Locally right now there is a big push by the urban planner "experts" online about the "zipper merge" .
Years back I saw the zipper in operation in TN on I75 where it was two lanes. They had signs that said "Merge NOW" and up a half mile further was a TN State Patrol car on the side. This effectively discourages those hot rods in their high-power cars, low-power cars with loud mufflers, or the premium car guy in his BMW who thinks he is above everyone else on the road from zooming ahead and then bumping their way in.
The effect of the person merging near the front of the line is it causes the cars behind where it pushed in place to stop or nearly stop instead of rolling ahead at 30 miles per hour, e.g.. That stopping then oscillates its way back through the line of traffic much like the compression wave in a slinky. In fact, that stopping or slowing at the front sometimes results in a dead stop the further back it propagates. That's why a minor disturbance in heavy traffic often causes a dead stop for those further back. When they get further on, there's nothing to be found as a cause of the disturbance.
This can be seen easily where there's a ramp merging on from the right which causes cars to have to merge into the slow moving traffic that is already in one lane. Saw that in Lima coming back from Plymouth MI on Friday. Everyone in the two lanes of I75 had merged as soon as they saw the sign. But this was almost a mile ahead of the true narrowed contruction lane. People were being courteous. But an entrance ramp was spitting groups of cars into the front of the line. Causing backups and stops. Otherwise, everyone would have been moving at 20-30 mph in the one lane.
Well, there are two problems happening that cause the "zippering" to fail: One is the fault of the person in the merging lane, and the other is the fault of the person in the continuing lane.
1. Drivers in the merging lane must match speed to that of traffic in the continuing lane. 2. Drivers in the continuing lane must maintain appropriate following distance, which allows the merging traffic to "zipper" without the need for speed corrections.
It is truly a simple process that is incredibly effective. The only problem is the drivers. Once we have a majority of self-drive cars in urban areas, people will finally see that they were the problem all along. For some reason, they tend to get mad at me when I tell them this even though it is blatantly obvious.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
I get what you’re saying, though. Probably the closest I’ve come to being loyal to a brand is with Honda/Acura. That doesn’t preclude me from wandering into other brand waters, though. I always seem to come back to them.
The only think that scares me about KIA is their reliability. I know they’ve been top rated the last few rankings with their quality. But, a Stinger, with a dual turbo motor, a sophisticated trans, all the current safety features and electronics, there are a lot of things that can go wrong.
Established brands have a hard enough time getting the new tech to be reliable.
Still, that’s what warranty is for. And, Kia has a very good one.
If it weren’t for that, I may have bought that Stinger a couple of nights ago. As it is, the sales person’s phone calls are coming about every hour or so, even though I told him I’m not in the market. You can tell it’s end of the month.
I'm in my 40s, not sure what that makes me. But growing up in the Rust Belt, until after my college years it was blasphemy to drive a foreign car. And I had a variety of "meh" GM cars until a deer ran out in front of my Saturn in 1999. By then I was living in Kansas City, not quite a rust belt town, and while I definitely wasn't shopping on any brand loyalty, I ended up in a Corolla... Union-made in a GM/Toyota joint operation.
That Corolla was what I could afford at the time, and 3 years later I had the itch and went to a Honda Accord. My now-ex-wife had a del Sol, so we were a two-Honda family for a whole month until she had a run-in with a lumber truck. I'm in an Acura now, so I dare say Hondas speak to me.
Of course in between the Accord and the Acura was 11 years with a Volvo, and I made damn sure I shopped Volvo before this purchase. But at the end of the day, V60s were too hard to find, and the XC60 I drove felt on the big side as did their price. And something about that hologram dashboard repeatedly gave me pause.
Subaru could get me to stray. I had shopped them before both the Volvo and the Acura purchases, and may very well what-if myself a few more times, though that voice gets quieter every time I get on the throttle hard in the RDX.
I was watching a YouTube video on the rather complex manufacturing of a Mercedes Benz S-class and wondered aloud: why does MB continue to use IC engines in their upscale vehicles. A battery electric vehicle is so much easier to assemble and not to mention the operating costs of such vehicles are much lower as well. Yes I know lithium battery manufacturing efficiency is a major stumbling block but that should not be such a big worry if there were dedicated battery manufacturing companies such as A123, Panasonic and Boston Power. With increased technology and efficiency these battery makers would in turn become suppliers to all automakers. This is one area where government funding could move the battery making technology along.
On the other hand a rapid switch to BEV propulsion would be disruptive to the IC engine component suppliers but change is always (?) for the better not to mention the environmental benefits. China has seen the future and it is not the IC engine.
If they could come to agreement on design, it would be incredibly beneficial to the market to have a standard battery pack (the only difference is amp-hours, which would also need to be standardized so that there were only a handful of capacities). You drive to the changing station, get a battery swap in five minutes, and go on your way. Once that battery fully charges, it gets queued for install in the next vehicle that pulls in.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
Not sure auto cars are going to be smart enough to zipper. Especially with non auto ones mixed in!
