Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

abacomike

boomchek said:

Yeah the Taurus wagon was one of the better looking wagons on the market, still looks good today.

I leased a 1990 Ford Taurus LX and drove it from Miami to San Diego.  Car handled well and gave me acceptable mpg's.  It was a 6 cylinder and fairly loaded.  One of the few Ford products I ever had but was not disappointed.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

Oddly, this was the car being targeted as the benchmark if I've recalling the book correctly.

isellhondas

I always thought the front end of a 96 Taurus looks like a catfish.

imidazol97

isellhondas said:

I always thought the front end of a 96 Taurus looks like a catfish.

Put on whiskers like they have eyelashes for cars and you'd have it.

explorerx4

@driver100, The picture of the red Taurus you posted is Taurus #1. I've seen that car at the Henry Ford Museum.

driver100

explorerx4 said:

@driver100, The picture of the red Taurus you posted is Taurus #1. I've seen that car at the Henry Ford Museum.

Yeh Explorer, that looks like the Ford museum in the background. I didn't realize it was numeral uno though....still looks pretty good.

abacomike

Since being discharged from the hospital Saturday, except for a quick trip to the doctor's office 1 mile away yesterday, I have been a "bed" hermit.  I am hoping to be able to venture out tomorrow for a short time to do some food shopping - the cupboards are bare after almost two weeks.

This Levaquin is strong stuff with lots of side effects.  One is the weakening of tendons in the knee areas and ankles.  So I have to be very careful when standing, sitting, walking, etc.

Hopefully the worst is over with - even Dad came down with a milder case and is taking amoxicillin.  They said my blood cultures did not show influenza, by it seems that everything turns into pneumonia with me.

Doctor told me there is a brand new pneumonia vaccine out on the market so he wants to give me the shot next week once this runs its course.

I hope all of you are washing your hands and staying out of crowds - the virus season is well upon us and I don't wish this on any of you.

driver100

isellhondas said:

I always thought the front end of a 96 Taurus looks like a catfish.

Funny, it would look like a catfish if it had whiskers. Reminds me, I saw a pest contol car today that looked like this,


Or this plumbers truck:

abacomike

driver100 said:

I always thought the front end of a 96 Taurus looks like a catfish.

Funny, it would look like a catfish if it had whiskers. Reminds me, I saw a pest contol car today that looked like this,

Down here, Truly Nolen runs yellow VW Bugs as their corporate fleet.  Love those antennas in the front.

abacomike

isellhondas said:

I always thought the front end of a 96 Taurus looks like a catfish.

Ditto here, Isell 

imidazol97

When I saw this, I thought of our long suffering friends in the northeast with all the snows hitting
so close together this year.



May all the coming snow storms be little ones.

explorerx4

East of the Connecticut river, the snowfall has been a lot higher. The state and town have done a great job plowing the snow. My driveway and sidewalk are completely dry. Snow piles are pretty high, though.
My Escape spins the tires a bit when accelerating in the snow, but stops just fine (no ABS kicking in).

robr2

We are expecting another 6+ inches this weekend. I am going camping so it'll be interesting.

ken117

Blanket assumptions are rarely correct. Regarding those posted, from a cost accountants point of view:

Number 5 is dubious. In my experience, there is typically little difference between the zero percent financing and the rebate, if applicable. This over the full five years. However, if the loan is paid off under the full five years, the rebate often is more advantageous. On the other hand, if the loan is paid off over the full five years, the rebate can often be more advantageous if placed in an interest bearing account. Unfortunately, with today's pathetic interest, this is really not material.

Number 3 depends highly on the disparate prices between gasoline and diesel. At this time, number 3 is generally correct. Over time, perhaps not.

Number 4 is difficult to assess. The actual total payments over five years for a purchase versus a lease of the same vehicle is often not significantly different, often less for the lease. For example a lease may cost $350 per month while the purchase costs $500. There is, of course, the residual value of the purchased vehicle which would account for this difference. The real difference is cost comes after year five, assuming the purchased vehicle is retained. However, part of that difference would be offset by the increased cost of maintenance.

