Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

houdini1

I've been reading a lot of good things about the upcoming Genesis G80 and G90. I will probably give them a try when they are available. Biggest downside according to reviewers is not having any "brand cache and heritage" which doesn't bother me a bit if I like the cars.

imidazol97

oldfarmer50 said:

...and file a big money law suit.

It's really easy to find an attorney to file for you. Just watch TV during Judge Judy. Around Cincy one guy has a single phone number, e.g., 444-444, in all 3 states. Just dial it as your local area code and it goes through. LOL

Another guy prints settlement money pulling it through the screen of his cell phone.

thebean

iluvmysephia1 said:

thebean - it's just what came to my mind when contemplating mattress outlets and prices...and now we're gonna start on pillows for another thing ta run up prices and overcharge on. But, it's true, pillows aren't that costly, though, huh?

Yet. That's all I was saying there.

Ah, OK I got it .  Thanks for clearing it up.  I hate to miss anything here.  

ab348

Maybe Daimler-Benz outsourced their headrest manufacturing to China.

andres3

driver100 said:

andres3 said:

driver100 said:

andres3 said:

driver100 said:

nyccarguy said:

Driver - it is going to be tough for you to go from an E400 with the bi-turbo V6 to a 4cyl. Going to a slower car is no fun. My BMW 328xi had 230 hp, my Legacy has 175.

I agree....that is why I am waiting for a V6 model.....late Nov or early Dec.

Why wait months and settle for a V6. Go out and Test drive an S6 with a blower-enhanced V8.

Read my review of the A6 a few posts previous.

One friend has an S8 and it is of absolutely no interest to me. He went through a set of tires in 10k miles....at $800 each. I love the styling of an Audi S6 and 8, and I would choose the S8 over an MB s Class probably, depending on the driving experience, but a V8 is superfluous for me....and low profile tires that are useless in snow make it a no go. I would rather wait for my E400!

Not to mention the Audi warranty on our A4, which Audi doesn't seem to honor.

I'm sure I've asked before, but refresh us, did it have more to do than the old "clutches are a wearable part" argument? Or was it as simple as that?

Audi has given me some resistance on covering wearable parts, even under there 1 year 12,000 mile wearable part warranty (wipers, batteries, and not sure what else). My dealer has covered wipers and light bulbs in the past, and I'm not sure if it is them wanting a perfect survey or Audi stopping those shenanigans.

Exactly...wear and tear is driver caused. Car had under 12k mile limit on clutch warranty, but was just over the 2 years on the time limit. Don't know why extra few months matter if you are within mileage time?????
Every mechanic who I was able to ask said it is almost impossible to wear out a clutch with that mileage. Audi has potentially lost the sale of 3 cars now.

In the US, 12K is usually tied to just a single year, so your lucky in Canada if it's 2 years. It is funny the biases we have when it benefits our personal situation. When my AC broke at 52,000-53,000 miles I argued that should matter less than the fact the car was significantly under the 4 year limit in age. The reason they don't have limitless mileage or limitless time frame warranties is because they don't want to warranty a car driven 200,000 miles per year nor one driven 200 miles per year 50 years later. Imagine the accounting nightmare that it would be to pay for warranty claims on a car that is 50 years old just because it hadn't been driven much.

But if I was the Service Manager I'd of caved in for you and covered the clutch with the caveat that if your wife broke it again you were on your own. I'm sure glad my Service Manager made the A/C fix happen at no charge to me. Probably why I'm on my third Audi.

andres3

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

We email our insurance company to see if we can pick up items left in the car, and to find out where they took the car....supposed to take it to their shop.

We find out the car has been at the original garage it was towed to, and before the insurance company proceeds we have to pick up the plates.

The guy at the first garage takes off the plates, and he says, if they are giving you the plates, the car is a write off. No one else has told us anything. We emailed insurance company to say we have removed the plates.

My wife went to the doctor and she has a mild concussion and will need some physio for tight back muscles.

And the beat goes on.......

Sorry to hear about the delayed reaction that Mrs. Driver is experiencing now. Pass on our best to her with her therapy.

I think you said when you went to the doctor he said you were OK but having concussion like symptoms for you would be normal.

Anyway, let us know how Mrs. Driver is doing after a week or so.

jmonroe

LOL about my concussion like symptoms. I feel a little like I am having an out of body experience since the accident, like I am viewing my life from the outside. Maybe I am thinking what it would be like if I did leave this world. One pecular thing, my tennis elbow has cleared up.

Thank you for your thoughts about Mrs D., I will let her know your concerns. More sincere and genuine than the 10 word email from the SIL.

For those who wanted to see the headrests, I will give it my best shot:

Geez that bit about your "tennis elbow" now being OK could be a dangerous thought for you. Hope you don't get the idea when you have another body part problem that a rear-ender will clear it up. But if you do, leave Mrs. Driver at home on that crash ride.

As for those head rests, it looks like they did what they were supposed to do. I think most manufactures call that "active head restraints". One thing for sure, they won't be selling those at the junk yard.

jmonroe

Speaking of China and junkyards, you could just buy the $9.99 Chinese knockoff head restraints and resell.

andres3

houdini1 said:

I've been reading a lot of good things about the upcoming Genesis G80 and G90. I will probably give them a try when they are available. Biggest downside according to reviewers is not having any "brand cache and heritage" which doesn't bother me a bit if I like the cars.

