Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

roadburner

fintail said:

Beat me to it. Thinks a Genesis is a Bentley, wants a V8 to replace his MB 550 (S550? E550? SL550? CLK550?) I don't know if I want advice from that guy

Fun story though, reminds me of people in the cringe-worthy commercial who think the Malibu is some kind of Tesla-Audi hybrid.

Simple explanation- yet another village is missing its idiot. Much like the imbeciles who post ads for their V6 BMW. I wouldn't even consider a car that has been owned by someone that is so clueless.

Michaell

I've been a car enthusiast since I was little. Played with Matchbox cars as a kid. I collected the "Models of Yesteryear" - would get one each year at Christmas. Started reading Car & Driver at age 13.

But, I've always owned or leased "pedestrian" models - Honda, VW, Ford, Saturn, etc. The Outback we have is the closest thing we've had to a luxury car - blind spot, adaptive cruise, lane monitoring, etc.

I'd like to think at some point I'll drive something more sporty or luxurious, but I think deep down I picked up my dad's habit of frugality. And, with a lot of tech features finding their way into lower priced cars, I think I'll always be able to get what I want at a reasonable price.

roadburner

Mr_Shiftright said:

I foresee a lot more DUIs.

I dealt with that problem first hand; a Breathalyzer or a blood test will reveal the quantity of alcohol in an individuals system. That's why you can have per se statutes that set"legal limits" for alcohol. In contrast, the available tests for marijuana can only tell that an individual has smoked it in the past 10-14 days- which means the LEO has to observe impaired driving and prove that it was caused by recent use of marijuana.

I once had an officer at a roadblock detect the smell of marijuana in a car and he asked the driver if he had smoked weed. The guy said yes and the officer charged the guy with DUI. The problem was that the officer didn't observe any impaired driving and didn't administer any field sobriety tests. The guy ended up being found guilty of possession but the DUI was dismissed.

roadburner

abacomike said:

I just received an invitation via email from BMWUSA, offering me a free 1-day driving school course at their S. Carolina grounds.  They claim the offer is valued at $780 - but since I've owned 2 or more new BMW's, and have just recently purchased a new BMW, I was to consider this a gift from them to a "valued" BMW owner.  I would have to provide my own transportation to ther grounds and am responsible for my own hotel accommodations.

I sure wish I felt better so I could take them up on their offer.  They have another venue just south of Palm Springs, CA.  That would be a great winter get-away.

I am also entitled to a complete BMW detail of my 740i once each year.  I just have to call and make an appointment with my service advisor and they will drop off a loaner for the day and pick up my car - then return my car at the end of the day and pick up the loaner.  Nice "pampered" touch!

Mercedes never offered me stuff like this!  

My son took the two day school for teens at the BMW Performance Center; my wife and I wanted our son to learn to drive a car properly.

iluvmysephia1

My Mom called me "the peanut butter kid". I love it still. Mrs. iluvmysephia1 insists on the healthy brands of peanut butter. Crunchy or creamy are both delicious. You can eat it on celery even!

Pot smoking has really picked up in popularity of late. My home state of Washington and also Colorado (no doubt there's more now) have legalized it. I can't understand how lawmakers have OK'd it when in some smokers it causes paranoia and also it seems to cause some drivers to slow down too much. That, you guys know, is not acceptable and is not safe.

PF_Flyer

Nice line of storms that came through yesterday. This was just past the peak flood when the car looked like it was sitting in a small lake that wrapped around the house

roadburner

I've been a car nut as long as I can remember; Dad told me when I was a toddler and he went on a business trip I'd tell him, "Bring me back something with wheels on it."
I've always liked driving, modifying, and competing in cars- if a car doesn't bring a smile to my face as I get behind the wheel I'm not interested. The car doesn't have to be especially expensive or prestigious but it cannot-under any circumstances-be a boring anodyne appliance.

graphicguy

I remember when I bought my last 3 Series, originally, the sales guy was going to order it from Germany exactly how I wanted it. He said they'd throw in the driving course in SC if I wanted to take delivery there. Would have been fun. At the time, I just didn't have that sort of time available. Dealer actually did a dealer trade with a dealership in NY who had exactly what I wanted and they flat bedded it to Cincinnati.

