Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

explorerx4

@houdini2,
Yard has a nice view of a state nature preserve area. Upstairs we have a 5x5 window that gives a pretty good view.
I didn't get a picture, but there was a big Tom that kept them moving in a group.
Didn't realize they could fly until I saw one do it!

graphicguy

So, went to the Cincinnati Auto Show last night.

Brief impressions.....

-Mercedes was conspicuous by their absence given Lexus, Cadillac, Infiniti, Acura, BMW, Jaguar, etc were all there in force

-not sure anyone missed them (except for me, because I wanted to see their wares), but Genesis wasn’t there either. Probably because there are two dealerships in the Greater Cincinnati area, and I’m not clear whether either of them have much stock. Nor, do they have separate buildings which I’ve heard Hyundai is demanding of them

-I’m still smitten with the Kia Stinger

-car I was surprised I liked....Volvo S60 T6....300+HP from a 4 cyl turbo/SC motor. Nice outside and in. $45K for the one I saw. I liked it. Last time I drove a Volvo, it was nice, but I wasn’t overwhelmed. Might have to try one of these again.

-Vehicle I was surprised I didn’t like.....Tahoe. I had one, several years ago and I loved it. $80K? All that plastic inside? That’s a hard pass.

-Car that looked better in person than in pictures.......Toyota Avalon. I know there’s not a lot of difference in measurements between it and the Camry or Lexus ES350, but boy did it feel bigger inside. Maybe my sweet spot is $40K-$45K, but that’s a lot of car for that money. Nice inside and out. I drove the last iteration of the Avalon. When I get the chance, I’d like to drive the new one. The one I sat in was the Touring.....quite nice. Plus, I’ve seen them advertised locally for under $40K with discounts.

-If I absolutely, positively had to have an SUV, I’d put the BMW X2 and Acura RDX at the tippy top of that list. Both were nicer, more thoughtfully built and comfortable than anything else I saw at the entire show. Again, both were right in the price point that seems to be where I will be looking. I was particularly smitten with the RDX....as nice in and out as anything else I saw.

-Speaking of Acura....their booth was busier than I had ever seen them in the last few years. They had a couple of TLXs on the floor, with the A-Specs having a line to get in to check out the interior, plus plenty of people mulling around it. Good to see that. New gen TLX is right around the corner. That should boost them even more.

-Why can’t Buick sell the Regal? With the 3.6 V6 (which is a gem of an engine) it’s priced right. And, it’s discounted heavily now. I liked it, a lot. But, it looked like an orphan, and wasn’t getting any love. I liked Buick’s station wagon, too.

-VW has some models all locked up. They were future models, but didn’t raise the pulse of anyone. Kind of ho-hum. GTI still gets the attention (as it should).

-Ordinarily I don’t do test drives at these shows, but as I was leaving I decided I was really interested in testing an Accord since I’ve read all the accolades the new design has received. Only went around 3 or 4 square blocks, but it’s all they say it is. Turbo 4 is quick. Car handles very well. It did great on the broken winter pavement. Anyone looking for a sedan should put it on the very top of their shopping list. The one I drove was the Touring with the 2.0 Turbo and was totally loaded.

-Most comfortable seats in a vehicle......TLX, RDX, Accord, Volvo, Regal, Avalon.

And, last but not least, I scored $110 in gift cards by agreeing to visit a Ford Dealer, a Chevy dealer, and test driving the Accord. That’ll buy a decent dinner for me and a date.

abacomike

Just found out that my Federal Tax Refund is due to be deposited into my checking account on Wednesday of this coming week. Boy, that was fast! I don't get refunds from businesses and credit card accounts that fast. I filed my taxes on Turbo Tax a week ago Friday - so that's 8 business days for the turn-around. Impressive!!!

coldinohio

graphicguy said:

So, went to the Cincinnati Auto Show last night.

Brief impressions.....

-Mercedes was conspicuous by their absence given Lexus, Cadillac, Infiniti, Acura, BMW, Jaguar, etc were all there in force

-not sure anyone missed them (except for me, because I wanted to see their wares), but Genesis wasn’t there either. Probably because there are two dealerships in the Greater Cincinnati area, and I’m not clear whether either of them have much stock. Nor, do they have separate buildings which I’ve heard Hyundai is demanding of them

-I’m still smitten with the Kia Stinger

-car I was surprised I liked....Volvo S60 T6....300+HP from a 4 cyl turbo/SC motor. Nice outside and in. $45K for the one I saw. I liked it. Last time I drove a Volvo, it was nice, but I wasn’t overwhelmed. Might have to try one of these again.

