Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

dino001

stickguy said:

It means drive to front of building. Find sale guy. Sign papers. Take new one home.

Mike will get a loaner for next 12 months.

explorerx4

@graphicguy, How abut asking Cadillac to swap your car for a Crystal White Frost Edition CTS? They start @99k.

driver100

Mike, a service stop is very easy. Drive in, give the attendant your keys. Go to customer waiting area, have a coffee, walk around and sit in some cars, read the magazines or newspaper, have another coffee. They'll let you know when your car is ready....it will probably be completely cleaned inside and out. Get your key, sing paper work completed, drive away. Easy and relaxing.

stever

Then you can spend the next two months fighting to get your wheel scrape repaired.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

Mike, a service stop is very easy. Drive in, give the attendant your keys. Go to customer waiting area, have a coffee, walk around and sit in some cars, read the magazines or newspaper, have another coffee. They'll let you know when your car is ready....it will probably be completely cleaned inside and out. Get your key, sing paper work completed, drive away. Easy and relaxing.

Don't they have massages available while you're waiting at the MB stores?

abacomike

driver100 said:

Mike, a service stop is very easy. Drive in, give the attendant your keys. Go to customer waiting area, have a coffee, walk around and sit in some cars, read the magazines or newspaper, have another coffee. They'll let you know when your car is ready....it will probably be completely cleaned inside and out. Get your key, sing paper work completed, drive away. Easy and relaxing.

You've got to be kidding!  Driver, even though this is the first maintenance service I have experienced in the last 10 years on a car that I've owned, I am 71 years old and have been driving since I was 17.  I have had many, many, many, many services done on cars I've owned or leased.  My post was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, but I guess it buzzed right over your head.  Sorry about that - I need to consider my audience more carefully when posting!  

abacomike

stever said:

Then you can spend the next two months fighting to get your wheel scrape repaired.

As gorgeous as my wheels are, next time I buy a car, no more wide, sporty wheels for me.  I can't take the car to an automatic car wash because my wheels will be chewed up.  I've seen other cars on the road with scraped up wheels - and those scrapes sure didn't come from parking a car too close to the sidewalk down here since we have no parallel parking.

Even though they are great looking, the aggravation I've had with them isn't worth it.  I never had that problem with my CLS550 which had 19" wheels and summer tires.

abacomike

imidazol97 said:

Mike, a service stop is very easy. Drive in, give the attendant your keys. Go to customer waiting area, have a coffee, walk around and sit in some cars, read the magazines or newspaper, have another coffee. They'll let you know when your car is ready....it will probably be completely cleaned inside and out. Get your key, sing paper work completed, drive away. Easy and relaxing.

Don't they have massages available while you're waiting at the MB stores?

Actually, they don't have massage facilities down here in our dealerships.  But you know those "Snap-on-tools" trucks parked outside service departments in all car dealerships?  They are just a front for what really goes on in the back of those vehicles!  

imidazol97

graphicguy said:

You guys all bring up good points. I don't know what happened to the first car.

My curiosity would have me interested in what happened to the first car. You might have the VIN on insurance papers or POI cards or your insurance agent can supply it. I'd check it on the Ohio Title website.

As for trading for a new CTS, I'd expect it to be at no charge for miles on the current CTS nor a charge for an upgrade in years.

henryn

nyccarguy said:

@henryn - have you read the edmunds road test about the F150 with the 5.0 V8? http://www.edmunds.com/ford/f-150/2015/road-test1.html

From some of your postings on CCBA & the Diesel thread, it seems like you are really happy with your truck. Did you even drive the V8 or just the 2.7?

I owned a 2013 F150 Supercrew with the 5.0L V8 for the last 2 years, so I am quite familiar with it. I have driven trucks with the 3.5L ecoboost on more than one occasion, so I’m familiar with that engine as well. This time around, I drove a 3.5L and a 2.7L back to back. The 2.7L felt faster, quicker, more responsive to my “butt-o-meter”.

From the article you linked to, testing the 5.0L :

The lighter weight also helps the F-150 accelerate to 60 mph in a respectable 6.9 seconds. The 2.7-liter and 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine SuperCrew models we tested were between a half and a full second quicker, respectively.

Both of the turbo charged V6 engines are quicker and get better gas mileage than the V8. And the 2.7L twin turbo “feels” even faster / quicker than the larger, more powerful 3.5L. What’s not to like?

