Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

stickguy

GG, that sounds like a darned fine deal. huge discount on the new one, and barely ant depreciation on the TL. That can't last forever (the TL part). Saving that much on the demo would put me over the top.

Very possible that you would drive "for free" fir 2 years, in that the depreciation on the caddy may not be any more than what the Acura will do.

But, your call. Drive what floats your boat.

imidazol97

graphicguy said:

What do they send? A quote for an ATS, that's nowhere near what I requested.

Is that one of the Eggs are Cheaper in the Country dealer group?

Mr_Shiftright

I bailed the other day at WF on a $6 mango. I would have haggled down to $2.50. We were just too far apart to make a deal. I did think about mentioning that they are in direct competition with the mango dealer down the street--which happens to be a nursery that sells entire mango trees for $40 bucks.

And here I thought Porsche was the King of the Shameless Markup.

Kirstie_H said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Lucky they didn't film that video at a Whole Foods---the customers wouldn't have gotten the joke.

"$20 for a box of crackers? I must be a highly discriminating consumer who has just made a very wise decision in purchasing only the best."

graphicguy

imidazol97 said:

graphicguy said:

What do they send? A quote for an ATS, that's nowhere near what I requested.

Is that one of the Eggs are Cheaper in the Country dealer group?

imid...that be the one.

Kirstie...glad you're enjoying this. They really have gone out of their way to make things right.

Mr Shiftright.....differeneces between the CTS and ATS? Hmmmmm....refinement would be one. CTS feels more refined without giving up anything in the handling dept. Materials seem to be a step above from the ATS (which is no slouch in that dept). Details are nicer....(i.e. real stitching around the dash...stitching on the seats is top notch...leather feels nicer...etc). Of course, it's much roomier. I think the CTS has 18" wheels/tires vs 17" on the ATS (not 100% certain of that, though). CTRS is quieter. If I had one complaint with the ATS, it seems a little raucous. Same drivetrain, it just feels and sounds more refined in the CTS vs the ATS.

I guess I'm a little more amazed at the handling and steering of the CTS being similar to the smaller ATS. CTS, at least from the inside, looks bigger and is more comfortable.

Off the top of my head, those are the differences.

Mr_Shiftright

Thanks. That makes sense.

graphicguy

abacomike said:

My guess is that there are a tremendous amount of incentives (front end and back end) on the ATS and CTS.  My suggestion is to seriously consider a brand new one and offer them the same money as they would sell you the demo for.  I bet they will do that deal - but you have to be a buyer at a specific number - senseless to bicker back and forth once you have established what you want and what you will spend.

Great reporting on your experiences.

Mike....interesting you say that. I asked the owner what the deal was with the incentives given how well Cadillacs have been reviewed (which in turn is the reason for large incentives).

He DID think the GM ignition issue had an impact, but he also said it seemed Cadillac was hit the hardest by the issue. He went on to say that people expect more from luxury brands, and that he had just started seeing a change in perception when....BOOM....the ignition issue happened. He went on.....the bright side, those who tried to hide the problem, deny it was a problem, were all fired. That was something he felt would never have happened under the old regimes. He also said they are getting service notices over every little thing that may or may not go wrong. Most are electronic and computer reflashes to change or fix an issue, Some are as simple as telling the service dept to file down a small part that may have a slight burr on it. He said they've swung the other way in compensating dealers to fix customer complaints.

I guess it used to be a fight with the dealers to get GM to compensate them for some of the customer warranty issues. He things all the changes are good for his dealership, but in particular, for Cadillac customers.

He believes this time, right now, will be the last time anyone sees Cadillac incentives this generous, as the new head of Cadillac (can't recall his name...came from Audi) has sent edicts that will eliminate those sort of incentives to build the brand's value quotient.

I asked him what his top seller was. He said it's a tie between the ATS and.....ready for this......the new ESCALADE. He said he's amazed the Escalade outsells the V series of cars.

Average time he keeps an Escalade on the lot is 3 days.

Really enjoyed my conversation with him.

driver100

graphicguy said:

OK....so I'm in full shopping mode, now.


Now I'm intrigued again.

Think I'll go shopping this afternoon.

TO BE CONTINUED......

GG, the story is getting better and better. That dealer with the 3 phone calls probably thinks you are playing games so they'll have some fun with you.

