Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

ab348

tjc78 said:

All of those payment systems have overhead. The convenience of cashless has a cost.

There is a cost to cash sales too though, and it is one that I think some people (especially small businesses) overlook.

First there is the risk of theft, fraud or honest error in accepting or accounting for cash. When I was still working our transaction mix had an unusually high percentage of cash sales, around 50%. The culture here seemed to be that many people did not want to put booze purchases on a credit card for whatever reason. So across our store network we had to handle close to $300 million in cash a year. That meant a whole lot of counting, balancing, reconciling, signing off, and safeguarding it until the armored car came to pick it up and take it to the bank. All of those activities cost money. It might have been less than our credit card transaction fees but the difference was less than one might have thought. Add to that the additional sales, impulse or otherwise, that we got on credit card sales versus cash and the difference was even less.

jmonroe1

oldfarmer50 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

I went to the DIY carwash on Friday. It used to be that you put in $3 worth of coins for a wash....I could do the car for $4. If you didn't finish you could add coins. Now you use your credit card, and the amount of time has been shortened. I swiped my card to get $4 worth....I got 80% done and there was still soap on the rest. I couldn't add $1s worth of coins this time time so I had to swipe for a minimum $3 more = $7. If I had known I could have done it for $5. :@

Must of been designed by the same sharpies who the city here used when they decided to get rid of all their traditional coin-eating parking meters and go digital. Now you just park where there used to be a meter, and either use a pay station inconveniently located somewhere in the area, or what they prefer, the Hotspot app on your phone. But if you want to buy, say, $3 worth of parking with that, you're out of luck. You have to top up your digital wallet using a credit card, and the minimum charge is $10. So if you're like me and seldom go to the areas where this regime is in place, the company is sitting on a pile of your and other people's money.

That’s why I always use cash.

That’s why I only wash my cars in my driveway.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

explorerx4 said:

Looking at the switch wiring it has a red wire connected to a red wire and a black to black, so I just reversed those wires on the fan itself. Everything working now.

I knew you could do it. As long as the light didn’t light up backwards you fixed it.

jmonroe

driver100

ab348 said:

tjc78 said:

All of those payment systems have overhead. The convenience of cashless has a cost.

There is a cost to cash sales too though, and it is one that I think some people (especially small businesses) overlook.

First there is the risk of theft, fraud or honest error in accepting or accounting for cash. When I was still working our transaction mix had an unusually high percentage of cash sales, around 50%. The culture here seemed to be that many people did not want to put booze purchases on a credit card for whatever reason. So across our store network we had to handle close to $300 million in cash a year. That meant a whole lot of counting, balancing, reconciling, signing off, and safeguarding it until the armored car came to pick it up and take it to the bank. All of those activities cost money. It might have been less than our credit card transaction fees but the difference was less than one might have thought. Add to that the additional sales, impulse or otherwise, that we got on credit card sales versus cash and the difference was even less.

All true, and I managed retail stores during the early part of my illustrious career. A Consumers Distributing Store, A Coles Book Store and a peoples Jewelers store...and a lot of time was spent just sorting and adding the cash. Few mistakes with CC purchases, could spend hours trying to get the cash to balance.
Once we were being audited and about $30 was missing. I was assistant manager and the manager got so tired of looking for the lost $30 he opened his wallet and said he would throw it in. The auditor said you can't do that, that would be like admitting you were guilty. So, we just left it as a shortage.

explorerx4

@jmonroe1,
The bulb is hanging upside down, but I guess that's ok.

ab348

driver100 said:

Once we were being audited and about $30 was missing. I was assistant manager and the manager got so tired of looking for the lost $30 he opened his wallet and said he would throw it in. The auditor said you can't do that, that would be like admitting you were guilty. So, we just left it as a shortage.

A really good manager would have made you throw in the $30 and take the rap.

roadburner

I used to try to talk the senior partner at my old law firm into accepting credit cards; he complained that the banks took a cut. I gave up.

jmonroe1

explorerx4 said:

@jmonroe1,
The bulb is hanging upside down, but I guess that's ok.

