Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

dino001

tifighter said:

@graphicguy Like you I'm a DL guy and I will go to great lengths to avoid CDG. I swear they research new and exciting ways to make passport control slower. They're succeeding.

My problem with CDG was not passport control (I'm an EU citizen, so I go to a different line), but their terrible inefficiency in transfers, sensitivity to weather delays and third-world level customer service. The most glaring example was they didn't have a single line to agents, each agent had his/her line, which was ridiculous. That was my experience in late 90s and early 2000s, since then I actively avoided CDG. I returned this summer and it was actually quite alright, but I might have been just lucky. I did notice they rebuilt some concourses and added new modes of transfer (train), so perhaps it is better than I remember it from those bad times. I didn't need any service, either, as all flight were uncharacteristically (in comparison to my previous memories) on time.

Frankfurt has a decent transfer system, if you fly Lufthansa/United (didn't try others, they are in a different terminal), Amsterdam's outbound passport control was a zoo, but it was data of one. Munich seems very clean and efficient. I've tried Zurich once, long time ago, it felt like a guarded camp, not very friendly. From all European airports I like Copenhagen most - small enough for transfers not being an issue, big enough to have all conveniences, also with very friendly attitudes of staff and SAS being on time most of times. Kind of like Cincinnati (I liked, it, too).

When it comes to fly from/to US, I don't mind changing planes going outbound, except Chicago, JFK and Newark, when using a foreign flag carrier, as it makes you use their ridiculous airport transfer and security systems (they have separate terminals, requiring separate security).

Flying to US with transfer is even worse, as I mentioned, you have to pick up luggage, go through customs, recheck it and then go to your gate, adding at least an hour to safe transfer time. Fortunately Tampa has recently got some direct European flights and will get more in the future, so I will have more and more opportunities to fly direct to Tampa, definitely best way. If I have to transfer, some airports are worse than others. JFK, Newark and Chicago are worst, just like they are outbound, as you have to change terminals and go through security together with all local travelers, unlike Dulles and Atlanta, where lines for inbound flights are separate, usually much shorter and easier and you stay inside. Even if you end up changing the concourse, it still is much better to use train inside of the security area than outside. BTW, I've never flown to/from/through Miami - heard it's the worst US airport, ever. Likely story.

snakeweasel

dino001 said:

@graphicguy Like you I'm a DL guy and I will go to great lengths to avoid CDG. I swear they research new and exciting ways to make passport control slower. They're succeeding.

My problem with CDG was not passport control (I'm an EU citizen, so I go to a different line), but their terrible inefficiency in transfers, sensitivity to weather delays and third-world level customer service. The most glaring example was they didn't have a single line to agents, each agent had his/her line, which was ridiculous. I returned this summer and it was actually quite alright, but I might have been just lucky. I did notice they rebuilt some concourses and added new modes of transfer (train), so perhaps it is better than I remember it from those bad times. That was my experience in late 90s and early 2000s, since then I actively avoided CDG. Frankfurt has a decent transfer system, if you fly Lufthansa/United (didn't try others, they are in a different terminal), Amsterdam's outbound passport control was a zoo, but it was data of one. Munich seems very clean and efficient. I've tried Zurich once, long time ago, it felt like a guarded camp, not very friendly. Copenhagen is the best - small enough for transfers not being an issue, big enough to have all conveniences, very friendly.

My only experience with customs at CDG was easy and fast. We only had one person in line ahead of us who got through quickly. When we approached the guy at the booth we handed him our passport, he looked at it, looked at us, stamped the passport and handed it back to us. Took a whole  of 15 to 20 seconds and no words were spoken. 

abacomike

What a mess I just went through with Apple Care. I've been unable to call my best friend for some reason - it started yesterday. Every time I dial his number, I get three beeps and the call drops. It is the only phone number that I cannot call for some strange reason. I went through the ringer with T-Mobile yesterday where they changed my SIM card, checked out my network setting, even checked out my friends phone while we were are the store to make sure his phone is not rejecting my call attempts. I can text him and he can call me, but I can't call him.

