I was playing with the Carly app's coding ability in the i3(my wife wanted to get rid of the legal disclaimer screen). I found out that it is possible to increase or decrease the seat heater temperature for all three settings. I always wondered why the 2 Series heaters felt weak while the Clubman seats will almost cook you at their highest setting. Well, that problem is solved. There are a ton of other parameters that can be modified so I plan to have some fun checking them all out.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Speaking of construction, it would appear that it was common knowledge at the bridge sight in Miami that there were cracks in the structure which were reported to the FDOT several days before the collapse. If there were cracks in the concrete, why would they chance lifting the structure and turn it parallel to the support pillars and then lower it onto those pillars? Common sense would dictate, “DON’T MOVE THE BRIDGE UNTIL IT WAS CLEARED BY THE FDOT”! I am sure the FDOT would not have cleared the moving of that bridge if they were aware of cracks.
Something tells me this is going to end up in the courts with FIU suing, injured victims and deceased victim’s families suing, and probably the State of Florida and Miami-Dade County will be suing. Don’t be surprised if a bankruptcy is in the making for the architects and/or the construction contractor. Claims could easily run in the hundreds of millions of dollars - an amount that might not all be covered by their insurers.
Neighbors just put their house up for sale, same size as ours but has a pool. Interior is newer with all tile since last week and newer bathrooms and kitchen. Only did the kids bathroom and a partial fix in the master with the kitchen being totally original. They’re asking $435,000 which is pretty consistent for our neighborhood. Thinking I could get close to $385,000 possibly which I’d take and run with. Figure in 2020, my deadline to move, we should get close to that. Central Florida will probably be our destination as want to be within an hour of the kids if possible.
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Pot holes, yep, we have our share and more here in the Burgh area this time of the year. It's almost a rite of passage living with them around here but I found a way to help with that.
Many years ago I found that pot hole season is a great way to teach you not to tale-gate. I'm not going to say I haven't hit pot holes but at least I give myself a little bit more reaction time so that I can find the smaller ones.
Now, driving an unfamiliar road at night, in the rain that fills the pot holes, is probably an acceptable excuse for hitting one. This happened to me back when I had my '09 Genny. I was headed over to Son #1's house for dinner one night after work, in let's say, January. It was raining and there was no one in front of me, when out of the blue, BAM, I hit a pot hole so hard that the rear view mirror moved about 30 degrees to the right. I was certain that I killed the right front tire and rim and was expecting to have to pull over any second but nothing happened. No flat, so shimmy, no nothing so I just kept driving. When I got to his house I grabbed my flashlight and really gave the tire and rim a good check but I could't find anything wrong with either one. I never had a problem with that tire or rim after that smack.
Maybe the pothole gods wanted to show me that I couldn't beat them all the time but then the good fairy must have stepped in and saved me because I was a good boy till then. I'll take that.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Costco gas......the store is probably 15-20 minutes from me (depending on traffic) and I’m in the general vicinity of that store a couple of times/week. Given that my car spends a lot of time parked at the airport for days at a time, there are times I won’t fill up for 2-3 weeks.
But, I find the busiest times to be early afternoons on Saturday or Sunday. So, I stay away from those times to fill up. NEVER had to wait 20 minutes to get fuel, though.
Like most have found, 99.9% of the time Costco is cheaper than any other station, let alone stations which are top tier. My Costco credit card is also my membership card. So, not sure about why a seperate credit card was needed when it was Costco branded plus an additional membership card.
Bathroom update.....really it seems some of the contractes really are shady. My bids for a total tear out and rebuild range from about $14K to $30K, with no appreciable difference in materials or labor needed. Had one “sales” guy (the one that quoted $30K) who supposedly was a former plumber (find that hard to believe based on his lack of knowledge) ask if I was willing to sign a contract on the spot? I told him I wasn’t until I received more bids. He then started pulling the old car sales routine....”if I offered to do the bathroom and knock off $2K, would you sign the contract?”.
Anyway, you get the picture. State Farm, who up until this juncture had been a pretty good insurance provider, has been either reluctant to engage, or totally non-existent in the amount of help they’ve provided. Had one adjuster call me telling me what State Farm WON’T cover. Had another one call saying he was my adjuster but was coming from Wichita (to cover Cincinnati?) and didn’t know when he could make it to look at the damage.
Not a good experience, so far.
I'm telling you, Insurance is an industry where everyone that works in it is a "lost cause." However, there might be a 2-5% exception at 2 to 4 companies.
Still, I have a feeling I'd receive more professionalism from doing business with a Mexican Drug Cartel than most Insurance companies.
Not disagreeing at all. Adjuster showed up yesterday unannounced. Unprofessional and I didn’t get the warm and fuzzies he knew what he was doing. He left his report and looks like I’m going to have to lawyer up. State Farm may not be my insurance company much longer.
