Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

venture

imidazol97 said:

I broke the SiriusXM habit. I tried to renew at the $60/12 mo and could never get a direct answer that No theywouldn't or Yes they would. Instead she kept offering different choices of rates. I finally took a $72/12 (plus extra fees of course), knowing I would likely cancel one car or both.

I watched how much I actually used SXM. Not much. I had CD, USB, and cuold add Pandora easily on Tracfone using data from my plan.

Cancelled. Now I keep seeing phone calls from SXM. They sent and email the next week offering me the higher rate at which I cancelled.

It will take a while but, eventually, they will go away.

imidazol97

The phone calls never leave a message. At first they were blocked if they were automatic: my Panasonic land line has a requirement message to punch in certain numbers to be put through the phone. Robo calls don't do that, yet...

I switched the calling number to passthrough mode by adding it to my phonebook list. But they don't leave message? Robocall or live caller?

driver100

imidazol97 said:

The phone calls never leave a message. At first they were blocked if they were automatic: my Panasonic land line has a requirement message to punch in certain numbers to be put through the phone. Robo calls don't do that, yet...

I switched the calling number to passthrough mode by adding it to my phonebook list. But they don't leave message? Robocall or live caller?

It is a miracle they are still in business. You would think they would clean up their act by now. Most people don't like to be scammed.

ab348

snakeweasel said:

That should teacher her, next time go to a Kosher restaurant.

But what if she trips over a carelessly dropped kosher dill?

kyfdx

imidazol97 said:

The phone calls never leave a message. At first they were blocked if they were automatic: my Panasonic land line has a requirement message to punch in certain numbers to be put through the phone. Robo calls don't do that, yet...

I switched the calling number to passthrough mode by adding it to my phonebook list. But they don't leave message? Robocall or live caller?

Our renewal always comes in May. One payment at $72 + fees = approx $92 for one year.

It's for my wife's car. So, we're keeping it. lol

dino001

Never had any interest in SXM. Had it preinstalled in my new BMW, year subscription included in the purchase, I probably used it once or twice over the course of that year. So, clearly have no use. They could offer it to me for $10/year and it would still be too much. I listen to podcasts, a little of music and some public radio, that's it. I also avoid businesses using gotcha pricing tactics (inflated "regular" price with gauntlet to get it lowered), if I can help it. I'd rather have somebody transparently pricing things art their real level and stick to it - that's considering I actually want the product/service. I like simplicity, transparency and predictability, not some "look here - not there" nonsense. I get enough of that at car dealerships every few years I buy one, that's about how much I can tolerate.

oldfarmer50

dino001 said:

Never had any interest in SXM. Had it preinstalled in my new BMW, year subscription included in the purchase, I probably used it once or twice over the course of that year. So, clearly have no use. They could offer it to me for $10/year and it would still be too much. I listen podcasts, a little of music and some public radio, that's it. I also avoid businesses using gotcha pricing tactics (inflated "regular" price gauntlet to get it lowered), if I can help it. I'd rather have somebody transparently pricing things are their real level and stick to it - that's considering I actually want the product/service. I like simplicity, transparency and predictability, not some "look here - not there" nonsense. I get enough of that at car dealerships every few years I buy one, that's about how much I can tolerate.

Same here. I had it in several cars but never used it. I’m still getting offers from them for my 2009 Chrysler.

fintail

That's the only deal I could talk my way into when my subscription was set to expire last month, as well. I took it, as I use it a bit - every time I drive the modern car, I stream it in the fintail (the 1964 radio in the car was able to accept an aux input under dash), and I am listening to it via Sonos right now. I think I get my money's worth.

kyfdx said:

imidazol97 said:

The phone calls never leave a message. At first they were blocked if they were automatic: my Panasonic land line has a requirement message to punch in certain numbers to be put through the phone. Robo calls don't do that, yet...

I switched the calling number to passthrough mode by adding it to my phonebook list. But they don't leave message? Robocall or live caller?

Our renewal always comes in May. One payment at $72 + fees = approx $92 for one year.

It's for my wife's car. So, we're keeping it. lol

stickguy

We use it all the time. Very convenient to just have the radio come on with the car, and being able to flip through all the presets with my thumb!

roadburner

The C43, Clubman, and X1 all have SXM. The Clubman deal was really inexpensive- $124 for 36 months with no automatic renewal.

laurasdada

I enjoy SXM, as long as I can keep the price <$100/yr (now at ~$85 in the Audi). But, when it expired on the M240, didn't renew as I now have ~8gb of music on the hard drive. With ~12gb free space to add more.

stickguy

I believe my wife is trying to kill me off. She decided it was getting "muggy" so turned the AC back on in the house. I mowed the lawn before dinner, so I would know if it was humid! OK< I worked up a good sweat, but that has nothing to do with being inside!

so now the AC is cranking away, and I walked into our bedroom (in the back, coolest room in the house) and the thermometer on my clock said 67, and I was shivering. Had to break out a blanket to even sit in the chair to watch TV. And definitely piling on some blankets tonight in bed.

