Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

driver100

dino001 said:

venture said:

I know that is Canadian dollars, but shipping in the US is $820. Using $820 and adding the mysterious 20% only gets you to $984 US or $1,141 Canadian.

Man! You guys don't get any breaks.

Free healthcare, welfare and other stuff tend to be quite expensive. Add small market size (in comparison with the US) with its own unique regulations and certifications and cars have to be significantly more expensive.

As you know Dino, cars are a bargain in the US. We may pay 20% more in Canada, but, cars are about double in Europe. Restaurant meals and most food is double in Europe too. People just accept that is the way it is, and market conditions force it to be that way. If you live in Denmark and 80% of your wages go for taxes, then it is hard to afford a new car.

On the other hand, your children will have their education paid for, all medical will be paid, and you will have a secure retirement allowance.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Last word on vinyl roofs. One that I think looks good, one not good.

Which one looked good and which one not good?

From Tampa Florida. Plane travel was incredible today, 2 hours just to get tickets and thru security. I-75 going South is like a parking lot. Seems a lot of people headed to south Florida after Christmas....have no idea where all those people will stay.

Which one? Come on, the caddy with it's old school style handles a vinyl roof better than the Lincoln with the more modern jelly bean shape. Every time I see an old mark VIII without a vinyl roof I want to tear mine off but I'm afraid what I'd find underneath.

2 hours in Tampa at holiday time? That's about right from my experience. That airport can be quite intimidating the first time with the multiple levels and trams.

bwia

Oh oh I dented my RAV4.   

While backing up I ran into my house and dented my SUV. Bummer. Small dent but perhaps expensive to fix. Blame that on right-hand driving in the Caribbean.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Last word on vinyl roofs. One that I think looks good, one not good.

Which one looked good and which one not good?

From Tampa Florida. Plane travel was incredible today, 2 hours just to get tickets and thru security. I-75 going South is like a parking lot. Seems a lot of people headed to south Florida after Christmas....have no idea where all those people will stay.

Which one? Come on, the caddy with it's old school style handles a vinyl roof better than the Lincoln with the more modern jelly bean shape. Every time I see an old mark VIII without a vinyl roof I want to tear mine off but I'm afraid what I'd find underneath.

2 hours in Tampa at holiday time? That's about right from my experience. That airport can be quite intimidating the first time with the multiple levels and trams.

I thought the same actually, the squareed off Caddy suited the vinyl roof bettter. And some of those little Caddies actually look ok with a vinyl roof...though probably better without it.

Tampa airport is a great airport, but it is getting large. One side has red signs, the other blue. If you are picking up someone make sure you know where they are...both sides look the same except for the colors. I was waiting for my wife on one side and she was waiting on the other. She started crying in the car, and a security guy asked her if he could help. I finally went to information and called her on her cell phone and we figured out what went wrong.

We were flying out of Toronto and you are supposed to be at the airport 2 hours in advance for international flights. We were there 2 1/4 hours in advance but we just made it to our flight on time. But, we didn't have time for coffee or breakfast. 50 people were late so we took off 50 minutes late. That meant more time without breakfast after getting up at 5 a.m.- I was ready to pass out.

I am really hating flying, you get treated like you are nothing.....no respect for the customer.
A retired Air Canada employee told me our motto at AC is;
We're not happy unless we can make you unhappy"

I think AC thinks of ways to make customers lives as miserable as possible.

dino001

venture said:

I don't know what "free" healthcare, welfare and other stuff has to do with transporting a car.

Quite simple, it is taxation, not just on a finished product (like sales, visible), but on all aspects of business, from labor, to real estate, to any other taxes imagined by governments starved for money, especially when the money is already promised or guaranteed. I don't know, but I wouldn't be surorised if custom tarrifs were higher in Canada. The best taxes (from point of view of the governments) are those invisible ones, hidden in form of fees, excise, customs, etc., things that can't be billed separately. European govermnent (which give you even more "free" stuff) are absolute masters in hiding real level of taxation from their citizens. They require merchants to include 15-25% VAT in the price of product, which is nice for the customer from point of view of knowing the expense, but cleverly hides the tax amount.

oldfarmer50

Tales from the Craigslist:
What do you make of these cars for sale on CL. I figure it's a scam but I can't figure out what the seller is trying to pull. Any thoughts?

Michaell

I've had the pleasure of traveling to Canada on business many times over the years. Mostly to GTA and southern Ontario, but one visit to Winnipeg and a couple of trips to Trois Rivieres, Quebec.

Very familiar with the spread of the currency. Once, I was fined $200 by customs for trying to enter the country to perform work for which my company was being paid. Was escorted by a guard to an ATM at Pearson to pay the fine in cash. Of course, the ATM (and the fine) was in Canadian dollars, but when I expensed it, it was converted to US dollars. I made a profit for breaking the law!

My last two managers have been Canadian - one in Toronto and my current one lives in Ottawa. Have had many interesting conversations over the years about the differences between the two countries.

dino001

driver100 said:

dino001 said:

venture said:

I know that is Canadian dollars, but shipping in the US is $820. Using $820 and adding the mysterious 20% only gets you to $984 US or $1,141 Canadian.

Man! You guys don't get any breaks.

Free healthcare, welfare and other stuff tend to be quite expensive. Add small market size (in comparison with the US) with its own unique regulations and certifications and cars have to be significantly more expensive.

As you know Dino, cars are a bargain in the US. We may pay 20% more in Canada, but, cars are about double in Europe. Restaurant meals and most food is double in Europe too. People just accept that is the way it is, and market conditions force it to be that way. If you live in Denmark and 80% of your wages go for taxes, then it is hard to afford a new car.

On the other hand, your children will have their education paid for, all medical will be paid, and you will have a secure retirement allowance.

Exactly. People accept it, partially because they just got used to, got convinced that it's necessary for their life (and perhaps that others pay more, so they are "ahead"), partially because they remain ignorant aout the real level of taxation. BTW, Denmark is really special when cars are concerned. They tax a new car purchase at level of... the car price (already higher than US, mind you). It is not uncommon for people to take loans to cover the tax. It is all about government discouraging buying cars due to space constraints. Similar thing is in Japan, where a parking space has a value comparable to a car and dealer has to see a certificate before allowing a transaction). Similar problem, different solution.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

Tales from the Craigslist:
What do you make of these cars for sale on CL. I figure it's a scam but I can't figure out what the seller is trying to pull. Any thoughts?

