Since it's so quiet in here today I thought I'd post a few fun pics as a diversion. Last week the FB page "Asphalt Anthropology" posted 43 pics of the car cruising scene that existed on Van Nuys Blvd in 1972. They were a wonderful picture of Southern California in that moment in time. Here are a few favorites:
Happy Thanksgiving, eh! From a US employee of a Canadian company enjoying the quiet today. No meetings!
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
Well today being Leif landed first day we had the day off and took the BMW on the first long trip as we went to Galena.
Car drove great, got a little over 32 MPG with a mix of Interstate highway and rural back roads (maybe a 50/50 mix) and some driving in the Galena area. The car did well on the hills once we got into the driftless region keeping speed on the ascents effortlessly. Leaving Galena we took the top down, it was in the low 50s but with the heated seats and the neck warmers we were warm. Although we did put it back up before we got back on the interstate.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Well today being Leif landed first day we had the day off and took the BMW on the first long trip as we went to Galena.
Car drove great, got a little over 32 MPG with a mix of Interstate highway and rural back roads (maybe a 50/50 mix) and some driving in the Galena area. The car did well on the hills once we got into the driftless region keeping speed on the ascents effortlessly. Leaving Galena we took the top down, it was in the low 50s but with the heated seats and the neck warmers we were warm. Although we did put it back up before we got back on the interstate.
So, is driving a BMW a unique experience? It would be a shame to go through life and never experience driving one or something similar.
I like that town.....some towns look really nice when they modernize those old classic buildings.
Ab....cool pictures. I am tempted to look into the Camaro for $2000 too. I like that .....is it a Buick (maybe Riviera) or Oldsmobile in front of the barber shop, hardware store in the picture below the Camaro. Oh, and even better, a 57 T-Bird second from the end, it doesn't get much better than that.
We went to Maryland over the weekend and took the Ascent. About 375 miles round trip. Comfortable for 5 people and luggage. It is more powerful than I thought it would be. No problems at all. Not Roadburner fast by any means, but it gets the job done.
When we take my 6 cylinder Legacy we can get there and back with gas left over. With the 4 cylinder, turbocharged Ascent we stopped for gas - not sure if we needed it, but felt better.
Here's the interior for those who don't like black interiors:
And a quickie of the dash I took while hauling stuff into the house:
We went to Maryland over the weekend and took the Ascent. About 375 miles round trip. Comfortable for 5 people and luggage. It is more powerful than I thought it would be. No problems at all. Not Roadburner fast by any means, but it gets the job done.
When we take my 6 cylinder Legacy we can get there and back with gas left over. With the 4 cylinder, turbocharged Ascent we stopped for gas - not sure if we needed it, but felt better.
Here's the interior for those who don't like black interiors:
And a quickie of the dash I took while hauling stuff into the house:
We went to Maryland over the weekend and took the Ascent. About 375 miles round trip. Comfortable for 5 people and luggage. It is more powerful than I thought it would be. No problems at all. Not Roadburner fast by any means, but it gets the job done.
When we take my 6 cylinder Legacy we can get there and back with gas left over. With the 4 cylinder, turbocharged Ascent we stopped for gas - not sure if we needed it, but felt better.
Here's the interior for those who don't like black interiors:
And a quickie of the dash I took while hauling stuff into the house:
That interior is a relief to the eyes.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
sharp looking car. Love the seats. When we sat in the Outback a few weeks ago it was a limited and had them. Very comfy.
The Ascent seats look really nice....nice instrument panel. Seems to me we looked at Foresters when we bought the 2013 Passat and they were pretty minimal....drab inside. When are you going to replace the dealer's paper floor mats? Do you or anyone bother with Weather Tech or anything like that? I just use what comes with the car....sometimes rubber, sometimes carpet. I kind of prefer rubber, don't have to worry about it.
Well today being Leif landed first day we had the day off and took the BMW on the first long trip as we went to Galena.
Car drove great, got a little over 32 MPG with a mix of Interstate highway and rural back roads (maybe a 50/50 mix) and some driving in the Galena area. The car did well on the hills once we got into the driftless region keeping speed on the ascents effortlessly. Leaving Galena we took the top down, it was in the low 50s but with the heated seats and the neck warmers we were warm. Although we did put it back up before we got back on the interstate.