Another reason why it is better to see it in Tampa. Also, Tampa uses 250 lbs of dye compared to 50 lbs in Chicago. It is done in a few other cities too....Washington D.C., Indianapolis, and I believe Boston.
Costco gas......the store is probably 15-20 minutes from me (depending on traffic) and I’m in the general vicinity of that store a couple of times/week. Given that my car spends a lot of time parked at the airport for days at a time, there are times I won’t fill up for 2-3 weeks.
But, I find the busiest times to be early afternoons on Saturday or Sunday. So, I stay away from those times to fill up. NEVER had to wait 20 minutes to get fuel, though.
Like most have found, 99.9% of the time Costco is cheaper than any other station, let alone stations which are top tier. My Costco credit card is also my membership card. So, not sure about why a seperate credit card was needed when it was Costco branded plus an additional membership card.
Bathroom update.....really it seems some of the contractes really are shady. My bids for a total tear out and rebuild range from about $14K to $30K, with no appreciable difference in materials or labor needed. Had one “sales” guy (the one that quoted $30K) who supposedly was a former plumber (find that hard to believe based on his lack of knowledge) ask if I was willing to sign a contract on the spot? I told him I wasn’t until I received more bids. He then started pulling the old car sales routine....”if I offered to do the bathroom and knock off $2K, would you sign the contract?”.
Anyway, you get the picture. State Farm, who up until this juncture had been a pretty good insurance provider, has been either reluctant to engage, or totally non-existent in the amount of help they’ve provided. Had one adjuster call me telling me what State Farm WON’T cover. Had another one call saying he was my adjuster but was coming from Wichita (to cover Cincinnati?) and didn’t know when he could make it to look at the damage.
Not a good experience, so far.
I'm telling you, Insurance is an industry where everyone that works in it is a "lost cause." However, there might be a 2-5% exception at 2 to 4 companies.
Still, I have a feeling I'd receive more professionalism from doing business with a Mexican Drug Cartel than most Insurance companies.
Not disagreeing at all. Adjuster showed up yesterday unannounced. Unprofessional and I didn’t get the warm and fuzzies he knew what he was doing. He left his report and looks like I’m going to have to lawyer up. State Farm may not be my insurance company much longer.
The adjusters get bonus's if they can stonewall you. This won't be easy. There should be an ombudsman for dealing with insurance companies.
I suspect pothole repair is seen as a make-work project, and is preferred over replacing things correctly. With the lowest bidder mentality which leads to so much American infrastructure being not exactly first world quality, no doubt you can see the new holes develop as the old ones are being filled.
I see potholes here that go unrepaired for literally years. I am often tempted to go to Home Depot and buy a sack of hydraulic cement and fill the pothole with it. First precipitation and hey presto, instant repair! Such a genius idea...
Just back from the supermarket and saw something bizarre. A 2010-15 vintage Buick Lacrosse, Diamond white metallic, with the full Florida treatment. Ivory or light beige faux-convertible roof, aftermarket mesh grille, stick-on chrome trim everywhere, aftermarket wheels, gold emblems, the works. A large middle-aged woman behind the wheel. The mind boggles.
Another reason why it is better to see it in Tampa. Also, Tampa uses 250 lbs of dye compared to 50 lbs in Chicago. It is done in a few other cities too....Washington D.C., Indianapolis, and I believe Boston.
OK fine that just means that Chicago is more efficient in it's dying. Also does Tampa's river run backwards?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
that picture of main street would just be a normal road around here. The authorities don't even pretend to care enough to rush doing anything. Even the highways often have giant holes in it.
Well, isn't the K900 out of place too? Has that been a success?
K900 is a different thing - it's a logical extension of the same sedan line - small-bigger-largest. They probably didn't expect huge sales right of the gate, but with patience they could develop it into something. Perhaps not quite Genesis (and note they didn't put that "high end" spin into that, either), but Avalon/Maxima fighter, why not.
Stinger should be rolled out even more cautiously, as the market for such vehicle, especially in GT price and power range is even smaller. If anything, I think it actually belongs more in Genesis brand lineup, rather than Kia's. Dumping "teens-twenties" of $50k+ units in such short time on dealerships geared toward selling sub $30k cars to people with (often) constrained incomes, is just strange, unless they know something I don't. Or perhaps they already planned to for immediate large discount to make it <$45K vehicle and generate extra traffic - but those kind of strategies have been long discredited as counterproductive. If they started with sending 10-20 "Premiums" ($30k+) along with 2-5 GTs (45k+) (from which one $50k GT2), this I would understand. I really don't get it. I still think the model has its place and could be a nice addition to the lineup, just not at teens per dealer. That's what doesn't make sense to me.