Interesting test this month (I think in car and driver) of EAB systems. Bottom line, in many situations, they didn’t brake. Or not early enough, and don’t evade. Even when drivers paying attention would have anticipated and taken action. The part of equation, removed from autonomous cars.
He was pretty adventurous....we had one of the first TV sets in our city, the first Morris Oxfords brought from England, and he was so upset with his last Ford and GM cars that he tried a Camry and always did like it the most. I am not as adventurous, I stick with what has worked for me in the past. 1985 Camry;
Brings back memories! My parents had a 1985 Camry in two-tone brown. It stayed in our family through about 1999 or so, and had 200,000+ miles on it. My sister received it with about 175K on the ticker, and she wasn't all that kind. I want to say that I helped replace the engine around that time, and I also put a new half-shaft on the driver side at the same time. Later, it was diagnosed as needing ball joints and tie rod ends, but she couldn't be bothered with those things and ended up getting a Paseo instead.
It still looked pretty good inside and out, but, mechanically, it was just very tired.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
Locally right now there is a big push by the urban planner "experts" online about the "zipper merge" .
Years back I saw the zipper in operation in TN on I75 where it was two lanes. They had signs that said "Merge NOW" and up a half mile further was a TN State Patrol car on the side. This effectively discourages those hot rods in their high-power cars, low-power cars with loud mufflers, or the premium car guy in his BMW who thinks he is above everyone else on the road from zooming ahead and then bumping their way in.
The effect of the person merging near the front of the line is it causes the cars behind where it pushed in place to stop or nearly stop instead of rolling ahead at 30 miles per hour, e.g.. That stopping then oscillates its way back through the line of traffic much like the compression wave in a slinky. In fact, that stopping or slowing at the front sometimes results in a dead stop the further back it propagates. That's why a minor disturbance in heavy traffic often causes a dead stop for those further back. When they get further on, there's nothing to be found as a cause of the disturbance.
This can be seen easily where there's a ramp merging on from the right which causes cars to have to merge into the slow moving traffic that is already in one lane. Saw that in Lima coming back from Plymouth MI on Friday. Everyone in the two lanes of I75 had merged as soon as they saw the sign. But this was almost a mile ahead of the true narrowed contruction lane. People were being courteous. But an entrance ramp was spitting groups of cars into the front of the line. Causing backups and stops. Otherwise, everyone would have been moving at 20-30 mph in the one lane.
Well, there are two problems happening that cause the "zippering" to fail: One is the fault of the person in the merging lane, and the other is the fault of the person in the continuing lane.
1. Drivers in the merging lane must match speed to that of traffic in the continuing lane. 2. Drivers in the continuing lane must maintain appropriate following distance, which allows the merging traffic to "zipper" without the need for speed corrections.
It is truly a simple process that is incredibly effective. The only problem is the drivers. Once we have a majority of self-drive cars in urban areas, people will finally see that they were the problem all along. For some reason, they tend to get mad at me when I tell them this even though it is blatantly obvious.
Maybe there should be signs that say leave 3 car lengths posted about a half mile before the merge and in the merge lane......and then a sign that says alternate when you reach a certain point.
Maybe there should be signs that say leave 3 car lengths posted about a half mile before the merge and in the merge lane......and then a sign that says alternate when you reach a certain point.
Hah, yes, because that will definitely make a difference.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
Maybe there should be signs that say leave 3 car lengths posted about a half mile before the merge and in the merge lane......and then a sign that says alternate when you reach a certain point.
Hah, yes, because that will definitely make a difference.
We have an exit off the highway that ends in a T-junction, and there are two lanes to turn left. About a quarter mile after the left turn, the two lanes merge into one, and there are all sorts of issues with hostile drivers boxing out the ending lane, or people zooming up to 'get an advantage'.
Recently, on our neighborhood social media page (next door), someone posted the zipper method and how to effectively use it. Not sure how much good it will do, but I've seen the method used successfully in the Bay Area on my trips there in the past.
Great review as always GG. You should consider a new career. Your review is concise and clear...you notice the things I want to know about. At $52k, I am not so sure....at $40k or even $42k it is worth consideration. The red interior sure looks nice. The vent on the side is a little overdone...less chrome may have looked better. I could live with the dash but I have seen nicer. I think Kia could have had a really hot seller, if they could have got the MSRP under $40k with a little less content.