The one generality which is correct is every purchaser is different, each having different goals, so there is never one clear path for everyone. A "the world is gray not black and white" thing.

houdini1

ken117 said:

Blanket assumptions are rarely correct. Regarding those posted, from a cost accountants point of view:

Number 5 is dubious. In my experience, there is typically little difference between the zero percent financing and the rebate, if applicable. This over the full five years. However, if the loan is paid off under the full five years, the rebate often is more advantageous. On the other hand, if the loan is paid off over the full five years, the rebate can often be more advantageous if placed in an interest bearing account. Unfortunately, with today's pathetic interest, this is really not material.

Number 3 depends highly on the disparate prices between gasoline and diesel. At this time, number 3 is generally correct. Over time, perhaps not.

Number 4 is difficult to assess. The actual total payments over five years for a purchase versus a lease of the same vehicle is often not significantly different, often less for the lease. For example a lease may cost $350 per month while the purchase costs $500. There is, of course, the residual value of the purchased vehicle which would account for this difference. The real difference is cost comes after year five, assuming the purchased vehicle is retained. However, part of that difference would be offset by the increased cost of maintenance.

The one generality which is correct is every purchaser is different, each having different goals, so there is never one clear path for everyone. A "the world is gray not black and white" thing.

Nice analysis. I don't think the original poster was stating that these assumptions were correct, just saying what his perceptions were. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer here, so I agree that it all depends on your individual situation.

graphicguy

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

I am reading a book Car by Mary Walton about the process in the Ford Company designing the 1996 Taurus. It's an interesting read after reading a book by Lutz earlier and one about Honda and their methods in the late 90s.

You mean they actually had a plan when they designed the 96 model? I thought those models weren't the nicest designed cars. I was starting my business then and I needed a wagon or SUV, so I test drove a Taurus and even though I had never had a really special car (pre bmw MB day) the Taurus wagon felt klunky.

I ended up getting a Jeep Cherokee Ltd and really liked my Jeep.

Everything on the inside and outside was oval shaped:


Even the wagon was all ovals:

That was my company car at the time they came out. Interesting. to say the least. Edgy at the time, but pretty mainstream the way it drove....not good, not bad, just what you'd expect from a car that was probably a result of too many focus groups when it came time to engineer the vehicle driving dynamics.

I don't remember it being troublesome except that the steering rack went bad the first year and was in the shop a week for a new one. Outside of that, just gas, tires, oil changes and brakes.

I drove it 70K miles (mostly for a weekly trip driving from Cincinnati to Chicago and Cleveland, sometimes Detroit). Turned it over to one of our sales guys who drove it another 50K miles. I don't recall him having much in the way of unexpected issues with it, either.

ray80

robr2 said:

We are expecting another 6+ inches this weekend. I am going camping so it'll be interesting.

Interesting indeed. I have been seeing mention of something potentially more interesting for Tuesday also

robr2

12 boy scouts and 5 adults will be tenting or building quinzees to sleep in. I will be in a tent as the thought of sleeping in a snow cave doesn't appeal to me. It is supposed to snow overnight on Saturday and then the expected low is -5F on Monday morning when we are coming home.

imidazol97

robr2 said:

12 boy scouts and 5 adults will be tenting or building quinzees to sleep in. I will be in a tent as the thought of sleeping in a snow cave doesn't appeal to me. It is supposed to snow overnight on Saturday and then the expected low is -5F on Monday morning when we are coming home.

You and the others have my undying respect.

My first ever camping in a tent at a father-son scout weekend it went down to 38 degrees. I thought I would die I was so cold. Got up to maybe 50 during the day. Scoutmaster kidded me about that for years taking pride that they had gotten me involved.

driver100

That was my company car at the time they came out. Interesting. to say the least. Edgy at the time, but pretty mainstream the way it drove....not good, not bad, just what you'd expect from a car that was probably a result of too many focus groups when it came time to engineer the vehicle driving dynamics.

I don't remember it being troublesome except that the steering rack went bad the first year and was in the shop a week for a new one. Outside of that, just gas, tires, oil changes and brakes.

I drove it 70K miles (mostly for a weekly trip driving from Cincinnati to Chicago and Cleveland, sometimes Detroit). Turned it over to one of our sales guys who drove it another 50K miles. I don't recall him having much in the way of unexpected issues with it, either.

