Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

fezo

It could handle that though you'd want to use power mode to get up there. The Mazda it's not but it gets better than twice the mileage of the Mazda and is a very entertaining car in its own way. Was glad I picked up a 4 - for the JBL stereo alone... Went to my brother's yesterday and stayed over nearby. Two hours each way. Quiet, great sound and the gas gauge has barely budged.

jayrider

fezo said:

My blowout was on the left back wheel. Costco is covering it no charge.

The local Toyota dealer confirmed that the Camry flunked the oil test. This is good. It mean it will get fixed on Toyota's dime. Tight now the service department reports they don't even have what the fix is let alone the parts to do it. I'll have to call Toyota. Meanwhile we can run it - just check oil weekly.

Meanwhile today I got pulled over doing 62 in a 40 zone - with the Prius.! No ticket, just a "slow down," which I did until I knew he was gone...

Good thing you weren't wearing Birkenstock's or there would have been no warning.

driver100

jayrider said:

fezo said:

My blowout was on the left back wheel. Costco is covering it no charge.

The local Toyota dealer confirmed that the Camry flunked the oil test. This is good. It mean it will get fixed on Toyota's dime. Tight now the service department reports they don't even have what the fix is let alone the parts to do it. I'll have to call Toyota. Meanwhile we can run it - just check oil weekly.

Meanwhile today I got pulled over doing 62 in a 40 zone - with the Prius.! No ticket, just a "slow down," which I did until I knew he was gone...

Good thing you weren't wearing Birkenstock's or there would have been no warning.

Birkenstocks with socks is even worse - a fashion faux pas!!!!!

cdnpinhead

driver100 said:

Birkenstocks with socks is even worse - a fashion faux pas!!!!!

Over here, maybe; not so much where they originated.

graphicguy

fezo said:

My blowout was on the left back wheel. Costco is covering it no charge.

The local Toyota dealer confirmed that the Camry flunked the oil test. This is good. It mean it will get fixed on Toyota's dime. Tight now the service department reports they don't even have what the fix is let alone the parts to do it. I'll have to call Toyota. Meanwhile we can run it - just check oil weekly.

Meanwhile today I got pulled over doing 62 in a 40 zone - with the Prius.! No ticket, just a "slow down," which I did until I knew he was gone...

Meanwhile today I got pulled over doing 62 in a 40 zone - with the Prius.!

Fezo.....the irony in that just made my day.

nyccarguy

Hey guys. I don't want to post the link because the comic curses, but if you search Joe Currie on You Tube, there is a set "6 minutes with me" that I think many of you will find funny. The bit is about 6 years old, but has to do with cars and driving. The comic is someone I do business with.

thebean

thebean said:

@oldfarmer50 said:
Larry,

When you actually buy your car come back and tell us all about it.

I will do that. It's a promise. It could be a while before I make up my mind, but I will sure report back when I do.

Larry C

Keeping my word:

2,000 mile report on my 2015 Accord EX:
Background - I was considering a 2014.5 Camry, a 2015 Outback, a 2015 RDX, and the 2015 Accord EX (all 4 bangers except for the RDX) to replace a 2002 Civic EX. Ultimately I went with the Accord (bought in December) after much anguish and research (most of it on Edmunds boards - thanks to all that responded to my questions back in the summer). My final two were the RDX and Accord, and the Accord features and gas mileage won me over. The Accord just passed the 2K mileage mark, and has been much as I expected it would be. Mileage has been a solid 30 mpg, with a 65/35 highway/city driving ratio. I was impressed with the LaneWatch feature, and it has not disappointed - it will be a must-have on cars for me in the future. I use the backup camera much more than I thought I would. I didn't get leather because I am not hard on interiors (my Civic cloth interior still looked great) and I am happy with that choice. The EX cloth is much more attractive than the LX cloth, I thought. The EX rode better than the LX on my test drives which is probably a function of the larger tires. No rattles in the car so far, which is impressive considering the amount of rough roads I have had to subject it to.

