 for a RAV4 and much happier. A frugal little CUV and super easy to drive. No XM radio but using my old cd's so all is good. Even has a sunroof since we're having cool evenings down here. So all is good and I'll keep this till the end. The other insurance company is going to go look at the damage also so will be interesting to see where we do end up. Either fix it to the way it was or total the damn thing so I can move on,
The wife knows me too well when she said if they fix it, you're just going to trade it as soon as it comes home. Depending on how it drives and if they compensate me for the damaging Carfax, she's maybe 75% right here. I'll always be looking and thinking once I drive it again so for my piece of mind, might just get something new. But nothing is written in stone hear and must wait till the fat lady sings. In the meantime, do plan to test drive a new Ford Ecosport as I like the size and the looks. The "SE" version hits the sweet spot for me but anything I would get will need the safety stuff on it. Only negative is it's a Ford!

The Sandman

woah way to go with those hurtful brand insults. Some of us have sensitive feelings. You didn't say which model. I was very impressed with the Focus for power and handling. Less so with the Fusion.

That would depend on which Fusion you drove.

graphicguy

My interest in cars didn’t start until the ‘80s.

First new car was an ‘82 Trans Am (same as Chevy Z28). Cool looking, but with an anemic 150HP small block, and Yugo level build quality. Hard to forget that.

That started me searching for sports cars that were more reliable. After that, I went for a 300ZX....not today’s definition of Sports Cars, but a lot more reliable than the Chevy/Pontiac counterparts.

I owned other dogs, some bought new, some used (MGB GT-dog, Renault Fuego Tubo-dog). Others were great....Corolla GTS, ‘05 Mustang GT to name a few.

That’s how our beliefs on car brands/models are formed, however.

Regarding Chrysler, left for dead in the ‘80s until Iacocca and the gov’t Bailout. They bought Jeep. Became cash rich. Mercedes swept in, emptied Chrysler’s bank account. Took the Jeep tech, and sold the bones to Cerberus, who was notorious for poor fiancial management, and made things worse. Enter Fiat, not a bastion of quality manufacturing. Who knows where they’ll end up.

venture

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

sounds like my wife. does not really know anything about cars, but refuses to consider some options simply because of the name. Ford ""but it's a Ford!" being one of them.

Why would anyone say "But it's a Ford"? Now, "But it's a Chrysler" that I would understand!

Actually, I think this happens a lot because of family history. Some families would always buy GM or Ford, and it became a habit. I was always told Chryslers were poor quality....and for many years they were, so I stayed away from Chryslers. When i got my first JEEP in 95 the first thing my father said was hope it doesn't leak...water gets into those. When i got my BMW X3 in 2004 he saidBMW....didn't they make those 3 cylinder cars?

Way back in the day, families leaned toward one brand of car over another - Ford Families, GM Families, etc.  My Dad’s first car was a used Studebakker in 1945 when he returned from the war.  His father (my grandfather) bought a new 1947 Dodge Sedan with “Fluid Drive”.  Fluid Drive was a precursor to Automatic Transmissions.  After depressing the clutch to shift into first gear, the car would automatically shift into second and third gears, IIRC.

My Dad’s first new car was a 1951 Chevrolet DeLuxe Sedan.  After that purchase, he only bought GM cars (Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Cadillac) until 1992.  I inherited his preference for GM cars for quite a few years.  My children could care less what they drove.

Those days are over - today people buy cars for many reasons - but fewer buy cars out of brand loyalty.

I don't buy out of brand loyalty any more. I used to always consider Chevy first until the dealer I usually bought from suddenly became bad...real bad. Most of the cars I have bought lately have been because of the dealer and it's service department. I guess that's why I suddenly have 3 Subaru's.

snakeweasel

stickguy said:

Chrysler most likely just gets bought out again, so push the reset button on them, depending on the new owner!

My wife, sounds like a number of other spouses of posters here (trying not to be sexist...) Not a car person. Knows nothing about the details or mechanicals. Just wants something that looks nice, reliable, can see out of, comfy, etc. And in a badge covered "blind" test, could pick anything. Yet, they still have deep seated opinions about a brand (in many cases, one they have never actually driven) and will in fact make a decision based on the logo. And IMO it is not all just brand snobbery (but probs sometimes that comes into play).

I have pushed some Fords a few times when we were looking, and get the same "it's a Ford" line, but when I ask why, she has nothing to base it on. Though I know she did not like the design of the 2015 Escape radio/HVAC buttons on a car without NAVI (they were a kind of odd butterfly arrangement). But that was just a nitpick, not the reason to hate the blue oval!

My mom was OK with Fords but she always called Fords Tin Lizzies.

dino001

venture said:

I don't buy out of brand loyalty any more. I used to always consider Chevy first until the dealer I usually bought from suddenly became bad...real bad. Most of the cars I have bought lately have been because of the dealer and it's service department. I guess that's why I suddenly have 3 Subaru's.