It might bother you if you are forced to resell early and take the massive depreciation hit (sometimes forced by others negligent driving). Other then that, it would be nice if more makers made world-class cars.

jmonroe

houdini1 said:

I've been reading a lot of good things about the upcoming Genesis G80 and G90. I will probably give them a try when they are available. Biggest downside according to reviewers is not having any "brand cache and heritage" which doesn't bother me a bit if I like the cars.

No, no...you must go for the "brand cache and heritage" thingy. I want to remain being the only one in here with the distinction of having a wannabe luxo car. Don't turn on me now. :@

jmonroe

Sandman6472

Our A3 has been PERFECT, besides oil changes and a rotation, great vehicle! Gratis washes every couple of weeks. Great vehicle in every way. We are very very pleased!!
Now, just got to make it through the coming tropical depression/hurricane!!!

The Sandman

explorerx4

Been a busy week at work, so I didn't go look at the Escape I intended to.
Did ask for some quotes on some MKZ's.
Results were not good, so I'm passing on those.
There is a 2015 that I like still for sale, but the quote was way too high.
I did leave the door open by saying at the quoted price, I would lose 7k driving it off the lot.
Maybe they will counter, but maybe not.

verdugo

thebean said:

iluvmysephia1 said:

Man walks into a bank and asks for a loan. 
"What'd'ya need?", asks the banker.
"A good mattress."
Banker chuckles and looks the customer right in the eyes and retorts. 
"How about a pillow...for life!" Save ya some money.

Am I the only one that doesn't get this?  Apologize if I'm just dense.  

Nope, I was about to post the same.

andres3

sandman_6472 said:

Our A3 has been PERFECT, besides oil changes and a rotation, great vehicle! Gratis washes every couple of weeks. Great vehicle in every way. We are very very pleased!!
Now, just got to make it through the coming tropical depression/hurricane!!!

The Sandman

Consumer Reports isn't considered the Bible of Automotive Reliability for no reason!

My Santee shop guy recommended pads, brake fluid, and stainless steel brake line upgrades for the TTS. Nothing else is really needed, and I agree with him. Even just that might be overkill, after all, this isn't a 3,800 lb beast like the S4 having to come to a fast stop, it's only 3,200 lb. Should be a lot easier on the tires and brakes, although it does carry a ton of speed through the turns.

jmonroe

andres3 said:

sandman_6472 said:

Our A3 has been PERFECT, besides oil changes and a rotation, great vehicle! Gratis washes every couple of weeks. Great vehicle in every way. We are very very pleased!!
Now, just got to make it through the coming tropical depression/hurricane!!!

The Sandman

Consumer Reports isn't considered the Bible of Automotive Reliability for no reason!

My Santee shop guy recommended pads, brake fluid, and stainless steel brake line upgrades for the TTS. Nothing else is really needed, and I agree with him. Even just that might be overkill, after all, this isn't a 3,800 lb beast like the S4 having to come to a fast stop, it's only 3,200 lb. Should be a lot easier on the tires and brakes, although it does carry a ton of speed through the turns.

I'm probably going to be sorry about answering this post but here goes:

I don't know how many miles you have on this car but needing brakes for a 2016 anything means it has been driven hard very hard. You talk about the weight difference of the 2 cars you are comparing, from the way you appear to drive, no weight will work for you. Even getting a brake package upgrade wouldn't help you. I doubt anyone in here would knowingly touch a car you have owned especially @oldfarmer50.

If I'm wrong about my prediction let the posters fire away.

jmonroe

andres3

oldfarmer50 said:

Does anyone have a link to horsepower ratings for 1995 cars? The reason I ask is I was tooling around in the Lincoln yesterday and unlike my usual old fart mode I was feeling frisky. Now I usually don't beat on it since it's 22 years old but I have to tell you, once it gets rolling it can haul.

It got me to thinking how a 280hp car compared to it's contemporaries. From what little I could find on line in 1995 only the Corvette with 300hp was higher. Camaro Z28 was 275 and the Mustang Cobra (which was still using the old 5.0) was only 240. Makes you appreciate how far engine performance has come since the 90s.

What if any other cars in 1995 exceeded 280hp. from the factory?

Power ratings on the '95 Neon were 2.0L SOHC 132 HP, with the DOHC 150 HP.

Still, I think Nissan had healthier horses and I believe the 200SX? (or is it SE-R) of the time had only 140 HP, but would smoke the 150 HP Neon.

andres3

jmonroe said:

andres3 said:

sandman_6472 said:

Our A3 has been PERFECT, besides oil changes and a rotation, great vehicle! Gratis washes every couple of weeks. Great vehicle in every way. We are very very pleased!!
Now, just got to make it through the coming tropical depression/hurricane!!!

The Sandman

Consumer Reports isn't considered the Bible of Automotive Reliability for no reason!

My Santee shop guy recommended pads, brake fluid, and stainless steel brake line upgrades for the TTS. Nothing else is really needed, and I agree with him. Even just that might be overkill, after all, this isn't a 3,800 lb beast like the S4 having to come to a fast stop, it's only 3,200 lb. Should be a lot easier on the tires and brakes, although it does carry a ton of speed through the turns.

I'm probably going to be sorry about answering this post but here goes:

I don't know how many miles you have on this car but needing brakes for a 2016 anything means it has been driven hard very hard. You talk about the weight difference of the 2 cars you are comparing, from the way you appear to drive, no weight will work for you. Even getting a brake package upgrade wouldn't help you. I doubt anyone in here would knowingly touch a car you have owned especially @oldfarmer50.

