Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

suydam

If you're going to step down a bit, try a Buick. They have stellar reliability ratings and are more luxe than Honda or Toyota. They are no longer barges.

jmonroe

suydam said:

If you're going to step down a bit, try a Buick. They have stellar reliability ratings and are more luxe than Honda or Toyota. They are no longer barges.

That's a good idea. As long as he doesn't buy a Genny, I'll be happy.

Nobody likes a copy cat. This place doesn't deserve that.

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright

Bentley? Poor kid would get beat up with a name like that. Now Diesel, that's a nice name for a dog, maybe a 60-70 pounder.

imidazol97

andres3 said:

It's an Audi R8 Spyder E-Tron (6V). I told her not to go on the gravel, for she would get stuck. Her Audi isn't properly equipped with Quattro, in fact, it's 1-wheel drive! Even at 3 now she still hasn't got the hang of driving and steering; she gets frustrated easily and gives up quickly when it comes to driving.

Has she gotten any traffic tickets yet? LOL Cute.

driver100

Mr_Shiftright said:

Bentley? Poor kid would get beat up with a name like that. Now Diesel, that's a nice name for a dog, maybe a 60-70 pounder.

I have a friend who thinks he would sound very macho if his name was..............................................

"Gillette"

Kind of has a ring to it don't you think?

Mr_Shiftright

Oh, it has a ring to it all right...

abacomike

andres3 said:

On the topic of introducing the young ones into our car obsessed culture, I offer the following (She was still 2 at the time she got her first operable car):

It's an Audi R8 Spyder E-Tron (6V). I told her not to go on the gravel, for she would get stuck. Her Audi isn't properly equipped with Quattro, in fact, it's 1-wheel drive! Even at 3 now she still hasn't got the hang of driving and steering; she gets frustrated easily and gives up quickly when it comes to driving.

For those wondering what the options packages include, it has LED headlights and FM radio (yes, it works). It also has a few sound effects and a simulated horn.

Like father, like son - oops - daughter!!!

houdini1

abacomike said:

andres3 said:

On the topic of introducing the young ones into our car obsessed culture, I offer the following (She was still 2 at the time she got her first operable car):

It's an Audi R8 Spyder E-Tron (6V). I told her not to go on the gravel, for she would get stuck. Her Audi isn't properly equipped with Quattro, in fact, it's 1-wheel drive! Even at 3 now she still hasn't got the hang of driving and steering; she gets frustrated easily and gives up quickly when it comes to driving.

For those wondering what the options packages include, it has LED headlights and FM radio (yes, it works). It also has a few sound effects and a simulated horn.

Like father, like son - oops - daughter!!!

VERY cute. Looks like she is shifting a 5 speed manual.

andres3

VERY cute. Looks like she is shifting a 5 speed manual.

Does Forward and Reverse count as 2 gears? Of course, no third pedal. Heck, the electric motor doesn't even need a 2nd pedal as the engine braking is enough.

jmonroe

driver100 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Bentley? Poor kid would get beat up with a name like that. Now Diesel, that's a nice name for a dog, maybe a 60-70 pounder.

I have a friend who thinks he would sound very macho if his name was..............................................

"Gillette"

Kind of has a ring to it don't you think?

Yes it does. One with a lot of nicks in it.

jmonroe

driver100

andres3 said:

On the topic of introducing the young ones into our car obsessed culture, I offer the following (She was still 2 at the time she got her first operable car):

It's an Audi R8 Spyder E-Tron (6V). I told her not to go on the gravel, for she would get stuck. Her Audi isn't properly equipped with Quattro, in fact, it's 1-wheel drive! Even at 3 now she still hasn't got the hang of driving and steering; she gets frustrated easily and gives up quickly when it comes to driving.

For those wondering what the options packages include, it has LED headlights and FM radio (yes, it works). It also has a few sound effects and a simulated horn.

Great looking car....and cute kid.
Even lots of grown ups don't get the steering right!
I think she needs an awd suv.

andres3

Speaking of first tickets; I've completely let the last one fall off the stress on my mind, my lawyer's handling it. I'm not even going to show up for the court battle; which I think is scheduled in February but I'm not even following it close enough to know that!

