Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

driver100

thebean said:

isellhondas said:

Hey....I'm actually BACK! A million thanks to Karen who somehow pushed the right buttons and got me back in under isellhondas! It's been a long frustrating experience and I only hope I lasts!

Hope all of you are doing well and for those in the East.....be careful!

Craig

Yea!!!!!  Good to have you back, Craig.

+1

And I won't make any smart [non-permissible content removed] comments like....I didn't know you were missing!

Really hopes it works this time and you don't have to come back in one of your disguises.

One hint though....keep your passwords on hand for this handle and your new ones...just in case.

abacomike

isellhondas said:

Hey....I'm actually BACK! A million thanks to Karen who somehow pushed the right buttons and got me back in under isellhondas! It's been a long frustrating experience and I only hope I lasts! Hope all of you are doing well and for those in the East.....be careful! Craig

Hmmmm, are you sure you are the Craig who used to be isellhondas4 who used to be isellhondas?  You need to prove you are who you say you are.  You have to answer this question correctly as proof of your true identity:

Who is the real President of the United States (POTUS)?

You have 24 hours to come up with the correct answer or you will be ignored as an imposter! 

driver100

I just wanted to paste this direct quote from the Weather Network:

A system brewing in the U.S. is shaping up to deliver a major shot of snow to southern Ontario, including the Greater Toronto Area. Timing and how much snow to expect here.

Sometimes it isn't our fault! :@

WEATHER NETWORK SOUTHERN ONTARIO

driver100

abacomike said:

isellhondas said:

Hey....I'm actually BACK! A million thanks to Karen who somehow pushed the right buttons and got me back in under isellhondas! It's been a long frustrating experience and I only hope I lasts!

Hope all of you are doing well and for those in the East.....be careful!

Craig

Hmmmm, are you sure you are the Craig who used to be isellhondas4 who used to be isellhondas?  You need to prove you are who you say you are.  You have to answer this question correctly as proof of your true identity:

Who is the real President of the United States (POTUS)?

You have 24 hours to come up with the correct answer or you will be ignored as an imposter

! 

Great idea.....what I don't get is how does that ensure it is our friend the real and original isell?

Or are you trying to ascertain whether he is a Russian spy?

stickguy

more puzzling though is what the heck did the original and 4 do to 2 and 3? Those bodies must be buried someplace.

explorerx4

We are expecting the biggest snowfall of the year according to the weather guessers.
I'm going to work and I'll worry about getting home later.
Truck has close to 30 gallons of fuel left in it, so no need to run out and fill it up.
Last big storm there were 7 cars in the parking lot.
We'' see how many show up tomorrow.

qbrozen

driver100 said:

I seem to recall that....a last minute entry IIRC.

So how is the EX35 doing?

Don't know why the signature line isn't working.....hope I didn't jinx it for my new car....when and if I get it!

now on my computer (not my phone), I can see my signature. Looks fine.

EX is great. I love it. It keeps telling me it is due for an oil change. One more thing to take care of.

driver100

Glad the EX35 is running well.....Infinity seems to be the car of choice around here. I can understand why too, great looking sporty car with a tasteful interior and all at a reasonable price.

OK, I see EX35 but do you really have a fleet of 5 cars?
'12 EX35 Journey AWD; '98 Volvo S70 base; '14 Town&Country Limited; '09 LR2 HSE. 42-car history and counting!

oldfarmer50

Passed an accident today.

Looked like a Ford Focus had rear ended what looked like a C class MB.

What was notable was the damage. The Focus had most of it's damaged limited to the bumper though the hood was crinkled a bit. Looked fixable.

The Mercedes was TOTALED! Trunk smashed in right to the back window. Looked like that picture of driver100's car.

Now I'm confused. Is Ford building em' tougher than MB?

ab348

Same thing that happened to driver's E-class. Though he got hit by a truck and not a Focus.

Maybe M-B designs them to be sacrificial in order to dissipate energy and save the occupants?

