Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

nyccarguy

@andres3 - since you just bought a VW Golf Wagon TDI, this affects you.  What do you want out of this if the recall significantly reduces your TDI's gas mileage?  What if it doesn't pass emissions next year?

graphicguy

OldFarmer....I watch a lot of the car auction programs (Barret-Jackson is another favorite) and am stunned by what some pay for cars. Maybe since that Mustang having been massaged by Rousch vs your Mustang, which will out run, out handle the one they acutioned off, it's worth more?

I was just speaking to someone yesterday about my 2005 GT. It had the small block V8, yet "only" had 300HP.

A lot of current 6s will overshadow that Ford V8. And, there are some current 4 cyls that will come mighty close to the output of that same V8.

With the possibility that I'll be in the market within the next few months, I've been test driving cars I might be interested in. Jumped back into an IS350 F Sport last night. It's not the fastest luxury sport sedan out there (that crown belongs to the Audi S4 and BMW 335i). But it is certainly faster than the A4, 320i, or probably the 328i. My guess is somewhere in the low-mid 5 second range 0-60 according to my buttometer....probably fastr than 98% of
the cars out on the road today. Brakes very well. Steering is very communicative. Very comfortable with the sport seats. It is as tight as any car I've driven. Lexus certainly knows how to put cars together and paint them as well as any out there. Great materials inside, too. Never noticed this with other brands, but there is no play in any of the controls. While I never noticed before, my other cars all had "play" in their buttons. Wasn't obvious until I started using the Lexus controls. No "wobble" whatsoever. RIdes well for a car with the handling capabilities the IS has. It has REAL leather, and it's high quality too. Real stitching on the dash and doors.

Downsides....everyone is right about the little "puck thingy" to control the middle of dash screen. Good intentions, bad execution. Mentioned this to the sales person. He said it was meant to be used while stationary and not while driving. OK....if he says so. Controls are redundant with most common functions having buttons or steering wheel controls.

It was pretty well loaded up, including all the safety sensors warning you of anyone who's close to your car, or your inability to keep your car in your lane. It also had "set it/forget it" cruise, which will auto brake and re-accelerate on the highway. All LED lighting...not even any HID headlights as those were LED, too. It touched a tad over $50K. Not really a car that looks bad in any color. I saw a metallic white, a metallic black, and the one I test drove, a metallic grey with red leather interior...quite sharp.

I'd put it in my top 3.

Test drove a Q50s. Again, I try to like Infinitis, not having much luck. Steering is spooky. At one point, I was on glass smooth pavement, and the steering wheel gave little undulations, I guess to simulate road conditions. It got it all wrong, though. Sometimes it was light going into a corner, and then mid-corner added heft, except it was a second or two, too late.

Pretty car, good paint, well put together. Didn't play much with the tech, but there was plenty there. Sensors all around. It braked well. The ride bordered on harsh. Felt about as fast as the IS. Engine didn't make any good sounds, it was thrashy, worse than the 4 cyl in the CTS, actually. $50K+. Probably drop it off my list.

Maybe do another test of the C300 later today.

nyccarguy

@graphicguy - part of the magic that the IS350 F Sport "RIdes well for a car with the handling capabilities the IS has" is due to the standard adaptive suspension that is on the IS350 F Sport.

explorerx4

@ab348,
I'm not implying anything. Cadillac got busted for the same thing, installing software to fool the emissions testing.

isellhondas

I think this emission coverup is going to cost VW many millions of dollars to correct and I'm also thinking that a lot of the folks that own these cars won't want them to be brought into compliance.

I mean if they choke the cars down it'll probably affect performance.

Another reason I'm not a fan of anything Volkswagen.

isellhondas

thebean said:

berri said:

Aren't many of those left anymore. I remember when there would be different names for Big Boys in different regions like Bob's. Shoney's. etc.

This was my very first Big Boy burger.  Marked one item off my bucket list.  My life is not exciting.  

When we lived in California there were quite a few Big Boys but I think most of them are gone. I really liked them. Mc Donald's Big Mac is a copy of their burger with the bun in the middle.

graphicguy

nyccarguy said:

@graphicguy - part of the magic that the IS350 F Sport "RIdes well for a car with the handling capabilities the IS has" is due to the standard adaptive suspension that is on the IS350 F Sport.