On the downside, I have stated before that the longevity of this brand new twin turbo engine is somewhat of a question in my mind. If I were to keep the truck past the basic warranty (unlikely, as a card carrying member of CCBA), then I will buy an extended factory warranty.

explorerx4

@henryn, The rear axle ratio makes a difference for acceleration. The V8 Edmunds tested has the lowest(slowest for acceleration) ratio you can get, 3.31.
Most of the 2.7's I've seen have a 3.73 rear axle.
The previous generation Tremor models had the 3.5 with a 4.10 rear end. They could hit 60 in a couple tenths over 5 seconds.

oldfarmer50

henryn said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

However, the thing to keep in mind is the federal government probably won't change as much as it sounds like it says it will. For the most part life goes on and what the federal government does doesn't affect us too much. So we have a young kid as PM, who's only real job was teaching drama for a year....we will become the laughing stock on the world stage. PM Harper had a good run, 10 years, and once the libs ruin the economy the Conservatives will have to come back and put things in order....then get booted out again for being fiscally responsible.

I am having a hard time putting my finger on why this is bothering me so much this morning. I know part of it is the marijuana issue, which, having worked in the booze business for years, simply scares the living hell out of me. People are trying to equate the two, but they are very different things. If I was still working at my former employer and we were tasked with distributing the stuff, I don't know if I could continue to work there.

Is this political or not? The original post definitely was, so I did not respond (despite being 100% opposed to the point of view expressed).

I’m going to say (arbitrarily) that this is not political, this is scientific / medical / moral (alcohol versus marijuana). My opinion, and my opinion only: Yes, alcohol and marijuana are NOT the same. Alcohol is much worse. Much, much worse. The great majority of people that I have known in my life have been drinkers. 80% of them, never drink to excess. A few drink to excess occasionally. And a smaller number, maybe 5 to 10%, are alcoholics. Their lives have been ruined by alcohol. Ruined, devastated, destroyed – pick your word, the same outcome.

I have known over the course of my life a great many people who used marijuana. Not as many as drank alcohol, but still quite a large number of people. There was a period of time when I was in college (69 to 72), probably 90% of the people I knew (including the professors) were dabbling, at the very least. And not one single person that I know or have known has had his/her life destroyed by marijuana.

Granted, some had their lives destroyed by the legal system, the laws against marijuana. But that’s another good reason to legalize, not prohibit.

I just did a quick search and found this:

Problem drinking that becomes severe is given the medical diagnosis of “alcohol use disorder” or AUD. Approximately 7.2 percent or 17 million adults in the United States ages 18 and older had an AUD in 2012. This includes 11.2 million men and 5.7 million women. Adolescents can be diagnosed with an AUD as well, and in 2012, an estimated 855,000 adolescents ages 12–17 had an AUD.

This, above, is in my opinion a heck of a lot worse than marijuana.


Having family member who struggles with alcohol abuse I agree that it is a dangerous drug but making more different drugs available seems like saying machine guns are dangerous so let's give everybody a pistol.

oldfarmer50

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

I say take the 2016, light it on fire on the lawn of GM corporate HQs and put the video on UTube.

Then go directly to jail, do not pass go do not collect $200. Come on now that's a tad bit illegal. 

Someone did just that with a bum Fiero back in the 80s. Don't recall him going to jail.

Did he set it on fire or did it just burst into flames as Fieros were prone to do?

I remember seeing it on the CBS evening news. He lit it right up. Danged if I can find anything about it on the web but I can still see it burning like a campfire with the GM logo in the background.

henryn

explorerx4 said:

@henryn, The rear axle ratio makes a difference for acceleration. The V8 Edmunds tested has the lowest(slowest for acceleration) ratio you can get, 3.31.
Most of the 2.7's I've seen have a 3.73 rear axle.
The previous generation Tremor models had the 3.5 with a 4.10 rear end. They could hit 60 in a couple tenths over 5 seconds.

The 2.7L models come with a 3.31 rear axle. It's difficult to find one that doesn't have that rear end. My dealer had about 8 XLT F150 crew cabs, all with the 302A equipment package, the same rear end, the same MSRP on the window sticker. "What color do you want?" (smile)

He only one had one XLT crew cab with the 3.5L, and it had a 3.15 rear end. If you start shopping online, looking at the window stickers, you will see nearly all 3.5L trucks have the 3.15 rear end.

