Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

qbrozen

Fezo - good to hear from you.

driver - don't count on that HDMI cable. There really is a difference. My newest TV does not like old cables. They don't have to necessarily be expensive, but they do have to be recent (there have been different versions of HDMI) and not bottom of the barrel. The TV would flash off and on occassionally. Took me quite a while and a bunch of moving stuff around to finally find out it was the cables. Upgraded them to decent ones off Amazon and have no problems since. I think they are the more recent HDMI 2.0. 

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

I just noticed the other day while driving the truck that at 75 mph, it registered 2k rpms.
This is with the mid level 3.55 rear axle ratio. Standard is 3.31. Max tow gear is 3.73.

In the Mustang going up to 3.55 from stock 3.15 raises the RPMs by about 200 @ 70. Still that seem like a slow turning motor. It's not a diesel, is it? Maybe you have a very tall top gear. How many cylinders?

oldfarmer50

fezo said:

Oh, a few things to report. First off the cataract operation went without a hitch. Of course now instead of wearing glasses all the time I now have to take then on and off if I want to read. Pretty heavy presbyopia. OTOH, there's like $16 for 3 pairs at Costco so I leave them in various places.

My lovely beat up 07 Camry with 215K on it that I'm sure could have nursed a few more years out of is no longer. Fortunately my daughter is. She was making a left hand turn in a downpour and got smacked by a rain colored car without its headlights on. Still figuring the legal end of things but this idiot of a cop calls an ambulance for the other driver who said she thought she hurt her foot and left my daughter to fend for herself as a friend had come to help. At my insistence she went to the ER where she was diagnosed with whiplash and a concussion. The assistant coaches on my kid's softball team has to know concussion protocol. Apparently the cops don't. Once the legal matters are settled I'll find the cop's superior and report him. Jill's driving and working everyday so other than the pain she's doing well. She is buying her replacement car from me and is already driving it. An 08 Prius with 133 on the clock. Quickest Prius I ever ran into. I was honestly stunned. Way more pickup than my wife's 10 and I don't know why. That's what she wanted that's what she got. Penfed credit union 1.99% of three year loan on an 08. Can't beat it.

Meanwhile I'm tiring of the 5. It's big for my tastes, including the height. I like little cars. To me a Mazda 6 is as big as I'm likely to go. This - http://www.piazzamazdaofwestchester.com/certified/Mazda/2015-Mazda-Mazda3-west-chester-pa-56657a7d0a0e0a6b1c382ff807b6ad57.htm caught my eye and I made an Internet inquiry, got the standard "come on in'." I answered with a detailed reason why I wasn't driving into Pennsylvania (disclaimer: it took three trips to Philadelphia to bring home the Prius) just to look at a car. Made an offer and never got so much as a reply. I'll maybe give him the weekend and if that gets me nowhere I'll move up the ladder to inform that their Internet manager is apparently incapable of answering an email.

Nice car. Pushes all my right buttons even as you lose 2 mpg with the stick vs the automatic but that's worth it. THe 18" tires on the s as opposed to 16" on the i are a bit of a concern but 3 hatches with a stick, particularly a GT are scarce and most are in non-colors. Offering a skinny but not terrible deal. When I bought the 5 it took two emails to complete the deal with the disclaimer that it had to be as advertised. Bought my wife's Prius the same way - 2 emails. We'll see. Something I'd like but don't need.

Also saved the Miata from the "twins" turning 17 early fall of 18. Didn't want more than one listed as a primary driver which leaving it with present would put a primary on every car. Went too Hagerty. Cut the price in half for largely the same policy. Just so that it's a pleasure car. They asked how much did I expect to drive it in a year. I said 4K which is close to correct. Nicely done. Now to see if I can pull off the 3 deal.

Good to hear about the eyes. My wife complains about the same thing, having to take reading glasses on and off.

Glad your daughter's injuries were relatively minor. Did the other driver get a ticket for no headlights? That drives me crazy when people drive pavement colored cars in the rain with no lights.

Good luck on the car purchase. Full details on completion please.

Tell me you aren't giving a Miata to 17 year olds.

driver100

qbrozen said:

.driver - don't count on that HDMI cable. There really is a difference. My newest TV does not like old cables. They don't have to necessarily be expensive, but they do have to be recent (there have been different versions of HDMI) and not bottom of the barrel. The TV would flash off and on occassionally. Took me quite a while and a bunch of moving stuff around to finally find out it was the cables. Upgraded them to decent ones off Amazon and have no problems since. I think they are the more recent HDMI 2.0. 

The HDMI cable I am using is working fine. My IT internet specialist friend said the Dollar Store HDMI cable will be good enough for my purposes.....just attaching the Blue Ray DVD to the TV.