If they lose the case, and don't get the fine reduced, then I'll be stressed! On the bright side, I haven't received any new pending citations (knock on wood!).

PF_Flyer

Kid's cars are so much cooler now:)

Mine was very similar to this. Back in the days of IRON...LOL

suydam

After our LA road trip last weekend, I took the Volt back to the dealership to learn some new aspects of its technology. These new cars now have so much it takes awhile to figure out which features you actually want to use. Of course most of them turn out to be ridiculously easy once someone shows you. For example, there's an arrow on the steering wheel that lets you change the dash display to show audio, Nav, or trip information, among others. And the adaptive cruise is a cinch. But some are a little tricky. We wanted to set the Volt on Hold mode until we got to LA, which conserves the electric charge until you're doing city driving. The instructions said to scroll to the mode you want and hold for 3 seconds. Nope. It turns out that you should scroll to the desired mode and LET GO. Okay. Now I know

Also learned that mychevy.com app is basically a fancier version of Onstar. So you have to have Onstar to take advantage of its useful features, like learning when it's fully charged remotely. According to the dealer, you can choose a la carte Onstar features so I'm going to check out the cost.

I also really like the wifi in the car. Not sure if I'm going to keep that or not. Cuts down on using your data plan. On the other hand, Nav is independent of both Onstar and wifi so maybe I don't really NEED it, although I like it.
Anyone keep their Onstar and wifi? How often do you use them?

jmonroe

andres3 said:

VERY cute. Looks like she is shifting a 5 speed manual.

Does Forward and Reverse count as 2 gears? Of course, no third pedal. Heck, the electric motor doesn't even need a 2nd pedal as the engine braking is enough.

My departed middle Brother won a motorized Jeep in a raffle in 2003 ( I think). Since he did not have any children, therefore no grandchildren, he gave it to Son #1. Son #1 kept it in the box until Grandson #1 was about 2 years old. Then out it came. I had to laugh how he drove that thing. When he got it in trouble trying to make a turn and ran out of room, he would slap shift the thing into reverse then slap it again into drive and the thing jerked forward and off he went. My Son swears up and down he did not show him how to do that. Seems to have been a natural thing. When Grandma saw that she just shook her head and said, "oh no, not another one" !!

When Grandson #2 was about a year old my Son let him sit in the passenger seat and be taken for a ride. That thing did not have a soft start when the pedal was pushed, just jerked forward. Also, because of the engine braking it jerked to a stop to the point where it almost ejected his Brother. When Grandma saw that she said, "that seems a little dangerous don't you think? You should put a seat belt in there for him". That is exactly what he did. Got to the point, that Grandson #1 waited for his Brother to latch the seat belt before he would drive away. I think that was a good lesson to learn too.

That Jeep lasted for all 3 of his Sons but it took about 4 batteries to get that to happen.

Are you listening @28firefighter? More fun to look forward to with your son.

jmonroe

ab348

That's a great story, @jmonroe .

roadburner

We still have my son's Power Wheels Jeep safely stored away in the basement garage. Starting when he was three he would drive it up and down our driveway as my wife and I walked along. Back then that round trip was about one mile and sometimes he would want to do it twice a day. I wish that it had an odometer; I'll bet he put over 150 miles on it.
Here's my son and his first car- a BMW Baby Racer. In 1995 BMW wasn't selling them in the US so I had to smuggle it in(just like I did with his BMW car seat.

jmonroe

PF_Flyer said:

Kid's cars are so much cooler now:)

Mine was very similar to this. Back in the days of IRON...LOL

I would have killed for one of those.

I never had a peddle car but always wanted one and complained about it all the time. I had lots of toys but no peddle car.

Fast forward to when Son #1 was born (September). Being the first Grandchild on both sides he was showered with birthday gifts but no peddle car. I remember saying to my Mother, "so, you are going to carry on the tradition and not buy a peddle car, huh? Not even for your first Grandchild". She ignored that comment just like when I whined. A little more fast forward to Christmas that year. Of course he got more gifts but no peddle car. I did not say anything this time because he was waaay to young for one.