Nope, that’s right-side-up for ceiling fan/light combo units.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

I went to the DIY carwash on Friday. It used to be that you put in $3 worth of coins for a wash....I could do the car for $4. If you didn't finish you could add coins. Now you use your credit card, and the amount of time has been shortened. I swiped my card to get $4 worth....I got 80% done and there was still soap on the rest. I couldn't add $1s worth of coins this time time so I had to swipe for a minimum $3 more = $7. If I had known I could have done it for $5. :@

Must of been designed by the same sharpies who the city here used when they decided to get rid of all their traditional coin-eating parking meters and go digital. Now you just park where there used to be a meter, and either use a pay station inconveniently located somewhere in the area, or what they prefer, the Hotspot app on your phone. But if you want to buy, say, $3 worth of parking with that, you're out of luck. You have to top up your digital wallet using a credit card, and the minimum charge is $10. So if you're like me and seldom go to the areas where this regime is in place, the company is sitting on a pile of your and other people's money.

That’s why I always use cash.

You'd be hoofing it around the area trying to find the pay station in that case. They very much want you to use the app instead.

I was going to say that’s discrimination against the poor but I realized that the poor all have better cell phones than I do.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

I went to the DIY carwash on Friday. It used to be that you put in $3 worth of coins for a wash....I could do the car for $4. If you didn't finish you could add coins. Now you use your credit card, and the amount of time has been shortened. I swiped my card to get $4 worth....I got 80% done and there was still soap on the rest. I couldn't add $1s worth of coins this time time so I had to swipe for a minimum $3 more = $7. If I had known I could have done it for $5. :@

Must of been designed by the same sharpies who the city here used when they decided to get rid of all their traditional coin-eating parking meters and go digital. Now you just park where there used to be a meter, and either use a pay station inconveniently located somewhere in the area, or what they prefer, the Hotspot app on your phone. But if you want to buy, say, $3 worth of parking with that, you're out of luck. You have to top up your digital wallet using a credit card, and the minimum charge is $10. So if you're like me and seldom go to the areas where this regime is in place, the company is sitting on a pile of your and other people's money.

That’s why I always use cash.

It's getting harder and harder to find places that accept cash.
Quite often cash taking machinery doesn't work. Have you ever parallel parked at a parking meter, look around for some cash, go up to the meter, put some money in....like $1, and then find out it isn't working. A long time ago I found out that doesn't mean you won't get a ticket, even if you leave a note explaining why it didn't register. I once fought a parking ticket I got that way and they let me off, but told me next time they won't do that.....just because a meter is broken it doesn't mean you can park there for free.

What did they propose that you do?

As to using cash, Walmart and now my super market won’t let cash customers use the self check out. Coin shortage is the excuse. That may be true because one store actually rounded up to the nearest dollar yesterday and I saved 87 cents.

imidazol97

jmonroe1 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

I went to the DIY carwash on Friday. It used to be that you put in $3 worth of coins for a wash....I could do the car for $4. If you didn't finish you could add coins. Now you use your credit card, and the amount of time has been shortened. I swiped my card to get $4 worth....I got 80% done and there was still soap on the rest. I couldn't add $1s worth of coins this time time so I had to swipe for a minimum $3 more = $7. If I had known I could have done it for $5. :@

Must of been designed by the same sharpies who the city here used when they decided to get rid of all their traditional coin-eating parking meters and go digital. Now you just park where there used to be a meter, and either use a pay station inconveniently located somewhere in the area, or what they prefer, the Hotspot app on your phone. But if you want to buy, say, $3 worth of parking with that, you're out of luck. You have to top up your digital wallet using a credit card, and the minimum charge is $10. So if you're like me and seldom go to the areas where this regime is in place, the company is sitting on a pile of your and other people's money.

That’s why I always use cash.