The 4 banger, while a little bit buzzy (not a surprise), provides all of the power I need. I am impressed with the acceleration, especially in the 30 to 60 mph range needed to merge onto the highway. I was very wary of the CVT (hate driving a manual in Dallas rush hour traffic), but so far it has been a non-issue. No vibration of any sort that I can feel, and I forget that it's not a conventional automatic trannie. The Accord does not have the smoothest ride (which, of the cars I drove, was the Camry), but it does have good handling in the curves and is pretty confidence inspiring. I suspect the handling will get better when I replace the Goodyear tires with Michelin or Pirelli tires. Recently, we had snow and ice here in Dallas, and the Accord acquitted itself superbly. No issues at all sliding or fishtailing in the snow and slush. It just pulled through with no drama. The only issue was avoiding several Mercedes drivers who were sliding all over the road after they tried to accelerate like they were on a dry road.

The one area I am a bit disappointed in are the front seats. They are not as wide as either the seats on my Civic or my wife's Lexus ES300. I have to maneuver around a bit to get the seat belt fastened, and I do not have a big butt. I am somewhat large - 6', 225 lbs, and these seats are about an inch too narrow for me. Not a huge deal, and something that I didn't even notice on my test drives. The seats are comfortable enough for me so far (except for the width), and I will get to put them to the test with two long driving vacations this year. The trunk is bigger than the Lexus trunk, and it should have no problem swallowing enough luggage for a 3 week trip.

Overall, I am very happy with my choice and if I had to do it again, I would make the same choice. I loved the Outback, but with it being a new design (I do not buy cars in their first year of production after introduction or restyle) I was very wary of quality issues. Plus, I am not convinced they have fixed their head gasket issues on their boxer 4's. The RDX would have been my first SUV, and if it had a LaneWatch feature, I might be driving it today, even with the anecdotal stories about the VCM vibrations and the lower gas mileage. I value reliability above all in a car, so that influenced my choice of the Accord over all the others. I hope to drive it for 10-15 years.

Larry C

driver100

thebean said:

thebean said:

@oldfarmer50 said:
Larry,

When you actually buy your car come back and tell us all about it.

I will do that. It's a promise. It could be a while before I make up my mind, but I will sure report back when I do.

Larry C

2,000 mile report on my 2015 Accord EX:
I value reliability above all in a car, so that influenced my choice of the Accord over all the others. I hope to drive it for 10-15 years.

Larry C





If you value reliability above all else you probably made the best choice possible. Thanks for the report, enjoyed reading your comments.

The Florida Passat has only 5000 miles on it in two years, so it could last 20 years at this rate. If it has any major problems then an Accord and Suburu would be at the top of my list of choices.

driver100

graphicguy said:

fezo said:

My blowout was on the left back wheel. Costco is covering it no charge.

The local Toyota dealer confirmed that the Camry flunked the oil test. This is good. It mean it will get fixed on Toyota's dime. Tight now the service department reports they don't even have what the fix is let alone the parts to do it. I'll have to call Toyota. Meanwhile we can run it - just check oil weekly.

Meanwhile today I got pulled over doing 62 in a 40 zone - with the Prius.! No ticket, just a "slow down," which I did until I knew he was gone...

Meanwhile today I got pulled over doing 62 in a 40 zone - with the Prius.!

Fezo.....the irony in that just made my day.

Yeh saving the environment with a hybrid and then using all that extra energy to speed...talk about an oxymoron (so to speak)

driver100

cdnpinhead said:

driver100 said:

Birkenstocks with socks is even worse - a fashion faux pas!!!!!

Over here, maybe; not so much where they originated.

In Europe they do it...and think nothing of it. Here, not so much....I think in Florida they won't allow you to enter the state if you wear socks with Birkenstocks.

stever

driver100 said:

Yeh saving the environment with a hybrid and then using all that extra energy to speed...talk about an oxymoron (so to speak)

The other thing you do is drive twice as much since it's "free".

From the PR office:

If you or your child recently took a driver's education course online, please email PR@edmunds.com by Friday, March 13, 2015 to tell a reporter what it was like.

driver100

Another train carrying oil derails.


* a 103-car train loaded with crude oil was on fire outside the town of Galena, Illinois.

*Another oil train was on fire in northern Ontario, the third accident in the area in less than a month.

*And officials in West Virginia were continuing to clean up from a massive explosion in a train carrying oil from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota.

