Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

driver100

jmonroe said:

andres3 said:

I don't like pure speculation; only certainty.

For once I agree with you...almost.

I don't like "speculation" either, that's the agreement part.

So, correlating the "certainty" part of this to your life, it is a certainty that when you speed you will get a ticket. And it is a certainty that this ticket will disrupt your life while you fight it through the CA court system. Going a little further, it is a certainty that you will not learn anything from your speeding episodes.

I don't want to go any farther with this because we have a poster buddy in here that thinks my posts are too long.

jmonroe

Poster buddy couldn't have said it better...or using fewer words.
(I think that makes it 6X now)

driver100

ab348 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

I was thrilled to drive my first BMW today, a nice white X3. Drove ok , especially in sport mode but I didn't get any special feel of the road. Interior was nicely done but the seats gave poor lumbar support and my back hurt after 3 hours.

It was the switch gear that drove me crazy. Even after poking at it for hours I couldn't figure out the radio. There were multiple buttons labeled "mode" that I pushed and twisted until a station came in but I couldn't get comfortable with it. I couldn't figure how you locked the doors until someone pointed out the lock button on the fob was the BMW logo. Huh? The unlock button was the traditional unlock icon so why be cute?

I even had trouble figuring how to ajustment the mirrors. The button that looked like a mirror ajustment folded them in against the car while the selector button had no markings at all.

Don't get me wrong, it was a nice car but I can see why they had to hire RB to explain them to people.

It wasn't that. The reason is simple. You weren't registered with the car as a driver. Just like when you change a battery or a light bulb, you need to tell the car that this new thing is OK before it will work.

LOL....Well done ab! To be fair, once you get used to it you can master the BMW quirks pretty quickly. I have to say, these days I do appreciate less complicated, and that is one reason the MB appealed to me for now. But, I would switch to a BMW if I really liked the car more, and it could happen.

However, right now I am drooling over this E400 Cabriolet;

stickguy

don't hate on me, but when I glanced at the top picture, and did not notice the star on the back, I thought it was a Buick Cascada. Dead ringer.

ab348

Yeah, I have to say I'm not a fan of the roofline.

qbrozen

I thought the same thing, stick

jmonroe

abacomike said:

Just got a text from my son - he gave me instructions on how to access one of his local TV stations in order to see my grandson, Dylan, pitch. He pitched a complete game and won. If any of you are interested in seeing a quick 45 second clip of my grandson pitching, you can see it by following these instructions:

On your computer, go to KESQ.com
Next click on "sports" and then click on the news feed for Palm Desert/La Quinta (PD/LQ) baseball and softball.
He plays for Palm Desert, which is the second clip after La Quinta. Let me know if you get a chance to watch him pitch two balls and then let me know what you thought of him.

Almost forgot to look at this.

He has a nice overhand fastball and seems to be pretty stingy allowing hits since his team won 7-1.

Next time show us how he does when he's in the batters box.

jmonroe

jmonroe

ab348 said:

Yeah, I have to say I'm not a fan of the roofline.

I think it would look better with a hard top. The conventional rag top looks too Florida-ish.

jmonroe

abacomike

jmonroe said:

Just got a text from my son - he gave me instructions on how to access one of his local TV stations in order to see my grandson, Dylan, pitch. He pitched a complete game and won. If any of you are interested in seeing a quick 45 second clip of my grandson pitching, you can see it by following these instructions: On your computer, go to KESQ.com Next click on "sports" and then click on the news feed for Palm Desert/La Quinta (PD/LQ) baseball and softball. He plays for Palm Desert, which is the second clip after La Quinta. Let me know if you get a chance to watch him pitch two balls and then let me know what you thought of him.

Almost forgot to look at this. He has a nice overhand fastball and seems to be pretty stingy allowing hits since his team won 7-1. Next time show us how he does when he's in the batters box. jmonroe

Yes - his 91 mph fast ball, his change-up and his slider are his bread and butter pitches.

Unfortunately, they don’t play him very much at first base so he doesn’t get to bat very much.  Last Friday, he hit a grand slam home run 388 feet into left center field,  don’t have any video of it,

andres3

jmonroe said:

andres3 said:

I don't like pure speculation; only certainty.

For once I agree with you...almost.

I don't like "speculation" either, that's the agreement part.

So, correlating the "certainty" part of this to your life, it is a certainty that when you speed you will get a ticket. And it is a certainty that this ticket will disrupt your life while you fight it through the CA court system. Going a little further, it is a certainty that you will not learn anything from your speeding episodes.