Another reason why it is better to see it in Tampa. Also, Tampa uses 250 lbs of dye compared to 50 lbs in Chicago. It is done in a few other cities too....Washington D.C., Indianapolis, and I believe Boston.
OK fine that just means that Chicago is more efficient in it's dying. Also does Tampa's river run backwards?
....and polute everything downstream......NO?
We took the architectural tour of the Chicago part of the river - in the summer of course - and it is one of the best tours you can go on. The guides, who are volunteers, make the 90 minute tour very enjoyable....with humor and interesting facts....and incredible buildings.
that picture of main street would just be a normal road around here. The authorities don't even pretend to care enough to rush doing anything. Even the highways often have giant holes in it.
That is one of the busiest streets in the city.....if not the busiest. Lots of places are in bad shape....when we drove to Florida the Michigan part of I-75 was in rough shape and there were all kinds of car and animal parts as well as garbage on the shoulders. We go to Buffalo and Niagara Falls N.Y. and the roads there are pretty bad too - look about the same as Main St.. Infrastructure is not a priority these days, no funds to keep up. Leave it for the next politician in office. Maybe not easy to make graph as easily from infrastructure.
We have lots of corruption back home....but, I think it is 10X as bad here. Not saying all states are the same, but, everyday I read about someone getting caught scamming the government. Some of the scams are pretty ingenious, if they put that ingenuity to a good purpose they could accomplish a lot.
The guy I read about yesterday managed a chain of charter schools. He buys tables and chairs from his buddy who charges double for everything....then they split the extra profit. Everyday there seems to be a new one.
Another reason why it is better to see it in Tampa. Also, Tampa uses 250 lbs of dye compared to 50 lbs in Chicago. It is done in a few other cities too....Washington D.C., Indianapolis, and I believe Boston.
OK fine that just means that Chicago is more efficient in it's dying. Also does Tampa's river run backwards?
....and polute everything downstream......NO?
We took the architectural tour of the Chicago part of the river - in the summer of course - and it is one of the best tours you can go on. The guides, who are volunteers, make the 90 minute tour very enjoyable....with humor and interesting facts....and incredible buildings.
Those tours are incredible, did you go out onto the lake?
Another reason why it is better to see it in Tampa. Also, Tampa uses 250 lbs of dye compared to 50 lbs in Chicago. It is done in a few other cities too....Washington D.C., Indianapolis, and I believe Boston.
OK fine that just means that Chicago is more efficient in it's dying. Also does Tampa's river run backwards?
....and polute everything downstream......NO?
We took the architectural tour of the Chicago part of the river - in the summer of course - and it is one of the best tours you can go on. The guides, who are volunteers, make the 90 minute tour very enjoyable....with humor and interesting facts....and incredible buildings.
Those tours are incredible, did you go out onto the lake?
@snakeweasel, that flood , or should I say "leak" since that is what it was legally ruled as, was some event all right. While reading the link you provided, I was most intrigued by the Aftermath section where it said, "Since it occurred near Tax Day, the IRS granted natural disaster extensions to those affected".
I couldn't help but think, given the way I do my taxes, there is no telling how much more cheating I could have done if I had more time and if I was one of "those affected".
You tax guys must have had a field day or two that year.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Funny thing, if you tried that, you'd probably end up behind bars. It might not hold up any worse than the official repairs.
My city does a fair enough job of patching most holes, but some areas lag. Some private parking lots are hilarious, there's a hole in a lot near me that I think the fintail's 13" wheels would get stuck in, should I be foolish enough to drive on their Stalingrad 1942 quality surface.
I see potholes here that go unrepaired for literally years. I am often tempted to go to Home Depot and buy a sack of hydraulic cement and fill the pothole with it. First precipitation and hey presto, instant repair! Such a genius idea...
I suspect pothole repair is seen as a make-work project, and is preferred over replacing things correctly. With the lowest bidder mentality which leads to so much American infrastructure being not exactly first world quality, no doubt you can see the new holes develop as the old ones are being filled. In my area, it is also a gigantic PITA to deal with the self-titled authorities to pay out for damage caused by their negligent road maintenance - I know this firsthand. I seriously doubt I will ever choose another car with larger wheels and/or low profile tires. Even my E, not exactly a sports car, doesn't like these roads.
A fun one I discovered yesterday is a "bump" on a highway interchange ramp, a bump more like running into a wall. Ah such fine engineering, just like being in Germany.
I've heard rumours that San Diego has some rule for reported pot holes. If they don't repair them in 21 days or something like that then you can make a claim for resultant damages. If it isn't reported, then you are apparently out of luck.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
Well, isn't the K900 out of place too? Has that been a success?