So, is driving a BMW a unique experience? It would be a shame to go through life and never experience driving one or something similar.
I like that town.....some towns look really nice when they modernize those old classic buildings.
No not really a unique experience, I've driven a lot of cars of which many were well made higher end vehicles and this one doesn't really stand out. Now dont get me wrong it's really nice and beats out my other cars but new it costs twice as much as the Sonata and then some. I dont think I would spend the bucks for one brand new.
Galena is a lovely little town in the far northwest of Illinois, much of the town looks like it did 150 or more years ago. Even many of the homes near the business district maintain a distinctive look of years gone by.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I find a BMW is unique, performance and handling are probably better than any other mainstream car. It is made right. In our case, as we got a little older, we want a bit more comfort and handling/performance are less important. I do miss the handling of a BMW, but, comfort has become more important to me these days.
@venture - those seats in your Ascent look incredibly comfortable and supportive. Do those come in black?
Does the Ascent have the same size gas tank as your Legacy? One of my legacy’s good qualities was the fact that it could regularly go 420 miles between fill ups. I pushed it to over 500 miles once, but then ran out of gas.
The 4cyl Turbo efficiency of the Ascent will only get you so far. I’m sure like our Pilot and my Tacoma, the weight comes in to play. Especially when you compare it to your Legacy.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
We went to Maryland over the weekend and took the Ascent. About 375 miles round trip. Comfortable for 5 people and luggage. It is more powerful than I thought it would be. No problems at all. Not Roadburner fast by any means, but it gets the job done.
When we take my 6 cylinder Legacy we can get there and back with gas left over. With the 4 cylinder, turbocharged Ascent we stopped for gas - not sure if we needed it, but felt better.
Here's the interior for those who don't like black interiors:
And a quickie of the dash I took while hauling stuff into the house:
What color is the dash. It looks like it has a blue tone on my screen. I like the neutral seats and I love the dash if is a blue based color.
sharp looking car. Love the seats. When we sat in the Outback a few weeks ago it was a limited and had them. Very comfy.
The Ascent seats look really nice....nice instrument panel. Seems to me we looked at Foresters when we bought the 2013 Passat and they were pretty minimal....drab inside. When are you going to replace the dealer's paper floor mats? Do you or anyone bother with Weather Tech or anything like that? I just use what comes with the car....sometimes rubber, sometimes carpet. I kind of prefer rubber, don't have to worry about it.
Actually there are all-weathger mats under the paper ones. I asked my wife if I could take out the paper ones before the trip and I just got glared at. The carpeted ones are in the garage on a shelf.
sharp looking car. Love the seats. When we sat in the Outback a few weeks ago it was a limited and had them. Very comfy.
The Ascent seats look really nice....nice instrument panel. Seems to me we looked at Foresters when we bought the 2013 Passat and they were pretty minimal....drab inside. When are you going to replace the dealer's paper floor mats? Do you or anyone bother with Weather Tech or anything like that? I just use what comes with the car....sometimes rubber, sometimes carpet. I kind of prefer rubber, don't have to worry about it.
Actually there are all-weathger mats under the paper ones. I asked my wife if I could take out the paper ones before the trip and I just got glared at. The carpeted ones are in the garage on a shelf.
Speaking of which, it may be time to swap out the carpet mats for the all-season mats in the Outback. Had our first snow last week.
@venture - those seats in your Ascent look incredibly comfortable and supportive. Do those come in black?
Does the Ascent have the same size gas tank as your Legacy? One of my legacy’s good qualities was the fact that it could regularly go 420 miles between fill ups. I pushed it to over 500 miles once, but then ran out of gas.
The 4cyl Turbo efficiency of the Ascent will only get you so far. I’m sure like our Pilot and my Tacoma, the weight comes in to play. Especially when you compare it to your Legacy.
They do come in black...black and ivory.
I don't know what size the gas tanks are. Fuel mileage isn't my thing. I don't think I can get 420, I don't know. Mine is the 3.6 liter six cylinder.
Yeah, the Ascent starts to run out of pull at 80 mph. It will keep going, but it doesn't seem to like it.
We went to Maryland over the weekend and took the Ascent. About 375 miles round trip. Comfortable for 5 people and luggage. It is more powerful than I thought it would be. No problems at all. Not Roadburner fast by any means, but it gets the job done.
