Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

snakeweasel

Mr_Shiftright said:

I'm ambivalent about TPMS--people get a fair amount of false readings, and Schrader conducted a test and found that 42% of the people they tested couldn't even recognize the "low pressure" symbol on their dashboards! And of the 48% who did see it, 20% of those people didn't do anything about it except "look at the tire".

Of course, TPMS isn't optional after---what?---2008? , so I'm not going to rip it out or anything.

Good lighting is great but I do worry about the cost to replace some of these new headlight modules. They are PRICEY!

I am in the habit of checking tire pressure once a week or so so my TPMS light rarely, if ever, goes on.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

xwesx said:

abacomike said:

When I drove from Los Angeles to Pennsylvania in 1999, there were many stretches of road that were void of traffic.  I remember mostly Utah, Nebraska and Iowa.  Speed limits were 70 mph - but frequently I’d run the Lexus at 85 mph for quite sometime.  That was one of the reasons I was able to make the trip with just 2 stops - just west of Denver and Joliet, Illinois.  I was in a hurry!

While that sounds like a lot of fun, I habitually drive within about five of the limit. At least, I do now in the post-55-everywhere era. In general, I find that the posted limits are fairly reasonable for most areas (at least, to avoid Andres noting the non-sensical zoning in his area, most areas where I am unfamiliar and only passing through once in a great while). Even in places like Montana, where you might see another vehicle on some back road two laner once an hour or so, roads are posted at 70 mph.

I do make a few exceptions, such as the Cassiar Highway (Hwy 37 in British Columbia), where much of it is posted at 80 kph (~45 mph). I tend to run 60-65 mph on that one unless I'm passing through a village.

I admit that I am often tempted to go faster on these seemingly deserted stretches, but most times that I seriously ponder it, I soon see an animal strike or a trooper/mounty and it reminds me that I am not as "alone" as I might like to believe....

On two lane roads, in particular, 65-75 mph strikes a good balance between trip time, fuel economy, and enjoyment.

My Audi's have killed a Blue Jay bird, and a rabbit. Both were at-fault in their own deaths. The bird, for flying too low, and the rabbit, for having bad timing. I feel worse for the rabbit, as if I hadn't of done a 1/4 lane change avoidance maneuver, there is a slight chance they'd of missed hitting the tires and somehow surviving. The maneuver managed to make a direct hit with the front right tire (at least it was quick).

Thankfully, I haven't hit bigger roadkill. I wonder if louder exhaust helps scare away animals and critters. Now that I mention it, the last deer strike I heard about was with a guy on a Harley doing Highway 33. Somehow he managed to keep it upright. Good rider I guess.

When I am on my bicycle along the bike path I tend to run across suicidal rabbits. I swear they are actually aiming at me as they dart out of the bush.

driver100

28firefighter said:

qbrozen said:

I have no issue with 45/65 in the middle lane in the snow. What would you prefer that driver been doing?

FYI, anytime I see an awful driver on dry roads here in NJ, they have PA plates 9/10 times. My kids have even gotten in the game of looking at the plate of a visibly bad driver and saying, "yup, from pennsylvania." 

After spending 3 days driving all over Philly, I was reminded of why I drive the way I do. Man are they terrible. I'm convinced drivers are awful everywhere, just in their own way.

Worst is Florida. At least that guy was in the middle lane....in Florida they zig across 3 lanes and zag back 3 lanes to get 2 cars ahead.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

If you haven't wrecked in over 20 years of driving due to an unsafe lane change, what do you need BSM for?

Well if you haven't wrecked over 40 years of driving due to an unsafe lane change then you might soon be needing BSM.

Think about it.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

xwesx said:

abacomike said:

When I drove from Los Angeles to Pennsylvania in 1999, there were many stretches of road that were void of traffic.  I remember mostly Utah, Nebraska and Iowa.  Speed limits were 70 mph - but frequently I’d run the Lexus at 85 mph for quite sometime.  That was one of the reasons I was able to make the trip with just 2 stops - just west of Denver and Joliet, Illinois.  I was in a hurry!

