Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

driver100

28firefighter said:

I'm not used to seeing the manufacturers pushing previous year models this far into the next MY. However, it seems both BMW and MB still have a lot of 2016 inventory on the ground they need gone.

I have seen a change in the year end clearance at MB. They don't have big sales to clear-out old stock. I think they hold off on introducing the new models...they don't even have a set date, and they slowly start bringing in the new models when the last years models are almost gone.

This maintains prices better and doesn't devalue the whole line. This seems to be their new method. The car GG was looking at seems to be discounted to the max for a new model...4 or 5%, plus almost a years depreciation....that says to me it is a pretty good deal. I doubt if there are many left. I haven't seen many 2017 E300s around, and there is only the 4 cyl E300 or an E43 available. They may be stalling on the 6 cyl models until all the 4's are sold out.

oldfarmer50

Oh, I gotta run right over and get this one:

Wonderful shape good price 04 ford f150 AWD - $2600 (Albany)


2004 Ford f-150
fuel: gas
odometer: 110500
title status: clean
transmission: automatic
Your car rides well and contains a lot more ability than you may previously demand. The quality of skillfullness is primary level.

Superb vehicle, enjoyable drive an automobile, holders nicely. Excellent vacation cabin area back and front pertaining to a number of individuals. High end sedan feel, receptive steering, beautifully stiched leather-based. Impossibility of locking keys inside vehicle, spacious internal and comfortable seating. Overall match and finish is great (particularly the natural leather), every little thing outlines up nicely.

A highly thought out motor vehicle that may be simple and refined but awesome high in styling, efficiency and features but properly charged.

Mr_Shiftright

Ever read those bizarre headlines, like: "Man firing pistol in air drives through front window of local car dealership"?

Now you know why this happens.

tjc78

@graphicguy
wow, about the CTS.  I think I would have been on the 6:00 news by now. 

As as for the Avalon.  My .02, had two an 03 and an 06.  They were both fabulous cars.  The 06 was much improved and for a big car really moved.   The 2GR V6 from Toyota is one of the best V6s on the market.    

oldfarmer50

Noooooooooooooo!

http://blog.caranddriver.com/another-eclipse-mitsubishis-new-crossover-wears-a-familiar-name/?src=nl&mag=cdb&list=nl_dvr_news&date=021717

The biggest tragedy since they put the Charger name on a four door.

Mr_Shiftright

A name that will live on forever in the Pizza Delivery Industry.

fintail

Next up, the EVO Crossover?

qbrozen

fintail said:

Next up, the EVO Crossover?

I could get behind that idea if it is a compact crossover with trick AWD and 300hp turbo 4 with manual trans! A GLA AMG competitor for less money (and preferably more usable back seat).

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

Noooooooooooooo!

http://blog.caranddriver.com/another-eclipse-mitsubishis-new-crossover-wears-a-familiar-name/?src=nl&mag=cdb&list=nl_dvr_news&date=021717

The biggest tragedy since they put the Charger name on a four door.

I can hardly wait.......

imidazol97

"GG: I think I would have been on the 6:00 news by now."

I laughed because I'd have to agree. I keep thinking about my tantrum at Walmart Thursday evening. I waited 25 minutes in line that was 8 deep at beginning and 12 deep at end at the returns counter. Then I got to the front of the line and the newbie was told by the other lady that they can't return a greeting card after 24 hours because of copyright. LOL Older lady made big mistake rolling her eyes when I was commenting how I'd never heard of that and I'd just reject the credit card charge because they refused to return it.

Store manager, who was called over, had front end cashier open a check out line register, rang in the return. And aplogized. I proceeded to turn the knife by saying that they never tried to return the card using the bar code and the register. The store computer never said they couldn't take it back. The manager's first question had been, " Is that what the register said?" The two ladies just consorted to refuse the refund.

I keep turning the knife about they never tried the register to see if it took the return.

(I gave the customers in line some entertainment for a few minutes of a $4 greeting card for a veteran father of our good friend. He was interviewed by the local TV station. He turned 99 and my wife thought he was turning 100. So we bought a "100" card. It's not like I went home and used my 5 computers and 3 printers to mass produce illegal copies--there ain't much demand for cards for folks that are 100-years old.)

Cadillac should have done the same here. If they had, after two weeks, said, "Mr. Guy, what color CTS would you like? We'll search for one in the Midwest zones as close to yours as we can find and then discuss the fine points of providing you with your car. Just think...

I'm sure other companies have cars that have problems. This seemed like the perfect storm but it provided entertainment for the "I hate GM" folks (that discussion was removed after I started it, LOL). It seems to me with no inside knowledge, that a set of power cables needed redesign for "old work" replacement and attachment. The parts were slow for whatever reason. The mechanic probably was rushed but is clearly not a obsessive compulsive worker.

I won't entertain with stories from other car models from the past which had problems--I've quit following some other threads on forums to learn what goes wrong with the "perfect" brands, but thing do.

I just hope that Mr. G Guy will find a "Jolene" like I did at Walmart, the Asst Manager who fixed the problem with an open ear to what went wrong.

andres3

graphicguy said:

carnaught said:

GG, I cannot believe that someone didn't drive your CTS before releasing it back to you. The lack of quality control there is really pitiful, not to mention, incompetent.

Hope you got paperwork with your immediate car return.

Yeah.....the dealer logs everything and gives me the service write up. Not sure what to make of all of this. As I mentioned before, I'm kind of numb by the whole fiasco.

