Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

ab348

driver100 said:

That's an interesting one O-F. The Mitsu RVR is smaller than an Eclipse and is not available in the U.S.

Canadians buy smaller less expensive cars in bigger numbers. So much of the country is in lockdown that people aren't travelling much....even travel between provinces is not allowed in many cases. So it appears that is what they did....brought a bunch of these cars into the U.S. where they can be utilized....clever!

The RVR name is n/a in the USA. But this Outlander Sport is, and appears to be the same vehicle.

driver100

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

That's an interesting one O-F. The Mitsu RVR is smaller than an Eclipse and is not available in the U.S.

Canadians buy smaller less expensive cars in bigger numbers. So much of the country is in lockdown that people aren't travelling much....even travel between provinces is not allowed in many cases. So it appears that is what they did....brought a bunch of these cars into the U.S. where they can be utilized....clever!

The RVR name is n/a in the USA. But this Outlander Sport is, and appears to be the same vehicle.

That's the one.....shows up as $24k CDN and $20K USD so that matches up pretty well. You would think it would be easier for Mitsu to keep the names the same but sometimes things happen, like Sport is protected in Canada or RVR is protected in the U.S.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

When we went to Patchogue NY in the 1960s we went in my Father's 1960 Meteor which was really a Ford which Ford made a little different so it could be sold by Monarch dealers, Meteors were upscale Cdn Fords and Monarchs upscale Cdn Mercurys. A lot of people came over and thought my Dad customized his Ford Galaxy.

Speaking of Canadian versions of cars, yesterday we were transporting some Mitsubishi’s with Canadian plates. Evidently, it’s so desperate down here that we’re borrowing cars from across the border where demand hasn’t picked up as much.

Anyway, this Mitsu I drove was called an RVR. I had never heard of that before but I guess that’s what they call the Outlander Sport up north. I couldn’t tell if it had distinctive Canadian styling.

That's an interesting one O-F. The Mitsu RVR is smaller than an Eclipse and is not available in the U.S.

Canadians buy smaller less expensive cars in bigger numbers. So much of the country is in lockdown that people aren't travelling much....even travel between provinces is not allowed in many cases. So it appears that is what they did....brought a bunch of these cars into the U.S. where they can be utilized....clever!

It’s quite a departure from usual corporate policy. Before, when a Canadian plated car ended up south of the border we would collect them, put them on a car carrier and ship them back in bulk.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

When we went to Patchogue NY in the 1960s we went in my Father's 1960 Meteor which was really a Ford which Ford made a little different so it could be sold by Monarch dealers, Meteors were upscale Cdn Fords and Monarchs upscale Cdn Mercurys. A lot of people came over and thought my Dad customized his Ford Galaxy.

Speaking of Canadian versions of cars, yesterday we were transporting some Mitsubishi’s with Canadian plates. Evidently, it’s so desperate down here that we’re borrowing cars from across the border where demand hasn’t picked up as much.

Anyway, this Mitsu I drove was called an RVR. I had never heard of that before but I guess that’s what they call the Outlander Sport up north. I couldn’t tell if it had distinctive Canadian styling.

That's an interesting one O-F. The Mitsu RVR is smaller than an Eclipse and is not available in the U.S.

Canadians buy smaller less expensive cars in bigger numbers. So much of the country is in lockdown that people aren't travelling much....even travel between provinces is not allowed in many cases. So it appears that is what they did....brought a bunch of these cars into the U.S. where they can be utilized....clever!

It’s quite a departure from usual corporate policy. Before, when a Canadian plated car ended up south of the border we would collect them, put them on a car carrier and ship them back in bulk.

You probably need them way more than we do. Air travel is down to a trickle here, and most provinces are in mid to severe lockdowns. They try to keep the numbers at a manageable level so hospitals don't get overwhelmed. It is so ridiculous that in Ontario they wouldn't allow golf.....there is nothing safer than 4 guys being out on 100s of acres of fields in the great outdoors......and how important is physical and mental health. It makes no sense. If I go to a public court I can play doubles tennis, which is the only tennis you should play if you are 60+. If I go to a city run club there are 5 courts, they only allow 10 people to participate at a time even though it is outdoors, so you can only play singles, 5 courts X 2 per court = 10.
In what universe does this make any sense at all? Government run amuck!

henryn

Government, like any bureaucracy, is slow to act, and then even slower to undo any steps it has already taken. It is only recently that science has started to say that the percent of people who get infected by transmission outdoors is under 1 percent. I am vaccinated, and with this latest reporting, I am starting to feel fairly confident about outdoor activities. I am not a golfer, but I completely agree that playing golf should be safe, and doubles tennis. A visit to the dog park, attending a classic car show (outdoors), many more things are starting to feel doable again. Indoor activities, no, not so much. Attending a college football game, with 80,000 screaming fans, definitely not yet.

Just my opinion, everyone has to do what they feel comfortable doing.

driver100

@henryn I see it the same. What I think will happen is everyone will get covid at some point....most people aren't affected or are affected very little but can still carry it. Either you will get it naturally by it being passed on....which usually is OK but can be risky, or you can get a vaccine in which case you get it but it is done under controlled circumstances, just enough to build up some immunity. Take your choice, I want the controlled dose personally.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

@henryn I see it the same. What I think will happen is everyone will get covid at some point....most people aren't affected or are affected very little but can still carry it. Either you will get it naturally by it being passed on....which usually is OK but can be risky, or you can get a vaccine in which case you get it but it is done under controlled circumstances, just enough to build up some immunity. Take your choice, I want the controlled dose personally.

I got both.

abacomike

@driver100 said:
@henryn I see it the same. What I think will happen is everyone will get covid at some point....most people aren't affected or are affected very little but can still carry it. Either you will get it naturally by it being passed on....which usually is OK but can be risky, or you can get a vaccine in which case you get it but it is done under controlled circumstances, just enough to build up some immunity. Take your choice, I want the controlled dose personally.

Before reading your post above, I had no concerns or confusion regarding COVID-19 and/or the vaccines. After reading your comments, I am now so confused and insecure, I think I need a psychiatrist! 😩🤨😶‍🌫️🤬😤🤓

ronsteve

You don't get COVID by getting the vaccine. There's no virus in it, but your immune system will then know how to fight the virus if you're exposed. Thing is, being vaccinated isn't a guarantee that you won't be infected, but it's much less likely. And if you DO get infected, it's less likely to be symptomatic, and very unlikely to land you in the hospital or kill you.

The worrisome part of the latest guidance is that, unless the vaccine is better than guidance was suggesting for most of the spring, ditching the masks now seems a bit early for those who are just now getting the opportunity to get vaxxed. By the time Kentucky goes back to full capacity on 6/11, pretty much anyone who is still unvaxxed has made that choice, so I'm good with that sunset even if I am a little concerned that things are prematurely loose right now.

abacomike

@ronsteve said:
You don't get COVID by getting the vaccine. There's no virus in it, but your immune system will then know how to fight the virus if you're exposed. Thing is, being vaccinated isn't a guarantee that you won't be infected, but it's much less likely. And if you DO get infected, it's less likely to be symptomatic, and very unlikely to land you in the hospital or kill you.

The worrisome part of the latest guidance is that, unless the vaccine is better than guidance was suggesting for most of the spring, ditching the masks now seems a bit early for those who are just now getting the opportunity to get vaxxed. By the time Kentucky goes back to full capacity on 6/11, pretty much anyone who is still unvaxxed has made that choice, so I'm good with that sunset even if I am a little concerned that things are prematurely loose right now.