I don't want to go any farther with this because we have a poster buddy in here that thinks my posts are too long.

jmonroe

But that takes us back to space and time.

It is only certain I'll get a ticket if I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time. Who knows when that'll be?

While not certain the Court will disrupt your life heavily, it is a very high percentage.

My conclusion to not learning anything is that it is the Police and the Courts that need to learn, but they don't seem to be getting the lesson plan I've layed out for them.

tbirdmarco

 Wow wow on the wall above interesting reading all happy Friday everyone 

driver100

stickguy said:

don't hate on me, but when I glanced at the top picture, and did not notice the star on the back, I thought it was a Buick Cascada. Dead ringer.

Buick did a good job of copying then. I bet the interior on the E400 looks nicer

driver100

jmonroe said:

ab348 said:

Yeah, I have to say I'm not a fan of the roofline.

I think it would look better with a hard top. The conventional rag top looks too Florida-ish.

jmonroe

That is 7 X now I agree with you. I prefer a hardtop vert too....but, Mercedes has this idea convertibles should have a traditional soft top.

driver100

I do think the new BMW X2 looks pretty good, would have liked a taller roof with larger windows but this is the new trend - the flattened roof look!

imidazol97

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

don't hate on me, but when I glanced at the top picture, and did not notice the star on the back, I thought it was a Buick Cascada. Dead ringer.

Buick did a good job of copying then. I bet the interior on the E400 looks nicer

Did Mercedes copy the Buick? The Buick is a version of the Opel. When did Opel
first style that car?

stickguy

Driver, the X2 is just a styled up, squished roof X1. So if you want a taller roof and bigger windows (and not coincidentally, better visibility and more cargo space!) get that instead.

stickguy

the Opel has been around for a while, so it must be MB doing the copying here.

imidazol97

graphicguy

nyccarguy said:

graphicguy said:

stickguy said:

GG, how do you get internet access for the streaming? And what does that cost stand alone?

I’m still on Spectrum as my ISP. I’m paying $45/mo for 128mbps (just tested, so that’s real time). That’s plenty of bandwidth.

I think I paid $40 for an HD antenna. It’s behind the TV so it can’t be seen. I’m getting local and CBS, NBC, ABC, etc from that. No other charges other than the antenna.

Amazon Prime runs me $100/year, but that also includes no charge 2 day shipping, and unlimited music streaming service. Both of those I use.....a lot! Like NETFLIX, they have some really good original programming.

NETFLIX runs me about $170/year, but that included the UHD TIER. If you don’t care about UHD, it is $144/year.

Aside from sports and CBS news shows, I can’t remember when I watched any “regular programming” from the big broadcasters.

You don't have a landline?

Nope....gave that up about 3 years ago. Even with my office in my home, I have a seperate mobile phone and number for it. Telemarketing calls are now practically non-existent.

PF_Flyer

driver100 said:

I do think the new BMW X2 looks pretty good, would have liked a taller roof with larger windows but this is the new trend - the flattened roof look!

This must be the new wave in color. I've seen a couple of vehicles recently with this sort of "iridescent" look to the paint. Catches my eye anyway

graphicguy

driver100 said:

I do think the new BMW X2 looks pretty good, would have liked a taller roof with larger windows but this is the new trend - the flattened roof look!

I like the styling. The color? Not so much!

ab348

I always thought that the X1 looked too tall and narrow ( or maybe not wide enough for its height) so this one is an improvement. It looks much less tippy.

qbrozen

I actually like the color but not the gray cladding.

graphicguy

I don’t miss network TV at all. Some of my NETFLIX FAVES.....

1. House of Cards (going away)
2. My Next Guest-David Letterman doing one on one interviews with interesting people
3. Dirty Money-entities who solely exist to rip off people
4. Versace
5. Collateral
6. The Crown
7. Black Mirror
8. Ozark
9. Borderline
10. Bloodline
And that doesn’t include the movies

Amazon Prime shows of interest

1. The Grand Tour
2. Mozart in the Jungle
3. The Man in the High Castle
4. Sneaky Pete
5. The Americans
6. Absentia
7. Goliath
8. Mr Robot
9. Bosch
10. The Expanse

fintail

MB CLK 1999:



MB CLK 2004:



E cabrio 2010:



I think there's only so much you can do with the shape of a top in a medium-large soft top 4 seater.

stickguy said:

the Opel has been around for a while, so it must be MB doing the copying here.

nyccarguy

graphicguy said:

nyccarguy said:

graphicguy said:

stickguy said:

GG, how do you get internet access for the streaming? And what does that cost stand alone?