$40k for a Stinger of unknown reliability and resale value would be a tough sell when you could get a Mustang or Camaro with the same performance for much less. After discounts my Mustang was $10k less. Would take a lot of bling to make me switch.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
The new 2018 Foci do not have the auto tranny issue, we've got more than a few in our fleet, our group picked them up in Miami with the plastic still covering the seats. Out of the 75 units or so that we picked up to be put into service, none of them had that lugging issue anymore, all drove and shifted as they should and they really were a pleasure to drive. They were Titanium models with Sirius/XM and leather like seating surfaces and alloy wheels. Hate to admit it but I enjoyed them all and wouldn't mind buying one unit but the price would have to be low enough to get over the Ford stigma. But that's another story all together. Drove a Caddy on Friday, a XTS, nice enough vehicle but hated the infotainment set up. Very confusing and illogical. Same with the few ATS's I drove earlier in the year. Nice enough vehicles but sound system was way too complicated which actually ruined the experience. But, for the right price, I'd be happy to purchase an ATS unit. But growing up with Cadillacs in the fleet every other year, that or a Lincoln Continental, am no longer impressed by them. They are no longer the gold standard of the automotive world, but that's my humble opinion. And since opinions are like rectums, well, think we've all heard that phrase also in our lifetimes!
The Sandman/Driving Fool
The audio systems on most upscale cars are overly complex in my opinion. As you know it can be difficult to quickly figure out how to set stations or use other features as you have to get quickly on the road. I can imagine rental customers being frustrated when they drive an unfamiliar car.
Give me a simple Hyundai Accent radio any day.
I also drove an XTS this week and you're right about the audio system. I also didn't care for the faux fancy interior that looked like stiched leather but was just plastic.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Q....that’s a massive drop in resale. I wonder if that’s typical or if there’s a “Story” that goes with the car?
That particular one is the cheapest I found, but also no options. I found quite a few in the 30s that are GT1s and GT2s.
Q...there’s something weird about that one. The badge on the rear isn’t correct. There’s a “STINGER” logo where the Kia logo should be. And, the shifter looks like it comes from the 4 cyl.
I’m not so sure that’s a GT. Wish they would show under the hood, that way you’d know for sure. Conveniently, out of all the pics, none are from under the hood.
Then again, I’m not totally familiar with Kias.
The Stinger badge is an aftermarket product. I saw a video of a guy making several changes to his GT2.
They included changing the Kia logo on the hood to an "E" or the Greek sigma summation sign. In Korea I believe the E stands for Excellence in Engineering.
He made several other upgrades including a K&N air filter (sounds great by the way,) LCD rear brake and directional lights as well a replacement cup holder with a cover. He made these changes to bring his GT2 up to Korean specs.
What is a cheap cell phone plan that gives you some ability to text and to use "data". Mrs D got a new phone, has 300 minutes to use up on AT&T, then will look for another plan. We talked about this about a month ago...it went on for about 20 pages after 10 pages about vents.
My first thought was Pontiac, about a 1954? But the portholes on the side say Buick. Notice the front and rear wheels are dramatically different.
Am I supposed to be able to recognize that engine? Those "pipes" on top do look vaguely familiar, but offhand I can't place it.
The back end is a Mustang rear end that's why rear wheels are different. As for the engine I was thinking someone might be able to give a good guess. It has a Corvette LS6 engine.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
If you view people "zooming up the ending lane to get an advantage" then you're part of the problem. Trying to force people to merge long before the lane ends reduces capacity.
The situation someone described with a trooper half a mile past the sign that says "Merge Now" isn't a zipper but a forced early merge.
The problem is that people are so obsessed with being first that they won't let anyone in front of them, and the backup always starts when someone runs another driver out of road and forces them to stop.
If you view people "zooming up the ending lane to get an advantage" then you're part of the problem. Trying to force people to merge long before the lane ends reduces capacity.
The situation someone described with a trooper half a mile past the sign that says "Merge Now" isn't a zipper but a forced early merge.
The problem is that people are so obsessed with being first that they won't let anyone in front of them, and the backup always starts when someone runs another driver out of road and forces them to stop.
I think I mentioned this before but there used to be road construction along my route to work that went on for a couple of months. The right lane ended and traffic merged into the left lane. Now I turned right just before the right lane ended so I would drive past all the traffic backed up in the left lane to get to my turn. Once or twice a week someone would jump out into the right lane trying to keep me from passing them.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
$40k for a Stinger of unknown reliability and resale value would be a tough sell when you could get a Mustang or Camaro with the same performance for much less. After discounts my Mustang was $10k less. Would take a lot of bling to make me switch.
I'd have a problem dropping $40k or more on a car and then have to stare at "KIA" on the horn pad every time I drove it.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
$40k for a Stinger of unknown reliability and resale value would be a tough sell when you could get a Mustang or Camaro with the same performance for much less. After discounts my Mustang was $10k less. Would take a lot of bling to make me switch.
I'd have a problem dropping $40k or more on a car and then have to stare at "KIA" on the horn pad every time I drove it.
RB, are you prejudiced against $40,000+ Korean imports? Or are you just not attracted to a “KIA” logo on a steering wheel or on the glove box? I wonder what could it be that troubles you about KIA. Hmmmm!
If you bought the phone through ATT it may require the purchase of a different SIM card for a different carrier. You may want to look into that before changing.
