Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

mjfloyd1

@oldfarmer50 said:
I bought a used car once that had cracked sidewalls. I think they were the the originals from the factory. I ran them until they wore out with no problems. Of course I wasn’t doing sustained high speeds or evasive maneuvers.

Life is short enough as it is. I don’t like messing around with the contact patches between your car and the road.

stickguy

Quick look at civic hatch. I like it. Always been a sucky for a 5 door like this. Spiritual successor to my former, still missed, 626 5-door.

Debate on the 6 speed though. Wife not as sure about it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7847uobsIA

kyfdx

If you can find the tire you want at Costco, it's hard to beat their price. But, you'll have about two or three reasonable choices (or, maybe only one) for size and category.

Discount Tire has great service, and pretty good prices. At least the one near me.

kyfdx

Every time I hear the argument about how they'll never convert half the country to electric cars, I think back 30 years ago, when people said we'd never all have a phone in our pocket.

The manufacturers are on board, and the government is backing it (not just our government). Electric utilities are also on board. They all say capacity won't be a problem. It's going to happen.

An electric car might not be right for you, but plenty of people will buy one.

driver100

bwia said:

For example, many people take a bidet for granted. In their minds it is a European thing and they will do everything possible to avoid it. After all, it is just another toilet bowl. But when they do try it they can't understand their initial hesitancy. Because they say once you try a bidet you will never go back to the traditional way of cleaning oneself. The rush of warm water followed by a blast of warm air leaves every nook and cranny squeaky clean and dry.

No matter how many times I would use a bidet I would never enjoy it, no matter about the warm water and blast of warm air and never mind my nooks and crannies.

stickguy

Thanks for the visual driver, but did it have to be at dinner time?

roadburner

benjaminh said:

imidazol97 said:

@benjaminh
Oh you current Eagle LS2 tires, what is the sidewall rating? I.e., 97H, 97V?

I have the same LS2 tires on my 14 Malibu at 45K miles. The sidewall rating is
97H and I see some of the Michelin offerings come only in a 97V rating, a higher speed
rating with increased stiffness. I want to avoid a stiffer tire. These are taut enough
especially on uneven streets in a city like Cincinnati yesterday.

The only one that comes in a 97H is the Primacy Touring A/S P235x50x18.

My Goodyear tires are H-rated, which is plenty fast for me. Makes sense that V-rated tires would be stiffer. I've had V-rated tires before and it hasn't bothered me, but I'm 56 and do like comfort.

But the CrossClimate2 does come in both H and V models.

For a while I was considering Michelin's bargain brand, BF Goodrich, and specifically their sporty G-force tire, but then I saw this review from someone who owns this tire. He drives a lowly Fit, but says the tires are "phenomenal," but then about 1 minute in shows that the rubber is really cracking all around one tire, which started at 37,000 miles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEWEZ_MDz5o&t=69s

So with BF Goodrich out, I've maybe narrowed things down to three choices:

Michelin Defender T + H
This is a super long lasting 80,000 mile tire. It performs pretty well in tests, but obviously isn't quite as good in handling and wet braking. Still, it's a Michelin, and with the miles taken into account a good value for the money. About $700 a set when on sale at Costco.

Michelin CrossClimate 2. This tire has better wet braking, better snow traction, etc., but it costs a bit more and is a 60,000 mile tire. To get the three peak mountain snowflake rating you apparently sacrifice about 2 mpg. About $750 a set when on sale at Costco.

Then there's the high performance all-season Michelin Pilot Sport 4. This tire comes oem on the new Corvette, but perhaps by definition that might mean it's overkill for my 2018 TLX 2.4? On the other hand, I like to take corners with a bit of speed sometimes, and no doubt these would be great for that. They are 45k tires, but that seems okay, and when on sale they might be as low as $650 a set at Costco. I've never owned a set of high performance tires. If I don't do it now, when would I? Then again, any of these tires would be an improvement over what I've got.

Apples and oranges, but I've been happy with the BFG all-terrain tires I installed on the Wrangler.

imidazol97

benjaminh said:

My Eagle LS2 tires don't show side age like yours. Mine were from 47-2013 for date of manufacture.
They are now 7.7 years old.