He had about a dozen 5.0L models in stock (XLT, crew cab), and there was quite a variety of rear end ratio available there.

These results are what I found here in Houston, TX, looking at online inventory from several different Ford dealers. F150, XLT, crew cab, 301A or 302A packages.

When I was shopping Chevy Silverados, I had a heck of a time finding one that didn't have the blankety-blank 3.08 rear end, which I really, really didn't want.

The Ford Ecoboost engines have a very broad torque curve, starting way down in the lower RPM range.

oldfarmer50

PF_Flyer said:

Everything is a crisis now

Let's be careful we don't continental drift into a place we don't really need to be..heh

Anybody have a theory for what the attraction is with removing identifying marks from vehicles? I was behind a black BMW X6 that had all identifying marks removed. It just looked "unfinished" to me. To each his own, I suppose. At least it wasn't painted flat black

I've noticed that too. Don't understand it. If you pay the price for a BMW why hide it?

For what it's worth my Eclipse didn't have the word Mitsubishi anywhere on it. A fact even noticed by the Edmunds tester.

explorerx4

@henryn, I forgot you have mostly 2WD where you live. Here in NE, most are 4WD. It's pretty hard to find a 2.7 without a 3.73. My SWAG is around here the overall ratio is 60% 3.73, 30% 3.55, 10% 3.31.

PF_Flyer

oldfarmer50 said:

I've noticed that too. Don't understand it. If you pay the price for a BMW why hide it?

For what it's worth my Eclipse didn't have the word Mitsubishi anywhere on it. A fact even noticed by the Edmunds tester.

It's not so much that I'd want to flaunt it, but it's sort of like back in the day when cars had chrome bumpers and then body color bumper covers came along and looked odd to the eye.

driver100

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

Mike, a service stop is very easy. Drive in, give the attendant your keys. Go to customer waiting area, have a coffee, walk around and sit in some cars, read the magazines or newspaper, have another coffee. They'll let you know when your car is ready....it will probably be completely cleaned inside and out. Get your key, sing paper work completed, drive away. Easy and relaxing.

You've got to be kidding!  Driver, even though this is the first maintenance service I have experienced in the last 10 years on a car that I've owned, I am 71 years old and have been driving since I was 17.  I have had many, many, many, many services done on cars I've owned or leased.  My post was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, but I guess it buzzed right over your head.  Sorry about that - I need to consider my audience more carefully when posting!  

stever: lol about the 2 months to get wheels fixed.

imid: I don't know about a massage but my dealer has a spa, nails, facial, massage etc. - not for me. Oh, and a golf simulator and movie theatre.

Mike; No, I got it...I was replying tongue in cheek.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

PF_Flyer said:

Everything is a crisis now

Let's be careful we don't continental drift into a place we don't really need to be..heh

Anybody have a theory for what the attraction is with removing identifying marks from vehicles? I was behind a black BMW X6 that had all identifying marks removed. It just looked "unfinished" to me. To each his own, I suppose. At least it wasn't painted flat black

I've noticed that too. Don't understand it. If you pay the price for a BMW why hide it?

For what it's worth my Eclipse didn't have the word Mitsubishi anywhere on it. A fact even noticed by the Edmunds tester.

It's like saying I drive a bmw but I don't have to flaunt it....you know exactly what this car is and how much it cost me.

abacomike

@driver100:

If you had placed a "smiling" emoticon at the end of your post, I think I would have gotten the gist of your "tonge-in-cheek" response and I would not have had to scold you in public.  

driver100

abacomike said:

@driver100:

If you had placed a "smiling" emoticon at the end of your post, I think I would have gotten the gist of your "tonge-in-cheek" response and I would not have had to scold you in public.  

Actually, I was a bit rushed when I wrote my post. Your post was very well done....well thought out and clever.

An emoticon would have helped, I do agree.

abacomike

driver100 said:

@driver100:

If you had placed a "smiling" emoticon at the end of your post, I think I would have gotten the gist of your "tonge-in-cheek" response and I would not have had to scold you in public.  

Actually, I was a bit rushed when I wrote my post. Your post was very well done....well thought out and clever. An emoticon would have helped, I do agree.