While that sounds like a lot of fun, I habitually drive within about five of the limit. At least, I do now in the post-55-everywhere era. In general, I find that the posted limits are fairly reasonable for most areas (at least, to avoid Andres noting the non-sensical zoning in his area, most areas where I am unfamiliar and only passing through once in a great while). Even in places like Montana, where you might see another vehicle on some back road two laner once an hour or so, roads are posted at 70 mph.

I do make a few exceptions, such as the Cassiar Highway (Hwy 37 in British Columbia), where much of it is posted at 80 kph (~45 mph). I tend to run 60-65 mph on that one unless I'm passing through a village.

I admit that I am often tempted to go faster on these seemingly deserted stretches, but most times that I seriously ponder it, I soon see an animal strike or a trooper/mounty and it reminds me that I am not as "alone" as I might like to believe....

On two lane roads, in particular, 65-75 mph strikes a good balance between trip time, fuel economy, and enjoyment.

My Audi's have killed a Blue Jay bird, and a rabbit. Both were at-fault in their own deaths. The bird, for flying too low, and the rabbit, for having bad timing. I feel worse for the rabbit, as if I hadn't of done a 1/4 lane change avoidance maneuver, there is a slight chance they'd of missed hitting the tires and somehow surviving. The maneuver managed to make a direct hit with the front right tire (at least it was quick).

Thankfully, I haven't hit bigger roadkill. I wonder if louder exhaust helps scare away animals and critters. Now that I mention it, the last deer strike I heard about was with a guy on a Harley doing Highway 33. Somehow he managed to keep it upright. Good rider I guess.

When I am on my bicycle along the bike path I tend to run across suicidal rabbits. I swear they are actually aiming at me as they dart out of the bush.

Try driving 5 mph faster...you will probably miss them.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

I'm ambivalent about TPMS--people get a fair amount of false readings, and Schrader conducted a test and found that 42% of the people they tested couldn't even recognize the "low pressure" symbol on their dashboards! And of the 48% who did see it, 20% of those people didn't do anything about it except "look at the tire".

Of course, TPMS isn't optional after---what?---2008? , so I'm not going to rip it out or anything.

Good lighting is great but I do worry about the cost to replace some of these new headlight modules. They are PRICEY!

I am in the habit of checking tire pressure once a week or so so my TPMS light rarely, if ever, goes on.

When we arrived in Florida after being away for 7 months the C250 was 1 pound too low in 3 tires, 2 pounds in 1 tire according to the TPMS. I filled up and the tires are fine 5 months later.

Before we leave I fill them to suggested plus 2 pounds, add STABIL to the gas, put on trickle charger, and hope the tires are OK when we come back.

snakeweasel

qbrozen said:

in the snow, I can understand camping in the middle lane. It usually has the least snow coverage, and changing lanes is usually very precarious due to the snow buildup between lanes, so staying middle rather than staying right and constantly changing lanes to avoid those entering the highway is the safest bet.

I usually stay out of the far right lane once I am out of it. The highways around here are 4 lanes wide with a lot of interchanges. And while I am not the fastest driver out there I am fast enough not to be an issue in the lane I am in seeing that the majority of the time I am passing someone who is in the right lane and there are two lanes to my left.

jmonroe

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

xwesx said:

abacomike said:

When I drove from Los Angeles to Pennsylvania in 1999, there were many stretches of road that were void of traffic.  I remember mostly Utah, Nebraska and Iowa.  Speed limits were 70 mph - but frequently I’d run the Lexus at 85 mph for quite sometime.  That was one of the reasons I was able to make the trip with just 2 stops - just west of Denver and Joliet, Illinois.  I was in a hurry!

While that sounds like a lot of fun, I habitually drive within about five of the limit. At least, I do now in the post-55-everywhere era. In general, I find that the posted limits are fairly reasonable for most areas (at least, to avoid Andres noting the non-sensical zoning in his area, most areas where I am unfamiliar and only passing through once in a great while). Even in places like Montana, where you might see another vehicle on some back road two laner once an hour or so, roads are posted at 70 mph.