Given another chance however, I think I'd take the dealer up on the opportunity to take delivery in SC and do the driving course. Sounds like fun!

From the "my family knows me too well" file, my son was visiting me last night (more like he was hungry and wanted to raid my fridge). Infiniti dealer had picked up my car yesterday to do a 1,500 mi service (take out the break in oil, check everything to make sure all's good, wash it, etc) and dropped off another Q50 2.0. More on that in a minute. But, my son asked what else would be in the driveway if it wasn't for hte Q50? He knew I looked at a lot of cars before choosing the Q. As I mentioned to him, "I've only had this car for 2 months. I'm not thinking of any other cars, particularly given what I just went through with the CTS".

He knows me too well, and responded....."you're always looking". Couldn't argue that fact.

Anyway, the Q50 2.0. Not a bad car, at all. Handles like mine (which means it handles well). It's light on its feet. Rides the same (again, nice handling/ride balance). Steering is a little lighter than mine, though.

I get that all the lux brands are tossing their hats into the 4 cyl turbo ring. All seem to be 2.0L, also. Generally, I like those motors, too. This one needs a little more guts, though. Maybe I'm used to my 3.0, as it is truly fast. Maybe that's what you get for the $37K MSRP. But, do a little negotiation, and you get the way better 3.0TT for not much more.

Maybe that's a way to get people into the Infiniti showroom and then move them up the model ladder. But, for that money, there are better alternatives.

Is this the same motor that's in the CLA? If so, I didn't like it in that car, either.

graphicguy

PF_Flyer said:

Nice line of storms that came through yesterday. This was just past the peak flood when the car looked like it was sitting in a small lake that wrapped around the house

Yikes!

abacomike

PF_Flyer said:

What IS Corinthian leather anyway? :@

More than you ever wanted to know:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corinthian_leather

It's RICH Corinthian leather... and do you realize how many rich Corinthians it took just to do the front seat of a Chrysler New Yorker??

Not enough!  

isellhondas

driver100 said:

Now for a very serious subject......I have an addiction.


I am seriously addicted to peanut butter! I used to love Skippy but then I found Jiff Crunchy.....is that ever good stuff. I have to have a some every day.

I think we have covered just about every other topic and product, but have we ever tackled the pros and cons of smooth vs crunchy, and what is the best brand?

If you love sugar you'll like Jif! You might want to compare the two if you're watching your sugar intake.

abacomike

isellhondas said:

Now for a very serious subject......I have an addiction.


I am seriously addicted to peanut butter! I used to love Skippy but then I found Jiff Crunchy.....is that ever good stuff. I have to have a some every day.

I think we have covered just about every other topic and product, but have we ever tackled the pros and cons of smooth vs crunchy, and what is the best brand?

If you love sugar you'll like Jif! You might want to compare the two if you're watching your sugar intake.

As far as, "...I think we have covered just about every other topic and product...", I would disagree with you driver!  

What about:Clear air turbulence?
Boeing aircraft vs. Airbus aircraft?
Extra sharp Cheddar cheese?
Polaroid sunglasses vs. other brands of lenses?
Leather made from cow hides vs. pigskin?
How to make a great skateboard?
How to interact with a transvestite?
Who makes the best men's wigs and hair pieces?
How to get a great deal on a Cessna King Air?
What is the best way to get to Casablanca?

I could go on like this for hours - there are thousands of topics and products we have not yet tackled.  So let's get down to business and select a new topic every day to add excitement to our postings.  

PF_Flyer

driver100 said:

Now for a very serious subject......I have an addiction.


I am seriously addicted to peanut butter! I used to love Skippy but then I found Jiff Crunchy.....is that ever good stuff. I have to have a some every day.

I think we have covered just about every other topic and product, but have we ever tackled the pros and cons of smooth vs crunchy, and what is the best brand?

I also suffer from this addiction... Jiff... because I'm a choosy mother

jmonroe

Hey guys, you put me up to this.

I have a correction to make about the MB I saw yesterday morning when I went to Dunkin Donut.

It may be a poor excuse but I'm sticking to it.