-Vehicle I was surprised I didn’t like.....Tahoe. I had one, several years ago and I loved it. $80K? All that plastic inside? That’s a hard pass.

-Car that looked better in person than in pictures.......Toyota Avalon. I know there’s not a lot of difference in measurements between it and the Camry or Lexus ES350, but boy did it feel bigger inside. Maybe my sweet spot is $40K-$45K, but that’s a lot of car for that money. Nice inside and out. I drove the last iteration of the Avalon. When I get the chance, I’d like to drive the new one. The one I sat in was the Touring.....quite nice. Plus, I’ve seen them advertised locally for under $40K with discounts.

-If I absolutely, positively had to have an SUV, I’d put the BMW X2 and Acura RDX at the tippy top of that list. Both were nicer, more thoughtfully built and comfortable than anything else I saw at the entire show. Again, both were right in the price point that seems to be where I will be looking. I was particularly smitten with the RDX....as nice in and out as anything else I saw.

-Speaking of Acura....their booth was busier than I had ever seen them in the last few years. They had a couple of TLXs on the floor, with the A-Specs having a line to get in to check out the interior, plus plenty of people mulling around it. Good to see that. New gen TLX is right around the corner. That should boost them even more.

-Why can’t Buick sell the Regal? With the 3.6 V6 (which is a gem of an engine) it’s priced right. And, it’s discounted heavily now. I liked it, a lot. But, it looked like an orphan, and wasn’t getting any love. I liked Buick’s station wagon, too.

-VW has some models all locked up. They were future models, but didn’t raise the pulse of anyone. Kind of ho-hum. GTI still gets the attention (as it should).

-Ordinarily I don’t do test drives at these shows, but as I was leaving I decided I was really interested in testing an Accord since I’ve read all the accolades the new design has received. Only went around 3 or 4 square blocks, but it’s all they say it is. Turbo 4 is quick. Car handles very well. It did great on the broken winter pavement. Anyone looking for a sedan should put it on the very top of their shopping list. The one I drove was the Touring with the 2.0 Turbo and was totally loaded.

-Most comfortable seats in a vehicle......TLX, RDX, Accord, Volvo, Regal, Avalon.

And, last but not least, I scored $110 in gift cards by agreeing to visit a Ford Dealer, a Chevy dealer, and test driving the Accord. That’ll buy a decent dinner for me and a date.

Volvo S60 vs Genesis G70

after I got over MB C coupe, due to small back seat causing difficulty, I drove the Volvo S60 T6-- very nice and great seats in test drive; seemed less glued down on interstate, but that may have been A/S tires vs summer on current A4; but very nice package--

saw G70 2.0 vs 3.3T; i think 3.3T would be way to go as some of the 'standard' items are better on 3.3;; was in process of scheduling test drive (they wanted to talk deposit , how they could get MSRP + ADM), when found CPO that was unexpected...

test drove 2yo porsche macan s (V6) -- did NOT want small SUV--- but was optioned with thinks I wanted... so ended up trading (got similar dealer price as Vroom/Carvana) Audi for VAG cousin- Porsche

I can see why it is so popular-- really handles great and puts the powerdown nicely; will pay the mileage penalty but sure is fun

tom

stickguy

I'm planning to start them tonight. Though my enthousiasm might wane quickly. If so I will just do them tomorrow.

I got the HR Block software today at least, and got last years stuff out and inventoried my documents. The first steps! I just need to have the time to set aside, because once I start I want to plow through until the end. I can't do in dribs and drabs

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

So, went to the Cincinnati Auto Show last night.

Brief impressions.....

-Mercedes was conspicuous by their absence given Lexus, Cadillac, Infiniti, Acura, BMW, Jaguar, etc were all there in force

-not sure anyone missed them (except for me, because I wanted to see their wares), but Genesis wasn’t there either. Probably because there are two dealerships in the Greater Cincinnati area, and I’m not clear whether either of them have much stock. Nor, do they have separate buildings which I’ve heard Hyundai is demanding of them

-I’m still smitten with the Kia Stinger

-car I was surprised I liked....Volvo S60 T6....300+HP from a 4 cyl turbo/SC motor. Nice outside and in. $45K for the one I saw. I liked it. Last time I drove a Volvo, it was nice, but I wasn’t overwhelmed. Might have to try one of these again.

-Vehicle I was surprised I didn’t like.....Tahoe. I had one, several years ago and I loved it. $80K? All that plastic inside? That’s a hard pass.