Mid 40s for a car of that quality is tempting.

This may help and it may not:
You may consider figuring out what your cost of driving has been in the Acura per year. Cost price, less trade in value divided by 2.

See what a 4 year old CTS is worth as a trade in. Calculate how much your yearly cost of driving will be.

Of course depreciation will be less on the Acura going forward. But, you may have a larger difference in price to overcome when you do trade it in.

On the otherhand, when will you get an opportunity to move up like this.

Then again, the CTS will be a more costly car to maintain, gas, insurance, parts.

That will be a very difficult choice....but, kind of a nice one to have to make.

graphicguy

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

OK....so I'm in full shopping mode, now.


Now I'm intrigued again.

Think I'll go shopping this afternoon.

TO BE CONTINUED......

GG, the story is getting better and better. That dealer with the 3 phone calls probably thinks you are playing games so they'll have some fun with you.

Mid 40s for a car of that quality is tempting.

This may help and it may not:
You may consider figuring out what your cost of driving has been in the Acura per year. Cost price, less trade in value divided by 2.

See what a 4 year old CTS is worth as a trade in. Calculate how much your yearly cost of driving will be.

Of course depreciation will be less on the Acura going forward. But, you may have a larger difference in price to overcome when you do trade it in.

On the otherhand, when will you get an opportunity to move up like this.

Then again, the CTS will be a more costly car to maintain, gas, insurance, parts.

That will be a very difficult choice....but, kind of a nice one to have to make.

Thanks Driver. Glad you're enjoying it. Just talked to the insurance agent. Premiums remain the same. The TL takes premium fuel. The Cadillac takes regular.

I doubt seriously that the Cadillac will hold its value like the Acura will. So, good point there.

I'm figuring $10K out of pocket...less if I can get away with it. Again, this is IF I decide to pull the trigger.

Going shopping now. Thanks to everyone for the advice. Will let everyone know how things go.

ab348

GG's experience makes me realize that all of us are somewhere on a scale when it comes to cars. At one end you have the extremely practical, it's-only-an-appliance person, who wants to minimize the cost of a car and has little love for them other than needing a certain set of characterirics. On the other you have the emotional, gotta-have-it type of person, who wants certain things in a car, be they luxury, performance, status, etc, and for whom finances are secondary to that emotional "hit".

I was never on the ultra-practical end of that scale, as I always loved cars and was never abig fan of the econobox or cheap used car. Now there were times in my life when I didn't have much money and had to buy cheap used cars, but even then I shopped for them with some idea of what I wanted stylistically or emotionally. At this stage in my life I can afford more flexibility in my choices, and so I am further towards the emotional end of the scale, though finances always play a role in my decisions. But I would not be changing cars every 3-4 years if it was all about the money. I get the itch and want something new after a while, and thankfully it is an itch I can afford to scratch.

abacomike

Was just watching a commercial on TV for a movie that is scheduled to air next week on one of the cable channels - you typical Halloween type movies.  But the title is what seemed to infuriate me:

"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"

How in the world does a screenwriter come up with a theme like that?  What parallel exists between one of this nation's most outstanding Presidents and the search for, and destruction of, vampires?

It's plain and simple "idiocy" which I am sure the movie is.  Abraham Lincoln on the lookout for vampires - doesn't even Hollywood draw the line at some point in time?

I've marked my calendar with the time, date and channel for this masterful airing of pure bunk to make sure I rent or buy a DVD for that night and time so I can't even, in error, scan that channel.

Now, back to the Cadillac saga!

robr2

abacomike said:

Was just watching a commercial on TV for a movie that is scheduled to air next week on one of the cable channels - you typical Halloween type movies.  But the title is what seemed to infuriate me:

"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"

How in the world does a screenwriter come up with a theme like that?  What parallel exists between one of this nation's most outstanding Presidents and the search for, and destruction of, vampires?

It's plain and simple "idiocy" which I am sure the movie is.  Abraham Lincoln on the lookout for vampires - doesn't even Hollywood draw the line at some point in time?

I've marked my calendar with the time, date and channel for this masterful airing of pure bunk to make sure I rent or buy a DVD for that night and time so I can't even, in error, scan that channel.

Now, back to the Cadillac saga!

It's based on a successful novel about Lincoln hunting down evil vampires in America before his being elected President. It's a mash-up novel that mixes genres together. In this case, it combines the story of Lincoln and vampires. Other examples include Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Queen Victoria - Demon Hunter.