It makes no sense to have trains carrying oil, when a pipeline can do it safer. Even Warren Buffet who profits handsomely from the diversion of oil from pipelines to rail, criticized the president for blocking the Keystone, suggesting it was short-sighted and an insult to Canada. “I would have passed Keystone,” he said last week in an interview with CNBC.

*Oil shipments in 2014 were 52 times greater than six years earlier, growing to almost 500,000 carloads a day from 9,500 in 2008

FULL STORY

driver100

stever said:

driver100 said:

Yeh saving the environment with a hybrid and then using all that extra energy to speed...talk about an oxymoron (so to speak)

The other thing you do is drive twice as much since it's "free".

From the PR office:

If you or your child recently took a driver's education course online, please email PR@edmunds.com by Friday, March 13, 2015 to tell a reporter what it was like.

Someday a reporter will want to know if you have had a bad experience with your Audi A4.....I'm just waiting, direct them to me personally Stever.

stever

LOL, you never know @driver100....

(and this was three days ago. Wiki apparently can't keep up. What's really funny is that we carry this stuff around in our cars).

fezo

Actually at 62 it was still pulling 50 mpg. Getting up to speed takes a little but once you're their it's a piece of cake.

driver100

fezo said:

Actually at 62 it was still pulling 50 mpg. Getting up to speed takes a little but once you're their it's a piece of cake.

Yeh but, if you are going to become a tree hugger you have to slow down - it doesn't go with the image.

It's like the people who have those Drive Carefully, Baby on Board signs, who go speeding by you and cut you off.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

Yeh but, if you are going to become a tree hugger you have to slow down - it doesn't go with the image.

It's like the people who have those Drive Carefully, Baby on Board signs, who go speeding by you and cut you off.

Or the hybrids go by you at 20 mph over the limit while they're conserving gasoline by using a hybrid which doesn't do as well at 80 mph as it does at 65 mileagewise.

Or they have an economy car (Civics come to mind) and they are drafting me because I'm going 62 in the right lane in a 65 or 70 mph interstate my my leSabre getting 33-35 mph and they're upping their mileage from 35 to 45 by tailgating me.

jayrider

fezo said:

Actually at 62 it was still pulling 50 mpg. Getting up to speed takes a little but once you're their it's a piece of cake.

About a year ago, I caught a BMW 3 Series by surprise -- pushed the Power button and smoked him on an entrance ramp. I have no problem whipping in and out of traffic -- it really doesn't feel that sluggish.

abacomike

I had a late morning appointment with my pulmonary doctor this morning to check my lungs over (said I was doing fine after an episode last Thursday of some breathing problems I had).  It was close to lunchtime so we both left his office together and walked to the elevator.

As we left the building, he saw me getting ready to get into my car and asked if I liked the new E400.  I responded that it was a great car and I enjoyed it immensely but my favorite car is the Rolls Royce Ghost.  He said to follow him to the physicians parking lot and he pointed to his new car - a 2014 Ghost Sedan in dark Tan with a Flaxen interior.  It was gorgeous and I told him so.  He let me drive it around the block and I have to admit that I was truly overwhelmed.  The car felt like it weighed 3 tons, but very responsive and the ride and handling was magnificent.  Definitely not something I'll ever own.

I guess physicians can lease these cars through their practice - his lease is for 24 months and his monthly payment is more than what I get from my pension each month.

The moral of this story is - "...if you've got it, flaunt it!" (I GUESS?)

carnaught

I think that's what Rev. Run (Joseph Simmons), the hip-hop star drives. Didn't think doctors could afford them.

nyccarguy

@abacomike‌

I know someone who is a podiatrist down in FLA. He's my age and once told me about doctors and their cars. There is something in the tax law that let's them write off their cars because as doctors (surgeons specifically), they are ALWAYS on call. So I'm not sure if the practice pays for it or he pays for it and can write it off 100%... But rest assured that he doesn't pay for it out of pocket.

carnaught

nyccarguy said:

@abacomike‌

I know someone who is a podiatrist down in FLA. He's my age and once told me about doctors and their cars. There is something in the tax law that let's them write off their cars because as doctors (surgeons specifically), they are ALWAYS on call. So I'm not sure if the practice pays for it or he pays for it and can write it off 100%... But rest assured that he doesn't pay for it out of pocket.