If I'm wrong about my prediction let the posters fire away.

jmonroe

Oh, I guess I was unclear.

• 1) I like to get out on the track about 2 weekends a year. Seems to be a good amount for me. If I was richer, maybe 4 or 5 weekends.
  
• 
  
• 2) His recommendations are not based on wear but performing well at the track, and withstanding track type driving. The front brakes were actually holding up really well at 5,000 miles (I think about 75-80% left), but that's spirited street driving, and no matter how spirited, street driving is easy on the brakes but track driving is not (repeated hard stops in a short amount of time). He made these recommendations without regard for the current condition of the brakes (hasn't even seen them).
  
• 
  
• 3) OEM pads by Audi have been known to be rather heat intolerant, designed to make old geezers happy during New England Winters rather than Southern CA summer track days.
  
• 
  
• 4) High HP cars with a good driver reach higher top speeds and therefore require more braking than a beginner driver would need.
  

Lastly, being hard on the brakes shouldn't be noticeable or perceptible to any future buyer as long as you've replaced the rotors, pads, and fluids. Those are all wear-items.

explorerx4

Living in New England, I've only seen 3 TT's ever.
Anyone considering that type of car just buys a Porsche.
People do seem to like the TTs wheels, so they take them and leave the rest on bricks.

jmonroe

andres3 said:

jmonroe said:

andres3 said:

sandman_6472 said:

Our A3 has been PERFECT, besides oil changes and a rotation, great vehicle! Gratis washes every couple of weeks. Great vehicle in every way. We are very very pleased!!
Now, just got to make it through the coming tropical depression/hurricane!!!

The Sandman

Consumer Reports isn't considered the Bible of Automotive Reliability for no reason!

My Santee shop guy recommended pads, brake fluid, and stainless steel brake line upgrades for the TTS. Nothing else is really needed, and I agree with him. Even just that might be overkill, after all, this isn't a 3,800 lb beast like the S4 having to come to a fast stop, it's only 3,200 lb. Should be a lot easier on the tires and brakes, although it does carry a ton of speed through the turns.

I'm probably going to be sorry about answering this post but here goes:

I don't know how many miles you have on this car but needing brakes for a 2016 anything means it has been driven hard very hard. You talk about the weight difference of the 2 cars you are comparing, from the way you appear to drive, no weight will work for you. Even getting a brake package upgrade wouldn't help you. I doubt anyone in here would knowingly touch a car you have owned especially @oldfarmer50.

If I'm wrong about my prediction let the posters fire away.

jmonroe

Oh, I guess I was unclear.

• 1) I like to get out on the track about 2 weekends a year. Seems to be a good amount for me. If I was richer, maybe 4 or 5 weekends.
  
• 
  
• 2) His recommendations are not based on wear but performing well at the track, and withstanding track type driving. The front brakes were actually holding up really well at 5,000 miles (I think about 75-80% left), but that's spirited street driving, and no matter how spirited, street driving is easy on the brakes but track driving is not (repeated hard stops in a short amount of time). He made these recommendations without regard for the current condition of the brakes (hasn't even seen them).
  
• 
  
• 3) OEM pads by Audi have been known to be rather heat intolerant, designed to make old geezers happy during New England Winters rather than Southern CA summer track days.
  
• 
  
• 4) High HP cars with a good driver reach higher top speeds and therefore require more braking than a beginner driver would need.
  

Lastly, being hard on the brakes shouldn't be noticeable or perceptible to any future buyer as long as you've replaced the rotors, pads, and fluids. Those are all wear-items.

4 or 5 weekends a year, that's just playing around. When Son #1 was tracking his '95 Trans AM a few years back he was going to the track about 2 weekends a month. Like I have said before, the first thing he did to that car was install the Corvette C5 brake package.

Yeah, he went through several sets of pads but he was doing a lot of tracking. IIRC one of the favorite brands of pads at the track he went to was the Hawk brand. Don't ask me which model he preferred but when I heard how much they cost I remember thinking I could have probably shoed every car I ever owned for what he paid for one set for 4 wheels. If that wasn't enough of a hit he had to replace the rotors once and that came close to what I paid for my first car. While the brake fluid wasn't cheap it didn't give me heart palpitations like the pads and rotors did. I seem to remember the fluid didn't cost much more than a couple bottles of decent bourbon.

When I said the posters here wouldn't want to buy one of your cars it wasn't because anyone could tell the condition of the car from the condition of the brakes, it was because of the hard driving your cars have been put through.

jmonroe

ab348

andres3 said:

Power ratings on the '95 Neon were 2.0L SOHC 132 HP, with the DOHC 150 HP.

I remember that shortly after the Neon was introduced to great acclaim by the automotive press I got one as a rental for a long round-trip drive. I remember thinking it had pretty good power for an economy car and seemed to zip around pretty well. Had adequate room in the cabin too, and seemed airy and spacious. I do remember the ride being a bit bouncy, the crude-looking defroster vents in the dash looking like they were carved out of the dashpad with an exacto knofe, and the brakes being remarkably noisy. I also remember my rental was the dark metallic teal color that I think 90% of them were.

fintail

It's not a full autopilot, just a system like on a Tesla. I wouldn't use the steering part much, but the adaptive cruise could be useful in the traffic around here. It would be fun. I've driven an A8 with it, it was entertaining, a little unsettling at first, but it worked easily enough.