I do make a few exceptions, such as the Cassiar Highway (Hwy 37 in British Columbia), where much of it is posted at 80 kph (~45 mph). I tend to run 60-65 mph on that one unless I'm passing through a village.

I admit that I am often tempted to go faster on these seemingly deserted stretches, but most times that I seriously ponder it, I soon see an animal strike or a trooper/mounty and it reminds me that I am not as "alone" as I might like to believe....

On two lane roads, in particular, 65-75 mph strikes a good balance between trip time, fuel economy, and enjoyment.

My Audi's have killed a Blue Jay bird, and a rabbit. Both were at-fault in their own deaths. The bird, for flying too low, and the rabbit, for having bad timing. I feel worse for the rabbit, as if I hadn't of done a 1/4 lane change avoidance maneuver, there is a slight chance they'd of missed hitting the tires and somehow surviving. The maneuver managed to make a direct hit with the front right tire (at least it was quick).

Thankfully, I haven't hit bigger roadkill. I wonder if louder exhaust helps scare away animals and critters. Now that I mention it, the last deer strike I heard about was with a guy on a Harley doing Highway 33. Somehow he managed to keep it upright. Good rider I guess.

When I am on my bicycle along the bike path I tend to run across suicidal rabbits. I swear they are actually aiming at me as they dart out of the bush.

Try driving 5 mph faster...you will probably miss them.

NO !! 5 MPH slower.

jmonroe

pensfan83

graphicguy said:

Didn't think I needed the whole suite of Acura features. But, I find myself using them more and more.

I even used the brake hold feature. I've become so accustomed to taking my foot off the brake when the car comes to a stop, and the car staying stopped, I did the same thing in a rental last week and almost rear ended someone.

The active drive assists are helpful. Was on my way to Indy to visit my sister for Easter yesterday, and regularly just let go of the wheel to open a vitamin water, grab something from the glove box or reach into the back seat.

Crazy!

I use the active driving assists the most and the brake hold feature is nice for longer traffic lights. The other features are nice to have as well but I don't put as high a value on them as others. Different strokes...

fintail

MBs have used brake hold for several years now - love it. I guess I am that lazy.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

I have no issue with 45/65 in the middle lane in the snow. What would you prefer that driver been doing?

FYI, anytime I see an awful driver on dry roads here in NJ, they have PA plates 9/10 times. My kids have even gotten in the game of looking at the plate of a visibly bad driver and saying, "yup, from pennsylvania." 

I would prefer that the pokes get in the right lane so I didn't have to joust with the racers in the third lane.

As to the bad drivers all being from PA, I didn't want to hurt jmonroe's feelings so I didn't mention that.

I don't think PA has more bad drivers than anywhere else but there are times I'd have a hard time proving that. Just today coming home from the grocery store (yes, I lost the coin toss again :@ ) a guy driving a cute car like your wife has, made a right turn in front of me from the left lane that is the left turn only lane. I saw it coming but the guy behind me almost ran into me as I slowed down. If I would have been hit the cute car would never even have known what he did.

As for out of state drivers, one of the first things I taught my sons, even before they started to drive was, "be on the lookout for out of state plates, you can bet that they are unfamiliar with the area and will do something stupid at any moment. Don't get caught when they screw up."

That advice seems to have worked. Now Son #1 has to pass it onto his recent 16 year old.

jmonroe

tbirdmarco

 So we lose features are good and a lot and really not necessary bees bees just my two cents they’re crazy drivers everywhere I believe I went to camera last me seem like the worst north fence 21 from Canada in here around the Toronto area and surrounding areas 

abacomike

fintail said:

MBs have used brake hold for several years now - love it. I guess I am that lazy.

I use it all the time - brake hold that is.

28firefighter

Never even heard of brake hold. Was tapping my foot on the brake tonight to a song while driving the MB and sure enough, it kicked on! 

Will probably never use it again, but neat anyway. 

andres3

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

If you haven't wrecked in over 20 years of driving due to an unsafe lane change, what do you need BSM for?

