Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

stickguy

tjc78 said:

jmonroe said:

tjc78 said:

I had a wanna be too!  Same color and year as J’s first one.  

Yeah, but yours was just a wanna not a real legitimate wannabe. IIRC yours was an anemic V6, right?

jmonroe

Yep! Only 290 hp, I should have had my man card taken away!

what kind of card does the 140 or so Elantra HPs get you? Disney kids club?

driver100

fintail said:

Pictured car is a W124, usually sold in NA as a 300E, but a few variants exist. Model years 1986-95, the car in the pic is a 1990-93 version. They require maintenance, but are regarded by some as the last "old fashioned" MB in terms of material quality and interior design. There are still tons of them on the road.

That C would be a W202. I had a W202 way back in the last decade, the V8 AMG (C43) variant:

driver100 said:

The first time we bought a Mercedes, we had a 1995 Volvo that kept stalling.....3 dealers couldn't fix it, and the head office honcho couldn't figure it out. While it was in the shop for about the 8th time, my wife went across to the Mercedes dealer and test drove a Mercedes - this was in 1998. She said, my next car has to be a Mercedes, even if it is a used one. Fortunately, they brought out a new lower priced C Class for 1999 and we stretched the budget, our combined income was probably about $50000 that year. The Mercedes was about $32000 IIRC and they let us hand in the Volvo 1 year early on the lease - what a lemon. I renewed the lease on my 1995 Jeep for $240 a month.

I had a lot of sleepless nights wondering if we were going to make it...at least we had decent cars.

Life is like most things in life, sometimes you have to think positive and just go for it.

While we were waiting for the 1999 MB to come in they loaned us a 10 year old loaner. It was impressive, felt so heavy, steering felt precise, door closed like a bank vault...it was a real eye opener for me. I couldn't imagine a car could be that well built.

1989 loaner

That C 230 (I think) is the exact one...even down to color. I saw a black one today in perfect condition and it looked really smart. That was a very enjoyable car...the Kompressor really made it fly.

tjc78

stickguy said:

I had a wanna be too!  Same color and year as J’s first one.  

Yeah, but yours was just a wanna not a real legitimate wannabe. IIRC yours was an anemic V6, right? jmonroe

Yep! Only 290 hp, I should have had my man card taken away!

what kind of card does the 140 or so Elantra HPs get you? Disney kids club?

Gets me a duntz cap for thinking I would be happy with 140 hp!

fintail

The silver car is actually my exact old C43 AMG, silver with a two tone silver and black interior. That model was MY 1998-2000, and they are fairly rare, no more than 500 units or so per year for the US market. It has the same body as that C230, but with a V8 and just over 300hp under the hood - a big deal back in the day.

driver100 said:

That C 230 (I think) is the exact one...even down to color. I saw a black one today in perfect condition and it looked really smart. That was a very enjoyable car...the little Kompressor really made it fly.

fintail

You had it in the 80s? That model was sold here through MY 1983. I have a friend with a late run example, it is one of those cars the fintail can walk away from, so that's cool. The main drawback of those cars - acceleration off the line is casual, to put it nicely.

I can't imagine what it was like in the 70s when 55 was actually being enforced. By the time my memories start in the 80s, I don't think it was a big thing anymore, even if signs stated otherwise. I remember 80s cars with 55 either outlined or highlighted, almost as if to rub it in. Also the days of the 80-85 mph speedometer in domestic cars.

houdini1 said:

Thankfully, by the time of my 240D the double nickel speed limit was long gone. But I still remember around 74 or 75, took a business trip with my boss driving. Okla. City to Woodward Ok. and back. Probably around 300 miles round trip. My boss was in his 60's and drove at 55 the entire trip on almost deserted hiways. I was in agony. No laptops or smart phones in those days, you just had to sit and take it.

driver100

Classic Mercedes design.....it still looks good 20 years later. You never get tired of a well designed car.
It would be hard to tell which is the C43, and which is the C230.

oldfarmer50

tjc78 said:

stickguy said:

tjc78 said:

jmonroe said:

tjc78 said:

I had a wanna be too!  Same color and year as J’s first one.  

Yeah, but yours was just a wanna not a real legitimate wannabe. IIRC yours was an anemic V6, right?

jmonroe

Yep! Only 290 hp, I should have had my man card taken away!

what kind of card does the 140 or so Elantra HPs get you? Disney kids club?

Gets me a duntz cap for thinking I would be happy with 140 hp!


