Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

houdini1

imidazol97 said:

roadburner said:

I'm a political junkie- so I'm having a ball!!!

I try to analyze how the media folks are trying to manipulate the minds of the voters by how they choose what to cover and how much emotion to put into the coverage. It's hilarious that some fall for the misinformation and yet consider themselves astute and alert.

To swing this to the auto industry...

I view the automobile political wars that have been happening as examples just like the MSM political wars. The main media groups, TV and newspapers, do this in much the same way that auto media, magazines scrapping to survive for example They try to find the scapegoat brand and also the hyped up super Ferraratinistica Triple Turbo 3000 egxiv.27 that will make enough folks buy their product to read--Edmunds excepted. Of course nevermind that only 3 of that model will be made at $325,000 each and they're already sold. The mags like CD and RT hype up and exaggerate. Are those cars good to run to Kroger? Are they for the 99.999% of us? Does anyone believe a presidential candidate of ole was trying to make a worker's wife die of cancer? Wouldn't know it from the reporting and the ads like Abaco is suffering through. It's beginning here with the ads for a primary 2 weeks from now.

The problem is these attemtps to Pravda-ize the minds of the public work. I had a lady down the street allude to how she wouldn't even consider a GM car because of the government bailouts. I talked to her because my shadetree neighbor was fixing her broken suspension. She's ready to replace her PT Cruiser. However, she wants the same government to subsidize her midstates pension fund for the unions that lied, cheated, stole or whatever happened to the funding. She wants the government to take over and put in money that the unions and companies didn't or that was stolen or whatever happened to it. But she didn't want that government to use any money for GM, C, F to help them survive.

Nevermind that she's thinking of a Nissan product and they've been grand recipients of government largess for property tax abatements and government assistance to get jobs into certain localities in TN. She didn't see the parallel because she had been hyped into believing the tinfoil hat stuff she hears about the GM paybacks.

It's all mind control. Oh for the days of Ruth Lyons and Paul Dixon on regional TV (Cincinnati talk shows when they weren't based on swinging punches and hyped up stories). Roadrunner and Graphicguy and KYFDX likely know those shows. Oh, oh. I may be showing my age. Those are from many decades back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv4Dremu8z0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PogCacDy4vo

Oops, I accidentally flagged this post while trying to see who had flagged it !

Edit: Thanks for removing flag.

abacomike

@tjc78

I was with that insurance company until November when they raised my rates 15%.  I have had no tickets or accidents or claims since 2001, yet they raised their rates and lost a customer.

Now, I went back to the Statue of Liberty company and because I am an alum of NYU and carry my condo policy with them, my yearly (12 month) premium is about $1500, which is not bad for Southeast Florida.

These insurance companies must lose a hefty number of policy holders whenever they raise their rates more than 5%.  If I got a 5% raise every year, I would understand that - but 15%-20% is outrageous!

stickguy

tom, shop around. Try aaa if you are a member. I pay a lot less than that for 3 cars, full coverage, including a 20 YO on the policy. If I dumped her and the Jetta (2 years baby, can't wait!) I would be at about 1/2 what you pay now (or close to it).

PF_Flyer

March and September get ruined for me by having to think about car insurance

I'm almost certain I'm over-insured, but every time I talk with my agent about it, he starts to speak "Insurance", my eyes glaze over, and all I hear is that teacher's voice from Peanuts...wha wha whawhaa

qbrozen

tjc78 said:

Insurance.... as you all know like many of us other posters I live in NJ and pay crazy car insurance. I was doing the bills the other night and saw my renewal of $2900 (2 clean drivers, 2 cars full coverage) and thought about taking collision off the 04. Well it's only about $275 a year so I decided to leave it. What I did find was a $100 yearly fee for a "vehicle warranty" on the '15 Enclave. What? Why do I need a warranty for a vehicle that will never be out of warranty while I own it (leased 3yr). So bottom line all, double check your policies to see if anything is on there that you don't need.