On this subject, our 55" Samsung TV is about 8 years old....cost about $3500 at the time. Now you could buy a new one for $600 to $1000 with much more including Smart TV features. I got a Samsung Blue Ray DVD player for $90 at Costco just to be able to watch BR DVDs, however, I noticed the Player has Smart TV features...Netflix, Youtube etc. So, it makes my TV into a Smart TV!

driver100

Fezo......sorry to hear about the accident....glad your daughter will be OK.

As the insurance executive said when we had our collision and the cop didn't lay charges on the other driver, and he spent 90% of the time talking to the truck drivers supervisor - Either the cop didn't like you or he didn't like your ride.

A friend told me he had a rental car in Texas and was returning it to the airport. A shuttle bus, that had a Yield sign, cut into his lane and clipped his front fender. The cop wrote up that he was at fault for hitting the bus....he learned later the cop and bus driver were good friends.

We are both law and order guys who back the police....now, we both have lost some of our trust.

abacomike

@fezo:

Great news about your eyes, not so good news about your daughter.  Concussions are serious injuries and constant observations for the first week or so are essential.

Main thing is she is relatively OK for the time being.  Give her all our love and hopes for a speedy recovery and a not so speedy replacement car.

explorerx4

My truck has an Ecoboost(twin turbo) 3.5 V6.
Anyways, off to install gutters and downspouts for our project.

roadburner

isellhondas said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Still the "impact" is pretty minimal given the premium you paid for the diesel car. The numbers just don't work anymore.

The numbers don't work on hybrids either! Pay a premium up front, complicate your mechanicals and have a car with less power just for a small boost in gas mileage?

Sounds good though....

BMW only charges $200 more to get a 530e iPerformance over a regular 530i; at that price delta there's no reason not to go with the PHEV- especially since the cars have equivalent performance.

roadburner

driver100 said:

I finally broke down and got a Blue Ray DVD player. A lot of DVDs at the library are now BR, and they don't play on non-DVD players.

I needed an HDMI cable, and the one's at Best Buy started at $30. Next cheapest was $35....the clerk said it was exactly the same just had new packaging.

I went a few stores down to the Dollar Store and bought one that is probably the same....for $4!

Welcome to the future; I bought my first one in 2008. You should have ordered an HDMI cable from Blue Jeans Cable or Monoprice; the BB products are overpriced but the Dollar Store cable will likely fail due to part or assembly quality.
And they are called Blu-ray players...

graphicguy

qbrozen said:

graphicguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

? Already? Breld rubbing off on you?

Maybe he misses the rush of fighting with a dealer over a bad car. A smooth running Q50 just doesn't do it for him.

I miss the adrenaline rush!



Anyway, just got back from the dealer. They have probably 10 new '18 TLX's and a TON of leftover '17s. Differences between '17 and '18? Quite a bit actually.



Test drove a star red on red A-Spec SH AWD....very sharp. Pictures don't do them justice. They are very good looking. Liked the Blue on Black. But, wanted to see White on Red. They didn't order any (huh?).



0-60 fees like somewhere in the 5.5 sec range by my "butt-o-meter"....plenty fast. Drivetrain makes really good sounds, too. Tried to trip up the trans....couldn't. Shifts were positive and quick....even via the steering wheel paddles (which were little stubs, not very luxurious nor sporty).



Loved, LOVED the seats. Very comfy and held me in well (I wasn't gentle on the test drive).



Wished I would have brought some of my own music, but didn't. So, couldn't test out the stereo. That said, every ELS stereo I've heard (sourced from Pioneer?), has been excellent...among the best I've heard.



Cornernig was better than the positive impression I remembered. Very good. Would be tough to choose between Quattro and SH AWD.



Steering was fast but a tad light. It firmed up quickly as you toss it around. Good on-center feel. Fat leather feel of the wheel itself was great.



Very high quality build. Doors shut with a particularly hushed yet solid thud.



Seats were ALL leather (red). The Blue A-Spec had black leather with alcantara inserts. Both quite fetching.



A-Spec had aluminum trim with some sort of grain. Very good looking. LEDs front and back.



Just a very well done car.



I told them to call me when they were ready to make a $500 over deal, which clearly, they weren't...after seeing how much I liked the car, knowing I've been a customer of there's since 2005.



Oh Yeah....no sales yet on the 2018. They made a deal of it that I would be the first, probably in the state.



Still....no deal.

More like 6 secs. Regardless, are you really already willing to downgrade from your Infiniti? You may miss that extra power.

Q...I like my Infiniti. And, I've always liked Acuras. Some cars just seem to "fit". The TL(X) is one of those.

I think it was Mike who said we're always looking. Depends on the mood on if we pull the trigger at any given time.