Bradd....swithcing the "knob" from normal to Sport Plus really transforms the car. Everything tightens in Sports Plus...steering, suspension, shift points go up. Really makes it a different car.

ab348

explorerx4 said:

@ab348,
I'm not implying anything. Cadillac got busted for the same thing, installing software to fool the emissions testing.

I assume you are referring to the 1991-era ECUs. Long time ago.

mako1a

GG, have you given any thought to the RX? I've always liked the look and utility (especially the little awning over the back window) even though I've never driven one. Probably more expensive since SUVs are so popular.

abacomike

isellhondas said:

berri said:

Aren't many of those left anymore. I remember when there would be different names for Big Boys in different regions like Bob's. Shoney's. etc.

This was my very first Big Boy burger.  Marked one item off my bucket list.  My life is not exciting.  

When we lived in California there were quite a few Big Boys but I think most of them are gone. I really liked them. Mc Donald's Big Mac is a copy of their burger with the bun in the middle.

IN 'N' OUT Burgers are, in my opinion, the best tasting of all fast food burgers.  Why? FAT!  No burger drips of fat like In 'n' Out burgers.  Not as healthy as other burgers, perhaps, but mighty tasty.

When I lived in California, you had Carl's Jr., of course, which were OK, but once you've eaten an In 'n' Out "TRIPLE TRIPLE" w/Cheese and bacon, you're done for!  I'm also a fan of White Castles, but they don't have any down here so I have to settle for frozen packages - not the same as fresh off the grill with extra onions.

suydam

Five Guys.

driver100

nyccarguy said:

@andres3 - since you just bought a VW Golf Wagon TDI, this affects you.  What do you want out of this if the recall significantly reduces your TDI's gas mileage?  What if it doesn't pass emissions next year?

Company will be fines $18 billion or $37k per car. Cheating can be very expensive - they didn't make much profit on those 500k cars!

Maybe owners will get a check in the mail like a few $hundred Hyundai owners got.

There is a fair bit of cheating going on, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Honda, and now VW/Audi possibly Mercedes that we know of. For the record, nothing about Cadillac though some GM vehicles, are under suspicion from what I was reading, along with some other manufacturers who have given numbers that can't be duplicated.

There is a rule about letting the wolves guard the hen house.

stever

The $18 billion is a potential number, the real number will likely be less. But there will be recall costs and likely some class action payouts as well.

sda

bwia said:

abacomike said:

Well, I am finally home.  Just bed rest now and muscle relaxants.  I couldn't wait for the pain to subside enough so I could be discharged.

Glad you are home without the bother of nurses waking you up at all hours in the night. Get well soon!

I second that. Just being in your own home cannot be under estimated in regards to your recovery and mental well being.

berri

In and Out Burger makes a fine cheeseburger, no doubt. But I think their fries are really the best.

abacomike

sda said:

Well, I am finally home.  Just bed rest now and muscle relaxants.  I couldn't wait for the pain to subside enough so I could be discharged.

Glad you are home without the bother of nurses waking you up at all hours in the night. Get well soon!

I second that. Just being in your own home cannot be under estimated in regards to your recovery and mental well being.

I was so weak I had to call a grocery store that filled my order for food and could deliver it and store the items in the fridge and pantry.  I had no choice.  Cost me an arm and a leg, to be sure!!!  

graphicguy

mako1a said:

GG, have you given any thought to the RX? I've always liked the look and utility (especially the little awning over the back window) even though I've never driven one. Probably more expensive since SUVs are so popular.

Mako....I'm not hauling or towing much anymore. So, the RX isn't quite as appealing. My 'burg seems to be crawling with them, though. The guy who I share my Bengals season tix with has had four RXs. He loves them. Admittedly, they ride like a Lexus and seem to be bullet proof. Still, doesn't really fit my current lifestyle. Doesn't make them bad vehicles, though.

carnaught

abacomike said:

Think of the tons of CO2 being exhausted into our atmosphere and the consequences of this charade to asthmatics and sufferers of COPD.





Even though Al Gore would be proud of the statement, it's not the CO2, rather the (polycyclic aromatic) hydrocarbons released.

We all expire (no pun intended) CO2 or we'd be dead. .

isellhondas

berri said:

In and Out Burger makes a fine cheeseburger, no doubt. But I think their fries are really the best.

Totally agree on In N Out and I wish we had them in Washington State.

We do have a Five Guys and I've been there several times. The burgers are, well, OK but the place is SO NOISY! They blare raspy music and scream out the orders and the numbers when the order is ready.