It's fantasy - no different than Superman, Star Wars or the Maple Leafs winning the cup. It may not be your cup of tea just like some of what you may enjoy may not be to the liking of others. Instead of making an uninformed comment, watch some of it.

Note: I've never watched it nor am I interested in watching it.

stickguy

I am not so sure the Acura won't depreciate more over the next 2 years. For a couple of reasons.

one is that it is already 2 years old, and seems to have stopped just short of the depreciation cliff. Now way at 4 YO it can still be selling for close to that. At some point it has to drop.

But, the Caddy is so heavily discounted already, that in 2 years it should not drop that drastically.

spitballing, Caddy SP is 45K, so Acura trade in must be 35K. in 2 years, the Caddy could pull 35K as a super clean unit, but hard to see the Acura at 4 YO doing more than 25K.

35K off a 60K sticker is about 58% residual. Gonna get that at least on a 2 year lease, so seems reasonable to me. Plus 2 more years of BtoB.

25K off of 45K MSRP on the TL is about 55%, so nearly the same residual for double the miles and age. And remember, this is also when the warranty is going to expire.

Of course, I am just whipping this all up in my head so YMMV.

so I will just go back to my simple "pick which one of the 2 you really like the best and want to own, and go for it" because I just don't see that huge of a financial difference (other than the 10K GG has to fork over!)

ab348

I could certainly do with a moratorium on zombie and vampire movies. Along with medieval fantasies.

imidazol97

Thanks GG.

It's nice to see the GM products getting a serious consideration. That includes the store itself. I found the Buick and Chevy stores to be almost as welcoming, offering drinks, even snacks, after being there talking for a while. The Buick deal was a few years older but modern already; the Chevy deal has had the makeover with lighter tiles and upbeat appearances.

The 2.0 turbo that's in the ATS/CTS is the same as in the 2013/14 Malibu, ATG version. I considered one in stock in a color and option set that we liked, but we changed our minds about the color after sleeping on it.

qbrozen

Lincoln hunting vampires was mildly entertaining.

abacomike

qbrozen said:

Lincoln hunting vampires was mildly entertaining.

Maybe I'll give it a shot - who knows - but not because I was "uninformed" as rob suggests, but rather because you recommended it and I have respect for your opinions broz!

Michaell

@graphicguy‌

I too am loving your story with the Cadillacs. But, I find one thing quite interesting about the whole situation ...




... what does the lovely missus have to say about this? Now that you're married, are you still able to make such a large financial decision unilaterally?

explorerx4

@Michaell, She thinks he is going to CVS to see if his pain medication prescription is ready.

driver100

ab348 said:

GG's experience makes me realize that all of us are somewhere on a scale when it comes to cars. . I get the itch and want something new after a while, and thankfully it is an itch I can afford to scratch.

Right on ab, I agree 100%.

driver100

abacomike said:

Was just watching a commercial on TV for a movie that is scheduled to air next week on one of the cable channels - you typical Halloween type movies.  But the title is what seemed to infuriate me:

"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter".

Now, back to the Cadillac saga!

Just go with the flo Mike. Vampires and werewolves are big business these days. I was in the book business and at one time romance novels were the big thing. We were told women liked the historical ones because they like being seduced by the handsome pirate or soldier, but they don't want it to happen in the present as that is too scarry.

Now it is vampires that are popular. It may not be your thing, it isn't my thing, but, it is just fiction entertainment, and is not really disrespectful....a lot of fiction relies on true facts or real people.

driver100

stickguy said:

I am not so sure the Acura won't depreciate more over the next 2 years. For a couple of reasons.

one is that it is already 2 years old, and seems to have stopped just short of the depreciation cliff. Now way at 4 YO it can still be selling for close to that. At some point it has to drop.

But, the Caddy is so heavily discounted already, that in 2 years it should not drop that drastically.

spitballing, Caddy SP is 45K, so Acura trade in must be 35K. in 2 years, the Caddy could pull 35K as a super clean unit, but hard to see the Acura at 4 YO doing more than 25K.

35K off a 60K sticker is about 58% residual. Gonna get that at least on a 2 year lease, so seems reasonable to me. Plus 2 more years of BtoB.