I'm not a CPA but I think a doc. would not have a problem writing-off a high end car like a Jag., Bimmer, Porsche, etc. but a RR is in another stratosphere, and might alert the IRS gouls. More docs. I would think would be driving the uber high-end cars otherwise. A Panamera could transport one in for an emergency gallbladder certainly as well as a RR Ghost. Now, pro sports players, actors, rock stars or the Kardashians NEED the uber high-end cars and can afford them.

fezo

I gotta get another doctor...

Enough on what we're "allowed" to do in hybrids. We're all individuals, not "those people."

In the last single digit temperature few days the Prius got 41 mpg with me doing about half the driving. Now that all the cars are back and ok I expect that my wife will drive it most of the time which will likely improve the mileage.

abacomike

fezo said:

I gotta get another doctor... Enough on what we're "allowed" to do in hybrids. We're all individuals, not "those people." In the last single digit temperature few days the Prius got 41 mpg with me doing about half the driving. Now that all the cars are back and ok I expect that my wife will drive it most of the time which will likely improve the mileage.

If my car started getting 41 mpg, I'd have to make sure I wasn't headed down from the summit at Mt. Everest!!!

explorerx4

My sister's Prius got 33 mpg in winter. Much better in warmer weather.

fezo

I've heard that about the weather difference. One more reason to eagerly anticipate better weather.

imidazol97

Richard says a big "Hello" to all of us here on BSCPYE. He thinks of us
and is very busy with his hands into several things keeping him busy. He
is thankful for the good health to be able to be involved in several things
for his community.

He's enjoying his F150 a lot. Everytime I see a red F150 I think of
Richard and his truck purchase.

cdnpinhead

Thanks for the update. I was wondering. He was one of my favorite frequent posters. Sorry he can't carve out some time to keep us up to date.

robr2

nyccarguy said:

@abacomike‌

I know someone who is a podiatrist down in FLA. He's my age and once told me about doctors and their cars. There is something in the tax law that let's them write off their cars because as doctors (surgeons specifically), they are ALWAYS on call. So I'm not sure if the practice pays for it or he pays for it and can write it off 100%... But rest assured that he doesn't pay for it out of pocket.

Most doctors are part of practices which are set up as corporations (professional associations). Just like any business, they can write off expenses including a car, the office, phones, et al.

graphicguy

imid....thanks for the update on Richard. Please send him my kind regards when you contact him again.

Docs and RRs....the only one I ever saw around these parts was owned by the late Carl Lindner, who at the time owned the Cincinnati Reds, Penn Central Rail Road, Great American Insurance and Chiquita (yes, the banana company). His is a great American success story. He only went to the 8th grade, and I'm undertain if he even finished the 8th. The rest was done with hard work and an overwhelming desire to succeed.

His was a convertible, though. Whenever I saw it, it reminded me of a hip hop mogul, except he was in his 80s driving it around the last time I saw him driving it.

My GP and I talk about cars all the time. I bought my first TL after seeing his ('05-ish?). He just bought a CTS after seeing mine. We have similar tatstes.

abacomike

My Primary Care Physician just got a black S550 with beige interior.  He loves it.  I help him get a good deal.  It replaced his 2012.  He is a true car lover/nut.

Michaell

And my PCP asked me about leasing an Audi, once he found out I moonlighted for Edmunds. Not sure which model he ended up with ... he was looking at both the A6 and the A7.

nyccarguy

A few years ago I get a call from my dentist. He's looking to part ways with his 2002 A4 3.0Q after 10 years and only 40 something thousand miles. He asked me about the new Q5 and the X3 he drove. He said he loved how fast the x3 (35i) was, but felt the Audi drove smoother and was less jittery. It was just funny, having a personal conversation on the phone with my dentist about cars for about 45 minutes:)

roadburner

My doctor is a true gearhead- Shelby GT500, Shelby GT350, and a Victory 8 Ball- plus he is building a Factory Five MK4(Cobra) Roadster. He also just ordered a new Z06.

fezo

I can see why he's your doctor.

nyccarguy

I'm not sure what it is, but I find myself interested and more open to different makes & models than I have gravitated to in the past. I used to be completely gung ho towards Honda/Acura & BMW. Not so much anymore.

qbrozen

explorerx4 said:

My sister's Prius got 33 mpg in winter. Much better in warmer weather.

wow. I'm beating that with my Fit in sub-freezing temps with me revving the snot out of it.

fezo

Yeah, 33 would upset me. She can get that on the Camry at times - highway, speed limit.

driver100

fezo said:

Yeah, 33 would upset me. She can get that on the Camry at times - highway, speed limit.