I went back to that Dunkin Donut this morning at around 8:30 AM to see if that guy with the white '09 550 MB was there since he said he goes there almost regularly in the mornings and meets a few other retired guys. He was there but his 550 was not because it wasn't a 550 it was a 350.

I wear glasses but I only need them for distance so when I go somewhere I usually take them off and hang them on my shirt. Plus, I'm vain and I don't want them to detract from my good looks. Anyway, they were off and I guess I didn't look closely at the 350 badge and thought it said 550. To satisfy myself I did a test this morning at about the same distance and angle as I viewed the badge from yesterday and sure enough I missed it again. Kinda weird, I could see the middle "5" in the 350 but again I mistook the "3" on the left for a "5". So, I put on my glasses and could see that it was a 350 not a 550. Now I'm thinking I might need my glasses for close up too but I'd rather blame it on the angle.

Since I'm there I go in for a coffee and donuts. As I'm walking to the table, the guy I met yesterday says, "nice to see you again. I've been telling these guys (there were 3 others with him), about your car and that it is a V8". I tell him about my vision problem and they all laughed. Now I'm being questioned about my car from the other guys. Does it have this, does it have that, does it have "real" leather, how many HP, etc. The guy I met yesterday said, "420 HP? Really? That thing must move pretty good" and he volunteers to show the other guys my car when we leave.

We are now in the parking lot and all 4 doors are open along with the hood and trunk. Guys are getting out of the front and into the rear and vice versa. If I didn't know better I'd have thought I was a salesman pointing out features before a test drive.

One guy touches the rear quarter panel and says, "hey, this is really smooth. What kind of wax do you use"? Now I have 4 guys touching my car to see how "smooth" it is. They want to know what type of wax I use so I tell them. It never fails, there is always a comedian and one guy says, "if I buy the wax will you show me how to use it"? All of them said they liked my Genny but no one else said they would be interested in getting one.

If I ever go back to this Dunkin Donut again at breakfast time, I'm only going to talk to my retired buddy that I met yesterday.

FWIW, I got the color right, it is still white.

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright

Michaell said:

When @jpp5862 and I visited the Fiat / Alfa Romeo / Maserati dealer a month or so ago, they had just signed the agreement to also add McLaren.

The first vehicles had just been dropped off when we toured the lot with the GSM; he indicated that every mile put on the McLaren would reduce the value by $100.

Not sure if that's truth or hyperbole.

I dunno...some 2016 McLarens are selling above MSRP with 3-4K on them.

driver100

JMonroe...you let these guys fondle your car?

His C350 is not that much slower than your V8....which is pretty heavy and a lot of metal to move.

. 2009 C350s are powered by a large, 3.5-liter V6 making 268 hp, which more closely tracks the performance of the 3-Series. The C63 AMG offers one of the only V8s available in this class, giving it 0 to 60 times under five secondsnnC30 is 6.1 seconds and I believe yours 5.3....I still think the guy doesn't know what he is talking about.

driver100

isellhondas said:

driver100 said:

Now for a very serious subject......I have an addiction.


I am seriously addicted to peanut butter! I used to love Skippy but then I found Jiff Crunchy.....is that ever good stuff. I have to have a some every day.

I think we have covered just about every other topic and product, but have we ever tackled the pros and cons of smooth vs crunchy, and what is the best brand?

If you love sugar you'll like Jif! You might want to compare the two if you're watching your sugar intake.

I have to look into that isell. I really try to avoid sugar as much as possible.....so that I can wear horizontal stripes.
I only have about a teaspoon a day on a little square of bread, just to appease my habit.

suydam

Jif Natural and Simply Jif have less sugar and salt than the original.

imidazol97

We have to discuss the merits of foreign peanut butter versus domestic peanut butter before we can change to another topic de jour. Which country imports the best peanut butter to the US as well as which engine type, gas or diesel, works best for the trucks that deliver the peanut butter... :grin grin

qbrozen

graphicguy said:

I remember when I bought my last 3 Series, originally, the sales guy was going to order it from Germany exactly how I wanted it. He said they'd throw in the driving course in SC if I wanted to take delivery there. Would have been fun. At the time, I just didn't have that sort of time available. Dealer actually did a dealer trade with a dealership in NY who had exactly what I wanted and they flat bedded it to Cincinnati.