So Apple made me reset my phone - what a mess. I lost all my passwords, etc., because iCloud would not allow me to download all my backups. So I had to physically go in and update each and every application (I also had to select Apps - I hope I got all of them) and then reset passwords, usernames, etc., etc. Just what I needed.

But I have to look at the bright side of this - at least I didn't get any political or voting calls today and I had something to do for a change that did not involve old ladies standing in line waiting to poke me with an umbrella or call me nasty names. I guess it was a relief from all the hustle and bustle of the past several weeks.

But I sure am still mad at Apple Care. They messed me up really goo.

The reset of the phone did not solve the problem of not being able to call my best friend. It has something to do with the T-Mobile network. I hope they can get this solve or I will change my carrier.

stickguy

Easier to get a new friend.

I also recommend doing a backup to iTunes just in case.

dino001

abacomike said:

What a mess I just went through with Apple Care. I've been unable to call my best friend for some reason - it started yesterday. Every time I dial his number, I get three beeps and the call drops. It is the only phone number that I cannot call for some strange reason. I went through the ringer with T-Mobile yesterday where they changed my SIM card, checked out my network setting, even checked out my friends phone while we were are the store to make sure his phone is not rejecting my call attempts. I can text him and he can call me, but I can't call him.

So Apple made me reset my phone - what a mess. I lost all my passwords, etc., because iCloud would not allow me to download all my backups. So I had to physically go in and update each and every application (I also had to select Apps - I hope I got all of them) and then reset passwords, usernames, etc., etc. Just what I needed.

But I have to look at the bright side of this - at least I didn't get any political or voting calls today and I had something to do for a change that did not involve old ladies standing in line waiting to poke me with an umbrella or call me nasty names. I guess it was a relief from all the hustle and bustle of the past several weeks.

But I sure am still mad at Apple Care. They messed me up really goo.

The reset of the phone did not solve the problem of not being able to call my best friend. It has something to do with the T-Mobile network. I hope they can get this solve or I will change my carrier.

Is it possible you're blocked by him, by mistake? I blocked calls from my community gate once.

driver100

stickguy said:

Easier to get a new friend.

I also recommend doing a backup to iTunes just in case.

Maybe he isn't a friend any more! What did you say to him?

driver100

No one has mentioned Leonardo De Caprio airport in Rome. I know, just joking about the name but that is one airport that looks like it was built in the early 1900s....before airplanes!
OMG...still have troughs in the washrooms, and almost nowhere to sit in what would normally be a lounge area.

EDIT: Sorry, just looked for some pictures and it seems the airport got a complete rebuild in 2017. Now it is gorgeous.

suydam

OTOH go into a modern Asian airport like Seoul or Singapore and most US airports suddenly look like the sad third world places they are.

berri

Dino - at ORD you have that terminal changing mess when arriving and going through customs, but departures usually leave from the main concourse. So if you are on United (or partner Lufthansa) for example, departing, you normally shouldn't have to transfer to the International terminal. Most of their overseas departures are on the B or C concourse (same as domestic). American is similar over at the H,K and L concourses. Commuter connecting flights may go into D,E,F or G, but still no re-security is necessary going between all the domestic gates.

berri

aba - I find Apple is often kind of arrogant. But making everything "their" way only probably enhances iPhone security.

tifighter

CDG has improved a lot over the past few years. But I'd still take AMS any day, especially flying into the EU. ZRH is my other 'home' airport; I fly there a lot. It is not very sexy, but it is pretty efficient. Asian hubs are generally good although there are some losers. It is cool to be able to take a boat from Guangzhou directly to HKG though.