I have owned three German, one American and two Japanese brand cars. My first couple of cars (Ford, VW) were used, bought more less on a whim and bullying by a salesman (I was young and inexperienced). Later I became deliberate and took control of the process, as I started buying new cars. I buy them mostly on body type, driving experience (handling) and features at a given price point, I determine to be appropriate at a time. Due to my preferences (sedan handling, but rear hatch, used to require manual transmission) being not mainstrem, the checklist gets short very quickly, with domestic cars being eliminated, so are brands like Lexus, Toyota, or Honda. This doesn’t have anything to do with my brand perception, just the design itself. If Lexus, or Chevrolet comes with anything resembling my 430, I would certainly check it out. I know for example, I may have to hold my nose and have to endure the old school dealer just to check the Stinger next time I enter the market.

tbirdmarco

 Sounds good to me what’s the above agreed 

driver100

tbirdmarco said:

 And another thing I can’t stand how many people I have around me were so close minded and don’t take me seriously due to being disabled they can’t look past that they won’t straight out tell me to my face but you can tell her he said I could count on one hand people work Schlee take me seriously even in the work please but that’s their loss it is what it is and that’s probably employers to most of them don’t look past the visual impairment that’s why have to keep on fighting not right 

Marco, you may have read about our friends...both in wheelchairs and in their 70s. Until recently they had 4 houses, now they have one in Florida and one back in Ontario Canada. He had polio and has always been in a wheelchair, his wife had an operation when she was in university, and it went wrong, she has been in a wheelchair since. They maintain two homes, they adopted and raised 2 kids (real hellions) have had pets, he does a lot of volunteer work, etc. They meet us at shows and restaurants. Can you imagine an average day, having to get out of van in wheelchair to buy gas, then going for groceries, making meals, loading and unloading a dishwasher. Yet, they are always happy and positive. She became a dotor specializing in handicapped people, he was an insurance agent. Some people complain they can't find a job, life isn't fair, they don't have a chance etc., yet these two people have accomplished so much....and never complain. I find they are an inspiration!

driver100

Speaking about Fords.....one car I would like to see is a new version of a T-Bird. That is something I would look at and probably other baby boomers who always loved T-Birds. Not those bloated pig cars of the 80s, more like a 58 to 64 model....updated. Make it higher for the boomers, but with 4 really comfortable seats. I don't think there is anything else quite like it.

driver100

My younger brother is thinking of buying a trailer to take on trips....one you live in. He doesn't want a big RV, he has rented them and they are hard to take into town. He has a few choices, but, this part of his email had some interesting observations. Towing a trailer is not what I would want to do, but they are thinking about it.

Any thoughts are welcome. The part about the VW diesels is interesting;

So we started looking at small travel trailers and a tow vehicle that could replace the RDX. Thus we were at the BMW dealer checking out the X5. We got fed and informed, but because of the reception not too far at looking at the X5s. There aren't many choices in SUVs that are suitable for towing a trailer - it's mostly trucks now or the giants like Suburban, Expedition, Land Rover.

The SUVs we're considering are X5, Mercedes ML, Audi Q7, Jeep Grand Cherokee, VW Touareg. The BMW, M-B and Audi are pricey. The Audi and the Touareg are an interesting story. The diesel versions are the better choice for towing, but there's issues. When the VW diesel scandal hit in fall 2015 VW placed all the diesel Touaregs and Q7s on hold. So there were lots of 2015s and 2016s that have been in storage for 3 1/2 years. They now have a software fix for the engine and can sell them and VW puts new tires, maybe batteries possibly other components on them. Its uncertain whether all dealers would have changed oil, run engines, etc. during the time they were in storage. They're now selling them at a discount, but doesn't seem like it's enough for a 3+ year old car, with a tarnished history and an engine that VW isn't selling any longer. Apparently none of the manufacturers are selling that type of diesel (at least in North America any longer. I've heard part of the problem is because of fuel and oil issues and meeting environment laws in North America. It's surprising the VW would be in that category to begin with but they're rated the highest of the bunch for towing capability - 7700 lbs!

The Grand Cherokee may be the best compromise. They have a lot of positives in reviews, very good safety ratings, are quite nicely appointed and aren't bad to drive for that type of vehicle - its definitely NOT an E-class! but maybe not far off from the ML. They're a little old-school - power is from a 5.7 Litre Hemi V8. I'd prefer a 6 cylinder turbo, but I guess the V8 has some positives - less to go wrong, easier/cheaper to repair and more likely to find someone to fix it in "middle of nowhere North America". They also run on regular gas, so they'd have to use more than 20% more fuel to be more expensive than the cars using premium. By the way Jeep also discontinued it's 6 cylinder turbo diesel along with the German manufacturers.