I still don't understand why people want to be in the house shivering like that. Weird.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

I believe my wife is trying to kill me off. She decided it was getting "muggy" so turned the AC back on in the house. I mowed the lawn before dinner, so I would know if it was humid! OK< I worked up a good sweat, but that has nothing to do with being inside!

so now the AC is cranking away, and I walked into our bedroom (in the back, coolest room in the house) and the thermometer on my clock said 67, and I was shivering. Had to break out a blanket to even sit in the chair to watch TV. And definitely piling on some blankets tonight in bed.

I still don't understand why people want to be in the house shivering like that. Weird.

You sound like my wife, she’s always cold too. Personally, after I come in from working up a sweat I want the house like a freezer. I hate being all sweaty and miserable.

Of course, she might be trying to kill you off so she can get your Maverick.😳

ab348

oldfarmer50 said:

Of course, she might be trying to kill you off so she can get your Maverick.😳

More likely she would want to do that to prevent him selling her Acura out from under her.

stickguy

In the year that we have lived in the new house, she probably has put about 100 miles on that car herself. And most of that was having to drive to the airport to pick me up from a business trip.

I don’t think she would miss it that bad

Michaell

Had a long talk with my sister yesterday. They love their XC40, but my BIL is not thrilled with the $50/week they are spending in gas. They share the car, and each of them goes into the office 2 days a week, on alternate days. They moved farther away from their offices, so the commute is longer, and he's thinking about replacing the Volvo with an EV.

I suggested to her that having an EV as their only car isn't too practical (I can see @driver100 falling out of his chair with that statement, given how much we've sparred on EVs lately).

Recommended a PHEV or hybrid, if they wanted to save on gas costs, but still have the ability to take longer road trips if they so choose.

This isn't something they are going to do soon ... just exploring options.

stickguy

So a Prius might save what, $25/week in gas? $1200/year, could take a long time to recoup cost to change cars.

Sounds like an EV would be perfect if they had 2 cars, since it would be ideal for daily commuting.

Michaell

stickguy said:

So a Prius might save what, $25/week in gas? $1200/year, could take a long time to recoup cost to change cars.

Sounds like an EV would be perfect if they had 2 cars, since it would be ideal for daily commuting.

That's what I told her - find a used Leaf, and use that for the commute. Problem is, they are running around $20K for 2020 or 2021 models and low-ish miles, and they really don't want a second car payment.

We talked about what they'd save in gas. But, if they could keep the payment roughly the same, then that would be true savings.

driver100

Michaell said:

I suggested to her that having an EV as their only car isn't too practical (I can see @driver100 falling out of his chair with that statement, given how much we've sparred on EVs lately).

Recommended a PHEV or hybrid, if they wanted to save on gas costs, but still have the ability to take longer road trips if they so choose.

$50 a week on gas isn't too bad....maybe cut back on something to save $10 or $20 a week if possible. I've switched to large bottles of carbonated water instead of cans of soda, actually it is healthier and I am getting to like it more.

I think an EV could work in the right situation, it just isn't for everyone, especially old dinosaurs who don't want to learn something new, and who likes what I have.

Car prices have gone up so much it is hard to save money by buying something now. Maybe the biggest factor for me is that technology changes so quickly the EV you buy today will be out of date in a year or two.

driver100

ab348 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Of course, she might be trying to kill you off so she can get your Maverick.😳

More likely she would want to do that to prevent him selling her Acura out from under her.

My will says if I go, my wife's new boy toy can't have use of my E400.

driver100

Out of curiosity....do you really save on maintenance with an EV. I guess all you should need are tires, brakes, wipers.....right? No oil change....what about lube?
Anything else?
My schedule A or B can cost $500 a year!

graphicguy

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

The phone calls never leave a message. At first they were blocked if they were automatic: my Panasonic land line has a requirement message to punch in certain numbers to be put through the phone. Robo calls don't do that, yet...

I switched the calling number to passthrough mode by adding it to my phonebook list. But they don't leave message? Robocall or live caller?

It is a miracle they are still in business. You would think they would clean up their act by now. Most people don't like to be scammed.

Ain't that the truth. Between my free Audible Account (Via Prime membership) for books, Apple Music, podcasts, I haven't used Sirious for quite some time. Honda has quit including a trial membership and I don't miss it. I feel their days are numbered and their best programming will be absorbed by another, better service. The rest of their programming will just fade away.

stickguy

driver100 said:

Out of curiosity....do you really save on maintenance with an EV. I guess all you should need are tires, brakes, wipers.....right? No oil change....what about lube?
Anything else?
My schedule A or B can cost $500 a year!