25K off of 45K MSRP on the TL is about 55%, so nearly the same residual for double the miles and age. And remember, this is also when the warranty is going to expire.

Of course, I am just whipping this all up in my head so YMMV.

so I will just go back to my simple "pick which one of the 2 you really like the best and want to own, and go for it" because I just don't see that huge of a financial difference (other than the 10K GG has to fork over!)

I give you credit for working that out stick. These are the figures most people don't bother with. If GG goes ahead he will probably have at least 4 years of trouble free/worry free driving.

His car should hold it's value pretty well over the next 2 to 4 years, especially considering the price he paid.

I have often wondered if I was doing the right thing by trading in a car and having to make payments again. Even in the lean years I bought a car because I wanted dependable transportation to get to work so I could pay off my car and other obligations. I may have been apprehensive when I bought, but, looking back, I am not one bit sorry I bought any of my cars when I did....in fact, I am glad I did!

qbrozen

abacomike said:

qbrozen said:

Lincoln hunting vampires was mildly entertaining.

Maybe I'll give it a shot - who knows - but not because I was "uninformed" as rob suggests, but rather because you recommended it and I have respect for your opinions broz!

Haha. Well, don't accuse me of "recommending it."
I certainly would never suggest people go out of their way to see it.

abacomike

qbrozen said:

qbrozen said:

Lincoln hunting vampires was mildly entertaining.

Maybe I'll give it a shot - who knows - but not because I was "uninformed" as rob suggests, but rather because you recommended it and I have respect for your opinions broz!

Haha. Well, don't accuse me of "recommending it." I certainly would never suggest people go out of their way to see it.

Thanks for clearing that up for me broz - I thought you were recommending the movie.  I will stay with my original plan and avoid at all costs.  

jayrider

abacomike said:

Was just watching a commercial on TV for a movie that is scheduled to air next week on one of the cable channels - you typical Halloween type movies.  But the title is what seemed to infuriate me:

"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"

How in the world does a screenwriter come up with a theme like that?  What parallel exists between one of this nation's most outstanding Presidents and the search for, and destruction of, vampires?

It's plain and simple "idiocy" which I am sure the movie is.  Abraham Lincoln on the lookout for vampires - doesn't even Hollywood draw the line at some point in time?

I've marked my calendar with the time, date and channel for this masterful airing of pure bunk to make sure I rent or buy a DVD for that night and time so I can't even, in error, scan that channel.

Now, back to the Cadillac saga!

The movie is a spoof and is actually pretty entertaining if you like beheadings and mayhem. Spoiler alert !!! Abe really kicks a** with his axe. Seems all that rail splitting has paid dividends where you would least expect it to.

graphicguy

OK....went to two Caddy dealers. One close to me, and the other one who I visited yesterday. The one closest to me behaved how I expected them to. "If we, will you?....blah, blah....!" I gave them my number on both the Acura and on their CTS. I told them up front it's a yes or no proposition. No going back and forth. Take my offer to your manager and it's "we have a deal" or "we don't have a deal". Nope, they didn't want to do that. They came back with a totally different offer with the caveat there might be some play in their numbers if there was play in mine. As I explained, I had no play in my number.

They pulled the old "can't find the used car manager...he has your keys" routine when I told them we weren't going to deal. He was evaluating my car. He parked it right in front after a brief 5 minute drive and a walk around. Why not just drop off the keys in the dealership after?

This dealership never changes their tactics. I'm really surprised they're still doing these types of stunts. They have $80K vehicles in their showroom. I'll assume those people in the market for them hate when they grind them, too.

Long and short of it, I felt like I needed a shower when I finally got my keys back. Looking back, I'm unsure what I would have done of they would have eventually met the trade and price I threw at them. I probably still would have walked on them.

Off to the original dealer. The owner wasn't there, but his son was there. "Here, take the keys. Drive it overnight. Keep it over the weekend if you want. It has a full tank of gas."

Me...here are my numbers if you're interested.

Dealer...."OK...just take the car and see if you like it first. It looks like your numbers are pretty similar to the ones I gave. We're at bone cost. I don't know if there's any play on your trade, but let me talk to our Used Car Manager and have him look at it while you're gone."

Seems fair.