Drivingfool

OF50, our oldest closes on her 4/2 in St. Cloud on Tuesday, we did the walk through last Wednesday. A very nice home, just over 1900 square feet. Want to go there also and buy soon but getting resistance at home. But let her know that by early 2020, I'm going to move there with or without her. Our property bill is $2900 and will pay it by the 15th of this month. Zillow says I can get $417K for it but will settle for $400 right now. Go up to St. Cloud and spend around $260K and bank the rest which is a no-brainer to me. Get rid of a house from 1987 and get one from 2019 seems like a great solution going forward.
Am just so ready to go!!

The Sandman/Driving Fool

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

Guy today who has an older Honda Civic said he had to pay $300 to have a new front headlight put it. These days of course it isn't just screwing in a bulb, it means replacing the whole light fixture. He said you had to take most of the front end off the car to get at it. I don't see that information online, online it says it will cost $90 to $170.
I looked up a C Class Mercedes and this is what I got;
The average cost for a Mercedes-Benz C350 headlight bulb replacement is between $605 and $818. Labor costs are estimated between $220 and $278 while parts are priced between $385 and $540. Estimate does not include taxes and fees

What happened to the days when you bought a bulb for a few $1s and just screwed them in?

That’s nuts. When my son’s car needed a headlight it cost $13. It did take a visit to YouTube to figure out how to install it but turned out to be simple. Even if you have a new LED set up it shouldn’t cost more than a couple hundred.

Hopefully your current bulbs will last forever.

driver100

That is why I like to trade when the warranty runs out. But, the 2014 C250 is such a great driving and looking car.....I want to try and keep it for awhile. We have had it for 2 years and a few people saw it for the first time and said they thought it was a brand new car...had to explain it is 6 years old.

I could post my picture with my striped shirt again if there is demand.

dino001

berri said:

Dino - at ORD you have that terminal changing mess when arriving and going through customs, but departures usually leave from the main concourse. So if you are on United (or partner Lufthansa) for example, departing, you normally shouldn't have to transfer to the International terminal. Most of their overseas departures are on the B or C concourse (same as domestic). American is similar over at the H,K and L concourses. Commuter connecting flights may go into D,E,F or G, but still no re-security is necessary going between all the domestic gates.

I don't know about LH, but SAS, LOT, TAP and other United partners are going from and to the international terminal, so you have to go through the security both ways. Domestic transfers are of course within same terminals, that's almost all airports, it's just when you go domestic United/American to/from a foreign flag carrier that's not their biggest partner (like Lufthansa or British, respectively perhaps, but I don't know that for sure, I only used ORD two or three times with SAS, or LOT). I'll take Dulles any day. Their underground train is great and the international concourse is beautiful. Their United concourse is claustrophobic (low ceilings and low lighting), but it does the job. I heard United is considering dropping Dulles and concentrating on Newark, which would be a shame.

Good news it's becoming moot, as Delta will open a direct flight to Amsterdam and KLM has opened a flight to Polish Airport I go to (Gdansk), making a competitive two-leg alternative to Frankfurt connection. I hope the prices will go down a little. When Lufthansa opened its connection, the prices were great (in comparison), but two years in and Lufthansa raised them a lot. One can hope Delta will temper their appetite a little. One thing I like about Delta is they are last airline to keep 3-3-3 on their 777. United recently switched to 3-4-3, even on their older planes. It blows. I generally avoid that plane, unless flying in a premium class. 767 and Airbus A330/340 are best for standard seat configurations, at least across. Seat pitch is up to the airline, Delta has again a bit more room than others.

driver100

Oh, had a better idea:

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

Guy today who has an older Honda Civic said he had to pay $300 to have a new front headlight put it. These days of course it isn't just screwing in a bulb, it means replacing the whole light fixture. He said you had to take most of the front end off the car to get at it. I don't see that information online, online it says it will cost $90 to $170. I looked up a C Class Mercedes and this is what I got; The average cost for a Mercedes-Benz C350 headlight bulb replacement is between $605 and $818. Labor costs are estimated between $220 and $278 while parts are priced between $385 and $540. Estimate does not include taxes and fees What happened to the days when you bought a bulb for a few $1s and just screwed them in?