Many higher priced cars depreciate somewhat quickly. That may prove to be even worse on a lux newcomer. Besides aba, I told you with all your health and physical issues you probably need a crossover for better ergonomics.
We have an exit off the highway that ends in a T-junction, and there are two lanes to turn left. About a quarter mile after the left turn, the two lanes merge into one, and there are all sorts of issues with hostile drivers boxing out the ending lane, or people zooming up to 'get an advantage'.
Recently, on our neighborhood social media page (next door), someone posted the zipper method and how to effectively use it. Not sure how much good it will do, but I've seen the method used successfully in the Bay Area on my trips there in the past.
This is exactly it; it is a mentality that is difficult for me to understand, yet is incredibly prevalent. I think pretty much everywhere the story is the same. In my daily commute, there are two areas that are like this:
1. The "terminus" of Chena Hot Springs Road. At this location, the road goes from a four-lane (two each direction) down to a two lane (one each direction) next to the major interchange with the Steese highway. Drivers tend to move into the left lane prior to getting to this point. I tend to stay in the right lane unless I had need to be in the left lane prior. When there is other traffic, it is nearly without fail that the car behind me in the left lane will suddenly decide that they must tailgate the car ahead of me in the left lane once they see that I am merging between them. In all cases, I simply ignore the driver behind me. Once that dotted line ends, we are in the same lane, and they have the defacto yield since I am ahead. Mind you, I am not trying to "rush to the front" or anything, just merging speed, etc., and somehow they find it necessary to create conflict. In nearly twenty years on this commute, every single one ends up yielding... albeit with higher blood pressure, I'm sure. (Sorry, drivers... it is not my job to pluck your head out of your derriere).
When I am in the left lane, I occasionally have drivers in the right: About half of the time they will merge with the rest of traffic flawlessly, and the other half they freak out and slow down at the merge point, then drop in behind me or wherever the last car in line is located. Sometimes will even flash their lights and/or honk, even though they could have simply merged ahead of me with no issues. Apparently, several car lengths at 40 mph is not enough? /sigh (see sentiment above).
2. The interchange of Peger with Johansen southbound. There are two generous left turn lanes on Peger, which turn into a "double merge" sort of situation on the on ramp where the lanes merge together, then merge with Johansen southbound. Nearly without fail, most drivers take the far left of the two lanes, and sometimes will back themselves up eight to ten vehicles deep with nobody in the right lane. I tend to always take the right lane, again, unless there is a reason to be in the left. So, even if I'm the only person there, I'll be in the right lane. But, when there are cars in the left, and I take the right, suddenly I'm the jerk on the road? When we get to the merge, the scenario in #1 frequently ensues. It is just a head shaker.
Actually, that particular situation tends to happen so frequently that I will often just punch it there and blast in front of the lead car rather than trying to "zipper" behind the lead car. I prefer not to drive that way, but it is better than dealing with some of those yahoos. A couple of times I really wish I had a dashcam on my Q7 just to record their antics. Un - Be - Lieve - Able!!!
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
Great review as always GG. You should consider a new career. Your review is concise and clear...you notice the things I want to know about.
At $52k, I am not so sure....at $40k or even $42k it is worth consideration.
The red interior sure looks nice. The vent on the side is a little overdone...less chrome may have looked better.
I could live with the dash but I have seen nicer.
I think Kia could have had a really hot seller, if they could have got the MSRP under $40k with a little less content.
$40k for a Stinger of unknown reliability and resale value would be a tough sell when you could get a Mustang or Camaro with the same performance for much less. After discounts my Mustang was $10k less. Would take a lot of bling to make me switch.
I think it should be pretty obvious that someone shopping for a mustang/camaro is NOT cross-shopping to a midsized 4-door hatch.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
What is a cheap cell phone plan that gives you some ability to text and to use "data". Mrs D got a new phone, has 300 minutes to use up on AT&T, then will look for another plan. We talked about this about a month ago...it went on for about 20 pages after 10 pages about vents.
I use Tracfone. My son has Net10 currently. And I have shopped Straight Talk which is available at Walmart with help from a phone tech and is similar to Net10.
The Tracfone is set up to buy an activation card for a certain quantity of service time in days, quantity of talk time in minutes, quantity of texts, and quantity of data use when on data connections if WiFi is not available.
They are switching over to Androids. They have a BYOP plan (bring your own phone) where you get a sim card cheap from them to activate your phone--IF it's not locked to a certain carrier. Phones can be unlocked.
Additional texts and additional GB can be purchased separately if you run out before your service time or minutes of talk runs out. Additional everything is available on the computer from home or through your phone if you've set up the credit card purchases there.
https://www.tracfone.com/shop/plans I've been spending about $120 per year for lots of texting including cost of the one-year card for service time and a bundle or talk, text, and data.
Net10 and Straight Talk are a fixed monthly charge including unlimited talk minutes and texts. And unlimited data but the high speed data has a GB limit; after that the speed for data is slower but available. Both services have BYOP capability. Plans start about $30 or $35 per month. Check their websites.
