Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

Mr_Shiftright

oldfarmer50 said:

iluvmysephia1 said:

An RCA 8" TV, Mike? Wow, that's a small screen!

For an extra few bucks you could get a magnifying glass to fit over the screen. Hi tech of the 50s.

I've seen those in antique stores. The magnifying glass was, oddly enough, either green or blue tinted.

Mr_Shiftright

fintail said:

It's noteworthy that cars get blunt front ends for "pedestrian safety", and the ideal on bloatling CUVs works against it.

Mr_Shiftright said:

I thought the article made a good point--with the high and massive grille area, when a pedestrian is struck, they aren't going to flip over the hood--they are going to get the full, head-on mouthful of simulated chrome and steel grille guards. Makes sense.

What? Did they run over test dummies to come to that conclusion? I'm no engineer but it seems to me if you get hit with about 12 square feet of grille that's going to hurt more than being knee-capped by a Miata.

I dunno---I have no way to prove that at the moment. I guess it's a toss up as to whether you want to be flipped in the air and land on your head, or just suffer blunt-force trauma from your big toe to your eyebrows just before being sucked under the vehicle.

andres3

Mr_Shiftright said:

fintail said:

Also no differentiation between SUVs and CUVs. Indeed, it is the idiot drivers causing the issue, and the inconsistent or negligent accountability systems when they err.

I notice there are many complaints about the "MSM", but no data about which media sources are credible.

andres3 said:

Pedestrian safety--do way with SUV's.

I thought the article made a good point--with the high and massive grille area, when a pedestrian is struck, they aren't going to flip over the hood--they are going to get the full, head-on mouthful of simulated chrome and steel grille guards. Makes sense.

That part was acceptable, but I think they could have done that in about 100 words. Maybe 150 words. I found the rest of the article to be filled with typical media errors.

pensfan83

Thanks @tbirdmarco, my bill was not quite that high as they don't need to replace any parts but it's high enough that it's still worth it to go through insurance.

Speaking of parts I learned yesterday that not all insurance companies will authorize OEM parts, even on 2017 or 2018 models. Maybe I'm being naive but I would have thought that on a current or 1 year old model year vehicle that would, or should, be a given.

abacomike

henryn said:

@abocomike, did the Sahara dust clear out of Florida yet? Last week, from my office on the 35th floor, Houston looked like Los Angeles. Thick brown stuff you could barely see through. Today was much better. And yes, the local weathermen were blaming it all on Sahara dust.

See, I am not crazy!  Whenever we get easterly winds aloft, it usually means we are going to get Saharan Dust.  When I go to the car this morning, it will be covered in dust - got to get it washed off.

nyccarguy

pensfan83 said:

Thanks @tbirdmarco, my bill was not quite that high as they don't need to replace any parts but it's high enough that it's still worth it to go through insurance.

Speaking of parts I learned yesterday that not all insurance companies will authorize OEM parts, even on 2017 or 2018 models. Maybe I'm being naive but I would have thought that on a current or 1 year old model year vehicle that would, or should, be a given.

I don't want to trivialize what happened to your beautiful TLX, but that IS one of the benefits of leasing. Car goes back in T Minus __ __ months and counting. As long as the parts fit and the paint matches perfectly it wouldn't bother me.

pensfan83

@nyccarguy so true. Had this happened 9 months into ownership of a vehicle I financed for 5 years it would probably bother me more but the shop assured me I'll never even know it was there when there done....good enough for me.

BTW, beautiful mirror finish on the Q40....black may be a pain to keep clean but man it looks so good when polished up like that. Nice job.

sda

pensfan83 said:

Thanks @tbirdmarco, my bill was not quite that high as they don't need to replace any parts but it's high enough that it's still worth it to go through insurance.

Speaking of parts I learned yesterday that not all insurance companies will authorize OEM parts, even on 2017 or 2018 models. Maybe I'm being naive but I would have thought that on a current or 1 year old model year vehicle that would, or should, be a given.

I agree, you should have the final say. I had our '09 Honda, minor incident that required a new fender, and the Pilot to a Honda dealer that has a body shop. They bill insurance company, if necessary, at after market prices but only use Honda parts.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

explorerx4 said:

@driver100,
If some group leaves FL, another will just move there in their place.

Yup....and we can sell, make a profit, and get a place in Costa Rica or Mazatlan Mexico.

Go with caution on that idea. I recall a news report detailing how foreigners are scammed buying homes in Mexico because Mexican law doesn't allow them to actually "own" the property. Later the Mexican national owner shows up and gives you the boot. The courts are extremely biased against you (how could that be?) and recovering your money is almost impossible.