You guys are talking about light interiors, here's the Avalon's that I test drove.....

http://www.kingstoyota.com/new/Toyota/2017-Toyota-Avalon-cincinnati-oh-ddf357f80a0e0adf47fda79c81afb366.htm

Maybe I'm an interior nut, but I love my beige interiors. I really don't think black is the best combo with beige, so I prefer that the transition be limited to just the very high parts of the car. The upper dash and upper door trim at most. I dislike the lower plastic trim pieces coming from the "same for all colors" part bin (default black). Carpeting being the exception where I can live with a darker color, but all the trim should be beige in beige car, it should be like the equator at some point in the car, everything north is black, everything south is beige. Another exception is headliner; lighter is better.

Here's an example of how a beige interior should be done (VW and Audi know interiors if they know anything) Notice how even the switchgear faceplates are beige (listening Kia!?! ). I'm OK with the window buttons being black (although it would be cool if the were beige too) but making the face-plate black is lazy and cheap.

andres3

jmonroe said:

sda said:

graphicguy said:

Went to drop off the Caddy loaner last night. Surprisingly, they said my CTS was done. Not expecting that, but somewhat relieved, as you never know how things will turn out when you're driving someone else's car and you are involved in an accident. I'm always extra careful (morseso than driving my own car) when I'm driving someone else's.

Anyway, got about 1/4 mile down the road, and a terrible noise starts...like metal flapping against the rear end. And, the steering feels like the bushings have 200K miles on them. It's loosy-goosey and all over the road. Hit an expansion joint and you're thrown in the next lane. Feels like a shock or spring is broken.

Back to the dealership. Service writer was surprised to see me, but hearing the car pull into the driveway, knew something was wrong. He said they had to do "A LOT" of work to my car (yeah...pulling the engine and rerouting all the wiring is a pretty big job), and they may have missed something. Still, none of that should have had any effect on the suspension.....maybe the steering rack, but that's a reach, too.

So, they put me back in another CT6, not the one I had been driving. This one has the LCD screen for the rear view mirror. Pretty unnerving.

No word from BBB or Cadillac Customer Service for about a week.

The saga continues.

For grins, gonna head to the BMW dealership, tonight to see what I can get for my "meager" $40K.

GG, Cadillac has a curse on you. Good grief.

I disagree.

Cadillacs service dept. is inept. Should have never returned the car without an extensive test drive given all the work that was performed. Yanking the engine is MAJOR work. There is no telling what was disconnected to yank it and then re-install it.

Again the dealer is not up to snuff, but is anyone really surprised by that?

As others said earlier, "I would not want that car after all that work". Here's the proof of that.

jmonroe

On the other hand, I didn't want my Audi "after all that work" to put it on the jig, but it was short of pulling the engine. They do have to pull off every part in front of the engine, however, and the rear of the car as well (including exhaust). They actually managed to put it all back together, with only the following issues if you discount fit and finish build quality concerns:

1) Next day after return was leaking coolant; one hose wasn't tightened correctly; tow and fix.
2) Washer fluid hose to front headlight probably wasn't installed correctly; came off and leaked washer fluid at around 40,000 miles.
3) Replacement headlight needed a new low-beam bulb at about 45,000 miles.

All in all, they actually did a decent job mechanically, but I'd still of rather had it totaled (would have saved me one tow truck incident to say the least). Of course, I think they had the car 38 days the first stint.

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

"GG: I think I would have been on the 6:00 news by now."

I laughed because I'd have to agree. I keep thinking about my tantrum at Walmart Thursday evening. I waited 25 minutes in line that was 8 deep at beginning and 12 deep at end at the returns counter. Then I got to the front of the line and the newbie was told by the other lady that they can't return a greeting card after 24 hours because of copyright. LOL Older lady made big mistake rolling her eyes when I was commenting how I'd never heard of that and I'd just reject the credit card charge because they refused to return it.

Store manager, who was called over, had front end cashier open a check out line register, rang in the return. And aplogized. I proceeded to turn the knife by saying that they never tried to return the card using the bar code and the register. The store computer never said they couldn't take it back. The manager's first question had been, " Is that what the register said?" The two ladies just consorted to refuse the refund.

I keep turning the knife about they never tried the register to see if it took the return.

(I gave the customers in line some entertainment for a few minutes of a $4 greeting card for a veteran father of our good friend. He was interviewed by the local TV station. He turned 99 and my wife thought he was turning 100. So we bought a "100" card. It's not like I went home and used my 5 computers and 3 printers to mass produce illegal copies--there ain't much demand for cards for folks that are 100-years old.)

Cadillac should have done the same here. If they had, after two weeks, said, "Mr. Guy, what color CTS would you like? We'll search for one in the Midwest zones as close to yours as we can find and then discuss the fine points of providing you with your car. Just think...

I'm sure other companies have cars that have problems. This seemed like the perfect storm but it provided entertainment for the "I hate GM" folks (that discussion was removed after I started it, LOL). It seems to me with no inside knowledge, that a set of power cables needed redesign for "old work" replacement and attachment. The parts were slow for whatever reason. The mechanic probably was rushed but is clearly not a obsessive compulsive worker.

I won't entertain with stories from other car models from the past which had problems--I've quit following some other threads on forums to learn what goes wrong with the "perfect" brands, but thing do.

I just hope that Mr. G Guy will find a "Jolene" like I did at Walmart, the Asst Manager who fixed the problem with an open ear to what went wrong.

I never thought about it but the delay tactics used by Caddy on GG are the same at Walmart returns.

Took me twice as long to get a price adjustment that rang up wrong on the register than it did to buy the items in the first place.

Mr_Shiftright

I'd half-expect bad customer service at Walmart but not at a Cadillac dealer.

andres3

imidazol97 said:

"GG: I think I would have been on the 6:00 news by now."