I hate to leave my 4-year old LG smart phone, but the OS is 4.4 (Kit Kat for the Android sweets folks). Chick Fil A app will not operate fully on anything older than 5.0 Android.
My son and wife are thinking of getting two new phones. I'm hoping he'll give me back his Verizon phone which is unlocked and operating on Net10 as a BYOP. I can then get a sim for it for Tracfone. We gave him the phone a year or so back when his S6 went battery crazy for him.
What is a cheap cell phone plan that gives you some ability to text and to use "data". Mrs D got a new phone, has 300 minutes to use up on AT&T, then will look for another plan. We talked about this about a month ago...it went on for about 20 pages after 10 pages about vents.
I would recommend MintSim. Which is on T-Mobile towers, unlimited talk and text, 2 gigs of data per month. You prepay for a full year, $180 plus a few taxes, about $195 all in for a full 12 months of service.
If you prefer Verizon, and your phone will work on Verizon (a big IF, if it's presently on ATT), then Red Pocket. Buy through Amazon, one year of service, $255. Unlimited talk and text, 3 gigs of data per month.
$40k for a Stinger of unknown reliability and resale value would be a tough sell when you could get a Mustang or Camaro with the same performance for much less. After discounts my Mustang was $10k less. Would take a lot of bling to make me switch.
I'd have a problem dropping $40k or more on a car and then have to stare at "KIA" on the horn pad every time I drove it.
RB, are you prejudiced against $40,000+ Korean imports? Or are you just not attracted to a “KIA” logo on a steering wheel or on the glove box? I wonder what could it be that troubles you about KIA. Hmmmm!
To me it's akin to dropping $10,000 on a pair of speakers labeled "Bose."
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I have seriously been considering a new iPhone Xr. But I just have a problem spending over $1000 for a phone, AppleCare+, glass screen protector and case. They will give me a $285 credit if I trade in my iPhone 7+. So that gets it to about $700 tax included.
I just wish I could extend my AppleCare on my iPhone 7+ for another year but they won’t do it. So I am faced with a dilemma.
$40k for a Stinger of unknown reliability and resale value would be a tough sell when you could get a Mustang or Camaro with the same performance for much less. After discounts my Mustang was $10k less. Would take a lot of bling to make me switch.
I'd have a problem dropping $40k or more on a car and then have to stare at "KIA" on the horn pad every time I drove it.
RB, are you prejudiced against $40,000+ Korean imports? Or are you just not attracted to a “KIA” logo on a steering wheel or on the glove box? I wonder what could it be that troubles you about KIA. Hmmmm!
To me it's akin to dropping $10,000 on a pair of speakers labeled "Bose."
-=-=-=-=-=-=- end quoted text=-=-=-=-=-=
I was never a big fan of Bose speakers, although I did like some of their models from back in the 70s. I don't recall them ever selling speakers that exceeded about $1,500 per pair, so I suspect you're exaggerating a bit.
Which, of course, the rest of us have never been known to do! (smile)
You could just use the 7 until it fails. The credit may be blown, but if it goes another 2 years you are still probably money ahead w/o the Apple Care monthly fee.
I have seriously been considering a new iPhone Xr. But I just have a problem spending over $1000 for a phone, AppleCare+, glass screen protector and case. They will give me a $285 credit if I trade in my iPhone 7+. So that gets it to about $700 tax included.
I just wish I could extend my AppleCare on my iPhone 7+ for another year but they won’t do it. So I am faced with a dilemma.
Or, just keep the 7 until it fails. How much is the AppleCare? Most likely, you'll come out ahead when you do need to replace it (rather than upgrade). At this point, it is just a matter of deciding if the risk is worth the potential savings.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
Best speakers I ever had were a set of Cerwin Vega that I bought for $315 from Sears (display model) in 1997 (looked like this, except older version). I kept them for ten years, and got a LOT of use out of them, before finally selling them in 2007 due to my wife never letting me use them after our son was born. He was a little terror, and I knew it was only a matter of time before he damaged the cones, so I cut my losses and sold them for $250. I probably could have sold them for what I paid, to be honest, but I really just wanted them gone before I got cold feet.
I sure miss those speakers, but not the annoyance of being told "Turn that Off!" every time I try to use them.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
I still have my Paradigm Eclipse BP (bipolar) speakers. I purchased them back in the late 90's for about $1,600, and they are still going strong today.
I have seriously been considering a new iPhone Xr. But I just have a problem spending over $1000 for a phone, AppleCare+, glass screen protector and case. They will give me a $285 credit if I trade in my iPhone 7+. So that gets it to about $700 tax included.
I just wish I could extend my AppleCare on my iPhone 7+ for another year but they won’t do it. So I am faced with a dilemma.
Or, just keep the 7 until it fails. How much is the AppleCare? Most likely, you'll come out ahead when you do need to replace it (rather than upgrade). At this point, it is just a matter of deciding if the risk is worth the potential savings.