So, drove around a bit this afternoon...in town, on the interstate. It is a step or two above my TL. Lots of real wood. I foot how turbos behaved. Trans easily downshifts, at which time the turbo immediately spools and shoots out like a canon. So, it has some giddy up. My TL builds revs and then takes off (VTEC). The TL's motor is smoother sounding, though. But, the Caddy's drivetrain is the equal of any of the motors in the 5 series or the E class performance wise. I can tell it has more torque than my 6 cyl has, though. Not a lot, but enough to be noticeable.

It's really toss able. Which is a strange sensation in a car with this much room. It has the first Bose stereo which I actually like. It's certainly better than the Bang & Olufsen I had in the Audi and way better than the Harmon Kardon I had in the BMW. Still haven't decided whether it's as good as the ELS in my TL (which is the best I've heard in any car).

I like the steering better than what I have in the TL, by a good margin. Suspension is better, too. Everything is premium. You look at the door handles and they're sculpted. I think they're made out of aluminum, maybe magnesium. Same goes for the shift paddles. Everywhere you look, it's premium.

As I mentioned, GM must have rebooted the CUE, as it's much more responsive than the CUE I used in the ATS last year.

IT has a 6 speed trans, as does my TL. That sort of bucks the trend for 7, 8 and 9 speed transmissions. Not sure what I think of that.

It's a dark grey metallic with a two tone interior...silver and black.....quite sharp looking.

Tough call. I really like my TL. This is a whole step or two above that and comparable to any 5 series or E class I've ever been in.

In answer to what my wife thinks? She trusts my judgement no matter what (see why I married her?). So, no worries there.

We;ll take it out tonight and see if it gets any easier or any harder.

If I pull the trigger? Great. If not, it's not like I'm driving some worn out sled to begin with. It's a win-win.

roadburner

abacomike said:

Was just watching a commercial on TV for a movie that is scheduled to air next week on one of the cable channels - you typical Halloween type movies.  But the title is what seemed to infuriate me:

"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"

How in the world does a screenwriter come up with a theme like that?  What parallel exists between one of this nation's most outstanding Presidents and the search for, and destruction of, vampires?

It's plain and simple "idiocy" which I am sure the movie is.  Abraham Lincoln on the lookout for vampires - doesn't even Hollywood draw the line at some point in time?

I've marked my calendar with the time, date and channel for this masterful airing of pure bunk to make sure I rent or buy a DVD for that night and time so I can't even, in error, scan that channel.

Now, back to the Cadillac saga!

Lighten up Mike, it's based on a book by Seth Grahame-Smith that sold quite well. He's also taken on Jane Austen- all in good fun, methinks...

snakeweasel

qbrozen said:

Lincoln hunting vampires was mildly entertaining.

I think I recorded it on my DVR just to see what it's like, after all if it stunk I could turn it off without really losing anything. 

On a related note did you know that Booth saved Lincoln's life?

stickguy

GG, really sounds like you are in love with the Caddy. I'm betting in the morning you pull the trigger.

I assume this is an AWD CTS? but even though both cars are AWD, the Caddy is still a RWD platform and the TL is FWD.

just based on everything you have reported, if I were you the CTS would be coming home with me.

jayrider

local cadillac dealer is advertising $11,750 off every 2014 CTS. Bommarito Stl. on the website

driver100

graphicguy said:

If I pull the trigger? Great. If not, it's not like I'm driving some worn out sled to begin with. It's a win-win.

GG, no matter which way you decide it is a great story, and a really good review - better than most of the one's I read, and I read quite a few. You really hit on the things I would want to know, and view it in a way that makes sense to me.

It's hard to turn down a new car, especially when it is a category higher than you are used to. That's one reason my father never wanted to test a car more expensive than the one he had..Fords or Mercurys - he always said if he drove something better he wouldn't be satisfied with his car anymore.

It will be interesting to see what you find out when you both try it. Like you said, either way, you will be OK. Don't feel pressured just because we like to see another car sold around here.

btw...where did Richard go, he was here to tell us about his new purchase and then disappeared?

stickguy

probably renting himself and his truck out for odd jobs around town.

murphydog

LOL - not as much fun as the Cadillac saga is, but wanted to share an X3 update today. I was out in the sticks trying to find a very small independent garage my late father took a Karman Ghia to for restoration. Step mother could not remember where exactly it was. I hit the voice button, said "point of Interest", then name of the garage, and bam she found it. Very impressed with the speed of the reply and the accuracy - this is the wife's car, but I am loving it!