Historically, vaccines were created using dead virus cells or augmented virus cells. The body’s immune system would then attack the virus which created antibodies. Those antibodies remain in the immune system for an undetermined period of time. Examples would be poliomyelitis and smallpox. Some vaccines require booster shots to maintain the immunity levels.

COVID-19 vaccines are different from previous virus vaccines in that they do not contain dead or augmented virus cells, but rather contain DNA of the virus. Antibodies are then developed in the immune system based on that DNA. It is likely that a booster shot will be administered to those who have received the first 2 shots in order to extend the body’s ability to develop antibodies against the original COVID-19 virus as well as variants of the virus.

driver100

abacomike said:

@driver100 said:
@henryn I see it the same. What I think will happen is everyone will get covid at some point....most people aren't affected or are affected very little but can still carry it. Either you will get it naturally by it being passed on....which usually is OK but can be risky, or you can get a vaccine in which case you get it but it is done under controlled circumstances, just enough to build up some immunity. Take your choice, I want the controlled dose personally.

Before reading your post above, I had no concerns or confusion regarding COVID-19 and/or the vaccines. After reading your comments, I am now so confused and insecure, I think I need a psychiatrist! 😩🤨😶‍🌫️🤬😤🤓

Good, that was it's purpose.............for you to look into it further, which led to your very comprehensive explanation.

andres3

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

@andres3 said:

The problem is that apparently you can be targeted, aimed at, and rammed into deliberately in a parking lot if you "back out" no matter how slowly, and you will be found 100% at fault as you are "backing" and do not have the right of way. Those two facts are apparently good for 1,000% full-proof tightness with insurance.

Can't you also be targeted and rammed into pulling out forward? And wouldn't still be your fault?

Not necessarily. First, you can go out faster, quicker, and more swiftly going forward. It's much easier to see and control going fast forward. Also, you have additional gears to actually "go fast" should you need to dodge an incoming bogey.
Secondly, going "backwards" does put you at a disadvantage liability wise. It is assumed the person going backwards has the greater duty of care, and the person going forward is just driving "normally." It's pretty much the same hard and fast rule that rear-ending someone always makes you at fault. It's an insurance thing.
Lastly... who's driving down a parking lot aisle in a straight line using their right of way in reverse? No one! LOL. That's what people going forward do. Very very very tough to pin blame on someone going forward if you were going backward. It's even Steven if you are both backing up or both going forward.

Actually the same rules apply. If someone wants to take the opportunity to commit insurance fraud as you're pulling out they are going to do it if your pulling out just as easily as if you're backing out. And in reality pulling out faster is more likely to get you into an accident since cross traffic will have less time and warning to avoid you.

Backing out doesn't put you at a disadvantage liability wise as your liability is the same regardless of if you are backing out or pulling out. Oh and if someone is going down the aisle backwards and you are pulling out of a space forward the person backing up has the right of way so the collision would be your fault if you are pulling out of a stall.

It's not the same rules because "backing up" automatically makes you at fault in the insurance world. You are guilty until proven innocent when backing.
Pulling out faster makes it less likely to get hit by someone that isn't paying attention. You give them less time to hit you, and you are less of a sitting duck. This goes back to your problem of realizing that not all collisions are from lack of reaction time for other people. Often they have no reaction. Once you start backing out, and your rear end is sticking out, even if you stop/stopped, a person can ram you in the back corner and you'll get blamed for it, even if you stopped because they have the "right of way." That's exactly what happened to me, only I was going about 0.5 MPH and didn't have time to hit the brakes in time to get down to zero. From what I could gather out of Geico, it wouldn't have mattered, I was at least 3/4 of the way out of my space and you'd think someone would see me and stop rather than try to ram rod through.
That's why you want to go forward; you don't have "auto" liability for a collision when your going forward, and you have the advantage if they are backing.

Lastly, you reiterated your same point from before, but as I said, when's the last time you saw someone going down a parking aisle in reverse for a long distance? I don't think it's ever happened to me. It would be dumb for them to do that; especially if they don't have a 2-way dash cam and back up cam setup. You are better off reducing your time in reverse as close to zero as possible if you don't want to get blamed (even partially) for terrible driving and other terrible drivers trying to collide with you.

You have to forget the "backing up" rule, it's not that you are backing up that gives you the liability it's that you are pulling into traffic. So backing out of a spot does not increase your liability as it is the same as if you are pulling straight out. You are at fault regardless of if you are going forward or not.

As for going down the parking aisle in reverse for a long distance I did that about a week ago. I was leaving the local Home Depot and decided to leave the by heading towards the store to get out, it's usually easier to get out that way due to lot design and how I wanted to proceed once I got to the main road. However this particular day that was a mistake as traffic right along the front of the store for whatever reason came to a complete halt. Since I quickly realized that traffic wasn't moving in that area and that there were several cars in this aisle waiting for traffic to clear so seeing that there was no one behind me I backed up far enough for me to take a different path out of the lot. Yes this is an extreme example that rarely happens but you do often see people backing up for short distances for various reasons. However this is meaningless as regardless of if you are pulling out or backing up your liability is exactly the same.

I don't think the auto insurance companies agree with you. However, that's not to say your way isn't better. I don't care for the hard and fast rules of insurance companies, as they are often wrong. Some report that you NEVER have the right of way when backing. That's been my experience with insurance companies.
Anyways, this reminds me of a parking garage incident involving "backing up" technically on my part way back in the day, when I was still in the University.

So I'm rounding a 180 degree turn from the upper level to the next level down transitioning on the parking structure. The very first spot by the rails is open, so I turn forward into it, only I don't think it was possible to take the turn wide enough given center median obstructions, and I didn't take the turn wide anyway. So clearly without a shadow of a doubt a 3-point turn was going to be necessary, I didn't get halfway in at a strong angle before starting the 2nd point of my 3 point turn. So in my view, I never left the right of way, and still had it while backing up. I don't think the crazy lady's insurance saw it that way. As soon as I put it into reverse, I was "backing out." The fact I never completely entered the parking space nor left the lane of travel/right of way didn't seem to mean much to them. Would you have sided in my favor? I would have. In my view, the right of way was never conceded by me, as I never left the lane open. I figured she understood she was at fault and there was no damage to either car so that was it.
Boy was I wrong. Year(s)? later I'd find out she did make a claim claiming it was my fault! This is actually a strange case with a long story where ultimately years later I was found not at fault, but not without some finagling, determination, assertion, and going to "battle."

andres3

jmonroe1 said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

venture said:

oldfarmer50 said:

fintail said:

I don't think there are any objective ways to defend mandated front-first parking, other than some level of irresponsible control-happy micromanagement. I suspect the odds are much greater to have an incident backing out than backing in or pulling away moving forward. I always back in or pull through so I am facing out, I also tend to park out in the sticks away from the riff-raff.

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

“ I just read that another sedan will be axed. 2021 last year for the Mazda 6. Also the Mazda CX3”

What is the world coming to? It won’t be long before we’ll have nothing but boxy SUVs to choose from. It’s the story of my life that if I like a product, the manufacturer will kill it faster than a jack rabbit. TV programs too. If my wife and I start watching a show they yank it off the air. I guess I’m no longer in a desirable demographic.

There should be a law that SUVs should have glass sides on them. I had to park between 2 SUVs in 2 separate spots today...in both cases I was parked with the front end out, in both cases I had to leave my parking spot very slowly because I couldn't see past the SUV on either side of me.
2 solutions....1) if my car had a periscope that came out of the grill, OR 2) if the SUVs were required to have mirrors I could look at to see up and down the aisles.