So there it is....any comments?

graphicguy

I’ve rented quite a few GCs. I’ve enjoyed the limited times I’ve been behind the wheel. Can’t speak to their reliability, though!

Good blend of luxury and off road capabilities.

qbrozen

Growing up, my Dad was firmly in the GM camp, at least when it came to work vehicles. He did sample some fun drivers along the way, though. Had a slew of muscle cars from all US makers before I was born. We had a Volvo 244 that he loved and sold with 280k miles. He then tried on an early Maxima but he didn't care for that. Switched that out for an '84 RX7 GSL-SE. He loved that. He put my mom and sis in a series of S10 blazers. That was after my mom drove us around in full-size Chevy vans from the early '70s to late '80s. After his RX7, he went to a K5 Blazer and then a line of pickups after that, pretty much bouncing back and forth between Dodge and Chevy, depending on who had the best diesel at the time. Now, in retirement, he has an older Ford f250 diesel and a 2014 or 15 Legacy sedan.

Considering I have only ever had 1 GM vehicle, I think it is safe to say that his preferences did not influence my choices very much. Although I still lust after a clean GSL-SE.

jmonroe

driver100 said:

A friend went on a sailing race to Cuba....brought back pictures of some great cars. Most of these big heavy 50s American cars have boat engines or Corolla 4 cyl engines in them. Those guys must be great mechanics!

Now I see why the front end is jacked up...it has a puny engine in it or maybe a whole lotta guns and ammo for an upcoming revolution.

jmonroe

ab348

FCA (Chrysler, Fiat, etc) is going to be bought by Geely of China, just wait for it.

Regarding car brand preferences, most has already been said. Past experience of yourself and friends/relatives plays a big role. When I was growing up in the '60s/early '70s I was a big fan of Chrysler but it would be a big leap of faith to buy one today. My '85 Toyota MR2 bought new was a great, fun car to drive and perfect for me at that stage of my life, but did not have anything close to the legendary/mythical Toyota quality, and turned me off that brand. My '90 VW GTI, also bought new, had a few problems (though nothing like the MR2) but for whatever reason did not turn me off VW. I have little experience with Ford except for our family's awful '74 Maverick which is too long ago to make a difference, but relatives with Fords have had a lot of problems in more recent times, and I always find Ford interiors to be lacking in some way. But I would buy a Mustang over a Camaro, so who knows...

explorerx4

@driver100,
How big a travel trailer? Pop up?

thebean

@tbirdmarco - "take everything in life with a big queen of salt"? Better watch it, my friend, the PC people will be knocking at your door. Just kidding, of course. I get a kick out of things like this. I hope you understand I'm in no way making fun of your posts. I enjoy your contributions. Just get tickled from time to time.

jmonroe

ab348 said:

FCA (Chrysler, Fiat, etc) is going to be bought by Geely of China, just wait for it.

Regarding car brand preferences, most has already been said. Past experience of yourself and friends/relatives plays a big role. When I was growing up in the '60s/early '70s I was a big fan of Chrysler but it would be a big leap of faith to buy one today. My '85 Toyota MR2 bought new was a great, fun car to drive and perfect for me at that stage of my life, but did not have anything close to the legendary/mythical Toyota quality, and turned me off that brand. My '90 VW GTI, also bought new, had a few problems (though nothing like the MR2) but for whatever reason did not turn me off VW. I have little experience with Ford except for our family's awful '74 Maverick which is too long ago to make a difference, but relatives with Fords have had a lot of problems in more recent times, and I always find Ford interiors to be lacking in some way. But I would buy a Mustang over a Camaro, so who knows...

I was ALWAYS a GM guy. All the way back to my first car that I got from a sickly uncle when I was in the Navy in 1961. It was a '56 Chevy dog 6 cylinder but the price was right. I can't remember now what I paid for it but if was almost free IIRC.

What turned me off of GM was my '95 Bonneville (V6 3800 engine) that started to shed paint in '98, with less than 50K miles on it, and GM did not do anything to help me even though the dealer thought they should make an exception in my case because the car was in great shape. They even called the local Pontiac rep to come look at it because they thought it was deserving of an official look, not just the usual corporate party line of, "we don't make adjustments on cars with paint problems that are 3 years old". I remember the guy at the dealers body shop telling me, "our used car manager would kill to have this car on his lot, IF it had paint". That was strike one.

Then Mrs. j's '95 Monte Carlo V6, bought used in '97 that had less than 70K miles on it in 2005, started to drink water. It was not worth the $1500 to replace the intake manifolds so that car was given to a charity. That was strike 2 and I wasn't going to see if I could get to strike three.