Probably won't go back.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

OldFarmer....I watch a lot of the car auction programs (Barret-Jackson is another favorite) and am stunned by what some pay for cars. Maybe since that Mustang having been massaged by Rousch vs your Mustang, which will out run, out handle the one they acutioned off, it's worth more?

I was just speaking to someone yesterday about my 2005 GT. It had the small block V8, yet "only" had 300HP.

A lot of current 6s will overshadow that Ford V8. And, there are some current 4 cyls that will come mighty close to the output of that same V8.

With the possibility that I'll be in the market within the next few months, I've been test driving cars I might be interested in. Jumped back into an IS350 F Sport last night. It's not the fastest luxury sport sedan out there (that crown belongs to the Audi S4 and BMW 335i). But it is certainly faster than the A4, 320i, or probably the 328i. My guess is somewhere in the low-mid 5 second range 0-60 according to my buttometer....probably fastr than 98% of
the cars out on the road today. Brakes very well. Steering is very communicative. Very comfortable with the sport seats. It is as tight as any car I've driven. Lexus certainly knows how to put cars together and paint them as well as any out there. Great materials inside, too. Never noticed this with other brands, but there is no play in any of the controls. While I never noticed before, my other cars all had "play" in their buttons. Wasn't obvious until I started using the Lexus controls. No "wobble" whatsoever. RIdes well for a car with the handling capabilities the IS has. It has REAL leather, and it's high quality too. Real stitching on the dash and doors.

Downsides....everyone is right about the little "puck thingy" to control the middle of dash screen. Good intentions, bad execution. Mentioned this to the sales person. He said it was meant to be used while stationary and not while driving. OK....if he says so. Controls are redundant with most common functions having buttons or steering wheel controls.

It was pretty well loaded up, including all the safety sensors warning you of anyone who's close to your car, or your inability to keep your car in your lane. It also had "set it/forget it" cruise, which will auto brake and re-accelerate on the highway. All LED lighting...not even any HID headlights as those were LED, too. It touched a tad over $50K. Not really a car that looks bad in any color. I saw a metallic white, a metallic black, and the one I test drove, a metallic grey with red leather interior...quite sharp.

I'd put it in my top 3.

Test drove a Q50s. Again, I try to like Infinitis, not having much luck. Steering is spooky. At one point, I was on glass smooth pavement, and the steering wheel gave little undulations, I guess to simulate road conditions. It got it all wrong, though. Sometimes it was light going into a corner, and then mid-corner added heft, except it was a second or two, too late.

Pretty car, good paint, well put together. Didn't play much with the tech, but there was plenty there. Sensors all around. It braked well. The ride bordered on harsh. Felt about as fast as the IS. Engine didn't make any good sounds, it was thrashy, worse than the 4 cyl in the CTS, actually. $50K+. Probably drop it off my list.

Maybe do another test of the C300 later today.

I think you're really the type of person would only really be happy in the Audis, BMWs and Lexi of the car world. If you can afford it why bother with a Mustang? (Didn't know you owned a 2005). Mako1a was right, The Mustang is better at straight lie neck snapping than corner carving. The IS350 F was on my list of "if I won the lottery" cars.

As to technology, I finally used the SYNC system to change the radio stations. Big whoop. Don't have a smart phone so I don't see the big deal with technology.

Oh, one other thing, I'm thinking of getting some suspension upgrades. I can get all the performance package bits except the Brembo brakes from Ford racing for about $1300. Add in some summer tires like PS2s and I might be content for awhile.

ab348

oldfarmer50 said:

The IS350 F was on my list of "if I won the lottery" cars.

The only issue I have with it is that around here, the similar-looking garden-variety IS250s are everywhere, seemingly a favorite of executive assistants and female mid-level executives on their way up the ladder.

graphicguy

OF....I did have a Mustang GT, '05. I also owned a FrankenMustang with a buddy a long time ago we used to take to the drag strip.

I actually like the new Mustang GT. But, that means I'd have to have a 2nd car for bad winter weather. Insurance on two vehicles is another point to consider.

Although, there is an allure to have a 4WD beater pickup AND a Mustang. Neighbors might shake their heads at me over a beater truck, though.

Boy...I really did want to support an American Brand of car. Some will disagree with me, and I understand that. But, my experiences find that the Japanese and German brands really are better than the same priced American brands...specifically Cadillacs Exceptions to that rule, as in all things. But, those are my experiences.