PF_Flyer

Hmm.. crazy idea alert. Wouldn't it be interesting if there was some kind of lightweight plow/shovel blade that you could put in front of or behind your vehicle, then when this big snow hits, just back the car out of the driveway to clear the way. Move it around to the front to make one pass forward and clear the wife's spot

PF_Flyer

Rut roh...proof that you should never live near a red dot

explorerx4

@pf_flyer, Does kind of look like a pincer maneuver.

qbrozen

driver100 said:

Glad the EX35 is running well.....Infinity seems to be the car of choice around here. I can understand why too, great looking sporty car with a tasteful interior and all at a reasonable price. OK, I see EX35 but do you really have a fleet of 5 cars? '12 EX35 Journey AWD; '98 Volvo S70 base; '14 Town&Country Limited; '09 LR2 HSE. 42-car history and counting!

4 cars. Yes. 2 hers and 2 his.

driver100

ab348 said:

Same thing that happened to driver's E-class. Though he got hit by a truck and not a Focus.

Maybe M-B designs them to be sacrificial in order to dissipate energy and save the occupants?

Exactly. Crumple zones that absorb the energy.
We were hit by a huge waste removal truck going about 40 mph - I thought the damage wasn't too bad considering.......
But, I am surprised we walked away from that collision and we were able to walk on our own power.
Better if the car is destroyed anyway, otherwise they will try to fix it....those MB engineers know what they are doing.

stickguy

PF_Flyer said:

Hmm.. crazy idea alert. Wouldn't it be interesting if there was some kind of lightweight plow/shovel blade that you could put in front of or behind your vehicle, then when this big snow hits, just back the car out of the driveway to clear the way. Move it around to the front to make one pass forward and clear the wife's spot

you rang?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBp8qz1cO6g

driver100

qbrozen said:

driver100 said:

Glad the EX35 is running well.....Infinity seems to be the car of choice around here. I can understand why too, great looking sporty car with a tasteful interior and all at a reasonable price.

OK, I see EX35 but do you really have a fleet of 5 cars?
'12 EX35 Journey AWD; '98 Volvo S70 base; '14 Town&Country Limited; '09 LR2 HSE. 42-car history and counting!

4 cars. Yes. 2 hers and 2 his.

Makes sense to me......no wonder you got up to 42 cars!

explorerx4

@driver100, 4-3 is marked on my calendar. I really hope you get your car.
Otoh, I'm expecting you will get a call on the Saturday before that, informing you that your E400 coupe is ready to be delivered.

driver100

stickguy said:

PF_Flyer said:

Hmm.. crazy idea alert. Wouldn't it be interesting if there was some kind of lightweight plow/shovel blade that you could put in front of or behind your vehicle, then when this big snow hits, just back the car out of the driveway to clear the way. Move it around to the front to make one pass forward and clear the wife's spot

you rang?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBp8qz1cO6g

Not bad.....this one looks neater on amazon for $599. Only one left though.......

stickguy

yeah, but the "redneck special" I found only cost $10. At that price, consider it like a disposable razor. Use it once and throw it away.

ab348

explorerx4 said:

@driver100, 4-3 is marked on my calendar. I really hope you get your car.
Otoh, I'm expecting you will get a call on the Saturday before that, informing you that your E400 coupe is ready to be delivered.

Let's just hope they built it correctly and not how they did with @abacomike 's E-class...

driver100

stickguy said:

PF_Flyer said:

Hmm.. crazy idea alert. Wouldn't it be interesting if there was some kind of lightweight plow/shovel blade that you could put in front of or behind your vehicle, then when this big snow hits, just back the car out of the driveway to clear the way. Move it around to the front to make one pass forward and clear the wife's spot

you rang?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBp8qz1cO6g

Not bad.....this one looks neater on amazon for $599. Only one left though.......

explorerx4 said:

@driver100, 4-3 is marked on my calendar. I really hope you get your car.
Otoh, I'm expecting you will get a call on the Saturday before that, informing you that your E400 coupe is ready to be delivered.

I hope they don't do that....it is an E400 sedan.
Oh yee of little faith.

driver100

ab348 said:

explorerx4 said:

@driver100, 4-3 is marked on my calendar. I really hope you get your car.
Otoh, I'm expecting you will get a call on the Saturday before that, informing you that your E400 coupe is ready to be delivered.

Let's just hope they built it correctly and not how they did with @abacomike 's E-class...

