Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

oldfarmer50

Michaell said:

How often are you all leaving the house? I haven't been anywhere since last Thursday, and the wife and stepdaughter last left the house a week ago, for grocery shopping. Other than that, we are home bound - had pizza delivered once.

Haven't tried any of the on-line shopping options - wife points out that introduces another set of hands onto the goods. A friend of mine who has availed himself of this takes the delivered goods, sanitizes them immediately, and puts non-perishable goods into the garage for 3 days before using it. Perishable goods go into the refrigerator or freezer.

I go out to the drive thru a few times a week for food or the bank. I go inside for groceries but keep my distance and wash my hands once I’m home. Went to the dump today. Definitely washed my hands after that.

I don’t do home delivery for the exact reason you mention.

A local a Burger King was in the news yesterday. Seems that one of the workers tested positive. Now the county is “looking” for anyone who visited during a certain period even if they only went to the drive thru. They say anyone who got a burger at the window should self isolate for two weeks.

I’ll defer to Carnaught on the wisdom of that.

fintail

See, was that hard? I also suspect those numbers include issues exacerbated by flu, like if a heart attack is brought on by it.

I just hope the site wasn't updated after son-in-law made a dumb comment, it happened recently.

oldfarmer50 said:

Fintail said: “post your source or refrain...”

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html

Hope the CDC’s alternative facts agree with yours.

imidazol97

I extended our CFA lunch drive thru experience today to do a little bird watching at WPAFB.
They were doing touch and go landings. Our tax money at work.

The runway view is the Wright Brother's Prairie where they tested their aircraft. Picture
taken from the historic national park dedicated to them.

fintail

It is pretty funny, now the call for masks, but almost zero are available for purchase, and most homemade ones look pretty awful, and no doubt function not much better.

I have a cousin who is a chatty fb crafter, every time I log in showing off her latest creation,and she's making masks too. Maybe time to hit her up - too warm for the balaclava, and the old cloth napkin is iffy at best.

ab348 said:

Heh. I made one of those rubber-band ones using a cotton handkerchief the other day. Haven't dared wear it in public yet. I complained on Twitter about not being able to find masks the other day and a total stranger messaged me with an offer to make me a couple - she likes to sew and has been making them in bunches for people. I picked up two from her today, she refused any money. Unreal. Hers have a pocket sewn in where she says people are inserting paper towel, coffee filters or other paper media to add to the filtering capability.

benjaminh

@28firefighter : Hang in there! All best wishes.

abacomike

ab348 said:

I got an email the other day from Amazon reminding me that since I am a Prime member, they have free music streaming available. I haven't bothered to check that out. Anyone use that?

Prime is behaving oddly of late in terms of audio and video. I watched a couple of things they offered over the last week and both looked like they had been taken off videotapes that had been badly stored, with dropouts and occasionally lines breaking up the image. One of these was made in 2016 so it isn't like it was an ancient copy. Last night I tried to watch the movie "Rocketman" and it started out with a very low sound level. I had to turn my TV up to 50 on its scale whereas usually it is never more than 30. Then about 15-20 minutes in, the sound disappeared altogether. I tried exiting, re-entering, even shut the TV off for a while and went back to it, with no luck. I then watched something else on there which was fine. Bizarre.

Yes, I listen to the APP several times a week on my iPhone with earphones at night as I try to fall asleep. You just press the circle at the bottom of the screen and say "Alexa" followed by the song, artist etc. you want to listen to. You can also just talk into your phone and say "Alexa" followed by your request.

I listened last night and said "Alexa, play the best songs of the Jonas Brothers" and it played all their top hits. No cost if you're a Prime member.

abacomike

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

I got an email the other day from Amazon reminding me that since I am a Prime member, they have free music streaming available. I haven't bothered to check that out. Anyone use that?

Prime is behaving oddly of late in terms of audio and video. I watched a couple of things they offered over the last week and both looked like they had been taken off videotapes that had been badly stored, with dropouts and occasionally lines breaking up the image. One of these was made in 2016 so it isn't like it was an ancient copy. Last night I tried to watch the movie "Rocketman" and it started out with a very low sound level. I had to turn my TV up to 50 on its scale whereas usually it is never more than 30. Then about 15-20 minutes in, the sound disappeared altogether. I tried exiting, re-entering, even shut the TV off for a while and went back to it, with no luck. I then watched something else on there which was fine. Bizarre.

Ab, the problem could be that Netflix and Prime etc have reduced bandwidth. So many people are at home all day they had to do this, so picture quality and dependability have been sacrificed. On our streaming, both Netflix and Prime seem to have to reboot more often....frustrating. Sometimes pulling the plug on the wi-fi thing for 10 seconds seems to help....especially if you reinsert it

I just say "Netflix" or "Prime" into my X1 remote and I get connected right through to the 2 services on my Comcast Cable box. Picture and sound quality as good as regular cable. If you connect through WIFI or a satellite it will lose quality.

abacomike

28firefighter said:

Continuing my streak of bizarre health issues, in the middle of a global viral pandemic I have somehow picked up a bacterial infection that migrated to my chest and has caused pneumonia.

You can imagine how much fun it is trying to be seen by an actual doctor when you have any respiratory symptoms right now...