Where I worked in the early 70's, most guys had GM cars and were glad they did but we had a few Ford guys and one lone Chrysler guy that couldn't take it any longer and switched to GM. When the Ford guys asked, "why didn't you get a Ford"? His answer was, "F O R D... Fix Or Repair Daily".

jmonroe

tbirdmarco

Driver  yes do rember. You posting about your frends in  wheel. Chirs. They are ausam.   

tbirdmarco

Just had to vent in hear lol lol don’t. We all lol lol

tbirdmarco

Would be cool if they did that with the t bird 

snakeweasel

jmonroe said:

ab348 said:

FCA (Chrysler, Fiat, etc) is going to be bought by Geely of China, just wait for it.

Regarding car brand preferences, most has already been said. Past experience of yourself and friends/relatives plays a big role. When I was growing up in the '60s/early '70s I was a big fan of Chrysler but it would be a big leap of faith to buy one today. My '85 Toyota MR2 bought new was a great, fun car to drive and perfect for me at that stage of my life, but did not have anything close to the legendary/mythical Toyota quality, and turned me off that brand. My '90 VW GTI, also bought new, had a few problems (though nothing like the MR2) but for whatever reason did not turn me off VW. I have little experience with Ford except for our family's awful '74 Maverick which is too long ago to make a difference, but relatives with Fords have had a lot of problems in more recent times, and I always find Ford interiors to be lacking in some way. But I would buy a Mustang over a Camaro, so who knows...

I was ALWAYS a GM guy. All the way back to my first car that I got from a sickly uncle when I was in the Navy in 1961. It was a '56 Chevy dog 6 cylinder but the price was right. I can't remember now what I paid for it but if was almost free IIRC.

What turned me off of GM was my '95 Bonneville (V6 3800 engine) that started to shed paint in '98, with less than 50K miles on it, and GM did not do anything to help me even though the dealer thought they should make an exception in my case because the car was in great shape. They even called the local Pontiac rep to come look at it because they thought it was deserving of an official look, not just the usual corporate party line of, "we don't make adjustments on cars with paint problems that are 3 years old". I remember the guy at the dealers body shop telling me, "our used car manager would kill to have this car on his lot, IF it had paint". That was strike one.

Then Mrs. j's '95 Monte Carlo V6, bought used in '97 that had less than 70K miles on it in 2005, started to drink water. It was not worth the $1500 to replace the intake manifolds so that car was given to a charity. That was strike 2 and I wasn't going to see if I could get to strike three.

Where I worked in the early 70's, most guys had GM cars and were glad they did but we had a few Ford guys and one lone Chrysler guy that couldn't take it any longer and switched to GM. When the Ford guys asked, "why didn't you get a Ford"? His answer was, "F O R D... Fix Or Repair Daily".

jmonroe

Gee and all this time I thought it meant "Fastest On Road, Dude".

Or was it "For Only Rational Drivers"?

Or was it "Ferociously Overpowered Road Demon"?

Ah, I cant remember which.

jmonroe

snakeweasel said:

jmonroe said:

ab348 said:

FCA (Chrysler, Fiat, etc) is going to be bought by Geely of China, just wait for it.

Regarding car brand preferences, most has already been said. Past experience of yourself and friends/relatives plays a big role. When I was growing up in the '60s/early '70s I was a big fan of Chrysler but it would be a big leap of faith to buy one today. My '85 Toyota MR2 bought new was a great, fun car to drive and perfect for me at that stage of my life, but did not have anything close to the legendary/mythical Toyota quality, and turned me off that brand. My '90 VW GTI, also bought new, had a few problems (though nothing like the MR2) but for whatever reason did not turn me off VW. I have little experience with Ford except for our family's awful '74 Maverick which is too long ago to make a difference, but relatives with Fords have had a lot of problems in more recent times, and I always find Ford interiors to be lacking in some way. But I would buy a Mustang over a Camaro, so who knows...

I was ALWAYS a GM guy. All the way back to my first car that I got from a sickly uncle when I was in the Navy in 1961. It was a '56 Chevy dog 6 cylinder but the price was right. I can't remember now what I paid for it but if was almost free IIRC.

What turned me off of GM was my '95 Bonneville (V6 3800 engine) that started to shed paint in '98, with less than 50K miles on it, and GM did not do anything to help me even though the dealer thought they should make an exception in my case because the car was in great shape. They even called the local Pontiac rep to come look at it because they thought it was deserving of an official look, not just the usual corporate party line of, "we don't make adjustments on cars with paint problems that are 3 years old". I remember the guy at the dealers body shop telling me, "our used car manager would kill to have this car on his lot, IF it had paint". That was strike one.

Then Mrs. j's '95 Monte Carlo V6, bought used in '97 that had less than 70K miles on it in 2005, started to drink water. It was not worth the $1500 to replace the intake manifolds so that car was given to a charity. That was strike 2 and I wasn't going to see if I could get to strike three.