Given another chance however, I think I'd take the dealer up on the opportunity to take delivery in SC and do the driving course. Sounds like fun!

From the "my family knows me too well" file, my son was visiting me last night (more like he was hungry and wanted to raid my fridge). Infiniti dealer had picked up my car yesterday to do a 1,500 mi service (take out the break in oil, check everything to make sure all's good, wash it, etc) and dropped off another Q50 2.0. More on that in a minute. But, my son asked what else would be in the driveway if it wasn't for hte Q50? He knew I looked at a lot of cars before choosing the Q. As I mentioned to him, "I've only had this car for 2 months. I'm not thinking of any other cars, particularly given what I just went through with the CTS".

He knows me too well, and responded....."you're always looking". Couldn't argue that fact.

Anyway, the Q50 2.0. Not a bad car, at all. Handles like mine (which means it handles well). It's light on its feet. Rides the same (again, nice handling/ride balance). Steering is a little lighter than mine, though.

I get that all the lux brands are tossing their hats into the 4 cyl turbo ring. All seem to be 2.0L, also. Generally, I like those motors, too. This one needs a little more guts, though. Maybe I'm used to my 3.0, as it is truly fast. Maybe that's what you get for the $37K MSRP. But, do a little negotiation, and you get the way better 3.0TT for not much more.

Maybe that's a way to get people into the Infiniti showroom and then move them up the model ladder. But, for that money, there are better alternatives.

Is this the same motor that's in the CLA? If so, I didn't like it in that car, either.

One of the major mags had a writeup on why the 2.0 is the engine size of current choice. Something to do with .5 liter per cylinder was found to be the best balanced (smoothest).

jmonroe

driver100 said:

JMonroe...you let these guys fondle your car?

His C350 is not that much slower than your V8....which is pretty heavy and a lot of metal to move.

. 2009 C350s are powered by a large, 3.5-liter V6 making 268 hp, which more closely tracks the performance of the 3-Series. The C63 AMG offers one of the only V8s available in this class, giving it 0 to 60 times under five secondsnnC30 is 6.1 seconds and I believe yours 5.3....I still think the guy doesn't know what he is talking about.

Well, it's just a wannabe and I was thrilled that someone (4 guys in this case) would even want to look at.

If it was a well badged German car I would have kicked them to the curb.

As for how the guy talks, I'd say not in line with the typical badge owner. He's allowed. It's still a free country we live in.

I was the dope in this situation because I couldn't see what was right in front of me. The MB owner just wants to explore his options. Again, it's a free country.

jmonroe

stickguy

qbrozen said:

graphicguy said:

I remember when I bought my last 3 Series, originally, the sales guy was going to order it from Germany exactly how I wanted it. He said they'd throw in the driving course in SC if I wanted to take delivery there. Would have been fun. At the time, I just didn't have that sort of time available. Dealer actually did a dealer trade with a dealership in NY who had exactly what I wanted and they flat bedded it to Cincinnati.



Given another chance however, I think I'd take the dealer up on the opportunity to take delivery in SC and do the driving course. Sounds like fun!



From the "my family knows me too well" file, my son was visiting me last night (more like he was hungry and wanted to raid my fridge). Infiniti dealer had picked up my car yesterday to do a 1,500 mi service (take out the break in oil, check everything to make sure all's good, wash it, etc) and dropped off another Q50 2.0. More on that in a minute. But, my son asked what else would be in the driveway if it wasn't for hte Q50? He knew I looked at a lot of cars before choosing the Q. As I mentioned to him, "I've only had this car for 2 months. I'm not thinking of any other cars, particularly given what I just went through with the CTS".



He knows me too well, and responded....."you're always looking". Couldn't argue that fact.



Anyway, the Q50 2.0. Not a bad car, at all. Handles like mine (which means it handles well). It's light on its feet. Rides the same (again, nice handling/ride balance). Steering is a little lighter than mine, though.



I get that all the lux brands are tossing their hats into the 4 cyl turbo ring. All seem to be 2.0L, also. Generally, I like those motors, too. This one needs a little more guts, though. Maybe I'm used to my 3.0, as it is truly fast. Maybe that's what you get for the $37K MSRP. But, do a little negotiation, and you get the way better 3.0TT for not much more.