Or you could pull in face first like you’re supposed to do. I worked at a place where that was the law and you’d lose your parking lot privileges for a month if you backed in or pulled through. I can’t believe that people either back in or pull through a spot so they are facing the aisle at grocery stores and anywhere else for that matter when you know damn well you’re going to buy something and put it in the trunk. I try not to pull into a spot when I see that because I don’t want these nitwits banging into my front bumper trying to finagle a cart to get to their trunk. That is one of my biggest pet peeves.

A backup camera with a wide view is perfect for seeing around cars on either side when you pull in face first and have to back out. It ain’t like you’re driving your fathers Oldsmobile today. Wake up, there are some things today that are better given that there are too many beast mobiles in the world that you have to see around in parking lots.

Rant over.

jmonroe

We smarter more refined people prefer to back in;
“Needless to say, back-in parking takes more time and effort than head-in parking. Yet, it is easier, quicker, and safer when exiting. Thus we may conjecture that people take the trouble to back in demonstrate the ability to delay gratification; they want to invest more time and effort now so they can enjoy the fruits of their labor later. They demonstrate a culture of long-term orientation.”
Every article I see on the topic says it is a little more work in the beginning, because instead of aiming your car into a spot it takes some skill to back in to a space usually between two cars. But, when you drive out you have a clear view of what is immediately within your field of vision and that is when accidents happen - when you back out....way more accidents.
I know you will whine about grocery carts and how inconvenient it is for you but way more sources, including the AAA prefer going in backwards.
https://www.vox.com/2016/8/1/11926596/safer-back-into-parking-spaces

Don’t states with no front plate require that you don’t back into parking spots. I know Florida did that so that they could read the back plate.

No front plates in Pennsylvania. I never heard of that.

NO front plates in OH, either. That’s pretty recent though. We have no requirements to back in or pull in front first. Matter of fact, those who back in to parking spaces (as I see at Costco) take way too long to park. Park and get the heck out of the way.

Personally, I have never been bothered by someone taking a bit of extra time to back in to a space at Costco....because I would rather have them do that than coming zooming out rear end first....and that makes me think of the ones who can even back out at the same time as the car opposite them is backing out....that doesn't happen if going in rear first.

Doesn't backing your car into the spot at Costco make it harder to load your car?

YES! LOL. Although with the TTS the side mirrors fold in when locked, and I can often fit a cart through in between cars as long as someone didn't park real close.

I’ve noticed more times than not where a person backs in and stays pretty much perfectly centered between their parking spot but the cars on either side, while between their lines, are over too far thereby not allowing enough space to get a shopping cart through so that they can get to their trunk. It’s almost funny because they all seem to react the same way. They turn their head from side to side pondering how they’re going to get to their trunk. In the end they leave the cart at their front bumper and go back and forth carrying their purchases to their trunk.

From that I deduce that while they might be good drivers and can park between the lines that doesn’t make them smart in the head.

Yeah, let’s circle back to why backing in isn’t as smart as some folks would like us to believe.

jmonroe

It's a very small price to pay in relation to the vast amounts of pain that comes when found liable for a "parking lot" collision. Reducing the chance of that liability is "big picture" wise. Still, I find myself being a bit lazy and going in forward first at Costco.

andres3

fintail said:

I bet at least 9 people have bought that Lightning one.

WA has a ton of these too. None relevant to me, but even if there was one, I doubt I would go for it.

Like many states, WA also has a "year of manufacture"/YOM plate scheme, where a vintage car can be re-registered with plates from the same year as the car. I think there's a 30 year rule for this - along with caveats like the car can't be a daily driver, etc, but I suspect this isn't enforced. The fun part about YOM plates is that they are "permanent", and don't have an annual registration fee. I got the set for the fintail in 1996, not a bad investment for a quarter at a yard sale, and a ~$40 fee.

driver100 said:

In Florida you can go wild these days....there is a plate for everyone no matter what your interest;

The CA DMV is known for being super ultra conservative in allowing "personalized" plates, so much so, that they have had several lawsuits filed against them for arbitrarily not allowing "free speech" through license plates and violating Civil rights. Sort of like a FL school creepily editing HS girls yearbook photos.

andres3

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

@fintail am not a fan of the surveillance state, but if a front plate helps solve a hit and run etc especially if against me, I am all for it.
Heck, on my old car, the local regulation is with vintage/YOM plates, you only need one, but I use them both, as they look cool.

Remember too....the reader can review 1800 license plates an hour....but the only plates it actually brings up are the ones that are problematic. It is really like a camera the TV stations use or they show on the internet.....you can see license plates but it doesn't mean anything unless they should pull that license.

Remember too, there some controversy about those plate readers retaining a record of your whereabouts which may be used for nefarious purposes when someone decides they don’t like your activities.

I understand resenting being tracked....Mrs D showed me her phone record at the end of the month, cities been in, stores visited, miles covered etc. I know google and everything else has records on my habits and where I visit. I know people are listening to my phone conversations.
I'd prefer not to be followed that way, but really, I don't care, if they want to listen in on my conversations I don't really care. If it helps them to find a guy making a bomb or getting ready to shoot people then I am on board. It's like getting screened at the airport...I don't like it but better than the possible alternative.

Obviously you've never been falsely accused of a crime. Just wait until you get a judge with a stick up their *** making decisions that greatly affect your life.

jmonroe1

andres3 said:

jmonroe1 said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

venture said:

oldfarmer50 said:

fintail said:

I don't think there are any objective ways to defend mandated front-first parking, other than some level of irresponsible control-happy micromanagement. I suspect the odds are much greater to have an incident backing out than backing in or pulling away moving forward. I always back in or pull through so I am facing out, I also tend to park out in the sticks away from the riff-raff.

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

“ I just read that another sedan will be axed. 2021 last year for the Mazda 6. Also the Mazda CX3”

What is the world coming to? It won’t be long before we’ll have nothing but boxy SUVs to choose from. It’s the story of my life that if I like a product, the manufacturer will kill it faster than a jack rabbit. TV programs too. If my wife and I start watching a show they yank it off the air. I guess I’m no longer in a desirable demographic.

There should be a law that SUVs should have glass sides on them. I had to park between 2 SUVs in 2 separate spots today...in both cases I was parked with the front end out, in both cases I had to leave my parking spot very slowly because I couldn't see past the SUV on either side of me.
2 solutions....1) if my car had a periscope that came out of the grill, OR 2) if the SUVs were required to have mirrors I could look at to see up and down the aisles.

Or you could pull in face first like you’re supposed to do. I worked at a place where that was the law and you’d lose your parking lot privileges for a month if you backed in or pulled through. I can’t believe that people either back in or pull through a spot so they are facing the aisle at grocery stores and anywhere else for that matter when you know damn well you’re going to buy something and put it in the trunk. I try not to pull into a spot when I see that because I don’t want these nitwits banging into my front bumper trying to finagle a cart to get to their trunk. That is one of my biggest pet peeves.

A backup camera with a wide view is perfect for seeing around cars on either side when you pull in face first and have to back out. It ain’t like you’re driving your fathers Oldsmobile today. Wake up, there are some things today that are better given that there are too many beast mobiles in the world that you have to see around in parking lots.