Never had any problems with Fords, and I've had limited experiences with Chrysler products.

Again, I'm just looking right now. And, until the whole Cadillac thing gets resolved, that's all I'm doing.....looking!

abacomike

ab348 said:

The IS350 F was on my list of "if I won the lottery" cars.

The only issue I have with it is that around here, the similar-looking garden-variety IS250s are everywhere, seemingly a favorite of executive assistants and female mid-level executives on their way up the ladder.

Funny you should mention that.  I've noticed a number of IS 250's not just in south Florida but right here in my own Condo community.  The lady who just moved in down the hallway from me has one in that maroon color.  And I've noticed quite a few older people driving them.

They are great looking vehicles and reasonably priced with that smaller engine.  

I am just not going back to Lexus after my horrible experience with that 2013 GS 350.  I still get chills up and down my spine from the memories of my constant battle with the Lexus dealership and Lexus Consumer Affairs.  It was not unlike GG's battles with Cadillac and GM.  Lexus maintained that my serious vibration in my steering wheel at speeds over 55 mph was "normal".  Even my front seats vibrated.  But the vehicle was operating within accepted parameters.  SOUND FAMILIAR GG?

imidazol97

abacomike said:

I am just not going back to Lexus after my horrible experience with that 2013 GS 350.  I still get chills up and down my spine from the memories of my constant battle with the Lexus dealership and Lexus Consumer Affairs.  It was not unlike GG's battles with Cadillac and GM.  Lexus maintained that my serious vibration in my steering wheel at speeds over 55 mph was "normal".  Even my front seats vibrated.  But the vehicle was operating within accepted parameters.  SOUND FAMILIAR GG?

.

What was the code? LOL
There has to be a code for the shop to know how to fix it.

js06gv

Thanks for all the In N Out talk. Was trying to figure out dinner and here I sit waiting on take out. They started putting In N Outs in Texas at a very rapid pace about 3 yrs ago. Now they are all over the place. 

abacomike

I will admit that there is no such thing as a perfect automobile.  Every manufacturer produces lemons - not intentionally - they just get built every so often.  My main concern at this point in life is which manufacturer can I trust the most to build me a car that will most probably perform with the least number of issues and/or trips to the dealership to correct problems.

I've owned Audi's, Cadillacs, BMW's, Volvos, Lincolns, Buicks, Chevy's, Pontiacs, Olsmobiles, VW's, etc., and of course Mercedes-Benz.  Of all the cars I've owned, I continue to trust Mercedes with my business.  I am sure Mercedes-Benz builds vehicles that are lemons or that cause consumers aggravation, and even I had one with leaking injectors that took a month of wrangling to figure out and repair.  But I have owned 14 MB's in 33 years (1987-2015) and only one caused me some aggravation(2013).  Not a bad record considering other manufacturers.  But all brands and models are susceptible to issues at one time or another.  I've just been lucky with MB.

abacomike

imidazol97 said:

I am just not going back to Lexus after my horrible experience with that 2013 GS 350.  I still get chills up and down my spine from the memories of my constant battle with the Lexus dealership and Lexus Consumer Affairs.  It was not unlike GG's battles with Cadillac and GM.  Lexus maintained that my serious vibration in my steering wheel at speeds over 55 mph was "normal".  Even my front seats vibrated.  But the vehicle was operating within accepted parameters.  SOUND FAMILIAR GG?

. What was the code? LOL There has to be a code for the shop to know how to fix it.

There was no code - just rattling and vibrations.  They admitted the shaking steering wheel and front seats, but they said it was normal.  Yet we drove three new GS's from their new car inventory and none of those shook and vibrated!  So how was it NORMAL for mine to vibrate and the others not to vibrate?  Tell me!!!

abacomike

js06gv said:

Thanks for all the In N Out talk. Was trying to figure out dinner and here I sit waiting on take out. They started putting In N Outs in Texas at a very rapid pace about 3 yrs ago. Now they are all over the place. 

Enjoy!  Wish I was there with you.  

snakeweasel

imidazol97 said:

Many people bought cars from certain companies because their cars are
better, based on getting 1 mpg more than a similar vehicle from another
company! So the misrepresentation has tentacles that reach beyond a
simple number on a page.