My problem is do I rotate them and have them balanced? Or just drive them in the position
where they are until I replace them.

I like the Michelin concierge idea. There are variations in how similar tires at Michelin are constructed that affect how they drive and ride.

explorerx4

I wouldn't care if half the country converts to electric vehicles as long as I don't have to help pay for it.
Not sure if I've ever seen an electric car in the winter, the battery performance just drops off too much with the technology we have today.
If it improves, then I would consider it.

Michaell

kyfdx said:

Every time I hear the argument about how they'll never convert half the country to electric cars, I think back 30 years ago, when people said we'd never all have a phone in our pocket.

The manufacturers are on board, and the government is backing it (not just our government). Electric utilities are also on board. They all say capacity won't be a problem. It's going to happen.

An electric car might not be right for you, but plenty of people will buy one.

I know both my wife and daughter have suggested that their next cars be EV. Wife is still waiting for the VW ID Buzz to be released.

benjaminh

I think the Civic hatchback looks good. Probably gets about the same mpg as the hybrid version of the Maverick, but a Civic will be more fun to drive. MSRP of the Civic hatch touring will probably be about the same as a loaded Maverick hybrid.

benjaminh

@imidazol97 Since your tires are almost 8 years old imho it's time to get them replaced.

https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-xpm-2014-mar-26-la-me-ln-paul-walker-porsche-outdated-tires-crash-20140326-story.html

abacomike

@oldfarmer50 said:
Regardless of the political motivations I think that’s a good idea. Folks like you with Heath issues should receive extra services and special precautions. I assume you wear a mask when you go out shopping.

Most definitely!

abacomike

My G90 has Continental Contiprocontact all season tires (P245/45 R19 98W front - P275/40 R19 98W rear). They are not run flats - they are premium grand touring tires. Tire Rack sell a set of 4 for close to $1300 and includes free road hazard for 2 years.

I don’t expect them to last very long but when I replace them, I expect to put Michelins on.

benjaminh

The Bridgestone Turanza Quiettrack is a good premium tire for a quiet ride and good mpg. It's on sale right now at Costco, which is the top price. Below that is the price at Discount Tires. Neither price includes sales tax. The Costco price doesn't include the required $12 disposal fee. But that still means that the savings with Costco is around $160 or so. Some examples are closer. When these sales are on I think Costco is basically giving you the tires at cost. They make their money on the membership fee.

andres3

benjaminh said:

@imidazol97 Since your tires are almost 8 years old imho it's time to get them replaced.

https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-xpm-2014-mar-26-la-me-ln-paul-walker-porsche-outdated-tires-crash-20140326-story.html

"Using the road marks, investigators determined that the Porsche’s speed was 80.59 mph to 93.97 mph."

That's a big range of speed; larger than a 10 MPH interval!

imidazol97

This 15 Cruze had Continental ContiProcontact tires on it when we bought it for our son in 2015. They drove softer than Michelins and were very good tires. Despite being regularly rotated when the dealer did the oil changes, they developed a hum. It seemed like it was from the edge lugs. It was like tires develope from lumps on the inner or outer edges from misalignment.

The tire store manager told me the Continental tires did that kind of wear. I thought it might be because I kept the tires over Chev pressure by about 2-3 pounds and that affected the wear on the center rather than wearing over the full width.

andres3

benjaminh said:

imidazol97 said:

@benjaminh
Oh you current Eagle LS2 tires, what is the sidewall rating? I.e., 97H, 97V?

I have the same LS2 tires on my 14 Malibu at 45K miles. The sidewall rating is
97H and I see some of the Michelin offerings come only in a 97V rating, a higher speed
rating with increased stiffness. I want to avoid a stiffer tire. These are taut enough
especially on uneven streets in a city like Cincinnati yesterday.

The only one that comes in a 97H is the Primacy Touring A/S P235x50x18.

My Goodyear tires are H-rated, which is plenty fast for me. Makes sense that V-rated tires would be stiffer. I've had V-rated tires before and it hasn't bothered me, but I'm 56 and do like comfort.

But the CrossClimate2 does come in both H and V models.