For the hp jump, I went from 306hp in my prior car to ~195 in the new diesel. It is so effortless that I don't notice too much - it never really revs, just idles faster as you accelerate (and 0-60 is pretty tough here from 7am-7pm anyway).

driver100 said:

"fintail">

I'd probably want the drivers assist/distronic toys, just to play with. They are pretty uncommon on all but the highest trim E here.

I think of my computer, it gets black screen of death, won't start, needs rebooting, goes offline,.....I don't trust my home computer so I don't want to trust my life to a computer....until it has been proven to be 99.9% perfected.

driver100

explorerx4 said:

Been a busy week at work, so I didn't go look at the Escape I intended to.
Did ask for some quotes on some MKZ's.
Results were not good, so I'm passing on those.
There is a 2015 that I like still for sale, but the quote was way too high.
I did leave the door open by saying at the quoted price, I would lose 7k driving it off the lot.
Maybe they will counter, but maybe not.

All cars depreciate by that much at least...as soon as you drive them off the lot.

driver100

fintail">It's not a full autopilot, just a system like on a Tesla. I wouldn't use the steering part much, but the adaptive cruise could be useful in the traffic around here. It would be fun. I've driven an A8 with it, it was entertaining, a little unsettling at first, but it worked easily enough.

For the hp jump, I went from 306hp in my prior car to ~195 in the new diesel. It is so effortless that I don't notice too much - it never really revs, just idles faster as you accelerate (and 0-60 is pretty tough here from 7am-7pm anyway).

I don't know, but diesels seem to have less hp, but still have more power in relation to a similar size gasoline engine.

I think the driver assist features, driving itself, changing lanes on it's own, would be attractive if you like hi tech stuff to begin with. I try to avoid hi-tech, and I was tempted to buy a 2016 which would require no learning curve for me.....the 2017 has lots of changes I'll have to get used to...including choice of 3 instrument panels...Classic shown, Sport, looks like a racing car, and Progressive - more modern with more info.

driver100 said:

"fintail">

I'd probably want the drivers assist/distronic toys, just to play with. They are pretty uncommon on all but the highest trim E here.

I think of my computer, it gets black screen of death, won't start, needs rebooting, goes offline,.....I don't trust my home computer so I don't want to trust my life to a computer....until it has been proven to be 99.9% perfected.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

bwia said:

I too plan to retire next year. My wife retired two years ago and for a while there, I thought she had regretted that decision; but no more. She no longer relies on me to travel or do fun things.

Thank God, we have a comfortable retirement nest egg but we have not yet made our last will and testament but last week we had "the talk" and that was an emotional moment. The entire family talked about my last wishes and how our real estate property should be divided. Frankly, I hadn't thought much about these details but after watching how quickly my wife's brother-in-law deteriorated after his Alzheimer's diagnosis, it's given me a new appreciation for end of life planning.

Now the hard part. I want to leave something substantial for my two grandchildren but also want to set up and endowment at my Alma mater. Any thoughts?

Speaking of wills my sister last week gave me a folder, in it was her will and as luck would have it I am her executor. This will be fun.

It is an honor that your sister trusts you to do this important task. For you it is a pain, a lot of work and a big responsibility. If you make a mistake, you are responsible! My wife just did this for departed friends....and it was a huge amount of work, dealing with lawyers, banks, realtors, etc.

Yeah it is an honor but if one of the people mentioned in the will doesn't predecease my sister I am going to have trouble with her. Long story there that will not be told here.

snakeweasel

Michaell said:

Ugh .. mattress shopping. We're in need of a new mattress and dread the process.

You could always sleep on the floor.

fintail

I wouldn't be too scared. MB has had at least mild automated driving functions for a good 15 years now, and I am not aware of them being troublesome. So you chose the full virtual digital gauges? Cool - if I was ordering one of those cars, that's a must have. I would use classic or sport for the gauge design, I like keeping an eye on the tach.

I saw a white with pano W213 E300 yesterday, but as it was in traffic, I couldn't see inside.

driver100 said:

I think the driver assist features, driving itself, changing lanes on it's own, would be attractive if you like hi tech stuff to begin with. I try to avoid hi-tech, and I was tempted to buy a 2016 which would require no learning curve for me.....the 2017 has lots of changes I'll have to get used to...including choice of 3 instrument panels...Classic shown, Sport, looks like a racing car, and Progressive - more modern with more info.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

It's called goodwill and smart companies employ it to their loyal customers. They have a right to say no, just like I have a right to ask for a lower price. Ultimately the customer has to say yes for the dealership to be in the business of selling cars rather than storing them.

I am familiar with goodwill and going the extra mile for a loyal customer, but making someone "even-steven" often can go well beyond that. My point is that this should be an arms length transaction where the dealership is not doing anything special because the sale was the result of an accident.

andres3 said:

I like the idea of insurance working to make the damaged victims whole. I like the idea of being made whole by insurance, unfortunately, I think there are too many holes the way insurance laws are written to be made whole in real life.

It doesn't pay for lost time. It doesn't pay for inconvenience. It doesn't pay for inflation. It doesn't pay for an equivalent rental car if you own something real nice (how many rental Audi's have you seen at your local Hertz?). They don't want to pay for diminished value. They don't want to pay legitimate claims if they can get away with it. Lastly, the art of craftsmanship and workmanship is gone from the auto repair/body shop industry. I'd rather a robot repaint my car.