Where I worked in the early 70's, most guys had GM cars and were glad they did but we had a few Ford guys and one lone Chrysler guy that couldn't take it any longer and switched to GM. When the Ford guys asked, "why didn't you get a Ford"? His answer was, "F O R D... Fix Or Repair Daily".

jmonroe

Gee and all this time I thought it meant "Fastest On Road, Dude".

Or was it "For Only Rational Drivers"?

Or was it "Ferociously Overpowered Road Demon"?

Ah, I cant remember which.

Spare yourself. It's what I said. :@

jmonroe

fintail

Live PD is an amazing success story - it is entertaining, and shows how the ball was dropped when COPS moved from FOX. There's definitely a market for such programming.

It helps me appreciate where I live, and shows me the insane amount of resources some areas use chasing small amounts of pot.

28firefighter said:

My wife hates that I watch this show and even more that I can tell her what will happen.  Says it takes away what little fun there is watching.  

Obviously I don’t have anywhere near the experience you do, but one summer working in the DAs office during undergrad was enlightening. 

fintail

Brand loyalty is a funny thing. My paternal grandparents were Ford or Chevy - never anything else. I have no data of them ever having anything but a Ford or Chevy. Going back to around 1930 when they were married, all Fords and Chevys. Amusing that they went back and forth between the rivals.

My maternal grandfather's first car was a 1939-40 Pontiac he bought when returned from the war in 1945. He then moved on to Fords, then Chryslers, then GM. He had no loyalty to speak of, as he also had VW and Toyota for his company cars. He liked the Chryslers best, but was turned off by the K-Car derivatives in the 80s, didn't like the 5th Avenues then either, so he went to Olds, and then Ford again.

My dad was into Fords - for old cars. We had a few old Fords when I was a kid, and he had a 1970 Mustang when I was born. His first new car was a Crown Victoria bought in 1956 when he was in the air force, and later had a new 67 Galaxie. But as he got older, he had no loyalty when it came to the daily driver - the Mustang led to a Horizon which led to a S10 Blazer which led to a Grand Caravan and then a Town and Country. When he passed just over 10 years ago, his cars were the T&C, a Dodge 4x4, and a Datsun 610. He did like obscure cars, and I think some of what he liked transferred to me.

My mom's first new car was a Beetle, which my dad fitted with a Porsche 912 engine - she didn't care for that. Before the Beetle she had a 61 Impala convertible, and a 59 Ford retractable - just old used cars at the time. Her favorite, after the Beetle, was a big mid 70s T-Bird, white on white. Later she'd have Fords, and moved on to Toyota - she'd be happy with nothing but Camrys for now on. There was a time when my mom, uncle, and grandpa all had Taurus.

I've never actually owned a car other than MB. I've driven many, but I have a strong preference for some models, and at least for now, there's at least one model in the (insanely diverse) lineup that I would want, so I can always be pleased. It's not that I think other cars aren't nice, but there's just something about how these cars feel. I've also always liked old American cars, but most new ones never got me going - growing up in the 80s and 90s might be the reason for that. European cars were always more interesting to me - I had a thing for MGs and Porsches when I was a little kid, and got into MB not much later.

abacomike said:

Way back in the day, families leaned toward one brand of car over another - Ford Families, GM Families, etc.  My Dad’s first car was a used Studebakker in 1945 when he returned from the war.  His father (my grandfather) bought a new 1947 Dodge Sedan with “Fluid Drive”.  Fluid Drive was a precursor to Automatic Transmissions.  After depressing the clutch to shift into first gear, the car would automatically shift into second and third gears, IIRC.

My Dad’s first new car was a 1951 Chevrolet DeLuxe Sedan.  After that purchase, he only bought GM cars (Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Cadillac) until 1992.  I inherited his preference for GM cars for quite a few years.  My children could care less what they drove.

Those days are over - today people buy cars for many reasons - but fewer buy cars out of brand loyalty.

thebean

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WmPpry8JiK0

This Corvair film was on Turner Classic Movies the other night.  I actually remember this playing at our local Chevy dealer when I was really young.  They had it playing on a projector on a pull-up screen in the corner of the showroom.  Man, I feel old

andres3

imidazol97 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Last Friday they predicted 1-3" and we got a foot. Wednesday theft said 15" and we got 7. I'd like to run a weatherman over with my car if i could get it out of the driveway. :@

Many people finally discovered their antilock brakes and stability controls on their cars along with the 4-whee drive wouldn't save them from losing control when the road is icy. The laws of physics and momentum just won't be denied no matter what fancy electronics are on the vehicle. People died in accidents here in SW Ohio from 1 inch of snow that iced as it melted and the temps dropped.