Drove 3 hours round trip to Leesburg and back today. I saw lots of Prius's....I had no idea there were that many around. Maybe since they look the same over the years it seems there are more than there are! Maybe they last longer than other cars. Maybe people who own them really look after them.

carnaught

Someone with a best recorded highway mpg on a Fit, for example, is never going to beat the all around average on a Prius, however.

driver100

fezo said:

Yeah, 33 would upset me. She can get that on the Camry at times - highway, speed limit.

I got 33 mpg in an E400 today....avg speed 75 mph. Miixed is 27, not bad considering 330 hp and 4400 pounds.

thebean

driver100 said:

I got 33 mpg in an E400 today....avg speed 75 mph. Miixed is 27, not bad considering 330 hp and 4400 pounds.

That's pretty strong for such a heavy car.  Sweet!!

driver100

thebean said:

driver100 said:

I got 33 mpg in an E400 today....avg speed 75 mph. Miixed is 27, not bad considering 330 hp and 4400 pounds.

That's pretty strong for such a heavy car.  Sweet!!

Highway mpg: 2004 bmw X3 22, 2008 bmw convertible 26, 2012 bmw 535 27, 2015 MB E400 33.

Now I don't feel guilty, I have increased my gas mileage by over 30% in about 10 years. No wonder there's a glut on the market!

fezo

Not all Prii look alike. This is at least the second generation. Yes, there are a lot of them.

driver100

fezo said:

Not all Prii look alike. This is at least the second generation. Yes, there are a lot of them.

Nice little article on why the Prius has been so successful.

Why has the Prius been so Successful?

qbrozen

carnaught said:

Someone with a best recorded highway mpg on a Fit, for example, is never going to beat the all around average on a Prius, however.

Except, in this one instance, my mixed driving in my Fit (35mpg in the recent cold and snowy weather) handily beats the mixed driving in that one Prius sampling mentioned above. Certainly not common, I would hope.

As an aside, I'd like to note that I get better mileage around town in my Fit than on the highway.

fezo

I remember doing 40 mpg trips in my 85 Sentra. That was a pleasant surprise.

bwia

driver100 said:

thebean said:

driver100 said:

I got 33 mpg in an E400 today....avg speed 75 mph. Miixed is 27, not bad considering 330 hp and 4400 pounds.

That's pretty strong for such a heavy car.  Sweet!!

Highway mpg: 2004 bmw X3 22, 2008 bmw convertible 26, 2012 bmw 535 27, 2015 MB E400 33.

Now I don't feel guilty, I have increased my gas mileage by over 30% in about 10 years. No wonder there's a glut on the market!


Actually your MPG increased by 50% in the 10-year period. Wow! that is amazing.

jayrider

fezo said:

I remember doing 40 mpg trips in my 85 Sentra. That was a pleasant surprise.

I remember getting 25 MPG on the highway with my 1971 Impala -- 350 V8 - A/C blowing.

driver100

bwia said:

driver100 said:

thebean said:

driver100 said:

I got 33 mpg in an E400 today....avg speed 75 mph. Miixed is 27, not bad considering 330 hp and 4400 pounds.

That's pretty strong for such a heavy car.  Sweet!!

Highway mpg: 2004 bmw X3 22, 2008 bmw convertible 26, 2012 bmw 535 27, 2015 MB E400 33.

Now I don't feel guilty, I have increased my gas mileage by over 30% in about 10 years. No wonder there's a glut on the market!

Actually your MPG increased by 50% in the 10-year period. Wow! that is amazing.

Yeh, amazing my math is so bad!