For a while I was considering Michelin's bargain brand, BF Goodrich, and specifically their sporty G-force tire, but then I saw this review from someone who owns this tire. He drives a lowly Fit, but says the tires are "phenomenal," but then about 1 minute in shows that the rubber is really cracking all around one tire, which started at 37,000 miles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEWEZ_MDz5o&t=69s

So with BF Goodrich out, I've maybe narrowed things down to three choices:

Michelin Defender T + H
This is a super long lasting 80,000 mile tire. It performs pretty well in tests, but obviously isn't quite as good in handling and wet braking. Still, it's a Michelin, and with the miles taken into account a good value for the money. About $700 a set when on sale at Costco.

Michelin CrossClimate 2. This tire has better wet braking, better snow traction, etc., but it costs a bit more and is a 60,000 mile tire. To get the three peak mountain snowflake rating you apparently sacrifice about 2 mpg. About $750 a set when on sale at Costco.

Then there's the high performance all-season Michelin Pilot Sport 4. This tire comes oem on the new Corvette, but perhaps by definition that might mean it's overkill for my 2018 TLX 2.4? On the other hand, I like to take corners with a bit of speed sometimes, and no doubt these would be great for that. They are 45k tires, but that seems okay, and when on sale they might be as low as $650 a set at Costco. I've never owned a set of high performance tires. If I don't do it now, when would I? Then again, any of these tires would be an improvement over what I've got.

The All-Season Pilot Sport 4 is never overkill. Strongly recommend it. You'll probably like them so much next time you'll try 4s's with 30K mile warranty. You only live once, and why risk longer stopping distances to save a penny?

sda

benjaminh said:

The Bridgestone Turanza Quiettrack is a good premium tire for a quiet ride and good mpg. It's on sale right now at Costco, which is the top price. Below that is the price at Discount Tires.

FWIW I haven’t had a good experience with Bridgestone tires. I’ve had them on 4 cars and have been lucky to get 30k out of them. With 22k on the Passat the Bridgestone Potenzas look like they will need to be replaced by 30k as well. They ride and handle ok and are quiet but don’t go the distance. I have easily driven 60k or more from Michelin and GoodYear. Discount Tire will price match.

mjfloyd1

Michelin was really good when my tires didn’t come close to the mileage warranty too

benjaminh

My wife's awd CR-V has Bridgestone Ecopia tires, and overall I'm not that impressed with them so far. They seem okay on dry surfaces and in the snow, but like my Goodyear Eagle tires the Bridgestone Ecopia's struggle sometimes on wet road surfaces. On the other hand we get about 35 mpg on the highway going 70 mph with the ac on—so the eco part is definitely there.

andres3

jmonroe1 said:

andres3 said:

jmonroe1 said:

@andres3 said:

I can tell you I have it on good authority that the CHP (California Highway Patrol) might have the best definition for reckless driving. Typically, it requires 3 consecutive or simultaneous vehicle code violations.

Driving 200 MPH in your Audi R8, that's just an infraction for 100+ violation. No need to cry over spilled milk.

Driving 200 MPH while making unsafe lane changes, tailgating, and/or passing on the shoulder, well, now you have 3 or more consecutive/simultaneous violations that constitute reckless driving charges.

So, when are you up for parole?

jmonroe

I actually heard a good story from an R8 driver that was doing a similar thing. Maybe 150 -170 instead of 200 MPH; don't really remember. He told the police (outside of CA) that he was "just being a jackass" as the first question was "what or why are you running so fast from?" after he pulled over.

That honesty got him off with a warning or a ticket at most. I must be getting old as I forget the details, but that's the gist.

Jog your memory a little more and you’ll find out that guy was you.

jmonroe

Nah, if it was me my line would have been more along the lines of "I paid for all of the speedometer."

snakeweasel

bwia said:

Perhaps I am preaching to the choir but this example might help those perched on the fence debating whether they should buy an EV . Someone used an anecdote to describe our behavior when it comes to accepting or adopting change.