Well if you haven't wrecked over 40 years of driving due to an unsafe lane change then you might soon be needing BSM.

Think about it.

Odds? Bad luck? Or faculty diminishment?

stickguy

I like the brake hold feature. Though I don't have it on my car, tried it on a few test drives. Took me a while to get used to creep, since I daily drove sticks for so long (and for 10 years after getting married that is all we owned). So when I rarely drove an automatic, I had to remind myself that they liked to move without me telling it to!

tbirdmarco

 Stick guy going to start doing some car shopping soon ha ha summer will be here before you know it did you get working on the wife already 

tbirdmarco

 Wow different regions of the world like different brands obviously that’s cool that was a few American cars in France 

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

I'm ambivalent about TPMS--people get a fair amount of false readings, and Schrader conducted a test and found that 42% of the people they tested couldn't even recognize the "low pressure" symbol on their dashboards! And of the 48% who did see it, 20% of those people didn't do anything about it except "look at the tire". Of course, TPMS isn't optional after---what?---2008? , so I'm not going to rip it out or anything. Good lighting is great but I do worry about the cost to replace some of these new headlight modules. They are PRICEY!

I am in the habit of checking tire pressure once a week or so so my TPMS light rarely, if ever, goes on.

When we arrived in Florida after being away for 7 months the C250 was 1 pound too low in 3 tires, 2 pounds in 1 tire according to the TPMS. I filled up and the tires are fine 5 months later. Before we leave I fill them to suggested plus 2 pounds, add STABIL to the gas, put on trickle charger, and hope the tires are OK when we come back.

I will admit that checking them that often is a bit overkill but it's a habit I developed a long time ago. Back in my younger, poorer, I'm trying to get through college debt free days I had to watch my spending. One of the things was that if a tire developed a slow leak I just watched it instead of spending my tuition money to fix it. Also I do a lot of bicycling and the triple digit PSI's that road bikes require need to be watched. Also from time to time I have been riding motorcycles and it's recommended to do frequent checks on tire pressure as low tire pressure is far more dangerous on a bike than on a car. So frequent tire checks have become a habit with me  

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

If you haven't wrecked in over 20 years of driving due to an unsafe lane change, what do you need BSM for?

Well if you haven't wrecked over 40 years of driving due to an unsafe lane change then you might soon be needing BSM. Think about it.

Odds? Bad luck? Or faculty diminishment?

Well if you've been driving that long you would be pushing 60 at the youngest so faculty diminishing is fast approaching. 

snakeweasel

tbirdmarco said:

 Wow different regions of the world like different brands obviously that’s cool that was a few American cars in France 

If your a car guy one of the great things about world travel is seeing cars you won't see at home. Entire car makes like Citroen of which I have seen only a handful here stateside. 

snakeweasel

stickguy said:

I like the brake hold feature. Though I don't have it on my car, tried it on a few test drives. Took me a while to get used to creep, since I daily drove sticks for so long (and for 10 years after getting married that is all we owned). So when I rarely drove an automatic, I had to remind myself that they liked to move without me telling it to!

When I drive a manual I usually keep my foot on the brake, especially if there is no one behind me. This is so that cars approaching from the back can see the brake lights and know I am stopped and if they do hit me it minimizes the chance of them pushing me into the car in front of me, or into the intersection.

driver100

Most tire sites say it is normal to lose 1 pound of pressure a month....so, the best is to check at least monthly. With the TPMSs though....we get lazy, and rely on it.
Remember the good old days when we had to check batteries, and add distilled water....that was fun!

abacomike

Just had AT&T here in my condo. It seems that they are wiring all the buildings in my condo community with fiber optic lines in order to compete with Comcast cable TV, internet and phones. I already have an AT&T landline because my condo community requires me to have a landline phone for security, gate access, etc.

The line that they brought into the apartment is very thin. Hard to believe that they can provide HD TV, phone and high speed internet through such a thin fiber optic line. They told me it would be about a month or so before the lines are "live". At that point, I will be offered services at a discount rate. I now pay $89.00 a month for 100+ internet speed and two network lines (2.4 and 5.0), HD TV for my bedroom, extended cable for the master bedroom and standard expanded cable for the kitchen. A small amount of my monthly homeowner's association fee (31.00) goes toward cable and free HBO. I now get STARZ, HBO, and extended cable with HD. I would think AT&T is going to be much higher with certain restrictions. We shall see.