I laughed because I'd have to agree. I keep thinking about my tantrum at Walmart Thursday evening. I waited 25 minutes in line that was 8 deep at beginning and 12 deep at end at the returns counter. Then I got to the front of the line and the newbie was told by the other lady that they can't return a greeting card after 24 hours because of copyright. LOL Older lady made big mistake rolling her eyes when I was commenting how I'd never heard of that and I'd just reject the credit card charge because they refused to return it.

Store manager, who was called over, had front end cashier open a check out line register, rang in the return. And aplogized. I proceeded to turn the knife by saying that they never tried to return the card using the bar code and the register. The store computer never said they couldn't take it back. The manager's first question had been, " Is that what the register said?" The two ladies just consorted to refuse the refund.

I keep turning the knife about they never tried the register to see if it took the return.

(I gave the customers in line some entertainment for a few minutes of a $4 greeting card for a veteran father of our good friend. He was interviewed by the local TV station. He turned 99 and my wife thought he was turning 100. So we bought a "100" card. It's not like I went home and used my 5 computers and 3 printers to mass produce illegal copies--there ain't much demand for cards for folks that are 100-years old.)

Cadillac should have done the same here. If they had, after two weeks, said, "Mr. Guy, what color CTS would you like? We'll search for one in the Midwest zones as close to yours as we can find and then discuss the fine points of providing you with your car. Just think...

I'm sure other companies have cars that have problems. This seemed like the perfect storm but it provided entertainment for the "I hate GM" folks (that discussion was removed after I started it, LOL). It seems to me with no inside knowledge, that a set of power cables needed redesign for "old work" replacement and attachment. The parts were slow for whatever reason. The mechanic probably was rushed but is clearly not a obsessive compulsive worker.

I won't entertain with stories from other car models from the past which had problems--I've quit following some other threads on forums to learn what goes wrong with the "perfect" brands, but thing do.

I just hope that Mr. G Guy will find a "Jolene" like I did at Walmart, the Asst Manager who fixed the problem with an open ear to what went wrong.

I think a large portion of the population that falls into the category of "shunning the Big 3" doesn't really "Hate GM." I think the thread you started could be more aptly titled "I don't want to ever get another Lemon from the Big 3 and then get screwed over a 2nd time."

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

Since my thread title is too wordy, try this "I CAN'T Let Big 3 Screw Me Twice!"

It's funny, because Honda's and Audi's aren't always perfect. Each of those companies had an opportunity to bend me over, but they opted not to do that when given the choice. I think they've both been rewarded from refraining to screw me over.

andres3

Mr_Shiftright said:

I'd half-expect bad customer service at Walmart but not at a Cadillac dealer.

I don't think I have any desire for Wal-Mart after switching to become a Costco member. The workers at Walmart are there for a paycheck. The workers at Costco are there to work. I'd love to compare their register workers' customers served per hour ratios!

abacomike

imidazol97 said:

"GG: I think I would have been on the 6:00 news by now." I laughed because I'd have to agree. I keep thinking about my tantrum at Walmart Thursday evening. I waited 25 minutes in line that was 8 deep at beginning and 12 deep at end at the returns counter. Then I got to the front of the line and the newbie was told by the other lady that they can't return a greeting card after 24 hours because of copyright. LOL Older lady made big mistake rolling her eyes when I was commenting how I'd never heard of that and I'd just reject the credit card charge because they refused to return it. Store manager, who was called over, had front end cashier open a check out line register, rang in the return. And aplogized. I proceeded to turn the knife by saying that they never tried to return the card using the bar code and the register. The store computer never said they couldn't take it back. The manager's first question had been, " Is that what the register said?" The two ladies just consorted to refuse the refund. I keep turning the knife about they never tried the register to see if it took the return. (I gave the customers in line some entertainment for a few minutes of a $4 greeting card for a veteran father of our good friend. He was interviewed by the local TV station. He turned 99 and my wife thought he was turning 100. So we bought a "100" card. It's not like I went home and used my 5 computers and 3 printers to mass produce illegal copies--there ain't much demand for cards for folks that are 100-years old.) Cadillac should have done the same here. If they had, after two weeks, said, "Mr. Guy, what color CTS would you like? We'll search for one in the Midwest zones as close to yours as we can find and then discuss the fine points of providing you with your car. Just think... I'm sure other companies have cars that have problems. This seemed like the perfect storm but it provided entertainment for the "I hate GM" folks (that discussion was removed after I started it, LOL). It seems to me with no inside knowledge, that a set of power cables needed redesign for "old work" replacement and attachment. The parts were slow for whatever reason. The mechanic probably was rushed but is clearly not a obsessive compulsive worker. I won't entertain with stories from other car models from the past which had problems--I've quit following some other threads on forums to learn what goes wrong with the "perfect" brands, but thing do. I just hope that Mr. G Guy will find a "Jolene" like I did at Walmart, the Asst Manager who fixed the problem with an open ear to what went wrong.

That would be appropriate.  To have a car in service for over 30 days waiting on parts and when you finally get to take possession again, it falls apart for some other reason + having 2 other negative experiences with the same make and model in less than 18 months, you have to be jinxed or hexed or just plain unlucky.  I still say it's the curse of the Cadillac 8-6-4 V8.  

Everyone I know who has an ATS or CTS swears by them.  Graphicguy swears at them! 

Mr_Shiftright

I remember a story a good friend told me, about when she worked for a very prestigious marketing firm. Her VP told her that back in the 80s, Harley Davidson had come to them for assistance. At that time Harley was not doing well at all.

The advice from the marketing firm seems to apply to Cadillac as well. They said: "Look, you cannot make a motorcycle to compete head to head with the Japanese and Germans; however, you can make a BETTER motorcycle than you do now, and you can completely revamp how you sell and to whom you sell it".