How awful, FF. Get well soon. Haven't you had both pneumonia vaccines? When you get over this, ask your doctor about them. I have had both. Really important especially now.

dino001

Get well, Firefighter.

28firefighter

abacomike said:

28firefighter said:

Continuing my streak of bizarre health issues, in the middle of a global viral pandemic I have somehow picked up a bacterial infection that migrated to my chest and has caused pneumonia.

You can imagine how much fun it is trying to be seen by an actual doctor when you have any respiratory symptoms right now...

How awful, FF. Get well soon. Haven't you had both pneumonia vaccines? When you get over this, ask your doctor about them. I have had both. Really important especially now.

I’ve had them. They only cover the most fatal strep infections. Not all infections.

stickguy

my wife sewed up masks for all of us. Don't look any more goofy than what other people are wearing. And I don't care if people don't like my black mask with skeletons on it! At least I am wearing one. But I really don't like it. Gets hot under there. would be horrible if it was hot out.

I bring a wipe with me to wipe down the cart, then I hold it over the handle, and rub my fingers on it after picking up items. as soon as I get back to the car I have hand sanitizer and rub up my hands good, and wipe excess on my face.

I figure that is about all I can do short of going into a plastic bubble. And that isn't happening. If that isn't enough, I am just going to get it and see what happens!

roadburner

benjaminh said:

@28firefighter : Hang in there! All best wishes.

Ditto!

pensfan83

Get well @28firefighter!

qbrozen

Oddly, it seems like our internet has improved since this started. Movies stream flawlessly while kids are both playing online games in separate rooms upstairs and wife is in a virtual conference call. Used to be JUST streaming a movie would incur much buffering. Makes me think the cable company was kind enough to take their foot off the brake.

stickguy

they did make some changes like that. I am sure that once the immediate crisis is over, they will kindly offer to take more of your money to keep it that way!

roadburner

I found some unopened 3M masks on my workbench left over from a project that required a lot of sanding.

28firefighter

Comcast reportedly lifted the 250 gig cap at which point throttling would occur. And no surprise, it didn’t break anything.

ab348

In order to pass time during my social distancing, I wrote an entry in the blog I started after I retired. This one deals with a business issue I had land in my lap on Easter weekend 7 years ago. If anyone has worked in retail, you might be able to relate.

https://gregbeau.wordpress.com/2020/04/08/an-unwelcome-easter-egg/

imidazol97

Excuse my changing the subject back to washers and dryers, but I've been noticing my Whirlpool Cabrio washer seems to make more noise as it coasts down after the high speed spin--when the power is off. I suspect the main bearing that holds the tub is going to go out. If I spin the tub by hand, I can hear the noise.

I'll have to shop Home Depot, Lowes, and Best Buy to see what I can learn from the salespeople about which model replaces the quiet Cabrio. I know the lower line washers make a, well, washer-like noise from the motor and gears.

imidazol97

In case anyone is thinking about buying zinc tablets to supplement your body's supply to help resist the China virus..., when I said the next run after masks, vitamin C, was now zinc, here's a bottle for under $170.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nature-s-Bounty-Zinc-50mg-Caplets-100-Count/293539456476?_trkparms=aid=1110001&algo=SPLICE.SIM&ao=1&asc=225085&meid=f7c8361e17864f1fab65800d802a7c22&pid=100005&rk=2&rkt=12&mehot=lo&sd=402212494886&itm=293539456476&pmt=0&noa=1&pg=2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

stickguy

imidazol97 said:

Excuse my changing the subject back to washers and dryers, but I've been noticing my Whirlpool Cabrio washer seems to make more noise as it coasts down after the high speed spin--when the power is off. I suspect the main bearing that holds the tub is going to go out. If I spin the tub by hand, I can hear the noise.

I'll have to shop Home Depot, Lowes, and Best Buy to see what I can learn from the salespeople about which model replaces the quiet Cabrio. I know the lower line washers make a, well, washer-like noise from the motor and gears.

why not just order a new bearing and give it a shot to replace it? Or of course, you could call "the guy".

imidazol97

The Cabrio is old enough I'm willing to replace it. I haven't watched the videos for replacing the bearing, but I doubt it's something I want to do. It's 10 years or more old.

I think I'll follow @driver100 's lead and "call the guy." Myself, I'd replace only the washer with an equivalent high line Whirlpool. But I know my wife will have to have a "matching new dryer."

That kitchen table isn't big enough.

If I see what I want, I'll wait for the sale on that item. If it goes bad, I'll just buy a replacement then.

Consumer Reports hasn't done a washer test for a couple of years. I'd like to see their ratings on sound levels.

stickguy

well, it could go quite a while the way it is. If it was a car, I would tell you to just turn up the radio and drown out the noise.

jmonroe

@28firefighter, I hope this passes quickly and you're back to your old self soon.

jmonroe

explorerx4

@28ff,
Hopefully you have what you need to get better.
Be Safe.

driver100

@Iimidazol97 If I see what I want, I'll wait for the sale on that item. If it goes bad, I'll just buy a replacement then.

I agree, keep using it and replace when it goes - you've got your use out of it after 10 years.
The only thing is remember there is lag time between when you buy one and when they come and install it.

jipster

Another long day. In 3 days, I've gone from a full head of luscious hair....to gray....to completely bald!