Good points. The worst that can happen is that I will not get $285 trade value if the phone goes kaput. Then i’ll Get a new phone. Thanks!
If you bought the phone through ATT it may require the purchase of a different SIM card for a different carrier. You may want to look into that before changing.
The phone was bought on Amazon...it is a phone that doesn't come with a plan.
Mike, if he’s at a 4 year school, he needs to be there at least through junior year to be eligible for the draft. So plenty of time to wow the scouts.
Yes, stick, we are aware of that rule. But scouts have been looking at him seriously for a couple of years now from St. Louis, Arizona and LA. The more he is discussed at these regional and national meetings of MLB scouts, the more scouts will be flying in to Nebraska to see what he’s got.
His team had a post season game a couple of weeks ago with a competing school and my grandson hit two home runs in that game. They have him playing third base right now because of his arm.
He pitched a one hitter the following day, striking out 12 batters. His fast ball is back up to 89-90 mph and his curve and change up are working great for him.
Better coaching and higher skilled play will teach him a thing or two.
What is a cheap cell phone plan that gives you some ability to text and to use "data". Mrs D got a new phone, has 300 minutes to use up on AT&T, then will look for another plan. We talked about this about a month ago...it went on for about 20 pages after 10 pages about vents.
I use Tracfone. My son has Net10 currently. And I have shopped Straight Talk which is available at Walmart with help from a phone tech and is similar to Net10.
The Tracfone is set up to buy an activation card for a certain quantity of service time in days, quantity of talk time in minutes, quantity of texts, and quantity of data use when on data connections if WiFi is not available.
Excellent info Imid. I copied and emailed to Mrs D. We are still talking.....she went to bed and is reading her book, but will check it out in the morning.
="henryn">I would recommend MintSim. Which is on T-Mobile towers, unlimited talk and text, 2 gigs of data per month. You prepay for a full year, $180 plus a few taxes, about $195 all in for a full 12 months of service.
If you prefer Verizon, and your phone will work on Verizon (a big IF, if it's presently on ATT), then Red Pocket. Buy through Amazon, one year of service, $255. Unlimited talk and text, 3 gigs of data per month.
I'd have a problem dropping $40k or more on a car and then have to stare at "KIA" on the horn pad every time I drove it.
First thing I noticed in the pics. It’s quite jarring, like a surprise punch in the nose.
I associate KIA with making excellent cars, usually in the lower price bracket. Putting down $40k for a Kia would bother me. Probably not rational, but, it is my perception. Someone else sees it as a chance to get a $50k for $40k.
I was never a big fan of Bose speakers, although I did like some of their models from back in the 70s. I don't recall them ever selling speakers that exceeded about $1,500 per pair, so I suspect you're exaggerating a bit.
Which, of course, the rest of us have never been known to do! (smile)
I know Bose speakers have never sold for that much; my point is that Kia(like Bose) has traditionally been a player in the mid to lower end of the mass market. To me it's a bit jarring to see a Kia that lists for over $40k, just like it would be to see Bose speakers priced like true high end speakers.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
"henryn I was never a big fan of Bose speakers, although I did like some of their models from back in the 70s. I don't recall them ever selling speakers that exceeded about $1,500 per pair, so I suspect you're exaggerating a bit.
Which, of course, the rest of us have never been known to do! (smile)
We have 2 Bose radios, cost about $500 each....I really like them. Well worth the money.
I was never a big fan of Bose speakers, although I did like some of their models from back in the 70s. I don't recall them ever selling speakers that exceeded about $1,500 per pair, so I suspect you're exaggerating a bit.
Which, of course, the rest of us have never been known to do! (smile)
I know Bose speakers have never sold for that much; my point is that Kia(like Bose) has traditionally been a player in the mid to lower end of the mass market. To me it's a bit jarring to see a Kia that lists for over $40k, just like it would be to see Bose speakers priced like true high end speakers.
I will let on a little secret Kia is now a premium brand and no longer mid pact, to wit: Cardenza, K900, Stinger, Optima, etc., all thanks to Peter Schryer(?) of Audi fame.
$40k for a Stinger of unknown reliability and resale value would be a tough sell when you could get a Mustang or Camaro with the same performance for much less. After discounts my Mustang was $10k less. Would take a lot of bling to make me switch.
I'd have a problem dropping $40k or more on a car and then have to stare at "KIA" on the horn pad every time I drove it.
Just cover it with some duct tape.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I will let on a little secret Kia is now a premium brand and no longer mid pact, to wit: Cardenza, K900, Stinger, Optima, etc., all thanks to Peter Schryer(?) of Audi fame.
It's certainly a secret; I'll readily agree that Kia is moving up the food chain, but I think that you will be hard pressed to find more than a handful of people who would consider Kia to be a premium brand.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I was never a big fan of Bose speakers, although I did like some of their models from back in the 70s. I don't recall them ever selling speakers that exceeded about $1,500 per pair, so I suspect you're exaggerating a bit.