I don't know, the Elantras I've driven have had more than adaquate power. I can get a 17' from Enterprise for about $13k. tempting

tjc78

Enough ... yes, enough for me... No! 

jmonroe

tjc78 said:

isellhondas said:

driver100 said:

How about a new VW Arteon....starting from $37000;


I know....looks like a Buick!

That color is getting popular...I may get more used to it.

Why It Matters: The Arteon is to the car side of VW’s showrooms what the Atlas is to the truck side: a new flagship responsible for ­accelerating the brand’s return to relevance.

Platform: VW’s ubiquitous MQB transverse-powertrain components, set up for sedan use.

Powertrain: A turbocharged and intercooled 2.0-liter inline-four packing 270 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque (substantial increases over the outgoing CC’s turbocharged 2.0-liter) with an Aisin eight-speed automatic transaxle sending output to the front wheels. VW’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive will likely be optional.

VW Arteon

Arteon ?? Coming up with new names must be tough! Ugly gold too!

That gold is a thing now... BMW has a commercial showing one of their models in that color. It’s 1977 again... next we will trading in our stainless steel appliances!

I have mixed feelings if that happens. The beer coming out of our stainless steel fridge has a vastly superior taste than what I had to put up with coming out of our first fridge in 1969 that was harvest gold. However, the down side of that is, I noticed that stainless steel chilled beer fills up my bladder too fast. :@

jmonroe

fintail

The W202 debuted in 1993 as a 1994 model here, so this is a 25 year old design. MB does a very good job at making designs that age well.

These weren't bad cars, but they do have an Achilles heel - some areas of undercarriage and sometimes lower body rust, when they live in harsh environments and aren't kept clean. It was an issue during the era especially for these and W210 (E-class) cars.

driver100 said:

Classic Mercedes design.....it still looks good 20 years later. You never get tired of a well designed car.
It would be hard to tell which is the C43, and which is the C230.

roadburner

cdnpinhead said:

Markcincinnati was the hands-down Audi authority for many years around here, but he's gone the way of Richard, sadly. Another guy I miss had by far the best handle ever, BloV8er -- he was a Cadillac person. Shipo knew a lot about BMWs. There have been a lot of interesting people pass through here.

I often skipped over posts from markcincinnati because to me it seemed that he tended to ramble and go off on multiple tangents. He did know Audis, however.

roadburner

The only real lemon I've had to deal with was the Renault 18i my wife owned before we got married. The Scorpio had some issues as well, but I still wouldn't call it a lemon- it was more the fault of Ford's haphazard marketing and support of the car.

thebean

My '79 Cutlass was a lemon.  Passenger seat would not lock into place (that was fun with fast stops), trunk lock stuck and would not unlock, and the topper was when the ignition lock stuck on the on position.  Plus the paint oxidized and it ran like a dog except when PUG was used.  All this just after the warranty ran out.  

houdini1

fintail said:

You had it in the 80s? That model was sold here through MY 1983. I have a friend with a late run example, it is one of those cars the fintail can walk away from, so that's cool. The main drawback of those cars - acceleration off the line is casual, to put it nicely.

I can't imagine what it was like in the 70s when 55 was actually being enforced. By the time my memories start in the 80s, I don't think it was a big thing anymore, even if signs stated otherwise. I remember 80s cars with 55 either outlined or highlighted, almost as if to rub it in. Also the days of the 80-85 mph speedometer in domestic cars.

houdini1 said:

Thankfully, by the time of my 240D the double nickel speed limit was long gone. But I still remember around 74 or 75, took a business trip with my boss driving. Okla. City to Woodward Ok. and back. Probably around 300 miles round trip. My boss was in his 60's and drove at 55 the entire trip on almost deserted hiways. I was in agony. No laptops or smart phones in those days, you just had to sit and take it.

I bought the '78 240D in 1980 or '81.

houdini1

thebean said:

My '79 Cutlass was a lemon.  Passenger seat would not lock into place (that was fun with fast stops), trunk lock stuck and would not unlock, and the topper was when the ignition lock stuck on the on position.  Plus the paint oxidized and it ran like a dog except when PUG was used.  All this just after the warranty ran out.  

I had a 75 or 76 Cutlass as a company car, and it was a great car. Then a 1980 Cutlass that was a dog.

fintail

They had amazing resale then, too. I bet a 2-3 year old 240D was still over 15K then, in those valuable dollars.

houdini1 said:

I bought the '78 240D in 1980 or '81.

iluvmysephia1

This, according to an internet article, is the re-designed 2019 Toyota Corolla sedan.



https://toyotaspecsnews.com/2019-toyota-corolla-redesign-release-date-price/

Taken right outta the article is this:

One of the items we learned is that it appears how the new 2019 Toyota Corolla may have an entirely new design. The Toyota’s TNGA modular design is definitely the system how the 2019 Toyota Corolla will almost certainly use. Some Toyota versions have already been working with it like the new CR-H, the Camry, along with the Prius.