I figured out the scam. Those cars are all painted black!

Acutually, there are little things about each car that don't seem quite right, most noticeable in the Saturn which looks like it has been really fixed up. I think the seller uses black because flaws aren't as noticeable. White and light colors really show up on mismatched panels.

I didn't see pricing, but I think these cars were patched together, or were in a flood.
Buyer Beware!

driver100

Michaell said:

I've had the pleasure of traveling to Canada on business many times over the years. Mostly to GTA and southern Ontario, but one visit to Winnipeg and a couple of trips to Trois Rivieres, Quebec.

Very familiar with the spread of the currency. Once, I was fined $200 by customs for trying to enter the country to perform work for which my company was being paid. Was escorted by a guard to an ATM at Pearson to pay the fine in cash. Of course, the ATM (and the fine) was in Canadian dollars, but when I expensed it, it was converted to US dollars. I made a profit for breaking the law!

My last two managers have been Canadian - one in Toronto and my current one lives in Ottawa. Have had many interesting conversations over the years about the differences between the two countries.

I occassionally watch a program called Border Security and it shows people getting caught at the border. Border Patrol shows the same in Australia. One guy was fined $400 for bringing an apple into Australia, another $400 for an orange. Those people were angry. Island countries have to be very careful of diseases on fruit.

We had our dog this time so I was questioned if I had any dog food. I said I had Milkbone treats, but all the ingredients were OK, there are about 50 ingredients, with chicken being the only thing worth considering...rest is sugar and chemicals. You are not allowed sheep or lamb or eggs coming from Canada into the US.

But, the garbage can was full of apples, oranges and bananas.

btw...I had a similar experience going into the US to do business....just a strong warning though.

stever

@Michaell, like Fezo, we honeymooned up there (although in the Yukon), and been coast to coast. Biggest problem we've had in Canada was trying to get paperwork to submit to our insurance for reimbursement after an ER run for a tick bite/Lyme disease a couple of years ago. The locals just swipe their card and no paper is generated.

Always have been impressed with auto mechanics in Canada; I think they have a better (or "official") certification program.

driver100

stever said:

@Michaell, like Fezo, we honeymooned up there (although in the Yukon), and been coast to coast. Biggest problem we've had in Canada was trying to get paperwork to submit to our insurance for reimbursement after an ER run for a tick bite/Lyme disease. The locals just swipe their card and no paper is generated.

Exactly. You have to have a health card to get free admittance to a hospital or to see a doctor. That is the first thing you will be asked to provide....it isn't even worth getting your name or finding out what is wrong with you until you produce a card.

Once you have done that, you don't pay. Triple by-pass, new knee joint, cataracs, broken arm, cancer treatments....all covered.

stever

Yeah, we spent a good two months just getting a simple reimbursement for the ER run and some meds. Hate the insurance companies here - we have secondary coverage and it's nice having 100% coverage, but I have to spend hours submitting crap for getting my copays reimbursed. Back in our road trip days, we'd scramble to find some temp coverage for 4 to 6 months and the deductibles were always $5,000 or $6,000 (ask me how I know that...).

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Tales from the Craigslist:
What do you make of these cars for sale on CL. I figure it's a scam but I can't figure out what the seller is trying to pull. Any thoughts?

I figured out the scam. Those cars are all painted black!

Acutually, there are little things about each car that don't seem quite right, most noticeable in the Saturn which looks like it has been really fixed up. I think the seller uses black because flaws aren't as noticeable. White and light colors really show up on mismatched panels.

I didn't see pricing, but I think these cars were patched together, or were in a flood.
Buyer Beware!

Check the license plates.

[Deleted User]

Done deal.

Yesterday was our pickup day for the 2015 Outback, try 2. We arrived promptly at our appointment time and found our freshly washed white Outback sitting outside the dealership entrance in the balmy 1 degree F temperature. Being that cold, I'll be honest and admit my inspection was a slight bit less thorough than it would have normally been. I made a couple of trips inside to warm up during the inspection and found nothing of concern. No hail storms this time around.

Our sales representative had all the manuals, keys, and accessories ready to go or already installed, making pickup was a breeze. He also had finance prepped, and they were aware of the situation, so they didn't push the extended warranty or other extras. Paperwork was printed out and ready for us to sign, with just one correction that needed to be made, which was that we wouldn't be placing a second deposit down. So, a quick re-print of the paperwork and a gazillion signatures later, and we were back with our sales rep who provided a nice surprise. With the timing of the second purchase we qualified for two season passes to Winter Park ski resort, and we were able to donate $250 to a charity (we picked Make A Wish for personal reasons).

They did deliver some bad news. Despite the direct efforts of the dealership owner, Subaru would not help me with the coating I applied to the previous Outback. It's not a deal breaker for me, but I will express my disappointment to Subaru later this week. The dealership is being nice about it and trying to see if their detail folks can help out, but I'm not hopeful as the coating I used has been discontinued and replaced by something inferior. There's a pro-only version available, but it's very difficult to apply correctly and I'm not comfortable with the detail guys being inexperienced and practicing on my Outback. I do have one last tube of the better coating from my personal storage I can use, which I was saving for the WaveRunners, but it's better served on the Outback. With the cold temps the dealership has offered their detail bays to me to use.

So, we now have our third Outback in as many months sitting in our garage awaiting my attention. And Friday we'll be skiing with our new season passes.

Human nature is probably to go ballistic over a situation like this, but really, I'm okay with it. I was provided with loaner vehicles the whole time and I put 3,500 miles on them. The dealership worked hard to make it right. And now my Outback has no holes in the front bumper, and the Clear Bra installer did a better job this time around (after a little prompting from me). In the end I have the Outback I wanted for the price I wanted with 3,500 fewer miles.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Tales from the Craigslist:
What do you make of these cars for sale on CL. I figure it's a scam but I can't figure out what the seller is trying to pull. Any thoughts?