The installation took less than 10 minutes. There is a small plastic box above my front door and a junction box in my bedroom. They drilled from outside into my bedroom. Unless you look hard, you can't see the line.

fintail

From my experiences in Germany, the most common modern American cars (not counting cars owned by military members) are Mustangs, as they offer a lot of bang for the buck, and the styling is now cool.

One can see a lot of old land yachts in the Netherlands, as they have a thing for that type of car - 50s-70s US cars are big in Norway and Sweden too, and have some following elsewhere in Europe. One will also see an American pickup here and there, usually actually being used for work. Modern mass market American cars are seldom-seen, as there's just no demand - either too big, too thirsty, or just not any better than local offerings.

snakeweasel said:

Last year when we were in France it seemed like the most common non european cars cars were Fords, didn't see to many Japanses cars. Tons of French cars though. Did see one Corvette and my brother in law says he saw one Camero.

stickguy

Scroll through the display every week or so to check the individual pressures. Much easier than pulling out the gauge and getting my hands dirty.

snakeweasel

fintail said:

From my experiences in Germany, the most common modern American cars (not counting cars owned by military members) are Mustangs, as they offer a lot of bang for the buck, and the styling is now cool. One can see a lot of old land yachts in the Netherlands, as they have a thing for that type of car - 50s-70s US cars are big in Norway and Sweden too, and have some following elsewhere in Europe. One will also see an American pickup here and there, usually actually being used for work. Modern mass market American cars are seldom-seen, as there's just no demand - either too big, too thirsty, or just not any better than local offerings.

Last year when we were in France it seemed like the most common non european cars cars were Fords, didn't see to many Japanses cars. Tons of French cars though. Did see one Corvette and my brother in law says he saw one Camero.

IIRC the Fords I saw were either small economy cars or commercial vans, I did see a few Jeeps and one or two other Chevys.

And tons of scooters.

fintail

Lots of Jeeps in Italy the last time I was there, which makes sense with FCA.

Scooters are pretty much the most basic economy car, and many youngsters learn on them before driving an actual car.

snakeweasel said:

IIRC the Fords I saw were either small economy cars or commercial vans, I did see a few Jeeps and one or two other Chevys.

And tons of scooters.

venture

I was somehow able to get a picture of this as it was in a left turn lane and I was going straight. It's a rare Yenko Cavalier with the even rarer single exhaust with a coffee can on the end of it.

fintail

It's weird to me to see cars that new with visible rust.

jmonroe

Both of our cars have a brake hold type feature. The '12 Subie Legacy calls it "Hill Holder" or something like that. It only works when you are on a hill, going up. It doesn't work any other time. Because it exists on that car I have tried it and it works. Then ignored it. My '15 Genny has "brake hold" and it works all the time, hills (up or down) or flat ground, as long as the car is completely stopped for at least one second. Again, it exist on that car so I tried it, it works and I have ignored it after that.

When I learned to drive I was taught to make the car move, use the accelerator pedal and to make it stop and stay stopped keep your foot on the brake.

Some of you guys surprise me that you like the brake hold feature. You don't seem to mind allowing the car to stay stopped for you but none of you like autonomous cars that allows the car to GO and STOP for you.

How long do you think it will be until you're converted?

jmonroe

nyccarguy

I turned 42 today!

graphicguy

nyccarguy said:

I turned 42 today!

Bradd....big Happy Birthday!

jmonroe

nyccarguy said:

I turned 42 today!

Hatppy birthday.

Just curios, are you still at your fighting weight? When I turned 42 I was close but not exact. :@

jmonroe

qbrozen

hmmm... what is fighting weight exactly? I was way underweight for several years. I think my ideal was around 38-40 yrs old. I could stand to loose 10 or so now. Or at least turn 10 of what I have into muscle. ha.