Rant over.

jmonroe

We smarter more refined people prefer to back in;
“Needless to say, back-in parking takes more time and effort than head-in parking. Yet, it is easier, quicker, and safer when exiting. Thus we may conjecture that people take the trouble to back in demonstrate the ability to delay gratification; they want to invest more time and effort now so they can enjoy the fruits of their labor later. They demonstrate a culture of long-term orientation.”
Every article I see on the topic says it is a little more work in the beginning, because instead of aiming your car into a spot it takes some skill to back in to a space usually between two cars. But, when you drive out you have a clear view of what is immediately within your field of vision and that is when accidents happen - when you back out....way more accidents.
I know you will whine about grocery carts and how inconvenient it is for you but way more sources, including the AAA prefer going in backwards.
https://www.vox.com/2016/8/1/11926596/safer-back-into-parking-spaces

Don’t states with no front plate require that you don’t back into parking spots. I know Florida did that so that they could read the back plate.

No front plates in Pennsylvania. I never heard of that.

NO front plates in OH, either. That’s pretty recent though. We have no requirements to back in or pull in front first. Matter of fact, those who back in to parking spaces (as I see at Costco) take way too long to park. Park and get the heck out of the way.

Personally, I have never been bothered by someone taking a bit of extra time to back in to a space at Costco....because I would rather have them do that than coming zooming out rear end first....and that makes me think of the ones who can even back out at the same time as the car opposite them is backing out....that doesn't happen if going in rear first.

Doesn't backing your car into the spot at Costco make it harder to load your car?

YES! LOL. Although with the TTS the side mirrors fold in when locked, and I can often fit a cart through in between cars as long as someone didn't park real close.

I’ve noticed more times than not where a person backs in and stays pretty much perfectly centered between their parking spot but the cars on either side, while between their lines, are over too far thereby not allowing enough space to get a shopping cart through so that they can get to their trunk. It’s almost funny because they all seem to react the same way. They turn their head from side to side pondering how they’re going to get to their trunk. In the end they leave the cart at their front bumper and go back and forth carrying their purchases to their trunk.

From that I deduce that while they might be good drivers and can park between the lines that doesn’t make them smart in the head.

Yeah, let’s circle back to why backing in isn’t as smart as some folks would like us to believe.

jmonroe

It's a very small price to pay in relation to the vast amounts of pain that comes when found liable for a "parking lot" collision. Reducing the chance of that liability is "big picture" wise. Still, I find myself being a bit lazy and going in forward first at Costco.

I have been driving longer than you, much longer, and I have not had a single problem parking when I pull in head first. I’ll go with my track record.

jmonroe

andres3

jmonroe1 said:

andres3 said:

jmonroe1 said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

venture said:

oldfarmer50 said:

fintail said:

I don't think there are any objective ways to defend mandated front-first parking, other than some level of irresponsible control-happy micromanagement. I suspect the odds are much greater to have an incident backing out than backing in or pulling away moving forward. I always back in or pull through so I am facing out, I also tend to park out in the sticks away from the riff-raff.

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

“ I just read that another sedan will be axed. 2021 last year for the Mazda 6. Also the Mazda CX3”

What is the world coming to? It won’t be long before we’ll have nothing but boxy SUVs to choose from. It’s the story of my life that if I like a product, the manufacturer will kill it faster than a jack rabbit. TV programs too. If my wife and I start watching a show they yank it off the air. I guess I’m no longer in a desirable demographic.

There should be a law that SUVs should have glass sides on them. I had to park between 2 SUVs in 2 separate spots today...in both cases I was parked with the front end out, in both cases I had to leave my parking spot very slowly because I couldn't see past the SUV on either side of me.
2 solutions....1) if my car had a periscope that came out of the grill, OR 2) if the SUVs were required to have mirrors I could look at to see up and down the aisles.

Or you could pull in face first like you’re supposed to do. I worked at a place where that was the law and you’d lose your parking lot privileges for a month if you backed in or pulled through. I can’t believe that people either back in or pull through a spot so they are facing the aisle at grocery stores and anywhere else for that matter when you know damn well you’re going to buy something and put it in the trunk. I try not to pull into a spot when I see that because I don’t want these nitwits banging into my front bumper trying to finagle a cart to get to their trunk. That is one of my biggest pet peeves.

A backup camera with a wide view is perfect for seeing around cars on either side when you pull in face first and have to back out. It ain’t like you’re driving your fathers Oldsmobile today. Wake up, there are some things today that are better given that there are too many beast mobiles in the world that you have to see around in parking lots.

Rant over.

jmonroe

We smarter more refined people prefer to back in;
“Needless to say, back-in parking takes more time and effort than head-in parking. Yet, it is easier, quicker, and safer when exiting. Thus we may conjecture that people take the trouble to back in demonstrate the ability to delay gratification; they want to invest more time and effort now so they can enjoy the fruits of their labor later. They demonstrate a culture of long-term orientation.”
Every article I see on the topic says it is a little more work in the beginning, because instead of aiming your car into a spot it takes some skill to back in to a space usually between two cars. But, when you drive out you have a clear view of what is immediately within your field of vision and that is when accidents happen - when you back out....way more accidents.
I know you will whine about grocery carts and how inconvenient it is for you but way more sources, including the AAA prefer going in backwards.
https://www.vox.com/2016/8/1/11926596/safer-back-into-parking-spaces

Don’t states with no front plate require that you don’t back into parking spots. I know Florida did that so that they could read the back plate.

No front plates in Pennsylvania. I never heard of that.

NO front plates in OH, either. That’s pretty recent though. We have no requirements to back in or pull in front first. Matter of fact, those who back in to parking spaces (as I see at Costco) take way too long to park. Park and get the heck out of the way.

Personally, I have never been bothered by someone taking a bit of extra time to back in to a space at Costco....because I would rather have them do that than coming zooming out rear end first....and that makes me think of the ones who can even back out at the same time as the car opposite them is backing out....that doesn't happen if going in rear first.

Doesn't backing your car into the spot at Costco make it harder to load your car?

YES! LOL. Although with the TTS the side mirrors fold in when locked, and I can often fit a cart through in between cars as long as someone didn't park real close.

I’ve noticed more times than not where a person backs in and stays pretty much perfectly centered between their parking spot but the cars on either side, while between their lines, are over too far thereby not allowing enough space to get a shopping cart through so that they can get to their trunk. It’s almost funny because they all seem to react the same way. They turn their head from side to side pondering how they’re going to get to their trunk. In the end they leave the cart at their front bumper and go back and forth carrying their purchases to their trunk.

From that I deduce that while they might be good drivers and can park between the lines that doesn’t make them smart in the head.

Yeah, let’s circle back to why backing in isn’t as smart as some folks would like us to believe.

jmonroe

It's a very small price to pay in relation to the vast amounts of pain that comes when found liable for a "parking lot" collision. Reducing the chance of that liability is "big picture" wise. Still, I find myself being a bit lazy and going in forward first at Costco.

I have been driving longer than you, much longer, and I have not had a single problem parking when I pull in head first. I’ll go with my track record.

jmonroe

You could live to be 120 and stay healthy enough to drive until your death and you still would be a sample size of 1 person.
But I can understand your position. I used to say that I don't need a back up camera because I've never run over anything or anyone in reverse.
Nowadays I like having the camera.

roadburner

My wife and I are spending a week in Seabrook Island, SC. Since it's just the two of us we took the 2 Series. It's really the perfect size for us, the trunk holds all our luggage and it's a very nice cruiser- just set everything in geezer(Eco Pro) mode and point it down the interstate. I set my cruise control at 10 mph over the posted limit and I passed about the same number of cars that passed me. Fuel economy averaged 32 mpg. In Eco Pro the transmission effectively shifts into neutral if you lift your foot off the accelerator; while driving through the mountains I discovered that will allow the car to reach nearly 100 mph on a 7% downhill grade.