GG, that's the thing...these cars were appliances, and that is all most people wanted from their cars at the time. The main thing was to decide how comfortable and luxurious you wanted your car to be. People considered horsepower and mileage....but, few expected entertainment value from their vehicles. Pretty good basic transportation....got you from A to B pretty reliably. Some people want more from their cars these days...and they can sure get it.

btw...I saw a nice newer Caddie today....but, it had a cloth/vinyl roor on it. Would have looked nice in the red pearl coat which really suits the car...but, it had a light tan colored roof:
(something like)

graphicguy

driver100 said:

That was my company car at the time they came out. Interesting. to say the least. Edgy at the time, but pretty mainstream the way it drove....not good, not bad, just what you'd expect from a car that was probably a result of too many focus groups when it came time to engineer the vehicle driving dynamics.

I don't remember it being troublesome except that the steering rack went bad the first year and was in the shop a week for a new one. Outside of that, just gas, tires, oil changes and brakes.

I drove it 70K miles (mostly for a weekly trip driving from Cincinnati to Chicago and Cleveland, sometimes Detroit). Turned it over to one of our sales guys who drove it another 50K miles. I don't recall him having much in the way of unexpected issues with it, either.

GG, that's the thing...these cars were appliances, and that is all most people wanted from their cars at the time. The main thing was to decide how comfortable and luxurious you wanted your car to be. People considered horsepower and mileage....but, few expected entertainment value from their vehicles. Pretty good basic transportation....got you from A to B pretty reliably. Some people want more from their cars these days...and they can sure get it.

btw...I saw a nice newer Caddie today....but, it had a cloth/vinyl roor on it. Would have looked nice in the red pearl coat which really suits the car...but, it had a light tan colored roof:
(something like)





I think it's going to take 2 or 3 more years for the vinyl top, gold emblem crowd to move away from the sport chassis, turbo motors, sport seats that is today's Cadillac. Eventually, they'll look elsewhere for the tolling couches they seek.

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

thebean said:

I actually had an excellent experience in a hospital last summer.  Prostate surgery and admittedly only 1 night in the hospital.  But everyone was very competent and cheerful without exception.  Doctor was one of the best in the nation in urology and I felt totally confident in him.  It was unlike any health care experience I have ever had - amazing how much better it was than prior surgeries.  This was a hospital that was part of large university medical school.  When health care is done right, it can make a huge difference.  I don't know why all hospitals couldn't be this good.

Mine was also at a large teaching hospital and I think that is one of the reasons I had some of the troubles I did. The student doctors did most of the work on me and being students they did not get everything right. I was told later that I was bleeding internally for weeks which went undiagnosed and, once that was discovered, the error was compounded when a chest tube was inserted incorrectly and damaged me internally. The result of all that was a loss of capacity in my left lung that I will need to live with for the rest of my life.

Hope you got a lawyer for that bit of malpractice.

My father had a serious stroke and while in the hospital they inserted a NG tube incorrectly and gave him pulmonic

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

driver100 said:

That was my company car at the time they came out. Interesting. to say the least. Edgy at the time, but pretty mainstream the way it drove....not good, not bad, just what you'd expect from a car that was probably a result of too many focus groups when it came time to engineer the vehicle driving dynamics.

I don't remember it being troublesome except that the steering rack went bad the first year and was in the shop a week for a new one. Outside of that, just gas, tires, oil changes and brakes.

I drove it 70K miles (mostly for a weekly trip driving from Cincinnati to Chicago and Cleveland, sometimes Detroit). Turned it over to one of our sales guys who drove it another 50K miles. I don't recall him having much in the way of unexpected issues with it, either.

GG, that's the thing...these cars were appliances, and that is all most people wanted from their cars at the time. The main thing was to decide how comfortable and luxurious you wanted your car to be. People considered horsepower and mileage....but, few expected entertainment value from their vehicles. Pretty good basic transportation....got you from A to B pretty reliably. Some people want more from their cars these days...and they can sure get it.

btw...I saw a nice newer Caddie today....but, it had a cloth/vinyl roor on it. Would have looked nice in the red pearl coat which really suits the car...but, it had a light tan colored roof:
(something like)





I think it's going to take 2 or 3 more years for the vinyl top, gold emblem crowd to move away from the sport chassis, turbo motors, sport seats that is today's Cadillac. Eventually, they'll look elsewhere for the tolling couches they seek.

graphicguy said:

driver100 said:

That was my company car at the time they came out. Interesting. to say the least. Edgy at the time, but pretty mainstream the way it drove....not good, not bad, just what you'd expect from a car that was probably a result of too many focus groups when it came time to engineer the vehicle driving dynamics.