As you noted, the light bulb no longer gets screwed in. It's the owner that gets the screwing now.

jmonroe

sb55

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

last time I was in Toronto I got the privilege of going down the close inspection line. What a drag.

One evening we landed at Heathrow in London, the next day was a holiday and all the stores would be closed. They started checking through our luggage and when they found the jar of peanut butter and bread they let us go. Who brings peanut butter and bread and is going to cause trouble?

We went to London a few years ago for Christmas. Everything, including the tube (subway to Americans), is closed on Christmas AND Boxing Day. Needless to say, we were not prepared for that!

jmonroe1

oldfarmer50 said:

Gas is coming down fast. At one station near me RUG is $2.61 and PUG is $3.00.

Come to the Burgh. RUG is $3.09 and PUG is another 70 cents at least.

jmonroe

explorerx4

Newark is not my favorite airport.
When we landed on a delayed flight from Germany, 2 other international flights landed about the same time.
There was 1 person scanning your luggage for the next flight.
Despite all the chaos, they scanned each piece and provided info on where to get for their next flight to each person. That person deserved a gold medal.

abacomike

Is it possible you're blocked by him, by mistake? I blocked calls from my community gate once.

No - they checked that out.

abacomike

berri said:

aba - I find Apple is often kind of arrogant. But making everything "their" way only probably enhances iPhone security.

I made an appointment for Sat. At 12:45 at the Apple Store.  Let them figure it out.

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

Guy today who has an older Honda Civic said he had to pay $300 to have a new front headlight put it. These days of course it isn't just screwing in a bulb, it means replacing the whole light fixture. He said you had to take most of the front end off the car to get at it. I don't see that information online, online it says it will cost $90 to $170.
I looked up a C Class Mercedes and this is what I got;
The average cost for a Mercedes-Benz C350 headlight bulb replacement is between $605 and $818. Labor costs are estimated between $220 and $278 while parts are priced between $385 and $540. Estimate does not include taxes and fees

What happened to the days when you bought a bulb for a few $1s and just screwed them in?

As you noted, the light bulb no longer gets screwed in. It's the owner that gets the screwing now

.

jmonroe




JM1 is a lot funnier than his other sibling.

cdnpinhead

pensfan83 said:

One of our neighbors travels to London several times per year for work and has said Heathrow is a nightmare to deal with.

My put is that whatever huge airport one has learned to use isn't so bad. O'Hare works for me, as do Frankfurt and Heathrow. I used to carefully avoid Heathrow in favor of Gatwick, but I've "grown." I prefer to avoid Charlotte & Philadelphia, among others these days, oh and LAX.

berri

Dino -I agree that Delta is a step above UA and AA.

Driver - no striped shirt in the pix? I thought you were going to haul out a striped referee shirt to add credibility

henryn

Now that I'm working contract instead of as an employee, I am no longer required to travel for my job. Which is nice. I also don't have to do semi-annual evaluations. Once a year, they decide whether to renew my contract, and if they do, then we talk dollars. Easy peasy.

berri

LAX - looks so nice from the outside, but kind of a pit inside lacking services as well

dino001

I’d like to fly this new Bombardier/Airbus plane. It has widest seats, reportedly only one middle seat and it is made slightly wider, to compensate. It also has most modern setup. Delta got it for peanuts, then Trump put some ridiculous penalty tarrif on it, cause poor Boeing complained. Yeah, Boeing, you have taxpayer founded bank to subsidize your exports, don’t make a plane this size and still not enough for you. Disgusting hypocrisy. Bombardier sold themselves to Airbus to beat this bull...t, I don’t know what the final resolution on the tarrifs was. They say this plane is best thing for economy traveller in the market. Complete opposite from Boeing that shows you one thing on their brochures and squeezes extra seats to the absurd levels, all of course on customer’s (airlines) request. 737 was designed to be 2-hour flier, now it’s about to take people over the Atlantic. 787 is a Nightmareliner in the common configurations, as Boeing „designed” it to be 2-4-2, but airlines demanded to make if 3-3-3. Airbus does not compromise on seat width, they make the fuselage so the squeeze slight of hand is impossible.

tjc78

Since we are talking airports... how is Phoenix? I’m flying out there for a show in Scottsdale early February.

driver100

berri said:

Driver - no striped shirt in the pix? I thought you were going to haul out a striped referee shirt to add credibility

Berri, I may take a new photo....but, if I am in it, I will be wearing a solid colored shirt.