I test drove the Ford Fusion SE , this morning. On the way to the dealership the battery light came on in my wife's Hyundai Veracruz. Oh, no! More of that later. The salesman is a young quiet guy. Uncomfortably quiet for a saleman. I test drove the SE Fusion. The 1.5 ecoboost engine is pretty good, a bit underpowered compared to the Optima. The interior quality is as subpar as many of the others. Ride, handling and comfort aren't as good as my son's 2010 Milan SE. MORE POWER!....I bellow at the bewildered salesman. So we test drive the Fusion Titanium. Much better. But, not sure $$$.

Driving home I get AAA to come out and check the battery in the Veracruz. They say bad alternator. Take the car to Goodyear Auto Care. They confirm the gasket is leaking oil into the alternator. I say I had the alternator replaced 1 1/2 years ago for the same problem. May be under warranty at Oxmoor Hyundai? I call Oxmoor Hyundai, they say bring it in...it may or may not be covered by Hyundai. They confirm bad gasket.so you they will send photos to Hyundai to see if they will cover the third replacement. May be a day or two wait. They unexpectedly offer me a loaner car. No charge. Which are my 2 favorite words. A brand new Hyundai Tucson. Maybe Oxmoor isn't so bad after all roadburner? ;-) It's very nice. Since my nephew's BMW dealership is only 10 minutes away, I zip on over to look at that 2019 Nissan Altima SL

The Altima was much nicer in the interior than all but Acura and maybe the Mazda 6. Nice leather seating and styling. The thing that surprised me the most on the test drive was the cars unexpected.... POWER!. It was much quickly off the blocks and midline. The CVT got that car going. Handled and drove well. The car felt really light and quick on its feet. Didn't have that solid heavier control of the Acura though. I liked the Altima. But, it is a used vehicle, I would lose 1 year of bumper to bumper.

So a nicer $19,500 Altima, with a shorter warranty...or a Kia Optima...new....not as nice for 22k otd.
The salesman texted back that they would sell the 2020 Ford Fusion SE for $21500. (MSRP $$26,745).
And then there is the pearl, the Acura TLX. $29k for the base model. Maybe I'll go look at it tomorrow.

driver100

Hard choice Jip....only you can decide.
You may have been too busy today and not heard we are going into the worst depression since the Big Depression probably....millions losing their jobs.
Not trying to be scary, just practical, how secure do you feel about your work etc.
It is just that it might make a difference in which car to buy.
Just quick random thoughts; Altima seems like a good buy in that you are getting more car for a depreciated price, Fusion is a good price but you didn't seem to thrilled with the SE - I would find lack of power a problem, Optima is new, has a good new car warranty, price is excellent, sounds like a good value. Acura is the easy choice if it doesn't stress your budget, and if you feel OK about the future.

When I just bought my 1992 Cavalier I got into an argument with a manager (yeh, mild quiet polite me) and I thought I could lose my job. I went to sleep at night thinking...well the worst that will happen is the'll come and take the car back. I got through that, lost the job about 3 years after just after the lease ended. I decided to buy it for about $5500 from savings,... thought I'd need a car to look for a job.

jmonroe

@imidazol97, you are probably the biggest CFA fan in here but even you must have limits regarding drive through line lengths at a CFA.

Last week I went to pickup an order at our favorite Mexican place. When I walked in I was the only person there but soon a woman showed up and as I was leaving another woman showed up. I decided to take the main road home through the business route to see how busy CFA was. It's always busy and I knew it had to be busier than the Mexican place. The drive through is always busy with cars almost always wrapped around the building. It was way beyond that this night. This CFA sits in front of a huge shopping center and the line was backed up into the shopping centers parking lot with the last car being only about two car lengths from the main lane that goes by the sidewalk where the stores are. I am not exaggerating, there had to be at least 55 cars in that line. I don't know about you but I would never have gotten into a line that long.

jmonroe

jipster

Feel fairly confident in my wife and my job security. I really got excited that the Altima may be the one when I bolted out of the dealership lot with a bit of dust flying.The ride on the expressway wasn't the smoothest, but pretty good. But, 80% of my miles are highway.

So...playing safe and go with the vanilla....the silver...or the gold. Yep, tough choice.

ab348

jipster said:

So a nicer $19,500 Altima, with a shorter warranty...or a Kia Optima...new....not as nice for 22k otd.
The salesman texted back that they would sell the 2020 Ford Fusion SE for $21500. (MSRP $$26,745).
And then there is the pearl, the Acura TLX. $29k for the base model. Maybe I'll go look at it tomorrow.

I would dismiss the Fusion based on your assessment.

I would offer them $18k for the Altima and buy that.

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

I extended our CFA lunch drive thru experience today to do a little bird watching at WPAFB.
They were doing touch and go landings. Our tax money at work.

The runway view is the Wright Brother's Prairie where they tested their aircraft. Picture
taken from the historic national park dedicated to them.

We occasionally get those C-17s doing that at ALB and rarely the big KC 10s but usually it’s the old C 130s from the National Guard. Fun to watch particularly when they do the low level banks over our house.

snakeweasel

jipster said:

Another long day. In 3 days, I've gone from a full head of luscious hair....to gray....to completely bald!