I don't remember it being troublesome except that the steering rack went bad the first year and was in the shop a week for a new one. Outside of that, just gas, tires, oil changes and brakes.

I drove it 70K miles (mostly for a weekly trip driving from Cincinnati to Chicago and Cleveland, sometimes Detroit). Turned it over to one of our sales guys who drove it another 50K miles. I don't recall him having much in the way of unexpected issues with it, either.

GG, that's the thing...these cars were appliances, and that is all most people wanted from their cars at the time. The main thing was to decide how comfortable and luxurious you wanted your car to be. People considered horsepower and mileage....but, few expected entertainment value from their vehicles. Pretty good basic transportation....got you from A to B pretty reliably. Some people want more from their cars these days...and they can sure get it.

btw...I saw a nice newer Caddie today....but, it had a cloth/vinyl roor on it. Would have looked nice in the red pearl coat which really suits the car...but, it had a light tan colored roof:
(something like)





I think it's going to take 2 or 3 more years for the vinyl top, gold emblem crowd to move away from the sport chassis, turbo motors, sport seats that is today's Cadillac. Eventually, they'll look elsewhere for the tolling couches they seek.

They can just switch to Buicks

On the vinyl roof, they will exist as long as dealers can slap them on for a few hundred and then charge a few thousand ADM for a special package.

My BIL got a good deal on his new 2003 Altima because some dope at the dealer put a black vinyl roof on it and it sat on the lot forever. I could never bring myself to tell him how hideous it looks.

bwia

imidazol97 said:

When I saw this, I thought of our long suffering friends in the northeast with all the snows hitting
so close together this year.



May all the coming snow storms be little ones.

Thanks for thinking of us up here in Boston. My snow plow guy did not show up on Tuesday as expected and yesterday my LaCrosse was stuck in a snow bank in my driveway. Fortunately I was able to borrow my wife's Buick Encore SUV with 4WD. It too was stuck, but with some shoveling and spinning wheels I was able to escape the grasp of the snow, thanks to all-wheel drive Encore.

And speaking of SUVs, I am in the market for a medium size, near luxury SUV. Any recommendations? For the snow event(s) we are experiencing in Boston, the high riding position of an SUV is the way to go. At least you can see over and around the snow banks not to mention the 4-wheel drive capabilities.

In hindsight, the State's recent purchase of 400 police Ford SUV Interceptors are coming in handy. Don't know what brand they are but the interceptors really look handsome. Is a there a civilian version?

imidazol97

oldfarmer50 said:

Eventually, they'll look elsewhere for the tolling couches they

They can just switch to Buicks

I think you need to drive a few Buicks to see if that stereotype is true. It wasn't in the laCrosse and Regal I drove. The Verano might be considered softer by some but it's not a rolling couch. The Regal was much too taut for my tender rump. Maybe you meant to say Lexus or Camry?

abacomike

In the suburban Broward County city in which I live, the local police department has gone with Dodge Chargers as it replaces its Ford Police Interceptors.  They are a bit smaller, however they are much more fuel efficient

ray80

robr2 said:

12 boy scouts and 5 adults will be tenting or building quinzees to sleep in. I will be in a tent as the thought of sleeping in a snow cave doesn't appeal to me. It is supposed to snow overnight on Saturday and then the expected low is -5F on Monday morning when we are coming home.

Weathers looking a bit worse then it did this morning for this weekend. wouldn't be wanting to drive never-mind camp the way its trending.

explorerx4

@bwia, Ford police vehicles are based on the Explorer and Taurus. Since you seem to like Buicks, the Enclave could be a good choice for you.

stickguy

I consider the Enclave full size. but that might just be me.

If you want a foreign car, I can recommend the Acura RDX, if that is mid size enough for you. Or of course, the Sube Outback, the official car of New England.

explorerx4

@stickguy, I know you are from New Jersey, so a little geography lesson. New England extends beyond the state of Vermont.
I consider RDX small, Enclave medium, Suburban large.

driver100

abacomike said:

In the suburban Broward County city in which I live, the local police department has gone with Dodge Chargers as it replaces its Ford Police Interceptors.  They are a bit smaller, however they are much more fuel efficient

Dodge Chargers seems to be the car of choice for most police forces these days. That's the one that got me 3 years ago going 95 on I-75 in Tennessee. I see them all the time all over Florida and in most states and provinces I have been in. When I watch the news and there is a crime, there is usually a Charger at the scene.