-Car that looked better in person than in pictures.......Toyota Avalon. I know there’s not a lot of difference in measurements between it and the Camry or Lexus ES350, but boy did it feel bigger inside. Maybe my sweet spot is $40K-$45K, but that’s a lot of car for that money. Nice inside and out. I drove the last iteration of the Avalon. When I get the chance, I’d like to drive the new one. The one I sat in was the Touring.....quite nice. Plus, I’ve seen them advertised locally for under $40K with discounts.

-If I absolutely, positively had to have an SUV, I’d put the BMW X2 and Acura RDX at the tippy top of that list. Both were nicer, more thoughtfully built and comfortable than anything else I saw at the entire show. Again, both were right in the price point that seems to be where I will be looking. I was particularly smitten with the RDX....as nice in and out as anything else I saw.

-Speaking of Acura....their booth was busier than I had ever seen them in the last few years. They had a couple of TLXs on the floor, with the A-Specs having a line to get in to check out the interior, plus plenty of people mulling around it. Good to see that. New gen TLX is right around the corner. That should boost them even more.

-Why can’t Buick sell the Regal? With the 3.6 V6 (which is a gem of an engine) it’s priced right. And, it’s discounted heavily now. I liked it, a lot. But, it looked like an orphan, and wasn’t getting any love. I liked Buick’s station wagon, too.

-VW has some models all locked up. They were future models, but didn’t raise the pulse of anyone. Kind of ho-hum. GTI still gets the attention (as it should).

-Ordinarily I don’t do test drives at these shows, but as I was leaving I decided I was really interested in testing an Accord since I’ve read all the accolades the new design has received. Only went around 3 or 4 square blocks, but it’s all they say it is. Turbo 4 is quick. Car handles very well. It did great on the broken winter pavement. Anyone looking for a sedan should put it on the very top of their shopping list. The one I drove was the Touring with the 2.0 Turbo and was totally loaded.

-Most comfortable seats in a vehicle......TLX, RDX, Accord, Volvo, Regal, Avalon.

And, last but not least, I scored $110 in gift cards by agreeing to visit a Ford Dealer, a Chevy dealer, and test driving the Accord. That’ll buy a decent dinner for me and a date.

Taking test drives at the auto show? That’s a new one on me. How do they arrange that? Sounds interesting.

explorerx4

@coldinohio,
Congrats on the Porsche. Macan is definitely better looking that the Cayenne.

isellhondas

abacomike said:

Just found out that my Federal Tax Refund is due to be deposited into my checking account on Wednesday of this coming week. Boy, that was fast! I don't get refunds from businesses and credit card accounts that fast. I filed my taxes on Turbo Tax a week ago Friday - so that's 8 business days for the turn-around. Impressive!!!

You get money BACK? What a concept!

cdnpinhead

Some people don't want to give Uncle Sam an interest-free loan, but it seems that many do. My primary goal is to keep what I have to pay below the threshold above which I get penalized for not making quarterly payments. This year should be interesting, given the retirement and SS payments to both myself and my wife.

snakeweasel

imidazol97 said:

The supercharger station I see here is next to a Meijer store (a clean version of Walmart with food offerings like Kroger and other sundries like a Target), a Chipotle, and several other restaurants. And an ATT store I believe.

The Tesla super charger near me is by a Meijer and I usually shop there so using it wouldn't be a hassle. There are other charger stations all around us now. I think the local shopping mall has 4 and several downtown areas around us have several each.

Mr_Shiftright

fintail said:

The brake lights thing is real. I can always tell a timid pensive inept local driver by their dopey braking habits - random taps when they become distracted, braking for gentle curves on highways, braking when someone changes lanes 500 yards ahead, etc. I remember when I was a little kid, my dad would point out the "bad" drivers as the ones who were always braking.

Mr_Shiftright said:

I can always tell a good driver in the USA, because they are so conspicuous. You notice things like good lane discipline, anticipating traffic moves in advance, good signaling, decisive patterns of acceleration and braking, good trailing distances, infrequent brake lights----I notice those things in other cars.

The scariest part is that anyone in America, no matter how inept, hapless, hopeless, crazy, near-blind--can walk into a dealership and drive out with a 700HP car. I know, cur the Darwin jokes, but sometimes these people take others with them.

fintail

The grass is always greener. WA has the 3rd highest prices and taxes in Murka, with total prices coming to maybe 25% less than you, and a cost of living in most employment centers probably on par or greater than similar areas in Canada. Yet, it has roughly 0% of the perks of living in a functional social democracy (and is still a better place to live than in much of the nation, IMNSHO).

ab348 said:

Today here, RUG is $1.00 per liter. If you roll back the various taxes in that calculation, the actual no-tax cost of gas here right now is about 61 cents per liter or $2.32/US gallon. But add in the tax and it is $3.78 per US gallon, with taxes representing about $1.46 of that amount per gallon.