Tomorrow the clear bra comes off - a quick clean, clay and net shield for the winter to follow soon after

graphicguy

Michaell said:

@graphicguy‌

I too am loving your story with the Cadillacs. But, I find one thing quite interesting about the whole situation ...




... what does the lovely missus have to say about this? Now that you're married, are you still able to make such a large financial decision unilaterally?

BTW...my teeny-tiny pic next to my user name is actually a tecent one of the wife and I. Can't really make anything out with it being that small, though.

explorerx4

Has anyone seen this video about how the AWD in the CR-V doesn't work?
traction test
I drove around one that was struggling up a hill and was thinking who would buy a FWD CR-V around here? Turns out is wasn't FWD.

driver100

stickguy said:

probably renting himself and his truck out for odd jobs around town.

That's funny!

Maybe he is back in the antique furniture biz.

driver100

murphydog said:

LOL - not as much fun as the Cadillac saga is, but wanted to share an X3 update today. I was out in the sticks trying to find a very small independent garage my late father took a Karman Ghia to for restoration. Step mother could not remember where exactly it was. I hit the voice button, said "point of Interest", then name of the garage, and bam she found it. Very impressed with the speed of the reply and the accuracy - this is the wife's car, but I am loving it!

Tomorrow the clear bra comes off - a quick clean, clay and net shield for the winter to follow soon after

Any opinions. I put the clear plastic coating on the 535, and there are two stone chips that went right through the plastic.

My friend with the Maserati got a new white Audi R4 and the garage where we get the bra said it yellows and shows on white cars, and stone chips still happen. It is better to spend the money on a paint job in a few years.

I am not sure...one thing I think it does do is catches insects and might save the paint if you don't wash them off right away. I am inclined not to get it this time and see what happens.

Murph....what car does your wife have? That GPS sounds pretty good, I have never tried to find something obscure like that.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

murphydog said:

LOL - not as much fun as the Cadillac saga is, but wanted to share an X3 update today. I was out in the sticks trying to find a very small independent garage my late father took a Karman Ghia to for restoration. Step mother could not remember where exactly it was. I hit the voice button, said "point of Interest", then name of the garage, and bam she found it. Very impressed with the speed of the reply and the accuracy - this is the wife's car, but I am loving it!

Tomorrow the clear bra comes off - a quick clean, clay and net shield for the winter to follow soon after

Any opinions. I put the clear plastic coating on the 535, and there are two stone chips that went right through the plastic.

My friend with the Maserati got a new white Audi R4 and the garage where we get the bra said it yellows and shows on white cars, and stone chips still happen. It is better to spend the money on a paint job in a few years.

I am not sure...one thing I think it does do is catches insects and might save the paint if you don't wash them off right away. I am inclined not to get it this time and see what happens.

Murph....what car does your wife have? That GPS sounds pretty good, I have never tried to find something obscure like that.

Isn't it the stone chips that the clear bra is suppose to prevent? If it doesn't do that why bother?

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

murphydog said:

LOL - not as much fun as the Cadillac saga is, but wanted to share an X3 update today. I was out in the sticks trying to find a very small independent garage my late father took a Karman Ghia to for restoration. Step mother could not remember where exactly it was. I hit the voice button, said "point of Interest", then name of the garage, and bam she found it. Very impressed with the speed of the reply and the accuracy - this is the wife's car, but I am loving it!

Tomorrow the clear bra comes off - a quick clean, clay and net shield for the winter to follow soon after

Any opinions. I put the clear plastic coating on the 535, and there are two stone chips that went right through the plastic.

My friend with the Maserati got a new white Audi R4 and the garage where we get the bra said it yellows and shows on white cars, and stone chips still happen. It is better to spend the money on a paint job in a few years.

I am not sure...one thing I think it does do is catches insects and might save the paint if you don't wash them off right away. I am inclined not to get it this time and see what happens.

Murph....what car does your wife have? That GPS sounds pretty good, I have never tried to find something obscure like that.

Isn't it the stone chips that the clear bra is suppose to prevent? If it doesn't do that why bother?

That's what I thought........but the garage that puts the plastic protection on said it won't prevent stone chips. Personally, I get the impression, it stops about 75% of chips, but a few get through. I suppose that might be worth something.