I figured out the scam. Those cars are all painted black!

Acutually, there are little things about each car that don't seem quite right, most noticeable in the Saturn which looks like it has been really fixed up. I think the seller uses black because flaws aren't as noticeable. White and light colors really show up on mismatched panels.

I didn't see pricing, but I think these cars were patched together, or were in a flood.
Buyer Beware!

Check the license plates.

That's funny! Why would he do that....maybe those are phony too!
The tires have been so blackened and some of the wheel discs look like they are after market or replacements. The paint jobs look fresh, and all bleck seems suspicious to me. It would be fun to look those cars over....looks like lipstick on a pig to me.

driver100

tyguy said:

Done deal.

Our sales representative had all the manuals, keys, and accessories ready to go or already i The dealership worked hard to make it right. And now my Outback has no holes in the front bumper, and the Clear Bra installer did a better job this time around (after a little prompting from me). In the end I have the Outback I wanted for the price I wanted with 3,500 fewer miles.

Beautiful, it all worked out in the end, and it is great that you are understanding. Anyone can make a mistake, it's how it is fixed that makes the difference. Enjoy your newest Outback, and just in time for the New Year.

My IT guy is going to go with the Fit. He said seating is higher, it is shorter, it has more interior and storage space, and better mileage.

I was thinking, his 2002 was running well, it does have almost 100k miles on it. How long was it going to last without something going. This is the perfect time of the year to buy a car...prices are good, and his business will be slow at this time of year, so he has the time to do all this.

Maybe some things are just meant to be.

fezo

My one experience in a Canadian ER (for my daughter not me) was fine. They did triage which landed her somewhere in the middle which is what happens in US hospitals. They submitted all the paperwork and in a few weeks we had a reimbursement check from Blue Cross. Had the check before the credit card we paid with showed up. This was in Simcoe, ON.

driver - he should be happy with the Fit. It's a great little car. My niece has had one for years and not a bad word.

abacomike

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Last word on vinyl roofs. One that I think looks good, one not good.

Which one looked good and which one not good?

From Tampa Florida. Plane travel was incredible today, 2 hours just to get tickets and thru security. I-75 going South is like a parking lot. Seems a lot of people headed to south Florida after Christmas....have no idea where all those people will stay.

Which one? Come on, the caddy with it's old school style handles a vinyl roof better than the Lincoln with the more modern jelly bean shape. Every time I see an old mark VIII without a vinyl roof I want to tear mine off but I'm afraid what I'd find underneath.

2 hours in Tampa at holiday time? That's about right from my experience. That airport can be quite intimidating the first time with the multiple levels and trams.

I thought the same actually, the squareed off Caddy suited the vinyl roof bettter. And some of those little Caddies actually look ok with a vinyl roof...though probably better without it.

Tampa airport is a great airport, but it is getting large. One side has red signs, the other blue. If you are picking up someone make sure you know where they are...both sides look the same except for the colors. I was waiting for my wife on one side and she was waiting on the other. She started crying in the car, and a security guy asked her if he could help. I finally went to information and called her on her cell phone and we figured out what went wrong.

We were flying out of Toronto and you are supposed to be at the airport 2 hours in advance for international flights. We were there 2 1/4 hours in advance but we just made it to our flight on time. But, we didn't have time for coffee or breakfast. 50 people were late so we took off 50 minutes late. That meant more time without breakfast after getting up at 5 a.m.- I was ready to pass out.

I am really hating flying, you get treated like you are nothing.....no respect for the customer.
A retired Air Canada employee told me our motto at AC is;
We're not happy unless we can make you unhappy"

I think AC thinks of ways to make customers lives as miserable as possible.

Unless it is an emergency, I refuse to get on an airplane now-a-days. There are several reasons:

*I feel like I am a cow on its way to slaughter at the Chicago Stock Yards. You go from one line to another line. You take off your shoes, take out your wallet, take off your wristwatch, remove all jewelry and cell phones, walk through a metal detector and now you have to redress yourself. Then, you get to the gate and you wait on line to check in at the gate. You then wait on line again to board the plane.

*You sit in a seat (usually 3 across unless you are lucky enough to be on the left side of an MD80-81 where there are only two seats) and people are sneezing and coughing all around you, or a baby is crying at the top of its lungs.

*If you are on the aisle, there are flight attendants and people brushing against you as they walk up and down the aisle. If you are in a window seat, your right or left shoulder is smashed against the side of the fuselage. If you are in a center seat, forget it!!!

*When you arrive at your destination, you wait in line again to deplane as 100 passengers in front of you pull their carry-ons out of the above stowage compartments. If you are unlucky enough to have had to check baggage, that's another line and another 30-40 minute wait. Then, there is the traffic in and out of the airport.

Nope, flying on a commercial carrier is not for me any more. If I do have to fly out to California in an emergency for my son, I fly first class (not too much more than standard coach if you include checked bags and some food to eat) and what's nice, it's only two across. Thank goodness I can afford to fly first class in an emergency - but you still have all the other lines and waits and a 50-50 chance of getting the flu from someone else on the plane.

henryn

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Tales from the Craigslist:
What do you make of these cars for sale on CL. I figure it's a scam but I can't figure out what the seller is trying to pull. Any thoughts?

I figured out the scam. Those cars are all painted black!

Acutually, there are little things about each car that don't seem quite right, most noticeable in the Saturn which looks like it has been really fixed up. I think the seller uses black because flaws aren't as noticeable. White and light colors really show up on mismatched panels.

I didn't see pricing, but I think these cars were patched together, or were in a flood.
Buyer Beware!

Check the license plates.

That's funny! Why would he do that....maybe those are phony too!
The tires have been so blackened and some of the wheel discs look like they are after market or replacements. The paint jobs look fresh, and all bleck seems suspicious to me. It would be fun to look those cars over....looks like lipstick on a pig to me.