For example, many people take a bidet for granted. In their minds it is a European thing and they will do everything possible to avoid it. After all, it is just another toilet bowl. But when they do try it they can't understand their initial hesitancy. Because they say once you try a bidet you will never go back to the traditional way of cleaning oneself. The rush of warm water followed by a blast of warm air leaves every nook and cranny squeaky clean and dry.

Long story short ... you don't appreciate the true value of something until you try it. That is why mass adoption of EVs is coming as more people put their bums in the seat.

As for EV's first is that I don't think there should be any tax rebates for them nor should there be mandates for them. I say let the market decide. Now while I do like the idea of an EV they do have some drawbacks. First of all is that to get the full life out of the battery you really have to watch when and how much you charge the thing. Secondly is that the batteries won't last nearly as long as most ICE cars and replacing those battery packs are expensive (up to $15K or more for a Tesla). And now that Tesla is making the battery pack part of the structure of the car your expensive EV may become a worthless brick at a time when a comparable ICE car is only halfway through it's useful life. Plus cold weather kills range and hot weather kills life expectancy.

Once an EV has a battery that will take the car 300+ miles on a charge and last at least 250K miles being fully charged each night and come in easily below the $30K mark then they would take off

snakeweasel

benjaminh said:

I think the Civic hatchback looks good. Probably gets about the same mpg as the hybrid version of the Maverick, but a Civic will be more fun to drive. MSRP of the Civic hatch touring will probably be about the same as a loaded Maverick hybrid.

But with the Maverick you will have all those new friends asking you to help them move.

driver100

abacomike said:

My G90 has Continental Contiprocontact all season tires (P245/45 R19 98W front - P275/40 R19 98W rear). They are not run flats - they are premium grand touring tires. Tire Rack sell a set of 4 for close to $1300 and includes free road hazard for 2 years.

I don’t expect them to last very long but when I replace them, I expect to put Michelins on.

Do you have a spare? I was surprised when a friend told me his Volvo V60 doesn't have a spare, his tires aren't RFTs, and there isn't a donut tire. If he gets a flat I guess he is supposed to call AAA. Does this even make sense?

driver100

kyfdx said:

Every time I hear the argument about how they'll never convert half the country to electric cars, I think back 30 years ago, when people said we'd never all have a phone in our pocket.

The manufacturers are on board, and the government is backing it (not just our government). Electric utilities are also on board. They all say capacity won't be a problem. It's going to happen.

An electric car might not be right for you, but plenty of people will buy one.

Every time I hear the argument about how they'll convert half the country to electric cars by 2028 I think back 65 years ago, to when Popular Mechanics said we would all have our own private airplanes.

snakeweasel

sda said:

benjaminh said:

The Bridgestone Turanza Quiettrack is a good premium tire for a quiet ride and good mpg. It's on sale right now at Costco, which is the top price. Below that is the price at Discount Tires.

FWIW I haven’t had a good experience with Bridgestone tires. I’ve had them on 4 cars and have been lucky to get 30k out of them. With 22k on the Passat the Bridgestone Potenzas look like they will need to be replaced by 30k as well. They ride and handle ok and are quiet but don’t go the distance. I have easily driven 60k or more from Michelin and GoodYear. Discount Tire will price match.

Get a motorcycle, then you will never complain about your cars tires getting only 30K miles.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

jmonroe1 said:

andres3 said:

jmonroe1 said:

@andres3 said:

I can tell you I have it on good authority that the CHP (California Highway Patrol) might have the best definition for reckless driving. Typically, it requires 3 consecutive or simultaneous vehicle code violations.

Driving 200 MPH in your Audi R8, that's just an infraction for 100+ violation. No need to cry over spilled milk.

Driving 200 MPH while making unsafe lane changes, tailgating, and/or passing on the shoulder, well, now you have 3 or more consecutive/simultaneous violations that constitute reckless driving charges.

So, when are you up for parole?

jmonroe

I actually heard a good story from an R8 driver that was doing a similar thing. Maybe 150 -170 instead of 200 MPH; don't really remember. He told the police (outside of CA) that he was "just being a jackass" as the first question was "what or why are you running so fast from?" after he pulled over.

That honesty got him off with a warning or a ticket at most. I must be getting old as I forget the details, but that's the gist.