Humm. Just humm.

tbirdmarco

 Wow Mike how long is this in the last week or two in the spring breakers leave home from upstate now got home around eight good weekend overall weather was nice for upstate New York hopefully they get no more snow 

tbirdmarco

 Love those comfortable he’s Lincoln seats the panther cars very comfortable seats to like the one my cousin has which is in all five police interceptor package. It numerous times think he got it six months ago the prior one which is the civilian version black 1999 which he sold to a friend who still has it 

tbirdmarco

 And like TG see my cousin is a panther platform car expert postal crown VICS more than anything but the other ones he likes to let a few the past few months report it auction just to make a little money on and sell 

tbirdmarco

 And he is only 18 hey you like what you like ha ha Ha… Mustangs to just like me 

iluvmysephia1

Anyone seen or heard from our longtime friend stever?

nyccarguy

We went skiing today at Windham Mountian (not to far from @oldfarmer50).  Conditions were fantastic.  The place wasn't too crowded.  Prominently displayed at the front entrance to the place was "the official vehicle of Windham Mountian" which was a the new X3.  Very nicely done from what I could tell.  

ab348

iluvmysephia1 said:

This, according to an internet article, is the re-designed 2019 Toyota Corolla sedan.

Just based upon the greenhouse design, it looks like less of a redesign and more of a refresh.

stickguy

sounds like it might be a new platform, just styled similarly. T he Corolla is probably not a car you want to change too much, at risk of upsetting a conservative customer base.

carnaught

stickguy said:

sounds like it might be a new platform, just styled similarly. T he Corolla is probably not a car you want to change too much, at risk of upsetting a conservative customer base.

The problem for the Corolla is the Civic and products from Hyundai/Kia are better, IMHO.

stickguy

well, they have been for years, and the Corolla was still a huge seller. That is not likely to change.

xwesx

iluvmysephia1 said:

Anyone seen or heard from our longtime friend stever?

Not a peep. I'm curious where he went!

abacomike

Now with the X2 from BMW, you can get an SUV from BMW that comes in all shoe sizes.

Michaell

abacomike said:

Now with the X2 from BMW, you can get an SUV from BMW that comes in all shoe sizes.

Not yet ... still waiting for the X7 and/or X8 to be designed and released.....

iluvmysephia1

If stever stayed in Las Cruces, NM, he's only 70 miles west of us.

tifighter

Yeah, I too was recently wondering what happened to @stever and, really tapping into the wayback machine, @ateixeira ...

driver100

Michaell said:

abacomike said:

Now with the X2 from BMW, you can get an SUV from BMW that comes in all shoe sizes.

Not yet ... still waiting for the X7 and/or X8 to be designed and released.....

How about an X8 to X27 - an X for every person

tbirdmarco

Was wondering the same thing what happened to Steve or

tbirdmarco

 Nice New York car guy I was your skiing trip to Wyndham with the family? Have a good upcoming week or think definitely going to the auto show on Friday that’s the plan as of right now looking forward to it shorter work week anyone else going to the show this in the area 

stickguy

the new production version of the RDX is being released at the NY show this week. Tuesday or Wednesday I think. Wonder when that is going to actually show up at the dealer? Hopefully in time for my next annual service on our current car.

iluvmysephia1

Yeah, I too was recently wondering what happened to @stever and, really tapping into the wayback machine, @ateixeira ...

Oh man, that is tapping into the wayback machine to call up ateixeira! I forget what his favorite car or carmaker was. Anyone remember?

imidazol97

I saw a good personalized license plate yesterday on a VA car traveling through on I70 here in the Heartland.

Subara WRX in the omnipresent dark blue: T WREX

stickguy

He was a subaru crew guy. AKA juice.

iluvmysephia1

He was a subaru crew guy. AKA juice.

Ahh. Now that I have some more fondness for Subaru as far as the Impreza and Crosstrek go, anyway, it would be more interesting to follow his posts on here. Wonder where he's gone.

bwia

Those of you who drive your expensive cars probably do not experience the driving nightwares of everyday workers. In Boston, for example it took me an hour-and-a-half to drive 17 miles, that's why I retired early. My daughter who lives in MV-DC area starts her daily commute at 5:00 AM. She is hoping for the day when autonomous driving cars become commonplace so she can relax and read the newspaper on her way to work. It's ok to dream but I wouldn't hold my breath.

ab348

imidazol97 said:

I saw a good personalized license plate yesterday on a VA car traveling through on I70 here in the Heartland.