Craigslist charges a small fee to a car dealer. Individuals get to post ads for free. So all of the car dealers masquerade as individual sellers. A dealer will not have license plates for his used cars, only dealer tags. A great many of the used cars on Craigslist have no plates at all in the pictures. Having license plates makes it look like you really are an individual.

laurasdada

Fezo: Block Island is lovely. Small, you don't need a car to get around. The ferry lands downtown, several places to rent bikes or scooters if you want. However, one side of the island is a bit of an uphill to get to a lighthouse (beautiful view of the water, lovely rolling lawn if you want to picnic), bluffs, beach off the beaten path. If you're going to bring your car (other than rain, really a bike/scooter should be fine), book ferry space well ahead. I can't really comment on hotels, B&Bs or restaurants as the two times I've visited, was with our Boy Scout troop, on bikes. The only campgrounds on the island are owned by the BSA, it's by the airport, ~1 mile from downtown and that's where we stayed. Beware of poison ivy!

But, nice public beaches, a couple of beautiful, historic lighthouses and a tight, bustling downtown. With a chocolatier that sells chocolate covered bacon. My son has left the Scouts, so the next time I return, a little more luxury will be in order.

driver100

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Last word on vinyl roofs. One that I think looks good, one not good.

Which one looked good and which one not good?

From Tampa Florida. Plane travel was incredible today, 2 hours just to get tickets and thru security. I-75 going South is like a parking lot. Seems a lot of people headed to south Florida after Christmas....have no idea where all those people will stay.

Which one? Come on, the caddy with it's old school style handles a vinyl roof better than the Lincoln with the more modern jelly bean shape. Every time I see an old mark VIII without a vinyl roof I want to tear mine off but I'm afraid what I'd find underneath.

2 hours in Tampa at holiday time? That's about right from my experience. That airport can be quite intimidating the first time with the multiple levels and trams.

I thought the same actually, the squareed off Caddy suited the vinyl roof bettter. And some of those little Caddies actually look ok with a vinyl roof...though probably better without it.

Tampa airport is a great airport, but it is getting large. One side has red signs, the other blue. If you are picking up someone make sure you know where they are...both sides look the same except for the colors. I was waiting for my wife on one side and she was waiting on the other. She started crying in the car, and a security guy asked her if he could help. I finally went to information and called her on her cell phone and we figured out what went wrong.

We were flying out of Toronto and you are supposed to be at the airport 2 hours in advance for international flights. We were there 2 1/4 hours in advance but we just made it to our flight on time. But, we didn't have time for coffee or breakfast. 50 people were late so we took off 50 minutes late. That meant more time without breakfast after getting up at 5 a.m.- I was ready to pass out.

I am really hating flying, you get treated like you are nothing.....no respect for the customer.
A retired Air Canada employee told me our motto at AC is;
We're not happy unless we can make you unhappy"

I think AC thinks of ways to make customers lives as miserable as possible.

Unless it is an emergency, I refuse to get on an airplane now-a-days. There are several reasons:

*I feel like I am a cow on its way to slaughter at the Chicago Stock Yards. You go from one line to another line. You take off your shoes, take out your wallet, take off your wristwatch, remove all jewelry and cell phones, walk through a metal detector and now you have to redress yourself. Then, you get to the gate and you wait on line to check in at the gate. You then wait on line again to board the plane.

*You sit in a seat (usually 3 across unless you are lucky enough to be on the left side of an MD80-81 where there are only two seats) and people are sneezing and coughing all around you, or a baby is crying at the top of its lungs.

*If you are on the aisle, there are flight attendants and people brushing against you as they walk up and down the aisle. If you are in a window seat, your right or left shoulder is smashed against the side of the fuselage. If you are in a center seat, forget it!!!

*When you arrive at your destination, you wait in line again to deplane as 100 passengers in front of you pull their carry-ons out of the above stowage compartments. If you are unlucky enough to have had to check baggage, that's another line and another 30-40 minute wait. Then, there is the traffic in and out of the airport.

Nope, flying on a commercial carrier is not for me any more. If I do have to fly out to California in an emergency for my son, I fly first class (not too much more than standard coach if you include checked bags and some food to eat) and what's nice, it's only two across. Thank goodness I can afford to fly first class in an emergency - but you still have all the other lines and waits and a 50-50 chance of getting the flu from someone else on the plane.

That is the way I feel too, but you put it into words far better than I can. It is too bad for the vendors at the airport....this should have been a good day for them with all those people, but not too many had time to eat or drink or buy stuff.

If people arrived later for a flight they moved up to the front of the line. The people who were responsible and came early were left standing waiting for an hour.

The airline knew it was a busy day. They should say if your flight leaves at 8 you must be in line by 5....3 hours in advance. Instead the late comers get priority. Completely idiotic with no respect for customers. The lady behind me said you won't find me doing this next year...I'll drive down, stop when I want to, stay in a motel with an indoor pool, have a glass of wine when I feel like it, and not line up like cattle. I thought she had a point.

driver100

henryn said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Tales from the Craigslist:
What do you make of these cars for sale on CL. I figure it's a scam but I can't figure out what the seller is trying to pull. Any thoughts?

I figured out the scam. Those cars are all painted black!

Acutually, there are little things about each car that don't seem quite right, most noticeable in the Saturn which looks like it has been really fixed up. I think the seller uses black because flaws aren't as noticeable. White and light colors really show up on mismatched panels.

I didn't see pricing, but I think these cars were patched together, or were in a flood.
Buyer Beware!

Check the license plates.

That's funny! Why would he do that....maybe those are phony too!
The tires have been so blackened and some of the wheel discs look like they are after market or replacements. The paint jobs look fresh, and all bleck seems suspicious to me. It would be fun to look those cars over....looks like lipstick on a pig to me.

Craigslist charges a small fee to a car dealer. Individuals get to post ads for free. So all of the car dealers masquerade as individual sellers. A dealer will not have license plates for his used cars, only dealer tags. A great many of the used cars on Craigslist have no plates at all in the pictures. Having license plates makes it look like you really are an individual.

Is that someone I want to buy a car from?

jayrider

Craigslist charges a small fee to a car dealer. Individuals get to post ads for free. So all of the car dealers masquerade as individual sellers. A dealer will not have license plates for his used cars, only dealer tags. A great many of the used cars on Craigslist have no plates at all in the pictures. Having license plates makes it look like you really are an individual.