Jog your memory a little more and you’ll find out that guy was you.

jmonroe

Nah, if it was me my line would have been more along the lines of "I paid for all of the speedometer."

Most of the officers I know might give you a break if you were honest saying you were "being a jackass" but if you were a smarta## and said "I paid for all of the speedometer" they would make sure you truly paid for it all.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

kyfdx said:

Every time I hear the argument about how they'll never convert half the country to electric cars, I think back 30 years ago, when people said we'd never all have a phone in our pocket.

The manufacturers are on board, and the government is backing it (not just our government). Electric utilities are also on board. They all say capacity won't be a problem. It's going to happen.

An electric car might not be right for you, but plenty of people will buy one.

Every time I hear the argument about how they'll convert half the country to electric cars by 2028 I think back 65 years ago, to when Popular Mechanics said we would all have our own private airplanes.

What? You didn't get yours?

stickguy

Driver, a lot of cars now come with regular non-RF tires, and a "mobility kit" which is just a can of fix a flat and a cheap 12v air pump. I assume the goo trashes your TPM sensors too, and requires the tire to be dismounted so it can be cleaned out.

I couldn't bring myself to live with that set-up so bought the accessory spare tire and jack from Acura on the TLX. one good thing about most of the CUVs. Spare tires! And fatter sidewalls to hopefully survive better on our bombed out roads.

benjaminh

from Consumer Reports....

"The Model 3 doesn't have a spare tire, run-flat tires, or air compressor, so drivers who get a flat tire must call Tesla's roadside assistance. There's no charge for the service for the first four years or 50,000 miles, but this lack of independence is disconcerting. A tire inflator repair kit is available for an additional cost."

My Acura TLX didn't come with a spare either, but at least it has an electric fix-a-flat machine included. Where the spare would go there's a handy hidden storage area.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

My G90 has Continental Contiprocontact all season tires (P245/45 R19 98W front - P275/40 R19 98W rear). They are not run flats - they are premium grand touring tires. Tire Rack sell a set of 4 for close to $1300 and includes free road hazard for 2 years.

I don’t expect them to last very long but when I replace them, I expect to put Michelins on.

Do you have a spare? I was surprised when a friend told me his Volvo V60 doesn't have a spare, his tires aren't RFTs, and there isn't a donut tire. If he gets a flat I guess he is supposed to call AAA. Does this even make sense?

The BMW doesn't have run flats nor a spare so I have a tire repair kit and a small air pump just in case.

abacomike

@driver100 said:
Do you have a spare? I was surprised when a friend told me his Volvo V60 doesn't have a spare, his tires aren't RFTs, and there isn't a donut tire. If he gets a flat I guess he is supposed to call AAA. Does this even make sense?

Yes, it does have a spare, but come to think about it, I have never checked to see what kind. When I go down to the car next time, I will check to see.

According to the research I did, it has a “compact spare” supposedly.

mcdawgg

@stickguy said:
Quick look at civic hatch. I like it. Always been a sucky for a 5 door like this. Spiritual successor to my former, still missed, 626 5-door.

Debate on the 6 speed though. Wife not as sure about it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7847uobsIA

If wife not sure about the manual, DON'T do it.

ronsteve

@snakeweasel said:
Most of the officers I know might give you a break if you were honest saying you were "being a jackass" but if you were a smarta## and said "I paid for all of the speedometer" they would make sure you truly paid for it all.

Last June I was “driving angry” on the Gene Slider and got pulled after goosing it up to about 90 passing on the right, then probably pinched somebody as I moved to the left lane to let merging traffic in. The cop was like “what (the hell) is going on?” I had no excuse and told him that work was pissing me off and I guess I’m just driving like an A-hole.” He didn’t write anything up, just took a few extra seconds of conversation and left me with “c’mon, man… slow it down.”

The last 3 miles of that trip were a lot more conservative, and then I stopped to realize I was at least a little bit privileged in that I never felt like I was going to be shot, beaten, tasered, ordered out of the car, or otherwise escalated in any way.

stickguy

mcdawgg said:

@stickguy said:

Quick look at civic hatch. I like it. Always been a sucky for a 5 door like this. Spiritual successor to my former, still missed, 626 5-door.