My Mother worked for a large local department store, owned by the guy that had Falling Water built. After Christmas, one of her friends who worked in the toy department told her that they had a couple peddle cars left that were being reduced and she should buy one for her Grandson especially since it would be an even better deal because she could use her employee discount. She fell for that deal and came over and gave it to us in January, I think. She said, "I couldn't pass this up and I know in a few years he will have fun with this". I remember saying something like, "Oh, you felt so bad all those years that I didn't have one, but for your Grandson, you couldn't live with him being denied". Typical mother response, "you didn't deserve one".

That was Son #1's introduction to cars and he made the most of it.

jmonroe

jmonroe

ab348 said:

That's a great story, @jmonroe .

Thanks.

jmonroe

jmonroe

roadburner said:

We still have my son's Power Wheels Jeep safely stored away in the basement garage. Starting when he was three he would drive it up and down our driveway as my wife and I walked along. Back then that round trip was about one mile and sometimes he would want to do it twice a day. I wish that it had an odometer; I'll bet he put over 150 miles on it.
Here's my son and his first car- a BMW Baby Racer. In 1995 BMW wasn't selling them in the US so I had to smuggle it in(just like I did with his BMW car seat.

Good looking son. Must have gotten those looks from his mother.

Why am I not surprised he got BMW stuff.

jmonroe

roadburner

Actually when he was that age he could ID three cars with total accuracy- "Daddy Cars"(BMWs), Mustangs, and Jeeps. He still likes all three. I haven't asked recently, but I think his dream garage would contain an M2, a GT350, and a Wrangler Rubicon.

thebean

Anyone else like to read automotive books?  My favorites are ones about defunct makes, like Studebaker, Packard, American Motors.  I think it's interesting to find out what went wrong with these makes.  I haven't read any on makes like Hudson, Willys, Kaiser, and the like, but I'm on the lookout for some.

Has anyone read any books about designers like Harley Earl, Virgil Exner, Raymond Loewy?  I'm looking at a few books on these men, and recommendations would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.

isellhondas

28firefighter...congratulations and may you get at least some sleep at night.

Name? How about Edmund?

andres3

roadburner said:

Actually when he was that age he could ID three cars with total accuracy- "Daddy Cars"(BMWs), Mustangs, and Jeeps. He still likes all three. I haven't asked recently, but I think his dream garage would contain an M2, a GT350, and a Wrangler Rubicon.


I like the M2.... are most ordered with the "moonroof" delete option? I think I'd prefer the M235i adjustable suspension for daily driving duty though; hard to find one without a moonroof.

houdini1

jmonroe said:

roadburner said:

We still have my son's Power Wheels Jeep safely stored away in the basement garage. Starting when he was three he would drive it up and down our driveway as my wife and I walked along. Back then that round trip was about one mile and sometimes he would want to do it twice a day. I wish that it had an odometer; I'll bet he put over 150 miles on it.
Here's my son and his first car- a BMW Baby Racer. In 1995 BMW wasn't selling them in the US so I had to smuggle it in(just like I did with his BMW car seat.

Good looking son. Must have gotten those looks from his mother.

Why am I not surprised he got BMW stuff.

jmonroe

That is a good looking young man. Got a mischievious look in his eye too !! Is he following in his dad's footsteps?

oldfarmer50

I ought to give my friend GGs contact info.

Remember my friend bought that 2012 Mustang GT? Well he managed to get a few days driving in between salt applications and quickly found a problem. He heard a noise (grinding)when making turns after the car had been driven for awhile.

Back to the dealer and sure enough he's got a problem with the limited slip rear end. Getting fixed under warranty. If it had been me I wouldn't have driven until spring and the warranty was expired. He got a nice little loaner. I told him about the Caddy saga and he felt keeping the car for awhile was ok because it was like getting free storage.

I guess sometimes taking risks pays off.

explorerx4

@oldfarmer50,
That usually just a fluid change.

abacomike

I usually don't listen to Sirius satellite radio very often but I decided to listen to channel 17 (Love) - driver's favorite music channel as well as mine.  Great love songs and light rock genre.

I have my iDrive screen set for split screen viewing and I noticed, for the first time, that Sirius not only sends the digital music signal via satellite, but they also send a picture of each song's album cover which is picked up on the right side of the screen.  Neat feature - it shows album covers for my music collection which I put on the car's hard drive, but I never saw those album covers for satellite broadcasts.