I can't find any articles that that give you the negatives about clear protection - lots of ads that tell you why it is good. I wonder if I got a good trade-in allowance because they figure if you care that much about your car you probably take care of it.

bwia

GG, from your captivating reporting I am beginning to catch the Cadillac CTS fever; so much so that I spent the better part of this early morning watching YouTube videos on it. While I have always been impressed with the styling of CTS, the 2009 that I rented a few years ago was not close to the 2014 in terms of interior refinement and material quality.

The self-parking feature in the 2014 is an option that is highly desirable for folks like me who live in the crowded Northeast. I wonder why GM doesn't promote it more? Not until I watched a couple videos did I realize that Cadillac has that technology.
The below video does not come close to actually driving the CTS but the optics are impressive.
Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPvPJu3TUfs

murphydog

driver100 said:

murphydog said:

LOL - not as much fun as the Cadillac saga is, but wanted to share an X3 update today. I was out in the sticks trying to find a very small independent garage my late father took a Karman Ghia to for restoration. Step mother could not remember where exactly it was. I hit the voice button, said "point of Interest", then name of the garage, and bam she found it. Very impressed with the speed of the reply and the accuracy - this is the wife's car, but I am loving it!

Tomorrow the clear bra comes off - a quick clean, clay and net shield for the winter to follow soon after

Any opinions. I put the clear plastic coating on the 535, and there are two stone chips that went right through the plastic.

My friend with the Maserati got a new white Audi R4 and the garage where we get the bra said it yellows and shows on white cars, and stone chips still happen. It is better to spend the money on a paint job in a few years.

I am not sure...one thing I think it does do is catches insects and might save the paint if you don't wash them off right away. I am inclined not to get it this time and see what happens.

Murph....what car does your wife have? That GPS sounds pretty good, I have never tried to find something obscure like that.

We just got her a 2014 X3 35i with the M sport package in white. The navigation and data connectivity is impressive.

In terms of the clear bra, seems like too many look yellow on white cars, and they show dirt around the edges.

Time will tell...

stickguy

driver, I suppose if after a few years it yellows enough to bother you, you can just take it off and replace it.

I assume it protects from bugs and many small nicks. Nothing is stopping major size rocks from doing damage.

in your case, probably not that big a deal since you will only keep it for 3-4 years max. Can always have a pro touch up any nicks before you go to trade it in.

isellhondas

explorerx4 said:

Has anyone seen this video about how the AWD in the CR-V doesn't work?
traction test
I drove around one that was struggling up a hill and was thinking who would buy a FWD CR-V around here? Turns out is wasn't FWD.

I don't get it. We have two CRV's and have owned two others. The 4 WD works just fine on ours not that we need it very often.

roadburner

driver100 said:

My friend with the Maserati got a new white Audi R4 and the garage where we get the bra said it yellows and shows on white cars, and stone chips still happen. It is better to spend the money on a paint job in a few years.

The RS4 is so capable that when it rains even your friend should be able to drive it. That is, if his nutcase wife lets him...

roadburner

In other news, I decided to take advantage of my son being home from college for fall break and let him help me swap my Cooper Zeon RS3-A all season rubber back on to the MS3. They are amazing street tires; I have 40,500 miles on them and they are still smooth and quiet- I think I can get another 10,000 miles out of them. Note that I do rotate them every 7,500 mile using the "forward cross" pattern. And while I do miss the Pilot Super Sports, I want to save them for some track work next year.

nyccarguy

@explorerx4‌

Funny thing.  The FWD based 4WD system has performed flawlessly.  Although winters by us are quite mild compared to Sweden.

@murphydog

Glad you love the wife's X3.  The NAV was one thing I never liked on the 328xi I just turned in.  It got me almost places.  To the block, but never to the exact house.

robr2

isellhondas said:

explorerx4 said:

Has anyone seen this video about how the AWD in the CR-V doesn't work?
traction test
I drove around one that was struggling up a hill and was thinking who would buy a FWD CR-V around here? Turns out is wasn't FWD.

I don't get it. We have two CRV's and have owned two others. The 4 WD works just fine on ours not that we need it very often.

Honda replied to the video with something about the test not being real world and that if the AWD system were to send all the torque to the rear wheels, the differential would not be able to handle it. Honda also offered to reprogram the software in any CRV in Sweden to be able to do so.