The local weather-guessers mentioned our total snow for the year was either 13 or 19 inches. Total. Many of the folks in the NE got that in one snow.

I'm hoping this is our last nights of low 20's (F) until the end of March (out like a lion).

I want to check my rims for out-of-roundness from all the potholes that cropped up the last 6 weeks and more. I replaced on last fall. I think the rims I have are soft enough the inner part will deform under a straight solid hit while the outside where the 5 spokes are survives and stays round. I asked the tire store to check when they rotated the tires last week, but I think they just looked for radial and lateral run out on the tread.

This may sound harsh, but sometimes I think traffic deaths (for the guilty, not the innocent) are good population control and Darwinism at work.

andres3

Mr_Shiftright said:

I am having a most enjoyable morning watching the cops scoop up all the speeding crazies in the neighborhood. They got the black Mustang which generally tracks about 55 mph through a school zone--he apparently is getting towed; and then there's the fat kid (oops--"clinically obese") who drives, helmetless, on his incredibly noisy Chinese motorized bicycle way over the legal limit; and now I see the light bar on again with an SUV begging for mercy. I have already leaned out my window to give the thumbs down to the victorious gladiator.

My street is rather windy and semi- rural with intermittent sidewalks at best. Kids walk past all the time going to the local elementary school.

We have some ferocious mothers in this neighborhood so I"m sure they have something to do with this Black Ops.

Meanwhile, someone shoots up a school full of kids and no one has the courage to confront the shooter until they kill nearly 20 kids.

Guess the courageous non-coward law enforcement folk were busy on traffic-duty that day.

andres3

xwesx said:

Interesting story about the morning, Shifty!

We seemed to have a similar thing going on a couple weeks ago along the main road near my house. I saw several police vehicles busy along that four-mile stretch. I always set my cruise at 60 here, which is probably about 59 with my winter tires on. My supervisor, who lives nearby, was one of those snagged. Apparently, she was going about 63 at the time (warning only). She was shocked that I did not get pulled over, since I was the fastest vehicle on the road by a fair margin as I passed the point she was stopped. Everyone assumes that just because I really like to drive on snow and ice, that I must be driving really fast at the same time!

I even passed by two different officers who were not actively engaged with another driver with no issues. Apparently, driving near the SL is okay, even if that is faster than the timid around me. LOL

55ish in a school zone?! My goodness.

In CA school zones usually had a 25 MPH speed limit but only "when children are present."

andres3

xwesx said:

Interesting story about the morning, Shifty!

We seemed to have a similar thing going on a couple weeks ago along the main road near my house. I saw several police vehicles busy along that four-mile stretch. I always set my cruise at 60 here, which is probably about 59 with my winter tires on. My supervisor, who lives nearby, was one of those snagged. Apparently, she was going about 63 at the time (warning only). She was shocked that I did not get pulled over, since I was the fastest vehicle on the road by a fair margin as I passed the point she was stopped. Everyone assumes that just because I really like to drive on snow and ice, that I must be driving really fast at the same time!

I even passed by two different officers who were not actively engaged with another driver with no issues. Apparently, driving near the SL is okay, even if that is faster than the timid around me. LOL

55ish in a school zone?! My goodness.

In CA school zones usually had a 25 MPH speed limit but only "when children are present."

andres3

qbrozen said:

xwesx said:

qbrozen said:

No power at our house since 6:30 last night. This sucks.

Man, that's no fun. I imagine such outages are pretty unusual around there, too.

We once had an outage for nearly four days, but I think that's the longest I've experienced. Thankfully, weather outside was hovering around freezing at the time, so the temp inside the house was still at about 55 degrees when the power finally did come back on. I almost broke out the generator on that one!

We had about 5 days without when Sandy came through. I had a little generator at that house. Getting gas for it was an adventure at that time, though.

It has now been 48 hrs and JCP&L still has no solid timeframe for fixing the outages, so I borrowed a natural gas genny from a nearby friend and spent today hooking it up. It is only 5500 watts but I'm impressed with what it is operating at the moment: 2 furnaces, well pump, 2 fridges, a freezer, and several lights. 

How do you avoid a "brown-out" when overloading a generator? Will it just cut power if you overload it?

andres3

sandman_6472 said:

About the handicapped placards, I have one, have had one since my on the job accident back in 2005. I use it and don't feel ashamed in the least to be honest. I walk with a cane 100% of the time and walking any distance can be very painful for me. My pain doctor is a nice guy but a no nonsense guy also, he knows [non-permissible content removed] when he sees it. He suggested that I get the placard after my accident because he could see how painful and difficult walking was for me.
No one has ever said a word to me when they see me exit my vehicle and walk with my cane but one lady in the supermarket actually told me I didn't need a cane and to believe in G-d and he would make sure I didn't use it anymore. Not sure if she was kidding or what!
I understand some folks do abuse the use of their placard but some ailments aren't seen from the get go, so don't throw out the baby with the bath water here as some things aren't what they seem sometimes!!
And about Carfaxes, my Golf will have one if they indeed fix it from last weeks accident. And I am very unhappy that this really could happen! I did nothing wrong and as a result of someone else's stupidity, I could get a vehicle back that's no longer in excellent shape and will bring less when I go to trade it because of this. Why should I lose money on it's value? It just really isn't fair and I should be compensated somehow for it's diminished value!!
Getting off my soap box now and using my cane to do so!