A lot of what you mentioned is either abstract or unrealized losses and therefore very hard to quantify and unrealistic to payout.

How do you quantify inconvenience and pay it out? What is it worth? that would vary from person to person.

Inflation is a non issue.

Define equivalent car rental. Since it is a very short term temporary replacement I would say that if it does the same thing then it is equivalent. There is no place you can drive a Audi that you cant drive a Chevy to.

Diminished value is an unrealized loss that only diminishes (pun intended) over time. You will have to dispose of the car to realize the loss, if you even realize one, and the longer you keep the car the less the diminished value is.

As for the art of craftsmanship and workmanship, you just don't know where to go.

snakeweasel

oldfarmer50 said:

Does anyone have a link to horsepower ratings for 1995 cars? The reason I ask is I was tooling around in the Lincoln yesterday and unlike my usual old fart mode I was feeling frisky. Now I usually don't beat on it since it's 22 years old but I have to tell you, once it gets rolling it can haul.

It got me to thinking how a 280hp car compared to it's contemporaries. From what little I could find on line in 1995 only the Corvette with 300hp was higher. Camaro Z28 was 275 and the Mustang Cobra (which was still using the old 5.0) was only 240. Makes you appreciate how far engine performance has come since the 90s.

What if any other cars in 1995 exceeded 280hp. from the factory?

you can try looking here http://www.automobile-catalog.com/

snakeweasel

jmonroe said:

If I'm wrong about my prediction let the posters fire away.

jmonroe

No, I think you are pretty spot on.

snakeweasel

Well the other day I got the beast back. Gee it's nice to be topless again.

Anyway the car looks good, the front actually looks better than before. Very good workmanship there.

Well now that we are almost into September anyone have any baseball predictions? Go Cubs.

oldfarmer50

jmonroe said:

andres3 said:

sandman_6472 said:

Our A3 has been PERFECT, besides oil changes and a rotation, great vehicle! Gratis washes every couple of weeks. Great vehicle in every way. We are very very pleased!!
Now, just got to make it through the coming tropical depression/hurricane!!!

The Sandman

Consumer Reports isn't considered the Bible of Automotive Reliability for no reason!

My Santee shop guy recommended pads, brake fluid, and stainless steel brake line upgrades for the TTS. Nothing else is really needed, and I agree with him. Even just that might be overkill, after all, this isn't a 3,800 lb beast like the S4 having to come to a fast stop, it's only 3,200 lb. Should be a lot easier on the tires and brakes, although it does carry a ton of speed through the turns.

I'm probably going to be sorry about answering this post but here goes:

I don't know how many miles you have on this car but needing brakes for a 2016 anything means it has been driven hard very hard. You talk about the weight difference of the 2 cars you are comparing, from the way you appear to drive, no weight will work for you. Even getting a brake package upgrade wouldn't help you. I doubt anyone in here would knowingly touch a car you have owned especially @oldfarmer50.

If I'm wrong about my prediction let the posters fire away.

jmonroe

Right on that. But not just him. I'd shy away from most any "performance" car out of fear of it being beaten.

Last night I was on the interstate in moderate traffic when some sort of small Ferrari comes blasting by weaving through traffic. Following him were several other cars, possibly his buddies. My first thought was to wonder how long mr. sports car would go before bending metal.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

bwia said:

I too plan to retire next year. My wife retired two years ago and for a while there, I thought she had regretted that decision; but no more. She no longer relies on me to travel or do fun things.

Thank God, we have a comfortable retirement nest egg but we have not yet made our last will and testament but last week we had "the talk" and that was an emotional moment. The entire family talked about my last wishes and how our real estate property should be divided. Frankly, I hadn't thought much about these details but after watching how quickly my wife's brother-in-law deteriorated after his Alzheimer's diagnosis, it's given me a new appreciation for end of life planning.

Now the hard part. I want to leave something substantial for my two grandchildren but also want to set up and endowment at my Alma mater. Any thoughts?

Speaking of wills my sister last week gave me a folder, in it was her will and as luck would have it I am her executor. This will be fun.

It is an honor that your sister trusts you to do this important task. For you it is a pain, a lot of work and a big responsibility. If you make a mistake, you are responsible! My wife just did this for departed friends....and it was a huge amount of work, dealing with lawyers, banks, realtors, etc.

Yeah it is an honor but if one of the people mentioned in the will doesn't predecease my sister I am going to have trouble with her. Long story there that will not be told here.

I get the idea! I like that saying about you can choose your friends, but, you can't choose your relatives. And there is usually ONE.

driver100

"fintail">I wouldn't be too scared. MB has had at least mild automated driving functions for a good 15 years now, and I am not aware of them being troublesome. So you chose the full virtual digital gauges? Cool - if I was ordering one of those cars, that's a must have. I would use classic or sport for the gauge design, I like keeping an eye on the tach.

I saw a white with pano W213 E300 yesterday, but as it was in traffic, I couldn't see inside.

The package I got includes the virtual guages. I just read a review where the reviewer says he likes the Progressive layout because it has the most information on the screen, and Mercedes drivers don't need a tach.
We have had about 6 white cars in a row, so I really wanted to go with the new red......but, I like the contrast of the white with the black roof.....white is better in Florida, and I know I won't get tired of it.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

It's called goodwill and smart companies employ it to their loyal customers. They have a right to say no, just like I have a right to ask for a lower price. Ultimately the customer has to say yes for the dealership to be in the business of selling cars rather than storing them.