Maybe that's a way to get people into the Infiniti showroom and then move them up the model ladder. But, for that money, there are better alternatives.



Is this the same motor that's in the CLA? If so, I didn't like it in that car, either.

One of the major mags had a writeup on why the 2.0 is the engine size of current choice. Something to do with .5 liter per cylinder was found to be the best balanced (smoothest).

makes sense. The 3.0L BMW 6 was always one of the smoothest engines around.

abacomike

jmonroe said:

Hey guys, you put me up to this.

I have a correction to make about the MB I saw yesterday morning when I went to Dunkin Donut.

It may be a poor excuse but I'm sticking to it.

I went back to that Dunkin Donut this morning at around 8:30 AM to see if that guy with the white '09 550 MB was there since he said he goes there almost regularly in the mornings and meets a few other retired guys. He was there but his 550 was not because it wasn't a 550 it was a 350.

I wear glasses but I only need them for distance so when I go somewhere I usually take them off and hang them on my shirt. Plus, I'm vain and I don't want them to detract from my good looks. Anyway, they were off and I guess I didn't look closely at the 350 badge and thought it said 550. To satisfy myself I did a test this morning at about the same distance and angle as I viewed the badge from yesterday and sure enough I missed it again. Kinda weird, I could see the middle "5" in the 350 but again I mistook the "3" on the left for a "5". So, I put on my glasses and could see that it was a 350 not a 550. Now I'm thinking I might need my glasses for close up too but I'd rather blame it on the angle.

Since I'm there I go in for a coffee and donuts. As I'm walking to the table, the guy I met yesterday says, "nice to see you again. I've been telling these guys (there were 3 others with him), about your car and that it is a V8". I tell him about my vision problem and they all laughed. Now I'm being questioned about my car from the other guys. Does it have this, does it have that, does it have "real" leather, how many HP, etc. The guy I met yesterday said, "420 HP? Really? That thing must move pretty good" and he volunteers to show the other guys my car when we leave.

We are now in the parking lot and all 4 doors are open along with the hood and trunk. Guys are getting out of the front and into the rear and vice versa. If I didn't know better I'd have thought I was a salesman pointing out features before a test drive.

One guy touches the rear quarter panel and says, "hey, this is really smooth. What kind of wax do you use"? Now I have 4 guys touching my car to see how "smooth" it is. They want to know what type of wax I use so I tell them. It never fails, there is always a comedian and one guy says, "if I buy the wax will you show me how to use it"? All of them said they liked my Genny but no one else said they would be interested in getting one.

If I ever go back to this Dunkin Donut again at breakfast time, I'm only going to talk to my retired buddy that I met yesterday.

FWIW, I got the color right, it is still white.

jmonroe

Thank goodness you got the color right - I was wondering about that - big difference between a Mercedes S550 and an E350, and an E400 and an E550. But I forgive you - I'm just a forgiving type of guy - sort of like you, JM, right?

roadburner

qbrozen said:

One of the major mags had a writeup on why the 2.0 is the engine size of current choice. Something to do with .5 liter per cylinder was found to be the best balanced (smoothest).

Exactly, the current BMW inline engines utilize a modular architecture- all engines have an identical bore and stroke equating to 0.5 liter per cylinder. The also share the same cylinder spacing. This allow 3, 4, and 6 cylinder engines(both gas and diesel) to be built on the same assembly line.

fintail

Drive around Seattle today, you'll see plenty of slow timid paranoid drivers who are 110% sober

iluvmysephia1 said:

Pot smoking has really picked up in popularity of late. My home state of Washington and also Colorado (no doubt there's more now) have legalized it. I can't understand how lawmakers have OK'd it when in some smokers it causes paranoia and also it seems to cause some drivers to slow down too much. That, you guys know, is not acceptable and is not safe.

fintail

I think peanut butter is very much an American/North American thing. I know it is still considered to be a recent development in Germany - but people love it, of course.

I have to wonder if one gets a batch of bad peanut butter and seeks a customer service remedy, if a foreign owned brand treats them better than a domestic

imidazol97 said:

We have to discuss the merits of foreign peanut butter versus domestic peanut butter before we can change to another topic de jour. Which country imports the best peanut butter to the US as well as which engine type, gas or diesel, works best for the trucks that deliver the peanut butter... :grin grin

stickguy

My daughter just did a term in Ireland. Half her luggage was peanut butter.