K900 is a different thing - it's a logical extension of the same sedan line - small-bigger-largest. They probably didn't expect huge sales right of the gate, but with patience they could develop it into something. Perhaps not quite Genesis (and note they didn't put that "high end" spin into that, either), but Avalon/Maxima fighter, why not.
Stinger should be rolled out even more cautiously, as the market for such vehicle, especially in GT price and power range is even smaller. If anything, I think it actually belongs more in Genesis brand lineup, rather than Kia's. Dumping "teens-twenties" of $50k+ units in such short time on dealerships geared toward selling sub $30k cars to people with (often) constrained incomes, is just strange, unless they know something I don't. Or perhaps they already planned to for immediate large discount to make it
Agreed, hence, why I was shocked to see so many Stingers at the dealership, as if it was an Optima, and furthermore, most of them were GT's.
Someone must have made a typo error and projected 10X the sales for production.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
Pot holes, yep, we have our share and more here in the Burgh area this time of the year. It's almost a rite of passage living with them around here but I found a way to help with that.
Many years ago I found that pot hole season is a great way to teach you not to tale-gate. I'm not going to say I haven't hit pot holes but at least I give myself a little bit more reaction time so that I can find the smaller ones.
Now, driving an unfamiliar road at night, in the rain that fills the pot holes, is probably an acceptable excuse for hitting one. This happened to me back when I had my '09 Genny. I was headed over to Son #1's house for dinner one night after work, in let's say, January. It was raining and there was no one in front of me, when out of the blue, BAM, I hit a pot hole so hard that the rear view mirror moved about 30 degrees to the right. I was certain that I killed the right front tire and rim and was expecting to have to pull over any second but nothing happened. No flat, so shimmy, no nothing so I just kept driving. When I got to his house I grabbed my flashlight and really gave the tire and rim a good check but I could't find anything wrong with either one. I never had a problem with that tire or rim after that smack.
Maybe the pothole gods wanted to show me that I couldn't beat them all the time but then the good fairy must have stepped in and saved me because I was a good boy till then. I'll take that.
jmonroe
My strategy for potholes if I don't have time to get out of the way is to at least attempt to start a swerve which is usually done just in time to at least load the opposite side of the car with all the weight so that the side hitting the pothole is so "light" it just feathers over whatever defect in the road surface exists.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
that picture of main street would just be a normal road around here. The authorities don't even pretend to care enough to rush doing anything. Even the highways often have giant holes in it.
That is one of the busiest streets in the city.....if not the busiest. Lots of places are in bad shape....when we drove to Florida the Michigan part of I-75 was in rough shape and there were all kinds of car and animal parts as well as garbage on the shoulders. We go to Buffalo and Niagara Falls N.Y. and the roads there are pretty bad too - look about the same as Main St.. Infrastructure is not a priority these days, no funds to keep up. Leave it for the next politician in office. Maybe not easy to make graph as easily from infrastructure.
We have lots of corruption back home....but, I think it is 10X as bad here. Not saying all states are the same, but, everyday I read about someone getting caught scamming the government. Some of the scams are pretty ingenious, if they put that ingenuity to a good purpose they could accomplish a lot.
The guy I read about yesterday managed a chain of charter schools. He buys tables and chairs from his buddy who charges double for everything....then they split the extra profit. Everyday there seems to be a new one.
Too many companies have upper management or executives that under-value honesty, ethics, and integrity.
I like working for one that actually does value those things.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
So I mentioned to the wife that I was planning to go ahead and upgrade the tires on my truck. We cut one of the OEM Goodyears last summer on a mild forest service road. She mentions that she doesn’t care for the stock chrome wheels either. With that in mind I upgraded to Black Rhino wheels and Toyo Open Country AT 2 tires. Truck looks much better, and hopefully we get a worry free summer on the back roads of Washington state. Below is the before and after.
I'm not a fan of black wheels but those actually look good. Is it the light angle or do they have some bright accents?
I have not been a fan of black wheels either, but the milled edge on the spokes really did it for me. Additionally the Black Rhino wheels lack some of the extra embellishments you see on other wheels - The "Rock Stars" come to mind.
Another reason why it is better to see it in Tampa. Also, Tampa uses 250 lbs of dye compared to 50 lbs in Chicago. It is done in a few other cities too....Washington D.C., Indianapolis, and I believe Boston.
OK fine that just means that Chicago is more efficient in it's dying. Also does Tampa's river run backwards?
....and polute everything downstream......NO?
We took the architectural tour of the Chicago part of the river - in the summer of course - and it is one of the best tours you can go on. The guides, who are volunteers, make the 90 minute tour very enjoyable....with humor and interesting facts....and incredible buildings.
Those tours are incredible, did you go out onto the lake?