I wonder how many people actually have chosen one car over another simply because it got 1 MPG better mileage. A car that gets 29 MPG gets essentially the same mileage as a car that gets 30 MPG.

suydam

1 mile, no, but 2 or 3, it would figure in.

abacomike

snakeweasel said:

Many people bought cars from certain companies because their cars are better, based on getting 1 mpg more than a similar vehicle from another company! So the misrepresentation has tentacles that reach beyond a simple number on a page.

I wonder how many people actually have chosen one car over another simply because it got 1 MPG better mileage. A car that gets 29 MPG gets essentially the same mileage as a car that gets 30 MPG.

I agree.  If one car got 3-4 mpg better fuel economy, perhaps it would matter a bit - but 1 or 2 mpg more - doubtful.

snakeweasel

suydam said:

1 mile, no, but 2 or 3, it would figure in.

Seeing that that Buoyta Benz Sludgemobile that gets 30 MPG would actually be rated from anywhere between 29.5 and 30.4 MPG and seeing that every car off that same assembly line will get slightly different gas mileage and allowing for a minimal margin of error of one I would need a difference of 3 for me to consider the difference in gas mileage.

Not to mention that an increase of 29 MPG to 30 MPG would save me less than 65 cents a week.

imidazol97

snakeweasel said:

imidazol97 said:

Many people bought cars from certain companies because their cars are
better, based on getting 1 mpg more than a similar vehicle from another
company! So the misrepresentation has tentacles that reach beyond a
simple number on a page.

I wonder how many people actually have chosen one car over another simply because it got 1 MPG better mileage. A car that gets 29 MPG gets essentially the same mileage as a car that gets 30 MPG.

Your thinking would be, and has been, my logic. But through the decades here on Edmunds some have proclaimed how much better car X, usually from one of the preferred companies, was better than car Y because it did get 35 instead of 34 on the EPA highway test. Frankly, I thought that was within statistical and testing error having worked with science and math for a lot of years . Now the revelation about VW/Audi's having fudged on the software makes me even more certain numbers have been fudged. Look at Kia/Hyundai's having to rebate money to purchasers for the last few years.

Often the 1 mpg difference is used to justify preference for their preferred, more reliable brands. However, the reverse doesn't happen if the Car Y is better at something. LOL

E.g., I bought a 2.5L '14 Malibu with 35 as the highway rating and I believe another car I might have bought in a similar category got a measured 36 mpg. I flipped the mileage meter a couple weeks ago driving 160 miles into Northern KY for 2 car shows with about 10 miles of city driving on a Sunday afternoon. Measured 38.3 when I got back home at the light where I exit the interstate. All interstate at the speed limit and above into Cincinnati from Dayton.

Motorweek that I happened to catch today did a story about the 5 parts of the EPA testing for the ratings: city, highway, combined, cold, and hot weather. Their story was referencing electric vehicles and plugin hybrids. But they said the auto companies do their own reporting of EPA ratings. I can't believe there is not more fudging on data due to the high reward with fudged numbers in advertising.

roadburner

Mpg? What's that?

suydam

It's true, only time tells what kind of mileage you get. I've had cars that got significantly less mpg than claimed (I'm looking at you, '04 Mazda6 wagon) and some that got much better. But all things being equal, I'm generally looking to improve mpg with a new purchase. Not just to save $$ personally, but also to do my part for the environment. That's why fudging MPG numbers infuriates me. Consumers should have good info to make their choices. In the last few years I've found that the EPA numbers are pretty accurate and even underestimate the mpg.

oldfarmer50

isellhondas said:

I think this emission coverup is going to cost VW many millions of dollars to correct and I'm also thinking that a lot of the folks that own these cars won't want them to be brought into compliance.

I mean if they choke the cars down it'll probably affect performance.

Another reason I'm not a fan of anything Volkswagen.

Who would voluntary submit to having your car detuned? Especially if that made gas milage suffer.

snakeweasel

suydam said:

It's true, only time tells what kind of mileage you get. I've had cars that got significantly less mpg than claimed (I'm looking at you, '04 Mazda6 wagon) and some that got much better. But all things being equal, I'm generally looking to improve mpg with a new purchase. Not just to save $$ personally, but also to do my part for the environment. That's why fudging MPG numbers infuriates me. Consumers should have good info to make their choices. In the last few years I've found that the EPA numbers are pretty accurate and even underestimate the mpg.

I wonder how many people do things that create poor gas mileage and then complain about poor gas mileage. Case in point, last month I drove to the DC area doing 75 MPH or so and got well under the EPA est. But I have driven extraurban drives with mild acceleration and long stretches of 50 MPH or less and have blown away the EPA rating.