The Sandman :@

Need more people like you demanding to be made whole including diminished value. If enough people demand it as something normal, eventually it will be.

For me, this is an issue where if the insurance industry had any honor, they would all fire themselves and put people in charge that understand what being made whole is.

andres3

oldfarmer50 said:

sandman_6472 said:

Swapped the GLA250 for a RAV4 and much happier. A frugal little CUV and super easy to drive. No XM radio but using my old cd's so all is good. Even has a sunroof since we're having cool evenings down here. So all is good and I'll keep this till the end. The other insurance company is going to go look at the damage also so will be interesting to see where we do end up. Either fix it to the way it was or total the damn thing so I can move on,
The wife knows me too well when she said if they fix it, you're just going to trade it as soon as it comes home. Depending on how it drives and if they compensate me for the damaging Carfax, she's maybe 75% right here. I'll always be looking and thinking once I drive it again so for my piece of mind, might just get something new. But nothing is written in stone hear and must wait till the fat lady sings. In the meantime, do plan to test drive a new Ford Ecosport as I like the size and the looks. The "SE" version hits the sweet spot for me but anything I would get will need the safety stuff on it. Only negative is it's a Ford!

The Sandman

woah way to go with those hurtful brand insults. Some of us have sensitive feelings. You didn't say which model. I was very impressed with the Focus for power and handling. Less so with the Fusion.

Thinking about your statement, I thought about how I would feel with my sensitive feelings if someone insulted my Neon and Audi.

On the Neon, I'd probably just accept they are telling the truth, and say "amen" or something to that effect.

On the Audi, I'd probably just blow it off as I'm enjoying the ride and it's better if they just remain ignorant of how good the cars are, so they don't drive the prices up.

So you Big 3 buyers should be thanking those that swore them off 10, 20, or even 30 years ago and never returned, because your Domestic Iron would be more expensive had they returned for consideration.

andres3

stickguy said:

sounds like my wife. does not really know anything about cars, but refuses to consider some options simply because of the name. Ford ""but it's a Ford!" being one of them.

I only wish my Father had stuck to his Anti-American guns on the Neon purchase decision (which he had a financial hand in). I suppose his anti-used car attitude won out over his Anti-Big 3 attitude.

andres3

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

sounds like my wife. does not really know anything about cars, but refuses to consider some options simply because of the name. Ford ""but it's a Ford!" being one of them.

Why would anyone say "But it's a Ford"? Now, "But it's a Chrysler" that I would understand!

Actually, I think this happens a lot because of family history. Some families would always buy GM or Ford, and it became a habit. I was always told Chryslers were poor quality....and for many years they were, so I stayed away from Chryslers. When i got my first JEEP in 95 the first thing my father said was hope it doesn't leak...water gets into those. When i got my BMW X3 in 2004 he saidBMW....didn't they make those 3 cylinder cars?

Way back in the day, families leaned toward one brand of car over another - Ford Families, GM Families, etc.  My Dad’s first car was a used Studebakker in 1945 when he returned from the war.  His father (my grandfather) bought a new 1947 Dodge Sedan with “Fluid Drive”.  Fluid Drive was a precursor to Automatic Transmissions.  After depressing the clutch to shift into first gear, the car would automatically shift into second and third gears, IIRC.

My Dad’s first new car was a 1951 Chevrolet DeLuxe Sedan.  After that purchase, he only bought GM cars (Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Cadillac) until 1992.  I inherited his preference for GM cars for quite a few years.  My children could care less what they drove.

Those days are over - today people buy cars for many reasons - but fewer buy cars out of brand loyalty.

Perhaps less loyalty, but I still think TRUST is a big factor. Trust is a tenant of making a sale, and without it, you have a very tough sale.

How tough?

Well for me, it would take Chrysler giving me a free vehicle trial for 100,000 miles (of presumeably trouble-free driving) to win it back.

I think I'll win the lottery before that happens.

isellhondas

snakeweasel said:

jmonroe said:

ab348 said:

FCA (Chrysler, Fiat, etc) is going to be bought by Geely of China, just wait for it.