Our tour was only on the river....didn't realize there was one on the lake. I don't recall talking about the flood unless it was in relation to the buildings....but, I will look into both when we go back. We stayed at the Acme Hotel which is a riot, extremely minimalist and modern, but really fun. Loved Chicago and the peanut too.
JMonroe is right again for the 4th time this year....the flood does seem to be more like a leak, though a very expensive one!
I haven't heard how the Fusions that lift a wheel to avoid potholes are doing.....anyone know if that really works and why isn't everyone else copying?
I read it is better just to hit a pothole than to slow down...it does more harm to be braking and hitting them. I don;t agree or disagree....I just don't know why that would be.
Question for the current and former sales pros here. Now that I have a truck I have been following a Ram Forum, and as you would expect there is a small but enthusiastic crowd that is ordering the all new 2019 RAM that was just announced. Lots of cool new tech and what not - my likely next truck when needed.
Anyway, here is my observation - When I bough my truck it was $13K off MSRP, not surprising, late in the model run, and lots of competition. However I would expect that the all new 2019 have little or no discounts on them, at least for a few month...right? Yet people are posting copies of their purchase agreement with Dennis Dillon CDJR in Idaho showing $10K+ discounts on the brand new truck that was ordered? I never thought this would happen on an all new model that hasn't even hit the dealer lots yet?
I assume this is very uncommon? Maybe truck economics are different as the big 3 sell so dang many of them every year?
...Infrastructure is not a priority these days, no funds to keep up. Leave it for the next politician in office. Maybe not easy to make graph as easily from infrastructure.
We have lots of corruption back home....but, I think it is 10X as bad here. Not saying all states are the same, but, everyday I read about someone getting caught scamming the government..
What happened the bean....did I leave you speechless?
...Infrastructure is not a priority these days, no funds to keep up. Leave it for the next politician in office. Maybe not easy to make graph as easily from infrastructure.
We have lots of corruption back home....but, I think it is 10X as bad here. Not saying all states are the same, but, everyday I read about someone getting caught scamming the government..
What happened the bean....did I leave you speechless?
Yes, and that doesn't happen often. When you praise jmonroe, it throws me for a loop.
...Infrastructure is not a priority these days, no funds to keep up. Leave it for the next politician in office. Maybe not easy to make graph as easily from infrastructure.
We have lots of corruption back home....but, I think it is 10X as bad here. Not saying all states are the same, but, everyday I read about someone getting caught scamming the government..
What happened the bean....did I leave you speechless?
Yes, and that doesn't happen often. When you praise jmonroe, it throws me for a loop.
I knew it couldn't be for any reason he might have thought it was attributed to.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Question for the current and former sales pros here. Now that I have a truck I have been following a Ram Forum, and as you would expect there is a small but enthusiastic crowd that is ordering the all new 2019 RAM that was just announced. Lots of cool new tech and what not - my likely next truck when needed.
Anyway, here is my observation - When I bough my truck it was $13K off MSRP, not surprising, late in the model run, and lots of competition. However I would expect that the all new 2019 have little or no discounts on them, at least for a few month...right? Yet people are posting copies of their purchase agreement with Dennis Dillon CDJR in Idaho showing $10K+ discounts on the brand new truck that was ordered? I never thought this would happen on an all new model that hasn't even hit the dealer lots yet?
I assume this is very uncommon? Maybe truck economics are different as the big 3 sell so dang many of them every year?
Any thoughts?
Trucks provide the highest gross profits to the big 3 manufacturers - GM (Chevrolet and GMC), FIAT-Chrysler (Dodge), and Ford. In other words, the big 3 make more money on trucks than they do on cars. A discount on a truck can be enormous compared to a car. I’ve seen $14,000+ off MSRP on $60,000 trucks. You’d never see that kind of discount on a car. The reason is due to higher profit margins on trucks coupled with msnufacturer to dealer incentives.
I would agree that seeing $10,000 discounts on ordered 2019 Dodge trucks is somewhat suspicious - but with competition so fierce in the US truck market, almost anything is possible.
plus, from recent looking at used ones, it seems that sticker prices are really inflated from what they could be, so quite possibly yes, the huge discount is already baked in. Maybe too that dealer wants to move a ton of unit volume, so will give up a few big ticket deals up front to do it.
BUT, I'm fairly confident that there is not $10k dealer profit baked in. The big truck discounts typically include a great deal of help from the manufacturer. $10k off before any manufacturer discounts is definitely suspect.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Yes the stinger should’ve been put in the Genesis lineup to agree gonna check one out next week at the New York auto show along with a bunch of other stuff I wanna sit in to
...Infrastructure is not a priority these days, no funds to keep up. Leave it for the next politician in office. Maybe not easy to make graph as easily from infrastructure.
We have lots of corruption back home....but, I think it is 10X as bad here. Not saying all states are the same, but, everyday I read about someone getting caught scamming the government..