When we take my 6 cylinder Legacy we can get there and back with gas left over. With the 4 cylinder, turbocharged Ascent we stopped for gas - not sure if we needed it, but felt better.
Here's the interior for those who don't like black interiors:
And a quickie of the dash I took while hauling stuff into the house:
What color is the dash. It looks like it has a blue tone on my screen. I like the neutral seats and I love the dash if is a blue based color.
It's actually gray. The sun was blasting through the windshield when I took the pictures. It was sitting in the driveway.
sharp looking car. Love the seats. When we sat in the Outback a few weeks ago it was a limited and had them. Very comfy.
The Ascent seats look really nice....nice instrument panel. Seems to me we looked at Foresters when we bought the 2013 Passat and they were pretty minimal....drab inside. When are you going to replace the dealer's paper floor mats? Do you or anyone bother with Weather Tech or anything like that? I just use what comes with the car....sometimes rubber, sometimes carpet. I kind of prefer rubber, don't have to worry about it.
Actually there are all-weathger mats under the paper ones. I asked my wife if I could take out the paper ones before the trip and I just got glared at. The carpeted ones are in the garage on a shelf.
Thats what I do...use the rubber mats, save the carpet ones in pristine condition....if I can remember where I put them.
The UPS my desktop went kerflooey when I was working with it. Had to go to Best Buy to get a new one.
The faucet in the powder room was dripping slowly so I decided to replace the cartridge. Of course, it was stuck and I pulled the sink top off of the vanity. Not a big deal, but now I have to get some caulk and glue it back down.
I sat on the remote for the TV in the family room and did something. The picture is small and the programming doesn’t show on the guide. I haven’t had time to look at that.
Speaking of things that drive you nuts... 37 years ago, when our family home was down to just me and my father, and we both decided it was time to move on, I took a very few things with me that he didn't want and thought I could use. I still have his old hammer that is god-knows how many decades old and a few of his other old hand tools. He also put in the box an old Heinz jar full of assorted small finish nails, picture hangers and the like which I have used sporadically ever since. A small thing but useful and it reminds me of him when I fetch it.
Maybe 10 years ago the jar disappeared. I looked for it numerous times and could never find it, but knew I didn't throw it out. Finally 3 or 4 years ago it reappeared in the very back of a cabinet I seldom use. I told myself I would keep it in plain sight from then on and did so. Until today, when I went to use it and it wasn't there. I looked in the usual spots (including that cabinet), tried to remember the last time I needed it, and drew a blank. That mustard jar has the gift of invisibility.
Speaking of things that drive you nuts... 37 years ago, when our family home was down to just me and my father, and we both decided it was time to move on, I took a very few things with me that he didn't want and thought I could use. I still have his old hammer that is god-knows how many decades old and a few of his other old hand tools. He also put in the box an old Heinz jar full of assorted small finish nails, picture hangers and the like which I have used sporadically ever since. A small thing but useful and it reminds me of him when I fetch it.
Maybe 10 years ago the jar disappeared. I looked for it numerous times and could never find it, but knew I didn't throw it out. Finally 3 or 4 years ago it reappeared in the very back of a cabinet I seldom use. I told myself I would keep it in plain sight from then on and did so. Until today, when I went to use it and it wasn't there. I looked in the usual spots (including that cabinet), tried to remember the last time I needed it, and drew a blank. That mustard jar has the gift of invisibility.
Speaking of things that drive you nuts... 37 years ago, when our family home was down to just me and my father, and we both decided it was time to move on, I took a very few things with me that he didn't want and thought I could use. I still have his old hammer that is god-knows how many decades old and a few of his other old hand tools. He also put in the box an old Heinz jar full of assorted small finish nails, picture hangers and the like which I have used sporadically ever since. A small thing but useful and it reminds me of him when I fetch it.
Maybe 10 years ago the jar disappeared. I looked for it numerous times and could never find it, but knew I didn't throw it out. Finally 3 or 4 years ago it reappeared in the very back of a cabinet I seldom use. I told myself I would keep it in plain sight from then on and did so. Until today, when I went to use it and it wasn't there. I looked in the usual spots (including that cabinet), tried to remember the last time I needed it, and drew a blank. That mustard jar has the gift of invisibility.
I wonder when that changed. I've only ever sat in the expensive seats a few times with the most recent coming last year and it was still the Lexus Club.