Mr_Shiftright

Hopefully it didn't get lost.

imidazol97

fintail said:

I have to wonder if one gets a batch of bad peanut butter and seeks a customer service remedy, if a foreign owned brand treats them better than a domestic

That gave me my belly laugh of the day. You seem to have caught my sarcasm precisely.

I was trying to look up foreign brands of peanut butter before my first post and I was surprised that it's not a common product in other countries, specifically in Germany. I suspect I could find some foreign brands at Jungle Jim's, a Cincinnati suburb's grocery specializing in foods from around the world. KYFDX and GG and Corvette are all from Cincy and know the store. http://junglejims.com/

Long ago I found they have Russian chocolate that is fit to die for. No Woodford exquisite bourbon for me to imbibe to extreme: just let me die overdosing on great chocolate.

Maybe good chocolates could be tomorrow's topic de jour.

fintail

I think peanut butter is known in western Europe now, but a generation ago, it was an exotic thing. Once people try it, they can't resist. I also remember seeing "American style cookies" in a German supermarket. Germans have also taken a liking to Dunkin Donuts.

That Russian chocolate looks interesting. Years ago I lived in an area with a sizable Russian population, and a grocery store had a "Russian aisle", as I called it, with a sweets section - there were some interesting candies. I should seek out that stuff again.

I am easy to please when it comes to chocolate, give me some Swiss-made Lindt (I am suspicious of it when made elsewhere), much of it is terrific for a now-mass market brand. The peanut butter they use in Lindor is the smoothest I've ever tasted.

imidazol97 said:

<
That gave me my belly laugh of the day. You seem to have caught my sarcasm precisely.

I was trying to look up foreign brands of peanut butter before my first post and I was surprised that it's not a common product in other countries, specifically in Germany. I suspect I could find some foreign brands at Jungle Jim's, a Cincinnati suburb's grocery specializing in foods from around the world. KYFDX and GG and Corvette are all from Cincy and know the store. Long ago I found they have Russian chocolate that is fit to die for. No Woodford exquisite bourbon for me to imbibe to extreme: just let me die overdosing on great chocolate.

Maybe good chocolates could be tomorrows topic de jour.

cdnpinhead

qbrozen said:

One of the major mags had a writeup on why the 2.0 is the engine size of current choice. Something to do with .5 liter per cylinder was found to be the best balanced (smoothest).

I'm skeptical, as usual. My money's on tax/licensing regs somewhere on the planet that shift to something even more egregious above 2 litres. The rest of the world gets to live with it.

stickguy

Some of those 2l engines are so sweet, could be for the best. I was really impressed by the Volvo, BMW and jaguar

abacomike

imidazol97 said:

I have to wonder if one gets a batch of bad peanut butter and seeks a customer service remedy, if a foreign owned brand treats them better than a domestic

That gave me my belly laugh of the day. You seem to have caught my sarcasm precisely.

I was trying to look up foreign brands of peanut butter before my first post and I was surprised that it's not a common product in other countries, specifically in Germany. I suspect I could find some foreign brands at Jungle Jim's, a Cincinnati suburb's grocery specializing in foods from around the world. KYFDX and GG and Corvette are all from Cincy and know the store. http://junglejims.com/

Long ago I found they have Russian chocolate that is fit to die for. No Woodford exquisite bourbon for me to imbibe to extreme: just let me die overdosing on great chocolate.

Maybe good chocolates could be tomorrow's topic de jour.

My favorite chocolates are manufactured in San Francisco - Sees Candies.  They set up a Kiosk in the Boca Town Center Mall from November 1st through Easter.  There is, IMHO, no better chocolate made.  Their peanut and chocolate covered Toffee is to truly die for.  On my deathbed I would have a few hundred pounds of Sees Candies delivered to my hospice bedroom - I would then die of outrageous blood sugar levels.