Welcome to Kanada.

Mr_Shiftright

tyguy said:

Interesting discussion on German drivers and coincidental to a discussion I had with a German colleague in Belgium this week. Driving in Belgium felt a lot like the US in regards to drivers, and I noted to my German colleague (and friend) that I find German drivers to be much more disciplined. He appreciated the comment, but surprised me when he said he believes German drivers are slowly losing their edge and becoming more typical of other countries. That’s unfornate. I’d rather see the rest of us rise to German driving standards than see them lower to ours.

Nonetheless, both Germany and Belgium are among the safest countries in the world to live.

snakeweasel

stickguy said:

my neighborhood is infested with those darned Canadian geese. whatever sidewalk/road/driveway/yard they decide to congregate on just gets carpet bombed with poop. Disgusting, and makes it really hard to walk the dog! Though that looks like might be wild turkeys in your yard?

So is mine, what makes it worse is that I back up to a nice little lake (pond?) Where they like to swim the waddle into my property to poop. Driver should collect them all on his way back north so he can return them to Canada.

Mr_Shiftright

Now, you have to be fair. There really is no such thing as a "Canadian goose", biologically speaking.

snakeweasel

abacomike said:

Just found out that my Federal Tax Refund is due to be deposited into my checking account on Wednesday of this coming week. Boy, that was fast! I don't get refunds from businesses and credit card accounts that fast. I filed my taxes on Turbo Tax a week ago Friday - so that's 8 business days for the turn-around. Impressive!!!

The IRS says up to 3 weeks to get your refund, 8 business days isn't to bad. Everything is automated, you file electronically and it goes directly into the computer which checks the return automatically if the computer accepts the return then the system issues the refund. Your return wont be seen by a human for a few months when they start a more complete review of returns.

fintail

I filed my taxes Friday before last via Turbo Tax. Refund came in yesterday.

28firefighter

Still waiting on some 1099s from our investments. So annoying. 

explorerx4

I'm still waiting for 1 more statement. Brokerage files for an extension every year.
It should be available in about a week.

fintail

Licensing may be easier in the US than many developed nations, but the one license = drive any car rule applies everywhere I have been. The same license that will put you in a Geo automatic will also let you drive a Veyron or 42' behemoth motorhome or questionably engineered lifted brotruck. But if you want a Vespa, you need a special endorsement!

Mr_Shiftright said:

The scariest part is that anyone in America, no matter how inept, hapless, hopeless, crazy, near-blind--can walk into a dealership and drive out with a 700HP car. I know, cur the Darwin jokes, but sometimes these people take others with them.

Mr_Shiftright

28firefighter said:

Still waiting on some 1099s from our investments. So annoying. 

You don't need the 1099s to file as long as you can get the #s by phone or if you have already calculated them yourself.

28firefighter

Mr_Shiftright said:

Still waiting on some 1099s from our investments. So annoying. 

You don't need the 1099s to file as long as you can get the #s by phone or if you have already calculated them yourself.

I use my own calculations as a check if the 1099. I wouldn’t file without the 1099. 

stickguy

Vanguard always holds me up with the brokerage statement. I haven't check yet if they are out "early" this year. Not really a big deal. Used to be one when I needed to do college FI stuff. Thankfully that is all behind me. So after dinner I need to login and find out what forms are ready.

snakeweasel

fintail said:

Licensing may be easier in the US than many developed nations, but the one license = drive any car rule applies everywhere I have been. The same license that will put you in a Geo automatic will also let you drive a Veyron or 42' behemoth motorhome or questionably engineered lifted brotruck. But if you want a Vespa, you need a special endorsement!

The scariest part is that anyone in America, no matter how inept, hapless, hopeless, crazy, near-blind--can walk into a dealership and drive out with a 700HP car. I know, cur the Darwin jokes, but sometimes these people take others with them.

Here in Illinois it used to be you needed a special endorsement for vehicles over 4 tons, now its 8 tons as long as it's not articulated. 

As for the Vespa, riding 2 wheels is a lot different than driving 4 wheels. 

qbrozen

Taxes:

Mine are complete but i am unable to file because, according to taxact, laws have recently changed regarding self employment and I have to wait until 2/26 for the software to catch up.