I wouldn't consider it a downgrade, at all. The TLX I drove felt faster than that. Not scientific in my assessment, though.

graphicguy

Fezo....congrats on the old eyeballs. Welcome to the world of reading glasses. Sorry to hear about your daughter, and particularly how the local constables handled the accident. The good news for her, she will heal and be back at 100%.

Stick...did not drive any other models other than a TLX A-Spec with SH AWD. It was totally loaded, and I mean totally. I can't think of one option, from any manufacturer, that the car didn't have (well, it didn't have "gesture control" like Mike's 7 Series). Radar cruise? Check. Lane notification and assist? Check. Great stereo? Check. And on and on and on.

I think sticker was $44K-$45K. Doubt there's trunk money on it. So, invoice should be somewhere around $41K-$42K. With that level of performance, quality, features, materials, build, etc.....I can't think of anything that could better it for the money.

Even my Q50, which stickered well above that, would seem overpriced if I hadn't received such a screaming deal on it.

I would imagine the deals on a C300 would come close. Maybe the same can be said if you could get a deal on an A4. BMW...maybe a 320i that's optioned up, or a mid-level 328i, but even there, you'd be in the low $50s.

So, I think Acura has a big winner on their hands.

suydam

Glad the cataract surgery went well. I was fortunate in that I was able to have laser surgery that results in clear near, middle, and far vision so I don't need reading glasses. i worse glasses from the age of 6 so liberation from them is amazing. Corrected my astigmatism too. I still reach for glasses sometimes, forgetting they are no longer there!

driver100

roadburner said:

driver100 said:

I finally broke down and got a Blue Ray DVD player. A lot of DVDs at the library are now BR, and they don't play on non-DVD players.

I needed an HDMI cable, and the one's at Best Buy started at $30. Next cheapest was $35....the clerk said it was exactly the same just had new packaging.

I went a few stores down to the Dollar Store and bought one that is probably the same....for $4!

Welcome to the future; I bought my first one in 2008. You should have ordered an HDMI cable from Blue Jeans Cable or Monoprice; the BB products are overpriced but the Dollar Store cable will likely fail due to part or assembly quality.
And they are called Blu-ray players...

Sorry

It may not fall apart for awhile, it just sits there attached from the Blu-ray to the TV. Will probably outlast the 8 year old TV.

roadburner

qbrozen said:

Fezo - good to hear from you.

driver - don't count on that HDMI cable. There really is a difference. My newest TV does not like old cables. They don't have to necessarily be expensive, but they do have to be recent (there have been different versions of HDMI) and not bottom of the barrel. The TV would flash off and on occassionally. Took me quite a while and a bunch of moving stuff around to finally find out it was the cables. Upgraded them to decent ones off Amazon and have no problems since. I think they are the more recent HDMI 2.0. 

There's an interesting discussion on 4K HDMI here.

My latest HT "hobby" is developing workarounds for older equipment. My son brought home his Smart TV and wanted to integrate it into my basement HT. Unlike the Panasonic plasma it replaced there is no component input, and the old Denon AVR has no HDMI inputs or outputs.I wound up connecting the ancient Samsung BD player to the TV via HDMI; fortunately the TV outputs 5.1 on its TOSlink output regardless of source so all is well.
Upstairs the KURO will only output 2 channel stereo over TOSlink from any of its inputs save actual TV broadcasts- so my Roku streaming stick has to be plugged into to my Denon AVR to get 5.1 audio from streaming audio. Now to wait a bit longer for UHD Premium TV prices to drop...

iluvmysephia1

Well - update on the western Kansas gig. It's not gonna work. Drove out there, met the Boss, he seems fine, but I would have to work every other Sunday, no way around it, and that won't jibe with our Spiritual lives. We can't afford to miss every other Sunday meeting and feel like we would be able to survive Spiritually.

So the search goes on. The next work search highlight is a phone interview with a Hospital in Arizona - east of PHX 1 1/2 hours. This one would be remote - their employees are offered housing on site, or they can go to the town of Globe, AZ, and look for it there. U.I. started this past week, so there has been some financial relief. Still studying for my RPSGT credential - should be taking it within a month from now. That should help get me employed sooner than later.

roadburner

iluvmysephia1 said:

Well - update on the western Kansas gig. It's not gonna work. Drove out there, met the Boss, he seems fine, but I would have to work every other Sunday, no way around it, and that won't jibe with our Spiritual lives. We can't afford to miss every other Sunday meeting and feel like we would be able to survive Spiritually.

So the search goes on. The next work search highlight is a phone interview with a Hospital in Arizona - east of PHX 1 1/2 hours. This one would be remote - their employees are offered housing on site, or they can go to the town of Globe, AZ, and look for it there. U.I. started this past week, so there has been some financial relief. Still studying for my RPSGT credential - should be taking it within a month from now. That should help get me employed sooner than later.