No oil changes. Brakes should last much longer but they often eat up tires.

qbrozen

Travel day.
And the wife has curtained the sprinter.

explorerx4

Have a great vacation!

explorerx4

About 10 days ago, I chipped off the corner of one of my molars.
There wasn't any discomfort, so I didn't need an immediate appointment to have it looked at.
I was expecting to need a crown but the dentist was able to rebuild the corner.
It didn't even take very long.

abacomike

mjfloyd1 said:

Round 2 of ceramic coat but dad working solo. Boy do my thumbs and back ache today…

Yep, my t shirt (picked out by my daughter) says “I’m not old, I’m classic”. Little 💩…

Wild how the color looks so different with shade vs sun.

I had two ceramic coats put on my G90 when I bought the car two and a half years ago. I had another coat applied this past March (it was 2 years old at that time) because of the fact that water was not beading up on the hood surface. The guy who does my ceramic work said that it is natural for a third coat to be applied after two years, but that third coat should last several years.

I am so pleased with the ceramic coating. Bird droppings just flow off the car when water is sprayed on them. The same for tree sap, etc. I am parking in a neighbor's parking space now, far away from any trees. With the ultra violet sun rays hitting the car's surface 365 days a year, a ceramic coating is almost a necessity if you are keeping the car for 5+ years, which I plan to do. I only have 15,800 miles on the car after 30 months of ownership. I highly recommend a ceramic coating on cars that are parked outdoors. The car looks as good, if not better, than the day I took delivery of the G90.

tjc78

Enjoy your vacation. Looks like your family will be very comfortable on the ride down!

abacomike

Just got my insurance renewals from State Farm for my car and my condo. Because I use their Drive Safe feature in my car, I received a $586 discount which more than covered the increase in rates - in fact my insurance went down $100+ because of the increased discount.

The condo insurance went up $100 from last year but they raised the insurance on the condo and everything else due to inflation. So, I broke even when merging the two policies. But let's face it, auto insurance rates are getting out of sight.

Gasoline is now $399.9 a gallon for PUG at Costco as well as two Chevron gas stations in my local area. That's an increase of 50 cents a gallon in the past 3 months. I wonder how can increased Fed Reserve Rates affect the price of gasoline or insurance?

kyfdx

$4.99/gal for PUG in Fort Wayne, IN. Not sure why IN is $0.40/gal higher than Ohio. Gas taxes are not that far apart, and sales tax is higher in OH.

Michaell

Gas prices have gone up because many refineries can't operate in the extreme heat that much of the country has been suffering through this summer.

Plus, Saudi Arabia and Russia are continuing to curtail production.

explorerx4

Keeping the payment the same is a false economy because the loan would be extended, unless cash flow is the issue.

ab348

Michaell said:

Gas prices have gone up because many refineries can't operate in the extreme heat that much of the country has been suffering through this summer.

Plus, Saudi Arabia and Russia are continuing to curtail production.

There is never any shortage of obscure reasons why gas prices must increase. There is a constant shortage of reasons why they should decrease.

graphicguy

kyfdx said:

$4.99/gal for PUG in Fort Wayne, IN. Not sure why IN is $0.40/gal higher than Ohio. Gas taxes are not that far apart, and sales tax is higher in OH.

Wow-zer. That's nuts. I only fill up about every 4-5 weeks these days. But, my Liberty Twn ,OH Coscto was $3.29 a couple of weeks ago. Not a hyper miler, and I drive like I've always driven, but the Accord is getting 44-48 MPG. I'm pleased. Plus, I'm no longer paying for Premium. Win-win!

qbrozen

filled up yesterday at wawa. I forget exactly what it was. I think $4.39 for the diesel. I do recall that it was the same price as 91 octane gas. So actually less per gallon than what I put in my Charger and WRX.

stickguy

I fill up so infrequently I don’t even remember where or when last done. Ran an errand at lunch, about 10 miles each way, back roads. 45 MPG on the way down, 59.9 (about 6 of 10 electric) on the way back.

Michaell

explorerx4 said:

Keeping the payment the same is a false economy because the loan would be extended, unless cash flow is the issue.

They've only had the Volvo for a year, but I get your point.

I don't think they're having a cash flow issue - my BIL got a decent sized raise recently, and he's in line to be promoted soon, too, which would give him another bump in pay.

stickguy

So basically, he’s just a tightwad like me?

Michaell

stickguy said:

So basically, he’s just a tightwad like me?

He's the controller for his company, so I'd have to say .... yeah.

Promotion could take him to CFO.

stickguy

I’m just a peon, and I can afford 2 cars!

pensfan83

Paying in cash is the only way to go, or so I've read.