What happened the bean....did I leave you speechless?
Yes, and that doesn't happen often. When you praise jmonroe, it throws me for a loop.
I think I have agreed with him more in the last 3 months than I did in the last 5 years. Either I am mellowing out as I get older or he is finally getting some common sense. At this rate I might even start looking at a Genesis for my next car...............
About, the discounts on new trucks. I think all the opinions make sense.......lots of profit on trucks, they are in demand, lots of competition, phony MSRP to begin with, move some units....etc. I am always amazed at the discounts offered from $10k to almost $20k and it is continuous. Maybe they know truck buyers don't mind inflated MSRP, but love deep discounts.
Another reason why it is better to see it in Tampa. Also, Tampa uses 250 lbs of dye compared to 50 lbs in Chicago. It is done in a few other cities too....Washington D.C., Indianapolis, and I believe Boston.
OK fine that just means that Chicago is more efficient in it's dying. Also does Tampa's river run backwards?
....and polute everything downstream......NO?
We took the architectural tour of the Chicago part of the river - in the summer of course - and it is one of the best tours you can go on. The guides, who are volunteers, make the 90 minute tour very enjoyable....with humor and interesting facts....and incredible buildings.
I’ve taken that tour, too. I agree with everything you stated.
The museums/aquarium/planetarium rival any I’be seen in any other city.....worldwide. Love Chicago!
...Infrastructure is not a priority these days, no funds to keep up. Leave it for the next politician in office. Maybe not easy to make graph as easily from infrastructure.
We have lots of corruption back home....but, I think it is 10X as bad here. Not saying all states are the same, but, everyday I read about someone getting caught scamming the government..
What happened the bean....did I leave you speechless?
Yes, and that doesn't happen often. When you praise jmonroe, it throws me for a loop.
I think I have agreed with him more in the last 3 months than I did in the last 5 years. Either I am mellowing out as I get older or he is finally getting some common sense. At this rate I might even start looking at a Genesis for my next car...............
Driver - bologna on the Genesis you might look at. You are a stoic Mercedes owner, and you know it.
As for you mellowing out - doubtful. As for jmonroe acquiring common sense - he’s had that for years! It’s whether or not he chooses to flaunt his common sense or not - that is the question.
Another reason why it is better to see it in Tampa. Also, Tampa uses 250 lbs of dye compared to 50 lbs in Chicago. It is done in a few other cities too....Washington D.C., Indianapolis, and I believe Boston.
OK fine that just means that Chicago is more efficient in it's dying. Also does Tampa's river run backwards?
....and polute everything downstream......NO?
We took the architectural tour of the Chicago part of the river - in the summer of course - and it is one of the best tours you can go on. The guides, who are volunteers, make the 90 minute tour very enjoyable....with humor and interesting facts....and incredible buildings.
I’ve taken that tour, too. I agree with everything you stated.
The museums/aquarium/planetarium rival any I’be seen in any other city.....worldwide. Love Chicago!
Chicago is a great city - depending where in Chicago you travel or visit. The downtown and Near Southside (near Soldier Field), the near Northside areas along the Lakefront, are terrific for museums, beaches, views and restaurants. I went to Roosevelt University on Michigan Avenue and Congress Street - great parks there, too.
But as far as the West and South Sides, lots of crime and shootings. I went to the University of Chicago on the South Side near Garfield Park and that can be a rough area if you wander off campus.
My city does a fair enough job of patching most holes, but some areas lag.
Our small city doesn't have potholes. I can't think of one I've seen this winter, even on the state highway, which isn't ours to do pothole patching on. I can't think of a repaired pothole on any of the streets. We use a 5 year plan where every street gets a recoating at five years. And we don't have sink holes. LOL
Driver - bologna on the Genesis you might look at. You are a stoic Mercedes owner, and you know it.As for you mellowing out - doubtful.
I don't think this is going to be about mellowing out by Mike. This may be about hard reality of the next lease payment, as this one ends and there is no more rollup on equity, as none is left by now. Same S-class will cost him likely 50% more in payments. Add interest rate climbing and Genesis may start looking quite attractive.
...Infrastructure is not a priority these days, no funds to keep up. Leave it for the next politician in office. Maybe not easy to make graph as easily from infrastructure.
We have lots of corruption back home....but, I think it is 10X as bad here. Not saying all states are the same, but, everyday I read about someone getting caught scamming the government..
What happened the bean....did I leave you speechless?
Yes, and that doesn't happen often. When you praise jmonroe, it throws me for a loop.
I think I have agreed with him more in the last 3 months than I did in the last 5 years. Either I am mellowing out as I get older or he is finally getting some common sense. At this rate I might even start looking at a Genesis for my next car...............