Sounds like the exact kind of person I want to do business with.

driver100

Random comments from todays Tampa Bay Times:

* Lincoln ads with Matthew McConaughey droning on have been highly successful, shooting Lincoln MKC to the top for Lincoln in sales. He is going to use similar ads to push the MKZ (ads start on Jan 1st college football games). Actually, I like those ads, and I like that character.

* GM sales are up 12.3% over last year and GM is back in first place in North America with 17.3% of market. Ford is at 15%, Toyota 14.3% and Chrysler (now FCA) with 13.2%.
* That seems pretty healthy all around....with all the companies so close.

driver100

jayrider said:

Craigslist charges a small fee to a car dealer. Individuals get to post ads for free. So all of the car dealers masquerade as individual sellers. A dealer will not have license plates for his used cars, only dealer tags. A great many of the used cars on Craigslist have no plates at all in the pictures. Having license plates makes it look like you really are an individual.

Sounds like the exact kind of person I want to do business with.



The way I see it, that individual is cutting corners and is not representing himself properly - kind of reminds me of a famous family member. If the guy was honest he wouldn't put phony plates on the cars and he would pay for his ads. If he cons others he will con you too.

Those cars look as phony as a two dollar bill (phonier since I hear there is such a thing). The wheels are an unreal black color....like as if there is something he is hiding, and I am sure he is.

ab348

driver100 said:

Random comments from todays Tampa Bay Times:

* Lincoln ads with Matthew McConaughey droning on have been highly successful, shooting Lincoln MKC to the top for Lincoln in sales. He is going to use similar ads to push the MKZ (ads start on Jan 1st college football games). Actually, I like those ads, and I like that character.

I suspect the sales performance of the MKC is due to the vehicle, which is a finalist for the North American Truck (?) of the Year award and is apparently very nice, rather than Mr. McConaughey's dronings. I see those ads and know he's shilling for Lincoln, but have no idea what model.

Good luck to him trying to move the tarted-up Fusion MKZ.

robr2

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Last word on vinyl roofs. One that I think looks good, one not good.

Which one looked good and which one not good?

From Tampa Florida. Plane travel was incredible today, 2 hours just to get tickets and thru security. I-75 going South is like a parking lot. Seems a lot of people headed to south Florida after Christmas....have no idea where all those people will stay.

Which one? Come on, the caddy with it's old school style handles a vinyl roof better than the Lincoln with the more modern jelly bean shape. Every time I see an old mark VIII without a vinyl roof I want to tear mine off but I'm afraid what I'd find underneath.

2 hours in Tampa at holiday time? That's about right from my experience. That airport can be quite intimidating the first time with the multiple levels and trams.

I thought the same actually, the squareed off Caddy suited the vinyl roof bettter. And some of those little Caddies actually look ok with a vinyl roof...though probably better without it.

Tampa airport is a great airport, but it is getting large. One side has red signs, the other blue. If you are picking up someone make sure you know where they are...both sides look the same except for the colors. I was waiting for my wife on one side and she was waiting on the other. She started crying in the car, and a security guy asked her if he could help. I finally went to information and called her on her cell phone and we figured out what went wrong.

We were flying out of Toronto and you are supposed to be at the airport 2 hours in advance for international flights. We were there 2 1/4 hours in advance but we just made it to our flight on time. But, we didn't have time for coffee or breakfast. 50 people were late so we took off 50 minutes late. That meant more time without breakfast after getting up at 5 a.m.- I was ready to pass out.

I am really hating flying, you get treated like you are nothing.....no respect for the customer.
A retired Air Canada employee told me our motto at AC is;
We're not happy unless we can make you unhappy"

I think AC thinks of ways to make customers lives as miserable as possible.

Unless it is an emergency, I refuse to get on an airplane now-a-days. There are several reasons:

*I feel like I am a cow on its way to slaughter at the Chicago Stock Yards. You go from one line to another line. You take off your shoes, take out your wallet, take off your wristwatch, remove all jewelry and cell phones, walk through a metal detector and now you have to redress yourself. Then, you get to the gate and you wait on line to check in at the gate. You then wait on line again to board the plane.

*You sit in a seat (usually 3 across unless you are lucky enough to be on the left side of an MD80-81 where there are only two seats) and people are sneezing and coughing all around you, or a baby is crying at the top of its lungs.

*If you are on the aisle, there are flight attendants and people brushing against you as they walk up and down the aisle. If you are in a window seat, your right or left shoulder is smashed against the side of the fuselage. If you are in a center seat, forget it!!!

*When you arrive at your destination, you wait in line again to deplane as 100 passengers in front of you pull their carry-ons out of the above stowage compartments. If you are unlucky enough to have had to check baggage, that's another line and another 30-40 minute wait. Then, there is the traffic in and out of the airport.

Nope, flying on a commercial carrier is not for me any more. If I do have to fly out to California in an emergency for my son, I fly first class (not too much more than standard coach if you include checked bags and some food to eat) and what's nice, it's only two across. Thank goodness I can afford to fly first class in an emergency - but you still have all the other lines and waits and a 50-50 chance of getting the flu from someone else on the plane.

I'm not a road warrior but do take about 10 flights a year. It's more about knowing how to fly. It's not the most pleasant experience but if you play by the rules and don't act like a jerk, you'll survive.

I pre-select my seats when I book my flight and always get an aisle seat. Don't have to squeeze past people.

I check-in and print my boarding pass at home or use the kiosk. I don't interact with any agents. And why would you check in at the gate after security?

All my pocket items except for my id go into a ziplock bag and into the pocket of my briefcase before I leave the house - watch, wallet, money clip, keys, phone, et al.

Just before security, my coat goes in the carry on and the belt goes in the briefcase. I have not had to remove my shoes in about a year.

I never check baggage. If I need to take that much, I send it by FedEx ground to my hotel.

henryn

robr2 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Last word on vinyl roofs. One that I think looks good, one not good.

Which one looked good and which one not good?

From Tampa Florida. Plane travel was incredible today, 2 hours just to get tickets and thru security. I-75 going South is like a parking lot. Seems a lot of people headed to south Florida after Christmas....have no idea where all those people will stay.