As for vehicle sightings, nothing very exotic. Much like when we visited the area a year ago, domestic vehicles are primarily represented by trucks, full size SUVs, and Wranglers- I also spotted a couple of Bronco Sports. Most all newer American cars were either ponycars, Chargers, or the occasional Tesla. The few older domestic sedans were either in near mint condition or they were hoopties with one axle in the junkyard. The rest of the vehicle mix is what you'd expect= call it 33% Japanese, 33% Korean, and 33% European. I don't think I've seen another 2er, which suits me fine; an M2 Comp is rarer still- thankfully.
Only two invitations to "participate in a speed contest"- one was from a Charger Hellcat, the other a Camry TRD. With my wife onboard I had a good excuse to ignore the Dodge- but I likewise had to forfeit the opportunity to thrash the Toyota...

Sandman6472

Been pretty consistent at work lately, go from one location to another dropping off rentable vehicles. The airport in West Palm had many vehicles sitting yesterday but makes sense since it was Monday. Come Friday, most will be gone.
We walked over to a nearby Mitsubishi store in West Palm last week and they had their new flagship vehicle outside in a white pearlized paint. Must admit when the sun hit it right, looked almost gray and it the direct sunlight, white. Looked pretty lux inside and seem to recall it had a sticker around $37K. Their lower priced CUV's and SUV's are a bit meh in the driving department, a nice appliance to get one from Point A to Point B, nothing to write home about.
Changed my oil change to a week from Thursday and just might get the 60K service done since I'll be hitting 67K any day now. It's behaving so plan on keeping it another year or so. Or until something major happens. Waiting till the 2022's come out actually.

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

andres3 said:

jmonroe1 said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

venture said:

oldfarmer50 said:

fintail said:

I don't think there are any objective ways to defend mandated front-first parking, other than some level of irresponsible control-happy micromanagement. I suspect the odds are much greater to have an incident backing out than backing in or pulling away moving forward. I always back in or pull through so I am facing out, I also tend to park out in the sticks away from the riff-raff.

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

“ I just read that another sedan will be axed. 2021 last year for the Mazda 6. Also the Mazda CX3”

What is the world coming to? It won’t be long before we’ll have nothing but boxy SUVs to choose from. It’s the story of my life that if I like a product, the manufacturer will kill it faster than a jack rabbit. TV programs too. If my wife and I start watching a show they yank it off the air. I guess I’m no longer in a desirable demographic.

There should be a law that SUVs should have glass sides on them. I had to park between 2 SUVs in 2 separate spots today...in both cases I was parked with the front end out, in both cases I had to leave my parking spot very slowly because I couldn't see past the SUV on either side of me.
2 solutions....1) if my car had a periscope that came out of the grill, OR 2) if the SUVs were required to have mirrors I could look at to see up and down the aisles.

Or you could pull in face first like you’re supposed to do. I worked at a place where that was the law and you’d lose your parking lot privileges for a month if you backed in or pulled through. I can’t believe that people either back in or pull through a spot so they are facing the aisle at grocery stores and anywhere else for that matter when you know damn well you’re going to buy something and put it in the trunk. I try not to pull into a spot when I see that because I don’t want these nitwits banging into my front bumper trying to finagle a cart to get to their trunk. That is one of my biggest pet peeves.

A backup camera with a wide view is perfect for seeing around cars on either side when you pull in face first and have to back out. It ain’t like you’re driving your fathers Oldsmobile today. Wake up, there are some things today that are better given that there are too many beast mobiles in the world that you have to see around in parking lots.

Rant over.

jmonroe

We smarter more refined people prefer to back in;
“Needless to say, back-in parking takes more time and effort than head-in parking. Yet, it is easier, quicker, and safer when exiting. Thus we may conjecture that people take the trouble to back in demonstrate the ability to delay gratification; they want to invest more time and effort now so they can enjoy the fruits of their labor later. They demonstrate a culture of long-term orientation.”
Every article I see on the topic says it is a little more work in the beginning, because instead of aiming your car into a spot it takes some skill to back in to a space usually between two cars. But, when you drive out you have a clear view of what is immediately within your field of vision and that is when accidents happen - when you back out....way more accidents.
I know you will whine about grocery carts and how inconvenient it is for you but way more sources, including the AAA prefer going in backwards.
https://www.vox.com/2016/8/1/11926596/safer-back-into-parking-spaces

Don’t states with no front plate require that you don’t back into parking spots. I know Florida did that so that they could read the back plate.

No front plates in Pennsylvania. I never heard of that.

NO front plates in OH, either. That’s pretty recent though. We have no requirements to back in or pull in front first. Matter of fact, those who back in to parking spaces (as I see at Costco) take way too long to park. Park and get the heck out of the way.

Personally, I have never been bothered by someone taking a bit of extra time to back in to a space at Costco....because I would rather have them do that than coming zooming out rear end first....and that makes me think of the ones who can even back out at the same time as the car opposite them is backing out....that doesn't happen if going in rear first.

Doesn't backing your car into the spot at Costco make it harder to load your car?

YES! LOL. Although with the TTS the side mirrors fold in when locked, and I can often fit a cart through in between cars as long as someone didn't park real close.

I’ve noticed more times than not where a person backs in and stays pretty much perfectly centered between their parking spot but the cars on either side, while between their lines, are over too far thereby not allowing enough space to get a shopping cart through so that they can get to their trunk. It’s almost funny because they all seem to react the same way. They turn their head from side to side pondering how they’re going to get to their trunk. In the end they leave the cart at their front bumper and go back and forth carrying their purchases to their trunk.

From that I deduce that while they might be good drivers and can park between the lines that doesn’t make them smart in the head.

Yeah, let’s circle back to why backing in isn’t as smart as some folks would like us to believe.

jmonroe

It's a very small price to pay in relation to the vast amounts of pain that comes when found liable for a "parking lot" collision. Reducing the chance of that liability is "big picture" wise. Still, I find myself being a bit lazy and going in forward first at Costco.

I have been driving longer than you, much longer, and I have not had a single problem parking when I pull in head first. I’ll go with my track record.

jmonroe

Maybe you wouldn't have ever had a problem backing in during your lifetime.
And didn't someone knock off a mirror when backing out?
That is something that happens to people quite often....not very often when pulling out frontwards though

sda

roadburner said:

My wife and I are spending a week in Seabrook Island, SC. Since it's just the two of us we took the 2 Series. It's really the perfect size for us, the trunk holds all our luggage and it's a very nice cruiser- just set everything in geezer(Eco Pro) mode and point it down the interstate. I set my cruise control at 10 mph over the posted limit and I passed about the same number of cars that passed me. Fuel economy averaged 32 mpg. In Eco Pro the transmission effectively shifts into neutral if you lift your foot off the accelerator; while driving through the mountains I discovered that will allow the car to reach nearly 100 mph on a 7% downhill grade.

As for vehicle sightings, nothing very exotic. Much like when we visited the area a year ago, domestic vehicles are primarily represented by trucks, full size SUVs, and Wranglers- I also spotted a couple of Bronco Sports. Most all newer American cars were either ponycars, Chargers, or the occasional Tesla. The few older domestic sedans were either in near mint condition or they were hoopties with one axle in the junkyard. The rest of the vehicle mix is what you'd expect= call it 33% Japanese, 33% Korean, and 33% European. I don't think I've seen another 2er, which suits me fine; an M2 Comp is rarer still- thankfully.
Only two invitations to "participate in a speed contest"- one was from a Charger Hellcat, the other a Camry TRD. With my wife onboard I had a good excuse to ignore the Dodge- but I likewise had to forfeit the opportunity to thrash the Toyota...