Debate on the 6 speed though. Wife not as sure about it!

If wife not sure about the manual, DON'T do it.

Eh, she will get over it. She doesn't really care. More to do with if our daughter comes home to visit and needs to borrow something, she wants her to borrow mine, not hers. I am not deciding based on that. Otherwise, only worry was if I decide to sell in a few years, but pretty sure it will be a hot item then too.

benjaminh

stickguy said:

....if I decide to sell in a few years, but pretty sure it will be a hot item then too.

A few months away from getting it, and stickguy is already thinking he'll probably sell it in a few years! Well, my 2 cents then is to consider going for the manual if you get a Civic hatchback. Might be your last chance to give that a go. But if you're leasing, the Civic Hatchback touring will probably be almost the same same monthly payment as an Acura TLX Tech that you could get right now.

Speaking of the new TLX, the owner of one of those, @graphicguy, hasn't been around for a while. Hope he's doing okay.

PS I thought Acura might come out with a new small sedan for 2022, but it doesn't look like it since the website has the same old ILX for 2022. It's a pretty good deal for an msrp $26,500, but at this point the car is 9 years old, even if it has had two major updates. I think the Civic EX or Touring, Civic Si, or Hatchback touring would be an overall better car.

stickguy

Oh, I plan to keep it a long time. She for some reason thinks I don’t keep my cars.

Hatch not out yet, but comparing sedans on RODO (my only easy reference source) a 2022 civic touring is about $404 S&D, and a TLX tech is $455. Both 36/10. Not a huge difference. An ILX premium actually is slightly more than the TLX.

benjaminh

For fifty bucks more a month I'd probably go for the TLX tech. What happens if you go down to a 7500 mile lease for the TLX?

stickguy

Save about $12/month I think. If we finally move, decent chance I will put more miles on whatever I get, but that is still probably plenty.

stickguy

$17 on the civic. But ups the residual. And this lease might be to buy out so need to compare terms.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

$17 on the civic. But ups the residual. And this lease might be to buy out so need to compare terms.

I don't think Honda offers 7.5K/yr

benjaminh

Yeah, I don't think Honda offers 7500 mile leases. And Acura's leases, as you know, are quite good when it comes to extra miles. $443 for a lease on a 2021 TLX Tech sounds good to me. But as you know, the new TLX is somewhat wide at 75 inches, and so that might not work so well with your garage. Acura is planning to come out with a new compact EV SUV in a couple of years, and so when your lease is up that might be an option.

But the Maverick could be a great choice too. And ditto with the Civic hatchback.

stickguy

Did a quick check. Dropping to 7.5k miles saves $618 over the lease. But, if you plan to buy it at the end, would cost about $300 more in total.

imidazol97

imidazol97 said:

This 15 Cruze had Continental ContiProcontact tires on it when we bought it for our son in 2015. They drove softer than Michelins and were very good tires. Despite being regularly rotated when the dealer did the oil changes, they developed a hum. It seemed like it was from the edge lugs. It was like tires developed lumps on the inner or outer edges from misalignment.

The tire store manager told me the Continental tires did that kind of wear. I thought it might be because I kept the tires over Chev pressure by about 2-3 pounds and that affected the wear on the center rather than wearing over the full width.

Memory clicked in. The wear was "cupping." The long time store manager said that the Continentals were prone to that kind of wear despite being rotated at 8-10K miles.

They were very good tires. The cupping just raised the road noise level. I believe they were at 50K when I replaced the tires with Michelins for @imidjunior to drive. The car had been aligned: it was just something about the tire engineering that caused the uneven wear.

stickguy

Just checked since it definitely offered 7.5k. It was US bank.

stickguy

Hopefully toward December there are better options. Or I can keep holding out!

benjaminh

Brave and thrifty of you to go carless.

If you get a chance, and just out of curiosity, how much is a 7500 mile lease on a TLX Advance with super handling awd.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

Just checked since it definitely offered 7.5k. It was US bank.

I wouldn't do a US Bank lease on a Honda.

stickguy

$513 DAS, $513/month. With Acura financial. Not too bad these days. $49k sticker on that one.