I am familiar with goodwill and going the extra mile for a loyal customer, but making someone "even-steven" often can go well beyond that. My point is that this should be an arms length transaction where the dealership is not doing anything special because the sale was the result of an accident.

andres3 said:

I like the idea of insurance working to make the damaged victims whole. I like the idea of being made whole by insurance, unfortunately, I think there are too many holes the way insurance laws are written to be made whole in real life.

It doesn't pay for lost time. It doesn't pay for inconvenience. It doesn't pay for inflation. It doesn't pay for an equivalent rental car if you own something real nice (how many rental Audi's have you seen at your local Hertz?). They don't want to pay for diminished value. They don't want to pay legitimate claims if they can get away with it. Lastly, the art of craftsmanship and workmanship is gone from the auto repair/body shop industry. I'd rather a robot repaint my car.

A lot of what you mentioned is either abstract or unrealized losses and therefore very hard to quantify and unrealistic to payout.

How do you quantify inconvenience and pay it out? What is it worth? that would vary from person to person.

Inflation is a non issue.

Define equivalent car rental. Since it is a very short term temporary replacement I would say that if it does the same thing then it is equivalent. There is no place you can drive a Audi that you cant drive a Chevy to.

Diminished value is an unrealized loss that only diminishes (pun intended) over time. You will have to dispose of the car to realize the loss, if you even realize one, and the longer you keep the car the less the diminished value is.

As for the art of craftsmanship and workmanship, you just don't know where to go.

I think diminished loss is an issue. A friend had an accident in his Mercedes ML SUV.....$13k worth of damage. Sure the car got repaired, but, when he traded it in a year later it is worth $8000 less than book value, because of the accident.

I am supposed to get a car of equivalent value as a replacement. The rental company will do everything possible to make sure that won't happen. I am sure the daily rate I see is different than the rate the insurance company gets when they rent these cars. The car rental company gives me whatever they can scrape up....I am the least of their priorities.

Being made whole. It would be nice, I am out all kinds of time, not to mention the toll all this takes on your mind body and spirit. Even makes you lose some enjoyment of driving or traveling. It will change our plans to get to Florida....might have to fly down and back to pick up the car....how am I compensated for that?

In this case, the victim gets victimized several times.

driver100

Just wondering....if you buy a used car that has been used for driving on a track....is that information disclosed? And, how good is a previous track car compared to the same car that hasn't been raced?

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

I think diminished loss is an issue. A friend had an accident in his Mercedes ML SUV.....$13k worth of damage. Sure the car got repaired, but, when he traded it in a year later it is worth $8000 less than book value, because of the accident.

I am not saying it isn't, I am just saying that diminished value isn't realized, and cannot be truly determined until the car is sold down the line. That and that deprecation eats into that diminished value such as if your friend traded it in a year later it would have been closer to book value (how much closer is anyone guess).

This doesn't even take into account further instances that could diminish value.

Now my recent accident, yes I most likely have a diminished value but I usually keep cars until the wheels fall off. So say I keep this car for another 75-100K miles then it would have been completely depreciated and it's value at that time would be unaffected by the accident.

driver100

But, you shouldn't have to keep the car for a longer period of time to recoup the value...you are the victim.

In my friends case, he shouldn't have to keep his MB SUV for 10 years to be made whole....they should fix the car ($13k damage) plus, whatever he has lost when he trades it in ($8k). He should not be out anything - it isn't right!

imidazol97

driver100 said:

I think diminished loss is an issue. A friend had an accident in his Mercedes ML SUV.....$13k worth of damage. Sure the car got repaired, but, when he traded it in a year later it is worth $8000 less than book value, because of the accident.

"Diminished value" is real but not nearly what some stores want to make it out to be for trade-in value. It's been politicized much like the document fee as an additional revenue source. The true test on your friend's diminished value's being real and of the amount the dealer claimed would be to check the VIN and see what the dealer sold it for. Was the retail value the dealer eventually asked and made a deal for the car at $8000 lower? I doubt it. The dealer used to as a tool to lower the trade in value--a tool for which most consumers have no answer when it's brought up in the negotiations.

My friend had a Ford 150 that he had bought new, I believe. After a couple of years he tried to trade it but a lady had backed into the tailgate in the grocery parking lot. No damage. That showed on the CarFaux. Dealer offered a severely lowered value. Friend drove 30 miles to suburban Cincy Ford dealer next in distance and traded for essentially what he thought it was worth (on a Flex).

graphicguy

driver....sorry to hear about you and the Mrs as a result of the wreck. The airbags did what they were supposed to do, and that's all you can ask.

Kind of liking the dash of the new E.

ab348

driver100 said:

The package I got includes the virtual guages. I just read a review where the reviewer says he likes the Progressive layout because it has the most information on the screen, and Mercedes drivers don't need a tach.