Enjoy! We have a week reserved for Labor Day at Hilton Head, our go to for years. We will be taking two cars. The dogs, two golden doodles ride with me and my daughter and wife in the Q5.

snakeweasel

@andres3 said:
You could live to be 120 and stay healthy enough to drive until your death and you still would be a sample size of 1 person.
But I can understand your position. I used to say that I don't need a back up camera because I've never run over anything or anyone in reverse.
Nowadays I like having the camera.

Well the truth of the matter is until someone can come in and provide actual statistical data to support one way or the other it's all opinion and personal preference.

graphicguy

sda said:

@graphicguy , How is the new TLX? I'm interested to learn of your impressions after having driven it for a while. I really like the muscular looks of it.

I like it…a lot! That said, I’m an Acura fan. The new one is a pretty drastic change from the previous one. It’s better in every conceivable way than the previous one. The 2.0T is about as fast as the previous 3.5L V6, but has a lot more torque down low. The 10-speed trans, while not a dual clutch, is very quick to downshift to keep you in the power band without provocation. The SH-AWD system is better, too. The car rotates at speed nearly effortlessly.

The ride is composed but a bit on the firm side. Still comfortable. Acura does seats well. These are no different. Comfortable and supportive. Steering is natural and progressive as you take corners. I can always tell what the tires are doing. I’ve never had a steering wheel that is this comfortable and easy to use. It’s fat and it’s covered in nice leather….sort of like an S&M mistress (not that I’d know anything about that). Brakes are “by wire” but have a nice progressive feel and are easy to modulate.

The structure is very stiff. I can’t imagine any rattles or creaks creeping in for at least the first 100K miles. As such, it corners flatly and confidently. The doors, the trunk, the hood…all close with a very high quality “thunk”.

The previous TLX stereo was what I thought the best I ever heard, in any car, at any price. This ELS 3D is even better, which puts it in a company of one. It’s just marvelous. Gages are clear and well marked, as are the buttons. Mine has textured aluminum trim, and it’s real. The leather is stitched in contrasting colors (red stitches on black, black stitches on red). Leather is “Milano”. But really, aside from some fancy nomenclature, it’s very, very nice. Soft and seemingly durable. I can’t see it cracking or fading, at least not in the first 100K miles.

Infotainment took some getting used to. But, after the first week or so, it became 2nd nature. You just realize that instead of reaching for a touch screen, you leave your wrist on the leather “wrist rest” in the console and touch the touch pad where the icon is on the screen, and voila, you get what you wanted. The voice recognition is easy and intuitive and the Acura NAV graphics are vastly improved, as is the resolution of the screen. I don’t use my Apple Maps any more, as a result. Speaking of Apple, the iPhone interface on the touch pad is kludgy. Better to use Apple Siri voice recognition, which has always been easy to use.

Paint job is stunning. Build quality is the best I’ve experienced. Materials are generally top notch….some hard plastics down low, but I don’t really notice it.

I just turned 1K miles, and expect MPG to get better. But, keeping my foot in it, I’m getting around 23-24 MPG around town, and did one small road trip and got 30 MPG on the highway. I’ll take that.

It’s clearly not as fast as my previous Stinger. But, it handles better (for a FWD based car, quite a feat and a testament to the SH AWD). Seats are better in the TLX (Stinger’s seat bottoms were flat and hard). TLX rides better and has better materials throughout. It’s a better car, with the exception that the Stinger was faster. That said, I thought I’d miss the Stinger’s power. So far, not so much, which means I should probably have my CAFE RACER membership revoked.

As an aside, the Owner’s Manual says NOTHING about break in, except not to tow anything for the first miles of use. That’s it. So, I’ve been driving it like I stole it.

It gets stares. IN the Costco parking lot, where you’ll see everything from a 7 Series to a Mommy Wagon, I’ve had no less than 4 people stop me to talk about it. Plus, at Stop lights, I’m getting thumbs up.

Well, that was longer than I thought it would be.

snakeweasel

@graphicguy said:
I like it…a lot!

Well, that was longer than I thought it would be.

yes it was. Nice review, two things come up.

First, a 10 speed transmission which begs the question of how many gears is to many? Personally I think 10 gears is to much. I think the 8 in the BMW is pushing it and may be the reasonable limit if not to much.

Secondly, Cafe Racer is a type of motorcycle so I don't see how changing cars would affect your Cafe Racer membership.

roadburner

sda said:

roadburner said:

My wife and I are spending a week in Seabrook Island, SC. Since it's just the two of us we took the 2 Series. It's really the perfect size for us, the trunk holds all our luggage and it's a very nice cruiser- just set everything in geezer(Eco Pro) mode and point it down the interstate. I set my cruise control at 10 mph over the posted limit and I passed about the same number of cars that passed me. Fuel economy averaged 32 mpg. In Eco Pro the transmission effectively shifts into neutral if you lift your foot off the accelerator; while driving through the mountains I discovered that will allow the car to reach nearly 100 mph on a 7% downhill grade.

As for vehicle sightings, nothing very exotic. Much like when we visited the area a year ago, domestic vehicles are primarily represented by trucks, full size SUVs, and Wranglers- I also spotted a couple of Bronco Sports. Most all newer American cars were either ponycars, Chargers, or the occasional Tesla. The few older domestic sedans were either in near mint condition or they were hoopties with one axle in the junkyard. The rest of the vehicle mix is what you'd expect= call it 33% Japanese, 33% Korean, and 33% European. I don't think I've seen another 2er, which suits me fine; an M2 Comp is rarer still- thankfully.
Only two invitations to "participate in a speed contest"- one was from a Charger Hellcat, the other a Camry TRD. With my wife onboard I had a good excuse to ignore the Dodge- but I likewise had to forfeit the opportunity to thrash the Toyota...

Enjoy! We have a week reserved for Labor Day at Hilton Head, our go to for years. We will be taking two cars. The dogs, two golden doodles ride with me and my daughter and wife in the Q5.

We've been to Hilton Head quite a few times, especially when our son was with us. Lately, we've leaned towards Seabrook as it's a bit quieter and all we really want to do is ride bikes and walk on the beach.
I admire you bringing your dogs; ours is a Carolina Dog and he's so high energy I think he would go insane if he didn't have a farm to wander around.

stickguy

Other then the extra HP and brute force e acceleration (which was more of a try it once and put away) I liked driving my old TLX much more than my sons G70. Didn’t care for the seats or ride and noise. Sounds like I would enjoy your model TLX

Oh, based on the RDX, expect that drivetrain to get mediocre mileage.

bwia

My unmarried and fully vaccinated daughter feels reborn again and wants to make a post Covid-19 career move to some place other than the Northeast. She asked for my opinion and I flippantly said, why not move to the Greater Phoenix area. Having never been to Phoenix or any of the Southwestern states for that matter I wonder how good is that advice. She has a degree in Marketing and has several years of progressive experience in the marketing field.

If you are familiar Phoenix, can you share what the job prospects and housing options are for a naïve young woman stepping out of her comfort zone? The only thing she knows about Phoenix is that it is hot and dry and very expensive to fly into and out of the city. I wouldn't mind visiting myself but I really don't know where to start except for the hype I see on YouTube.

Thanks much!

henryn

snakeweasel said:

First, a 10 speed transmission which begs the question of how many gears is to many? Personally I think 10 gears is to much. I think the 8 in the BMW is pushing it and may be the reasonable limit if not to much.

I have to respectfully disagree. When done right, you really don't notice the shifts. Unless you're running flat out and listening to the engine or watching the tachometer. What I did notice, going from a 2015 F150 to a 2018, same engine, 6 speed automatic to 10 speed automatic, was that throttle response was quicker. You're cruising at 50 and need to jump around someone, you press the throttle and boom! you're around them. The transmission finds the right gear to put you into the power band, much easier with 10 possible gears instead of 6.