I've also noticed a marked improvement in the sound quality of Sirius radio. 

Anyone else notice the improvements?  

abacomike

Another nice feature of my voice recognition system is that once I press the voice button on the steering wheel, I can say:

display map
display traffic information
display tire pressure
display fuel economy
play "the Boxer" or any music on hard drive
tune FM 91.3
tune satellite radio channel 17
display mileage range
display weather

and a host of a myriad of commands.  Never had a car that actually did what I told it to do for almost every conceivable request.  Awesome technology.

suydam

The Volt also displays album covers. Kinda fun!
I haven't dared try the voice commands. Ever since Siri told me the nearest Starbucks was in Leicestershire, England (I was in western Michigan at the time), I've stayed away from the voice stuff! I'm sure it's much better now.

roadburner

houdini1 said:

That is a good looking young man. Got a mischievious look in his eye too !! Is he following in his dad's footsteps?

Thanks! He has his mom's good looks and his dad's bad disposition.
And yes, he loves to stir the pot and watch the ensuing hysteria...

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

@oldfarmer50,
That usually just a fluid change.

They've had it for a week so I'm thinking it's more. He bought at a Chevy dealer and they've sent in next door to a Ford dealer.

I've had a F-150 with a quarter million miles and it never had any rear end problems. Is the Mustang prone to that?

snakeweasel

ray80 said:

Michaell said:

On a completely unrelated note ....

Any AARP members here? If not, why not? If so, what benefits are there.

I've been getting mail from them pretty regularly and another envelope showed up today. Thinking about it but wanted to solicit opinions.

.

I am a member of both AARP and AMAC , mostly for discounts on this or that .

Member of both? Don't they then cancel each other out?

driver100

ab348 said:

That's a great story, @jmonroe .

Yeh, and I even read it all

snakeweasel

imidazol97 said:

Saw a Ford Fiesta hatchback with brahma bull type horns attached to the front grill.
These are horns that grow on a bull's head, not the kind of horns that make noise whic
are available online.

Saw a Prius with lots of stickers. One asks where all the hippies have gone. I hold up my
hand like a little kid saying, "I know. I know."

I have this theory that states that a persons intelligence is inversely related to the number of bumper stickers on their car. You get one or two freebees as long as they are reasonable (no "my kid is inmate of the month at county jail"), but after that the more you have the stupider they seem to be.

driver100

roadburner said:

We still have my son's Power Wheels Jeep safely stored away in the basement garage. Starting when he was three he would drive it up and down our driveway as my wife and I walked along. Back then that round trip was about one mile and sometimes he would want to do it twice a day. I wish that it had an odometer; I'll bet he put over 150 miles on it.
Here's my son and his first car- a BMW Baby Racer. In 1995 BMW wasn't selling them in the US so I had to smuggle it in(just like I did with his BMW car seat.

roadburner said:

We still have my son's Power Wheels Jeep safely stored away in the basement garage. Starting when he was three he would drive it up and down our driveway as my wife and I walked along. Back then that round trip was about one mile and sometimes he would want to do it twice a day. I wish that it had an odometer; I'll bet he put over 150 miles on it.
Here's my son and his first car- a BMW Baby Racer. In 1995 BMW wasn't selling them in the US so I had to smuggle it in(just like I did with his BMW car seat.

It is never too early to build brand loyalty

suydam

I have never been a fan of bumper stickers. Why ruin your nice car you paid a lot for?

ab348

thebean said:

Anyone else like to read automotive books?  My favorites are ones about defunct makes, like Studebaker, Packard, American Motors.  I think it's interesting to find out what went wrong with these makes.  I haven't read any on makes like Hudson, Willys, Kaiser, and the like, but I'm on the lookout for some.

Has anyone read any books about designers like Harley Earl, Virgil Exner, Raymond Loewy?  I'm looking at a few books on these men, and recommendations would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.

One I wanted to get but waited too long, and now it is very expensive to buy in print form is this, by GM Designer Dave Holls and auto writer Michael Lamm:

A Century of Automotive Style: 100 Years of American Car Design

I can get it in electronic form but really wanted the paper version.

snakeweasel

28firefighter said:

You guys crack me up. I suggested his middle name be Porsche. My wife was not amused. 