What a way to go - especially with Jack Daniels Sinatra 100 Bourbon being delivered as needed. 

stickguy

my daughter took a side trip to Brussels, and bought a box of handmade chocolates there, right at the shop where they made them. Now those were good.

graphicguy

imidazol97 said:

fintail said:

I have to wonder if one gets a batch of bad peanut butter and seeks a customer service remedy, if a foreign owned brand treats them better than a domestic

That gave me my belly laugh of the day. You seem to have caught my sarcasm precisely.

I was trying to look up foreign brands of peanut butter before my first post and I was surprised that it's not a common product in other countries, specifically in Germany. I suspect I could find some foreign brands at Jungle Jim's, a Cincinnati suburb's grocery specializing in foods from around the world. KYFDX and GG and Corvette are all from Cincy and know the store. http://junglejims.com/

Long ago I found they have Russian chocolate that is fit to die for. No Woodford exquisite bourbon for me to imbibe to extreme: just let me die overdosing on great chocolate.

Maybe good chocolates could be tomorrow's topic de jour.

Was just there last night. If they don't have it, you're probably not going to find it in the U.S. Never looked at their chocolate selection, though.

They do have a pretty good bourbon collection however.

However, this place near KYFDX is supposed to have the biggest bourbon selection in the WORLD!!!!

http://www.newberrybroscoffee.com/spirits.htm

Really fun place to hang out, too!

ab348

fintail said:

I have to wonder if one gets a batch of bad peanut butter and seeks a customer service remedy, if a foreign owned brand treats them better than a domestic

Probably a bit easier to get a PB manufacturer, either foreign or domestic, to do a buyback for an unhappy customer than with an automaker though.

imidazol97

graphicguy said:

Was just there last night. If they don't have it, you're probably not going to find it in the U.S. Never looked at their chocolate selection, though.

IIRC, the Russian department is where the Russian chocolate bars are offered. Several years back they were expensive, but worth it.

abacomike

roadburner said:

One of the major mags had a writeup on why the 2.0 is the engine size of current choice. Something to do with .5 liter per cylinder was found to be the best balanced (smoothest).

Exactly, the current BMW inline engines utilize a modular architecture- all engines have an identical bore and stroke equating to 0.5 liter per cylinder. The also share the same cylinder spacing. This allow 3, 4, and 6 cylinder engines(both gas and diesel) to be built on the same assembly line.

I've been driving MB vehicles since 2008 and also in the 80's and one in 1991 through 1996 - all IIRC, had V6's and V8's.  Now, I'm driving a BMW with an inline 6 and a turbo.  So, I believe I can objectively compare the engine responsiveness as well as vibrations from the engine.

Thus, I totally agree with your comments that the inline engines I've driven (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 including the 2017 740i) are quieter, more responsive, smoother idle as well as high rpm torque.  No comparison to the V's Mercedes puts in its cars and SUV's.  The inline 6 I now drive is strong, quiet, powerful and responsive.  I love that engine!  

driver100

I think peanut butter is nature's most perfect food. It doesn't have to be refrigerated, it lasts a long time, it is fairly inexpensive, it can be prepared quickly, it is nutritious, it is portable, and most people love it!

driver100

GG' you mentioned earlier about owning an expensive car and the possibility was remote and you don't know if you would spend a large amount for a car.

I don't know if this explains things but, I will try. I think I was just as excited buying all my new cars. The E400 is a comfortable car and it has most of the toys....it is a pleasure to drive. For real fun I think the Audi A4 and our 2014 C250 top the list. Both have turbo 4s and there is something about those innocent seeming engines being able to unwind and go. Probably a 6 cyl would be even better, but I can live very nicely with the 4 cyl. I thought the 2013 Passat for $23000 was a great value, just a little under powered for highway driving, but quite satisfactory.

I was the most excited getting my 1995 Jeep Cherokee Unlimited, I was making about $1000 a month on unemployment insurance at the time....but I needed an SUV to carry books for my new business.

I guess what I am trying to get at is expensive doesn't necessarily transfer into being the best car for a lot of people, I think there are cars in most price ranges that can be very satisfactory to drive.

driver100

Europeans haven't taken to peanut butter:

Sadly, many countries don’t share America’s love for peanut butter. “In many parts of the world, peanut butter is regarded as an unpalatable American curiosity,” Brian Sternthal, a professor of marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, explains. That fact almost doesn’t compute, as we Americans eat more than a billion pounds of peanut butter every year.