They corrected the mistake immediately...no questions asked, no hassle, as a good respectable company would do. OTOH, I see no attempt to try and satisfy or help a customer....in fact, I see disdain for even expecting a car to be repaired in a reasonable time.....the 3rd car may I add?

roadburner

oldfarmer50 said:

Passed an accident today.

Looked like a Ford Focus had rear ended what looked like a C class MB.

What was notable was the damage. The Focus had most of it's damaged limited to the bumper though the hood was crinkled a bit. Looked fixable.

The Mercedes was TOTALED! Trunk smashed in right to the back window. Looked like that picture of driver100's car.

Now I'm confused. Is Ford building em' tougher than MB?

Years ago my wife's 5er was rear-ended by a crappy(redundant, I know) Sunbird. The perp vehicle was totalled. We drove the 5 home. A few years later I was driving the X3 and a Geo tapped the back bumper. There was barely a mark on the bumper but the Geo needed the radiator zip-tied into place to remain driveable.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

Same thing that happened to driver's E-class. Though he got hit by a truck and not a Focus.

Maybe M-B designs them to be sacrificial in order to dissipate energy and save the occupants?

Exactly. Crumple zones that absorb the energy.
We were hit by a huge waste removal truck going about 40 mph - I thought the damage wasn't too bad considering.......
But, I am surprised we walked away from that collision and we were able to walk on our own power.
Better if the car is destroyed anyway, otherwise they will try to fix it....those MB engineers know what they are doing.

You might be right. Somebody got taken in an ambulance but an older gentleman was still standing behind the MB staring at it with the look of someone who had his dog die.

bwia

Greetings all, 

I had an epiphany earlier today and so I will be retiring in December 2017. Wish me luck. 

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

Same thing that happened to driver's E-class. Though he got hit by a truck and not a Focus.

Maybe M-B designs them to be sacrificial in order to dissipate energy and save the occupants?

Exactly. Crumple zones that absorb the energy.
We were hit by a huge waste removal truck going about 40 mph - I thought the damage wasn't too bad considering.......
But, I am surprised we walked away from that collision and we were able to walk on our own power.
Better if the car is destroyed anyway, otherwise they will try to fix it....those MB engineers know what they are doing.

You might be right. Somebody got taken in an ambulance but an older gentleman was still standing behind the MB staring at it with the look of someone who had his dog die.

That was the same look I had!

explorerx4

@bwia,
So what was the epiphany? We need to know.

driver100

There are lots of variable in accidents like that. My wife was stopped at a red light in her 2003 C230 estate wagon when a young guy in a Corolla rammed right into her. $3700 damage to the Mercedes rear bumper area, but his little Toyota was destroyed from the front bumper to the windshield.

Once again, my wife wasn't hurt, the car crumpled just like it was designed to do.

I was thinking, too bad the guy who hit my E400 hit a car that will cost the insurance company $80000 to replace. But, then again, it is cheaper than paying for broken necks and limbs.

driver100

bwia said:

Greetings all, 

I had an epiphany earlier today and so I will be retiring in December 2017. Wish me luck. 

I wish you luck....but, I have no idea how retirement happens through epiphany's.....doesn't it require a plan?

bwia

explorerx4 said:

@bwia, So what was the epiphany? We need to know.

...that my money was going to outlive me

explorerx4

If you dent a fender on a Mercedes, it pretty much drops in value by 50%, so you might as well design it to be totaled.
Here is a picture of my 2000 Expedition which had a collision with a wrong way driver on I-95 in 2002.
Left front suspension was torn right off it.
It was still on the road as of a couple of years ago.

bwia

driver100 said:

Greetings all, 

I had an epiphany earlier today and so I will be retiring in December 2017. Wish me luck. 

I wish you luck....but, I have no idea how retirement happens through epiphany's.....doesn't it require a plan?

Good point, but  planning for retirement is too depressing. I wish I were 18 again though. 

abacomike

bwia said:

Greetings all, 

I had an epiphany earlier today and so I will be retiring in December 2017. Wish me luck. 

Nothing like having an epiphany, is there?  So you "saw the light" and decided to join those of us who are out of the rat race of the working class and learning to enjoy life - for whatever years we have left.