We are so overjoyed with this little guy. Life sure is about to be different.

I can't wait to get him indoctrinated into our car obsessions. 

I used to know a guy with the surname Porsche. One day the bunch of us were out clubbing (man that was a long time ago) and we met a group of ladies of whom one was named Porsche. We tried to hook up these two people in hopes of someday knowing a Porsche Porsche but they wouldn't have anything to do with it.

ab348

suydam said:

The Volt also displays album covers. Kinda fun!
I haven't dared try the voice commands. Ever since Siri told me the nearest Starbucks was in Leicestershire, England (I was in western Michigan at the time), I've stayed away from the voice stuff! I'm sure it's much better now.

I put the music I want on a USB stick and took the time to add album art to them so that displays when the song plays.

I have a mental block with voice commands. I can never get the syntax correct. Do I say "dial" or "call"? "Display" or "show"? Etc etc. I gave it up after too many unsuccessful attempts wher eI ended up yelling at the thing.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

Here's some "car" boy names:
Austin (Austin Motor Company)
Axle (auto part)
Baron (Chrysler Le Baron)
Cam (short for a camshaft auto part)
Cherokee (Jeep Cherokee)
Chevy (Chevrolet)
Colt (Dodge Colt)
Cooper (Mini Cooper)
Corbin (Corbin, 1904-1912)
Cord (Cord Corporation Cord L-29, 1929-1937)
Diesel (fuel type)
Dino (Ferrari Dino)
Dodge (Dodge)
Ford (Ford)
Forrester (Subaru Forrester)
Franklin (Franklin Automobile Company, 1902-1934)
Gauge (car part)
Gaylord (Gaylord Motorcar Company, 1911-1912)
Harrison (Harrison Wagon Company Harrison, 1905-1907)
Hemi (engine type)
Henry (Henry Motor Car Company Henry, 1910-1912)
Herbie (VW Bug movie car)
Holden (Holden)
Hudson (Hudson, 1909-1957)
Jack (short for a car jack auto part)
Jackson (Jackson Automobile Company Jackson, 1903-1923)
Jazz (Honda Jazz)
Jeffery (Thomas B. Jeffery Company Jeffery, 1902-1917)
Jimmy (GMC Jimmy)
Lincoln (Lincoln)
Mark (Lincoln Mark Series)
Martin (Aston Martin)
Maverick (Ford Maverick)
Monte (Chevrolet Monte Carlo)
Morgan (Morgan)
Nash (Nash Motors Company, 1917-1957)
Owen (Owen Magnetic Motor Car Corporation, 1915-1922)
Packard (Packard, 1899-1958)
Pierce (Pierce-Arrow Motor Company, 1901-1938)
Ranger (Ford Ranger)
Romeo (Alfa Romeo)
Ross (Ross Steamer, 1905-1909)
Royce (Rolls-Royce)
Shelby (Shelby)
Stanley (Stanley Motor Carriage Company, 1902-1924)
Stu (short for Studebaker, 1902-1966)
Vin (Vehicle Identification Number)
Willy (Willys “Jeep”)
Wilson (Wilson Automobile Manufacturing Company, 1903-1905

I am surprised no one thought of;
Bentle, very dignified for a boy, Taurus sounds strong, or dumb like bull!

How about Max for Maxwell?
Or Tucker?
Or Ramsey" (Olds)
Or dare I....Edsel?

driver100

ab348 said:

thebean said:

Anyone else like to read automotive books?  My favorites are ones about defunct makes, like Studebaker, Packard, American Motors.  I think it's interesting to find out what went wrong with these makes.  I haven't read any on makes like Hudson, Willys, Kaiser, and the like, but I'm on the lookout for some.

Has anyone read any books about designers like Harley Earl, Virgil Exner, Raymond Loewy?  I'm looking at a few books on these men, and recommendations would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.

One I wanted to get but waited too long, and now it is very expensive to buy in print form is this, by GM Designer Dave Holls and auto writer Michael Lamm:

A Century of Automotive Style: 100 Years of American Car Design

I can get it in electronic form but really wanted the paper version.

ab, you can get a copy along with a CD for under $30 US (shipping may be slightly more to Canada) It may be used but he has 20 copies so may be new. Looks like a really good book to have for a collection.