When are you leaving for Florida?  Usually you drive down in early November.

snakeweasel

ab348 said:

The one thing I simply don't understand having been in the booze business is this, and maybe Michaell can educate me based on the experience is his state: people say that there is a tax revenue windfall to be had by legalization. But there are few barriers to entry for producing it, unlike booze. It doesn't need to be aged for years, you don't need lots of processing and bottling equipment, etc. So why would people pay the (presumably) higher price to buy the legal, taxed stuff when they could just keep getting it tax-free from whomever sells it to them now? I assume it would have to be cheaper. Is the supposed revenue windfall coming from increased use by those who would not otherwise? Everything I've read says that doesn't happen, so I'm at a loss.

Like I said, I'm really struggling with this one. It is very troubling to me.

In many places where marijuana is legal there is a thriving illegal marijuana market. As you said there is basically few barriers to entry and with the restrictions and regulations involved with legally growing the stuff it is cheaper to grow it illegally. That and the fact that it isn't taxed makes the illegal stuff cheaper to the consumer and more profitable for the seller.

snakeweasel

PF_Flyer said:

Everything is a crisis now

Let's be careful we don't continental drift into a place we don't really need to be..heh

Anybody have a theory for what the attraction is with removing identifying marks from vehicles? I was behind a black BMW X6 that had all identifying marks removed. It just looked "unfinished" to me. To each his own, I suppose. At least it wasn't painted flat black

My theory is that those people do it to be noticed. When you see a car you typically want to know what it is and if you don't see the name you start to wonder and you remember it. It works as we are discussing that one car right now.

snakeweasel

oldfarmer50 said:

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

I say take the 2016, light it on fire on the lawn of GM corporate HQs and put the video on UTube.

Then go directly to jail, do not pass go do not collect $200. Come on now that's a tad bit illegal. 

Someone did just that with a bum Fiero back in the 80s. Don't recall him going to jail.

Did he set it on fire or did it just burst into flames as Fieros were prone to do?

I remember seeing it on the CBS evening news. He lit it right up. Danged if I can find anything about it on the web but I can still see it burning like a campfire with the GM logo in the background.



I can't see how driving your car onto someone elses property and setting it on fire won't get you into legal trouble.

I would love to see the details on this event.

snakeweasel

PF_Flyer said:

oldfarmer50 said:

I've noticed that too. Don't understand it. If you pay the price for a BMW why hide it?

For what it's worth my Eclipse didn't have the word Mitsubishi anywhere on it. A fact even noticed by the Edmunds tester.

It's not so much that I'd want to flaunt it, but it's sort of like back in the day when cars had chrome bumpers and then body color bumper covers came along and looked odd to the eye.

I seem to remember back in the 80's Ford had a special edition of one of it's sedans that was all white even the badges were white. It looked rather interesting IIRC.

nyccarguy

Debadging cars is interesting. Some people do it because the badges interrupt the flow of the car's body lines. I think in Europe it is common to debadge higher end models as to not "show off" the fact that you are driving a 12 cylinder S-Class MB. Here the most common cars I see with badges removed are BMW 328is (plural) and Infiniti G35/37/Q40. I actually like the way the Infinitis look with no "G37X badge" or the I N F I N I T I removed from the back, but sometimes they take the Infinit logo off. That I do not like.

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

Debadging cars is interesting. Some people do it because the badges interrupt the flow of the car's body lines. I think in Europe it is common to debadge higher end models as to not "show off" the fact that you are driving a 12 cylinder S-Class MB.

I've told this story before, but a friend of mine used to auto-x a seriously modded E36 M3. Just for giggles he removed the ///M3 badge and replaced it with a German market 316i badge. Several months later European Car published a letter from a clueless doofus asking where he could buy a 316i like the one he saw that set FTD at a local SCCA event. He believed that all the dealers he talked with were either lying or misinformed, as they claimed to know nothing about the ultra fast 316i.

stever

Toyota gave away "badges" last year and I got mine for when (er, if) I ever get a new car. You can buy chrome plastic letters like Toyota gave away and they look a lot like the real thing. I assume you can floss off the old badge and stick your own on easy enough. I've spotted a couple here.

The Toyota freebie was nice because, in theory at least, you should be able to peel and stick and keep the letters nicely aligned.

imidazol97

I saw a BMW a few years old with the owner's "name" on the trunk like it was a logo for the car. Double large ego? One for the car and one for himself? The letters were thick like the ones from Autozone in the link. They didn't look right on the car.