Which one? Come on, the caddy with it's old school style handles a vinyl roof better than the Lincoln with the more modern jelly bean shape. Every time I see an old mark VIII without a vinyl roof I want to tear mine off but I'm afraid what I'd find underneath.

2 hours in Tampa at holiday time? That's about right from my experience. That airport can be quite intimidating the first time with the multiple levels and trams.

I thought the same actually, the squareed off Caddy suited the vinyl roof bettter. And some of those little Caddies actually look ok with a vinyl roof...though probably better without it.

Tampa airport is a great airport, but it is getting large. One side has red signs, the other blue. If you are picking up someone make sure you know where they are...both sides look the same except for the colors. I was waiting for my wife on one side and she was waiting on the other. She started crying in the car, and a security guy asked her if he could help. I finally went to information and called her on her cell phone and we figured out what went wrong.

We were flying out of Toronto and you are supposed to be at the airport 2 hours in advance for international flights. We were there 2 1/4 hours in advance but we just made it to our flight on time. But, we didn't have time for coffee or breakfast. 50 people were late so we took off 50 minutes late. That meant more time without breakfast after getting up at 5 a.m.- I was ready to pass out.

I am really hating flying, you get treated like you are nothing.....no respect for the customer.
A retired Air Canada employee told me our motto at AC is;
We're not happy unless we can make you unhappy"

I think AC thinks of ways to make customers lives as miserable as possible.

Unless it is an emergency, I refuse to get on an airplane now-a-days. There are several reasons:

*I feel like I am a cow on its way to slaughter at the Chicago Stock Yards. You go from one line to another line. You take off your shoes, take out your wallet, take off your wristwatch, remove all jewelry and cell phones, walk through a metal detector and now you have to redress yourself. Then, you get to the gate and you wait on line to check in at the gate. You then wait on line again to board the plane.

*You sit in a seat (usually 3 across unless you are lucky enough to be on the left side of an MD80-81 where there are only two seats) and people are sneezing and coughing all around you, or a baby is crying at the top of its lungs.

*If you are on the aisle, there are flight attendants and people brushing against you as they walk up and down the aisle. If you are in a window seat, your right or left shoulder is smashed against the side of the fuselage. If you are in a center seat, forget it!!!

*When you arrive at your destination, you wait in line again to deplane as 100 passengers in front of you pull their carry-ons out of the above stowage compartments. If you are unlucky enough to have had to check baggage, that's another line and another 30-40 minute wait. Then, there is the traffic in and out of the airport.

Nope, flying on a commercial carrier is not for me any more. If I do have to fly out to California in an emergency for my son, I fly first class (not too much more than standard coach if you include checked bags and some food to eat) and what's nice, it's only two across. Thank goodness I can afford to fly first class in an emergency - but you still have all the other lines and waits and a 50-50 chance of getting the flu from someone else on the plane.

I'm not a road warrior but do take about 10 flights a year. It's more about knowing how to fly. It's not the most pleasant experience but if you play by the rules and don't act like a jerk, you'll survive.

I pre-select my seats when I book my flight and always get an aisle seat. Don't have to squeeze past people.

I check-in and print my boarding pass at home or use the kiosk. I don't interact with any agents. And why would you check in at the gate after security?

All my pocket items except for my id go into a ziplock bag and into the pocket of my briefcase before I leave the house - watch, wallet, money clip, keys, phone, et al.

Just before security, my coat goes in the carry on and the belt goes in the briefcase. I have not had to remove my shoes in about a year.

I never check baggage. If I need to take that much, I send it by FedEx ground to my hotel.

Sounds exactly like the George Clooney character in the movie "Up In The Air".

But even with all of that, it's still an unpleasant experience. Maybe a little less unpleasant, but still unpleasant. Something that I would avoid given a reasonable choice.

abacomike

I finally paid for the wheels and tires I put on the Mercedes E 400.  I got the bill from the dealership which showed the cost for the Wheels ($2400), Tires ($1650), and labor ($150) for a total of $4200.  They gave me a credit of $1200 for the wheels and tires that came with the car (standard equipment) and charged me a net of $1290 which included the tax, which is well below their net cost for wheels, tires, labor and tax.

So I was pretty happy with the way the dealership handled everything.  But much more important is that I am truly enjoying this vehicle.

graphicguy

OF....I agree. The Saturn looks wonky, and the plates are a dead give away that someone bought them at auction and is putting them online to sell. Dealer? Maybe. Individual turning a quick buck is my guess, considering they want you to call for a price.

I see a lot of individuals putting flood cars on ebay, trying to get them to run, getting stuck, trying to convince others that the repairs are minor.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

OF....I agree. The Saturn looks wonky, and the plates are a dead give away that someone bought them at auction and is putting them online to sell. Dealer? Maybe. Individual turning a quick buck is my guess, considering they want you to call for a price.

I see a lot of individuals putting flood cars on ebay, trying to get them to run, getting stuck, trying to convince others that the repairs are minor.

Just needs a $20 part, right?

Yeah, that this is some sleazy dealer is a given. 75% of CL "by owner" ads are dealers too cheap to spend 5 bucks on their junk.Same phone # in all the ads. All his ads are written in a folksy manner "we're selling our baby" "grandpa's car has been our favorite" etc. really laying it on thick to make you think this is a private owner.

I've never seen this particular angle before. Is he trying to make you think the cars are registered and on the road so you can test drive? If they aren't and you drive an hour to find out this is some junk yard rescue that can't be taken out on the street wouldn't you be LESS likely to buy.

Or is this the mindset of "get them in the showroom at any cost"?

I'd never give a look at any of these dealer/flipper/scammer guys but this particular trick has me puzzled.

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

I finally paid for the wheels and tires I put on the Mercedes E 400.  I got the bill from the dealership which showed the cost for the Wheels ($2400), Tires ($1650), and labor ($150) for a total of $4200.  They gave me a credit of $1200 for the wheels and tires that came with the car (standard equipment) and charged me a net of $1290 which included the tax, which is well below their net cost for wheels, tires, labor and tax.

So I was pretty happy with the way the dealership handled everything.  But much more important is that I am truly enjoying this vehicle.