In my case, when I bought the Enclave I called to add it on right at the dealer and the cost was within a few dollars of the Lacrosse I was replacing so never looked line by line. The Gecko is sneaky, but I'm sure other insurance companies do it too. I'm going to shop around and see if I can do better, I've been with Geico for a long time maybe I can get a cheaper quote.

Yup, shop around, like stick said. I was with NJM for all my life until fairly recently. I got a much lower quote from Liberty Mutual a few years back, and when I called NJM, I was told that there is a slow increase every year while you stay with them and, sadly, they would not match my other quotes and pretty much told me that jumping around is the way to keep your rates down. I'm now with AAA at the moment.

houdini1

explorerx4 said:

The phone in question is not private property, so I don't think the same rules apply as would if it were privately owned.
Personally, I feel that there is already a way to open it.

I agree. I think Apple could do this in a flash if they wanted.

abacomike

What Apple seems to be concerned about is if the iphone security system could be compromised by a team of Apple techs, what is to prevent one of those techs from selling the codes to hackers or even hacks phones him/herself.

Mr_Shiftright

It's like GM developing a key that will open any car so that the government can look in glove compartments. Or a device that can unshred any document you shredded in your home or office. If any of those scenarios make you uncomfortable, then you gotta at least think this Apple thing through.

nyccarguy

I heard on the news (CBS Evening News) that the government doesn't want Apple to hack into the iPhone or develop software to hack into the iPhone.  The government wants the software that locks the phone after 10 tries to be disabled.  Once that happens, the government says it wants to use its own software to crack the 4 digit pin code on the iPhone.

I agree with arguments to both sides here.  I also don't trust either side either (large multi billion dollar international corporation or the government).

abacomike

nyccarguy said:

I heard on the news (CBS Evening News) that the government doesn't want Apple to hack into the iPhone or develop software to hack into the iPhone.  The government wants the software that locks the phone after 10 tries to be disabled.  Once that happens, the government says it wants to use its own software to crack the 4 digit pin code on the iPhone.

I agree with arguments to both sides here.  I also don't trust either side either (large multi billion dollar international corporation or the government).

You stated perfectly my opinions and feelings about this fiasco.  Besides, everyone in the world (almost) knows the FBI has this phone - do you really think anyone who might have helped those killers in San Bernardino hasn't already gone underground or became invisible? 

ab348

Mr_Shiftright said:

It's like GM developing a key that will open any car so that the government can look in glove compartments. Or a device that can unshred any document you shredded in your home or office. If any of those scenarios make you uncomfortable, then you gotta at least think this Apple thing through.

Well, either of those things might already exist. I know I have seen the "unshredding" thing used in TV shows, although maybe it is just a fiction. There is no guarantee any security feature on any device is actually secure - we just assume it is. Normally that is not an issue because who cares? It is the circumstances that determine how any of those things get used.

nyccarguy

@stickguy - I don't think the Mazda 6 is a slow car.  At the low 7 second 0 - 60 mph time you quoted is certainly fast enough.  It will certainly blow my Legacy off the map.  In fact it is about equal or slightly quicker than my Prelude & my wife's Pilot.  I wouldn't call it a fast car though.  Ford is coming out with a twin turbo V6 AWD fusion with 325 hp.  That sucker is going to move!

stickguy

And they will sell hardly any of them.

Mr_Shiftright

That's like asking Coca Cola for its recipe.

tjc78

Thanks guys, looks like I have a homework assignment!  Thinking Liberty Mutual as I have my homeowners through them.  

tjc78

houdini1 said:

The phone in question is not private property, so I don't think the same rules apply as would if it were privately owned. Personally, I feel that there is already a way to open it.

I agree. I think Apple could do this in a flash if they wanted.

Yes, I'm sure there is a backdoor... No way the developers couldn't get in.  Didn't everyone see "War Games".

ab348

stickguy said:

And they will sell hardly any of them.