Which, of course, the rest of us have never been known to do! (smile)
I know Bose speakers have never sold for that much; my point is that Kia(like Bose) has traditionally been a player in the mid to lower end of the mass market. To me it's a bit jarring to see a Kia that lists for over $40k, just like it would be to see Bose speakers priced like true high end speakers.
I will let on a little secret Kia is now a premium brand and no longer mid pact, to wit: Cardenza, K900, Stinger, Optima, etc., all thanks to Peter Schryer(?) of Audi fame.
Maybe it's just me but if Kia wants to be a premium brand maybe they should change their name to something that's not a military acronym for killed in action.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Maybe it's just me but if Kia wants to be a premium brand maybe they should change their name to something that's not a military acronym for killed in action.
Kia is not a premium brand. All cars became nicer, so did Kia. It is just making good on value proposition, delivering more than many expect.
$40k for a Stinger of unknown reliability and resale value would be a tough sell when you could get a Mustang or Camaro with the same performance for much less. After discounts my Mustang was $10k less. Would take a lot of bling to make me switch.
I'd have a problem dropping $40k or more on a car and then have to stare at "KIA" on the horn pad every time I drove it.
Yeah, but look at all of the satisfaction you'd get every time you punched that horn pad when drivers irritated you. You'd probably look for opportunities to punch that Kia badge. Call it justifiable road rage.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis Ultimate just like jmonroe's. '18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
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2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
1. Drivers in the merging lane must match speed to that of traffic in the continuing lane.
2. Drivers in the continuing lane must maintain appropriate following distance, which allows the merging traffic to "zipper" without the need for speed corrections.
It is truly a simple process that is incredibly effective. The only problem is the drivers. Once we have a majority of self-drive cars in urban areas, people will finally see that they were the problem all along. For some reason, they tend to get mad at me when I tell them this even though it is blatantly obvious.
That Corolla was what I could afford at the time, and 3 years later I had the itch and went to a Honda Accord. My now-ex-wife had a del Sol, so we were a two-Honda family for a whole month until she had a run-in with a lumber truck. I'm in an Acura now, so I dare say Hondas speak to me.
Of course in between the Accord and the Acura was 11 years with a Volvo, and I made damn sure I shopped Volvo before this purchase. But at the end of the day, V60s were too hard to find, and the XC60 I drove felt on the big side as did their price. And something about that hologram dashboard repeatedly gave me pause.
Subaru could get me to stray. I had shopped them before both the Volvo and the Acura purchases, and may very well what-if myself a few more times, though that voice gets quieter every time I get on the throttle hard in the RDX.
Interesting test this month (I think in car and driver) of EAB systems. Bottom line, in many situations, they didn’t brake. Or not early enough, and don’t evade. Even when drivers paying attention would have anticipated and taken action. The part of equation, removed from autonomous cars.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
It still looked pretty good inside and out, but, mechanically, it was just very tired.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Recently, on our neighborhood social media page (next door), someone posted the zipper method and how to effectively use it. Not sure how much good it will do, but I've seen the method used successfully in the Bay Area on my trips there in the past.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Give me a simple Hyundai Accent radio any day.
I also drove an XTS this week and you're right about the audio system. I also didn't care for the faux fancy interior that looked like stiched leather but was just plastic.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
They included changing the Kia logo on the hood to an "E" or the Greek sigma summation sign. In Korea I believe the E stands for Excellence in Engineering.
He made several other upgrades including a K&N air filter (sounds great by the way,) LCD rear brake and directional lights as well a replacement cup holder with a cover.
He made these changes to bring his GT2 up to Korean specs.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
The situation someone described with a trooper half a mile past the sign that says "Merge Now" isn't a zipper but a forced early merge.
The problem is that people are so obsessed with being first that they won't let anyone in front of them, and the backup always starts when someone runs another driver out of road and forces them to stop.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
This is exactly it; it is a mentality that is difficult for me to understand, yet is incredibly prevalent. I think pretty much everywhere the story is the same. In my daily commute, there are two areas that are like this:
1. The "terminus" of Chena Hot Springs Road. At this location, the road goes from a four-lane (two each direction) down to a two lane (one each direction) next to the major interchange with the Steese highway. Drivers tend to move into the left lane prior to getting to this point. I tend to stay in the right lane unless I had need to be in the left lane prior. When there is other traffic, it is nearly without fail that the car behind me in the left lane will suddenly decide that they must tailgate the car ahead of me in the left lane once they see that I am merging between them. In all cases, I simply ignore the driver behind me. Once that dotted line ends, we are in the same lane, and they have the defacto yield since I am ahead. Mind you, I am not trying to "rush to the front" or anything, just merging speed, etc., and somehow they find it necessary to create conflict. In nearly twenty years on this commute, every single one ends up yielding... albeit with higher blood pressure, I'm sure. (Sorry, drivers... it is not my job to pluck your head out of your derriere).