And my more recent move, from the 2016 T&C to the 2019 Pacifica, same engine, but 6 speed automatic to 9 speed automatic. The difference is even bigger here, the Pacifica feels much peppier.

stickguy

Too had. And desert creatures

I would say try Colorado. I’d like to go there maybe!

Michaell

bwia said:

My unmarried and fully vaccinated daughter feels reborn again and wants to make a post Covid-19 career move to some place other than the Northeast. She asked for my opinion and I flippantly said, why not move to the Greater Phoenix area. Having never been to Phoenix or any of the Southwestern states for that matter I wonder how good is that advice. She has a degree in Marketing and has several years of progressive experience in the marketing field.

If you are familiar Phoenix, can you share what the job prospects and housing options are for a naïve young woman stepping out of her comfort zone? The only thing she knows about Phoenix is that it is hot and dry and very expensive to fly into and out of the city. I wouldn't mind visiting myself but I really don't know where to start except for the hype I see on YouTube.

Thanks much!

Phoenix is huge. I lived there in the early 80's for college and the metro area was 1.5 million then. Can't imagine how many folks live there now - I look at a map and see how much the city has grown. I've got friends and family who live in the area - mainly the southeastern suburbs.

And, I understand it isn't as dry there now as it used to be - all the people and vegetation that's been added has raised the humidity level from "bone dry" to "eh, it's not so bad". Plus, the monsoon storms in the late summer.

What field is she in? She may also want to consider Tucson - it's 1000' higher in elevation than Phoenix, which shaves a few degrees off the temperature. And, it's not quite as large, population wise.

roadburner

I mentioned on CCBA that the GM at the Cadillac dealer that has the M2 Competition I looked at emailed me an told me that the M2 was traded for a new Escalade. I suspected the guy was a wearer rather than a driver when I saw he bought the car last January and traded it a couple of weeks ago. I’d understand if he had flipped the M2 for a V-Series, but trading for an Escalade confirmed he’s a Five Star Wearer.

sda

@graphicguy , I am delighted you are happy with the TLX. Your review is so much more informative and helpful than what I read from the press. I thought CU was overly harsh in their assessment. I watched a U-Tube review of the Type-S and he really praised it. I think you have the best compromise of the trim levels with your A-Spec.

stickguy

I thought CR was a bit over the top too. I agree with GG though, once you get used to the interface, it’s a non issue.

fintail

I'd wager that's the case for most highline tuned (AMG/M/RS/V) cars - jewelry no different in purpose than a blingy SUV, just a different size. A few may make it to the track, but most sales volume will venture from an "upscale" cloned cardboard 'n plywood mcmansion orchard to a gallery mall to a faceless office campus.

roadburner said:

I mentioned on CCBA that the GM at the Cadillac dealer that has the M2 Competition I looked at emailed me an told me that the M2 was traded for a new Escalade. I suspected the guy was a wearer rather than a driver when I saw he bought the car last January and traded it a couple of weeks ago. I’d understand if he had flipped the M2 for a V-Series, but trading for an Escalade confirmed he’s a Five Star Wearer.

fintail

The same brilliant state, a bastion of freedom and opportunity and justice for all, that wants to tell private sector businesses (social media gongshows) what to do, funny.

I am sure WA is pretty censor-iffic when it comes to personalized plates, too - don't want to offend Karen, she'll be talking to the DOL manager in no time.

andres3 said:

fintail said:

I bet at least 9 people have bought that Lightning one.

WA has a ton of these too. None relevant to me, but even if there was one, I doubt I would go for it.

Like many states, WA also has a "year of manufacture"/YOM plate scheme, where a vintage car can be re-registered with plates from the same year as the car. I think there's a 30 year rule for this - along with caveats like the car can't be a daily driver, etc, but I suspect this isn't enforced. The fun part about YOM plates is that they are "permanent", and don't have an annual registration fee. I got the set for the fintail in 1996, not a bad investment for a quarter at a yard sale, and a ~$40 fee.

driver100 said:

In Florida you can go wild these days....there is a plate for everyone no matter what your interest;

The CA DMV is known for being super ultra conservative in allowing "personalized" plates, so much so, that they have had several lawsuits filed against them for arbitrarily not allowing "free speech" through license plates and violating Civil rights. Sort of like a FL school creepily editing HS girls yearbook photos.

fintail

Someone doesn't want to move to the PNW/Spokane? No way!

From what I know of that area, sprawl and some pockets of "affordable" housing, at least in the old days.

bwia said:

My unmarried and fully vaccinated daughter feels reborn again and wants to make a post Covid-19 career move to some place other than the Northeast. She asked for my opinion and I flippantly said, why not move to the Greater Phoenix area. Having never been to Phoenix or any of the Southwestern states for that matter I wonder how good is that advice. She has a degree in Marketing and has several years of progressive experience in the marketing field.

If you are familiar Phoenix, can you share what the job prospects and housing options are for a naïve young woman stepping out of her comfort zone? The only thing she knows about Phoenix is that it is hot and dry and very expensive to fly into and out of the city. I wouldn't mind visiting myself but I really don't know where to start except for the hype I see on YouTube.

Thanks much!

driver100

@graphicguy Enjoyable review to read and you it on all the points I'd be interested in....and that is one beautiful looking car!

roadburner

@graphicguy said:
I like it…a lot! That said, I’m an Acura fan. The new one is a pretty drastic change from the previous one. It’s better in every conceivable way than the previous one. The 2.0T is about as fast as the previous 3.5L V6, but has a lot more torque down low. The 10-speed trans, while not a dual clutch, is very quick to downshift to keep you in the power band without provocation. The SH-AWD system is better, too. The car rotates at speed nearly effortlessly.

The ride is composed but a bit on the firm side. Still comfortable. Acura does seats well. These are no different. Comfortable and supportive. Steering is natural and progressive as you take corners. I can always tell what the tires are doing. I’ve never had a steering wheel that is this comfortable and easy to use. It’s fat and it’s covered in nice leather….sort of like an S&M mistress (not that I’d know anything about that). Brakes are “by wire” but have a nice progressive feel and are easy to modulate.

The structure is very stiff. I can’t imagine any rattles or creaks creeping in for at least the first 100K miles. As such, it corners flatly and confidently. The doors, the trunk, the hood…all close with a very high quality “thunk”.

The previous TLX stereo was what I thought the best I ever heard, in any car, at any price. This ELS 3D is even better, which puts it in a company of one. It’s just marvelous. Gages are clear and well marked, as are the buttons. Mine has textured aluminum trim, and it’s real. The leather is stitched in contrasting colors (red stitches on black, black stitches on red). Leather is “Milano”. But really, aside from some fancy nomenclature, it’s very, very nice. Soft and seemingly durable. I can’t see it cracking or fading, at least not in the first 100K miles.

Infotainment took some getting used to. But, after the first week or so, it became 2nd nature. You just realize that instead of reaching for a touch screen, you leave your wrist on the leather “wrist rest” in the console and touch the touch pad where the icon is on the screen, and voila, you get what you wanted. The voice recognition is easy and intuitive and the Acura NAV graphics are vastly improved, as is the resolution of the screen. I don’t use my Apple Maps any more, as a result. Speaking of Apple, the iPhone interface on the touch pad is kludgy. Better to use Apple Siri voice recognition, which has always been easy to use.

Paint job is stunning. Build quality is the best I’ve experienced. Materials are generally top notch….some hard plastics down low, but I don’t really notice it.