I’m still on Spectrum as my ISP. I’m paying $45/mo for 128mbps (just tested, so that’s real time). That’s plenty of bandwidth.

I think I paid $40 for an HD antenna. It’s behind the TV so it can’t be seen. I’m getting local and CBS, NBC, ABC, etc from that. No other charges other than the antenna.

Amazon Prime runs me $100/year, but that also includes no charge 2 day shipping, and unlimited music streaming service. Both of those I use.....a lot! Like NETFLIX, they have some really good original programming.

NETFLIX runs me about $170/year, but that included the UHD TIER. If you don’t care about UHD, it is $144/year.

Aside from sports and CBS news shows, I can’t remember when I watched any “regular programming” from the big broadcasters.

You don't have a landline?

Nope....gave that up about 3 years ago. Even with my office in my home, I have a seperate mobile phone and number for it. Telemarketing calls are now practically non-existent.

That's where I run into problems. Cell service in my house is spotty at best. I need the landline & the internet from the cable company (optimum). Speaking of, I need a new Router. Apparently the 10 year old NetGear I'm using doesn't take full advantage of the Internet Speed provided by the cable company. Any recommendations?

bwia

The BMW X2 is a nice looking SUV Sports Activity Vehicle. And yes the gold color displayed above is very attractive. But alas, the base price at $39k is too high compared to its competitors the Volvo XC40 and the Jaguar E-Pace making it a tough sell in this small (180K) market segment.

graphicguy

Bradd....I have the Google WiFi system (look on the Google site to find it). I have 3 modules, which includes the router. It covers my entire house.....about 3K sq/ft and 3 floors.

I think it was just under $300,but set up is simple and I regularly stream at 100-200 mbps from the ISP and modem.

Netgear has a good router called the Nighthawk, which I like. Single WiFi source but it has a good antenna system. I think it’s about $175....maybe a shade less.

That said, I have 3 TVs, 2 video door bells, 2 laptops, an iPad, 2 mobile phones, Amazon streaming dongle, a UHD blue ray player, a kindle, and probably something else I’m forgetting, on my WiFi network.

I know Sprint has terrible coverage in my house. AT&T and Verizon are fine for cell coverage, though.

stickguy

I should look into this. We are actually relics that still watch a lot of network TV shows, but assuming the HD antennae works well, would still get those. I guess you have to buy a DVR of some kind though to record off that. But I would lose some stations I assume (velocity?). Just have to start searching for content on the internet. And my wife would have to wean herself off of Hallmark channel!

would still be stuck with Comcast to supply the internet. Knowing them, probably still not cheap.

Much more likely to do this if/when we finally move (at this point, based on progress on that, will probably be when I get carted out in a body bag)

bwia

imidazol97 said:

STudied the Uber video more during the car show Marco posted...

The headlights from the Volvo don't seem very good. Maybe it's the visual light range camera that's recording that makes it seem the headlights aren't good.

The radar on the car didn't sense the metal in the bicycle? What if that had been an Elantra crossing? Would the Volvo have sensed its presence? Between the body and the bicycle, the car should have applied brakes to reduce speed, mitigating damage if not stopping or swerving.

AND the human eye of the driver should have seen the jaywalker approaching from the left before the camera, which may be less sensitive, found them.. I still say the driver is at fault. If nothing else, reducing vehicle speed before impact would have allowed the driver to live after the impact.

Don't know if it would make a difference but Mercedes new and innovative Digital Lighting System is a step in the right direction and probably would help. The short 2.5 minute Youtube video below shows how it works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAb7qb1J0BQ

abacomike

bwia said:

STudied the Uber video more during the car show Marco posted... The headlights from the Volvo don't seem very good. Maybe it's the visual light range camera that's recording that makes it seem the headlights aren't good. The radar on the car didn't sense the metal in the bicycle? What if that had been an Elantra crossing? Would the Volvo have sensed its presence? Between the body and the bicycle, the car should have applied brakes to reduce speed, mitigating damage if not stopping or swerving. AND the human eye of the driver should have seen the jaywalker approaching from the left before the camera, which may be less sensitive, found them.. I still say the driver is at fault. If nothing else, reducing vehicle speed before impact would have allowed the driver to live after the impact.