That’s why I only wash my cars in my driveway.

jmonroe

Thank God our local spray-it-yourself wand place which has two drive thru auto washes (one touchless) still charges $1.25 US and I usually put in $1.50 US or 1.75 US for extra time. I can wash on the 3 minutes that the $1.25 buys but I like taking the extra 45 seconds or whatever that each quarter buys.

A place close to my Chevy store used to be the best for soap spray as a do it yourself type... but it was $1.75 ofr $1.50 US last visit. I hadn't been there for months or a year. Inflation.

imidazol97

oldfarmer50 said:

I was going to say that’s discrimination against the poor but I realized that the poor all have better cell phones than I do.

Ain't that the truth. I have Tracfone plans and buy Verizon-based Samsung Galaxy J7 Crown phones new from Tracfone via their Amazon page. And better cars in many cases. And I'm paying the taxes even in retirement.

stickguy

Farmer, I hope you don't want to use that cash on the toll roads. They all seem to have gotten rid of tollbooths to use greenbacks. But they will kindly send you a bill. for a fee of course.

Was in Boston this weekend so took the Mass pike (what a crappy traffic road). Gone to all overhead scanners for toll. Very convenient. And at least they put up a sign at each one telling you the cost. MASS EZpass is cheapest. Other EZpass is an extra nickel. Mailing to your plate, that is double the out of state.

so some were $.45, $.50 and $1.00.

oldfarmer50

I know it’s frowned on here but I have a car question.

My son is storing his friend’s car in the barn while he’s overseas in the military. He starts it up every month or so to make sure it runs. Over the last few months the battery has been dying between start ups requiring a jump.

Now the car won’t start at all even with a charge from my battery charger. I cleaned off the terminals but still nothing. We put a new battery in it and still nothing. It doesn’t crank either.

When you turn the key there’s no click. The dash warning light are lit as is the dome. I’m pretty sure I hear the fuel pump. Also the parking lights illuminate as do the turn signals but not the headlights which I thought was odd. Also it will not shift out of park no matter how I turn the key.

My next guess is the starter but on this car it’s buried in the back of the engine and I’d rather not crawl around on a barn floor trying to wack at it with a hammer.

I also noticed that the negative terminal wire is kind of beat up and wonder if I’m missing a good ground.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

I went to the DIY carwash on Friday. It used to be that you put in $3 worth of coins for a wash....I could do the car for $4. If you didn't finish you could add coins. Now you use your credit card, and the amount of time has been shortened. I swiped my card to get $4 worth....I got 80% done and there was still soap on the rest. I couldn't add $1s worth of coins this time time so I had to swipe for a minimum $3 more = $7. If I had known I could have done it for $5. :@

Must of been designed by the same sharpies who the city here used when they decided to get rid of all their traditional coin-eating parking meters and go digital. Now you just park where there used to be a meter, and either use a pay station inconveniently located somewhere in the area, or what they prefer, the Hotspot app on your phone. But if you want to buy, say, $3 worth of parking with that, you're out of luck. You have to top up your digital wallet using a credit card, and the minimum charge is $10. So if you're like me and seldom go to the areas where this regime is in place, the company is sitting on a pile of your and other people's money.

That’s why I always use cash.

It's getting harder and harder to find places that accept cash.
Quite often cash taking machinery doesn't work. Have you ever parallel parked at a parking meter, look around for some cash, go up to the meter, put some money in....like $1, and then find out it isn't working. A long time ago I found out that doesn't mean you won't get a ticket, even if you leave a note explaining why it didn't register. I once fought a parking ticket I got that way and they let me off, but told me next time they won't do that.....just because a meter is broken it doesn't mean you can park there for free.

What did they propose that you do?

As to using cash, Walmart and now my super market won’t let cash customers use the self check out. Coin shortage is the excuse. That may be true because one store actually rounded up to the nearest dollar yesterday and I saved 87 cents.

They told me point blank...if the meter is broken don't park in that space or you can be ticketed. I think what was happening, was a person would park, break the meter, and not pay. So they changed it, aggravating to park and then find out you can't use it.

Some stores and especially restaurants refused to take cash during the early days of covid....just credit cards. Rememeber in the beginning we used Lysol on all the counters after we brought in the groceries.

driver100

roadburner said:

I used to try to talk the senior partner at my old law firm into accepting credit cards; he complained that the banks took a cut. I gave up.

The banks take about 1.5%, possibly up to 2.5% for a risky low volume business. But if people can pay by credit card they spend more and it gives you more possible clients....it's a cost of doing business. Not accepting credit cards is really "False Economizing".

ronsteve

stickguy said:

Farmer, I hope you don't want to use that cash on the toll roads. They all seem to have gotten rid of tollbooths to use greenbacks. But they will kindly send you a bill. for a fee of course.

Was in Boston this weekend so took the Mass pike (what a crappy traffic road). Gone to all overhead scanners for toll. Very convenient. And at least they put up a sign at each one telling you the cost. MASS EZpass is cheapest. Other EZpass is an extra nickel. Mailing to your plate, that is double the out of state.

so some were $.45, $.50 and $1.00.

Cash price has been double the EZ-Pass price on the Illinois Tollway for a decade or more. Now it's all cashless, but doesn't cost any more to be billed later than it did to have to queue to give them cash at a toll booth. I'll count that as a win, especially after dealing with the toll booths on the Skyway and the Indiana Toll Road on our return trip from Milwaukee last weekend.

bwia

stickguy said:

Farmer, I hope you don't want to use that cash on the toll roads. They all seem to have gotten rid of tollbooths to use greenbacks. But they will kindly send you a bill. for a fee of course.

Was in Boston this weekend so took the Mass pike (what a crappy traffic road). Gone to all overhead scanners for toll. Very convenient. And at least they put up a sign at each one telling you the cost. MASS EZpass is cheapest. Other EZpass is an extra nickel. Mailing to your plate, that is double the out of state.

so some were $.45, $.50 and $1.00.

The Mass Pike is a "crappy traffic road," on the weekend? That's news to me, and I think you owe our DOT an apology. While you're it, perhaps you should refund the 6.25% sales tax savings on purchases you may have made during the Commonwealth's Aug 15 -16 weekend sales tax holiday.

snakeweasel

@ronsteve said:
Cash price has been double the EZ-Pass price on the Illinois Tollway for a decade or more. Now it's all cashless, but doesn't cost any more to be billed later than it did to have to queue to give them cash at a toll booth. I'll count that as a win, especially after dealing with the toll booths on the Skyway and the Indiana Toll Road on our return trip from Milwaukee last weekend.

I avoid the Skyway like the plague. It's not that great of a road and only saves you a few miles/minutes and costs like 5 or 6 bucks. Also note that the skyway is not part of the Illinois tollway system, it's owned by the city of Chicago.

ronsteve

@snakeweasel said:

@ronsteve said:
Cash price has been double the EZ-Pass price on the Illinois Tollway for a decade or more. Now it's all cashless, but doesn't cost any more to be billed later than it did to have to queue to give them cash at a toll booth. I'll count that as a win, especially after dealing with the toll booths on the Skyway and the Indiana Toll Road on our return trip from Milwaukee last weekend.

I avoid the Skyway like the plague. It's not that great of a road and only saves you a few miles/minutes and costs like 5 or 6 bucks. Also note that the skyway is not part of the Illinois tollway system, it's owned by the city of Chicago.

I was hoping to avoid the Skyway and the IN Toll Road as well, but 80/94 through Calumet City and Hammond was an absolute cluster that day. EZ Pass would have saved me a chunk of time through the non-modernized tolling but I just don’t drive any toll roads often enough to feel that need. I do have the Riverlink transponder for our bridges here, but still average less than one round trip each month. That might change soon with the Sherman Minton project, however.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

Farmer, I hope you don't want to use that cash on the toll roads. They all seem to have gotten rid of tollbooths to use greenbacks. But they will kindly send you a bill. for a fee of course.

Was in Boston this weekend so took the Mass pike (what a crappy traffic road). Gone to all overhead scanners for toll. Very convenient. And at least they put up a sign at each one telling you the cost. MASS EZpass is cheapest. Other EZpass is an extra nickel. Mailing to your plate, that is double the out of state.

so some were $.45, $.50 and $1.00.

When I was in Boston a couple of weeks ago, I came into downtown from the North across the bridge/tunnel. Of course, I was in a rental. When I got the bill from National, it was $2.55 (vs. the $1.55 if you pay by plate), and then National tacks on $3.95 for any day you get tolled as an admin fee.

I was surprised by all the toll booth operators on I-95, North of Boston. But, I didn't mind the 30 seconds it took to pay in cash.

dino001

kyfdx said:

stickguy said:

Farmer, I hope you don't want to use that cash on the toll roads. They all seem to have gotten rid of tollbooths to use greenbacks. But they will kindly send you a bill. for a fee of course.

Was in Boston this weekend so took the Mass pike (what a crappy traffic road). Gone to all overhead scanners for toll. Very convenient. And at least they put up a sign at each one telling you the cost. MASS EZpass is cheapest. Other EZpass is an extra nickel. Mailing to your plate, that is double the out of state.

so some were $.45, $.50 and $1.00.

When I was in Boston a couple of weeks ago, I came into downtown from the North across the bridge/tunnel. Of course, I was in a rental. When I got the bill from National, it was $2.55 (vs. the $1.55 if you pay by plate), and then National tacks on $3.95 for any day you get tolled as an admin fee.

I was surprised by all the toll booth operators on I-95, North of Boston. But, I didn't mind the 30 seconds it took to pay in cash.

At least they add that fee only on these days. I've seen some rentals taking the fee daily from the first day it was triggered to the end of the rental, regardless whether you used it or not. Or perhaps I misunderstood.

I also once paid a small toll (like $0.50) with $5.00 fee at Austin. I was leaving F1 event and inadvertently got to a toll road and then left it promptly at non-manned exit (there was a booth, but it was late at night, so nobody was there), which they charge you extra every time you do it without their pass. They have a nasty system, where you can take any exit, manned or non-manned, but there is no real warning prior (there are some maps available on the Net, but no signs). There even can be a booth, but if there is nobody there, you drive through, get a picture taken and then pay extra five bucks for the privilege. I don't remember if National added something of their own to top it, or not. That was probably the most expensive toll per mile I have ever paid. Tops the tolls near the Orlando airport, where there are toll gantries within quarter mile of each other and you essentially pay to leave one toll road and enter another one.

Sandman6472

Yep, the one in Orlando is awful to be honest. We'll be up there in December and will be staying at a Best Western hotel not too far from the parks. Not too many hotels near our kids place in St. Cloud, they really need to build a few out there to be honest. A nice Hampton Inn would be great as we don't like to impose on them when we go up. A hotel works for everyone as we can come & go plus we don't get in the way of their daily routine.

explorerx4

One time returning from a business trip , I wasn't the driver, we took an exit by mistake.
You had to pay some amount or other entering the toll road at the end of the exit.
The driver said to the attendant "We took this exit by mistake and just want to turn around".
He said "You gotta pay, Welcome to New York". We all got a chuckle out of that.

kyfdx

We had three or four tolls in Florida, North of Tampa. Cheap, but somehow, National recorded them as being on two different days.

Once you add up all the costs to rent a car, the toll thing is pretty minor. I think we spent about $25 total on our five day trip to the Northeast, last month.

driver100

They were discussing manual transmissions on the radio this morning. They said less than 2% of cars sold in North America are manual. They said it is good to know how to drive a manual especially if you are going to Europe, where over half the cars are manuals.

benjaminh

Still thinking about the tire decision. My current Goodyear tires probably could last another year, and so the reason to do this now is as a performance and safety upgrade. Our daughter doesn't yet drive (although just got her learner's permit), and she's going in a few days to college in a city about 250 miles north of us. And so in part because of visiting her, and bringing her back for holidays, etc., I'll probably be driving in the upcoming year almost 20,000 miles, and sometimes in snowy weather.

Here's a review from Tire Rack of my current tire that made me lean even more toward getting new tires of a different brand:

"I got my Goodyear Eagle LS2 standard from Acura Canada and I live in Toronto. The tires do not allow handling and cornering...The tires do not give you confidence in braking, especially in the wet. I have to constantly keep a longer distance from the car in front of me in the rain."

There are several other reviews that are more or less like that, confirming my impressions that the weak areas of the Goodyear Eagle LS-2 are traction in wet and/or snowy conditions. The strong areas are that it has a quiet ride and helps achieve good mpg.

In the meantime the performance tire I was considering, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 A/S, seems to have just been discontinued for my tire size, which is 225/55/17. But Discount Tire does have some in stock now at $163 a tire + install, which isn't too bad. Seems like when they go out of stock my chance to get a true performance tire might be gone. My guess is this tire would be better than what I've got in wet and snowy conditions, but since it's a performance tire perhaps the upgrade won't be that big?

The fact that I might be driving more in snow in the future leans me toward getting the Michelin CrossClimate2, even though it might cost me 2-4 mpg. It's normally a $190 tire, which is kinda steep I think, but if Coscto runs another $150 off a set sale that would drive the price down to about $153 + install.

Don't imagine my Acura dealer can match that price, but maybe I'll ask them if they can get close, since it seems like it would be more convenient for the Acura dealer to rotate my tires when I get an oil change, rather than doing it at Coscto. Although I guess you can just get a shop in when they rotate your tires at Costco? Costco does throw in 5 years of puncture repair if needed, which seems good.

To my surprise my wife was encouraging me to get the performance tires and have some fun, but for driving lots of miles, and some of it in the snow, the CrossClimate2 seems like a better choice.

stickguy

I’m certainly cheap A tightwad Conservative with money, but one thing I don’t mess around with us tires. Especially going into winter. So if I were you, I’d probably just get new ones in late November. Pilots might be overkill in that size and on that car but if you want them, go for it. Cross climates could be fine too, and I doubt they will really cost much MPG real world.

What about Vredesteins? Good in snow and all around. Even CR lines them.

Hypertrack or Quatrack depending on wanting more performance or snow capability.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?tireIndex=0&autoMake=Acura&autoYear=2018&autoModel=TLX+4cyl+FWD&autoModClar=&width=225/&ratio=55&diameter=17&sortCode=49750&skipOver=true&minSpeedRating=H&minLoadRating=S

abacomike

Found my spare tire! It’s a compact space-saver spare which was underneath the floor of the trunk - but hidden beneath the jack and tools by a second compartment. They sure hid the spare quite well - so well it took me three search and seek missions to finally locate it.

The salesman who told me the G90’s don’t come with a spare tire should be fired on the spot. Idiots - complete idiots at that dealership! Even I was an idiot for actually believing him at first. But I was persistent because the owner’s manual states that there is a compact spare tire in the trunk. 😜🤪🤓

stickguy

Here’s a test of one of them, and the Pilot.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=259

And the other, vs the cross climate. But no snow test here. The Quatrac is severe snow rated though.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=272

explorerx4

I'm going to guess a big difference going with a performance tire is the ride quality.

[Deleted User]

Wow...how's this for wishful thinking???

97 4Runner

explorerx4

@dad23,
I got the price right before looking at it. Something must be wrong with me.

kyfdx

explorerx4 said:

@dad23,
I got the price right before looking at it. Something must be wrong with me.

I guessed $20K before looking..

kyfdx

@benjaminh Geez, where is she going to school? Can't she stay there if the weather is that bad? I'm not sure I would use winter capability as my #1 determinant, living in your area.

explorerx4

@kyfdx,
To be honest, I was over by $100.

ronsteve

@kyfdx said:
We had three or four tolls in Florida, North of Tampa. Cheap, but somehow, National recorded them as being on two different days.

Once you add up all the costs to rent a car, the toll thing is pretty minor. I think we spent about $25 total on our five day trip to the Northeast, last month.

Now that’s where the rental car companies get you. Five days in the Bay Area back in 16 and the only cashless toll I went through was the Golden Gate. But when Hertz tacked on $4.95 a day for the whole rental, that effectively made it a $32 toll. By 2018 they only applied the fee to any days that you actually used cashless tolls, so I only took the hit the day I found an unmanned booth getting on the GSP in Jersey.

benjaminh

If the weather is really bad then, yeah, she could just stay there. But if it can be done we'd like to have her home for Thanksgiving, etc., and a first-class tire can make a difference. As mentioned, Michelin says the CrossClimate2 will stop up to 50 feet shorter/faster in wet conditions from 50 mph compared to some competing tires. And it has the three peak mountain snowflake rating for snow use. When things are iffy, I'll probably take my wife's CR-V with awd, but as we all know sometimes a day can start out seeming okay, and by the end of it things aren't as good, and in that situation I definitely don't want to be driving with the so-so tires I currently have.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

Farmer, I hope you don't want to use that cash on the toll roads. They all seem to have gotten rid of tollbooths to use greenbacks. But they will kindly send you a bill. for a fee of course.

Was in Boston this weekend so took the Mass pike (what a crappy traffic road). Gone to all overhead scanners for toll. Very convenient. And at least they put up a sign at each one telling you the cost. MASS EZpass is cheapest. Other EZpass is an extra nickel. Mailing to your plate, that is double the out of state.

so some were $.45, $.50 and $1.00.

The amount of personal travel I do on toll roads is so small that I’m willing to take the hit. I agree about the Mass Pike. Terrible. I went from the NYS line to Worcester to buy my convertible and was charged about $5. I believe that was a parking fee since we didn’t move much.

ab348

benjaminh said:

In the meantime the performance tire I was considering, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 A/S, seems to have just been discontinued for my tire size, which is 225/55/17. But Discount Tire does have some in stock now at $163 a tire + install, which isn't too bad. Seems like when they go out of stock my chance to get a true performance tire might be gone. My guess is this tire would be better than what I've got in wet and snowy conditions, but since it's a performance tire perhaps the upgrade won't be that big?

I have the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 All-Season, which as you say does not come in your current size. But it does come in a 235/50R17, which seems like a very close option. Their test reults across the Michelin line are below:

May 24, 2021
Tires Tested
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (Max Performance Summer, 225/50R17 (98Y))

What We Liked: Crisp steering, on-road refinement, impressive wet traction.
What We'd Improve: There's some frustrating mid-corner understeer in the wet.
Conclusion: The quintessential Max Performance Summer tire.

Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 (Ultra High Performance All-Season, 225/50R17 98Y)

What We Liked: Has strong grip in the wet; it's fast in the dry.
What We'd Improve: We would like a reduction in road noise and some added steering feel.
Conclusion: A good year-round choice for your performance vehicle.

Michelin CrossClimate2 (Grand Touring All-Season, 225/50R17 98V)

What We Liked: It's quiet and comfortable on the road, has good wet traction.
What We'd Improve: Doesn't keep up with the performance tires in the wet.
Conclusion: An impressively well-rounded product.

Michelin Defender T+H (Standard Touring All-Season, 225/50R17 94H)

What We Liked: It performs well all around.
What We'd Improve: We would take a small bump in wet traction.
Conclusion: The high-mileage option also delivers in performance.

explorerx4

Some people think the Mass Pike ends entering/leaving the Boston city limits, kind of like how they feel about the rest of the state.

oldfarmer50

dad23 said:

Wow...how's this for wishful thinking???