I’d rather overpay than underpay, and since my taxes never seem to be the same from year to year, it is impossible for me to figure out what I need to pay during the year. This year was exceptionally crazy. I owe $1800 to NJ but am due back $3400 from NY and $3400 from the Fed. No clue why any of it holds true. How is it we can claim Married 0 on federal for our paychecks and Single 0 on state PLUS $50 per paycheck, yet still wind up owing the state? Why can’t they get these things straight? If we followed the instructions, we’d be claiming Married 1 on each, but we know that would put us in hot water come tax time.

graphicguy

@oldfarmer50 .....I think only Honda, Chevrolet and Toyota were offering test drives.

They have demo units lined up outside the convention center. I wasn’t interested in the vehicles that they had (Camry, Rav 4, Chevy had pickups...not sure which ones). Accord was the only one I was interested in driving.

You give them your driver’s license with your name, address email, etc). You blow into a portable BAC machine to make sure you aren’t trashed. Then, you either stand in line and wait your turn for a test drive, or go right to the car to drive, like me, because I was the last test drive for the evening. They then gave me an Amazon gift card for driving the Accord.

Easy-Peezy!

cdnpinhead

stickguy said:

Vanguard always holds me up with the brokerage statement.

They want you to do it online. I feel your pain. That said, there's a reason their charges are so low.

fintail

It's also a lot different driving a Geo compared to a 42' motorhome or a non-CDL box truck or a 1000hp car.

Of course, motorcycle endorsements here are just as easy as car licenses compared to many areas.

snakeweasel said:

Here in Illinois it used to be you needed a special endorsement for vehicles over 4 tons, now its 8 tons as long as it's not articulated. 

As for the Vespa, riding 2 wheels is a lot different than driving 4 wheels. 

imidazol97

stickguy said:

Vanguard always holds me up with the brokerage statement. I haven't check yet if they are out "early" this year. Not really a big deal. Used to be one when I needed to do college FI stuff. Thankfully that is all behind me. So after dinner I need to login and find out what forms are ready.

Vanguard hasn't mailed mine either. Along with a couple of stocks that haven't mailed the 1099 DIV forms either.

I have to keep comparing to previous year's spreadsheet to determine which are still outstanding. Then have to find out how to get to them online or by phone.

driver100

houdini2 said:

explorerx4 said:

Had some visitors in the back yard yesterday.

Those wild turkeys almost disappeared at one time. It is great to see them making a full recovery. Just something about them that has always fascinated me. Very nice private back yard, by the way.

What fascinates me is how do they fly....they seem so big and awkward. I think they fly up into a tree to sleep at night. How do they taste?

driver100

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

andres3 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

90 mph swerves are fun, too.

Who said anything about swerving? If you identify a hazard 750' away you'll have plenty of time to maneuver over one lane slowly; even at 90 MPH (which is rounding up).

The death rate on Canadian roadways is less than half that of the United States — 5.2 per 100,000 residents versus 11.6 here — and even accounting for the fewer miles driven by the average Canadian compared to an American, Canada has 43 percent fewer traffic fatalities per billion kilometers traveled.

And, I doubt it is because we drive faster....if anything, I would say we drive slower and law enforcement is stronger.

I have to say that on our trip to Toronto last summer that traffic moved slower in Canada than in the U.S. Not only were the speed limits lower but traffic stayed closer to the speed limit in Canada then in the U.S. Even on the expressways in Toronto they drove a bit slower than they do in most U.S. cities.

You were in heavily populated areas where traffic moves slow a lot of the time. But, generally speaking, we have got bad drivers, but, not as wild as I see in Florida. Also roads are designed better, here you have fast moving traffic and people are cutting across or in front of you. A native Floridian explained it to me that first they build the new houses, then they try to figure out how to make the roads handle it....in most places it is the other way around.

One other things, I see way more police cars at home and my guess is fines are much larger. Very few uninsured drivers back home. In Florida the posted speed on I-75 is 75mph....I would say the average car is going between 82 and 86, and I rarely see anyone being stopped for speeding.

I was in heavily populated areas but most of my driving was in off peak times. Most of my time on the expressways of Toronto traffic was moving smoothly. Also if you go by milew driven most of the driving was going to and from those populated areas. The 402 was wide open for us and the vast majority of drivers were within 5 mph or so of the posted speed limit. But man that road was straight.

......and flat and boring. Mrs D came from Sarnia.....across from Port Huron Michigan for the Canadian Challenged......so we have driven that route many times.

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

ab348 said:

bwia said:

How Much Gas Tax Adds to Cost of Filling Up

30. Massachusetts
• State gas tax: 26.5 cents per gallon.
• Gas price as of mid-Jan. 2019: $2.49 per gallon. (14th highest)
• State taxes as pct. of gas price: 10.7 percent (14th lowest)
• Annual miles traveled per driver: 12,265 (8th lowest)

29. Ohio
• State gas tax: 28.0 cents per gallon.
• Gas price as of mid-Jan. 2019: $2.06 per gallon. (16th lowest)
• State taxes as pct. of gas price: 13.6 percent (23rd highest)
• Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,873 (21st highest)
Read more at https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/02/05/gas-tax-state-what-costs-fill-up-your-car-across-country/38908491/

Well, let me tell you about where I live.

