Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

abacomike

driver100 said:

abacomike I sat in their new waiting room and was having a nice conversation with a guy who had his "matte" pearl white CLS63 (AMG version of my car) in service for a re- alignment

Thank goodness they were going to wax your car for you. I thought you were going to tell us the guy you were talking to decided to drop his pants in the waiting room.

He did that too! 

driver100

Made it to Findlay OH today which was our goal. It was a miracle we made it and survived.

Left Marietta at 6:15 a.m and should have been here by 4:30 with a few quick stops.

Got here at 6:30. Slow going through Knoxville. I-75 is 5 lanes going North through town and they merged into ONE LANE. There are signs on the left saying merge into right lane. So cars that don't merge keep going up the left side and get in way ahead. Cars that stay right go extra slow as the left lanes keep merging in. That cost one hour of time.

Then the rock slide. The detour off ramp was completely backed up. If you went through the one open lane it was stop and go for miles. That cost another hour. Once again, the cars on the left which has the open lane go slower than the sneaky guys who go up the right lane which is supposed to merge to the left.

Slow going as we came into Cincinnati. The I-75 traffic keeping left did a little better than cars going off to the right after the bridge. Those wiggly lanes are there once again and they are pretty narrow with cement barriers on the sides.......I wonder how many cars get sideswiped a day around there.

Got slow again around Daytona. Most of the day was cool but extra bright sunny. Near Daytona though the wind was really strong, they said 60 mph on the weather channel but I think it had to be more. Saw 2 turned over transport trucks, probably the wind contributed. One truck went across the median and was upside down on the other side of the highway. There was a muddy car there too so I think the car went off the road and then the truck may have swerved to prevent a collision. Further along there was a truck and trailer with Sesame Street on it turned over on the side of the road.

Those RVs and trailers as well as tractor trailers were swerving all over in the wind.

What a day.....I'll be dreaming about all that traffic and wind and trailers swerving in the wind.

suydam

I'm thinking you meant Dayton?

driver100

stickguy said:

that tesla is sharp looking. Just needs smaller wheels. And an engine. Has to have an engine.

It looks like it has an all glass roof...I can't get a good picture. I like the large tires.

driver100

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

abacomike

I sat in their new waiting room and was having a nice conversation with a guy who had his "matte" pearl white CLS63 (AMG version of my car) in service for a re- alignment

Thank goodness they were going to wax your car for you. I thought you were going to tell us the guy you were talking to decided to drop his pants in the waiting room.

He did that too! 

A triple play....3 in the last few weeks!

driver100

If anyone from the department of transport is listening I have a great solution to use when several lanes narrow to one lane. Say, at the rockslide in Careyville TN.

The left lane is the one that goes through, cars in the right lane are supposed to merge to the left, but cars zip up the right lane and then move over at the last minute. If I had done that it would have added 30 minutes instead of 60.

Here is my ingenious ideal. A traffic light just where the right lane ends....it is right between the 2 lanes.
The left light stays green and lets about 20 cars through, then it turns red and the right lane lets 5 cars through. That way the people who moved to the left early aren't penalized.

Think I'll take my idea to Shark Tank.

stever

If people knew how to zipper, it would be a lot smoother for everyone.

Re "The second type is extremely aggressive and drives very fast and has a tendency to zip in and out of traffic. The one I saw today drove fairly fast but would not get out of the left lane. I think these people feel holier than thou because they are better than everyone else since they drive an environmentally friendly car."

I think the real reason is that they can put the Prius in "sport" mode, have some pep, and still burn way less gas.

Not saying how I know that.

[Deleted User]

Mr_Shiftright said:

60 mph on a bicycle? DEATH WISH. I have friends, or friends of friends, who have taken flyers on bikes at high speed, and believe me, what happens is not pretty. I ride my bike quite a bit and 25 mph is plenty fast downhill for me. Yeah, I did hit 44 mph once and it *was* fun, I gotta admit. But it was a nice smooth road with plenty of forward vision.

Our mountains allow for high-speed descents but I've lost my appetite for that particular adrenalin rush after a close-call last year. Coming down one those steep sections at 55 mph on perfectly smooth asphalt, I crossed over a dam and was suddenly exposed to a heavy cross wind that had been previously hidden by the mountains. The wind created a violent oscillation in my bike, like a pendulum criss crossing the width of the lane. I thought I was dead. I hung on with everything I had, dropped my center of gravity as low as it would go, and tightly squeezed my frame between my legs.