I wish you the very best, bwia.  

driver100

About if insurance will cover you if you are DUI:

“If you torch your home, you’re intentionally committing a crime. With a DUI, you understand that it’s against the law to drive under the influence, but you don’t expect to get into an accident,” explains Peter Moraga, spokesperson for the Insurance Information Network of California.
While your auto insurance company will pay for your DUI mess, the claim will drive your car insurance rates through the roof. Depending on your insurance company, you could also face other DUI penalties such as nonrenewal or cancellation.
Worst case, your recklessness could kill someone and you could be charged with involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to serve time in prison – insurance won’t help you then.

A lot of things are treated this way, if shot while robbng a bank will health insurance cover you, If you burn your house to the ground smoking a joint, if you accidentally shoot your neighbor....these are covered as the results weren't intentional. You may have much higher premiums or not be able to get insurance again, but, the damage you do will be covered up to the limit of the policy..

driver100

explorerx4 said:

If you dent a fender on a Mercedes, it pretty much drops in value by 50%, so you might as well design it to be totaled.
Here is a picture of my 2000 Expedition which had a collision with a wrong way driver on I-95 in 2002.
Left front suspension was torn right off it.
It was still on the road as of a couple of years ago.

That is bad but head on would probably have been a lot worse. Looks like other driver (idiot really) grazed the fender.

Friends Mercedes was hit from behind, did $7000 damage, car was worth $13000 less than it would have been worth.......not 50%, but, a lot......appros 25 to 30%.

stickguy

bwia said:

explorerx4 said:

@bwia,
So what was the epiphany? We need to know.

...that my money was going to outlive me

If I ever had the epiphany, it would be immediately followed by a fatal heart attack from the shock of it.

stickguy

I always said that if you want to hit my car, make sure to hit it hard enough to total it, because I don't want it back after a major repair. Definitely not if I own it. Not as much of an issue if it's a lease of course.

berri

The equipment at the good body shops has improved a lot over the past few years, but you have to do your homework. Some have the same welding equipment that they use on the production lines and computer color matching that compensates for wear and differing light conditions. But the car will still lose value and good luck getting compensated for that.

oldfarmer50

bwia said:

Greetings all, 

I had an epiphany earlier today and so I will be retiring in December 2017. Wish me luck. 

Do tell. I'm hopefully pulling the plug in June. Good luck. What was you epiphany? Mine was that I was working for $3000 more than if I was retired.

BTW, thanks for backing up all that snow into my yard. We're looking a 1-2 feet. Looks like you might get rain.

stickguy

Farmer, that is a total no brainer. heck, you could find a few hour a week part time job (doing transfers for a car dealer?) and make up for it.

ab348

driver100 said:

They corrected the mistake immediately...no questions asked, no hassle, as a good respectable company would do. OTOH, I see no attempt to try and satisfy or help a customer....in fact, I see disdain for even expecting a car to be repaired in a reasonable time.....the 3rd car may I add?

In Mike's case, he ordered a car and they delivered a car that was significantly different. Not much they could do other than make it right. Not sure what the story is in the other case.

ab348

bwia said:

Greetings all, 

I had an epiphany earlier today and so I will be retiring in December 2017. Wish me luck. 

Congratulations and good luck. I can highly recommend it to you!

stickguy

I am more than ready to retire. Don't think I would have any problem walking away and staying happily occupied.

though the fact that I am not yet 55, and am well short of rich enough to pull it off (not to mention, 1 more year of kid in college) it is just a far off dream at this point. I will revisit at 60, and see how long at that point. Hopefully not past 65, but 10 years can fly by!

nyccarguy

Part of my Chronic Car Buying problem is that I'm always looking at cars online.  I check out the lease questions boards.  I plot mostly in my head.  My Prelude had a lot to do with it.  Every time I drive it, it reminds me of what a joy driving can be.  I recently purchased a set of Yokohama Ice Guard winter tires for my Legacy.  Not wanting to waste a set of new winter tires, I started looking for cars that either wear 225/55 R17 or something similar that I could fit my snow tires on.  I obviously wanted something with more Giddyup.  

My 1st thought was to lease a 2017 Acura TLX Base Model.  It's 8 Speed Double Clutch Transmission makes the most out of the 2.4L 206 hp engine.  While it's low to mid 7 second 0-60 mph time is far from a road rocket, that makes it about as fast as my Prelude.  It wears the same size shoes as my Legacy.  Acura is facelifting the TLX for 2018 and continues to throw lots of lease cash its way to try and push these things off of dealer lots.