Don't know if it would make a difference but Mercedes new and innovative Digital Lighting System is a step in the right direction and probably would help. The short 2.5 minute Youtube video below shows how it works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAb7qb1J0BQ

I have that new system on my S450 - the beams move to follow road curves and to reduce/realign the amount of light hitting oncoming traffic.  When the headlights go on, they go through a digital display and align lights by digital sensors.

oldfarmer50

Here's one for somebody's son. Little older than the other one but lower milage. Edmunds says $5200 in top condition.

https://westernmass.craigslist.org/cto/d/2008-mercury-milan-premier-in/6539330526.html

stickguy

I can't even fathom how much it would cost to replace one of those lights if it goes bad. Pretty sure not $30 at auto zone, and 5 minutes to pop it in!

pensfan83

My BIL had one of those and said it was the most mundane car he ever owned. The only reason he bought it was because he got 0% financing and it allowed him to dump negative equity rolled over from his prior two cars on the loan and pay it off interest free.

jmonroe

andres3 said:

jmonroe said:

andres3 said:

I don't like pure speculation; only certainty.

For once I agree with you...almost.

I don't like "speculation" either, that's the agreement part.

So, correlating the "certainty" part of this to your life, it is a certainty that when you speed you will get a ticket. And it is a certainty that this ticket will disrupt your life while you fight it through the CA court system. Going a little further, it is a certainty that you will not learn anything from your speeding episodes.

I don't want to go any farther with this because we have a poster buddy in here that thinks my posts are too long.

jmonroe

But that takes us back to space and time.

It is only certain I'll get a ticket if I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time. Who knows when that'll be?

While not certain the Court will disrupt your life heavily, it is a very high percentage.

My conclusion to not learning anything is that it is the Police and the Courts that need to learn, but they don't seem to be getting the lesson plan I've layed out for them.

I'm sure you are joshing me about your failing methods but maybe not.

Let me just leave you with what a lab professor told us when I was working my way through night school, when some of the guys continued making the same mistakes. Like, making sparks all the time, blowing up meters, smoking circuit boards altogether, and believe it or not, one guy even blew up an expensive dual-trace scope, twice. After putting up with that for longer than I thought he would, it finally got to him which led him to say:

"I can help with dumb but I can't do nothin with stupid".

Again, I quit. Hopefully for the last time since I don't want to be called stupid for continued participation with this.

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright

stickguy said:

I can't even fathom how much it would cost to replace one of those lights if it goes bad. Pretty sure not $30 at auto zone, and 5 minutes to pop it in!

Well there are cars on the road today that aren't exotics with headlight assemblies costing $1400 a pop. You really don't want to punch any new German car in the nose if you can avoid it.

driver100

stickguy said:

Driver, the X2 is just a styled up, squished roof X1. So if you want a taller roof and bigger windows (and not coincidentally, better visibility and more cargo space!) get that instead.

I agree stick. Had an X1 when I had the rental car during accident, it had minimal options on it...no rear camera, still a fun car to drive. The vision was excellent. I think they improved the styling for the X2......do you really need 3 different sizes each slightly larger?

driver100

Mr_Shiftright said:

stickguy said:

I can't even fathom how much it would cost to replace one of those lights if it goes bad. Pretty sure not $30 at auto zone, and 5 minutes to pop it in!

Well there are cars on the road today that aren't exotics with headlight assemblies costing $1400 a pop. You really don't want to punch any new German car in the nose if you can avoid it.

Just checked one:

Mercedes E350 E400 E63 W212 AMG S Headlight Assem Static LED Driver Left GENUINE
This Listing includes: 1 X 2128202139 - Headlight Assembly - Genuine Mercedes-Benz Driver Left Static LED This Brand Includes the Mercedes Benz logo & States: Mercedes-Benz inside the lens.
$1,819.24Top Rated PlusFree shippingBrand: Mercedes-Benz
7 new & refurbished from $1,423.10

That is worth more than a lot of the cars oldfarmer finds for us on CL!

jipster

oldfarmer50 said:

Here's one for somebody's son. Little older than the other one but lower milage. Edmunds says $5200 in top condition. https://westernmass.craigslist.org/cto/d/2008-mercury-milan-premier-in/6539330526.html

That's a nice one oldfarmer. Two years older, but looks to be in better condition. Leather seats. No plastic wheel covers. I would definitely be  interested if it were closer to home. Be interested in how much it goes for.Thanks for posting.

driver100

I like that color on the X2....I just don't think I could buy it for my own car.

driver100

jipster said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Here's one for somebody's son. Little older than the other one but lower milage. Edmunds says $5200 in top condition.

https://westernmass.craigslist.org/cto/d/2008-mercury-milan-premier-in/6539330526.html

That's a nice one oldfarmer. Two years older, but looks to be in better condition. Leather seats. No plastic wheel covers. I would definitely be  interested if it were closer to home. Be interested in how much it goes for.Thanks for posting.