The Lord was with me that day. Somehow I corrected each of the swings and rode it out until the grade flattened and my speed reduced.

I still ride that road and others with descents, but now I liberally apply my brakes. There are too many great things waiting for me at home to waste my life on a momentary exhilarating experience. Life is about balance.

[Deleted User]

driver100 said:

How about the new $35000 tesla 3?


That reminds me of an observation I made about most Prius owners, while driving for 20 hours the last 2 days,

There are mostly 2 types of Prius drivers (I don't know fezo personally so I don't know about him).

The first type loves nature and they drive very slow and carefully....probably if they didn't have to drive they wouldn't. They probably shouldn't be driving because they are very timid. The one in particular I am thinking of was ahead of me in heavy traffic and she would let everyone in front of her....it was a miracle we got through.

The second type is extremely aggressive and drives very fast and has a tendency to zip in and out of traffic. The one I saw today drove fairly fast but would not get out of the left lane. I think these people feel holier than thou because they are better than everyone else since they drive an environmentally friendly car.

Don't take me seriously....just a thought that went through my head today.

Nice style and a price so low I find myself doubting Elan Musk can pull it off while making a profit. I truly hope he does.

If fed and state rebates are still in place when it releases, a Colorado resident could pick one up in the very low $20s. It's a screaming deal.

stickguy

Driver, if the DOT wants to take the effort (hint: they don't) they can set up forged merges earlier and push to zipper. that can help. But mostly, up to drivers.

I think though that part of the problem is people getting in the through lane too early. That messes up traffic flow. should keep both lanes going, up until the required merge start, then zipper.

stickguy

so, back to electricity (for those of you interested in the solar I was looking into). after collecting opinions, I was really not feeling confident, but I did contact another local place to get a 2nd opinion (er, estimate). While I was online, finally remembered that I could also check for alternate electric providers (in NJ, out electric company doesn't generate, just distributes, so you can use any generator). I had thought that what I was paying with my current provider (no clue how we ended up with them) seemed high.

well, turns out, I could get a 2 year locked contract with a different outfit, paying about 60% less per KWH. That is going to make a huge difference, especially in the heavy use months, and should (if my calcs are correct) end up coming out close to what the solar company projected our monthly OOP would be on average.

Might be paying a little more, but for maybe $35/month, worth it not to have to deal with the whole panel deal, and worry about what happens down the line if we sell.

plus we will start saving this summer, when the huge bills hit!

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

Some nice cars for oldfarmer. This one is just $199,000.



Thay have others for less though:

RK MOTORS

I know those super birds are rare and collectable but I like the looks of the regular chargers better. Saw a '68 on Friday that looked like this:



My heart skipped a beat.

I like that style better even than my '74.

I looked over that dealer's inventory and there are some beauties I'd like to drive even if I couldn't afford to own them. That '53 Buick and the '40 Merc. I also saw what was supose to be a Shelby Cobra roadster for about $70k. That must be a replica because a true Shelby Cobra goes for many hundreds of thousands.

There was also a red '59 Impala just like my aunt owned when I was a kid. It was one of the first cars I rode in without an adult present. My aunt sold it as junk to some guys I knew who turned it into a doddle bug and drove it around in the local fields since they were too young to get their license.

driver100

stickguy said:

Driver, if the DOT wants to take the effort (hint: they don't) they can set up forged merges earlier and push to zipper. that can help. But mostly, up to drivers.

I think though that part of the problem is people getting in the through lane too early. That messes up traffic flow. should keep both lanes going, up until the required merge start, then zipper.

Great idea stick, and it is true, early merging just clogs up the whole system.

The construction company has no interest and the DOT people don't worry about it, they aren't stuck in it.

ab348

stickguy said:

that tesla is sharp looking. Just needs smaller wheels. And an engine. Has to have an engine.

I'm not a fan of the rear section of the body in profile. It looks sawed-off at the rear wheels, have to wonder about trunk space too. Think it would look a lot better if the rear section after the wheels was 6"-8" longer.

sda

abacomike said:

I just got back from a little food shopping after I had my car washed.  Interesting occurrence while at the dealership for a car wash!