Mr_Shiftright

Keeping your weight down gets harder as you age. I'm at a good weight, but that's not the entire problem. As you age, you lose muscle mass so you have to keep moving, keep active.

Age 40-ish is a good time to get control of that!

pensfan83

I don't know what fighting weight is either but I'm within 12 pounds of what I was in high school when I was exercising daily versus 3-4 times/week as I do now. I'm happy with that.

jmonroe

qbrozen said:

hmmm... what is fighting weight exactly? I was way underweight for several years. I think my ideal was around 38-40 yrs old. I could stand to loose 10 or so now. Or at least turn 10 of what I have into muscle. ha.

Well, for me, it was my weight at 21. By the time I was twice that age I was a little over that. When I was 52, I was still able to out run Mrs. j around the dining room table. When that failed, around 62, I had to learn the rope-a-dope maneuver.

jmonroe

snakeweasel

nyccarguy said

I turned 42 today!

Happy birthday you young whippersnapper.

snakeweasel

pensfan83 said:

I don't know what fighting weight is either but I'm within 12 pounds of what I was in high school when I was exercising daily versus 3-4 times/week as I do now. I'm happy with that.

I am way over what I weighed in high school, but when I was in high school I was way underweight. I was one of the few people in history to gain weight in boot camp. 

stickguy

fintail said:

It's weird to me to see cars that new with visible rust.

you need to hang out in upstate NY (around OldFarmer) more. quite common up there.

qbrozen

Mr_Shiftright said:

Keeping your weight down gets harder as you age. I'm at a good weight, but that's not the entire problem. As you age, you lose muscle mass so you have to keep moving, keep active.

Age 40-ish is a good time to get control of that!

I'm more active now at 44 than I ever was in my young life. Although I have slowed down in the past few months. Need to correct that. Problem is we had to cut back on expenses so I ceased kickboxing classes at the local dojo, and the place we have a lifetime membership at a half hour away stopped offering kickboxing, so now I'm limited to volleyball twice a week (which takes place the same time as my krav maga class, so I had to make a choice) and karate on Saturdays.

driver100

graphicguy said:

nyccarguy said:

I turned 42 today!

Bradd....big Happy Birthday!

+1 (I don't mention mine anymore)

driver100

Mr_Shiftright said:

Keeping your weight down gets harder as you age. I'm at a good weight, but that's not the entire problem. As you age, you lose muscle mass so you have to keep moving, keep active.

Age 40-ish is a good time to get control of that!

I thought I was gaining weight because of fat changing to heavier muscles!!!! :@

driver100

driver100 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Keeping your weight down gets harder as you age. I'm at a good weight, but that's not the entire problem. As you age, you lose muscle mass so you have to keep moving, keep active.

Age 40-ish is a good time to get control of that!

I thought I was gaining weight because of fat changing to heavier muscles!!!! :@

(That's what I tell my wife)

driver100

snakeweasel said:

pensfan83 said:

I don't know what fighting weight is either but I'm within 12 pounds of what I was in high school when I was exercising daily versus 3-4 times/week as I do now. I'm happy with that.

I am way over what I weighed in high school, but when I was in high school I was way underweight. I was one of the few people in history to gain weight in boot camp

. 

Are you saying the meals were better at boot camp than at home?
I'd be very careful with that information.

fintail

I'll take the PNW over that frozen wonderland, I like seeing 80s cars still on the road every day.

stickguy said:

you need to hang out in upstate NY (around OldFarmer) more. quite common up there.

Mr_Shiftright

driver100 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Keeping your weight down gets harder as you age. I'm at a good weight, but that's not the entire problem. As you age, you lose muscle mass so you have to keep moving, keep active.

Age 40-ish is a good time to get control of that!

I thought I was gaining weight because of fat changing to heavier muscles!!!! :@

That's true. It's not fat. We have a thickness problem.

abacomike

Happy Birthday, Bradd.  Hope it’s a great day with lots of surprises!

ab348

nyccarguy said:

I turned 42 today!

Congrats! So this upcoming season will be your Summer of '42.