Regarding car brand preferences, most has already been said. Past experience of yourself and friends/relatives plays a big role. When I was growing up in the '60s/early '70s I was a big fan of Chrysler but it would be a big leap of faith to buy one today. My '85 Toyota MR2 bought new was a great, fun car to drive and perfect for me at that stage of my life, but did not have anything close to the legendary/mythical Toyota quality, and turned me off that brand. My '90 VW GTI, also bought new, had a few problems (though nothing like the MR2) but for whatever reason did not turn me off VW. I have little experience with Ford except for our family's awful '74 Maverick which is too long ago to make a difference, but relatives with Fords have had a lot of problems in more recent times, and I always find Ford interiors to be lacking in some way. But I would buy a Mustang over a Camaro, so who knows...

I was ALWAYS a GM guy. All the way back to my first car that I got from a sickly uncle when I was in the Navy in 1961. It was a '56 Chevy dog 6 cylinder but the price was right. I can't remember now what I paid for it but if was almost free IIRC.

What turned me off of GM was my '95 Bonneville (V6 3800 engine) that started to shed paint in '98, with less than 50K miles on it, and GM did not do anything to help me even though the dealer thought they should make an exception in my case because the car was in great shape. They even called the local Pontiac rep to come look at it because they thought it was deserving of an official look, not just the usual corporate party line of, "we don't make adjustments on cars with paint problems that are 3 years old". I remember the guy at the dealers body shop telling me, "our used car manager would kill to have this car on his lot, IF it had paint". That was strike one.

Then Mrs. j's '95 Monte Carlo V6, bought used in '97 that had less than 70K miles on it in 2005, started to drink water. It was not worth the $1500 to replace the intake manifolds so that car was given to a charity. That was strike 2 and I wasn't going to see if I could get to strike three.

Where I worked in the early 70's, most guys had GM cars and were glad they did but we had a few Ford guys and one lone Chrysler guy that couldn't take it any longer and switched to GM. When the Ford guys asked, "why didn't you get a Ford"? His answer was, "F O R D... Fix Or Repair Daily".

jmonroe

Gee and all this time I thought it meant "Fastest On Road, Dude".

Or was it "For Only Rational Drivers"?

Or was it "Ferociously Overpowered Road Demon"?

Ah, I cant remember which.

No, it was Found on road dead

Or....Frequent overhauls rapid deprecation.

Or...First on Race Day!

You don't want to hear the one for Fiat!

Dodge - Dies on day guarantee expires/

Honda - Had One Never Do it Again!

Pontiac...nope., it's bad!

explorerx4

After not paying attention to the master bath ceiling for about 20 years, I started patching it last night.
It seem to like the attention, I thought I was ready to prime it 3 times so far, but I keep finding more spots that need touching up.
I need to stop obsessing about it not being perfect and put some paint on it.

The other day I got a letter from a bank that said I could get 1.7% for 6 months by adding 10k to an account.
It also listed the MM tiers and it looked like I should be getting 1.15%.
When I looked at my statement, I am getting .2%.
Stopped by the bank today to figure out the discrepancy.
Manager said he could offer me 1.5% since I stopped in to inquire about the letter without adding anything additional.
Not bad, extra $100 a month for spending 1/2 hour with the branch manager, but I do drive a Ford.

fintail

AMG = All Money Gone

isellhondas said:

jmonroe

Dodge - Dies on day guarantee expires/

Honda - Had One Never Do it Again!

Pontiac...nope., it's bad!

andres3

dino001 said:

venture said:

I don't buy out of brand loyalty any more. I used to always consider Chevy first until the dealer I usually bought from suddenly became bad...real bad. Most of the cars I have bought lately have been because of the dealer and it's service department. I guess that's why I suddenly have 3 Subaru's.

I have owned three German, one American and two Japanese brand cars. My first couple of cars (Ford, VW) were used, bought more less on a whim and bullying by a salesman (I was young and inexperienced). Later I became deliberate and took control of the process, as I started buying new cars. I buy them mostly on body type, driving experience (handling) and features at a given price point, I determine to be appropriate at a time. Due to my preferences (sedan handling, but rear hatch, used to require manual transmission) being not mainstrem, the checklist gets short very quickly, with domestic cars being eliminated, so are brands like Lexus, Toyota, or Honda. This doesn’t have anything to do with my brand perception, just the design itself. If Lexus, or Chevrolet comes with anything resembling my 430, I would certainly check it out. I know for example, I may have to hold my nose and have to endure the old school dealer just to check the Stinger next time I enter the market.

You mean the Fusion Sport or Chevy SS sedans don't do it for you? As to coupes, it's Camaro and Mustang. Ultimately the Corvette. I'll take a Corvette under warranty.

thebean

Fiat - Fix It Again Tony

Pontiac - @isellhondas, if it's the one I'm familiar with, yes it's reeeeaaallly bad.