Sort of like the Mazda 6!

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

That's a shame. I love the look of the Mazda 6 and @270hp it seems competitive with rivals. Aren't Mazdas supose to be better handling cars (zoom zoom)? That would seem to be a potent combo.

The Mazda 6 does not have a 270hp engine but rather a naturally aspirated 4 cylinder that puts out what one would expect of such an engine. It has been reported by reviewers as feeling adequate and not much more. The chassis dynamics are loved by reviewers. Others have complained of NVH issues and a tight rear compartment. Mazdas have also not been known to be the most robust vehicles. Finally they are a relatively small company with less of an ad budget, smaller dealer network, and less money to devote to R&D than the big manufacturers.

Doesn't Mazda have a 3.7L 6? Or did they do away with that?

imidazol97

houdini1 said:

Oops, I accidentally flagged this post while trying to see who had flagged it !

Edit: Thanks for removing flag.

To remove a flag, just roll onto the flag you placed and it will be removed.

I think the abuse flagging is being 'abused.'
They might try posting instead. Maybe the flagger doesn't realize their ID shows when anyone
rolls onto the flag now.
I'm surprised that other posts, such as the iphone cracking posts which is a political topic
haven't been flagged as well.

henryn

cringely.com/2016/02/19/the-fbi-v-apple-isnt-at-all-the-way-you-think-it-is/


Robert X Cringely is VERY well known in the tech world. I have been reading his stuff since the 1980's, and he is very seldom wrong.

However compelling, I’m pretty sure it’s wrong. Apple isn’t defying the FBI. Or at least Apple isn’t defying the Department of Justice, of which the FBI is supposed to be a part. I believe Apple is actually working with the DoJ, which doesn’t really want to compel Apple to do anything except play a dramatic and very political role.


Now for some more details. In order to get their court order the FBI had to tell the judge that its own lab couldn’t crack the phone. Or maybe they said their lab didn’t crack the phone. Nobody knows. But the first question any cynic with technical bones would ask is, “Can’t the CIA/NSA/Steve Gibson, somebody crack that darned iPhone?”


John McAfee, who is one of my absolute favorite kooks of all time says he can do it, no problem, in about a month. McAfee says the FBI is just cheap and unwilling to drop big bucks on the right bad guys to make it happen, which kinda suggests that iPhones have been broken-into before, doesn’t it?


One important point: I know John McAfee and if he says he can do it, he can do it.


There’s something that doesn’t smell right here. The passage of time, the characters involved, the urgency of anti-terrorism make me strongly suspect that the innards of that iPhone are already well known to the Feds.

Michaell

oldfarmer50 said:

ab348 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

That's a shame. I love the look of the Mazda 6 and @270hp it seems competitive with rivals. Aren't Mazdas supose to be better handling cars (zoom zoom)? That would seem to be a potent combo.

The Mazda 6 does not have a 270hp engine but rather a naturally aspirated 4 cylinder that puts out what one would expect of such an engine. It has been reported by reviewers as feeling adequate and not much more. The chassis dynamics are loved by reviewers. Others have complained of NVH issues and a tight rear compartment. Mazdas have also not been known to be the most robust vehicles. Finally they are a relatively small company with less of an ad budget, smaller dealer network, and less money to devote to R&D than the big manufacturers.

Doesn't Mazda have a 3.7L 6? Or did they do away with that?

The latest iteration of the 6 only offers the 2.5 SkyActive 4-cylinder. There has been talk of a turbo option with around 250HP, but no word when that might be available.

houdini1

imidazol97 said:

houdini1 said:

Oops, I accidentally flagged this post while trying to see who had flagged it !

Edit: Thanks for removing flag.

To remove a flag, just roll onto the flag you placed and it will be removed.