Enjoy yourself though!
1997 Honda Prelude Base - 2022 Acura MDX Type S Advance - 2021 Honda Passport Sport - 2006 BMW 330Ci ZHP
Comments
Can you imagine...
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
And I’ll fly out right now to buy the Camaro for $2,000.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
Probably have to wait for the title to clear.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
The cars are interesting but the body language of the candid shots tells a story of the lives of those young folk.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Here is the Revel audio system video.
https://players.brightcove.net/2379864788001/r1KkNWkhg_default/index.html?videoId=5161308867001
Car drove great, got a little over 32 MPG with a mix of Interstate highway and rural back roads (maybe a 50/50 mix) and some driving in the Galena area. The car did well on the hills once we got into the driftless region keeping speed on the ascents effortlessly. Leaving Galena we took the top down, it was in the low 50s but with the heated seats and the neck warmers we were warm. Although we did put it back up before we got back on the interstate.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
But, if you insist, Happy Thanksgiving.
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
jmonroe
'18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I like that town.....some towns look really nice when they modernize those old classic buildings.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
No partisanship in these forums!
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I like that .....is it a Buick (maybe Riviera) or Oldsmobile in front of the barber shop, hardware store in the picture below the Camaro.
Oh, and even better, a 57 T-Bird second from the end, it doesn't get much better than that.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
When we take my 6 cylinder Legacy we can get there and back with gas left over. With the 4 cylinder, turbocharged Ascent we stopped for gas - not sure if we needed it, but felt better.
Here's the interior for those who don't like black interiors:
And a quickie of the dash I took while hauling stuff into the house:
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
When are you going to replace the dealer's paper floor mats? Do you or anyone bother with Weather Tech or anything like that?
I just use what comes with the car....sometimes rubber, sometimes carpet. I kind of prefer rubber, don't have to worry about it.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Galena is a lovely little town in the far northwest of Illinois, much of the town looks like it did 150 or more years ago. Even many of the homes near the business district maintain a distinctive look of years gone by.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
In our case, as we got a little older, we want a bit more comfort and handling/performance are less important.
I do miss the handling of a BMW, but, comfort has become more important to me these days.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Does the Ascent have the same size gas tank as your Legacy? One of my legacy’s good qualities was the fact that it could regularly go 420 miles between fill ups. I pushed it to over 500 miles once, but then ran out of gas.
The 4cyl Turbo efficiency of the Ascent will only get you so far. I’m sure like our Pilot and my Tacoma, the weight comes in to play. Especially when you compare it to your Legacy.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
I like the neutral seats and I love the dash if is a blue based color.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and let us know! Post a pic of your new purchase or lease!
MODERATOR
2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
I don't know what size the gas tanks are. Fuel mileage isn't my thing. I don't think I can get 420, I don't know. Mine is the 3.6 liter six cylinder.
Yeah, the Ascent starts to run out of pull at 80 mph. It will keep going, but it doesn't seem to like it.
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
The UPS my desktop went kerflooey when I was working with it. Had to go to Best Buy to get a new one.
The faucet in the powder room was dripping slowly so I decided to replace the cartridge. Of course, it was stuck and I pulled the sink top off of the vanity. Not a big deal, but now I have to get some caulk and glue it back down.
I sat on the remote for the TV in the family room and did something. The picture is small and the programming doesn’t show on the guide. I haven’t had time to look at that.
This was all before lunch time.
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Maybe 10 years ago the jar disappeared. I looked for it numerous times and could never find it, but knew I didn't throw it out. Finally 3 or 4 years ago it reappeared in the very back of a cabinet I seldom use. I told myself I would keep it in plain sight from then on and did so. Until today, when I went to use it and it wasn't there. I looked in the usual spots (including that cabinet), tried to remember the last time I needed it, and drew a blank. That mustard jar has the gift of invisibility.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
Mileage and range will improve over time.
We have had a couple of vehicles that got their best mileage around 110K.
I got my invitation to the Pirates annual dinner for their sponsors and charity beneficiaries. It's a really nice event at PNC Park.
The players were not there last year, but in previous years they were. Two years ago Josh Bell, Tyler Glasnow, and Mitch Williams sat at our table.
It was always in the Lexus Club. Now it's in the Hyundai Club.
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Enjoy yourself though!
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport