Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

dino001

isellhondas said:

I got lucky. I wouldn't have made it anywhere else.

I think that's the key - you got your match. The store was an exception. You probably wouldn't last a month in a typical volume Honda dealer in my neighborhood (not because your performance, because you wouldn't take it). There are couple of stores you may fit, coincidentally both sell Subarus, one of them sells more brands, but all of those brands is either upscale or niche. Those places I know I can visit without feel of needing a hot shower afterwards. However, a typical Japanese or Korean volume dealers are just horrible places here. Every time I venture into one of them (not very often at all), it feels like something crawls onto my skin and stays there for hours after I leave. All it takes is to look around the showroom and speak to a "representative" for about two minutes. I'm lucky I'm not particularly hot for the product, either. If I were, I would really hate the whole experience even more. Interestingly enough, the domestic dealers are all over the place. Some match their horrible import counterparts, some may be even worse (I'd say ads of local Dodge/Chrysler dealers make me actively avoid them, as they clearly think all their customers are morons), some are OK. It seems to depend on the owners. Pretty much all Asian non-niche imports are owned by megadealerships, whereas domestics split between those and family-style stores, probably similar to one you worked at.

abacomike

Over the past several months, I have taken an interesting liking to the BBC AMERICA Channel because of one show:  TOP GEAR!  I can't seem to get enough of it.  It is all about 3 car enthusiasts who go crazy over speed, styling and trying to outdo each other.  Besides being exciting, it is also hilarious if you can handle British humor.  They have guest stars on each broadcast like Will Smith, Ewan McGregor, Brad Pitt, etc.  

If you get s chance, try watching an episode.  They have been on BBC for 20 years and each show is funnier, more interesting and more exciting than the previous one.

Michaell

abacomike said:

Over the past several months, I have taken an interesting liking to the BBC AMERICA Channel because of one show:  TOP GEAR!  I can't seem to get enough of it.  It is all about 3 car enthusiasts who go crazy over speed, styling and trying to outdo each other.  Besides being exciting, it is also hilarious if you can handle British humor.  They have guest stars on each broadcast like Will Smith, Ewan McGregor, Brad Pitt, etc.  

If you get s chance, try watching an episode.  They have been on BBC for 20 years and each show is funnier, more interesting and more exciting than the previous one.

 Mike, I hate to break it to you, but those three presenters are no longer doing the show. 

nelsonf

Yep, Jeremy smacked someone, so they fired him. Hammond and May refused to go on without Clarkson.

They announced a replacement for Clarkson a few weeks ago. Some English talk show guy I never heard of, then a couple days ago it was announced that Top Gear would not be continued at all.

Rumor has it that the three guys are doing a whole new show on their own. I hope so. Even my wife loved the show, and she's not a "car" girl.

If you get a chance, check out the "India" Top gear special. Hilarious.

abacomike

@Michaell:

Thank goodness for 15 years of reruns.  They have them on all night today.

Too bad.  I just saw an episode with Matt LeBlanc and Bruce Willis.  I guess they got tired of doing the show.  Great pastime if you love cars, speed, and humor.

abacomike

nelsonf said:

Yep, Jeremy smacked someone, so they fired him. Hammond and May refused to go on without Clarkson. They announced a replacement for Clarkson a few weeks ago. Some English talk show guy I never heard of, then a couple days ago it was announced that Top Gear would not be continued at all. Rumor has it that the three guys are doing a whole new show on their own. I hope so. Even my wife loved the show, and she's not a "car" girl. If you get a chance, check out the "India" Top gear special. Hilarious.

Yes, I saw it!  Funny, funny, funny!

qbrozen

wait... now they aren't doing it at all? Are you sure? I just saw some article where they are asking people to send in clips of themselves to become co-presenters.

Anyway, Netflix has all the old seasons of Top Gear. Netflix is where they are talking about doing the new show with May, Hammond, and Clarkson.

And, if you are interested, Hulu carries the US Top Gear, but they are a bit behind; still only showing up through season 4.

explorerx4

@abacomike, My favorite episode was Sabine trying to get a Ford van around the Nurburgring ring track in under 9 or 10 minutes. Some of their journey episodes are great; Africa, Burma(I think), India, Vietnam.

abacomike

@explorerx4:

They must have(had) a huge staff of writers and researchers to come up with the hair-brain ideas and races through Europe, Africa, Mexico, the U.S., etc.  Can you imagine the financial support the get from auto manufacturers?  The show I am watching now had a 1.3 million dollar Ferrari on.  They've had Rolls, Bentley, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Lexus, Infiniti, etc., on the show.  It is truly an amazing show that I just got interested in during the last 6 months.

Like I said, thank goodness for reruns.

explorerx4

@abacomike,
Here is a link to the 2nd time she drove a van around the 'Ring for Top Gear, only about 7 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KiC03_wVjc

Michaell

abacomike said:

@explorerx4:

They must have(had) a huge staff of writers and researchers to come up with the hair-brain ideas and races through Europe, Africa, Mexico, the U.S., etc.  Can you imagine the financial support the get from auto manufacturers?  The show I am watching now had a 1.3 million dollar Ferrari on.  They've had Rolls, Bentley, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Lexus, Infiniti, etc., on the show.  It is truly an amazing show that I just got interested in during the last 6 months.

Like I said, thank goodness for reruns.

 I don't know that the automakers contribute anything financially to the production of the show – the BBC is kind of like our PBS  and is funded through an annual "television tax" on every household in the UK 

graphicguy

Lots of great episodes. Another favorite is "Captain Slow", James May, driving a Veyron to its top speed (225 MPH).

nyccarguy

@isellhondas - I think you would fit in PERFECTLY at the store where I bought my Legacy at. They are a Ford/Subaru dealer. Separate sales buildings & 1 service center. Family owned. Very relaxed, no pressure, and very customer focused. The 3 people I met all drove Subarus (sales guy, sales manager, f&i guy) not because they got them as cheap company cars, but because they wanted to.

ab348

The segment with Sabine was great fun. She was so... Demonstrative.

nyccarguy

My realistic "want" list of cars has changed since I no longer gush over BMWs the way I once did. Here's what interests me nowadays:

Subaru WRX
Lexus IS350 AWD F-Sport
Mercedes-Benz E250 Blue Tec Sport 4Matic
BMW ///M4
Tesla Model 3 (not out yet, but it will be here before you know it)

stickguy

I don't even know what my list is. At this point, I have gone completely off the rails.

I really liked the review on the new Miata. Curious to know if I fit in it now. Or if my back could take getting in and out!

my local Toyota dealer has a 2012 mazda 2 sport 5 speed, 28K on it, for $9.800 asking. Why that piqued my interest, I can not say. Well, it is cheap.

I appear to be stretching the bounds of a "fun 2nd car" here.

stickguy

Bradd, I like the E class and WRX too. Both well out of the price range though now. I have zero interest in the IS. Though I love the ES (I guess the prior generation at this point). Probably the best reason to just blow the rest of the (nonexistent) wad of money on a new car for the princess. I won't have to look for me!

driver100

explorerx4 said:

@abacomike,
Here is a link to the 2nd time she drove a van around the 'Ring for Top Gear, only about 7 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KiC03_wVjc

Thanks explorer....that was a riot!

qbrozen

stickguy said:

my local Toyota dealer has a 2012 mazda 2 sport 5 speed, 28K on it, for $9.800 asking. Why that piqued my interest, I can not say. Well, it is cheap.

Well, I can tell you it is a fun car. Drifts quite well. But they were down to mid $12k range brand new, although the price is good based on auction value. Just shows what a good buy it would have been when new. Lack of cruise control and bluetooth were my sticking points, though.

stickguy

actually has 24K on it, down to $9,498.

Yeah, too bare bones. no bluetooth, no armrest. Cruise would not matter to me. I guess it would quality as an old timey fun little car, fun being defined as thrashing a little engine to keep up with traffic.

will probably not bother to look at it.

verdugo

abacomike said:

@Michaell:

Thank goodness for 15 years of reruns.  They have them on all night today.

Too bad.  I just saw an episode with Matt LeBlanc and Bruce Willis.  I guess they got tired of doing the show.  Great pastime if you love cars, speed, and humor.

They didn't get tired of doing the show. As somebody said, Clarkson got fired because he punched a staffer, although, that was the last straw. He had a long list of "incidents."

nyccarguy

stickguy said:

Bradd, I like the E class and WRX too. Both well out of the price range though now. I have zero interest in the IS. Though I love the ES (I guess the prior generation at this point). Probably the best reason to just blow the rest of the (nonexistent) wad of money on a new car for the princess. I won't have to look for me!

All the cars I mentioned are out of my price range now. I mentioned the WRX because I'm very happy with my Legacy overall, it could just use a kick in the pants.

The IS350 appeals to me on a few different levels. 1st, I just love the uber aggressive styling (I know, I hate to use aggressive because that how Toyota describes the new Camry in its ads). It stands out on the road today among the sea of Black 3s & Silver Cs. The body changed a few years ago, but I think it still rides on the same underpinnings as it did back in 2006 when the last generation debuted.

2nd, the 3.5L V6 isn't nearly as powerful as BMW's twin turbo I6, but its 0 - 60 time in the high 5s will be plenty powerful for my needs. Toyota's corporate V6 isn't a marvel of modern technology, but it is tested, tried, & true.

3rd, suspension. With the F Sport and the big V6 motor you get a computer controlled, adaptive suspension. Aggressive when I need it, smooth and subtle when I want it.

I've always been a fan of the E. The diesel appeals to me due to the 20+ K miles per year I drive. Of all the cars in its class (5er, A6, GS) I just like it the best.

The BMW needs no introduction. It is just friggin awesome.

Not so much for the environmental impact or gas savings, I think driving an electric performance car (Tesla 3) would be cool. There is a supercharger 10 miles fom my house at both the northbound & southbound 1st & last rest stops on the Merritt Parkway. If I could realistically get 200 miles out of a charge, then I could "fill up" at the Super Charger every 3rd day on my way home with 15 miles to spare.

[Deleted User]

I'm looking forward to Hammond, May, and Clarkson starting up a competing car show, likely on Netflix, in the very near future. I primarily watch Hulu these days, but if Netflix does indeed sign these three, I'll register for the first time just for that show.

I still have a VW GTI with manual transmission on my mind and it represents my "fun" option, but I also find myself intrigued by the new 2016 Volt. I'll wait to heal from my knee replacement this fall and then start shopping around. Totally different cars, obviously, and I'll just have to see how my priorities develop. With the Volt it's entirely possible I'd use almost zero gasoline.

nyccarguy

I know it is hard to Justify a Tesla for "gas savings" purposes because they are so expensive. My friend who recently removed a troubled 2013 Dinan ///M5 from his stable recently replaced it with a Model S P85D. Both cars cost about the same, roughly $130K. He sent me this interesting mathematical text of how much electricity his car uses. Did he do the math right?

The Tesla uses 24kWh per day (he charges every night). He said it is approximately 670 - 700 more kWh per month ($165 - $175 more). $175 per month x 12 months = $2,100 per year in "fuel" cost. His commute is 75 miles per day. (.08 cents per mile)

Averaging 15 mpg on the same 75 mile commute (he has a VERY heavy foot), his ///M5 would use 1,825 gallons of 93 octane @ $3.80 per gallon. $6,755 per year in fuel cost. (.25 cents per mile)

He figured out at the $.25 per KWh yields him about 45 mpg

sda

nyccarguy said:

@isellhondas - I think you would fit in PERFECTLY at the store where I bought my Legacy at. They are a Ford/Subaru dealer. Separate sales buildings & 1 service center. Family owned. Very relaxed, no pressure, and very customer focused. The 3 people I met all drove Subarus (sales guy, sales manager, f&i guy) not because they got them as cheap company cars, but because they wanted to.

In 2005 we had leased a 03 Odyssey that I was considering buying out. The dealer that we leased it from did not seem very willing to help us with that process. In the meantime we moved to another area and the local Honda dealer, though part of the same dealer network from where we leased the Odyssey was totally different in their approach. They were very laid back and low pressure. My wife actually wanted a Pilot so we ended up leasing an 06 Pilot instead, from that small town dealer. As time went on I was really impressed with that dealer. When I took the Pilot in for service, no high pressure or up selling, just what the car needed and nothing more. Prices were reasonable too. It was 2009 and gas prices were going up rapidly. Our lease was up on the Pilot, and my wife, ever so practical said she wanted a car that go 30 mpg and she wanted a manual transmission. She had always driven a manual until we got the Odyssey. They didn't have any manuals in stock so we end up with an 09 Civic EX automatic. We continued to take that car to the dealership for service, and they were always exceptional. More recently, they've had a change in management. No more small town dealer. Everytime I've gone there recently I get the up sell, you need this or that, in addition to the service that I came in for. Now I am t

robr2

nyccarguy said:

stickguy said:

Bradd, I like the E class and WRX too. Both well out of the price range though now. I have zero interest in the IS. Though I love the ES (I guess the prior generation at this point). Probably the best reason to just blow the rest of the (nonexistent) wad of money on a new car for the princess. I won't have to look for me!

All the cars I mentioned are out of my price range now. I mentioned the WRX because I'm very happy with my Legacy overall, it could just use a kick in the pants.

The IS350 appeals to me on a few different levels. 1st, I just love the uber aggressive styling (I know, I hate to use aggressive because that how Toyota describes the new Camry in its ads). It stands out on the road today among the sea of Black 3s & Silver Cs. The body changed a few years ago, but I think it still rides on the same underpinnings as it did back in 2006 when the last generation debuted.

Lexus is expected to replace the 2.5 with the 2.0 turbo from the NX with a slightly different tune that will provide 241 HP - more than the current 2.5. (edited for correction)

On the positive side, Lexus isn't afraid to brand it the IS200t

dino001

You meant 2.5l (IS250) being replaced by the 2.0 turbo, not 3.5l (IS350)? The latter is a 300+ hp , I doubt it would be downgraded to 241 hp.

robr2

Yes you are correct. I edited my post.

Must get more coffee.

nyccarguy

@robr2 - I thought I read (Car & Driver) they are replacing the aging and woefully underpowered 2.5L V6 with the 2.0 Turbo from the NX, not the 3.5L.

I agree with you on the badging. If you are going to use alpha numerics, let it make sense like it used to.

Edit - I'd have no problem with the 2.0L Turbo 4, but as of now, Lexus only gives the adaptive suspension to the 3.5L V6 F-Sports

stickguy

I'm cheap. I would use the supercharger whenever possible (those are free, right? Or do you get charged?)

Free charges help the equation!

nyccarguy

robr2 said:

Yes you are correct. I edited my post.

Must get more coffee.

More coffee is a good thing. I left my travel mug at work last night & accidentally stopped at Starbucks this AM. So good!

robr2

stickguy said:

I'm cheap. I would use the supercharger whenever possible (those are free, right? Or do you get charged?)

Free charges help the equation!

Yes - lifetime charging at superchargers is included in the price of the Model S. The Model X will probably have the same service. The Model E (midsize sedan) most likely with not be included in the free charging program as it is expected to be a volume model.

bwia

In a moment of weakness I broke down and reactivated my Sirius/XM service after going six months without it. Don't know if it was the sweetness of the voice of the young woman (I hope it's a woman as gender is so fluid these days) or her low or no pressure approach. And here's the hook. I can cancel at any time without penalty.

The details... I was offered a $19.99 five-month promotional rate plus a $2.78 royalty fee. And after the promotional period expires the fee is $44.97 per quarter plus the pesky royalty fee of $6.25 or a total of $51.22 per quarter or $17.07 a month.

Following the advice of others on this thread I did not use my credit card but instead opted for invoice billing for $2.00 extra per billing cycle. After the five month promotional period expires I plan to cancel for good unless a sweet or even better deal comes up; but I doubt it as more and more music options are surpassing the Sirius/XM model as car manufacturers are getting better and better at integrating online streaming services.

suydam

That's the standard 6 month "promotional" price. You'll get it again in 6 months if you call the day before your current subscription expires. I did it with both cars, and the expiration dates of both were 2 months apart. Crazy stupid system because I'm sure more people let theirs expire rather than pay the "regular" price which is a total ripoff.

fezo

They'll have to call me but I'm not sure I'd want it even at that price. The ratio of good to bad music I can get anywhere. I'd be just as happy with my Pandora, Spotify and iPod.

abacomike

bwia said:

In a moment of weakness I broke down and reactivated my Sirius/XM service after going six months without it. Don't know if it was the sweetness of the voice of the young woman (I hope it's a woman as gender is so fluid these days) or her low or no pressure approach. And here's the hook. I can cancel at any time without penalty. The details... I was offered a $19.99 five-month promotional rate plus a $2.78 royalty fee. And after the promotional period expires the fee is $44.97 per quarter plus the pesky royalty fee of $6.25 or a total of $51.22 per quarter or $17.07 a month. Following the advice of others on this thread I did not use my credit card but instead opted for invoice billing for $2.00 extra per billing cycle. After the five month promotional period expires I plan to cancel for good unless a sweet or even better deal comes up; but I doubt it as more and more music options are surpassing the Sirius/XM model as car manufacturers are getting better and better at integrating online streaming services.

I let my subscription expire earlier this month.  I still get traffic and weather for 2-1/2 more years at no cost.  The weather they provide and the Mercedes weather screens with radar, wind direction and speed overplayed on a map of my location is necessary down here, especially in rainy season.  Nice feature.