For a guy who worries about the black screen of death on his PC, you seem pretty quick to embrace the idea of a "glass dash" with no actual gauges...

driver100

Imid - In the case of friends Mercedes....I believe it would be diminished by that amount, because they would not sell it with a warranty. With that kind of damage the car will be wholesaled off, and not put on their lot..IMHO

GG - Yeh, the dash is right down your alley...hi tech. I am a low tech kind of guy, I like the old fashioned real instruments, but, it is an exciting change. I'll feel like I am playing a video game or on the set of Star Wars. btw, airbags did not deploy, but self restraining seatbelts and forward moving headrests sure helped.

ab, lol, but, I don't think the virtual instruments are going to kill me.

fintail

I see that in both the US and Canada, the large gauge screen is part of the highest premium package. In the US, that package makes the car really loaded - and would be a must-have for me. It also includes HUD, which is something that becomes useful. I like to know what the engine is doing - in my diesel, the thing is just above idle at some speeds and gears, it's fascinating. If I didn't care, I would get a hybrid

White with what color interior? White on beige/sand works well, kind of a FL color too.

driver100 said:

The package I got includes the virtual guages. I just read a review where the reviewer says he likes the Progressive layout because it has the most information on the screen, and Mercedes drivers don't need a tach.
We have had about 6 white cars in a row, so I really wanted to go with the new red......but, I like the contrast of the white with the black roof.....white is better in Florida, and I know I won't get tired of it.

henryn

driver100 said:

All cars depreciate by that much at least...as soon as you drive them off the lot.

Uhh … no, definitely not true. If you get a good deal when you buy it (end of model year), and pick a model with low depreciation, you can come out smelling like a rose.

I owned a 2011 Silverado, purchased new, kept for 2 years, it only depreciated $3k over the 2 years I owned it.

Another regular here, @qbrozen. He had a Mustang GT, purchased new, kept around 2 years, and it depreciated less than your $7k. Now the car he traded the Mustang in for, the Cadillac, that one depreciated, what, $17k ? over the course of about 2 years.

Lesson here is, if you don’t want massive depreciation, don’t buy a new luxury car.

henryn

http://www.cringely.com/2016/08/25/self-driving-car-old-enough-drink-drive/

Robert Cringely’s latest column. Very interesting stuff here about self-driving cars.

Now we get to the greed. If most of the benefit could be obtained with cheaper self-driving cars, why do we now want autonomous cars? Because cars could be upgraded to self-driving through aftermarket upgrades, which is how they did it in 1995. Truly autonomous cars, though, you have to build those babies from scratch.

So everyone is going to need a new car.

Mandatory replacement is a glorious thing for manufacturers. It’s like that box of baking soda in the back of your refrigerator that you are supposed to throw away every 30 days. The golden era of the record business was when vinyl gave way to CDs and we all paid again to buy the same stuff we already owned. It happened again when we converted our VHS tape libraries to DVDs and so some extent when we gave up physical media for iTunes.

It’s a glorious thing, the prospect of selling 200 million brand new cars and trucks over a 2-3 year period. And it’s coming, it’s absolutely coming.

Ford says it will have a self-driving taxi without a steering wheel in service by 2021. That’s a key data point because there’s no way Ford can afford the liability of putting those truly driverless cars on the road if they’ll be mixing it up with me in my 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee that still smells faintly of mice.

For autonomous cars to be successful they will have to totally dominate, which will require new laws, getting old cars off the roads. This is the part they couldn’t do back in 1995. The banks will have to lend lots of money (with federal guarantees, I’m sure), old cars like mine will have to be melted down. It will be a huge endeavor that will also involve a serious increase in electric vehicles.

roadburner

driver100 said:

Just wondering....if you buy a used car that has been used for driving on a track....is that information disclosed? And, how good is a previous track car compared to the same car that hasn't been raced?

It's usually not disclosed. As far as buying a car that saw the track frequently? To me it depends on the car. A tracked 1LE, Boss 302, Cayman, Elise, or M3 wouldn't worry me that much as long as the car had a full service history. On the other hand, a Fiesta ST that's been tracked would give me pause, as I've read more than one report that the suspension and brakes don't tolerate extensive track time.

stickguy

Well, unless the government wants to buy everyone a new car, it won't happen. Too many poorer folks that can't afford to buy brand new, with the extra whammy of no trade equity from the old buggy.

And what about commercial stuff (like trucks?)

bwia

houdini1 said:

I've been reading a lot of good things about the upcoming Genesis G80 and G90. I will probably give them a try when they are available. Biggest downside according to reviewers is not having any "brand cache and heritage" which doesn't bother me a bit if I like the cars.

You are not alone. Not all Hyundai dealerships will carry the Genesis but those who do will be strategically located I am sure. I am also looking at the 2017 Lacrosse. Buick boasts better visibility (a huge improvement), library quiet tuning, and even more safety gizmos. A 360 degree camera is on my wish list but not offered on the Lacrosse--too bad.

jmonroe

snakeweasel said:

Well the other day I got the beast back. Gee it's nice to be topless again.

Anyway the car looks good, the front actually looks better than before. Very good workmanship there.

Well now that we are almost into September anyone have any baseball predictions? Go Cubs.

It's always nice to get your own car back because you never get a rental that is as nice unless you pay to get upgraded.

The Cub's are a lock to win their division. I can't say that about the disappointing performance the Pirates are displaying this year.

To keep your hair blower from going back to the shop, don't make anymore left turns at multi point stop sign intersections.

jmonroe

bwia

graphicguy said:

driver....sorry to hear about you and the Mrs as a result of the wreck. The airbags did what they were supposed to do, and that's all you can ask.

Ditto Driver. I hope your wife comes out of this without any lingering pain.

andres3

explorerx4 said:

Living in New England, I've only seen 3 TT's ever.
Anyone considering that type of car just buys a Porsche.
People do seem to like the TTs wheels, so they take them and leave the rest on bricks.