I sat in their new waiting room and was having a nice conversation with a guy who had his "matte" pearl white CLS63 (AMG version of my car) in service for a re- alignment.  I looked at my watch and noticed I had been there for 1-1/2 hours - way too long for just a car wash.  So I went to the Service Manager to ask where my car was.  He asked if I owned a 2016 CLS400 in White Diamond Metallic.  I said yes, that's my car.  He said the man who was washing my car noticed that the water was not beading on the hood or trunk area so he told the car wash department to put a coat of Magguires Wax on the car.

Now that was above and beyond expectations.  I walked back and tipped the guy $10.00 and thanked him.  It sure made a difference when they brought the car up.  It had a great shiny luster to it.  I now know it will definitely rain like it always does when my car is nice and clean. 

That is truly exceptional customer service! Took our Pilot in to have the a/c repaired. Though they got it repaired, it was returned filthy from sitting outside. I made an immediate trip to the car wash..

suydam

That surprises me. Our Honda dealer always washes the cars when you bring them in for service.

abacomike

sda said:

I just got back from a little food shopping after I had my car washed.  Interesting occurrence while at the dealership for a car wash!

I sat in their new waiting room and was having a nice conversation with a guy who had his "matte" pearl white CLS63 (AMG version of my car) in service for a re- alignment.  I looked at my watch and noticed I had been there for 1-1/2 hours - way too long for just a car wash.  So I went to the Service Manager to ask where my car was.  He asked if I owned a 2016 CLS400 in White Diamond Metallic.  I said yes, that's my car.  He said the man who was washing my car noticed that the water was not beading on the hood or trunk area so he told the car wash department to put a coat of Magguires Wax on the car.

Now that was above and beyond expectations.  I walked back and tipped the guy $10.00 and thanked him.  It sure made a difference when they brought the car up.  It had a great shiny luster to it.  I now know it will definitely rain like it always does when my car is nice and clean. 

That is truly exceptional customer service! Took our Pilot in to have the a/c repaired. Though they got it repaired, it was returned filthy from sitting outside. I made an immediate trip to the car wash..

BTW, I was "dead-on" about the rain - got some late yesterday afternoon and heavy rains expected this morning and this afternoon.  Never fails! 

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

sda said:

abacomike said:

I just got back from a little food shopping after I had my car washed.  Interesting occurrence while at the dealership for a car wash!

I sat in their new waiting room and was having a nice conversation with a guy who had his "matte" pearl white CLS63 (AMG version of my car) in service for a re- alignment.  I looked at my watch and noticed I had been there for 1-1/2 hours - way too long for just a car wash.  So I went to the Service Manager to ask where my car was.  He asked if I owned a 2016 CLS400 in White Diamond Metallic.  I said yes, that's my car.  He said the man who was washing my car noticed that the water was not beading on the hood or trunk area so he told the car wash department to put a coat of Magguires Wax on the car.

Now that was above and beyond expectations.  I walked back and tipped the guy $10.00 and thanked him.  It sure made a difference when they brought the car up.  It had a great shiny luster to it.  I now know it will definitely rain like it always does when my car is nice and clean. 

That is truly exceptional customer service! Took our Pilot in to have the a/c repaired. Though they got it repaired, it was returned filthy from sitting outside. I made an immediate trip to the car wash..

BTW, I was "dead-on" about the rain - got some late yesterday afternoon and heavy rains expected this morning and this afternoon.  Never fails! 

We got a couple inches of snow so be grateful.




How much would you pay for this rust bucket?

http://www.powernation.tv/post/barn-find-1966-shelby-gt350h-mustang-sitting-since-1982

suydam

Gale force winds, rain, hail, some snow, and 24 degrees this morning here. Hello, Spring!

abacomike

I wouldn't pay anything for it.  The engine is a lost cause, the body needs new metal, and the interior is probably rodent infested.  There are much more promising things to do with one's money. 

imidazol97

suydam said:

Gale force winds, rain, hail, some snow, and 24 degrees this morning here. Hello, Spring!

Almost as bad as Hurricane Ike when it hit us in Ohio.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

Made it to Findlay OH today which was our goal. It was a miracle we made it and survived.