Well, the rest is history. Harley fired all its customers and went after respectable married middle-aged guys who loved to tour around in packs with their wives. And all the Harley dealers got wayyyy spiffed up or got dumped, and there was a bike for every price range.

abacomike

Well, I certainly can't complain about fuel economy on the 740i.  Going up I got over 36 mpg and coming back I got the same - and that's at 75-78 mph.  At 55-60 mph, I've gotten 40+ mpg in ECO Pro setting.  I sure never got that in a Mercedes.  The inline 6 is so much quieter and torquier.  

But the bugs on the front of the car and windshield sure are a pain.  But that's Florida for you!  

andres3

abacomike said:

Well, I certainly can't complain about fuel economy on the 740i.  Going up I got over 36 mpg and coming back I got the same - and that's at 75-78 mph.  At 55-60 mph, I've gotten 40+ mpg in ECO Pro setting.  I sure never got that in a Mercedes.  The inline 6 is so much quieter and torquier.  

But the bugs on the front of the car and windshield sure are a pain.  But that's Florida for you!  

That is just phenomenal mileage for a large car with a powerful motor. It would be hard for me to duplicate your economy with the lightweight Kia Optima 1.6T.

Maybe Florida has less left lane campers than CA. That reduces fuel economy drastically if I'm trying to go 78 MPH without being slowed down.

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

Well, I certainly can't complain about fuel economy on the 740i.  Going up I got over 36 mpg and coming back I got the same - and that's at 75-78 mph.  At 55-60 mph, I've gotten 40+ mpg in ECO Pro setting.  I sure never got that in a Mercedes.  The inline 6 is so much quieter and torquier.  

But the bugs on the front of the car and windshield sure are a pain.  But that's Florida for you!  

That is impressive. Have you considered one of those bug guards that I use to see on old Buicks and Caddys down there? Looked like a mini windshield.

abacomike

oldfarmer50 said:

abacomike said:

Well, I certainly can't complain about fuel economy on the 740i.  Going up I got over 36 mpg and coming back I got the same - and that's at 75-78 mph.  At 55-60 mph, I've gotten 40+ mpg in ECO Pro setting.  I sure never got that in a Mercedes.  The inline 6 is so much quieter and torquier.  

But the bugs on the front of the car and windshield sure are a pain.  But that's Florida for you!  

That is impressive. Have you considered one of those bug guards that I use to see on old Buicks and Caddys down there? Looked like a mini windshield.

I so seldom travel more than 30 or 40 miles in a given day that a bug or two won't bother me. But on a 600 mile round trip through citrus orchard areas is quite different. I also noticed that when I travel on the Sawgrass Expressway, I get more than the usual amount of bugs on the windshield and nose of the car because that part of the Florida Turnpike runs along the edge of the Everglades.

I'm getting a bit too old to drive a car for more than a couple of hours. Even with the 20 way power seats and power side bolsters and power thigh extenders, it is very exhausting for my back and my legs and my feet. I guess I'm just an old fart with aches and pains all over.

I take blood thinners - so I banged my right arm against a door jamb on Tuesday and I now have a blood clot just below the skin surface of my right arm that is about the size of three quarter coins. I'm telling you, "...it ain't easy!" :@

abacomike

andres3 said:

abacomike said:

Well, I certainly can't complain about fuel economy on the 740i.  Going up I got over 36 mpg and coming back I got the same - and that's at 75-78 mph.  At 55-60 mph, I've gotten 40+ mpg in ECO Pro setting.  I sure never got that in a Mercedes.  The inline 6 is so much quieter and torquier.  

But the bugs on the front of the car and windshield sure are a pain.  But that's Florida for you!  

That is just phenomenal mileage for a large car with a powerful motor. It would be hard for me to duplicate your economy with the lightweight Kia Optima 1.6T.

Maybe Florida has less left lane campers than CA. That reduces fuel economy drastically if I'm trying to go 78 MPH without being slowed down.

I'm just as shocked as you are, Andres. The EPA estimate is 29 mpg highway. I average 24+ mpg city/highway. Around town, I get 22 mpg and on the highway, I usually get about 32 mpg in the comfort setting. But when I'm in ECO PRO, it adds 8-10 mpg at 55-60 mph. Anything higher than that, it drops significantly.

When I filled up the tank yesterday when I returned from Ponte Vedra (302 miles), it took just over 8 gallons and I filled it to the brim. So the car's computer is accurate. An amazing level of fuel economy for a 4200+ lb car with a turbo inline 6 (320 hp).

I went into the BMW dealership and saw the new BMW 540i. Quite a nice car. I probably should have struggled with the CLS400 for a couple of months until the new 5 series hit dealerships - a better sized car for me - except it is lower than the 7 series which might have killed the purchase. The cost differential for a comparably equipped 540i would have been about $20,000, give or take a few $$$'s. However they are not discounting that car like they were discounting the 7 series.

I just got an email from BMW USA that informed me that I am entitled to several exclusive benefits for being a 7 series owner:

*a complete, professional detail of my 7 series once each year, inside and out with a loaner car for the day;
*valet service for maintenance or warranty work - they come out, drop off a 5 or 7 series loaner, pick up my car and then return it to me when it is complete;

There are several other exclusive benefits provided, but I forgot them for the moment. Nice features.

jmonroe

abacomike said:

Well, I certainly can't complain about fuel economy on the 740i.  Going up I got over 36 mpg and coming back I got the same - and that's at 75-78 mph.  At 55-60 mph, I've gotten 40+ mpg in ECO Pro setting.  I sure never got that in a Mercedes.  The inline 6 is so much quieter and torquier.  

But the bugs on the front of the car and windshield sure are a pain.  But that's Florida for you!  