Is that the new urban trend?

And there's this? Why?



If one of these vehicles with modified tires and wheels hits someone because of insufficient traction in braking or steering, can they be sued for driving a defective vehicle.

snakeweasel

roadburner said:

Debadging cars is interesting. Some people do it because the badges interrupt the flow of the car's body lines. I think in Europe it is common to debadge higher end models as to not "show off" the fact that you are driving a 12 cylinder S-Class MB.

I've told this story before, but a friend of mine used to auto-x a seriously modded E36 M3. Just for giggles he removed the ///M3 badge and replaced it with a German market 316i badge. Several months later European Car published a letter from a clueless doofus asking where he could buy a 316i like the one he saw that set FTD at a local SCCA event. He believed that all the dealers he talked with were either lying or misinformed, as they claimed to know nothing about the ultra fast 316i.

On the opposite end of that spectrum there is a someone I see every now and again near my house who took the badges off a Toyota camry and added the MB 3 point star and Buick portholes. 

driver100

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

@driver100:

If you had placed a "smiling" emoticon at the end of your post, I think I would have gotten the gist of your "tonge-in-cheek" response and I would not have had to scold you in public.  

Actually, I was a bit rushed when I wrote my post. Your post was very well done....well thought out and clever.

An emoticon would have helped, I do agree.

When are you leaving for Florida?  Usually you drive down in early November.

You have an good memory Mike. We are leaving on Friday November 6th. Our first goal is to get to Lexington KY which takes 9 to 10 hours driving time, and the 2nd night Valdosta GA, another 9 or 10 hours, and then 5 to 6 hours to Tampa on Sunday.

Some nights have been close to freezing (32) here lately so I am ready to go.

Note IMID: If you are around give me the I-75 Report. .

driver100

My guess is people who like to debadge their car prefer a clean look. Sometimes they may want to hide whether they have a more expensive or less expensive model.

It makes me recall the gold color trim - instead of chrome color. I liked that idea but it usually doesn't look as good as regular chrome. I think Toyota put it on Camry V6's some years.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

Note IMID: If you are around give me the I-75 Report. .

Southbound through Dayton's construction is mostly on the new concrete pavement with 3 open lanes. A little rough at the south end of downtown where the pavement transitions over some of the old pavements to the finished road just south of it. I calculate you're driving from home and will get there around middle afternoon and south should be normal traffic with increased density south of the construction area but that's normal 3 lanes that's been there. Remember that the 3-4-5 lanes from Dayton to Cincinnati is all 65 mph and not the 70 mph that many try to make it. The OSP has been fairly active on that strip near Austin landing (42) and Springboro (38) about 10 miles south of downtown Dayton. They love BMW's and Audi's along with middle-aged women driving SUV's above the limit.

Cincinnati has orange barrels out for you midway to downtown, Norwood Lateral and Mitchell Avenue area (Milepost 9-8) . That's north of where the construction was last year when the Hopple overpass fell onto the roadway below after you had passed through. Construction continues in the area near downtown where that overpass fell last year, but I believe it's much better than last year. I was through there about 7 weeks ago going to a couple of car shows.

If I live long enough, one day I'd like to drive through Dayton and Cincinnati on our way south without any orange barrels. I can't recall when there wasn't construction in one place or the other.

imidazol97

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

Note IMID: If you are around give me the I-75 Report. .

Southbound through Dayton's construction is mostly on the new concrete pavement with 3 open lanes. A little rough at the south end of downtown where the pavement transitions over some of the old pavements to the finished road just south of it. I calculate you're driving from home and will get there around middle afternoon and south should be normal traffic with increased density south of the construction area but that's normal 3 lanes that's been there. Remember that the 3-4-5 lanes from Dayton to Cincinnati is all 65 mph and not the 70 mph that many try to make it. The OSP has been fairly active on that strip near Austin landing (42) and Springboro (38) about 10 miles south of downtown Dayton. They love BMW's and Audi's along with middle-aged women driving SUV's above the limit.

Cincinnati has orange barrels out for you midway to downtown, Norwood Lateral and Mitchell Avenue area (Milepost 9-8) . That's north of where the construction was last year when the Hopple overpass fell onto the roadway below after you had passed through. Construction continues in the area near downtown where that overpass fell last year, but I believe it's much better than last year. I was through there about 7 weeks ago going to a couple of car shows.