Better to buy in a truly friendly country.

fintail

I think it comes from Euro NCAP tests, where for whatever reason they think it is better to be hit by the front end than go through the windshield.

Mr_Shiftright said:

What? Did they run over test dummies to come to that conclusion? I'm no engineer but it seems to me if you get hit with about 12 square feet of grille that's going to hurt more than being knee-capped by a Miata.

I dunno---I have no way to prove that at the moment. I guess it's a toss up as to whether you want to be flipped in the air and land on your head, or just suffer blunt-force trauma from your big toe to your eyebrows just before being sucked under the vehicle.

fintail

Like the USA! Oh wait.

I've read over half of detached residential sales in some areas around me are to offshore cash buyers. No "vetting" regarding the source of the money, of course, when residency is for sale.

oldfarmer50 said:

Better to buy in a truly friendly country.

stickguy

I’ve read articles about that. Supposed to be safer overall. Don’t recall the details, but I think less head trauma for one. And most times it is lower speeds so better to get knocked down then flipped up and over. And I think often rolling back down right in front of the car and run over.

I hit a deer once. Thankfully in my Nissan PU, not our Mazda 323. So I pushed him away, instead of flipping up the hood and through the windshield. As a bonus, much less damage to the car!

pensfan83

I received an email today from my Acura dealer that outlined service specials and touted their "revamped" loaner car fleet that will feature the new RDX. Would be nice to get one of those when it goes in next month for an oil change and state inspection assuming it's part of the selection by then. I'm surprised they would consider putting one in the fleet this early since supplies are probably still tight but I guess it's a good way to showcase it and build excitement for someone that has theirs in the shop.

stickguy

Last loaner I had was a top level MDX. better than the other time when I got a base ILX.

I never get a loaner for normal service. Takes less than an hour so not worth it. I just spend the time browsing inventory and taking test drives!

Michaell

@iluvmysephia1 - this one is for you!

https://jalopnik.com/here-is-how-you-an-american-can-legally-own-a-mazda-2-1827293464

henryn

nyccarguy said:

Spent some quality time with my Infiniti Q40 tonight.  Results speak for themselves.

Beautiful, absolutely beautiful. Nothing looks better or shinier than a black car shined up to the max. The problem is, of course, trying to keep it that way. And this is leaving out the problems associated with owning a black car down here in the equatorial belt.

On my new truck, I had a choice between the White Gold, Ingot Silver, and Shadow Black. The black was beautiful, beyond a doubt. Maybe if I lived up in CT where the heat isn't so brutal, and could afford to pay someone to wash and wax twice a week...

stickguy

Michaell said:

@iluvmysephia1 - this one is for you!

https://jalopnik.com/here-is-how-you-an-american-can-legally-own-a-mazda-2-1827293464

So they ship to NJ? Interesting. If I really wanted one that bad, which I don’t.

nyccarguy

henryn said:

nyccarguy said:

Spent some quality time with my Infiniti Q40 tonight.  Results speak for themselves.

Beautiful, absolutely beautiful. Nothing looks better or shinier than a black car shined up to the max. The problem is, of course, trying to keep it that way. And this is leaving out the problems associated with owning a black car down here in the equatorial belt.

On my new truck, I had a choice between the White Gold, Ingot Silver, and Shadow Black. The black was beautiful, beyond a doubt. Maybe if I lived up in CT where the heat isn't so brutal, and could afford to pay someone to wash and wax twice a week...

Thank-you!

nyccarguy

pensfan83 said:

@nyccarguy so true. Had this happened 9 months into ownership of a vehicle I financed for 5 years it would probably bother me more but the shop assured me I'll never even know it was there when there done....good enough for me.

BTW, beautiful mirror finish on the Q40....black may be a pain to keep clean but man it looks so good when polished up like that. Nice job.

Thank-you

suydam

stickguy said:

I’ve read articles about that. Supposed to be safer overall. Don’t recall the details, but I think less head trauma for one. And most times it is lower speeds so better to get knocked down then flipped up and over. And I think often rolling back down right in front of the car and run over.

I hit a deer once. Thankfully in my Nissan PU, not our Mazda 323. So I pushed him away, instead of flipping up the hood and through the windshield. As a bonus, much less damage to the car!

I DID hit a deer in a Mazda 323! Or rather, it leaped into my path and bounced off the fender and hood. Insurance covered the repair and the Mazda lived to drive another day (not sure about the deer). Those were sturdy little vehicles!