Driver - bologna on the Genesis you might look at. You are a stoic Mercedes owner,.
Keep up up the good work driver.
Mike, if I was in the market today I would seriously consider an MB, a BMW, and even an Audi. It would depend on which one I thought looked best, drove best, had features I want, as well as comfort and quality and design of the interior. MB has a bit of an edge, because I have been extremely pleased with the brand, and the dealership has gone above and beyond to accommodate me (also it is by far the closest so that helps).
But, it isn't a slam dunk...and people said the same about my 2012 BMW 535...that I wouldn't switch.
One thing you are 100% right about, the chances of a Genesis ending up in my garage are extremely slim. They make good cars and the price is reasonable.......if I am going to spend big buck$ for a luxury car I want to get it right...I don't want to be unhappy and try to dump a new car.
Driver - bologna on the Genesis you might look at. You are a stoic Mercedes owner, and you know it.As for you mellowing out - doubtful.
I don't think this is going to be about mellowing out by Mike. This may be about hard reality of the next lease payment, as this one ends and there is no more rollup on equity, as none is left by now. Same S-class will cost him likely 50% more in payments. Add interest rate climbing and Genesis may start looking quite attractive.
Mike will have low miles on his S. Maybe he can re-lease it again. I did that with my 95 JEEP, leased for 30 months at $315, then leased for 2 years at $240.
I haven't heard how the Fusions that lift a wheel to avoid potholes are doing.....anyone know if that really works and why isn't everyone else copying?
I read it is better just to hit a pothole than to slow down...it does more harm to be braking and hitting them. I don;t agree or disagree....I just don't know why that would be.
Well, if you are loading the front tires with extra weight due to braking, it would make sense you are pushing them down into the hole further. I suppose if you drive fast enough, you don't give gravity and your suspension enough time to sink into a hole. I wouldn't advise trying this at home though.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
Driver - bologna on the Genesis you might look at. You are a stoic Mercedes owner, and you know it.As for you mellowing out - doubtful.
I don't think this is going to be about mellowing out by Mike. This may be about hard reality of the next lease payment, as this one ends and there is no more rollup on equity, as none is left by now. Same S-class will cost him likely 50% more in payments. Add interest rate climbing and Genesis may start looking quite attractive.
Mike will have low miles on his S. Maybe he can re-lease it again. I did that with my 95 JEEP, leased for 30 months at $315, then leased for 2 years at $240.
This may still raise his payments, quite substantially. Now it's leasing used car that may go out of warranty with higher payments. I don't think so.
What's up with this quote feature. Once you nest enough times, it just goes out of whack. Or perhaps it's unique to your browser (ned of block quote is placed too early, throwing the newer comments out of greyed areas).
Comments
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Something tells me this is going to end up in the courts with FIU suing, injured victims and deceased victim’s families suing, and probably the State of Florida and Miami-Dade County will be suing. Don’t be surprised if a bankruptcy is in the making for the architects and/or the construction contractor. Claims could easily run in the hundreds of millions of dollars - an amount that might not all be covered by their insurers.
What a catastrophe!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Many years ago I found that pot hole season is a great way to teach you not to tale-gate. I'm not going to say I haven't hit pot holes but at least I give myself a little bit more reaction time so that I can find the smaller ones.
Now, driving an unfamiliar road at night, in the rain that fills the pot holes, is probably an acceptable excuse for hitting one. This happened to me back when I had my '09 Genny. I was headed over to Son #1's house for dinner one night after work, in let's say, January. It was raining and there was no one in front of me, when out of the blue, BAM, I hit a pot hole so hard that the rear view mirror moved about 30 degrees to the right. I was certain that I killed the right front tire and rim and was expecting to have to pull over any second but nothing happened. No flat, so shimmy, no nothing so I just kept driving. When I got to his house I grabbed my flashlight and really gave the tire and rim a good check but I could't find anything wrong with either one. I never had a problem with that tire or rim after that smack.
Maybe the pothole gods wanted to show me that I couldn't beat them all the time but then the good fairy must have stepped in and saved me because I was a good boy till then. I'll take that.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
That car would be right at home here.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Stinger should be rolled out even more cautiously, as the market for such vehicle, especially in GT price and power range is even smaller. If anything, I think it actually belongs more in Genesis brand lineup, rather than Kia's. Dumping "teens-twenties" of $50k+ units in such short time on dealerships geared toward selling sub $30k cars to people with (often) constrained incomes, is just strange, unless they know something I don't. Or perhaps they already planned to for immediate large discount to make it <$45K vehicle and generate extra traffic - but those kind of strategies have been long discredited as counterproductive. If they started with sending 10-20 "Premiums" ($30k+) along with 2-5 GTs (45k+) (from which one $50k GT2), this I would understand. I really don't get it. I still think the model has its place and could be a nice addition to the lineup, just not at teens per dealer. That's what doesn't make sense to me.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
We took the architectural tour of the Chicago part of the river - in the summer of course - and it is one of the best tours you can go on. The guides, who are volunteers, make the 90 minute tour very enjoyable....with humor and interesting facts....and incredible buildings.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
We have lots of corruption back home....but, I think it is 10X as bad here. Not saying all states are the same, but, everyday I read about someone getting caught scamming the government. Some of the scams are pretty ingenious, if they put that ingenuity to a good purpose they could accomplish a lot.