Well welcome to the club, and it only took 3 days. It took me well over a decade, damn I hate you overachievers.

stickguy

imidazol97 said:

The Cabrio is old enough I'm willing to replace it. I haven't watched the videos for replacing the bearing, but I doubt it's something I want to do. It's 10 years or more old.

I think I'll follow @driver100 's lead and "call the guy." Myself, I'd replace only the washer with an equivalent high line Whirlpool. But I know my wife will have to have a "matching new dryer."

That kitchen table isn't big enough.

If I see what I want, I'll wait for the sale on that item. If it goes bad, I'll just buy a replacement then.

Consumer Reports hasn't done a washer test for a couple of years. I'd like to see their ratings on sound levels.

I just read the latest CR issue (yes, I get it in the mail still). they had a big article about the mold problems with front load machines. But I assume that is what you have now, right? Anyway, they also had a section of ratings. mostly front loaders, but a couple of top load HE machines too.

the top models in both models were all LGs. a couple maytags in the middle and a couple Samsungs on the bottom (we have a Samsung and it has been excellent, but we are having some mold issues that we just tried to treat). But in the front load section, they all seemed to test out well (overall score range was 81-86).

Only 3 top loaders listed. a couple of LG that scored high, and a Kenmore that fell a bit behind.

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

In case anyone is thinking about buying zinc tablets to supplement your body's supply to help resist the China virus..., when I said the next run after masks, vitamin C, was now zinc, here's a bottle for under $170.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nature-s-Bounty-Zinc-50mg-Caplets-100-Count/293539456476?_trkparms=aid=1110001&algo=SPLICE.SIM&ao=1&asc=225085&meid=f7c8361e17864f1fab65800d802a7c22&pid=100005&rk=2&rkt=12&mehot=lo&sd=402212494886&itm=293539456476&pmt=0&noa=1&pg=2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

Isn’t zinc doses over 40mg daily bad for you?

roadburner

jipster said:

Feel fairly confident in my wife and my job security. I really got excited that the Altima may be the one when I bolted out of the dealership lot with a bit of dust flying.The ride on the expressway wasn't the smoothest, but pretty good. But, 80% of my miles are highway.

So...playing safe and go with the vanilla....the silver...or the gold. Yep, tough choice.

Another quote I like to paraphrase is:
"No one lies on their deathbed wishing they'd spent more time at the office."
My adaptation is:
"No one lies on their deathbed wishing they'd driven more insipid, anodyne appliances."

oldfarmer50

jipster said:

Another long day. In 3 days, I've gone from a full head of luscious hair....to gray....to completely bald!

I test drove the Ford Fusion SE , this morning. On the way to the dealership the battery light came on in my wife's Hyundai Veracruz. Oh, no! More of that later. The salesman is a young quiet guy. Uncomfortably quiet for a saleman. I test drove the SE Fusion. The 1.5 ecoboost engine is pretty good, a bit underpowered compared to the Optima. The interior quality is as subpar as many of the others. Ride, handling and comfort aren't as good as my son's 2010 Milan SE. MORE POWER!....I bellow at the bewildered salesman. So we test drive the Fusion Titanium. Much better. But, not sure $$$.

Driving home I get AAA to come out and check the battery in the Veracruz. They say bad alternator. Take the car to Goodyear Auto Care. They confirm the gasket is leaking oil into the alternator. I say I had the alternator replaced 1 1/2 years ago for the same problem. May be under warranty at Oxmoor Hyundai? I call Oxmoor Hyundai, they say bring it in...it may or may not be covered by Hyundai. They confirm bad gasket.so you they will send photos to Hyundai to see if they will cover the third replacement. May be a day or two wait. They unexpectedly offer me a loaner car. No charge. Which are my 2 favorite words. A brand new Hyundai Tucson. Maybe Oxmoor isn't so bad after all roadburner? ;-) It's very nice. Since my nephew's BMW dealership is only 10 minutes away, I zip on over to look at that 2019 Nissan Altima SL

The Altima was much nicer in the interior than all but Acura and maybe the Mazda 6. Nice leather seating and styling. The thing that surprised me the most on the test drive was the cars unexpected.... POWER!. It was much quickly off the blocks and midline. The CVT got that car going. Handled and drove well. The car felt really light and quick on its feet. Didn't have that solid heavier control of the Acura though. I liked the Altima. But, it is a used vehicle, I would lose 1 year of bumper to bumper.

So a nicer $19,500 Altima, with a shorter warranty...or a Kia Optima...new....not as nice for 22k otd.
The salesman texted back that they would sell the 2020 Ford Fusion SE for $21500. (MSRP $$26,745).
And then there is the pearl, the Acura TLX. $29k for the base model. Maybe I'll go look at it tomorrow.

How long are you planning on keeping the car? If only a few years go with the Altima. If you keep it until they cart you off to the nursing home I’d say the Acura. Sounds like the interior is important to you so I’d say dump the rest.

stickguy

I am curious what Jip thinks about the Camry when he tries it out this weekend.

stickguy

Farmer, that is the key question. Longer you plan to keep it, more time to amortize, and more important that you really like it! On the flip side, given what it will be replacing, anything is going to seem like a big improvement.