I was checking to see who had flagged your post, and when I saw the name, I clicked on it to check their profile. That is when the second flag went up. I then tried to remove my flag using the method you mentioned above, but it would not work in this instance. I agree with you that those flags are just silly.

imidazol97

houdini1 said:

I then tried to remove my flag using the method you mentioned above, but it would not work in this instance.

Thank you.

PF_Flyer

A quick straw poll... How many transmission issues have you had with any vehicle you've owned? I 've never had one. As far back as I can remember, only my Dad and Grandpa had an issue with identical '65 Impalas. No family members, no friends with tranny complaints. Only reason I ask, SO many people are griping about CVTs, and I think most of it is that the feel of the thing is so different for a lot of folks. Our latest vehicle has one, closing in on 60k, no issues, had a recall reprogramming recently, no change in behavior or mileage that I notice. Not that there are NO people with actual issues, but the grousing gets in your head like a dash rattle

Was talking about this with a buddy who owns a tire shop/garage, and a customer chimed in that he had had tranny issues with almost every car he's owned, no matter the make or model. That made me feel better because I think I have the common factor for that customer pinpointed!

houdini1

I don't ever remember seeing one of these in the wild. I am thinking mid 50's. I like it.

PF_Flyer

If I had the weather for it, that would be cool to tool around in!

stickguy

I never had a trans issue actually. Not that required work! A small occasional shudder on the TL that could have been TC related, but nothing that required action.

Helps that many of my cars were sticks!

venture

oldfarmer50 said:

ab348 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

That's a shame. I love the look of the Mazda 6 and @270hp it seems competitive with rivals. Aren't Mazdas supose to be better handling cars (zoom zoom)? That would seem to be a potent combo.

The Mazda 6 does not have a 270hp engine but rather a naturally aspirated 4 cylinder that puts out what one would expect of such an engine. It has been reported by reviewers as feeling adequate and not much more. The chassis dynamics are loved by reviewers. Others have complained of NVH issues and a tight rear compartment. Mazdas have also not been known to be the most robust vehicles. Finally they are a relatively small company with less of an ad budget, smaller dealer network, and less money to devote to R&D than the big manufacturers.

Doesn't Mazda have a 3.7L 6? Or did they do away with that?

I don't remember what size the engine in my Mazda 6 had, but I remember it had 278 HP and it was FAST.

PF_Flyer

stickguy said:

I never had a trans issue actually. Not that required work! A small occasional shudder on the TL that could have been TC related, but nothing that required action.

Helps that many of my cars were sticks!

See? That's the thing. This is our first non-manual vehicle since 1979. The wife is already talking about getting back to a stick in the next purchase!

suydam

Transmission issues: Not one to date. All Automatics after 2000, a mix of MT and AT before that. Did replace some clutches though.

cdnpinhead

I made the mistake of buying (not leasing) a Ford product that was supposed to be a world-beater in terms of handling and performance. That was 16 years ago. It wasn't.

roadburner

PF_Flyer said:

A quick straw poll... How many transmission issues have you had with any vehicle you've owned? I 've never had one. As far back as I can remember, only my Dad and Grandpa had an issue with identical '65 Impalas. No family members, no friends with tranny complaints. Only reason I ask, SO many people are griping about CVTs, and I think most of it is that the feel of the thing is so different for a lot of folks. Our latest vehicle has one, closing in on 60k, no issues, had a recall reprogramming recently, no change in behavior or mileage that I notice. Not that there are NO people with actual issues, but the grousing gets in your head like a dash rattle

Was talking about this with a buddy who owns a tire shop/garage, and a customer chimed in that he had had tranny issues with almost every car he's owned, no matter the make or model. That made me feel better because I think I have the common factor for that customer pinpointed!

I had to rebuild the four speed in my 1973 Bavaria because a previous owner ran it low on oil- and the wrong type to boot. The Scorpio's slushbox died at an early age- and out of warranty. My 1975 '02 had a slipping first gear, but then it had over 200k miles on it before I got it and who knows how well it was maintained?

cdnpinhead

PF_Flyer said:

A quick straw poll... How many transmission issues have you had with any vehicle you've owned?