The guy I read about yesterday managed a chain of charter schools. He buys tables and chairs from his buddy who charges double for everything....then they split the extra profit. Everyday there seems to be a new one.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Did they talk about the great Chicago flood?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I couldn't help but think, given the way I do my taxes, there is no telling how much more cheating I could have done if I had more time and if I was one of "those affected".
You tax guys must have had a field day or two that year.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
My city does a fair enough job of patching most holes, but some areas lag. Some private parking lots are hilarious, there's a hole in a lot near me that I think the fintail's 13" wheels would get stuck in, should I be foolish enough to drive on their Stalingrad 1942 quality surface.
Someone must have made a typo error and projected 10X the sales for production.
I like working for one that actually does value those things.
JMonroe is right again for the 4th time this year....the flood does seem to be more like a leak, though a very expensive one!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I read it is better just to hit a pothole than to slow down...it does more harm to be braking and hitting them. I don;t agree or disagree....I just don't know why that would be.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Anyway, here is my observation - When I bough my truck it was $13K off MSRP, not surprising, late in the model run, and lots of competition. However I would expect that the all new 2019 have little or no discounts on them, at least for a few month...right? Yet people are posting copies of their purchase agreement with Dennis Dillon CDJR in Idaho showing $10K+ discounts on the brand new truck that was ordered? I never thought this would happen on an all new model that hasn't even hit the dealer lots yet?
I assume this is very uncommon? Maybe truck economics are different as the big 3 sell so dang many of them every year?
Any thoughts?
What happened the bean....did I leave you speechless?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I knew it couldn't be for any reason he might have thought it was attributed to.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I would agree that seeing $10,000 discounts on ordered 2019 Dodge trucks is somewhat suspicious - but with competition so fierce in the US truck market, almost anything is possible.
That’s my take on this.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I think I have agreed with him more in the last 3 months than I did in the last 5 years. Either I am mellowing out as I get older or he is finally getting some common sense. At this rate I might even start looking at a Genesis for my next car...............
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I am always amazed at the discounts offered from $10k to almost $20k and it is continuous. Maybe they know truck buyers don't mind inflated MSRP, but love deep discounts.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
The museums/aquarium/planetarium rival any I’be seen in any other city.....worldwide. Love Chicago!
As for you mellowing out - doubtful. As for jmonroe acquiring common sense - he’s had that for years! It’s whether or not he chooses to flaunt his common sense or not - that is the question.
Keep up up the good work driver.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Chicago is a great city - depending where in Chicago you travel or visit. The downtown and Near Southside (near Soldier Field), the near Northside areas along the Lakefront, are terrific for museums, beaches, views and restaurants. I went to Roosevelt University on Michigan Avenue and Congress Street - great parks there, too.
But as far as the West and South Sides, lots of crime and shootings. I went to the University of Chicago on the South Side near Garfield Park and that can be a rough area if you wander off campus.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
And we don't have sink holes. LOL
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Driver - bologna on the Genesis you might look at. You are a stoic Mercedes owner,.
Keep up up the good work driver.
Mike, if I was in the market today I would seriously consider an MB, a BMW, and even an Audi. It would depend on which one I thought looked best, drove best, had features I want, as well as comfort and quality and design of the interior. MB has a bit of an edge, because I have been extremely pleased with the brand, and the dealership has gone above and beyond to accommodate me (also it is by far the closest so that helps).
But, it isn't a slam dunk...and people said the same about my 2012 BMW 535...that I wouldn't switch.
One thing you are 100% right about, the chances of a Genesis ending up in my garage are extremely slim. They make good cars and the price is reasonable.......if I am going to spend big buck$ for a luxury car I want to get it right...I don't want to be unhappy and try to dump a new car.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Mike will have low miles on his S. Maybe he can re-lease it again. I did that with my 95 JEEP, leased for 30 months at $315, then leased for 2 years at $240.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
This may still raise his payments, quite substantially. Now it's leasing used car that may go out of warranty with higher payments. I don't think so.
What's up with this quote feature. Once you nest enough times, it just goes out of whack. Or perhaps it's unique to your browser (ned of block quote is placed too early, throwing the newer comments out of greyed areas).
2018 430i Gran Coupe