I usually recommend listing out your core requirements and make sure you hit them, then go with whatever is the best deal (or least $) past that. But never compromise on a must have, and never, ever, talk yourself into something you really don't want (buy the car, not the deal).

jipster

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

Another long day. In 3 days, I've gone from a full head of luscious hair....to gray....to completely bald!

I test drove the Ford Fusion SE , this morning. On the way to the dealership the battery light came on in my wife's Hyundai Veracruz. Oh, no! More of that later. The salesman is a young quiet guy. Uncomfortably quiet for a saleman. I test drove the SE Fusion. The 1.5 ecoboost engine is pretty good, a bit underpowered compared to the Optima. The interior quality is as subpar as many of the others. Ride, handling and comfort aren't as good as my son's 2010 Milan SE. MORE POWER!....I bellow at the bewildered salesman. So we test drive the Fusion Titanium. Much better. But, not sure $$$.

Driving home I get AAA to come out and check the battery in the Veracruz. They say bad alternator. Take the car to Goodyear Auto Care. They confirm the gasket is leaking oil into the alternator. I say I had the alternator replaced 1 1/2 years ago for the same problem. May be under warranty at Oxmoor Hyundai? I call Oxmoor Hyundai, they say bring it in...it may or may not be covered by Hyundai. They confirm bad gasket.so you they will send photos to Hyundai to see if they will cover the third replacement. May be a day or two wait. They unexpectedly offer me a loaner car. No charge. Which are my 2 favorite words. A brand new Hyundai Tucson. Maybe Oxmoor isn't so bad after all roadburner? ;-) It's very nice. Since my nephew's BMW dealership is only 10 minutes away, I zip on over to look at that 2019 Nissan Altima SL

The Altima was much nicer in the interior than all but Acura and maybe the Mazda 6. Nice leather seating and styling. The thing that surprised me the most on the test drive was the cars unexpected.... POWER!. It was much quickly off the blocks and midline. The CVT got that car going. Handled and drove well. The car felt really light and quick on its feet. Didn't have that solid heavier control of the Acura though. I liked the Altima. But, it is a used vehicle, I would lose 1 year of bumper to bumper.

So a nicer $19,500 Altima, with a shorter warranty...or a Kia Optima...new....not as nice for 22k otd.
The salesman texted back that they would sell the 2020 Ford Fusion SE for $21500. (MSRP $$26,745).
And then there is the pearl, the Acura TLX. $29k for the base model. Maybe I'll go look at it tomorrow.

How long are you planning on keeping the car? If only a few years go with the Altima. If you keep it until they cart you off to the nursing home I’d say the Acura. Sounds like the interior is important to you so I’d say dump the rest.

The plan is to keep the car until it turns to rust, or I do. Was actually thinking of this slogan, for Acura, when test driving the TLX, " The Acura TLX....so quiet, so comfortable, so luxurious.... you wouldn't mind being buried in one. "

Most of these midsize midlevel sedans I've looked at have interiors that are lacking in quality. Now, the Altima was much nicer at its trim level. It was saying buy me initially, but it felt a bit "nervous" on the expressway.

I accidentally came upon a Kia Stinger review about an hour ago. Maybe a plant by g.g? LOL.
It sounded and looked pretty good. Standard leather seats and a 2.0 turbo. With dealer incentives would put the price around that of the base TLX. Don't know about the hatchback though.

jipster

stickguy said:

I am curious what Jip thinks about the Camry when he tries it out this weekend.

Me too. Will find out Saturday. Sat in a 2020 Camry SE last Friday. Sporty exterior. Nice interior, but don't recall being wowed by it.

oldfarmer50

jipster said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

Another long day. In 3 days, I've gone from a full head of luscious hair....to gray....to completely bald!

I test drove the Ford Fusion SE , this morning. On the way to the dealership the battery light came on in my wife's Hyundai Veracruz. Oh, no! More of that later. The salesman is a young quiet guy. Uncomfortably quiet for a saleman. I test drove the SE Fusion. The 1.5 ecoboost engine is pretty good, a bit underpowered compared to the Optima. The interior quality is as subpar as many of the others. Ride, handling and comfort aren't as good as my son's 2010 Milan SE. MORE POWER!....I bellow at the bewildered salesman. So we test drive the Fusion Titanium. Much better. But, not sure $$$.

Driving home I get AAA to come out and check the battery in the Veracruz. They say bad alternator. Take the car to Goodyear Auto Care. They confirm the gasket is leaking oil into the alternator. I say I had the alternator replaced 1 1/2 years ago for the same problem. May be under warranty at Oxmoor Hyundai? I call Oxmoor Hyundai, they say bring it in...it may or may not be covered by Hyundai. They confirm bad gasket.so you they will send photos to Hyundai to see if they will cover the third replacement. May be a day or two wait. They unexpectedly offer me a loaner car. No charge. Which are my 2 favorite words. A brand new Hyundai Tucson. Maybe Oxmoor isn't so bad after all roadburner? ;-) It's very nice. Since my nephew's BMW dealership is only 10 minutes away, I zip on over to look at that 2019 Nissan Altima SL

The Altima was much nicer in the interior than all but Acura and maybe the Mazda 6. Nice leather seating and styling. The thing that surprised me the most on the test drive was the cars unexpected.... POWER!. It was much quickly off the blocks and midline. The CVT got that car going. Handled and drove well. The car felt really light and quick on its feet. Didn't have that solid heavier control of the Acura though. I liked the Altima. But, it is a used vehicle, I would lose 1 year of bumper to bumper.