When I am in the left lane, I occasionally have drivers in the right: About half of the time they will merge with the rest of traffic flawlessly, and the other half they freak out and slow down at the merge point, then drop in behind me or wherever the last car in line is located. Sometimes will even flash their lights and/or honk, even though they could have simply merged ahead of me with no issues. Apparently, several car lengths at 40 mph is not enough? /sigh (see sentiment above).
2. The interchange of Peger with Johansen southbound. There are two generous left turn lanes on Peger, which turn into a "double merge" sort of situation on the on ramp where the lanes merge together, then merge with Johansen southbound. Nearly without fail, most drivers take the far left of the two lanes, and sometimes will back themselves up eight to ten vehicles deep with nobody in the right lane. I tend to always take the right lane, again, unless there is a reason to be in the left. So, even if I'm the only person there, I'll be in the right lane. But, when there are cars in the left, and I take the right, suddenly I'm the jerk on the road? When we get to the merge, the scenario in #1 frequently ensues. It is just a head shaker.
Actually, that particular situation tends to happen so frequently that I will often just punch it there and blast in front of the lead car rather than trying to "zipper" behind the lead car. I prefer not to drive that way, but it is better than dealing with some of those yahoos. A couple of times I really wish I had a dashcam on my Q7 just to record their antics. Un - Be - Lieve - Able!!!
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
The Tracfone is set up to buy an activation card for a certain quantity of service time in days, quantity of talk time in minutes, quantity of texts, and quantity of data use when on data connections if WiFi is not available.
They are switching over to Androids. They have a BYOP plan (bring your own phone) where you get a sim card cheap from them to activate your phone--IF it's not locked to a certain carrier. Phones can be unlocked.
Additional texts and additional GB can be purchased separately if you run out before your service time or minutes of talk runs out. Additional everything is available on the computer from home or through your phone if you've set up the credit card purchases there.
https://www.tracfone.com/shop/plans I've been spending about $120 per year for lots of texting including cost of the one-year card for service time and a bundle or talk, text, and data.
Net10 and Straight Talk are a fixed monthly charge including unlimited talk minutes and texts. And unlimited data but the high speed data has a GB limit; after that the speed for data is slower but available. Both services have BYOP capability. Plans start about $30 or $35 per month. Check their websites.
I hate to leave my 4-year old LG smart phone, but the OS is 4.4 (Kit Kat for the Android sweets folks). Chick Fil A app will not operate fully on anything older than 5.0 Android.
My son and wife are thinking of getting two new phones. I'm hoping he'll give me back his Verizon phone which is unlocked and operating on Net10 as a BYOP. I can then get a sim for it for Tracfone. We gave him the phone a year or so back when his S6 went battery crazy for him.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
If you prefer Verizon, and your phone will work on Verizon (a big IF, if it's presently on ATT), then Red Pocket. Buy through Amazon, one year of service, $255. Unlimited talk and text, 3 gigs of data per month.
To me it's akin to dropping $10,000 on a pair of speakers labeled "Bose."
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
First thing I noticed in the pics. It’s quite jarring, like a surprise punch in the nose.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
I just wish I could extend my AppleCare on my iPhone 7+ for another year but they won’t do it. So I am faced with a dilemma.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
To me it's akin to dropping $10,000 on a pair of speakers labeled "Bose."
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I was never a big fan of Bose speakers, although I did like some of their models from back in the 70s. I don't recall them ever selling speakers that exceeded about $1,500 per pair, so I suspect you're exaggerating a bit.
Which, of course, the rest of us have never been known to do! (smile)
I sure miss those speakers, but not the annoyance of being told "Turn that Off!" every time I try to use them.
hifi-review.com/153414-paradigm-eclipse-bp.html
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
See, it's ok to own something that isn't under warranty. Did I post this to the right person?
His team had a post season game a couple of weeks ago with a competing school and my grandson hit two home runs in that game. They have him playing third base right now because of his arm.
He pitched a one hitter the following day, striking out 12 batters. His fast ball is back up to 89-90 mph and his curve and change up are working great for him.
Better coaching and higher skilled play will teach him a thing or two.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
We are still talking.....she went to bed and is reading her book, but will check it out in the morning.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
If you prefer Verizon, and your phone will work on Verizon (a big IF, if it's presently on ATT), then Red Pocket. Buy through Amazon, one year of service, $255. Unlimited talk and text, 3 gigs of data per month.
Also good info henryn....will pass it on too.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I was never a big fan of Bose speakers, although I did like some of their models from back in the 70s. I don't recall them ever selling speakers that exceeded about $1,500 per pair, so I suspect you're exaggerating a bit.
Which, of course, the rest of us have never been known to do! (smile)
We have 2 Bose radios, cost about $500 each....I really like them. Well worth the money.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2018 430i Gran Coupe
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)