Mike, I told this story several years ago on SFTSFL and you should do it to or have someone do it for you. Laugh all you want but it works:

Before I went to Myrtle Beach one year I gave the front end of my '09 Genny a good coat of wax. The first night I was there, I got a bucket from pool side and got some water there also. The bugs on the front end came off with almost no rubbing. A guy next to me was doing his car too but was not having the success that I was having and he said something like, "how is that working so well for you"? I told him what I did and what wax I used. He said, "I have to get some of that wax, you convinced me". Just so happens I had the wax with me for another quick coat for my car and I gave him some for the front of his car.

It is not so much the wax I used, although I like it a lot, but just getting some good quality wax on there will help a LOT with getting the bugs off. Something like "an ounce of prevention is..."

OK, you can stop laughing now and go out and rub your arms off cleaning the bugs off of the front of your car.

jmonroe

roadburner

I REALLY like the new 5er. I took our 540i M Sport for a spin and it is just an outstanding car. Still too big for my tastes, however.
In other news, my wife loves her i3; her only wish is that it had a longer range. We are still using the 110V so-called "Occasional Use Charger" exclusively; 99% of the time the car is fully charged by the next day.

thebean

imidazol97 said:

"GG: I think I would have been on the 6:00 news by now." I laughed because I'd have to agree. I keep thinking about my tantrum at Walmart Thursday evening. I waited 25 minutes in line that was 8 deep at beginning and 12 deep at end at the returns counter. Then I got to the front of the line and the newbie was told by the other lady that they can't return a greeting card after 24 hours because of copyright. LOL Older lady made big mistake rolling her eyes when I was commenting how I'd never heard of that and I'd just reject the credit card charge because they refused to return it. Store manager, who was called over, had front end cashier open a check out line register, rang in the return. And aplogized. I proceeded to turn the knife by saying that they never tried to return the card using the bar code and the register. The store computer never said they couldn't take it back. The manager's first question had been, " Is that what the register said?" The two ladies just consorted to refuse the refund. I keep turning the knife about they never tried the register to see if it took the return. (I gave the customers in line some entertainment for a few minutes of a $4 greeting card for a veteran father of our good friend. He was interviewed by the local TV station. He turned 99 and my wife thought he was turning 100. So we bought a "100" card. It's not like I went home and used my 5 computers and 3 printers to mass produce illegal copies--there ain't much demand for cards for folks that are 100-years old.) Cadillac should have done the same here. If they had, after two weeks, said, "Mr. Guy, what color CTS would you like? We'll search for one in the Midwest zones as close to yours as we can find and then discuss the fine points of providing you with your car. Just think... I'm sure other companies have cars that have problems. This seemed like the perfect storm but it provided entertainment for the "I hate GM" folks (that discussion was removed after I started it, LOL). It seems to me with no inside knowledge, that a set of power cables needed redesign for "old work" replacement and attachment. The parts were slow for whatever reason. The mechanic probably was rushed but is clearly not a obsessive compulsive worker. I won't entertain with stories from other car models from the past which had problems--I've quit following some other threads on forums to learn what goes wrong with the "perfect" brands, but thing do. I just hope that Mr. G Guy will find a "Jolene" like I did at Walmart, the Asst Manager who fixed the problem with an open ear to what went wrong.

So let me get this straight.  You took time to drive to Walmart and stood in line to return a $4 greeting card??  What was the payback % on that trip - negative 500%?  Plus, you raised your blood pressure while arguing with the workers.  I'm retired and have all the time in the world, and I would not even think of doing that.  You said you gave the other people in line entertainment?  Most likely they were thinking "What a tool" and wishing you had written off the $4 and stayed home and was not causing them additional wait time in the return line.  This is my opinion only and I'm sure you will disagree.  

tjc78

What if he had to get another card anyway?  Then it would be just plain stupid NOT to return it. 

I've bought the wrong .59 fitting at Home Depot and returned it when going back to pick up the right one.  What would I do with it anyway?  

Most stores just scan the receipt and automatically credit the card you bought it with.  Takes only a minute. 

abacomike

thebean said:

imidazol97 said:

"GG: I think I would have been on the 6:00 news by now." I laughed because I'd have to agree. I keep thinking about my tantrum at Walmart Thursday evening. I waited 25 minutes in line that was 8 deep at beginning and 12 deep at end at the returns counter. Then I got to the front of the line and the newbie was told by the other lady that they can't return a greeting card after 24 hours because of copyright. LOL Older lady made big mistake rolling her eyes when I was commenting how I'd never heard of that and I'd just reject the credit card charge because they refused to return it. Store manager, who was called over, had front end cashier open a check out line register, rang in the return. And aplogized. I proceeded to turn the knife by saying that they never tried to return the card using the bar code and the register. The store computer never said they couldn't take it back. The manager's first question had been, " Is that what the register said?" The two ladies just consorted to refuse the refund. I keep turning the knife about they never tried the register to see if it took the return. (I gave the customers in line some entertainment for a few minutes of a $4 greeting card for a veteran father of our good friend. He was interviewed by the local TV station. He turned 99 and my wife thought he was turning 100. So we bought a "100" card. It's not like I went home and used my 5 computers and 3 printers to mass produce illegal copies--there ain't much demand for cards for folks that are 100-years old.) Cadillac should have done the same here. If they had, after two weeks, said, "Mr. Guy, what color CTS would you like? We'll search for one in the Midwest zones as close to yours as we can find and then discuss the fine points of providing you with your car. Just think... I'm sure other companies have cars that have problems. This seemed like the perfect storm but it provided entertainment for the "I hate GM" folks (that discussion was removed after I started it, LOL). It seems to me with no inside knowledge, that a set of power cables needed redesign for "old work" replacement and attachment. The parts were slow for whatever reason. The mechanic probably was rushed but is clearly not a obsessive compulsive worker. I won't entertain with stories from other car models from the past which had problems--I've quit following some other threads on forums to learn what goes wrong with the "perfect" brands, but thing do. I just hope that Mr. G Guy will find a "Jolene" like I did at Walmart, the Asst Manager who fixed the problem with an open ear to what went wrong.