So a nicer $19,500 Altima, with a shorter warranty...or a Kia Optima...new....not as nice for 22k otd.
The salesman texted back that they would sell the 2020 Ford Fusion SE for $21500. (MSRP $$26,745).
And then there is the pearl, the Acura TLX. $29k for the base model. Maybe I'll go look at it tomorrow.

How long are you planning on keeping the car? If only a few years go with the Altima. If you keep it until they cart you off to the nursing home I’d say the Acura. Sounds like the interior is important to you so I’d say dump the rest.

The plan is to keep the car until it turns to rust, or I do. Was actually thinking of this slogan, for Acura, when test driving the TLX, " The Acura TLX....so quiet, so comfortable, so luxurious.... you wouldn't mind being buried in one. "

Most of these midsize midlevel sedans I've looked at have interiors that are lacking in quality. Now, the Altima was much nicer at its trim level. It was saying buy me initially, but it felt a bit "nervous" on the expressway.

I accidentally came upon a Kia Stinger review about an hour ago. Maybe a plant by g.g? LOL.
It sounded and looked pretty good. Standard leather seats and a 2.0 turbo. With dealer incentives would put the price around that of the base TLX. Don't know about the hatchback though.

On the Stinger go with the 3.3L TT or go home.

I’m taking it easy today from doing nothing to binge watch Jay Leno’s Garage. I hope they air the 200mph Mustang episode or the one where Jay gets rolled in a funny car.

qbrozen

jipster said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

Another long day. In 3 days, I've gone from a full head of luscious hair....to gray....to completely bald!

I test drove the Ford Fusion SE , this morning. On the way to the dealership the battery light came on in my wife's Hyundai Veracruz. Oh, no! More of that later. The salesman is a young quiet guy. Uncomfortably quiet for a saleman. I test drove the SE Fusion. The 1.5 ecoboost engine is pretty good, a bit underpowered compared to the Optima. The interior quality is as subpar as many of the others. Ride, handling and comfort aren't as good as my son's 2010 Milan SE. MORE POWER!....I bellow at the bewildered salesman. So we test drive the Fusion Titanium. Much better. But, not sure $$$.

Driving home I get AAA to come out and check the battery in the Veracruz. They say bad alternator. Take the car to Goodyear Auto Care. They confirm the gasket is leaking oil into the alternator. I say I had the alternator replaced 1 1/2 years ago for the same problem. May be under warranty at Oxmoor Hyundai? I call Oxmoor Hyundai, they say bring it in...it may or may not be covered by Hyundai. They confirm bad gasket.so you they will send photos to Hyundai to see if they will cover the third replacement. May be a day or two wait. They unexpectedly offer me a loaner car. No charge. Which are my 2 favorite words. A brand new Hyundai Tucson. Maybe Oxmoor isn't so bad after all roadburner? ;-) It's very nice. Since my nephew's BMW dealership is only 10 minutes away, I zip on over to look at that 2019 Nissan Altima SL

The Altima was much nicer in the interior than all but Acura and maybe the Mazda 6. Nice leather seating and styling. The thing that surprised me the most on the test drive was the cars unexpected.... POWER!. It was much quickly off the blocks and midline. The CVT got that car going. Handled and drove well. The car felt really light and quick on its feet. Didn't have that solid heavier control of the Acura though. I liked the Altima. But, it is a used vehicle, I would lose 1 year of bumper to bumper.

So a nicer $19,500 Altima, with a shorter warranty...or a Kia Optima...new....not as nice for 22k otd.
The salesman texted back that they would sell the 2020 Ford Fusion SE for $21500. (MSRP $$26,745).
And then there is the pearl, the Acura TLX. $29k for the base model. Maybe I'll go look at it tomorrow.

How long are you planning on keeping the car? If only a few years go with the Altima. If you keep it until they cart you off to the nursing home I’d say the Acura. Sounds like the interior is important to you so I’d say dump the rest.

The plan is to keep the car until it turns to rust, or I do. Was actually thinking of this slogan, for Acura, when test driving the TLX, " The Acura TLX....so quiet, so comfortable, so luxurious.... you wouldn't mind being buried in one. "

Most of these midsize midlevel sedans I've looked at have interiors that are lacking in quality. Now, the Altima was much nicer at its trim level. It was saying buy me initially, but it felt a bit "nervous" on the expressway.

I accidentally came upon a Kia Stinger review about an hour ago. Maybe a plant by g.g? LOL.
It sounded and looked pretty good. Standard leather seats and a 2.0 turbo. With dealer incentives would put the price around that of the base TLX. Don't know about the hatchback though.

Did I miss where you tried an Accord? I mean, that’s the go-to in that segment.

As has been discussed recently, if getting a Stinger, get the bigger lease incentive and then refinance. Thought I read it can be had in the mid $20k range that way??

oldfarmer50

OK, something strange just happened. I filed for UI a few weeks ago but due to the massive backlog I was never able to complete the filing because the automated system said I had to talk to a person. After dozens of calls and a few emails I still couldn’t get through so I backed off to let people who needed it more have a better shot.