When I see a Charger coming up from behind in my rear view mirrow I am extra careful until I can make sure it doesn't have black wheels and a big arial.

robr2

bwia said:

And speaking of SUVs, I am in the market for a medium size, near luxury SUV. Any recommendations? For the snow event(s) we are experiencing in Boston, the high riding position of an SUV is the way to go. At least you can see over and around the snow banks not to mention the 4-wheel drive capabilities.

In hindsight, the State's recent purchase of 400 police Ford SUV Interceptors are coming in handy. Don't know what brand they are but the interceptors really look handsome. Is a there a civilian version?

Google the 2016 Honda Pilot - it was introduced today in Chicago. The styling and goodies (LED lights, auto parking, 9 speed auto) all move it into the luxury category.

The Mass state police have pretty much standardized on the Ford Utility Interceptor. Based on the Explorer, it uses the 3.7L eco boost, heavy duty upgrades and deletes the 3rd seat.

nyccarguy

@bwia‌

Give us a little more to work with. What's your budget? Are you going to buy or lease? Are you open to CPO cars?

bwia

nyccarguy said:

@bwia‌

Give us a little more to work with. What's your budget? Are you going to buy or lease? Are you open to CPO cars?

I am looking for a brand new 2015/2016 stylish compact to medium sized five passenger all wheel drive SUV/CUV with saddle leather, premium sound system, no sun roof, with most the tech features (self-parking would be nice) for max budget of $40K. I would be buying rather than leasing as well as trading in my 2011 mint condition Lacrosse CXS with 28K miles.

My daughter has the 2015 Acura RDX and the ride is just too taught for me. The Enclave is just too darn big. I am looking for something that is quiet and rides like the Lexus RX 350 but drives and handles like a Mazda 6.

@rob2, thanks for the heads-up, I will do a little research on the 2016 Honda Pilot.
@diver100 post a pic of the Ford SUV interceptor--that vehicle raises the hair on the back of my neck and it just seems perfect for police work.

bwia

Just looked at a video for the Honda Pilot, it looks nice, but it has three row seating--a deal breaker. Just too much real estate for an empty nester like me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYxY2gx7YNw

driver100

diver100 post a pic of the Ford SUV interceptor--that vehicle raises the hair on the back of my neck and it just seems perfect for police work.

Looks like one mean machine:


I liked the heading too:

The Redesigned Ford Police Interceptor Utility Is Here to Haul Stuff—TO JAIL

robr2

2 row wasn't in your first post. I'd look at the Lincoln MKX or the new Ford Edge if the Lincoln is out of your price range. The Volvo XC60 would be an option.

Here is a Mass State Police Utility Interceptor:



This Charger was always extra scary as the plate number matches the vehicle id number on the side.

ab348

driver100 said:

Dodge Chargers seems to be the car of choice for most police forces these days. That's the one that got me 3 years ago going 95 on I-75 in Tennessee. I see them all the time all over Florida and in most states and provinces I have been in. When I watch the news and there is a crime, there is usually a Charger at the scene.

Up here the police are replacing their Crown Vics with other Ford products, either AWD Ford Taurii sedans or police package Explorers. Apparently they did evaluations of them versus Chargers and the Chevy offering and the Fords came out the highest.

graphicguy

Not in the market, but I kind of like that new Pilot.

BWIA...what about the CR-V?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-T0zG3D4gU

robr2

New Mercedes/Sprinter dealership had their grand opening party last night. When it was proposed, the planning board was presented with the typical modern looking building. They asked for and got some "colonial" accents in order to approve the project - stone wall, brick and pediments, brick driveway, traditional lamp posts. The owner (from Ohio) used to work for Herb Chambers - the biggest dealer group in New England. It will be interesting to see the tension if any.

No used car car lineup along the road and the dealership has said they will only keep MB used cars.

Amenities include valet pickup and drop off, a nail bar, an MB boutique, an espresso bar and a "genius" bar so guys like driver can go in and learn how to use his car.

Here it was a few weeks ago:

fezo

Bless me, Father for I have sinned........ We tested out a Prius yesterday and actually liked it quite a bit. Now this isn't taking the place of my Mazda but my daughter's 15 year old Accord is in its death throes and Toyota is checking out the 07 Camry for a know oil consumption issue. If that is fixed we may pass down the Camry and pick up a CPO Prius. For what my wife does it's fine and neither of us have ever considered it ugly.

What entertainment I get from handling on the Mazda I can transfer into seeing how man miles I can squeeze out of a gallon of gas. On the 12 mile test run undre several conditions we clocked 49.3.

houdini1

Bwia, you almost perfectly described the brand new Lexus NX. A somewhat smaller RX with sharper handling, sharper styling and under $40,000. with all the bells and whistles.

oldfarmer50

fezo said:

Bless me, Father for I have sinned........ We tested out a Prius yesterday and actually liked it quite a bit. Now this isn't taking the place of my Mazda but my daughter's 15 year old Accord is in its death throes and Toyota is checking out the 07 Camry for a know oil consumption issue. If that is fixed we may pass down the Camry and pick up a CPO Prius. For what my wife does it's fine and neither of us have ever considered it ugly.

What entertainment I get from handling on the Mazda I can transfer into seeing how man miles I can squeeze out of a gallon of gas. On the 12 mile test run undre several conditions we clocked 49.3.

Smart move. People are dumping their fuel efficient cars for big boats now as if gas prices will never go back up. There should be deals aplenty on cars like the Prius. Keep it a few years and then sell it for more than you paid when the trend reverses.

stickguy

If an RDX is too small fir BWIA, the nx will be way too small.

B, of your options, you might have to be flexible on the moonroof. Not that any vehicle exists that is close to meeting your list!

I thought if the edge too. A higher line 2.0t is pretty loaded, very roomy, and drives nice. The XC60 I also found to be sweet and a nice size.

If you don't mind the styling, look at a Murano. Or a Hyundai Santa Fe. Good value and many features.

stever

There was a Prius IV with the solar roof for sale on the busy corner entering our subdivision the other day. It was a 2010 with 22,5000 miles on it, and $22,500 was also the asking price (MSRP per the Monroney they had taped to the windshield was a bit over $31,000).

It was only parked there an afternoon so maybe someone paid way over book for it, even though gas is still running under $2.20 here.

robr2

stickguy said:

If you don't mind the styling, look at a Murano. Or a Hyundai Santa Fe. Good value and many features.

The Murano has really gone upscale - it's an RX competitor now.

isellhondas

bwia said:

Just looked at a video for the Honda Pilot, it looks nice, but it has three row seating--a deal breaker. Just too much real estate for an empty nester like me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYxY2gx7YNw

So, just don't use the third row of seats!

It looks like they took a CRV and made it a lot bigger.

laurasdada

robr2 said:

New Mercedes/Sprinter dealership had their grand opening party last night. When it was proposed, the planning board was presented with the typical modern looking building. They asked for and got some "colonial" accents in order to approve the project - stone wall, brick and pediments, brick driveway, traditional lamp posts. The owner (from Ohio) used to work for Herb Chambers - the biggest dealer group in New England. It will be interesting to see the tension if any.

Hi, Rob:

I'm heading to Sunday River with son (after State swim meet at MIT) Sunday for a couple of days of skiing. This is why we live in New England, to take advantage of all that the seasons have to offer. Snow, it's not just for shoveling! Good luck to both of us with our travels and outdoor endeavors! Hope we can get to Sunday River and lifts remain open...

Where is the new MB dealer? All three of our cars are from Herb, I feel good knowing I'm helping send a poor billionaire's kids to college...

robr2

laurasdada said:

Hi, Rob:

I'm heading to Sunday River with son (after State swim meet at MIT) Sunday for a couple of days of skiing. This is why we live in New England, to take advantage of all that the seasons have to offer. Snow, it's not just for shoveling! Good luck to both of us with our travels and outdoor endeavors! Hope we can get to Sunday River and lifts remain open...

Where is the new MB dealer? All three of our cars are from Herb, I feel good knowing I'm helping send a poor billionaire's kids to college...

The new Mercedes dealer is in Burlington just up the street from Herb's Porsche/Audi store. I was surprised that MB gave the store to an out of state dealer. I'm guessing that Herb and Prime already had 3 MB stores and they didn't want to give either more influence/control.

Sunday River is a haul and it's usually cold. Enjoy. We just cancelled our camping trip for this weekend. Going camping in zero degree temps with a blizzard warning just isn't the safe thing to do. Although we have good gear and winter camping training, cancelling is the right call.

ab348

I'm not sure if the owner having previously worked for Herb Chambers is a good thing or a sign to stay away.