Left Marietta at 6:15 a.
Slow going through Knoxville. I-75 is 5 lanes going North through town and they merged into ONE LANE.
Then the rock slide.
Slow going as we came into Cincinnati.

Got slow again around Dayton. Most of the day was cool but extra bright sunny.
What a day.....I'll be dreaming about all that traffic and wind and trailers swerving in the wind.

Welcome to Ohio.

The blockades in Knoxville and at Caryville hill would have made it better to go through Nashville on a Saturday.
I watched the traffic at Caryville on maps.google . It backed up beyond the exits. But the traffic choosing the detour actually was backing up in the part between Caryville and Lafollete, where 25E branches back north toward Jellico. That was a no win area.

The wind was bad--reminded me of Hurricane Ike several years ago with its winds.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

There are mostly 2 types of Prius drivers
The first type loves nature and they drive very slow and carefully....probably if they didn't have to drive they wouldn't. They probably shouldn't be driving because they are very timid. The one in particular I am thinking of was ahead of me in heavy traffic and she would let everyone in front of her....it was a miracle we got through.

The second type is extremely aggressive and drives very fast and has a tendency to zip in and out of traffic. The one I saw today drove fairly fast but would not get out of the left lane. I think these people feel holier than thou because they are better than everyone else since they drive an environmentally friendly car.

That's a good contrast of the two types of Prius drivers. One is saving the world and being the good person letting all those folks in line who passed the queue line for the one-lane road. The other is aggressive and self-rightous.anymore.

A problem is I don't believe the Prius is any more environmentally friendly than many other cars which get good gas mileage, considering the materials needed and the batteries.

snakeweasel

suydam said:

That surprises me. Our Honda dealer always washes the cars when you bring them in for service.

The dodge dealer near work does it even for an oil change, but I asked them not to since convertibles should not go through automated washes.

snakeweasel

abacomike said:

BTW, I was "dead-on" about the rain - got some late yesterday afternoon and heavy rains expected this morning and this afternoon.  Never fails! 

Yesterday we got snow, then we got brilliant sunshine then we got snow then we got brilliant sunshine then we got snow then we got.....

Seriously it would be near blizzard conditions for 10 or 15 minutes then the sky would clear and we would get tons of sun then repeat. This went on for hours.

snakeweasel

imidazol97 said:

That's a good contrast of the two types of Prius drivers. One is saving the world and being the good person letting all those folks in line who passed the queue line for the one-lane road. The other is aggressive and self-rightous.anymore.

Everyone I know that drives a Prius is the type that is "saving the world and being a good person" and they are very self righteous (as well as very annoying) about it.

graphicguy

driver....I should have flagged you down as you drove through our area. I know you're on a schedule, but would have met you for lunch. Imid probably had a bit more wind than I did, but it was quite strong.

Was near kyfdx's neighborhood last night. So, traveled both North and South I75. I have to say, although I75 is still under construction through CIncinnati, it's not nearly as bad as it was a month ago. Looks like they are at least within several weeks of finishing (or at least until they start some other inane I75 construction project).

I've always felt that if you're afraid to drive with the flow of traffic, you're causing more problems and will be more prone to causing accidents. As far as Prius drivers, I know when they first came out, people were trying to "hypermile" with them, which really caused a lot of issues.

I don't see that much anymore, which is a good thing. Causing others to slow to a crawl, dropping MPG so you can extend yours is not the way to save on everyone's fuel bill.

I see Toyota is trying to wipe out that stigma from their most recent commercials regarding the Prius, featuring them in car chase scenes.

Mr_Shiftright

abacomike said:

I wouldn't pay anything for it.  The engine is a lost cause, the body needs new metal, and the interior is probably rodent infested.  There are much more promising things to do with one's money. 

I agree. If you took this car to a restoration shop and added up the bill, then theoretically this car is worth absolutely nothing. Blue Book is $10 bucks. But I suspect some doofus will pay $35K for it.

What should be done to the car, if we weren't currently trapped in the bubble of reality TV hysteria, is to have it parted out for the little precious bits and pieces that might be left, and used to restore a much better example with a high degree of authenticity.

It's not a "barn find". If it had been kept in a barn, with even a modicum of respect, it wouldn't be the disaster it is now.