97 4Runner

If you don’t ask you don’t get.

benjaminh

ab348 said:

....I have the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 All-Season, which as you say does not come in your current size. But it does come in a 235/50R17, which seems like a very close option....

Thanks for the information and test results.

Please forgive my lack of knowledge, but I guess I didn't know that it was advisable to put on a different size of tire than what came with your vehicle. But I guess it can be done? Although then your speedometer is a bit off, and then the odometer too. Hmm. That seems a bit much for me.

https://tire-calc.com/comparison/225-55-r17-and-235-50-r17/

A wider tire would give better traction and performance, but probably have lower mpg as well.

Anyway, it does seem like you and other people with high performance cars recommend the Pilot Sport 4. I still wonder if a car like mine with a non-turbo engine and a mere 206 hp is right for a high performance tire. But I guess it's also the driver and how he/she drives that makes a difference. For instance, just today I was going around a sharp corner on dry pavement doing something like 20 mph, but my tires were squealing like I was trying to show off or doing something reckless. I'm guessing the Pilot Sport is a bit quieter around corners. And probably I should have been going 15 mph.

Anyway, thanks for confirming that the Pilot Sport 4 A/S been discontinued for 225/55R17.

explorerx4

@benjaminh,
I think tirerack lists the RPM per mile for tires. You can compare tire options there.
I remember when we replaced the OEM Continentals with some Goodyears on an Escape.
I think they were called triple treads.
The tires were listed at the same size(235/70/16), but the Goodyears were huge in comparison.
When we got the next set of Goodyears, I tried to go down a size(225/70/16), but they refused to change the OEM size.

abacomike

EZpass is now accepted on all Florida toll roads and SunPass (FL) is accepted throughout the I-95 corridor and in some Midwest States. It’s about time they came to an agreement with EZpass so you don’t have the added cost of Toll-by-Plate. There are no more toll booths in 95% of Florida toll roads - it’s either a transponder or pay through the nose with Toll-By-Plate.

explorerx4

Took me a little longer to get to the top in my Duster, maybe close in time on the way down.
About 6 minutes.
https://youtu.be/rP2-UHXJ3pU

roadburner

stickguy said:

Here’s a test of one of them, and the Pilot.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=259

And the other, vs the cross climate. But no snow test here. The Quatrac is severe snow rated though.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=272

I have Quatrac 5 tires on the Clubman. I like them a lot for a daily driver that rarely takes corners at more than twice the posted advisory speed.

[Deleted User]

oldfarmer50 said:

dad23 said:

Wow...how's this for wishful thinking???

97 4Runner

If you don’t ask you don’t get.

True, I was thinking closer to half that, but was told, "we'll get that for it..."

driver100

abacomike said:

Found my spare tire! It’s a compact space-saver spare which was underneath the floor of the trunk - but hidden beneath the jack and tools by a second compartment. They sure hid the spare quite well - so well it took me three search and seek missions to finally locate it.

The salesman who told me the G90’s don’t come with a spare tire should be fired on the spot. Idiots - complete idiots at that dealership! Even I was an idiot for actually believing him at first. But I was persistent because the owner’s manual states that there is a compact spare tire in the trunk. 😜🤪🤓

I'm glad you have a donut tire at least....that is the way it should be. Crazy not to have some kind of spare.
Although I can't picture too many G90 owners changing their own flat.
At least if the service guy comes he has something he can use if he has to.

driver100

For what it is worth.
The C250 had Continentals and the new Michelin Sports are much better.....well worth any extra charges.
The E400 had Goodyear RFTs, changed to Pirellis............huge difference for the better. Makes it handle and feel like a brand new car.....takes the bumps beautifully and much better steering.
Like Stick, I wouldn't mess around with tires.....get the best you can find and afford, you won't be sorry ever!