Mr_Shiftright

I think the bugs on my windshield look to be in much better shape than the ones on my grille

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright said:

I think the bugs on my windshield look to be in much better shape than the ones on my grille

As best as I can tell, they look about the same on our cars.

jmonroe

abacomike

nyccarguy said:

Spent some quality time with my Infiniti Q40 tonight.  Results speak for themselves.

When you get a chance, c’mon down and do mine now! 

nyccarguy

abacomike said:

nyccarguy said:

Spent some quality time with my Infiniti Q40 tonight.  Results speak for themselves.

When you get a chance, c’mon down and do mine now! 

For you Mike, it would be my pleasure.

iluvmysephia1

@iluvmysephia1 - this one is for you!

https://jalopnik.com/here-is-how-you-an-american-can-legally-own-a-mazda-2-1827293464

Michaell - sir, you have also earned your Edmund's pay today. Nice find! Perfect for a small car lover like myself. I'm going in there on my desktop after I type this post out and bookmarking it. Interesting that it's in Puerto Rico. I have been slowly asking around and gathering data about retiring in other countries the past month or two.

Who knows - maybe the Mrs. and I will sell this house and retire in Puerto Rico? Or Belize? Or Thailand? I'm researching it now - I work with a native Belizian and he tells me U.S. cash goes a lot further there in Belize. He's a doctor there and a Respiratory Therapist/Sleep Technologist here in America. Some even go to Mexico to retire but I can't seem ta wrap myself around that one.

If the 2011 Kia Soul motors along in to the 100,000 miles as it is (100,129 right now) and doesn't necessitate a change, I may not move to something else at all. I plan on working 6 more years at most, even better would be 3 more years. It's that nasty Healthcare that will possibly keep me working until 65 years of age. But we'll see - thanks for the link.

Interestingly, in 2014 as we were getting ready to leave southern New Mexico for Washington state, a person nearby our rental house in Alamogordo was selling a 2014 Mazda2 hatch for, IIRC, $14,000. It was bright red and the body was clean. I don't think these Maz2 hatches at $17,995 are unreasonably priced at all. Makes sense that Mazda includes Puerto Rico in their list of countries that they'll sell 2 hb's in, too.

imidazol97

stickguy said:

I’ve read articles about that. Supposed to be safer overall. Don’t recall the details, but I think less head trauma for one. And most times it is lower speeds so better to get knocked down then flipped up and over. And I think often rolling back down right in front of the car and run over.

I hit a deer once. Thankfully in my Nissan PU, not our Mazda 323. So I pushed him away, instead of flipping up the hood and through the windshield. As a bonus, much less damage to the car!

But how did that direct impact workout for the deer?

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

explorerx4 said:

@driver100,
If some group leaves FL, another will just move there in their place.

Yup....and we can sell, make a profit, and get a place in Costa Rica or Mazatlan Mexico.

Go with caution on that idea. I recall a news report detailing how foreigners are scammed buying homes in Mexico because Mexican law doesn't allow them to actually "own" the property. Later the Mexican national owner shows up and gives you the boot. The courts are extremely biased against you (how could that be?) and recovering your money is almost impossible.

Better to buy in a truly friendly country.

I agree 100%. I would never, ever buy property in Mexico - rent only. Laws are not to the same standard we are accustomed too. Some people go bungy jumping or zip-lining in weird countries, if I was to do something like that....and it is almost impossible that I would, it would only be where I could sue their rear ends off if I had to.

driver100

fintail said:

Like the USA! Oh wait.

I've read over half of detached residential sales in some areas around me are to offshore cash buyers. No "vetting" regarding the source of the money, of course, when residency is for sale.

oldfarmer50 said:

Better to buy in a truly friendly country.

Most foreign buyers buy using cash. It is very difficult to get a loan or mortgage if you are not a citizen...they don't want to try to chase somebody out of the country. Same for a car lease.

driver100

Michaell said:

@iluvmysephia1 - this one is for you!

https://jalopnik.com/here-is-how-you-an-american-can-legally-own-a-mazda-2-1827293464

A lot of trouble for an ugly car. Buy it in Puerto Rico and ship it to the mainland for $845. Might work if there is no sales tax there. What if you need a part? I think Iluv was better off with a $12000 Sentra.

driver100

nyccarguy said:
Spent some quality time with my Infiniti Q40 tonight. Results speak for themselves

.

I was getting worried what the quality time with the Q40 was all about nyc.....glad it was just waxing.