So let me get this straight.  You took time to drive to Walmart and stood in line to return a $4 greeting card??  What was the payback % on that trip - negative 500%?  Plus, you raised your blood pressure while arguing with the workers.  I'm retired and have all the time in the world, and I would not even think of doing that.  You said you gave the other people in line entertainment?  Most likely they were thinking "What a tool" and wishing you had written off the $4 and stayed home and was not causing them additional wait time in the return line.  This is my opinion only and I'm sure you will disagree.  

Walmart is one place I would never get in line to return something at customer service.  Besides, I really can't remember the last time I returned something I purchased anywhere.  I take so much time thinking and evaluating and checking on something before I pull the trigger and buy something that I rarely end up having to return it because it is not what I wanted or doesn't fit or is the wrong color.

The last time, come to think of it, that I returned something was when I bought a refrigerator from Sears.  It was a Kenmore (2 years ago).  I had to return it 3 times - 3 different refrigerators had defects.  Then I bought the Whirpool and have had zero problems.

Getting back to Walmart, I always see lines and lines of people waiting to return items.  You can often see them getting grouchy and antsy - usually only one register open at any given time.  As for their employees, they are definitely not very consumer friendly.

So I agree, to some extent, with your assessment.  

As a postscript to the above, I actually took more time buying a 50" Vizio TV and sound bar than I usually take buying a car.  Can you believe that?  I'll bet you all do!!!

driver100

imid a $4 greeting card for a veteran father of our good friend. He was interviewed by the local TV station. He turned 99 and my wife thought he was turning 100. So we bought a "100" card.

If you couldn't return it then you could just save it...maybe one day you will have another 100 year old who will need a card.

btw....I didn't realize people would copy a greeting card....for those who care to send the very best

tjc78

There is no reason to buy a card and copy it. You can download free software that will make greeting cards you can print on any printer. 

driver100

But, maybe this card was particularly funny or something. Sometimes the free stuff isn't quite as good.

fintail

It'll end up being a NA 4 Lancer on stilts with a lump at rear and the 25% price adjustment given to CUVs because they know the demographic will go for it.

With how much an EVO costs, and the price bump for CUV, it might not undercut a GLA by much. I remember going to the Vancouver auto show years ago, when the "Sportback" was new, and they had one that stickered at like 42K CDN - that's when the loonie was around 90 US cents, I think. Insane.

qbrozen said:

I could get behind that idea if it is a compact crossover with trick AWD and 300hp turbo 4 with manual trans! A GLA AMG competitor for less money (and preferably more usable back seat).

driver100

Mike, after driving that distance I am surprised you didn't have a few driving horror stories to tell us about.

Yesterday I drove to the airport in Sarasota, about a 40 minute drive on I-75. I could have been killed or injured about a dozen times by guys weaving in and out or trying to wedge their cars between two cars.

But, the worst one I have lived through in a long time was I was going about 75 mph in the middle lane, there was a car on my left about even with my back door. I didn't see this guy coming, but a guy on a motorcycle who had to be doing 95 or more came up between my car and the one on the left, cut into my lane almost taking out my left front fender, drove around the next car in the left lane, then continued on in the left lane.

I didn't know if he was out of control so I swerved a bit to the right when he started to cut in front of me.

I don't care if they want to kill themselves, but I don't like it when they involve other people in their stupid antics. :@

abacomike

driver100 said:

Mike, after driving that distance I am surprised you didn't have a few driving horror stories to tell us about. Yesterday I drove to the airport in Sarasota, about a 40 minute drive on I-75. I could have been killed or injured about a dozen times by guys weaving in and out or trying to wedge their cars between two cars. But, the worst one I have lived through in a long time was I was going about 75 mph in the middle lane, there was a car on my left about even with my back door. I didn't see this guy coming, but a guy on a motorcycle who had to be doing 95 or more came up between my car and the one on the left, cut into my lane almost taking out my left front fender, drove around the next car in the left lane, then continued on in the left lane. I didn't know if he was out of control so I swerved a bit to the right when he started to cut in front of me. I don't care if they want to kill themselves, but I don't like it when they involve other people in their stupid antics. :@

Actually, I had as uneventful a driving trip as anyone could possibly have.  Sorry driver.  

imidazol97

abacomike said:

Actually, I had as uneventful a driving trip as anyone could possibly have.  Sorry driver.  

Would making frequent stops to walk help you feel better at the end of the trip?

PF_Flyer

Snow doesn't do this, just sayin'...

How about the sinkhole in Studio City, CA that swallowed two cars!

imidazol97

PF_Flyer said:

Snow doesn't do this, just sayin'...

How about the sinkhole in Studio City, CA that swallowed two cars!

They're not Corvettes this time...

Glad no one was hurt badly.

Mr_Shiftright

Shoot we call that a "pothole" in Oakland.

abacomike

imidazol97 said:

Actually, I had as uneventful a driving trip as anyone could possibly have.  Sorry driver.  

Would making frequent stops to walk help you feel better at the end of the trip?

I would think so imid, however going up I was on a tight schedule because my cardiologist was backed up by 1-1/2 hours.  So I had a late start.  Had to be up at my brother's place by 3:45 PM for dinner reservations so I had to drive straight through without a stop.  Coming home, I did stop at a rest area and got myself a Diet Pepsi.

Driving here in Florida is very difficult because most of the state is flat as a pancake.  That makes driving very boring and tedious, much like driving in the desert.