Value when all done to Pebble Beach standards? Maybe $185K.

stickguy

or is the only valuable piece the VIN tag?

from the bit of video I saw, was not nearly as ratty and rusty as I expected, though I am sure when you tore it apart, it would be nasty.

I wouldn't want it anyway. It's an automatic. Should make a car like this worthless!

28firefighter

For those of you experiencing bad weather, I thought I'd share the view from the bike trail this morning...

suydam

snakeweasel said:

imidazol97 said:

That's a good contrast of the two types of Prius drivers. One is saving the world and being the good person letting all those folks in line who passed the queue line for the one-lane road. The other is aggressive and self-rightous.anymore.

Everyone I know that drives a Prius is the type that is "saving the world and being a good person" and they are very self righteous (as well as very annoying) about it.

Prius drivers I know are just, you know, drivers. Like any other car. They are pretty mainstream by now.

iluvmysephia1

28firefighter - taken just north of Seattle looking north, right?

sda

abacomike said:

sda said:

abacomike said:

I just got back from a little food shopping after I had my car washed.  Interesting occurrence while at the dealership for a car wash!

I sat in their new waiting room and was having a nice conversation with a guy who had his "matte" pearl white CLS63 (AMG version of my car) in service for a re- alignment.  I looked at my watch and noticed I had been there for 1-1/2 hours - way too long for just a car wash.  So I went to the Service Manager to ask where my car was.  He asked if I owned a 2016 CLS400 in White Diamond Metallic.  I said yes, that's my car.  He said the man who was washing my car noticed that the water was not beading on the hood or trunk area so he told the car wash department to put a coat of Magguires Wax on the car.

Now that was above and beyond expectations.  I walked back and tipped the guy $10.00 and thanked him.  It sure made a difference when they brought the car up.  It had a great shiny luster to it.  I now know it will definitely rain like it always does when my car is nice and clean. 

That is truly exceptional customer service! Took our Pilot in to have the a/c repaired. Though they got it repaired, it was returned filthy from sitting outside. I made an immediate trip to the car wash..

BTW, I was "dead-on" about the rain - got some late yesterday afternoon and heavy rains expected this morning and this afternoon.  Never fails! 

Dialed in because you just washed your car!

abacomike

sda said:

sda said:

I just got back from a little food shopping after I had my car washed.  Interesting occurrence while at the dealership for a car wash!

I sat in their new waiting room and was having a nice conversation with a guy who had his "matte" pearl white CLS63 (AMG version of my car) in service for a re- alignment.  I looked at my watch and noticed I had been there for 1-1/2 hours - way too long for just a car wash.  So I went to the Service Manager to ask where my car was.  He asked if I owned a 2016 CLS400 in White Diamond Metallic.  I said yes, that's my car.  He said the man who was washing my car noticed that the water was not beading on the hood or trunk area so he told the car wash department to put a coat of Magguires Wax on the car.

Now that was above and beyond expectations.  I walked back and tipped the guy $10.00 and thanked him.  It sure made a difference when they brought the car up.  It had a great shiny luster to it.  I now know it will definitely rain like it always does when my car is nice and clean. 

That is truly exceptional customer service! Took our Pilot in to have the a/c repaired. Though they got it repaired, it was returned filthy from sitting outside. I made an immediate trip to the car wash..

BTW, I was "dead-on" about the rain - got some late yesterday afternoon and heavy rains expected this morning and this afternoon.  Never fails! 

Dialed in because you just washed your car!

No question about it!

28firefighter

iluvmysephia1 said:

28firefighter - taken just north of Seattle looking north, right?

Very good! From the Terminal 91 Bike Trail just north of the SAM Sculpture park facing northwest. 

roadburner

snakeweasel said:

Everyone I know that drives a Prius is the type that is "saving the world and being a good person" and they are very self righteous (as well as very annoying) about it.

That's why I think the Prius and other dedicated hybrids outsell hybrid versions of conventional models. The drivers want a car that shouts: "LOOK AT ME" I'M SAVING THE PLANET!!!"

jmonroe

Mike,

I think you said you get hand washes at your dealership.