Yes, but most Porsche's are not AWD, and the ones that are do not compete price wise with Audi. You'd have to get a Cayman S to keep up with me, and those are in another ball park price wise. 2 year old models with 30K miles were listed for about MSRP on a fully loaded TTS. Of course, I didn't pay MSRP.

The TT is rare wherever you go. I think I've seen only handful since I bought mine on the road, and only 1 other that is the current generation mine is, and it wasn't a TTS.

In the same time frame I've seen two Tesla Model X's (surprised me). I haven't seen an M2 yet. I think I'd enjoy the M2 a lot as well as long as going sans moon roof helps with the head room (got to wear a helmet on the track).

I've seen more TTRS models at the track in one weekend than I have on all the roads in all my life. The new TTRS coming out next year is going to be a real rioting rocket, but again, different price class.

andres3

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

It's called goodwill and smart companies employ it to their loyal customers. They have a right to say no, just like I have a right to ask for a lower price. Ultimately the customer has to say yes for the dealership to be in the business of selling cars rather than storing them.

I am familiar with goodwill and going the extra mile for a loyal customer, but making someone "even-steven" often can go well beyond that. My point is that this should be an arms length transaction where the dealership is not doing anything special because the sale was the result of an accident.

andres3 said:

I like the idea of insurance working to make the damaged victims whole. I like the idea of being made whole by insurance, unfortunately, I think there are too many holes the way insurance laws are written to be made whole in real life.

It doesn't pay for lost time. It doesn't pay for inconvenience. It doesn't pay for inflation. It doesn't pay for an equivalent rental car if you own something real nice (how many rental Audi's have you seen at your local Hertz?). They don't want to pay for diminished value. They don't want to pay legitimate claims if they can get away with it. Lastly, the art of craftsmanship and workmanship is gone from the auto repair/body shop industry. I'd rather a robot repaint my car.

A lot of what you mentioned is either abstract or unrealized losses and therefore very hard to quantify and unrealistic to payout.

How do you quantify inconvenience and pay it out? What is it worth? that would vary from person to person.

Inflation is a non issue.

Define equivalent car rental. Since it is a very short term temporary replacement I would say that if it does the same thing then it is equivalent. There is no place you can drive a Audi that you cant drive a Chevy to.

Diminished value is an unrealized loss that only diminishes (pun intended) over time. You will have to dispose of the car to realize the loss, if you even realize one, and the longer you keep the car the less the diminished value is.

As for the art of craftsmanship and workmanship, you just don't know where to go.

You always seem to manage to sound like an insurance industry advocate? Just how much of your 401K is backing insurance companies?

Instead of calling it something special for the result of an accident call it something special for someone buying more cars more frequently due to an accident. Not everyone is a chronic car buyer. "Bulk" discount if you will.

They could at least make an attempt to average lost time per accident, and just make a line item payout to everyone that isn't at fault. Say, a lump sum of $1,500 for all the inconvenience and lost time. Or they could do the 15% method; making it an added markup on whatever the total car damages are. Anything would be better than zero.

For me equivalent car rental is one that has substantially the same specifications at the one you have. Power, acceleration, G force capability in the slalom, amenities, gadgets, luxuries (nice leather, sound system, quiet driving interior), and drive train (AWD vs. RWD vs. FWD). S4, M3, C63. TTS = Cayman S = Focus RS. Don't like that, then how about just a rental that has an MSRP of +/- 10% of your damaged car? Simple enough; not rocket science. Shouldn't matter whether you have a $50K BARGE SUV or a 50K sports car.

Another thing, safety! If I die in a forced rental Chevy Spark due to an accident I would have survived in my old S4; that would be one helluva lawsuit to all involved parties that made those circumstances happen. Someone here said buy the safest car you can afford; that should go for rentals too; you never know when you'll need those safety systems.

Your defense of diminished value is easily solved. Have the DV be whatever the car appraises for less what it sells/sold for. Don't like that, OK, have the Insurance company sell it themselves then. I would say 10 days is a more than reasonable time frame to sell the car at market rate. Any longer then that and you are obviously trying to sell for above market rate. Unfortunately selling the car doesn't mean the insurance company will change their mind about DV. It is just an EXTREMELY weak argument that holds no weight. It is fluff. Hot Air. A Delay tactic. Appraisals are sufficient to establish value; there is no need to require a sale.

If DV claims require a sale, then all car repairs should require a sale. After-all, all parts that have been replaced means the owner should have to pay for that newer part, since the one that was wrecked was "XX" months old and depreciated. Instead of diminished value you could argue enhancement, especially in an old beat up car. Force insurance companies to have an inventory of parts with different amounts of wear so they can replace "in-kind." So for the same reasons we don't go down that rat hole, we don't want to go down the forced sale rat hole.

As to finding the one in a million body shop with good workmanship, that could be expensive and time-consuming.

andres3

driver100 said:

Just wondering....if you buy a used car that has been used for driving on a track....is that information disclosed? And, how good is a previous track car compared to the same car that hasn't been raced?

I would say that the way a car has been maintained (quality of parts/fluids and frequency of replacements) is far more important than how the car is driven. Of course, I've only tracked Audi's and haven't had an issue with it. Your mileage may vary with other makes that aren't designed to cruise at 155 MPH for 8 hours straight on the Autobahn.