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

berri said:

Driver - no striped shirt in the pix? I thought you were going to haul out a striped referee shirt to add credibility

Berri, I may take a new photo....but, if I am in it, I will be wearing a solid colored shirt.

Are you telling us to prepare ourselves to see @driver100-2 ?

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

Speaking about out of warranty, I don’t know why but I’m drawn to these old hoopties. I think the style holds up and I’m a sucker for low mileage.

https://cnj.craigslist.org/cto/d/95-buick-regal-custom-low/6732880914.html

https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/d/1991-buick-regal/6727897467.html

bwia

dino001 said:

I’d like to fly this new Bombardier/Airbus plane. It has widest seats, reportedly only one middle seat and it is made slightly wider, to compensate. It also has most modern setup. Delta got it for peanuts, then Trump put some ridiculous penalty tarrif on it, cause poor Boeing complained. Yeah, Boeing, you have taxpayer founded bank to subsidize your exports, don’t make a plane this size and still not enough for you. Disgusting hypocrisy. Bombardier sold themselves to Airbus to beat this bull...t, I don’t know what the final resolution on the tarrifs was. They say this plane is best thing for economy traveller in the market. Complete opposite from Boeing that shows you one thing on their brochures and squeezes extra seats to the absurd levels, all of course on customer’s (airlines) request. 737 was designed to be 2-hour flier, now it’s about to take people over the Atlantic. 787 is a Nightmareliner in the common configurations, as Boeing „designed” it to be 2-4-2, but airlines demanded to make if 3-3-3. Airbus does not compromise on seat width, they make the fuselage so the squeeze slight of hand is impossible.

Talking airlines, I'm yet to fly on an Airbus 380.  British Airways now has a popular A380 service from Boston to London. Too bad domestic airlines have avoided the A380 although customers like it a lot for its quietness and spaciousness. 

cdnpinhead

tjc78 said:

Since we are talking airports... how is Phoenix? I’m flying out there for a show in Scottsdale early February.

American & Southwest share Terminal 4 which has 3 (South) or 4 (North) fairly long concourses spread along giant (long, very long) N/S concourses. As long as you don't have to change planes, your odds of having to walk a half mile are cut in half. The two smaller terminals (2 & 3) are much more user-friendly in my opinion, and they serve all the other airlines. Free wi-fi and decent restaurant choices. Terminal 4 is not the worst for long-distance walking, but it's up there.

abacomike

Speaking of airlines and airports, of the hundreds of thousands of miles I have flown in my life, just one flight comes to mind of the hundreds I have taken - a non-stop flight from ATL to LAX on Eastern Airlines back in the 1980’s.

I was sitting in first class on a Lockeed L-1011 - in my opinion one of the best wide-bodied jets ever made.  The service was impeccable as was the food.  It was a 5 hour+ flight with 2 meal services.  Lobster, roast beef, oysters, shrimp, and unending flutes of Dom Perignon!  Best flight I have ever been on.

tjc78

@cdnpinhead
Thanks for the info.  Flying American. 

@abacomike
Those days are long gone!!

graphicguy

bwia said:

What did I miss. Sigh! checked out for a few days and there are four pages of new posts waiting for me. I hope in that time GG has pulled the trigger on the Stinger and Iluv has finally closed the deal on a Sentra "Phantom."