It's worth differentiating between automatic vs. manual transmission issues. Of course, these days only a few percent of us still cling to manuals, but a significant portion of the reason why is that they almost never break, and when they do, they cost much less to fix.

I've made a reputation on more than one board making fun of the people who put up with automatic transmission miseries when they could have chosen the simpler bulletproof option.

[Deleted User]

Catching up a little here. On the Mazda6, I drove the most recent iteration several times and agree with the reviewers and owners who have commented the ride (NVH) can be loud. Not as bad as the Accord, but definitely room for improvement. Mazda states the 2016 added insulation, but honestly, after driving a 2015 and 2016 I couldn't tell the difference. Gorgeous styling inside and out and very few problems have been reported by owners. Great gas mileage. Suspension is very firm, which is a positive for me but a negative for others. I think it's a great option for someone looking for a reasonably priced sedan with modern styling and tight handling. Don't expect a strong 0-60, but do expect it to still be fun in the corners.

[Deleted User]

Ugh, our auto insurance renewal just arrived and it's 50% higher than the current policy. After calling around to other carriers we learned that we're still getting a good deal. Looks like all that hail damage last year is catching up to us who have never filed a claim. A garage is a must-have option in Colorado if you care about your ride(s).

explorerx4

Had to replace the transmission in my 02 Explorer after about 7 years/90k. That's really it. I've never liked how the transmission in out 04 Escape shifted, but it's never had a repair in 12 years/140k.

ab348

PF_Flyer said:

A quick straw poll... How many transmission issues have you had with any vehicle you've owned?

Well, let's see. My '77 LeMans had a TH350 that would occasionally go into neutral at stoplights. I think that was just a fluid level/filter issue. My '85 MR2 was a 5-speed manual but the throwout bearing on it went bad. No issue with the '90 GTI. No issue with the ST300 in the '64 Skylark or the Jetaway in the '68 Cutlass. No issue with the TH350 in the '78 Delta 88. The TH400 in the '79 Park Avenue needed a new torque converter. The 2002 Intrigue TH4T65 had no problems. The same transmission in the '09 Lacrosse was never right despite at least 4 attempts to repair it. No problems with the two most recent transmissions, the Aisin unit in the Regal (although it was slow to downshift occasionally) and the 6L45 in the ATS has been perfect.

henryn

The only one I can remember offhand, 1998 Ford F250, 460 cid V8. The automatic transmission went south at about 6 years and 90k miles. Total failure, blew out most of the fluid, went to the shop on a flatbed. Truck had led a hard life, pulled a 5th wheel travel trailer. A very heavy 5th wheel. Replaced that truck with a new F250 diesel with a manual transmission, problem solved.

PF_Flyer

Like I said, no car component is exempt from problems, but when I read that someone has gone through 3 transmissions in two years, something else seems to be going on. And since misery loves company, especially on the internet, there are always helpful voices to chime in

Michaell

tyguy said:

Ugh, our auto insurance renewal just arrived and it's 50% higher than the current policy. After calling around to other carriers we learned that we're still getting a good deal. Looks like all that hail damage last year is catching up to us who have never filed a claim. A garage is a must-have option in Colorado if you care about your ride(s).

I hear you. I'm getting decent rates through the good neighbor folks, but it may be time to shop around again. 

driver100

cdnpinhead said:

PF_Flyer said:

A quick straw poll... How many transmission issues have you had with any vehicle you've owned?

It's worth differentiating between automatic vs. manual transmission issues. Of course, these days only a few percent of us still cling to manuals, but a significant portion of the reason why is that they almost never break, and when they do, they cost much less to fix.

I've made a reputation on more than one board making fun of the people who put up with automatic transmission miseries when they could have chosen the simpler bulletproof option.