Looks nice though.

driver100

Mr_Shiftright said:

I think the bugs on my windshield look to be in much better shape than the ones on my grille

Yeh but, who worries how bugs get killed.

PF_Flyer

Saw a good one this morning. Coming to a red light, vehicle #1 sitting at the light, # 2 coming down the lane behind him, I'm #3 and coming down the left lane. At the last second, white van #2 swerves in front of me and takes his starting position. I'm annoyed, but didn't get hit.
Green turn arrows come on and we all start to move. #1 stays out to the right of the skippers turning into the right lane of the road we're turning onto.
Nimrod #2 makes the left and without looking, slides over to turn into the right side exit to the Walmart/McDonald's parking lot, sideswiping #1 AND driving him into the curb for good measure.

The real shame of it is #1 was a brand-new-still-have-temp-tags-looks-like-it-was-just-picked-up 2018 Mazda 3.

I mean, this car had that just prepped by the dealer shine. The guy was NOT pleased

xwesx

roadburner said:

Methinks that pedestrian safety standards are an unwarranted interference with the law of natural selection.

Definitely! I look at this way: We're all responsible for our own safety. I will do my part to look out for you, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it if you do something stupid and end up dead.

driver100

PF_Flyer
Saw a good one this morning. Coming to a red light, vehicle #1 sitting at the light, # 2 coming down the lane behind him, I'm #3 and coming down the left lane.

The guy in the van couldn't wait behind car #1 and make a normal turn.
They are out there!

xwesx

PF_Flyer said:

Saw a good one this morning.

Man, what a frustration!!!! Why?!!! Well, at least he got that out of the way quickly!

explorerx4

My next door neighbor drove his new S60 home on a Friday night.
Went to the gym the next morning at 6am.
Leaving the parking lot at the gym, someone backed out of a parking space without looking and took out both right side doors.

oldfarmer50

Question:

What heat related condition could cause a car to stall on a hot day? I thought vapor lock went away with the introduction of fuel injection. Happened to son's car. Started right back up and gave no further problem. Temps were in the 90s.

imidazol97

xwesx said:

PF_Flyer said:

Saw a good one this morning.

Man, what a frustration!!!! Why?!!! Well, at least he got that out of the way quickly!

That first scratch or ding is always so discouraging when it happens. But This driver will never view his car the same again!

explorerx4

@driver100,
It doesn't matter where the people who move out of FL go, others will just fill in after that.
I already made that point.

ab348

explorerx4 said:

My next door neighbor drove his new S60 home on a Friday night.
Went to the gym the next morning at 6am.
Leaving the parking lot at the gym, someone backed out of a parking space without looking and took out both right side doors.

This is why I avoid going to gyms.

explorerx4

@ab348,
I agree, leaned from my neighbor's misfortune.

fintail

More good reason to run a dashcam. People have huge issues with multi lane turns, and around here, with turning into the nearest lane first from a turn lane onto a multiple lane street.

PF_Flyer said:

Saw a good one this morning.

iluvmysephia1

Yep - that first scratch or ding turns your new car in to a used car right quick, don't it?

stickguy

around here, they started painting lines to define the various turn lanes. Does help quite a bit.

xwesx

explorerx4 said:

My next door neighbor drove his new S60 home on a Friday night.
Went to the gym the next morning at 6am.
Leaving the parking lot at the gym, someone backed out of a parking space without looking and took out both right side doors.

Horrible people.

pensfan83

@explorerx4 I feel for your neighbor

driver100

explorerx4 said:

@driver100,
It doesn't matter where the people who move out of FL go, others will just fill in after that.
I already made that point.

Move to a ghost town state?

driver100

fintail said:

More good reason to run a dashcam. People have huge issues with multi lane turns, and around here, with turning into the nearest lane first from a turn lane onto a multiple lane street.

PF_Flyer said:

Saw a good one this morning.

In Florida there are some corners with 3 lanes turning left.....watch out!

driver100

explorerx4 said:

My next door neighbor drove his new S60 home on a Friday night.
Went to the gym the next morning at 6am.
Leaving the parking lot at the gym, someone backed out of a parking space without looking and took out both right side doors.

explorerx4 said:

My next door neighbor drove his new S60 home on a Friday night.
Went to the gym the next morning at 6am.
Leaving the parking lot at the gym, someone backed out of a parking space without looking and took out both right side doors.

Sorry to hear about that.....will that show up on Carfax?

explorerx4

With all the boomer age people retiring, plenty of buyers for those properties in FL if they go up for sale.
I don't think I'll be one of them, still like my cold temps.