If i am looking for something out of the usual I try abebooks.com. They link you up to booksellers all over the world. abebooks stands for Advanced Book Exchange. Started by two computer nerds whose wives had a book business selling books worldwide the old fashioned way....from a list.



A Century of Automotive Style: 100 Years of American Car Design

fintail

My niece is 6 now. When she was younger, she was really into cars - she had at least 100 Hot Wheels, and many others. She also got excited about motorcycles. I remember the first time she saw the fintail, she was very interested in the color, and the chrome on the front end. Then suddenly when she hit 5 years old, no more car interest, all girl stuff now (along with a few video games and her tablet). Oh well.

Here she is with her first car, a pink Mini (I didn't take the pic, so it is what it is):



The kid talk reminds me of this classic video out of Russia from a few years ago:

https://youtu.be/QNvCvhCQwvM

I remember when I was little, I liked a diverse assortment. MGs really interested me, small trucks like the then-current VW Rabbit pickups, I liked how Beetles sounded, I liked antique cars, I liked Porsches, and I liked cars with a manual on the floor, as the shifting procedure was of great interest.

abacomike

ab348 said:

The Volt also displays album covers. Kinda fun! I haven't dared try the voice commands. Ever since Siri told me the nearest Starbucks was in Leicestershire, England (I was in western Michigan at the time), I've stayed away from the voice stuff! I'm sure it's much better now.

I put the music I want on a USB stick and took the time to add album art to them so that displays when the song plays. I have a mental block with voice commands. I can never get the syntax correct. Do I say "dial" or "call"? "Display" or "show"? Etc etc. I gave it up after too many unsuccessful attempts wher eI ended up yelling at the thing.

Usually, it's:

call
play
tune
display
show
list

If you preface your request with one of those verbs above, 95% of voice commands are mastered!  

driver100

thebean said:

Anyone else like to read automotive books?  My favorites are ones about defunct makes, like Studebaker, Packard, American Motors.  I think it's interesting to find out what went wrong with these makes.  I haven't read any on makes like Hudson, Willys, Kaiser, and the like, but I'm on the lookout for some.

Has anyone read any books about designers like Harley Earl, Virgil Exner, Raymond Loewy?  I'm looking at a few books on these men, and recommendations would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.

I read this one a long time ago....don't remember too much but I really enjoyed it at the time. Looks like it is only $10 on Amazon.


Harley Earl and the Dream Machine

driver100

abacomike said:

Another nice feature of my voice recognition system is that once I press the voice button on the steering wheel, I can say:

display map
display traffic information
display tire pressure
display fuel economy
play "the Boxer" or any music on hard drive
tune FM 91.3
tune satellite radio channel 17
display mileage range
display weather

and a host of a myriad of commands.  Never had a car that actually did what I told it to do for almost every conceivable request.  Awesome technology.

Where is;
Scratch My Back"

berri

28 - congratulations. All I can tell you is that it will seem like time is normal until about 25 or 30 years down the road. Then you'll look back and think, boy that was fast! Take the opportunities to enjoy your kid whenever you can.

berri

Bean - I think most of the stuff you'll find about these designers will be in automotive books and news history. You picked some fascinating studies. You can actually find a synopsis of each career in Wikipedia. If you are ever in Detroit, the library has an outstanding automotive research area. I've always been interested in automotive design - very interesting, not just the car design itself, but the marketing, what was going on that impacted the design and squabbles between design and engineering. Two interesting second derivatives are the areas of concept cars and automotive advertising which have a few books in Amazon.

PS - another interesting designer is Elwood Engel

suydam

Kind of sound like dog names, those.

abacomike

driver100 said:

Another nice feature of my voice recognition system is that once I press the voice button on the steering wheel, I can say:

display map
display traffic information
display tire pressure
display fuel economy
play "the Boxer" or any music on hard drive
tune FM 91.3
tune satellite radio channel 17
display mileage range
display weather

and a host of a myriad of commands.  Never had a car that actually did what I told it to do for almost every conceivable request.  Awesome technology.

Where is; Scratch My Back"

I have to say "massage my back" - it won't scratch it!!!