My Hyundai dealer has the auto car wash machine so I tell them NOT to wash my car whenever it goes in for service of any kind. When I went to pick up my car after my tire replacement due to the recall of the Hankook tires on the Genny a different advisor was there than the one when I dropped off the car. I said, "I hope you guys didn't wash my car". He said, "no we didn't. I saw the note on the order and told the tech to be sure not to wash it". He then said, "Why didn't you want it washed? I see it's pretty clean but it could have been cleaner". When I told him I didn't want it going through the auto wash machine he said, "next time let me know and I'll be sure they hand wash it for you, we can make an exception for your car".

I hope I remember that the next time I take it in because I'm pretty well programed to say, "please don't wash it".

jmonroe

driver100

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

Made it to Findlay OH today which was our goal. It was a miracle we made it and survived.

Left Marietta at 6:15 a.
Slow going through Knoxville. I-75 is 5 lanes going North through town and they merged into ONE LANE.
Then the rock slide.
Slow going as we came into Cincinnati.

Got slow again around Dayton. Most of the day was cool but extra bright sunny.
What a day.....I'll be dreaming about all that traffic and wind and trailers swerving in the wind.

Welcome to Ohio.

The blockades in Knoxville and at Caryville hill would have made it better to go through Nashville on a Saturday.
I watched the traffic at Caryville on maps.google . It backed up beyond the exits. But the traffic choosing the detour actually was backing up in the part between Caryville and Lafollete, where 25E branches back north toward Jellico. That was a no win area.

The wind was bad--reminded me of Hurricane Ike several years ago with its winds.

Left Findlay this morning at 8 a.m. Drury Inn is amazing....love that place. 300 miles to home and we made it by 12:30 pm. Highway was pretty well empty, we were the only car going through the Nexxus lane at the border, took only 15 seconds.

Freezing cold in Findlay, 25F, and tonight we are on the borderline of getting 5 to 7 inches of snow

I could see the detour was backed up and I think the police stopped sending traffic that way. If Nashville adds an hour then we came out about the same.

You sure could feel the wind.......pretty bad when tractor trailer trucks get turned over.

abacomike

jmonroe said:

Mike, I think you said you get hand washes at your dealership. My Hyundai dealer has the auto car wash machine so I tell them NOT to wash my car whenever it goes in for service of any kind. When I went to pick up my car after my tire replacement due to the recall of the Hankook tires on the Genny a different advisor was there than the one when I dropped off the car. I said, "I hope you guys didn't wash my car". He said, "no we didn't. I saw the note on the order and told the tech to be sure not to wash it". He then said, "Why didn't you want it washed? I see it's pretty clean but it could have been cleaner". When I told him I didn't want it going through the auto wash machine he said, "next time let me know and I'll be sure they hand wash it for you, we can make an exception for your car". I hope I remember that the next time I take it in because I'm pretty well programed to say, "please don't wash it". jmonroe

Yes, they hand wash it although they do have a machine washing system.  My tires are extremely wide, especially the rear tires (285/30 R19 XL) which can be scuffed and damaged in the rails if it is put through the machine wash.  That's why they hand-wash the car.

The dealership where I bought the CLS has a sister dealership about 3 miles from me which was just totally remodeled.  I take it there to be washed as well as they are usually not as busy.  I always tip the guys $5.00 so they remember my car.

isellhondas

28firefighter said:

iluvmysephia1 said:

28firefighter - taken just north of Seattle looking north, right?

Very good! From the Terminal 91 Bike Trail just north of the SAM Sculpture park facing northwest. 

We could meet halfway for lunch someday. I'm in Issaquah!

abacomike

driver100 said:

Made it to Findlay OH today which was our goal. It was a miracle we made it and survived. Left Marietta at 6:15 a. Slow going through Knoxville. I-75 is 5 lanes going North through town and they merged into ONE LANE. Then the rock slide. Slow going as we came into Cincinnati. Got slow again around Dayton. Most of the day was cool but extra bright sunny. What a day.....I'll be dreaming about all that traffic and wind and trailers swerving in the wind.

Welcome to Ohio. The blockades in Knoxville and at Caryville hill would have made it better to go through Nashville on a Saturday. I watched the traffic at Caryville on maps.google . It backed up beyond the exits. But the traffic choosing the detour actually was backing up in the part between Caryville and Lafollete, where 25E branches back north toward Jellico. That was a no win area. The wind was bad--reminded me of Hurricane Ike several years ago with its winds.