I respectfully disagree. Burned out clutch on the Audi was $2300 to replace. An automatic though expensive to fix, should last for 100s thousands of miles.

Today's manuals are way different than the manuals of old.

driver100

houdini1 said:

I don't ever remember seeing one of these in the wild. I am thinking mid 50's. I like it.

It is a Nash Healey, made by combining the car made by Nash Kelvinator and the Austin Healey company. The story is quite interesting:

How the Nash Healey came to be made

The story starts with Donald Healey and Nash-Kelvinator CEO George W. Mason meeting on the Queen Elizabeth, an ocean liner going from the United States to Great Britain. They got together to make the first post war American Sports car in 1951.

The first one looked like this:


Then they made it look more Nash like in 52:

laurasdada

No tranny problems in my lifetime of cars, knock wood. Manny tranny through 2002, slush-o-matics since. Of course, I got rid of my Chrysler products before 70k miles...

imidazol97

driver100 said:

I respectfully disagree. Burned out clutch on the Audi was $2300 to replace. An automatic though expensive to fix, should last for 100s thousands of miles..

My automatic in leSabre I just traded had 209K miles. I never had to have any of my GM automatics worked on, pre- and post- bankruptcy. I had a Ford automatic that was flakey, 1957, and it had to be repaired. I had 3 Mustangs with manuals, 2-3 speeds, and a 4-speed in the PaceCar. No problems and that was in the days where a car making it to 80K miles was considered good luck with no major repairs.

cdnpinhead

driver100 said:

Today's manuals are way different than the manuals of old.

Well, some are and some aren't.

The manual in my daily driver has 116K miles on it (and the original clutch), and I can skip gears at will, coast in neutral and/or pick any gear I like going up and down seriously steep grades on the way to and from my cabin at 7500' here in AZ.

stever

Never a transmission issue, even with the '89 Voyager which had a reputation for lousy transmissions. The 7/70 warranty offer pushed me into getting one - turns out I needed it for head gaskets instead.

graphicguy

Houdini...those TV clips were drom the 60s? I do remember my Mother watching Ruth Lyons ( who launched many careers, including George Clooney's Father and his Aunt, Rosemary).

David Letterman said Paul Dixon was his inspiration for his talk shows.

Driver...well before my time, but always thought those Nash Healey convertibles would make a great classic car investment. Any idea what a good one goes for these days?

oldfarmer50

tjc78 said:

Insurance.... as you all know like many of us other posters I live in NJ and pay crazy car insurance. I was doing the bills the other night and saw my renewal of $2900 (2 clean drivers, 2 cars full coverage) and thought about taking collision off the 04. Well it's only about $275 a year so I decided to leave it. What I did find was a $100 yearly fee for a "vehicle warranty" on the '15 Enclave. What? Why do I need a warranty for a vehicle that will never be out of warranty while I own it (leased 3yr). So bottom line all, double check your policies to see if anything is on there that you don't need.

In my case, when I bought the Enclave I called to add it on right at the dealer and the cost was within a few dollars of the Lacrosse I was replacing so never looked line by line. The Gecko is sneaky, but I'm sure other insurance companies do it too. I'm going to shop around and see if I can do better, I've been with Geico for a long time maybe I can get a cheaper quote.

Please clarify. Are you saying your insurance charged you for some kind of warranty coverage that you didn't authorize? That's fraud IMO.

explorerx4

Our rates were going to go up quite a bit this year, already pretty high, but my wife called our agent and they dropped he rates a lot.
When I see the monthly bill, I keep thinking a car or two must be missing.

Back to transmissions, my 91 Mustang still has the original transmission and the fluid was changed for the first time 2 years ago.

[Deleted User]

Michaell said:

I hear you. I'm getting decent rates through the good neighbor folks, but it may be time to shop around again. 

It's not just us up north, huh? We've found the Costco home/auto insurance to provide the best bang for the buck so far, but we're actively hunting and I'll let you know if we find something better.