Subara WRX in the omnipresent dark blue: T WREX

I thought this story in Automotive News had a very clever headline:

Lexus' tyrannosaurus LX still roams the Earth

http://www.autonews.com/article/20180326/OEM03/180329809/lexus-tyrannosaurus-lx-still-roams-the-earth

fintail

17 miles 90 minutes - I think that's a slightly better than average rainy day in Seattle. My anecdotal commuting observations allow an hour for every 15 miles from work in good conditions during normal commuting times.

Michaell

iluvmysephia1 said:

He was a subaru crew guy. AKA juice.

Ahh. Now that I have some more fondness for Subaru as far as the Impreza and Crosstrek go, anyway, it would be more interesting to follow his posts on here. Wonder where he's gone.

The "Subaru Crew" have mostly migrated to Facebook - I still see posts from him there, from time to time.

driver100

bwia said:

Those of you who drive your expensive cars probably do not experience the driving nightwares of everyday workers. In Boston, for example it took me an hour-and-a-half to drive 17 miles, that's why I retired early. My daughter who lives in MV-DC area starts her daily commute at 5:00 AM. She is hoping for the day when autonomous driving cars become commonplace so she can relax and read the newspaper on her way to work. It's ok to dream but I wouldn't hold my breath.

I am so glad I don't work any more or have to drive in rush hour traffic on a regular basis. At one time I did commute 2 hours each way to work and it almost killed me. I would get up at 5:30, be on the road by 6:30, get to work at about 8:45, leave at 5, come home at 5:15. Have dinner, read the paper, fall into bed at 9 p.m. and do it again the next day. I was ready to quit, but they canned me just before, so at least I got a bit of a severance and they had to pay for my daughters orthodontal work...about $2000.

driver100

ab348 said:

imidazol97 said:

I saw a good personalized license plate yesterday on a VA car traveling through on I70 here in the Heartland.

Subara WRX in the omnipresent dark blue: T WREX

I thought this story in Automotive News had a very clever headline:

Lexus' tyrannosaurus LX still roams the Earth

http://www.autonews.com/article/20180326/OEM03/180329809/lexus-tyrannosaurus-lx-still-roams-the-earth

They do make the LX and most of the Lexus SUV/Truck lineup sound like dinosaurs. I thought this line was interesting;
While LX sales have trickled down to around 400 a month in the U.S., they continue to be highly prized in other markets such as the Middle East.

Are those the trucks we see as the truck of choice used by ISIS?

driver100

I will probably get complaints but I feel like going out on a limb here. Does anyone else think 1958 Buicks were a little over the top? It seems the simpler Chevs and Pontiacs of that era look better today, and I liked them better then. I think the fins protrude past the bumpers. I saw one on the road the other day, and it is nice to see a car like that in such beautiful condition, but, how does that look hold up today?


i think it could have been a nice looking car, if it was toned down a bit.

carnaught

The late 50’s were all about excesses in styling. It’s doubtful that there was any real consideration on how the style would fare over time.

bwia

The only thing I like about this Buick is the white wall tires. Too much chrome and heft to make it look interesting.

jmonroe

driver100 said:

bwia said:

Those of you who drive your expensive cars probably do not experience the driving nightwares of everyday workers. In Boston, for example it took me an hour-and-a-half to drive 17 miles, that's why I retired early. My daughter who lives in MV-DC area starts her daily commute at 5:00 AM. She is hoping for the day when autonomous driving cars become commonplace so she can relax and read the newspaper on her way to work. It's ok to dream but I wouldn't hold my breath.

I am so glad I don't work any more or have to drive in rush hour traffic on a regular basis. At one time I did commute 2 hours each way to work and it almost killed me. I would get up at 5:30, be on the road by 6:30, get to work at about 8:45, leave at 5, come home at 5:15. Have dinner, read the paper, fall into bed at 9 p.m. and do it again the next day. I was ready to quit, but they canned me just before, so at least I got a bit of a severance and they had to pay for my daughters orthodontal work...about $2000.

I was very lucky when I worked 40 hours a week as a regular grunt employee. Most of those years I drove less than 6 miles round trip. Then when they asked me to come back as a consultant, the last time, I drove about 40 miles round trip but that was on the PA pike. It was a very easy drive with no traffic especially with a nice road car like my '09 Genny.

Now, about your daughters dental work. If I rearranged Son #1's teeth, and believe me there were times when he deserved it, they would have thrown me in the slammer and no one would have paid for his dental work. I guess living in Canada has its advantages.

jmonroe