Speaking of Stinger, Consumer Reports, in its December 2018 issue, has classified it as a entry luxury compact sedan and rated it ahead of the Mercedes C-Class, Acura TLX, Infiniti G50, etc. in terms of reliability. Other online sites admit the Kia Stinger is a little hard to classify as it is a luxury car sold by a down market dealer network.

Nonetheless, contrary to what some have said here, the Stinger is crossed shopped by BMW, Audi and Mercedes owners and a large percentage of sales are poached from the G3, less so from Porsche and Maserati. Anyway you look at it Kia and Stinger are a premium brand with the product pipeline to justify that assertion.

@bwia ...I was never intending on buying the Stinger (famous last words). I had just heard so much about it, and it was being advertised locally for right around $40K all loaded up, I was curious.

It was indeed a fun drive. It’s fast...I mean muscle car fast. Handled well, rode well, etc. But, I’m not in the market (again, famous last words). Plus, I just read where Kia is doing a massive recall on them as the wiring harness is somehow rubbing against the quarter panels, causing fires and other untoward experiences. Been down that road before. Wouldn’t want to relive it.

Not sure about “iluv”. Last I heard, he was going to try to convince his wife that his current car, the Soul, may catch on fire. I guess he read somewhere that one or two of them did. But, that’s a far cry from his catching on fire. Plus, I suspect his wife wouldn’t fall for that to begin with. I also suspect that his wife was really the decision maker for major purchases, like a car. He said over and over that she is a Dave Ramsey advocate. So, he had 22 more payments, on a car he’s upside down in, and wanting to put that negative equity in another car.....definitely a Dave Ramsey “no-no”.

My guess, she put her foot down and put the kabosh on his Sentra ramblings. Two years from now, after the Soul is paid off, he may have a shot in convincing here. Not seeing it today, though.

Me? Still waiting to hear what’s on the agenda for the TLX S-Type in a couple of years. For now, still enjoying my current Acura. It really is a good car and fits me, fits my driving style well.

snakeweasel

abacomike said:

Speaking of airlines and airports, of the hundreds of thousands of miles I have flown in my life, just one flight comes to mind of the hundreds I have taken - a non-stop flight from ATL to LAX on Eastern Airlines back in the 1980’s.

I was sitting in first class on a Lockeed L-1011 - in my opinion one of the best wide-bodied jets ever made.  The service was impeccable as was the food.  It was a 5 hour+ flight with 2 meal services.  Lobster, roast beef, oysters, shrimp, and unending flutes of Dom Perignon!  Best flight I have ever been on.

My best was flying in from Amsterdam. We had 2 meals that were pretty good for airline food but in between the meals the came by with the drink cart. I was asked if I wanted some wine and I said yes and my wife asked for champagne. I asked if I could have some champagne too and she gave me a glass of that too. Then I spied a bottle of brandy and mentioned it to my wife so the stewardess gave me a glass of that without me asking. 

When she walked by returning the drink cart the stewardess stopped and refilled my glass of brandy. I was a happy flyer that day.

abacomike

tjc78 said:

@cdnpinhead
Thanks for the info.  Flying American. 

@abacomike
Those days are long gone!!

Yes they are, tjc, yes they are.  In those days, when you traveled on Eastern in first class, it was like going to dinner at a posh restaurant in New York or Paris.  Whatever you wanted, they had it on board.  Their colors were blue and white for linen napkins and tablecloths.

I remember they served a buffet for breakfast on the return trip to ATL from LAX. Sausages, eggs, pancakes, waffles, bacon, shrimp, etc.  And the champagne was flowing endlessly.

The only flights that serve like that now are international flights on a few airlines.

pensfan83

Aside from my annual trip to Las Vegas for a conference and a few other scattered trips most of the flights I take for work are aboard smaller regional jets and the occasional 737. Flights range in duration from 50 minutes to 2.5 hours so other than beverage service and the occasional bag of peanuts or pretzels I have yet to eat an actual meal aboard a plane.

berri

With a whistle coach

berri

Dino - here's the thing about airlines here - Years back American kept more legroom and charged around $10 more than the competitors. American saw its market share dumping. The marketplace spoke. Passengers complain, but continue to buy the cheapest tickets. btw - Europe has its share of Spirit's, Allegiant's and Frontier's too.

abacomike

cdnpinhead said:

Since we are talking airports... how is Phoenix? I’m flying out there for a show in Scottsdale early February.

American & Southwest share Terminal 4 which has 3 (South) or 4 (North) fairly long concourses spread along giant (long, very long) N/S concourses. As long as you don't have to change planes, your odds of having to walk a half mile are cut in half. The two smaller terminals (2 & 3) are much more user-friendly in my opinion, and they serve all the other airlines. Free wi-fi and decent restaurant choices. Terminal 4 is not the worst for long-distance walking, but it's up there.

I used to fly into SkyHarbor frequently when my son moved there when he got married.  My first grandson was born in the Phoenix area.  I found the airport somewhat disjointed with isolated terminals.  Long walks depending on which terminal you arrived at.

DFW has 3 or 4 large terminals, but they have trams like they do in Atlanta.  O’Hare in Chicago has three main terminals IIRC.  Those were long walks as well.

berri

PHX also seems to lack customer services like restaurant choices last time I flew there. Not an issue really unless you have a long connection. Very high summer temps can sometimes affect aircraft departure weights and takeoff requirements, but not so much anymore with more modern aircraft. During those times you may want to avoid an MD-80 flight.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

bwia said:

What did I miss. Sigh! checked out for a few days and there are four pages of new posts waiting for me. I hope in that time GG has pulled the trigger on the Stinger and Iluv has finally closed the deal on a Sentra "Phantom."

Speaking of Stinger, Consumer Reports, in its December 2018 issue, has classified it as a entry luxury compact sedan and rated it ahead of the Mercedes C-Class, Acura TLX, Infiniti G50, etc. in terms of reliability. Other online sites admit the Kia Stinger is a little hard to classify as it is a luxury car sold by a down market dealer network.

Nonetheless, contrary to what some have said here, the Stinger is crossed shopped by BMW, Audi and Mercedes owners and a large percentage of sales are poached from the G3, less so from Porsche and Maserati. Anyway you look at it Kia and Stinger are a premium brand with the product pipeline to justify that assertion.

@bwia ...I was never intending on buying the Stinger (famous last words). I had just heard so much about it, and it was being advertised locally for right around $40K all loaded up, I was curious.

It was indeed a fun drive. It’s fast...I mean muscle car fast. Handled well, rode well, etc. But, I’m not in the market (again, famous last words). Plus, I just read where Kia is doing a massive recall on them as the wiring harness is somehow rubbing against the quarter panels, causing fires and other untoward experiences. Been down that road before. Wouldn’t want to relive it.

Not sure about “iluv”. Last I heard, he was going to try to convince his wife that his current car, the Soul, may catch on fire. I guess he read somewhere that one or two of them did. But, that’s a far cry from his catching on fire. Plus, I suspect his wife wouldn’t fall for that to begin with. I also suspect that his wife was really the decision maker for major purchases, like a car. He said over and over that she is a Dave Ramsey advocate. So, he had 22 more payments, on a car he’s upside down in, and wanting to put that negative equity in another car.....definitely a Dave Ramsey “no-no”.

My guess, she put her foot down and put the kabosh on his Sentra ramblings. Two years from now, after the Soul is paid off, he may have a shot in convincing here. Not seeing it today, though.

Me? Still waiting to hear what’s on the agenda for the TLX S-Type in a couple of years. For now, still enjoying my current Acura. It really is a good car and fits me, fits my driving style well.

I think iluv may have taken the ribbing personally and dropped out. I hope he gets over it and comes back when he finally buys the car of his dreams. You may be right about his wife spoiling his ambitions. Can’t fault her financial cautions. I never could figure getting upside down on a car unless there were some truely dire circumstances.

I think you should stick with your Acuras. They seem to make you happiest. When you find a car that fits you well you’ll always come back to it.

cdnpinhead

berri said:

During those times you may want to avoid an MD-80 flight

MD-80s are near extinct, in my experience. TWA used to have quite a few of them, but I think AA has retired most, if not all, of them. I flew a lot of miles on them (back when they were DC-9s) in Canada, but that was a long time ago.

berri

Yeah, decent plane really, but old tech. AA is phasing them out and Delta will start the same as the new Airbus 220 comes on board. Even Allegiant is replacing them over time with Airbus 319/20. I actually kind of miss the old T-Tails. Fun on ascent and descent.

ronsteve

cdnpinhead said:

berri said:

During those times you may want to avoid an MD-80 flight

MD-80s are near extinct, in my experience. TWA used to have quite a few of them, but I think AA has retired most, if not all, of them. I flew a lot of miles on them (back when they were DC-9s) in Canada, but that was a long time ago.

American had a lot of MD-80s before they sucked up TWA's in the merger, but yes they are mostly gone. I think the biggest remaining MD-80 operators in the US are Delta and Allegiant. I think you'll continue to see Delta fly them for a while since they are mostly the MD-88 and MD-90 updates. Northwest was the last one left flying DC-9s (aka baby-9s) which showed that "any landing you walk away from is a good landing" still applies to commercial jet flight! Somehow when Boeing got involved the 717 was a much nicer landing than any DC-9 ever was, but alas that bird quickly lost out as regional jets upsized into the ERJ-170/190 and the CRJ900.

ab348

Yeah, AC flew DC-9s seemingly forever, especially into smaller airports like the one here (YHZ). In coach they had a 2-3 seat pattern. Someone told me once that a DC-9 had the fastest takeoff of the major aircraft in commercial service back then, dunno if it is true.

My first jet aircraft flight was in 1982 and it was on an AC DC-8, Halifax to Florida and return. I remember on the way back here it was virtually empty and the cabin service was tremendous as a result. One thing I remember about both the AC DC-8 and DC-9 was that the handles on the window shades still had "Douglas" embossed into them which I took to mean that they were pretty ancient.

Mike, the L-1011 was loved by everyone who rode on it except the airline bean-counters, apparently. A really handsome aircraft both inside and out. Most of my wide-body flying experience was as a passenger on DC-10s, which I did not like as much for their bad reputation as anything. They seemed comfortable enough but I did not like to get one.

I recall flying in the early-mid-80s as being a much different experience than it is now. Not only were seats roomier but the flight attendants would be very liberal with handing out miniatures of booze and they served actual food which was usually edible. Here in Canada we had Canadian Pacific Airlines back then which I always preferred. Not only was their food good but their drinks cart featured full-sized bottles of booze and the attendants would make you whatever cocktail you desired within reason.

We had a flight incident at YHZ early this morning. A SkyLease Cargo 747 overshot the runway upon landing, took out an array of antennas beyond the runway and came to a stop on a grassy embankment. 4 crew, minor injuries, but the aircraft is apparently a write-off.

dino001

bwia said:

Talking airlines, I'm yet to fly on an Airbus 380.  British Airways now has a popular A380 service from Boston to London. Too bad domestic airlines have avoided the A380 although customers like it a lot for its quietness and spaciousness. 

Me neither. First class on those with Singapore, Emirates, or several Asian carriers is legendary and of course far beyond my reach (I've never been to Asia, anyway). From transatlantic carriers, I like SAS in all its classes - they're not perfect, but have generally a no-nonsense approach and tendency to be on time. Lufthansa is also alright, perhaps not great, but good enough. I recently flew Air France business class and it was nice, outbound plane had really great seat, inbound was older type, not as great, but fine, so there was no consistency there. Flight attendants were just what you expect on a premium class.

US carriers are generally leaders in inventing new ways to deliver new ways to make you travel more miserable, especially in coach, and selling you less for more, large European carriers unfortunately quickly follow their lead.