I had a coworker once bought a new Chevy and told me that he was getting nowhere near the EPA rating but he rarely drove more than 5 miles at a time (less than 4 miles to work) and understood that the car hardly had a chance to properly warm up.

oldfarmer50

GG said:


OF....I did have a Mustang GT, '05. I also owned a FrankenMustang with a buddy a long time ago we used to take to the drag strip.

I actually like the new Mustang GT. But, that means I'd have to have a 2nd car for bad winter weather. Insurance on two vehicles is another point to consider.

Although, there is an allure to have a 4WD beater pickup AND a Mustang. Neighbors might shake their heads at me over a beater truck, though.



I have both a beater truck (van) and a dedicated winter car (Lincoln) but they're both rear wheel drive so winter is fun. I've had RWD winter vehicles for 30 years. Makes driving a RWD school bus easier in winter.

oldfarmer50

snakeweasel said:

suydam said:

It's true, only time tells what kind of mileage you get. I've had cars that got significantly less mpg than claimed (I'm looking at you, '04 Mazda6 wagon) and some that got much better. But all things being equal, I'm generally looking to improve mpg with a new purchase. Not just to save $$ personally, but also to do my part for the environment. That's why fudging MPG numbers infuriates me. Consumers should have good info to make their choices. In the last few years I've found that the EPA numbers are pretty accurate and even underestimate the mpg.

I wonder how many people do things that create poor gas mileage and then complain about poor gas mileage. Case in point, last month I drove to the DC area doing 75 MPH or so and got well under the EPA est. But I have driven extraurban drives with mild acceleration and long stretches of 50 MPH or less and have blown away the EPA rating.

I had a coworker once bought a new Chevy and told me that he was getting nowhere near the EPA rating but he rarely drove more than 5 miles at a time (less than 4 miles to work) and understood that the car hardly had a chance to properly warm up.

That's the problem my wife has with her 4 cyl. Short trips 19mpg. My 8 cyl. cars get 23-24 unless I lend them to my kids. Then they get 15.

[Deleted User]

oldfarmer50 said:

Who would voluntary submit to having your car detuned? Especially if that made gas milage suffer.

Registration. States can block the owners' annual registration renewal unless they have proof the update has been completed. The owner could always pay for an aftermarket tune after the fact to get around it, but then fines could be imposed if caught. Plus companies caught making or selling the non-compliant tune could be shut down. That'd be unlikely due to how difficult it is to police.

nyccarguy

@graphicguy - count me as an IS350 FSport Fan

abacomike

@tyguy:

I probably missed one of your posts, but I don't know where you are!  Are you home but getting physical therapy as an outpatient or are you in rehab getting daily physical therapy as an inpatient?  I think I was in the hospital for 5 days and then rehab for 2 weeks - but I had a full knee replacement.  The pain was horrendous the first 4-5 days post op.

Your last post showed significant progress.  Keep up the great healing!!!  

[Deleted User]

Hi Mike! Thanks for checking in, and it's great to see you made it home relatively early. What are they saying about the long-term recovery of your back?

As for me, I went home the day after surgery, roughly 24 hours afterwards. The surgeons here believe in getting patients back on their feet ASAP, so within a few hours after surgery I used a walker and some support from my wife to make my way to a restroom attached to my recovery room. The next day the nurses had me shuffling along the hallways.

Right now I'm attached to a Continuous Passive Movement machine moving my leg, which I'll keep in motion while I semi-sleep. During the day I go through 4 rounds of home-based PT, substituting an official PT session for an at-home version 3 days a week. Those PT sessions are brutal, mostly due extension training. Apparently, given my age and activity level, my surgeon made the knee extra tight. That's a bonus in that once I recover I'll have a more capable knee, but it does mean I'll have to work extra hard in PT to stretch out the tendons and muscles looser than they've been in two decades. Ouchie.

I've been working from home the last week, and starting Monday I'll spend a few hours a day in the office. No travel for the next few months, though. I have the pain killer dosage down to less than half the recommended amount and I'm not a big fan of those pills. With the medication reduction I was able to drive for the first time tonight for a short distance. That felt nice.