That is nice...but, isn't it in an auction sale? Jipster needs something closer to home that he can look at it....what kind of service are you offering here? : :@

stickguy

BMW (and MB too I guess) are obsessed with niche products. so you need S/M/L normal CUVs, then a less functional but more stylish version of each one. Well, they think you need them all.

bwia

abacomike said:

bwia said:

Don't know if it would make a difference but Mercedes new and innovative Digital Lighting System is a step in the right direction and probably would help. The short 2.5 minute Youtube video below shows how it works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAb7qb1J0BQ

I have that new system on my S450 - the beams move to follow road curves and to reduce/realign the amount of light hitting oncoming traffic.  When the headlights go on, they go through a digital display and align lights by digital sensors.

Mike, does the lighting system "paint" traffic signs on the street such as crosswalks and stop signs?

graphicguy

stickguy said:

I should look into this. We are actually relics that still watch a lot of network TV shows, but assuming the HD antennae works well, would still get those. I guess you have to buy a DVR of some kind though to record off that. But I would lose some stations I assume (velocity?). Just have to start searching for content on the internet. And my wife would have to wean herself off of Hallmark channel!

would still be stuck with Comcast to supply the internet. Knowing them, probably still not cheap.

Much more likely to do this if/when we finally move (at this point, based on progress on that, will probably be when I get carted out in a body bag)

You can look at HULU and SLING. You’ll likely find the stations you want with thos services.

Point being, you can go a la carte on your preferred channels and shows without paying for the “bundle tiers” that the big providers force you into.

graphicguy

Speaking of recording shows, you can get a PC for that duty. Matter of fact, there’s a company that allows you to buy their bare bones PC for around $35. Then, you can build a media server around it....which is what I did.

Find it here...

www.Raspberrypi.org

bwia

graphicguy said:

Speaking of recording shows, you can get a PC for that duty. Matter of fact, there’s a company that allows you to buy their bare bones PC for around $35. Then, you can build a media server around it....which is what I did. Find it here... www.Raspberrypi.org

GG, you did not mention YouTube Live. I think you get the equivalent of cable for a fraction of the price. What's your take?

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

jipster said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Here's one for somebody's son. Little older than the other one but lower milage. Edmunds says $5200 in top condition.

https://westernmass.craigslist.org/cto/d/2008-mercury-milan-premier-in/6539330526.html

That's a nice one oldfarmer. Two years older, but looks to be in better condition. Leather seats. No plastic wheel covers. I would definitely be  interested if it were closer to home. Be interested in how much it goes for.Thanks for posting.

That is nice...but, isn't it in an auction sale? Jipster needs something closer to home that he can look at it....what kind of service are you offering here? : :@

Jip is on his own as far as buying it but if he wants me to transport it to his mansion in the hills of wherever that's my game...for a price.

stickguy

graphicguy said:

Speaking of recording shows, you can get a PC for that duty. Matter of fact, there’s a company that allows you to buy their bare bones PC for around $35. Then, you can build a media server around it....which is what I did.

Find it here...

www.Raspberrypi.org

you are definitely woefully underestimating how lazy we are in this household.

pensfan83

driver100 said:

I agree stick. Had an X1 when I had the rental car during accident, it had minimal options on it...no rear camera, still a fun car to drive. The vision was excellent. I think they improved the styling for the X2......do you really need 3 different sizes each slightly larger?

That's what I'm wondering....what is the point of having so many SUV's? Is the market really not as saturated with choices as it appears on paper?

PF_Flyer

Is this going with the flow, or getting out in front of things?

Why Ford is hitching its future to trucks

The Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker announced Thursday that 86% of its North American production by 2020 would be trucks and SUVs, up from 70% now.

qbrozen

Like not working for me.
I tend to doubt Ford ever gets out in front of things.