Then I figured, why not go with the TLX's platform mate, The Honda Accord.  I could lease a 6-Speed Manual Accord EX cheap enough (if I could find one) cheaply enough that's i could keep my Legacy for my wife to drive.  The Accord EX lacks a leather wrapped steering wheel and heated seats.

Similarly priced to the Accord EX is the Accord Sport SE 6MT.  Heated, leather seats.  Leather wrapped steering wheel.  Cool 19" Wheels, lip spoiler, dual exhaust.

Moving along, an Accord EX-L V6 fits the bill nicely.  Plenty of power.  Lots of features.  It probably leases closer to what the base TLX leases for.  

Next up was a Civic Sport 6MT.  For $21K, I could have a fun, practical, turbocharged Civic with a stick.  If I could find one.

I even had a thought of leasing a base 6MT WRX for myself and a 6 cyl Outback for my wife.  

One day on my way to work, I saw a clean, Black, Infiniti G37x Sedan parked on the street.  I know they leased a lot of these out cheaply during the last few years of the car's life.  I checked out tire rack to see what size shoes the G37x wears.  225/55 R17.  Check.  I noticed a few 2013 CPO models with less than 20K miles.  The dealer where I am buying my car from had a 2013 G37x on their website for $21,800 with less than 11K miles.  I drove to the dealership to check it out one night.  It had a funky "old car smell" to it.  The salesman shows me some different CPO G37x cars they have.  I either wanted a Slate Blue or a Black car.  The Dark Grey and Silver are nice, but they are everywhere.  He shows me this 2015 Q50 AWD with less than 7,500 miles in the clock.  It is dark and raining, so I decline a test drive at that point.  I went back on a Saturday, drove the car (it is fantastic).  

I went back into the salesman's office.  I presented him with an Out The Door offer that he gave to his manager.  They countered with a number that was about $600 over mine.  They gave me $13,500 for my Legacy after originally offering $12K a few days before.  I ended up paying $24,500 for the Q40 AWD.  So by the end of the month, I will own my 1st Nissan/Infiniti product (with 328 horsepower).  It will also be the 1st CPO car I have ever owned.  I'm financing at 0.99% for 36 months.

I'll post pics when I take delivery.

Welcome back Craig!

suydam

Congratulations! Looking forward to the pics!

driver100

NYC thanks for the story. You did your homework and it looks like you came up with a good solid plan that really paid off. 7500 miles is barely broken in, so you are getting a car that you will get a lot of pleasure out of for a very reasonable price.
I am sure you will love your new car!

driver100

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

They corrected the mistake immediately...no questions asked, no hassle, as a good respectable company would do. OTOH, I see no attempt to try and satisfy or help a customer....in fact, I see disdain for even expecting a car to be repaired in a reasonable time.....the 3rd car may I add?

In Mike's case, he ordered a car and they delivered a car that was significantly different. Not much they could do other than make it right. Not sure what the story is in the other case.

The other case is a car sitting in a service bay for going on 3 months with no word on when it will be fixed....and the warranty period time is ticking away. Maybe that was the plan....let the warranty run out and then hand it back to the owner.

Mistakes can happen in business....it is how the mistake is handled that is the issue. In Mikes case they rectified the situation as quickly as possible, in GGs case he is left to fend for himself.

To be clear, I have a friend who has bought a new Caddie every 2 or 3 years for over 30 years now. He even has a Cadillac golf cart. I like being in his Cadillac XTS. I think they are great cars, certainly one of the nicest designed cars. But, I wouldn't want to be treated the way GG has been treated. Maybe MB would treat a lemon car the same....that is not known. But, I certainly know what is happening in this case and I don't need that kind of hassle, so I would steer clear.......but, that is just me.

sb55

Oh no. The nor'easter veered inland overnight. So that now puts us on the "blizzard warning" track with 18"-24"of snow forecast. Yesterday at this time we were forecast for 6"-12".
I think that @oldfarmer50 may be in a similar situation. There have been some wild swings of temp and precipitation this year in the North Country!

driver100

That NE corner of the USA has been hit hard for 2 years in a row now, also the mid-west. I think a lot more people will be moving to Florida soon.