Left Findlay this morning at 8 a.m. Drury Inn is amazing....love that place. 300 miles to home and we made it by 12:30 pm. Highway was pretty well empty, we were the only car going through the Nexxus lane at the border, took only 15 seconds. Freezing cold in Findlay, 25F, and tonight we are on the borderline of getting 5 to 7 inches of snow I could see the detour was backed up and I think the police stopped sending traffic that way. If Nashville adds an hour then we came out about the same. You sure could feel the wind.......pretty bad when tractor trailer trucks get turned over.

Glad you and the wife are safely home.  I figured you would get a taste of the remains of winter up there.  Makes you miss Florida - that's for sure! 

driver100

graphicguy said:

driver....I should have flagged you down as you drove through our area. I know you're on a schedule, but would have met you for lunch. Imid probably had a bit more wind than I did, but it was quite strong.

GG, would have loved to meet up with you but it would be tricky. We started pre-booking hotels a few weeks in advance - the good ones get booked, so we have to get through. Maybe one day we will try to take a more leisurely drive...maybe see everyone along I-75.

The E400 was a pleasure to drive. Much better than the 535 for long drives, seats are way more comfortable. There is some stiffness after driving 3 or 4 hours but a lot more in the BMW....seats in BMW are lower and more bucket like. Seats in E400 are more chair like....higher. Vision in all directions is great. Lots of power for when it is needed. Engine is smooth and quiet. All the controls are easy to use. One thing I think makes a car a great driving car is when the steering wheel feels very smooth...the bumps in the road aren't transferred to the drivers hands. I think that is a big part of what you pay for in expensive cars. If I was driving the Passat it would transfer all the bumps to the steering wheel.

Does anyone find voice command is a pain....it never works. I wanted Sirius channel 116 and she finally gave me 160!

Anoother type of car I mentioned before but my observations were confirmed on this trip, The Kia Soul and I know there are a few fans around here. Not a problem but for some reason the people who own them are one of the the fastest drivers on the road, and definitely the small car fast driving winner. Not sure why, something about that boxy shape and no wind resistance that makes owners take them to the limit. Maybe they are a blast to drive.

I have a question....out of curiosity:
When they are fixing roads like I-75 and they have 2 lanes instead of 3, and cement barriers on the left side, why do they ask trucks to stay in the left?

Slow cars stay in the right lane, and the trucks slow down the faster cars in the left lane and they have to change lanes to try to speed ahead.

driver100

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

Made it to Findlay OH today which was our goal. It was a miracle we made it and survived.

Left Marietta at 6:15 a.
Slow going through Knoxville. I-75 is 5 lanes going North through town and they merged into ONE LANE.
Then the rock slide.
Slow going as we came into Cincinnati.

Got slow again around Dayton. Most of the day was cool but extra bright sunny.
What a day.....I'll be dreaming about all that traffic and wind and trailers swerving in the wind.

Welcome to Ohio.

The blockades in Knoxville and at Caryville hill would have made it better to go through Nashville on a Saturday.
I watched the traffic at Caryville on maps.google . It backed up beyond the exits. But the traffic choosing the detour actually was backing up in the part between Caryville and Lafollete, where 25E branches back north toward Jellico. That was a no win area.

The wind was bad--reminded me of Hurricane Ike several years ago with its winds.

Left Findlay this morning at 8 a.m. Drury Inn is amazing....love that place. 300 miles to home and we made it by 12:30 pm. Highway was pretty well empty, we were the only car going through the Nexxus lane at the border, took only 15 seconds.

Freezing cold in Findlay, 25F, and tonight we are on the borderline of getting 5 to 7 inches of snow

I could see the detour was backed up and I think the police stopped sending traffic that way. If Nashville adds an hour then we came out about the same.

You sure could feel the wind.......pretty bad when tractor trailer trucks get turned over.

>
Glad you and the wife are safely home.  I figured you would get a taste of the remains of winter up there.  Makes you miss Florida - that's for sure

! 

Thanks! My wife said we can stay for an extra week longer next year

imidazol97

driver100 said:

Left Findlay this morning at 8 a.m. Drury Inn is amazing....love that place. .