So a minute ago I get a call that comes up as “NY Dept. of Labor“. It’s an automated call that says my claim is approved and I don’t have to call back.

My suspicious side is wondering if this is legit. After the multitude of telemarketer calls I’m always looking for the scam.

driver100

jipster The Acura TLX....so quiet, so comfortable, so luxurious.... you wouldn't mind being buried in one

I like Sticks wise advice, but "TLX....so quiet, so comfortable, so luxurious.... you wouldn't mind being buried in one", believe me, at that point comfort and luxury ain't going to matter one bit.

jipster Now, the Altima was much nicer at its trim level. It was saying buy me initially, but it felt a bit "nervous" on the expressway.

That reminds me. The rental Altima I drove did not impress me on the highway. I drove it 20 miles each way on I-75 and I could have gone in the left lane at times (3 lanes) but, never felt confident enough about the steering, handling and the general feel of the road. Our 2013 Passat lacked power, but I felt sure of it at 75 m.p.h. - steering felt solid, not the Altima...kind of wishy washy.

imidazol97

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

I extended our CFA lunch drive thru experience today to do a little bird watching at WPAFB.
They were doing touch and go landings. Our tax money at work.

The runway view is the Wright Brother's Prairie where they tested their aircraft. Picture
taken from the historic national park dedicated to them.

We occasionally get those C-17s doing that at ALB and rarely the big KC 10s but usually it’s the old C 130s from the National Guard. Fun to watch particularly when they do the low level banks over our house.

I love the full thunder of power as they come over the east end of the runway on approach. Then there's the different takeoff patterns. A couple years ago we were in that area and the Blue Presdiential aircraft took off, or at least one of them. It was doing a serious 45 deg or more bank to the left immediately after leaving the ground on the runway like it were avoiding a threat on the ground. It was turning at full power and low altitude looking like it could fall out of the sky banked that much. Maybe it was in a hurry to get back to Dulles and not waste time going in the takeoff direction away from its target. I checked to see if there had been any events in the area, and wondered whether the aircraft had been here for maintenance work. We see E4's occasionally here and the equipment on this plane likely is as technical as those are.

imidazol97

stickguy said:

I just read the latest CR issue (yes, I get it in the mail still). they had a big article about the mold problems with front load machines. But I assume that is what you have now, right? Anyway, they also had a section of ratings. mostly front loaders, but a couple of top load HE machines too.

the top models in both models were all LGs. a couple maytags in the middle and a couple Samsungs on the bottom (we have a Samsung and it has been excellent, but we are having some mold issues that we just tried to treat). But in the front load section, they all seemed to test out well (overall score range was 81-86).

Only 3 top loaders listed. a couple of LG that scored high, and a Kenmore that fell a bit behind.

Top loader, Cabrio. Never liked the mold problems of the front loaders. That's why they encouraged using the Oxy type products: like bleach, they resist mold.

jipster

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

Another long day. In 3 days, I've gone from a full head of luscious hair....to gray....to completely bald!

I test drove the Ford Fusion SE , this morning. On the way to the dealership the battery light came on in my wife's Hyundai Veracruz. Oh, no! More of that later. The salesman is a young quiet guy. Uncomfortably quiet for a saleman. I test drove the SE Fusion. The 1.5 ecoboost engine is pretty good, a bit underpowered compared to the Optima. The interior quality is as subpar as many of the others. Ride, handling and comfort aren't as good as my son's 2010 Milan SE. MORE POWER!....I bellow at the bewildered salesman. So we test drive the Fusion Titanium. Much better. But, not sure $$$.

Driving home I get AAA to come out and check the battery in the Veracruz. They say bad alternator. Take the car to Goodyear Auto Care. They confirm the gasket is leaking oil into the alternator. I say I had the alternator replaced 1 1/2 years ago for the same problem. May be under warranty at Oxmoor Hyundai? I call Oxmoor Hyundai, they say bring it in...it may or may not be covered by Hyundai. They confirm bad gasket.so you they will send photos to Hyundai to see if they will cover the third replacement. May be a day or two wait. They unexpectedly offer me a loaner car. No charge. Which are my 2 favorite words. A brand new Hyundai Tucson. Maybe Oxmoor isn't so bad after all roadburner? ;-) It's very nice. Since my nephew's BMW dealership is only 10 minutes away, I zip on over to look at that 2019 Nissan Altima SL

The Altima was much nicer in the interior than all but Acura and maybe the Mazda 6. Nice leather seating and styling. The thing that surprised me the most on the test drive was the cars unexpected.... POWER!. It was much quickly off the blocks and midline. The CVT got that car going. Handled and drove well. The car felt really light and quick on its feet. Didn't have that solid heavier control of the Acura though. I liked the Altima. But, it is a used vehicle, I would lose 1 year of bumper to bumper.

So a nicer $19,500 Altima, with a shorter warranty...or a Kia Optima...new....not as nice for 22k otd.
The salesman texted back that they would sell the 2020 Ford Fusion SE for $21500. (MSRP $$26,745).
And then there is the pearl, the Acura TLX. $29k for the base model. Maybe I'll go look at it tomorrow.