Michaell

stickguy said:

I’m just a peon, and I can afford 2 cars!

They're in the process of getting the landscaping done at their new house, plus they still have my mom's car available as an extra if needed.

andres3

Michaell said:

laurasdada said:

We're staying domestic, but I think once we're retired, world travel will be our oyster (hers, I have little wanderlust. But whatever Lola wants, Lola gets).
September, we're off to SF, Sedona, AZ and Block Island, RI. Then I'll probably spend a few free nights at my fave local casino. Well, free if I don't play!

Enjoy Sedona! I’ve got a few restaurant recommendations if you’ve not been before

Is one of them the Bistro across the street from the Sedona Motel? Sedona rocks (pardon the pun) for great food and good juju/mojo. Great vibes there.

Michaell

andres3 said:

Michaell said:

laurasdada said:

We're staying domestic, but I think once we're retired, world travel will be our oyster (hers, I have little wanderlust. But whatever Lola wants, Lola gets).
September, we're off to SF, Sedona, AZ and Block Island, RI. Then I'll probably spend a few free nights at my fave local casino. Well, free if I don't play!

Enjoy Sedona! I’ve got a few restaurant recommendations if you’ve not been before

Is one of them the Bistro across the street from the Sedona Motel? Sedona rocks (pardon the pun) for great food and good juju/mojo. Great vibes there.

Nope. I posted a few recommendations in a later post.

28firefighter

I paid $5.26 for PUG at Costco yesterday. Woof.

snakeweasel

stickguy said:

I believe my wife is trying to kill me off. She decided it was getting "muggy" so turned the AC back on in the house. I mowed the lawn before dinner, so I would know if it was humid! OK< I worked up a good sweat, but that has nothing to do with being inside!

so now the AC is cranking away, and I walked into our bedroom (in the back, coolest room in the house) and the thermometer on my clock said 67, and I was shivering. Had to break out a blanket to even sit in the chair to watch TV. And definitely piling on some blankets tonight in bed.

I still don't understand why people want to be in the house shivering like that. Weird.

First see if she got a new insurance policy on you.

I also cant see setting the A/C to such a cold temperature. My daughter who lives in Florida carries a sweater with her even in summer because so many places have their A/C so high even Eskimos complain. We usually keep ours set slightly below the outside temperature so that it runs and gets the humidity out of the air but doesn't make the house cold, usually about 78.

jmonroe1

snakeweasel said:

stickguy said:

I believe my wife is trying to kill me off. She decided it was getting "muggy" so turned the AC back on in the house. I mowed the lawn before dinner, so I would know if it was humid! OK< I worked up a good sweat, but that has nothing to do with being inside!

so now the AC is cranking away, and I walked into our bedroom (in the back, coolest room in the house) and the thermometer on my clock said 67, and I was shivering. Had to break out a blanket to even sit in the chair to watch TV. And definitely piling on some blankets tonight in bed.

I still don't understand why people want to be in the house shivering like that. Weird.

First see if she got a new insurance policy on you.

I also cant see setting the A/C to such a cold temperature. My daughter who lives in Florida carries a sweater with her even in summer because so many places have their A/C so high even Eskimos complain. We usually keep ours set slightly below the outside temperature so that it runs and gets the humidity out of the air but doesn't make the house cold, usually about 78.

————————————————
Restaurants are always cold. Mrs. j always needs a sweater when we go out to eat. If we’re returning home immediately after going out to eat, which is almost always the case, I wear long pants but no sweater.

jmonroe

snakeweasel

qbrozen said:

filled up yesterday at wawa. I forget exactly what it was. I think $4.39 for the diesel. I do recall that it was the same price as 91 octane gas. So actually less per gallon than what I put in my Charger and WRX.

I filled up the Sonata today (first time since June) at it was $4.49 for RUG. Not being political but darn those [insert your least favorite political party here].

andres3

imidazol97 said:

I broke the SiriusXM habit. I tried to renew at the $60/12 mo and could never get a direct answer that No theywouldn't or Yes they would. Instead she kept offering different choices of rates. I finally took a $72/12 (plus extra fees of course), knowing I would likely cancel one car or both.

I watched how much I actually used SXM. Not much. I had CD, USB, and could add Pandora easily on Tracfone using data from my plan.

Cancelled. Now I keep seeing phone calls from SXM. They sent an email the next week offering me the higher rate at which I cancelled.

You have to ignore the first 15 offers to get a better one.

snakeweasel

I saw something that made me think of some of my poster buddies here. Heading down the interstate today during lunch when I passed a Tesla with dealer plates on it. Then I passed another with dealer plates from the same dealer, then another, then another. About 8 or 10 of them all with dealer plates from the same dealer. I did notice that on a lot of them there was still the plastic protective covering on the seats.