Bradd, I didn't realize your wife was a PT. I imagine you don't get a lot of sympathy of the occasional sprain how's the kitchen coming along?

abacomike

tyguy said:

Hi Mike! Thanks for checking in, and it's great to see you made it home relatively early. What are they saying about the long-term recovery of your back? As for me, I went home the day after surgery, roughly 24 hours afterwards. The surgeons here believe in getting patients back on their feet ASAP, so within a few hours after surgery I used a walker and some support from my wife to make my way to a restroom attached to my recovery room. The next day the nurses had me shuffling along the hallways. Right now I'm attached to a Continuous Passive Movement machine moving my leg, which I'll keep in motion while I semi-sleep. During the day I go through 4 rounds of home-based PT, substituting an official PT session for an at-home version 3 days a week. Those PT sessions are brutal, mostly due extension training. Apparently, given my age and activity level, my surgeon made the knee extra tight. That's a bonus in that once I recover I'll have a more capable knee, but it does mean I'll have to work extra hard in PT to stretch out the tendons and muscles looser than they've been in two decades. Ouchie. I've been working from home the last week, and starting Monday I'll spend a few hours a day in the office. No travel for the next few months, though. I have the pain killer dosage down to less than half the recommended amount and I'm not a big fan of those pills. With the medication reduction I was able to drive for the first time tonight for a short distance. That felt nice. Bradd, I didn't realize your wife was a PT. I imagine you don't get a lot of sympathy of the occasional sprain how's the kitchen coming along?

You are making tremendous progress.  After I was released from rehab, I drove 10 miles each way to physical therapy - luckily it was my left knee that was replaced so I was able to accelerate and brake using my good leg.

As for those pain pills, yes one can easily become addicted to morphine pills.  I think I stopped taking them while I was in the rehab center.  That knee extension machine is quite uncomfortable and can cause quite a bit of pain when extending the knee.

Keep plugging away - in a few months you will be in great shape.

graphicguy

imid....you're right....gotta have a code....:LOL!

OF....there is a certain appeal to have the Mustang and a truck beater. Instead of borrowing trucks from picking up TVs, mulch, plants, etc, I'd have one at the ready. If there's one thing we can say about American branded pickups, you rarely hear of them having issues or their longevity. One thing the Big Three know how to do....they know how to build good trucks. I wouldn't hesitate getting a miled up F-150, for example.

Out of curiousity, I did an online build of a Mustang GT Convertible (which is probably the only way I'd buy one). Knocking on mid $40s, which isn't that far away from a C300 or IS350. Two entirely different types of cars...equally alluring for very different reasons.

Mike, one of my best friends asked me how the Cadillac saga was going. I gave him the latest (power steering seems fixed, but now it has developed a nasty groan from the front right suspension....CUE is still inoperative and while it hasn't stalled, it idles rough, steering wheel off center). Funny thing about the power steering, after telling me there was nothing wrong with it over and over and over again, I need to ask them how they fixed something that they said had nothing wrong with it?

Said it before, will say it again. BMW never questioned my issues. They just fixed them. Just one exapmle, retell the story of how their bracket that held and charged my iPhone had overheated to the point where it melted the sim card in the phone. They didn't say it was the phone's fault, my fault, or there was nothing wrong. They just handed me a check for $700 for the iPhone to buy a new one and reimbursed me a few hundred more since I said I wouldn't use the charging bracket ever again.

I can't even fathom what Cadillac would say or do in the same situation. They would deny, delay, fight with me, blame me, etc. It must be part of their training at the dealership. Funny thing, both dealers I've been to reacted the same to all of my issues.

Cars are complex. They sometimes have issues. Just fix them. That's all we ask. Cadillac doesn't get that, though. They just take the money and run.

driver100

I found this interesting!

Chart Of The Day: Cadillac CTS Sales Are Down 41% In 2015
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Cadillac-CTS-sales-chart-610x371.jpg



In each of the last five months, General Motors has failed to sell more than 1,800 copies of the CTS. Sub-2K CTS sales months are unheard-of. Even in 2012, when CTS volume slid 15%, Cadillac averaged 3,914 CTS sales per month in the United States and never fell below 2,300.

CTS volume dropped 31% in 2013 and another 4% in 2014. However, over the course of the last two calendar years, Cadillac averaged 2,644 CTS sales per month and never slid below the 2,000-unit mark.

In 2015, the CTS has been hit even harder.

Total Cadillac car volume is down 20% to 29,124 units in 2015, just 43% of the brand’s total. However, Cadillac sales are down just 1% overall because the brand’s Escalades and SRX are collectively up 21%.