Welcome home!

stickguy

driver, my Hyundai has voice commands. Seems to work OK, but I rarely use it. and usually just for calling someone. I think I had it tune the radio once to try it out, but more hassle than it was worth. I have 20 presets I think (maybe 18), so at this point, easier to just flip through the presets.

If I want to, I can get navi programmed, but need to read the prompts (how to give commands) to get it right, which defeats the safety aspect. So easier to do by typing it in.

actually, best is my daughters VW. That has the VW connect product (or whatever they call it) so I can go on the smartphone or tablet, map out a route (including any changes I make to the recommended one) and send it to the car. I like that. Saves time when you can plan ahead.

abacomike

driver100 said:

driver....I should have flagged you down as you drove through our area. I know you're on a schedule, but would have met you for lunch. Imid probably had a bit more wind than I did, but it was quite strong.

GG, would have loved to meet up with you but it would be tricky. We started pre-booking hotels a few weeks in advance - the good ones get booked, so we have to get through. Maybe one day we will try to take a more leisurely drive...maybe see everyone along I-75. The E400 was a pleasure to drive. Much better than the 535 for long drives, seats are way more comfortable. There is some stiffness after driving 3 or 4 hours but a lot more in the BMW....seats in BMW are lower and more bucket like. Seats in E400 are more chair like....higher. Vision in all directions is great. Lots of power for when it is needed. Engine is smooth and quiet. All the controls are easy to use. One thing I think makes a car a great driving car is when the steering wheel feels very smooth...the bumps in the road aren't transferred to the drivers hands. I think that is a big part of what you pay for in expensive cars. If I was driving the Passat it would transfer all the bumps to the steering wheel. Does anyone find voice command is a pain....it never works. I wanted Sirius channel 116 and she finally gave me 160! Anoother type of car I mentioned before but my observations were confirmed on this trip, The Kia Soul and I know there are a few fans around here. Not a problem but for some reason the people who own them are one of the the fastest drivers on the road, and definitely the small car fast driving winner. Not sure why, something about that boxy shape and no wind resistance that makes owners take them to the limit. Maybe they are a blast to drive. I have a question....out of curiosity: When they are fixing roads like I-75 and they have 2 lanes instead of 3, and cement barriers on the left side, why do they ask trucks to stay in the left? Slow cars stay in the right lane, and the trucks slow down the faster cars in the left lane and they have to change lanes to try to speed ahead.

Driver, did you ever do the "voice training program"?  It takes 3-4 minutes for commands and 3 minutes for number sequences.  It trains your Voice Command to be more sensitive and discerning to your pronunciation of commands and numbers.

I think you go into the NAV system to access the voice training segments.  If not, just check your manual under Voice Command for the proper access.  I mentioned this to you several times when you complained about it.  Let me know how it worked for you.

28firefighter

isellhondas said:

iluvmysephia1 said:

28firefighter - taken just north of Seattle looking north, right?

Very good! From the Terminal 91 Bike Trail just north of the SAM Sculpture park facing northwest. 

We could meet halfway for lunch someday. I'm in Issaquah!

Definitely. Actually, I get my wife's Escape serviced at the dealer in Issaquah so maybe we can catch up in your neck of the woods. 

Will let ya know!

imidazol97

abacomike said:

When they are fixing roads like I-75 and they have 2 lanes instead of 3, and cement barriers on the left side, why do they ask trucks to stay in the left?

Slow cars stay in the right lane, and the trucks slow down the faster cars in the left lane and they have to change lanes to try to speed ahead.

Typically two lanes are shifted right or left so traffic is using what used to be one traffic lane and what used to be a berm or 'breakdown' lane. Usually the truck lane retrictions are to keep the trucks in the lane that was originally built on a deep roadbed when the highway was built. The auto traffic can use the other lane which used to be, at least partly, a berm lane where the roadbed isn't as durable or as deep because it wasn't meant to handle 80K Ton truck wheels pounding it.

stever

>Not sure why, something about that boxy shape and no wind resistance that makes owners take them to the limit. Maybe they are a blast to drive.

Dunno - maybe the higher seating position in the Soul makes it feel like you are going slower?

stickguy

maybe the hamsters are on steroids?