As the video shows, Honda was able to fix it in the previous version so I don't understand why it's an issue with the new version.

driver100

bwia said:

GG, from your captivating reporting I am beginning to catch the Cadillac CTS fever; so much so that I spent the better part of this early morning watching YouTube videos on it. While I have always been impressed with the styling of CTS, the 2009 that I rented a few years ago was not close to the 2014 in terms of interior refinement and material quality.

The self-parking feature in the 2014 is an option that is highly desirable for folks like me who live in the crowded Northeast. I wonder why GM doesn't promote it more? Not until I watched a couple videos did I realize that Cadillac has that technology.
The below video does not come close to actually driving the CTS but the optics are impressive.
Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPvPJu3TUfs

Excellent review of the CTS. I spent time looking up info too, and everything says the CTS is as good as any of the competition. It has every toy available.....and GG likes electronics.

I noticed they said it was $12K more expensive than the 2013 model, so calculating depreciation will be tricky, but it should be worth about half it's current value in 3 years.

Good brief overview!

driver100

murphydog said:

driver100 said:

murphydog said:

LOL - not as much fun as the Cadillac saga is, but wanted to share an X3 update today. I was out in the sticks trying to find a very small independent garage my late father took a Karman Ghia to for restoration. Step mother could not remember where exactly it was. I hit the voice button, said "point of Interest", then name of the garage, and bam she found it. Very impressed with the speed of the reply and the accuracy - this is the wife's car, but I am loving it!

Tomorrow the clear bra comes off - a quick clean, clay and net shield for the winter to follow soon after

Any opinions. I put the clear plastic coating on the 535, and there are two stone chips that went right through the plastic.

My friend with the Maserati got a new white Audi R4 and the garage where we get the bra said it yellows and shows on white cars, and stone chips still happen. It is better to spend the money on a paint job in a few years.

I am not sure...one thing I think it does do is catches insects and might save the paint if you don't wash them off right away. I am inclined not to get it this time and see what happens.

Murph....what car does your wife have? That GPS sounds pretty good, I have never tried to find something obscure like that.

We just got her a 2014 X3 35i with the M sport package in white. The navigation and data connectivity is impressive.

In terms of the clear bra, seems like too many look yellow on white cars, and they show dirt around the edges.

Time will tell...

I will say, the 535 is 3 years old and the plastic shield is not too noticeable....no more than when it was first put on. I don't mind the faint line that is visible....it just looks like an upscale option. I might as well get some visual attention for my $400......no one will know if it is invisible.

Oh, I forgot you just got the X3. Hope you are enjoying it!

driver100

roadburner said:

driver100 said:

My friend with the Maserati got a new white Audi R4 and the garage where we get the bra said it yellows and shows on white cars, and stone chips still happen. It is better to spend the money on a paint job in a few years.

The RS4 is so capable that when it rains even your friend should be able to drive it. That is, if his nutcase wife lets him...

No complaints so far.

fezo

ab348 said:

GG's experience makes me realize that all of us are somewhere on a scale when it comes to cars. At one end you have the extremely practical, it's-only-an-appliance person, who wants to minimize the cost of a car and has little love for them other than needing a certain set of characterirics. On the other you have the emotional, gotta-have-it type of person, who wants certain things in a car, be they luxury, performance, status, etc, and for whom finances are secondary to that emotional "hit".

I was never on the ultra-practical end of that scale, as I always loved cars and was never abig fan of the econobox or cheap used car. Now there were times in my life when I didn't have much money and had to buy cheap used cars, but even then I shopped for them with some idea of what I wanted stylistically or emotionally. At this stage in my life I can afford more flexibility in my choices, and so I am further towards the emotional end of the scale, though finances always play a role in my decisions. But I would not be changing cars every 3-4 years if it was all about the money. I get the itch and want something new after a while, and thankfully it is an itch I can afford to scratch.

I'm with you there, though having to navigate a somewhat lower scale. My wife and daughter are happy as clams in Camrys. That's fine. I wanted something entertaining and it was a "just happened to be on the lot" things with my Mazda. Just replaced the clutch and lower control arms which kicks it up a couple of notches. I'm making car payments to myself so the next car will likely be a cash deal. My wife's car has 3 more payments. At that point I can increase the car fund. Fun down the road and perfectly acceptable cars in the meantime.