It's a good article to read:
TRUTH ABOUT CARS SALES OF 2015 CTS

The cars get rave reviews, the CTS is a beautiful looking car. I am wondering if the buying experience just doesn't match the experience of buying another luxury brand. I also think the price is a bit high for an unknown versus the known a 535 or A6 or E400. And, maybe Cadillac expanded too quickly, building a good car but not having the infrastructure in place to properly look after customers.

graphicguy

Test drove a C300 yesterday....2015. Apparently the 2016s are out, too. Again, the draw of this car is the interior....just beautiful. The turbo 4 is torquey...smooth and quiet. Still, it's significantly slower than the IS350 or the 328/335. It doesn't have the handling capabilities of either. Love the sport seats, that are the equal of the ones in the IS350. No leather, though. For that kind of money, leather should be standard...and not ordinary leather...good leather. Sales person tried to convince me of the "tex" being just like leather. Not sure about that, other than it's not leather.

But, not sure that's its mission. Smooth, quiet, comfort travel seems to be its strengths. There is a certain appeal to that.

My company has some sort of rebate/pricing agreement with MB that gives me a substantial discount. So, discounted price is right there with the discounted rates of the IS350, but still more than the TLX SH AWD (so is the IS350).

The 2016 they priced out trying to get the options I want, seems to be quite a bit more than the 2015. Not sure how or why, but Mercedes needs to give their pricing another look.

These are all very good cars. Tough to choose if I were in the market currently.

driver100

graphicguy said:

Test drove a C300 yesterday....2015. Apparently the 2016s are out, too. Again, the draw of this car is the interior....just beautiful. The turbo 4 is torquey...smooth and quiet. Still, it's significantly slower than the IS350 or the 328/335. It doesn't have the handling capabilities of either. Love the sport seats, that are the equal of the ones in the IS350. No leather, though. For that kind of money, leather should be standard...and not ordinary leather...good leather. Sales person tried to convince me of the "tex" being just like leather. Not sure about that, other than it's not leather.

But, not sure that's its mission. Smooth, quiet, comfort travel seems to be its strengths. There is a certain appeal to that.

My company has some sort of rebate/pricing agreement with MB that gives me a substantial discount. So, discounted price is right there with the discounted rates of the IS350, but still more than the TLX SH AWD (so is the IS350).

The 2016 they priced out trying to get the options I want, seems to be quite a bit more than the 2015. Not sure how or why, but Mercedes needs to give their pricing another look.

These are all very good cars. Tough to choose if I were in the market currently.

GG, It depends on priorities and where you are in life, and what you want from a car.

IMHO I never think about the Tex leather in an MB...in fact, I have a feeling it holds up better than real leather. If you are comparing performance to cars like an IS350 you won't get the same high performance dollar for dollar. You won't get the handling and steering you would get in a comparable BMW.

What you are going to get is a car that was built for a more mature person, great engineering, the interior is designed right, the engine will be smooth and quiet, the controls will be easy to use. Every time I start my Mercedes I marvel at how they got it just right. The seating position, the comfort, the site lines, the way the interior is so well thought out. I am not taking anything away from the IS or TLX, they sure have the brute force that appeals to a lot of people, but the MB is a miracle of engineering, and I think it is a car you can love and appreciate for a long time.

We leave tomorrow for a trip to Amsterdam, Metz France and end up in Stuttgart where we have scheduled a 2 hour tour of the Mercedes plant....given in American.

carnaught

Driver, Bon Voyage.. Keep in touch, and post pics. if you can.

driver100

GG, One other thought.
My wife, always liked having a nice car, even when we didn't have much money. We wanted to get rid of her 95 Volvo which was like your Cadillac - it kept stalling and 3 dealers couldn't fix it.

We tried a Nissan Maxima manual and that car was hot at the time. Great handling and fast engine.
http://www.ogallerie.com/auctions/2003-03/030160.jpg

My wife tried a Mercedes C230 and she liked the rock solid feel of it. It felt like a much heavier car, precise steering, great handling, lots of comfort. Not as fast or as flashy as the Maxima, but it had a 4 cylinder Kompressor engine that was a lot of fun.


The moral of the story....she made the right choice. The Maxima was a great car but just wouldn't have been as fine a car as the Mercedes was. The Mercedes is a classic, I wouldn't mind if we still had it today. The Mercedes was more refined and was a car that holds up over time.

Just something to think about....but, the choice depends on what suits you.