$4200, ha ha your wheels and tires cost more than all but two of my cars!

henryn

Gotta love them crooked car dealers. I got an email yesterday from a local Honda dealer. New 2014 Honda CR-V EX for $199 per month for 36 months, with $199 due at signing. This sounded a little too good to be true (for the EX, might be possible for the LX but not the EX). So I emailed, asking how much I would have to actually write a check for in order to drive out with that car. Got my answer today:

Thak you for your inquiry. You are correct ; the 2014 CR-V EX can be leased for $199.00 down and $199.00 / mo

See below for out of pocket costs:


Selling Price $22,862.35
Sales Tax (6.25%) $1,429.17
Title & License Fees $320.00
Due At Signing $199.00
Dealer Accessories
ProPak $495.00
Window Tint $299.00
NitroFil Program $399.00
Paint & Fabric Protection $399.00

Total Out Of Pocket Due at Signing: $3,538.27

Residual Value $14,848.50

isellhondas

Sales tax is normally added to each payment and not paid upfront.

The fine print probably said 199.00 due at signing plus fees and accessories.

If they delete all of those added items and you pay only the 199.00 plus license fees, it may not be such a bad deal.

400.00 to put nitrogen in the tires? Are they serious??

abacomike

henryn said:

Gotta love them crooked car dealers. I got an email yesterday from a local Honda dealer. New 2014 Honda CR-V EX for $199 per month for 36 months, with $199 due at signing. This sounded a little too good to be true (for the EX, might be possible for the LX but not the EX). So I emailed, asking how much I would have to actually write a check for in order to drive out with that car. Got my answer today: Thak you for your inquiry. You are correct ; the 2014 CR-V EX can be leased for $199.00 down and $199.00 / mo See below for out of pocket costs: Selling Price $22,862.35 Sales Tax (6.25%) $1,429.17 Title & License Fees $320.00 Due At Signing $199.00 Dealer Accessories ProPak $495.00 Window Tint $299.00 NitroFil Program $399.00 Paint & Fabric Protection $399.00 Total Out Of Pocket Due at Signing: $3,538.27 Residual Value $14,848.50

Unbelievable!  Nitro-fill program $399,00?  You've got to be kidding - most dealers use nitro-fill now for all customers at no charge!  Paint and Fabric protection?  What's that?  If you have leather, why fabric protection?  Dealer Accessories?  Good grief - if that's honesty, I am Tonto!

henryn

isellhondas said:

Sales tax is normally added to each payment and not paid upfront.

The fine print probably said 199.00 due at signing plus fees and accessories.

If they delete all of those added items and you pay only the 199.00 plus license fees, it may not be such a bad deal.

400.00 to put nitrogen in the tires? Are they serious??

In Texas, you have to pay the sales tax (6.25%) on the entire sales price "up front". Which makes leases much less advantageous here. I knew that, and expected to hear that. What is crooked is the $1,600 in dealer add ons that probably cost the dealer about $100 to $150.

Here is the actual ad:



And here is the fine print, which mentions "plus tax, title, and license fees". Makes absolutely no mention of bogus dealer addons:

Valid at Gillman Honda Houston. Photos for illustration only. With approved credit. See dealer for complete details. Offers end 1/5/15. 1) Plus tax, title and license fees. No security deposit required. 12K miles per year. $0.15 per excess mile. 2) Not all customers will qualify. Financing may affect final negotiated price.

fezo

Time and again I've told dealers that I'm not interested in any of those dealer add ons. I'll either factory order or they can eat the cost of those items, which is pretty close to nothing.

When I bought the ill fated Windstall they were set to put $1,200 of that junk but I had ordered and said no. Salesman offered the whole package for under $300. I still declined.

isellhondas

I didn't know about the tax rules in Texas.

If you are interested tell them you'll leave a deposit on an incoming car and that you aren't interested in all of dealer installed items.

I'm still choking on that 399.00 Nitro Fill program! What a joke!

ab348

henryn said:

Gotta love them crooked car dealers. I got an email yesterday from a local Honda dealer. New 2014 Honda CR-V EX for $199 per month for 36 months, with $199 due at signing. This sounded a little too good to be true (for the EX, might be possible for the LX but not the EX). So I emailed, asking how much I would have to actually write a check for in order to drive out with that car. Got my answer today:

Thak you for your inquiry. You are correct ; the 2014 CR-V EX can be leased for $199.00 down and $199.00 / mo

See below for out of pocket costs:


Selling Price $22,862.35
Sales Tax (6.25%) $1,429.17
Title & License Fees $320.00
Due At Signing $199.00
Dealer Accessories
ProPak $495.00
Window Tint $299.00
NitroFil Program $399.00
Paint & Fabric Protection $399.00

Total Out Of Pocket Due at Signing: $3,538.27

Residual Value $14,848.50

That entire list would convince me that is a dealer I would never, ever, do business with. That pack of dealer add-ons is simply outrageous. I can only imagine the shenanigans they would attempt in the service department down the road.

oldfarmer50

isellhondas said:

Sales tax is normally added to each payment and not paid upfront.

The fine print probably said 199.00 due at signing plus fees and accessories.

If they delete all of those added items and you pay only the 199.00 plus license fees, it may not be such a bad deal.

400.00 to put nitrogen in the tires? Are they serious??

But it was probably ORGANIC nitrogen so they had to charge more. Reminds me of a time I saw a Saturn Sky in a mall and they listed Holdback as an additional dealer charge.

abacomike

oldfarmer50 said:

Sales tax is normally added to each payment and not paid upfront. The fine print probably said 199.00 due at signing plus fees and accessories. If they delete all of those added items and you pay only the 199.00 plus license fees, it may not be such a bad deal. 400.00 to put nitrogen in the tires? Are they serious??

But it was probably ORGANIC nitrogen so they had to charge more. Reminds me of a time I saw a Saturn Sky in a mall and they listed Holdback as an additional dealer charge.