Peanut butter is an especially tough sell in most of Europe. American peanut farmers have even tried advertising peanut butter to Europeans to warm them up to what could be a golden export for us, but no one’s biting.”The average European still eats less than one tablespoon of U.S. peanut butter in an entire year.”

Hard to find in England, France, Italy, China, Spain, Russia, Austria, etc. Another good reason why it is good to live in the U.S. or Canada.

tjc78

Smuckers natural for us too.  PITA to stir, but much healthier than Jif or others with tons of sugar.  

@qbrozen
Gonna try the upside thing actually just yelled it to my wife as she was just stirring it prepping lunches for tomorrow.  

tbirdmarco

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NJiqSJIvY24

graphicguy

driver100 said:

GG' you mentioned earlier about owning an expensive car and the possibility was remote and you don't know if you would spend a large amount for a car.

I don't know if this explains things but, I will try. I think I was just as excited buying all my new cars. The E400 is a comfortable car and it has most of the toys....it is a pleasure to drive. For real fun I think the Audi A4 and our 2014 C250 top the list. Both have turbo 4s and there is something about those innocent seeming engines being able to unwind and go. Probably a 6 cyl would be even better, but I can live very nicely with the 4 cyl. I thought the 2013 Passat for $23000 was a great value, just a little under powered for highway driving, but quite satisfactory.

I was the most excited getting my 1995 Jeep Cherokee Unlimited, I was making about $1000 a month on unemployment insurance at the time....but I needed an SUV to carry books for my new business.

I guess what I am trying to get at is expensive doesn't necessarily transfer into being the best car for a lot of people, I think there are cars in most price ranges that can be very satisfactory to drive.

Driver....excellent points. I might change my mind after this last go round is distanced from me.

imidazol97

What's important is not the cost of the car or what other people think of it based on real or on "push" opinions from the MainStream auto media, but does it turn you on. I still like this commercial from 2008.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p639LPzZ8aI

venture

tjc78 said:

Smuckers natural for us too.  PITA to stir, but much healthier than Jif or others with tons of sugar.  

@qbrozen
Gonna try the upside thing actually just yelled it to my wife as she was just stirring it prepping lunches for tomorrow.  

I always store my organic crunchy peanut butter upside down after getting it home from the store. Then, if it lasts that long, rotate it about once a week. My wife like creamy stuff and doesn't understand when I get all excited when the ingredient listing says, "peanuts".

suydam

Sees chocolate for me in the States. I like Mexican chocolate too. Abroad, local made if I'm in Belgium, Spain, or Switzerland. We will be in Prague next month. Wonder if they have good chocolate?

fintail

There's enough good local beer in Czech to distract from chocolate

suydam said:

Sees chocolate for me in the States. I like Mexican chocolate too. Abroad, local made if I'm in Belgium, Spain, or Switzerland. We will be in Prague next month. Wonder if they have good chocolate?

fintail

That CTS was an improvement from the first - never could stand the interior textures on the earlier ones.

What's mainstream auto media, and what doesn't fall into that category? I think much of it is on the take, or wants to be. Thankfully there's no breitbart or infowars for cars

imidazol97 said:

What's important is not the cost of the car or what other people think of it based on real or on "push" opinions from the MainStream auto media, but does it turn you on. I still like this commercial from 2008.
I

fintail

MB didn't make a V6 until 1998 - if your older ones were 6cyl, they were I6. MB is moving back to I6 now, it seems to be the better layout for driving enjoyment. My old car has an I6, and it is amazingly smooth for something its age.

abacomike said:

I've been driving MB vehicles since 2008 and also in the 80's and one in 1991 through 1996 - all IIRC, had V6's and V8's.  Now, I'm driving a BMW with an inline 6 and a turbo.  So, I believe I can objectively compare the engine responsiveness as well as vibrations from the engine.

Thus, I totally agree with your comments that the inline engines I've driven (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 including the 2017 740i) are quieter, more responsive, smoother idle as well as high rpm torque.  No comparison to the V's Mercedes puts in its cars and SUV's.  The inline 6 I now drive is strong, quiet, powerful and responsive.  I love that engine!