I just turned 1K miles, and expect MPG to get better. But, keeping my foot in it, I’m getting around 23-24 MPG around town, and did one small road trip and got 30 MPG on the highway. I’ll take that.

It’s clearly not as fast as my previous Stinger. But, it handles better (for a FWD based car, quite a feat and a testament to the SH AWD). Seats are better in the TLX (Stinger’s seat bottoms were flat and hard). TLX rides better and has better materials throughout. It’s a better car, with the exception that the Stinger was faster. That said, I thought I’d miss the Stinger’s power. So far, not so much, which means I should probably have my CAFE RACER membership revoked.

As an aside, the Owner’s Manual says NOTHING about break in, except not to tow anything for the first miles of use. That’s it. So, I’ve been driving it like I stole it.

It gets stares. IN the Costco parking lot, where you’ll see everything from a 7 Series to a Mommy Wagon, I’ve had no less than 4 people stop me to talk about it. Plus, at Stop lights, I’m getting thumbs up.

Well, that was longer than I thought it would be.

Nice! I’m glad it’s working out so enjoyably.

qbrozen

@henryn said:
I have to respectfully disagree. When done right, you really don't notice the shifts. Unless you're running flat out and listening to the engine or watching the tachometer. What I did notice, going from a 2015 F150 to a 2018, same engine, 6 speed automatic to 10 speed automatic, was that throttle response was quicker. You're cruising at 50 and need to jump around someone, you press the throttle and boom! you're around them. The transmission finds the right gear to put you into the power band, much easier with 10 possible gears instead of 6.

And my more recent move, from the 2016 T&C to the 2019 Pacifica, same engine, but 6 speed automatic to 9 speed automatic. The difference is even bigger here, the Pacifica feels much peppier.

300-400 lb weight difference helps, too, I’m sure.

ronsteve

@venture said:
The tolls here are much cheaper if you use EZ Pass.

On the Illinois Tollway and the Ohio River bridges near Louisville, the transponder gets a 50% discount. Other systems the discount is less.

ab348

An online Oldsmobile friend who moved from Ohio to Phoenix in 1978 recently pulled up stakes and relocated to Texas. He said that Phoenix had changed in recent years and not for the better, with lots of growth and sprawl and big-city problems. He's now in Frisco, Tx, which I guess is part of the Dallas metroplex, but out on the fringe.

henryn

qbrozen said:

300-400 lb weight difference helps, too, I’m sure.

I was not aware of that weight difference. Newer cars usually weigh more (more junk added), and in this case it's a fair bit quieter which would lead me to expect more insulation and sound deadening. But I went and looked it up.

2016 T&C == 4,652 lbs
2019 Pacifica == 4,330 lbs

The T&C is 9.3% heavier, which is definitely enough to notice.

How do you keep all of this stuff in your head anyway?

stickguy

After seeing them side by side, the new model is more different than I expected. Still looks like a TLX, but snazzier.

qbrozen

@henryn said:
I was not aware of that weight difference. Newer cars usually weigh more (more junk added), and in this case it's a fair bit quieter which would lead me to expect more insulation and sound deadening. But I went and looked it up.

2016 T&C == 4,652 lbs
2019 Pacifica == 4,330 lbs

The T&C is 9.3% heavier, which is definitely enough to notice.

How do you keep all of this stuff in your head anyway?

I just know how much bigger the T&C is. Haha. And I knew, of course, ours weighs an absurd amount. I think ours is something like 4750-4800, IIRC, with all the extras of the Limited.

jmonroe1

Maybe you wouldn't have ever had a problem backing in during your lifetime.
And didn't someone knock off a mirror when backing out?
That is something that happens to people quite often....not very often when pulling out frontwards though

Let me get this straight, I’m not taking credit for Mrs. j’s whacking of mirrors when she’s backed out of our garage. One way or the other backing up has to be done. It would be even worse if she backed into the garage. Hell, if she backed in I’d have to join the “whacked mirror of the month club”. So I’m damn sure not going to suggest that. That just ain’t gonna happen. :@

jmonroe

jmonroe1

henryn said:

qbrozen said:

300-400 lb weight difference helps, too, I’m sure.

I was not aware of that weight difference. Newer cars usually weigh more (more junk added), and in this case it's a fair bit quieter which would lead me to expect more insulation and sound deadening. But I went and looked it up.

2016 T&C == 4,652 lbs
2019 Pacifica == 4,330 lbs

The T&C is 9.3% heavier, which is definitely enough to notice.

How do you keep all of this stuff in your head anyway?

He has a BIG head.

jmonroe

snakeweasel

bwia said:

My unmarried and fully vaccinated daughter feels reborn again and wants to make a post Covid-19 career move to some place other than the Northeast. She asked for my opinion and I flippantly said, why not move to the Greater Phoenix area. Having never been to Phoenix or any of the Southwestern states for that matter I wonder how good is that advice. She has a degree in Marketing and has several years of progressive experience in the marketing field.

If you are familiar Phoenix, can you share what the job prospects and housing options are for a naïve young woman stepping out of her comfort zone? The only thing she knows about Phoenix is that it is hot and dry and very expensive to fly into and out of the city. I wouldn't mind visiting myself but I really don't know where to start except for the hype I see on YouTube.

Thanks much!

Well if she is wanting to get away from it all and be her own boss she can move to Chicken Alaska and pretty much buy the town.

https://downtownchickenalaskaforsale.com/

snakeweasel

henryn said:

snakeweasel said:

First, a 10 speed transmission which begs the question of how many gears is to many? Personally I think 10 gears is to much. I think the 8 in the BMW is pushing it and may be the reasonable limit if not to much.

I have to respectfully disagree. When done right, you really don't notice the shifts. Unless you're running flat out and listening to the engine or watching the tachometer. What I did notice, going from a 2015 F150 to a 2018, same engine, 6 speed automatic to 10 speed automatic, was that throttle response was quicker. You're cruising at 50 and need to jump around someone, you press the throttle and boom! you're around them. The transmission finds the right gear to put you into the power band, much easier with 10 possible gears instead of 6.

And my more recent move, from the 2016 T&C to the 2019 Pacifica, same engine, but 6 speed automatic to 9 speed automatic. The difference is even bigger here, the Pacifica feels much peppier.

Not sure what engine you had in the F 150's but it wasn't the same engine. The 2018 model line had more powerful engines than their comparably sized engines in the 2015 model lineup. Even a 5% increase in torque can be noticed.

While the Pacifica had a barely mentionable more powerful engine it weighed over 300 pound less than the T&C which would account for the difference in performance.

That being said, as Mr. Scott said "The more you overthink the plumbing the easier it it to plug up the drain". With to many gears you end with a greater chance of hunting for gears with either you are the car trying to find the right gear to be in and changing gears to get into the power band for a pass may include either multiple shifts or skipping one or more gears. Plus how many gears can you fit in the transmission before you are reducing the quality of the mechanisms?

snakeweasel

roadburner said:

I mentioned on CCBA that the GM at the Cadillac dealer that has the M2 Competition I looked at emailed me an told me that the M2 was traded for a new Escalade. I suspected the guy was a wearer rather than a driver when I saw he bought the car last January and traded it a couple of weeks ago. I’d understand if he had flipped the M2 for a V-Series, but trading for an Escalade confirmed he’s a Five Star Wearer.

You may be right but there may be other reasons. Say a lifestyle change. Maybe he bought the car in January and in March his wife tells him he is about to be a daddy. You never know.

explorerx4

The 10 speed skips whatever gear it feels is best, not necessarily sequential.