How long are you planning on keeping the car? If only a few years go with the Altima. If you keep it until they cart you off to the nursing home I’d say the Acura. Sounds like the interior is important to you so I’d say dump the rest.

The plan is to keep the car until it turns to rust, or I do. Was actually thinking of this slogan, for Acura, when test driving the TLX, " The Acura TLX....so quiet, so comfortable, so luxurious.... you wouldn't mind being buried in one. "

Most of these midsize midlevel sedans I've looked at have interiors that are lacking in quality. Now, the Altima was much nicer at its trim level. It was saying buy me initially, but it felt a bit "nervous" on the expressway.

I accidentally came upon a Kia Stinger review about an hour ago. Maybe a plant by g.g? LOL.
It sounded and looked pretty good. Standard leather seats and a 2.0 turbo. With dealer incentives would put the price around that of the base TLX. Don't know about the hatchback though.

On the Stinger go with the 3.3L TT or go home.

I’m taking it easy today from doing nothing to binge watch Jay Leno’s Garage. I hope they air the 200mph Mustang episode or the one where Jay gets rolled in a funny car.

Too much bread for the 3.3L. The Ford 2.0 Ecoboost had plenty of power for me. Thought about checking the Stinger out today, as well as the red Acura.

Oxmoor Hyundai just called. Said Hyundai would cover having the valve cover gasket and alternator repaired on our 2011Veracruz with 158,000 miles. Thank you Hyundai! I don't care what Jmonroe says about your warranty coverage....you alright in my book. LOL.

jipster

qbrozen said:

jipster said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

Another long day. In 3 days, I've gone from a full head of luscious hair....to gray....to completely bald!

I test drove the Ford Fusion SE , this morning. On the way to the dealership the battery light came on in my wife's Hyundai Veracruz. Oh, no! More of that later. The salesman is a young quiet guy. Uncomfortably quiet for a saleman. I test drove the SE Fusion. The 1.5 ecoboost engine is pretty good, a bit underpowered compared to the Optima. The interior quality is as subpar as many of the others. Ride, handling and comfort aren't as good as my son's 2010 Milan SE. MORE POWER!....I bellow at the bewildered salesman. So we test drive the Fusion Titanium. Much better. But, not sure $$$.

Driving home I get AAA to come out and check the battery in the Veracruz. They say bad alternator. Take the car to Goodyear Auto Care. They confirm the gasket is leaking oil into the alternator. I say I had the alternator replaced 1 1/2 years ago for the same problem. May be under warranty at Oxmoor Hyundai? I call Oxmoor Hyundai, they say bring it in...it may or may not be covered by Hyundai. They confirm bad gasket.so you they will send photos to Hyundai to see if they will cover the third replacement. May be a day or two wait. They unexpectedly offer me a loaner car. No charge. Which are my 2 favorite words. A brand new Hyundai Tucson. Maybe Oxmoor isn't so bad after all roadburner? ;-) It's very nice. Since my nephew's BMW dealership is only 10 minutes away, I zip on over to look at that 2019 Nissan Altima SL

The Altima was much nicer in the interior than all but Acura and maybe the Mazda 6. Nice leather seating and styling. The thing that surprised me the most on the test drive was the cars unexpected.... POWER!. It was much quickly off the blocks and midline. The CVT got that car going. Handled and drove well. The car felt really light and quick on its feet. Didn't have that solid heavier control of the Acura though. I liked the Altima. But, it is a used vehicle, I would lose 1 year of bumper to bumper.

So a nicer $19,500 Altima, with a shorter warranty...or a Kia Optima...new....not as nice for 22k otd.
The salesman texted back that they would sell the 2020 Ford Fusion SE for $21500. (MSRP $$26,745).
And then there is the pearl, the Acura TLX. $29k for the base model. Maybe I'll go look at it tomorrow.

How long are you planning on keeping the car? If only a few years go with the Altima. If you keep it until they cart you off to the nursing home I’d say the Acura. Sounds like the interior is important to you so I’d say dump the rest.

The plan is to keep the car until it turns to rust, or I do. Was actually thinking of this slogan, for Acura, when test driving the TLX, " The Acura TLX....so quiet, so comfortable, so luxurious.... you wouldn't mind being buried in one. "

Most of these midsize midlevel sedans I've looked at have interiors that are lacking in quality. Now, the Altima was much nicer at its trim level. It was saying buy me initially, but it felt a bit "nervous" on the expressway.

I accidentally came upon a Kia Stinger review about an hour ago. Maybe a plant by g.g? LOL.
It sounded and looked pretty good. Standard leather seats and a 2.0 turbo. With dealer incentives would put the price around that of the base TLX. Don't know about the hatchback though.

Did I miss where you tried an Accord? I mean, that’s the go-to in that segment.

As has been discussed recently, if getting a Stinger, get the bigger lease incentive and then refinance. Thought I read it can be had in the mid $20k range that way??

Accord? Never really thought about it. That Acura TLX I looked at probably just 1k or 2k more with incentives.

Leasing poses a lot of questions. Haven't ruled it out.

stickguy

Might as well sit in an accord too to see if you like it. After that and driving the Camry, should have enough data points to make a decision. So just pick what you want to live with for 10 years, wrench open the wallet, and give the economy a boost!