Here we have a 10 cent federal excise tax and a 15.5 cent provincial fuel tax. To that is added a 15% retail sales tax, which is calculated after those taxes are included in the price, so it is a tax on a tax.

Oh wait, that is all per liter!

Multiply everything by 3.78 (L/US gallon) and you can approximate the amount per US gallon.

Today here, RUG is $1.00 per liter. If you roll back the various taxes in that calculation, the actual no-tax cost of gas here right now is about 61 cents per liter or $2.32/US gallon. But add in the tax and it is $3.78 per US gallon, with taxes representing about $1.46 of that amount per gallon.

Welcome to Kanada.

WOW, and here in PA I thought we were being screwed.

I don't think anyone would blame you guys for changing the name of your country to Screwya or Taxada.

jmonroe

We do have "free" health care.........and that is worth something. I think of the extra money I pay for gas as insurance for medical care.

driver100

Mr_Shiftright said:

Now, you have to be fair. There really is no such thing as a "Canadian goose", biologically speaking.

Thank you Mr S. We have been down this road before...they just happen to be called Canada Geese...they are born here.

driver100

Good review once again GG of the auto show. The Regal looks pretty nice on the road, but, I think it misses because of the cab forward design. I found the Passat was that way too, they try to make the cabin especially the rear seating area large, so they move the driver forward, and it changes the dynamics of the car.

The BMW has a shorter deck, longer hood, and the driver is back in the center of the car....makes the car feel more like a car than a bus or van IMHO.

driver100

Another thing I am grumpy about is we went over the Sunshine Bridge today to go to St Petersburg. The toll is $1.50 and I keep a baggie with $1 bills and lots of quarters for such occasions. It seems like a lot of people have to go looking through their wallet or purse to find some money....because the line ups are a lot longer than they should be, and some people are slow to find their money and get their change.

That is my pet peeve for the day....oh yea, and the guy that had to go from the left lane across 3 lanes of traffic to make his exit at the last minute, but, that is an every day occurrence so not worth mentioning.

stickguy

For Vanguard, I do print them myself online, so not waiting for them to mail. They just have not been completed and released yet. Really odd it takes so long.

Philly auto show also offers test drives. Silly, since it is in the center of town, and you just make 4 rights and sit in traffic. I doubt you ever break 15 MPH. I have never bothered to wait on line to do one, since it is normal cars I can go test drive any time I feel like it.

berri

Doesn't Florida have an electronic toll pass or some such?

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

stickguy said:

Vanguard always holds me up with the brokerage statement. I haven't check yet if they are out "early" this year. Not really a big deal. Used to be one when I needed to do college FI stuff. Thankfully that is all behind me. So after dinner I need to login and find out what forms are ready.

Vanguard hasn't mailed mine either. Along with a couple of stocks that haven't mailed the 1099 DIV forms either.

I have to keep comparing to previous year's spreadsheet to determine which are still outstanding. Then have to find out how to get to them online or by phone.

Vanguard is always the last for one fund in particular. More troublesome is getting paper tax forms. I thought I’d be clever and order directly from the IRS only to get a postcard saying forms like 1040 “are not available”. Not delayed, not on backorder just.....nothing. Same at the library. “They don’t send forms any more” according to the snooty guy at the desk. I had to get him to print them out for me which I could have had my son do for me but his attitude irked me.

BTW, what do you think of the new 1040? They broke it up into a short form with 4 sub forms depending if you were reporting income other than wages. I need 2 of the sub forms so it’s not much shorter for me.

No state tax forms until March. :@ :@

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

houdini2 said:

explorerx4 said:

Had some visitors in the back yard yesterday.

Those wild turkeys almost disappeared at one time. It is great to see them making a full recovery. Just something about them that has always fascinated me. Very nice private back yard, by the way.

What fascinates me is how do they fly....they seem so big and awkward. I think they fly up into a tree to sleep at night. How do they taste?

Not like butterballs.

roadburner

explorerx4 said:

Yes, they are turkeys. They usually are at least half a dozen or so. That was as big a group as I have seen.
You can't see them all in the picture. Over to the right, there were more.

Every now and then a couple dozen will show up at the edge of our front field.

stickguy

I would never want to touch paper forms again. Man was that a pain, having to study all the instructions and fill them out. Then check all the math 3 times! The software is just so much easier. Even if you want to file on paper (instead of E file) for some reason, you can still do it in the tax program, and print to mail in. I actually do that for NJ because I am too cheap to pay the extra E File fee for NJ, and can wait a couple extra weeks to get my refund back. So I print and mail the state, efile federal.

snakeweasel

fintail said:

It's also a lot different driving a Geo compared to a 42' motorhome or a non-CDL box truck or a 1000hp car.

Of course, motorcycle endorsements here are just as easy as car licenses compared to many areas.

snakeweasel said:

Here in Illinois it used to be you needed a special endorsement for vehicles over 4 tons, now its 8 tons as long as it's not articulated. 

As for the Vespa, riding 2 wheels is a lot different than driving 4 wheels. 

Yeah but the difference between the Geo the 42 foot motorhome the non CDL box truck and the 1000 hp car is nothing compared to the difference between being on 2 wheels and 4. Balancing issues and low speed maneuvers as well as lane positions, the fact that body movements help steer the bike and contra steering just to name a few. Not to mention shifting a bike is just like shifting a car, just upside down and backwards.

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

ab348 said:

bwia said:

How Much Gas Tax Adds to Cost of Filling Up

30. Massachusetts
• State gas tax: 26.5 cents per gallon.
• Gas price as of mid-Jan. 2019: $2.49 per gallon. (14th highest)
• State taxes as pct. of gas price: 10.7 percent (14th lowest)
• Annual miles traveled per driver: 12,265 (8th lowest)

29. Ohio
• State gas tax: 28.0 cents per gallon.
• Gas price as of mid-Jan. 2019: $2.06 per gallon. (16th lowest)
• State taxes as pct. of gas price: 13.6 percent (23rd highest)
• Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,873 (21st highest)
Read more at https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/02/05/gas-tax-state-what-costs-fill-up-your-car-across-country/38908491/

Well, let me tell you about where I live.

Here we have a 10 cent federal excise tax and a 15.5 cent provincial fuel tax. To that is added a 15% retail sales tax, which is calculated after those taxes are included in the price, so it is a tax on a tax.

Oh wait, that is all per liter!

Multiply everything by 3.78 (L/US gallon) and you can approximate the amount per US gallon.

Today here, RUG is $1.00 per liter. If you roll back the various taxes in that calculation, the actual no-tax cost of gas here right now is about 61 cents per liter or $2.32/US gallon. But add in the tax and it is $3.78 per US gallon, with taxes representing about $1.46 of that amount per gallon.

Welcome to Kanada.

WOW, and here in PA I thought we were being screwed.

I don't think anyone would blame you guys for changing the name of your country to Screwya or Taxada.

jmonroe

We do have "free" health care.........and that is worth something. I think of the extra money I pay for gas as insurance for medical care.

Are you serious? Do you really think your health care is FREE? Here in the US most of us were taught at an early age that there is no such thing as a free lunch. The rest have credit card debt that is out of sight.

jmonroe

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

andres3 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

90 mph swerves are fun, too.

Who said anything about swerving? If you identify a hazard 750' away you'll have plenty of time to maneuver over one lane slowly; even at 90 MPH (which is rounding up).

The death rate on Canadian roadways is less than half that of the United States — 5.2 per 100,000 residents versus 11.6 here — and even accounting for the fewer miles driven by the average Canadian compared to an American, Canada has 43 percent fewer traffic fatalities per billion kilometers traveled.

And, I doubt it is because we drive faster....if anything, I would say we drive slower and law enforcement is stronger.

I have to say that on our trip to Toronto last summer that traffic moved slower in Canada than in the U.S. Not only were the speed limits lower but traffic stayed closer to the speed limit in Canada then in the U.S. Even on the expressways in Toronto they drove a bit slower than they do in most U.S. cities.

You were in heavily populated areas where traffic moves slow a lot of the time. But, generally speaking, we have got bad drivers, but, not as wild as I see in Florida. Also roads are designed better, here you have fast moving traffic and people are cutting across or in front of you. A native Floridian explained it to me that first they build the new houses, then they try to figure out how to make the roads handle it....in most places it is the other way around.

One other things, I see way more police cars at home and my guess is fines are much larger. Very few uninsured drivers back home. In Florida the posted speed on I-75 is 75mph....I would say the average car is going between 82 and 86, and I rarely see anyone being stopped for speeding.

I was in heavily populated areas but most of my driving was in off peak times. Most of my time on the expressways of Toronto traffic was moving smoothly. Also if you go by milew driven most of the driving was going to and from those populated areas. The 402 was wide open for us and the vast majority of drivers were within 5 mph or so of the posted speed limit. But man that road was straight.

......and flat and boring. Mrs D came from Sarnia.....across from Port Huron Michigan for the Canadian Challenged......so we have driven that route many times.

It may be flat, straight and boring but it's better than driving through Nebraska.

fintail

I think most people who are going to hop on a bike have the balance issues worked out already. Countersteering and shifting also aren't usually issues on a Vespa

snakeweasel said:

Yeah but the difference between the Geo the 42 foot motorhome the non CDL box truck and the 1000 hp car is nothing compared to the difference between being on 2 wheels and 4. Balancing issues and low speed maneuvers as well as lane positions, the fact that body movements help steer the bike and contra steering just to name a few. Not to mention shifting a bike is just like shifting a car, just upside down and backwards.

ab348

jmonroe1 said:

Are you serious? Do you really think your health care is FREE? Here in the US most of us were taught at an early age that there is no such thing as a free lunch. The rest have credit card debt that is out of sight.

When I was still working I was in our specialty wine store one day talking to the manager when a tourist from Boston came in to browse. She was with him and picked up a bottle he recommended. It was like $25 Cdn and she said “I get this at home for under $15!” He quickly responded “Yes, but ours comes with free health care!”. I thought it was a pretty good line but she was decidedly unamused.

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

ab348 said:

bwia said:

How Much Gas Tax Adds to Cost of Filling Up

30. Massachusetts
• State gas tax: 26.5 cents per gallon.
• Gas price as of mid-Jan. 2019: $2.49 per gallon. (14th highest)
• State taxes as pct. of gas price: 10.7 percent (14th lowest)
• Annual miles traveled per driver: 12,265 (8th lowest)

29. Ohio
• State gas tax: 28.0 cents per gallon.
• Gas price as of mid-Jan. 2019: $2.06 per gallon. (16th lowest)
• State taxes as pct. of gas price: 13.6 percent (23rd highest)
• Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,873 (21st highest)
Read more at https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/02/05/gas-tax-state-what-costs-fill-up-your-car-across-country/38908491/

Well, let me tell you about where I live.

Here we have a 10 cent federal excise tax and a 15.5 cent provincial fuel tax. To that is added a 15% retail sales tax, which is calculated after those taxes are included in the price, so it is a tax on a tax.

Oh wait, that is all per liter!

Multiply everything by 3.78 (L/US gallon) and you can approximate the amount per US gallon.

Today here, RUG is $1.00 per liter. If you roll back the various taxes in that calculation, the actual no-tax cost of gas here right now is about 61 cents per liter or $2.32/US gallon. But add in the tax and it is $3.78 per US gallon, with taxes representing about $1.46 of that amount per gallon.

Welcome to Kanada.

WOW, and here in PA I thought we were being screwed.

I don't think anyone would blame you guys for changing the name of your country to Screwya or Taxada.

jmonroe

We do have "free" health care.........and that is worth something. I think of the extra money I pay for gas as insurance for medical care.

Are you serious? Do you really think your health care is FREE? Here in the US most of us were taught at an early age that there is no such thing as a free lunch. The rest have credit card debt that is out of sight.

jmonroe

That is why I used "quotation" marks. It isn't really free, we do pay for it, like you said, nothing is free, but, we cn get medical care and there is no actual cost for that particular visit or operation, and I mean from a broken arm to a heart by-pass. That might be worth paying an extra $1 a gallon for, especially if you don't drive much. No $300,000 hospital bill to worry about!

stickguy

When my son was in HS band, I was the primary equipment truck driver, and used to pick up the truck at Ryder. The first time, I just told him I was there for the band truck, showed him my license, and was good to go. he walked me over, showed me how to turn it on and use the (air) parking brake (truck did not even have a Park gear, you stopped it in neutral). Might have asked if the mirrors were ok. Then he waived and went back inside. I was there a lot and would chat at the counter, and the age was 18 minimum. so a HS kid that had proof of insurance and a DL could take a truck.

this was a 26' box Freightliner or IH diesel. A very large vehicle that required specific ability to drive safely IMO. That you did not even have to prove around the lot you could do it was scary.

tjc78

I’ve driven one of those.  It certainly makes you think before you do most things.  Not easy to navigate in right quarters 

abacomike

berri said:

Doesn't Florida have an electronic toll pass or some such?

Yes - I have a transponder - SUN-PASS is what it’s called.  Good for all toll roads in Florida and for parking at airports.  I believe it’s good for bridges as well - the bridges down here are all SUN-PASS friendly.