But I really should have stopped at least twice each way to reduce the pain and tingling.

suydam

thebean said:

imidazol97 said:

"GG: I think I would have been on the 6:00 news by now."

I laughed because I'd have to agree. I keep thinking about my tantrum at Walmart Thursday evening. I waited 25 minutes in line that was 8 deep at beginning and 12 deep at end at the returns counter. Then I got to the front of the line and the newbie was told by the other lady that they can't return a greeting card after 24 hours because of copyright. LOL Older lady made big mistake rolling her eyes when I was commenting how I'd never heard of that and I'd just reject the credit card charge because they refused to return it.

Store manager, who was called over, had front end cashier open a check out line register, rang in the return. And aplogized. I proceeded to turn the knife by saying that they never tried to return the card using the bar code and the register. The store computer never said they couldn't take it back. The manager's first question had been, " Is that what the register said?" The two ladies just consorted to refuse the refund.

I keep turning the knife about they never tried the register to see if it took the return.

(I gave the customers in line some entertainment for a few minutes of a $4 greeting card for a veteran father of our good friend. He was interviewed by the local TV station. He turned 99 and my wife thought he was turning 100. So we bought a "100" card. It's not like I went home and used my 5 computers and 3 printers to mass produce illegal copies--there ain't much demand for cards for folks that are 100-years old.)

Cadillac should have done the same here. If they had, after two weeks, said, "Mr. Guy, what color CTS would you like? We'll search for one in the Midwest zones as close to yours as we can find and then discuss the fine points of providing you with your car. Just think...

I'm sure other companies have cars that have problems. This seemed like the perfect storm but it provided entertainment for the "I hate GM" folks (that discussion was removed after I started it, LOL). It seems to me with no inside knowledge, that a set of power cables needed redesign for "old work" replacement and attachment. The parts were slow for whatever reason. The mechanic probably was rushed but is clearly not a obsessive compulsive worker.

I won't entertain with stories from other car models from the past which had problems--I've quit following some other threads on forums to learn what goes wrong with the "perfect" brands, but thing do.

I just hope that Mr. G Guy will find a "Jolene" like I did at Walmart, the Asst Manager who fixed the problem with an open ear to what went wrong.

So let me get this straight.  You took time to drive to Walmart and stood in line to return a $4 greeting card??  What was the payback % on that trip - negative 500%?  Plus, you raised your blood pressure while arguing with the workers.  I'm retired and have all the time in the world, and I would not even think of doing that.  You said you gave the other people in line entertainment?  Most likely they were thinking "What a tool" and wishing you had written off the $4 and stayed home and was not causing them additional wait time in the return line.  This is my opinion only and I'm sure you will disagree.  

I would have saved it for next year. Assuming I could remember where I put it.
Never shop at Walmart. We don't have one now where we moved. Fine by me.

stickguy

my wife does that all the time. Gets cards that are "perfect" when she sees them, then can never find them when the birthday rolls around.

Having had to return things to walmart a few times, it is really the worst place to do it. always slow and painful.

berri

I find that generally Walmart gives you far less hassle returning items than many more expensive stores.

stickguy

they may take the stuff back, but you have to go through hell getting to the register to ask!

suydam

berri said:

I find that generally Walmart gives you far less hassle returning items than many more expensive stores.

Such as?
I get so much on Amazon these days, and their returns are super easy.

Michaell

suydam said:

thebean said:

imidazol97 said:

"GG: I think I would have been on the 6:00 news by now."

I laughed because I'd have to agree. I keep thinking about my tantrum at Walmart Thursday evening. I waited 25 minutes in line that was 8 deep at beginning and 12 deep at end at the returns counter. Then I got to the front of the line and the newbie was told by the other lady that they can't return a greeting card after 24 hours because of copyright. LOL Older lady made big mistake rolling her eyes when I was commenting how I'd never heard of that and I'd just reject the credit card charge because they refused to return it.

Store manager, who was called over, had front end cashier open a check out line register, rang in the return. And aplogized. I proceeded to turn the knife by saying that they never tried to return the card using the bar code and the register. The store computer never said they couldn't take it back. The manager's first question had been, " Is that what the register said?" The two ladies just consorted to refuse the refund.

I keep turning the knife about they never tried the register to see if it took the return.

(I gave the customers in line some entertainment for a few minutes of a $4 greeting card for a veteran father of our good friend. He was interviewed by the local TV station. He turned 99 and my wife thought he was turning 100. So we bought a "100" card. It's not like I went home and used my 5 computers and 3 printers to mass produce illegal copies--there ain't much demand for cards for folks that are 100-years old.)

Cadillac should have done the same here. If they had, after two weeks, said, "Mr. Guy, what color CTS would you like? We'll search for one in the Midwest zones as close to yours as we can find and then discuss the fine points of providing you with your car. Just think...

I'm sure other companies have cars that have problems. This seemed like the perfect storm but it provided entertainment for the "I hate GM" folks (that discussion was removed after I started it, LOL). It seems to me with no inside knowledge, that a set of power cables needed redesign for "old work" replacement and attachment. The parts were slow for whatever reason. The mechanic probably was rushed but is clearly not a obsessive compulsive worker.

I won't entertain with stories from other car models from the past which had problems--I've quit following some other threads on forums to learn what goes wrong with the "perfect" brands, but thing do.

I just hope that Mr. G Guy will find a "Jolene" like I did at Walmart, the Asst Manager who fixed the problem with an open ear to what went wrong.