If I live long enough, one day I'd like to drive through Dayton and Cincinnati on our way south without any orange barrels. I can't recall when there wasn't construction in one place or the other.

What time would you hit Cincinnati? Southbound from downtown into KY might be heavy. But the bypass around Cincy is too long compared to straight through.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

Note IMID: If you are around give me the I-75 Report. .

Southbound through Dayton's construction is mostly on the new concrete pavement with 3 open lanes.

If I live long enough, one day I'd like to drive through Dayton and Cincinnati on our way south without any orange barrels. I can't recall when there wasn't construction in one place or the other.

Thanks for that great report....I will definitely print it and have it with me. Even with speed watch areas, very helpful.

This will be our 5th year and every year I think, the roadwork will be all finished the next time we do the trip...but, it seems to go on and on and on........

graphicguy

IMID....let me look and see if I still have the vin# on the original CTS. I'm pretty thorough when it comes to trashing any paperwork I no longer need. But, I'll look through insurance papers to see if by chance I still have it.

Went to the dealership last night (not the orginal selling dealership). Apparently, the one closest to me had a complete management change, with the old managers going to another store for the owner (big dealership group) and bringing in the Porsche GM from up north. Met him. Nice guy. Told him of my trials. He was apologetic and said the service manager had gone to their Kia store (good place for him) and they have a new service manager that came from a Benz store in IL. So, this should be interesting. He has only been on the job for 3 weeks, but Cadillac told me to contact him directly.

The way this is supposed to work is I walk away from my car, no fees for mileage, or wear/tear. I just walk away. Then, I pick a car that is similarly equipped, and they sign the title for it over to me. That's it. Sounds too easy....especially given what I've been through so far.

So, lots of questions that I still don't have answered that the SM is supposed to find out. First, all reabates are supposed to come to me. Does that mean they write me a check? Or, does that mean they deduct them from the price of the car? Do I get to pick any CTS I want or order one? Or, do I have to "settle" for what they have on the lot?

Speaking of what they have on the lot, there were a couple that interested me. One was a Pearl White with Umber interior.....quite nice.....digital reconfigurable dash, full leather (vs leather on just the seating surfaces). 8 speed trans makes quite a difference in the way they drive, too. On/off at stop is another new feature. Probably the smoothest such implementation of this technology I've exprienced. Like Apple Car Play with Siri. I can see it replacing the need for car nav options. It's simple, effective, and does everything with speak recognition, and gets it right the first time. It uses simple icons (like on your iPhone) on the CUE touch screen, too. The other was another Pearl White with tan interior, which was nice also.

Performance wise, the '16s feel a shade quicker, but that's probably a function of having two more gear ratios.

Test drove the first one. I had forgotten how well these drive when they are operating properly. It just reminds me of how messed up mine really is.

So, I guess I have to give the SM the Vin# of the one I want, and the rest is supposed to be taken care of by Cadillac and the dealer. I gave them two choices.....both 2016s (but they still have new 2015s and even a couple 2014s still in stock, which I do not want).

It's supposed to take two weeks for all of the paperwork and internal red tape to be completed.

I'll believe it when I see it. They've cancelled the arbitration hearing, for now. If this, in any way, goes sideways, I'll start the process all over again and reschedule for arbitration.

graphicguy

Imid....good luck on I75. I won't drive it if I have to go downtown or into KY. I'll take 275 (which is also a mess over the Ohio River into KY), as it's the lesser of two evils.

suydam

"I live long enough, one day I'd like to drive through Dayton and Cincinnati on our way south without any orange barrels. I can't recall when there wasn't construction in one place or the other."

I feel the same way about I71- I90 north through Cleveland. I have never been through there without orange barrels, lane closures, and closed exit ramps.

driver100

What time would you hit Cincinnati? Southbound from downtown into KY might be heavy. But the bypass around Cincy is too long compared to straight through.

We would hit Cincinnati at about 4 or 5 pm. Not ideal but unless we start out really early just have to live with it. We will get through eventually, just need to do a rest stop before we hit the city. From Cincinatti to Lexington Ky should be about 1 1/2 hours and that will be a good time to stop for the night.

stever

Sounds promising @graphicguy.

Don't read the car news this week.