As for music, I only listened to 2-3 Sirius stations very infrequently.  I prefer my iPhone (iPod plug in directly to my sound system) and there are 3-4 HD FM stations down here that broadcast the kinds of music I prefer.  Makes no sense to me to spend $100+ a year for something I rarely use.  If I traveled more often, it might make sense - but where do I go?  Back and forth to local hospitals and the hospice?

dino001

It always baffles me why somebody would rather have a "regular" price so stupid high and run constant "promotions" than get to something that's realistic. It usually indicates some form of enslavement to wrong economic models that tell them they "have to" have a high price, hubris (our product is so great, others just don't appreciate it, but if we just bring them in for couple of months, they'll pay), or lack of long term viability (too high costs vs. value of the product, ending up in running red ink for majority of time with a few breaks here and there).

driver100

dino001 said:

It always baffles me why somebody would rather have a "regular" price so stupid high and run constant "promotions" than get to something that's realistic. It usually indicates some form of enslavement to wrong economic models that tell them they "have to" have a high price, hubris (our product is so great, others just don't appreciate it, but if we just bring them in for couple of months, they'll pay), or lack of long term viability (too high costs vs. value of the product, ending up in running red ink for majority of time with a few breaks here and there).

I really think they find most people take the promotion offer and then forget to cancel. That's why those mail in coupon offers were so successful...for the manufacturer. People bring the item home, procrastinate, forget to claim their refund. A very small percentage of people remember to send in for a refund....similar with Sirius.

Another thing, the percieved value is for an item that they make you think is worth $200 - you will get for $20...what a bargooon!

imidazol97

driver100 said:

I really think they find most people take the promotion offer and then forget to cancel. That's why those mail in coupon offers were so successful...for the manufacturer. People bring the item home, procrastinate, forget to claim their refund. A very small percentage of people remember to send in for a refund....similar with Sirius.

Another thing, the percieved value is for an item that they make you think is worth $200 - you will get for $20...what a bargooon!

Agree. Spot on.

abacomike

imidazol97 said:

I really think they find most people take the promotion offer and then forget to cancel. That's why those mail in coupon offers were so successful...for the manufacturer. People bring the item home, procrastinate, forget to claim their refund. A very small percentage of people remember to send in for a refund....similar with Sirius. Another thing, the percieved value is for an item that they make you think is worth $200 - you will get for $20...what a bargooon!

Agree. Spot on.

Well, I certainly have heard nothing from them.  I am surprised I did not get a letter or an email from them prior to the end of the trial period - not even three weeks after the end of the trial date.  I would consider renewing if the price was right - but unless the cost is 30-40 dollars for a 6 month extension, I am just not that excited about satellite radio.  The quality of the sound reproduction is no where close to HD FM or iPod or even a disc.

carnaught

(bump)

suydam

You usually do get a letter -- and often several robocalls. But none of them are as good as the promo price. So if they call you it's worthless anyway. I like Sirius to listen to new music and also for sports. I can listen to games that I can't get on regular radio. Too many commercials on FM Radio these days, and no good stations anyway on the drives we take. I really enjoy XM and am willing to pay a minimal price to get it. I vary it with my trusty iPod tunes, but I do enjoy hearing something new from artists or genres I like.

stever

carnaught said:

(bump)

Little fender bender there?

Got the Sirius intro with the used van but their marketing efforts after the trial period expired have been nil. Our Taos friends use it in their cars and house all the time, and we're housesitting for them again next week so I'll be listening.

explorerx4

I like Sirius for the same reasons Suydam does. I have a few CD's, but no other music, other than some old vinyl.

stickguy

I prefer the ease of XM. I am not bothering with my phone in normal driving, and like to flip through stations.

on a trip, especially with a passenger, using a streaming service is more reasonable.

I also never got around to loading up my phone as an Ipod. really should do something about that.

imidazol97

I'm a talk radio listener. On our last trip I found XM great because I could listen to
the XM channel that had folks doing talk radio while in the "radio free zone" of southern
Kentucky. I thought XM was of little use to me because of all the local stations, but
I learned it's worth the small cost. If they increase the cost, I'll have a change of heart.

The weather and gas station prices are fun to play with while driving on a trip. The
traffic in certain metro areas was useless for me. I'll use my phone and its Map
app that shows the traffic speed on the road to identify jams.

suydam

Doesn't all your iPod music sync to your phone? Mine did because it's on my laptop too.

ab348

suydam said:

Doesn't all your iPod music sync to your phone? Mine did because it's on my laptop too.

If you plug the various devices into a computer using iTunes, yes. I think it has an option now to sync without a cable also.

suydam

Mine syncs wirelessly via the cloud.

graphicguy

Long time ago I digitized all of my CDs onto a hard drive, also on a thumb drive, my iPod, and now my iPhone. I stream my music and several podcasts. I don't need XM with all of that.