So let me get this straight.  You took time to drive to Walmart and stood in line to return a $4 greeting card??  What was the payback % on that trip - negative 500%?  Plus, you raised your blood pressure while arguing with the workers.  I'm retired and have all the time in the world, and I would not even think of doing that.  You said you gave the other people in line entertainment?  Most likely they were thinking "What a tool" and wishing you had written off the $4 and stayed home and was not causing them additional wait time in the return line.  This is my opinion only and I'm sure you will disagree.  

I would have saved it for next year. Assuming I could remember where I put it.
Never shop at Walmart. We don't have one now where we moved. Fine by me.

That's because real estate is very expensive where you live.

Or, it's sliding into the ocean at the moment. Stay dry!

imidazol97

suydam said:

I would have saved it for next year. Assuming I could remember where I put it.
Never shop at Walmart. We don't have one now where we moved. Fine by me.

An area of the country without a Walmart nearby? Wow.

About 20 years ago when our friends moved from NW Ohio to Murfreesboro TN. They pointed out they had 5 Walmarts within a short driving distance.

graphicguy

Imid....loved your Walmart story.

Just to be clear, I don't hate GM. I've had some vehilcles they've made that I've found wonderful. I keep mentioning my great expreience with the Tahoe.....great, reliable vehicle.

Interestingly, the 2.0 turbo in my CTS is used in everything from Malibus, to Regals, to my CTS, to the ATS and even the CT6. Of course, all are in different tune. But, same engine for all intents and purposes. How can Cadillac, with all of that 2.0T experience, screw up the wiring in their CTS, in such a narrow range of VINs? I mean, you'd actually have to try....try hard.....to accomplish that. And, to add insult to injury, they can't fix it right, even when they do have the parts, which took over a month to get.

Anyway....went car shopping all afternoon.

Driver, I indeed found a C300 (2016) with a $49K MSRP discounted to $40K. I told the sales person of my goal of not going over $40K. He said he was certain he could get the car down to $39,999.99. Understand, my company qualifies for "fleet" rate. So, that's a pretty hefty amount that went to the bottom line price of the car.

http://www.mbcincy.com/inventory/new-2016-mercedes-benz-c-class-c300-4matic®-sedan-4matic-sedan-wddwf4kb4gr150607

Have to admit, the C is a very nice car. Handles really well. Steering is direct with good feedback. Brakes are easy to modulate and engage in a linear fashion. Funny, for that money, it didn't have NAV. Kind of a surprise to me. No leather, as is Mercedes' practice. Everything else was there, though. They really did quite a nice job on the interior. Very solid feeling, rode well. It did everything well, but did not stand out in any single area. Sort of like my Acruras.

Tested the Avalon again. If someone took all the Toyota badges off and told me it was really a Lexus, I would not have questioned them. It's a very nice car, particularly for the discounted price of the mid-high $30s. All the things I said before, still stand. But, I'd have to keep it in Sport Mode to be remotely satisfied driving it. That's not a bad thing, but driving it in "regular" mode really makes it much less engaging.

Test drove the TLX again. Nice car, always has been. And, I hope it always will be. Like the C Class, it just does everything well, although doesn't stand out in any one way. I pushed them a bit, even telling the sales person I'd buy it today if he could get it under $40K. Not sure there's enough meat there for them to make the deal. They let me walk. Wasn't the first time that's happened, probably won't be the last.

Test drove the Accord Touring, again. For the amount of money I could buy one for (low $30s), there isn't another car that can touch the value equation. Suspension reminds me a lot of the C Class. Steering is direct, maybe a little light, but I wouldn't complain about it. Brakes are spot on. It has "all the stuff". Radar cruise is a little wonky, but I don't know how much I'd use it anyway. Definitely still a "contendah".

I was in the area, so stopped by the Infiniti dealer. Man, that place was hopping. Maybe I haven't looked hard enough at them recently, but all of their vehicles are pretty darned nice looking. The little rebadged Mercedes cute ute is nicely done. They had their Q50s everywhere. Again, nice vehicles. Last time I test drove one, they were still using the 3.7L V6. Now, they have a 2.0L turbo (as does everyone else), the 3.0L twin turbo, and the hot one, the Red 400. I drove the 3.0L twin turbo. Not sure what they did to the steering, but it is MUCH better. Direct, linear, not too firm, not too light. Pretty darned nice, actually. It's quick, as in really quick. Brakes were fine. Seats were great. Only problem, the only way to get one at $40K was to get the 2.0T. I never should have driven the 3.0T, because that one is too sweet. As I was leaving, sales person asked if it had to be a 2017. I said, no...but it does have to be new. He said he needed to do some research. Not sure what that means, but I'd be surprised if he called me back.

That's all for now.

driver100

That C300 looks great in red with the light gray interior.......even has the black accents just the way andre likes it.





Man, now that car looks gorgeous, but I am a bit prejudice.
Not having navigation might be a deal killer for some...it is pretty useful these days, though you know how to use your phone. Don't know about blind spot...assume it has rear camera.

Then I thought, I don't know GG, if you buy this one and it is a lemon I will never hear the end of it....especially from that Monroe character.

driver100

Remember my E400 was supposed to be in the end of Nov early Dec and I was going to fly back and pick it up. Then they changed it to January......then early February. My wife flew back north for a few days and checked with the salesman. It is sitting in Halifax, I guess the government didn't certify it, it needs a part added and now it will be ready mid to late March. We go home April 2nd. Good thing we have a car down here we can use, or I would be without a car from August to almost April....they should just give me a 2018.

It is almost as bad as the Caddie story, maybe I can get a new one because of lemon law...more than 30 days waiting for part.

Mr_Shiftright

suydam said:

berri said:

I find that generally Walmart gives you far less hassle returning items than many more expensive stores.

Such as?
I get so much on Amazon these days, and their returns are super easy.

Amazon sets the standard for customer service that any business could aspire to.