Acura, Cadillac fall the most in Consumer Reports' Reliability Survey

driver100

graphicguy said:

IMID....let me look and see if I still have the vin# on the original CTS.
It's supposed to take two weeks for all of the paperwork and internal red tape to be completed.

I'll believe it when I see it. They've cancelled the arbitration hearing, for now. If this, in any way, goes sideways, I'll start the process all over again and reschedule for arbitration.

GG, I was just reading this article about CR reliability survey. It seems the 8 and 9 speed transmissions are a source for problems....and Cadillac is mentioned.



DETROIT — Elaborate new transmissions are helping automakers meet rising fuel economy standards, but they're also requiring more trips to the repair shop.

Transmission problems tripped up Honda, Nissan, Jeep and other brands in Consumer Reports' annual reliability survey. Drivers reported rough shifting, clutch failure and even transmissions that had to be replaced twice in the first year of car ownership.

Lexus and Toyota — which rely on older transmissions in many of their models — were the best-performing brands in the survey. Lexus or Toyota has topped the survey since 2011. Audi, Mazda and Subaru rounded out the top five. The worst performers were Infiniti, Cadillac, Ram, Jeep and Fiat among 28 brands.

The survey predicts the reliability of 2016 cars and trucks based on a survey of its subscribers. This year's survey was based on responses from owners of 740,000 vehicles. Consumer Reports' annual survey is closely watched by the auto industry, since many potential buyers follow the company's recommendations.

Wall Street watches closely, too. Tesla Motors' shares fell almost seven per cent after Consumer Reports said it would no longer recommend its Model S sedan. The Model S got high scores in the magazine's driving tests, but owners reported multiple mechanical problems.

Transmissions with more gears help engines run more efficiently. A car with an eight-speed transmission gets about eight per cent better fuel economy than one with a four-speed, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Dual-clutch transmissions use separate clutches for odd and even gears, allowing faster shifting. And continuously variable transmissions do away with fixed gears altogether, relying instead on a system of pulleys to produce an infinite variety of engine to wheel-speed combinations.

But new technology can cause problems. Honda Motor Co. took a risk and put two new transmissions — an eight-speed dual-clutch and a nine-speed — in its 2015 Acura TLX sedan. Consumer Reports said they had multiple problems, and the Acura brand slipped seven spots to 18th in this year's survey. The Honda brand remains in the top 10, but it fell below Kia for the first time due to transmission problems as well as glitches with its infotainment system.

Jeep, too, remained at the bottom of the survey because of problems with the nine-speed transmission in its new Cherokee SUV, which is made by the same company that supplies Acura. And continuously variable transmissions caused problems for Nissan and its luxury sibling, Infiniti.

Automakers often let buyers choose their engine and transmission combinations, so buyers can avoid problems by opting for the older, more tested transmission, says Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports' director of auto testing. Brands that have consistently high reliability scores will also tend to have better transmissions. Toyota has had few problems with the continuously variable transmission it introduced on the 2014 Corolla, for example.

"It often comes down to the manufacturer," Fisher said. "If Lexus starts unrolling eight-speed automatics, they're going to be fine."

Ford was the survey's biggest gainer this year. Fisher said Ford ironed out problems with transmissions and infotainment problems that surfaced several years ago when the automaker introduced a raft of new vehicles. Volkswagen and Hyundai also improved as their models aged.

General Motors Co. had a mixed record. Its Buick brand is among the most reliable, but Cadillac fell seven spots to 25th because of problems with its dashboard infotainment system.

Tesla wasn't ranked because it only has one product, the Model S sedan. But Fisher said responses from 1,400 Tesla owners indicated that Tesla has below-average reliability. Owners reported sunroof leaks and problems with the electric motor and the dashboard screen, among other issues.


Here's the link...probably more available from google

stickguy

Funny how the models that are aging get more reliable! Or exactly what you would expect.

ab348

I don't think the CR reliability survey would pick up many 2016 models. They have only been on sale for a month and that is a mail in survey IIRC, so I have serious doubt about the sample.

andres3

roadburner said:

ab348 said:

Glad to see you're not bitter.

I prefer to call it gloating ; I wouldn't patronize those jokers no matter how much they cut the price.

Might feel good to go back in and low ball them another $3,000 off the already $1,000 lower price and stick it to them. $4,000 pays for a lot of gloating.

andres3

ab348 said:

I don't think the CR reliability survey would pick up many 2016 models. They have only been on sale for a month and that is a mail in survey IIRC, so I have serious doubt about the sample.