Even as a sales manager, when a customer asked me about the nitro-fill addendum and the taped-on pin-stripe and door edge guard addendum ($495.00) in addition to the $799.00 dealer fee, I merely responded, "...ignore all that stuff - you'll still get the best deal on a new Infiniti in South Florida..!"  Even I couldn't justify or explain to the customer all the gimmicks our owner used to use to make more profit.

I often said to the customer to go out and shop my price out the door and there is no way another dealer could beat it.  I was right 85% of the time - the other 15% I lost was because the other dealer(s) took s loss on the sale.

Sandman6472

Swapped the wheels and tires on my new Golf SE with those from a TDI model, same 17" size and luckily, they took off the $100.00 fee for me. Just didn't like the alloys that came standard with mine and this was a deal breaker to me which I let the sales guy know flat out. Guess they wanted to make the sale that day and agreed to what I wanted. There was a glitch in prepping my vehicle and they ended up prepping the diesel model instead but once my sales guy got there and saw the error, he had them prep mine...luckily he came in a bit early that morning and I came a little late that afternoon.
Love my Golf and will wait till May to tint the windows. Looks like they sold my Tucson as it wasn't there today nor is it on their website anymore. Knew it would go pretty fast as it was a nice vehicle after all.

The Sandman

imidazol97

oldfarmer50 said:

400.00 to put nitrogen in the tires? Are they serious??

I would start asking about the brand and model of the machine they used to "concentrate" the
nitrogen from regular air. Ask them about if the machine has been serviced as required to maintain a fairly high concentration of nitrogen in the output--but certainly not 100% nitrogen.

Then ask what they do about the oxygen on the outside of the tire affecting the rubber since they feel it's important to reduce oxygen levels in contact with the interior rubber.

abacomike

imidazol97 said:

400.00 to put nitrogen in the tires? Are they serious??

I would start asking about the brand and model of the machine they used to "concentrate" the nitrogen from regular air. Ask them about if the machine has been serviced as required to maintain a fairly high concentration of nitrogen in the output--but certainly not 100% nitrogen. Then ask what they do about the oxygen on the outside of the tire affecting the rubber since they feel it's important to reduce oxygen levels in contact with the interior rubber.

There is no way you can put 100% nitrogen in a tire.  There will always be some oxygen and a bit of hydrogen.  I watched as they put my new tires on my new wheels.  They inflated, deflated, inflated, deflated and again inflated each tire to a final 45 lbs of pressure, then deflated each tire to 37 front and 39 rear.  I'll bet there is probably only 90% nitrogen in those tires.

The tire pressures increase about 2-3 pounds per tire on the turnpike at 65 mph, so they do not increase as much as they would if only air was used.  Remember, 70% of our air is already nitrogen.  It becomes very difficult to get above 90% nitrogen unless you perform inflation in a 100% nitrogen environment which is almost impossible at a tire dealer or car dealership.  But the reduced levels of oxygen do prolong the life of a tire by reducing the levels of oxygen inside the tire.

I don't think it is that important to use nitro fill in summer performance tires as they don't have as much longevity as all-seasons as they wear more quickly due to the softer tire compounds used.

cdnpinhead

Flying commercial these days involves being treated as self-sorting freight. Oh boy.

Which is why, if I have three foundries to visit in the Midwest, I'll fly to ORD, rent a car and drive to and from where I need to be. Others choose to deal with a five-segment trip involving commuter aircraft that fly twice a day between the cities you need. It may cost three times as much, but at least you get to leave at 6:30 a.m. and arrive at the hotel at the end of the day at 9 pm. Include me out.

Unlike others here who can feel the pea through 15 layers of mattresses, I'm a simple soul and do what I can. It nearly always involves renting a National appliance, listening to my MP3 player, and having lots of flexibility when I travel.

cdnpinhead

Please enlighten me regarding why nitrogen-filled tires have any advantage.

Some aircraft, usually military, fill the tires with nitrogen in the event of a tire explosion or blowout caused by some other situation (rejected takeoff, etc.) that could result in overheated brakes and tire blowouts. Nitrogen doesn't accelerate the fire. Atmospheric air, with its 21% oxygen, could.

Help me understand why any of this has anything to do with the gas that fills automobile tires. The atomic weight of oxygen is 16 and nitrogen is 14. It's not as if we're routinely filling the damn things with helium.

Looks to me like yet another ripoff upon the ignorant masses. Imagine.

qbrozen

It is not so much that its nitrogen as that the lower volume of moisture-containing oxygen reduces pressure changes due to heat. Its not of great use on strictly road-going vehicles, but it can be good if you are racing. When auto crossing or at an HPDE, regular ole air-inflated tires can go up 10-12 lbs, so you are constantly evaluating your pressures and taking air out as the day goes on. Then you need to either refill before you head home or drive home on under inflated tires. Nitrogen fill (done properly) helps avoid this.

abacomike

My downstairs neighbor just knocked on my door to tell me he bought a new 2015 Mercedes E 350 from the local dealer.  He wanted me to go down to the parking area so he could show me the car and get my opinion about the deal he got.

So I went down and he showed me the car.  It's white with light beige interior leather with the 18" AMG Wheels, premium package, ventilated seats, Keyless Go Package, wood and leather wrapped steering wheel and blind spot and Lane tracking monitors.  He said he paid $57,950, no trade, + tax, fees and tags/title.  I told him it sounds like a great deal for the last day of the year.

i wished him good luck and came upstairs to check if his deal was a good one.  I went on to Edmunds and the car MSRP's for $62,130 including freight.  Invoice was $57,847.  So on the surface, it sounded like a great deal.  But I know there is $2000 in trunk money from Mercedes on E's, ML's and C's.  So he paid about $2100 over dealer invoice, which still isn't a bad deal, but he obviously left quite a bit of money on the table for the last day of the year.

I have no intention of telling him about the $2000 in dealer incentives that were available - why disappoint the guy.  He knows I buy lots of cars from a dealer in Palm Beach County (18 miles away) - why not ask me to help him get a great deal?  Most unfortunate.  But the car is quite good looking and he'll keep this one until he stops driving - the Lincoln he was driving was 16 years old.

qbrozen

good for you for not saying anything. The deal is done, why sour it? My dad fails to ask for my help, and after its done, I certainly can't fix it. So I just have to bite my tongue.