Did the world change between 2015 and 2016? CR is the only honest publication with integrity out there. I trust them down to the core. Their data always seems to reflect real-world experiences and word of mouth. There is no hogwash in their numbers. Anyone who doubts manufacturer's don't use "ringers" with other publications that don't randomly purchase their tested vehicles is extremely naive. Sure, only VW would dare to "cheat" on anything; really believable.

andres3

The fact that Tesla is selling expensive lemons rather than vehicles is quite infuriating and I'm not even an owner. It's just a matter of principle, as they are even more expensive than Cadillac's Lemons.

driver100

ab348 said:

I don't think the CR reliability survey would pick up many 2016 models. They have only been on sale for a month and that is a mail in survey IIRC, so I have serious doubt about the sample.

They are predicting the reliability of 2016 cars, based on the performance of previous years.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

IMID....let me look and see if I still have the vin# on the original CTS. I'm pretty thorough when it comes to trashing any paperwork I no longer need. But, I'll look through insurance papers to see if by chance I still have it.

Went to the dealership last night (not the orginal selling dealership). Apparently, the one closest to me had a complete management change, with the old managers going to another store for the owner (big dealership group) and bringing in the Porsche GM from up north. Met him. Nice guy. Told him of my trials. He was apologetic and said the service manager had gone to their Kia store (good place for him) and they have a new service manager that came from a Benz store in IL. So, this should be interesting. He has only been on the job for 3 weeks, but Cadillac told me to contact him directly.

The way this is supposed to work is I walk away from my car, no fees for mileage, or wear/tear. I just walk away. Then, I pick a car that is similarly equipped, and they sign the title for it over to me. That's it. Sounds too easy....especially given what I've been through so far.

So, lots of questions that I still don't have answered that the SM is supposed to find out. First, all reabates are supposed to come to me. Does that mean they write me a check? Or, does that mean they deduct them from the price of the car? Do I get to pick any CTS I want or order one? Or, do I have to "settle" for what they have on the lot?

Speaking of what they have on the lot, there were a couple that interested me. One was a Pearl White with Umber interior.....quite nice.....digital reconfigurable dash, full leather (vs leather on just the seating surfaces). 8 speed trans makes quite a difference in the way they drive, too. On/off at stop is another new feature. Probably the smoothest such implementation of this technology I've exprienced. Like Apple Car Play with Siri. I can see it replacing the need for car nav options. It's simple, effective, and does everything with speak recognition, and gets it right the first time. It uses simple icons (like on your iPhone) on the CUE touch screen, too. The other was another Pearl White with tan interior, which was nice also.

Performance wise, the '16s feel a shade quicker, but that's probably a function of having two more gear ratios.

Test drove the first one. I had forgotten how well these drive when they are operating properly. It just reminds me of how messed up mine really is.

So, I guess I have to give the SM the Vin# of the one I want, and the rest is supposed to be taken care of by Cadillac and the dealer. I gave them two choices.....both 2016s (but they still have new 2015s and even a couple 2014s still in stock, which I do not want).

It's supposed to take two weeks for all of the paperwork and internal red tape to be completed.

I'll believe it when I see it. They've cancelled the arbitration hearing, for now. If this, in any way, goes sideways, I'll start the process all over again and reschedule for arbitration.

Make sure you test out your phone on this one with the manager present.

andres3

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

I just got an email from our Passat dealer in Tampa, $2000 off on any car....and we don't even need a trade in.

Tempting......I don't think so.

Just got another mailer from some dealer wanting to give me $3100 for my wife's PT Cruiser. It just turned 30k miles so I don't think so.

Didn't think there would be any car worth less than a VW right now.

You could get a pretty nice Jetta for about $18000 right now, less the $2000 discount my dealer was offering, and with your trade of $3000, gets you into a brand new car with a 3 year warranty and zero miles on it, for $13000, with $100 to go out and celebrate with a nice dinner.

Even the Jetta should last at least 10 years....that's just about $1300 a year, it doesn't get much better than that!

Yeah but the reliability of the VW is probably worse than the Chrysler.

Not likely at any point in time in history, including the current era and century. If one looks at newly posted CR data, Fiat and Chrysler are bottom feeding type companies, while VW is near middle of the road.