Sorry to hear that, but I really respect your decision to put first things first. Something else will come along.

bwia

iluvmysephia1 said:

Well - update on the western Kansas gig. It's not gonna work. Drove out there, met the Boss, he seems fine, but I would have to work every other Sunday, no way around it, and that won't jibe with our Spiritual lives. We can't afford to miss every other Sunday meeting and feel like we would be able to survive Spiritually.

So the search goes on. The next work search highlight is a phone interview with a Hospital in Arizona - east of PHX 1 1/2 hours. This one would be remote - their employees are offered housing on site, or they can go to the town of Globe, AZ, and look for it there. U.I. started this past week, so there has been some financial relief. Still studying for my RPSGT credential - should be taking it within a month from now. That should help get me employed sooner than later.

Too bad things didn't work out for you. I'm surprised though that the prospective employer was not willing to entertain a spiritual accommodation if they were otherwise satisfied with your qualifications. 

iluvmysephia1

Too bad things didn't work out for you. I'm surprised though that the prospective employer was not willing to entertain a spiritual accommodation if they were otherwise satisfied with your qualifications.

I wondered the same thing - seems the Boss would have to work some weekends. His comment? "That's not gonna happen." So there you go.

Mr_Shiftright

oldfarmer50 said:

fintail said:

Uh, I was talking about a 2.4 Camry that I saw in a Copart listing with over 800K on it. I never mentioned a diesel that made it to 800K.

Any engine will require a little work to get to such a number, but I'd wager full replacement or even substantial overhaul is an unlikely investment after 250K or so, barring a massive sentimental attachment by the owner.

jmonroe said:

OK, since you don't think, even to prove a point, that a lot of work wasn't done to keep a diesel engine going 800K miles, you should be interested in my bridge.

jmonroe

I always figured that those cars that appear on Fast n Loud or Counting Cars probably required engine rebuilds although they never mention that on the shows. I can't believe you haul a car out of a barn after 20 years and just spray some carb cleaner into it.

I've revived a few cars from very longterm storage, or witnessed other people doing it. It really depends on how it was stored. However, in just about all cases you are in for a few thousand bucks to replace tires, drop the gas tank, clean fuel lines, rebuild the carburetor, re-do the brakes and gently massage the engine back to life.

If it's a boxer engine or aluminum block, you could run into far larger difficulties.

isellhondas

I don't think I ever had a job that didn't require me to work Sundays. If not in person but spending hours on the phone! Follow your convictions!

thebean

@driver100, I happened to come across the US Open Pickleball championship the other day on TV. Wondered if any of the participants was you. This was the first time I had seen pickleball and I have to say it looks fun. I wish my local rec center had a league.

iluvmysephia1

Thank you, isellhondas. I am glad you understand.

Sandman6472

Had cataract surgery a few years back and needed readers soon after. Went back to Doc last year and he used a laser to clean things up and now, need readers sometimes. Told me to come back next year and we'll see how things progress by then. Still glad Imgot rid of my glasses 24/7 though...they were a pita!!!

The Sandman

driver100

roadburner said:

qbrozen said:

Fezo - good to hear from you.

driver - don't count on that HDMI cable. There really is a difference. My newest TV does not like old cables. They don't have to necessarily be expensive, but they do have to be recent (there have been different versions of HDMI) and not bottom of the barrel. The TV would flash off and on occassionally. Took me quite a while and a bunch of moving stuff around to finally find out it was the cables. Upgraded them to decent ones off Amazon and have no problems since. I think they are the more recent HDMI 2.0. 

There's an interesting discussion on 4K HDMI here.

You could be absolutely right RB, all I know is what I can find out, and this is what I learned:

But is there really a difference between expensive HDMI cables and budget offerings? We asked an expert to find out.

“In terms of picture quality there’s no difference,” explains Jeff Park, Senior Technical Manager for HDMI Licensing, LLC. “It’s digital, so it’s all or nothing.”

So the short answer is no. If you think a more expensive cable is going to deliver a better picture, then you’re mistaken.

“Whether you have a $100 cable or a $5 cable, if they meet the same specification requirements there should be no difference,” says Jeff. “From a technical point of view they are exactly the same.”

FULL ARTICLE

I know this article was written in 2012, so Premium could make a difference. For my needs, I doubt the extra clarity or whatever will make enough difference to justify the cost.

Sandman6472

Good news, picked up my iPad today after it hadn't been used in like a month and Edmunds.com worked perfectly! Guess I was doing something wrong but now, works perfectly. Now that AT&T fixed our wifi issue, speed is like 100% improved! Glad I took the time and called on Thursday to complain about the speed. The tech they sent out today said all is well and said they won't charge us because he didn't do anything, it was all completed Thursday. Glad to hear that.

The Sandman

driver100

iluv, Sorry about that last job, it sounded promising. I also give you credit for holding off and doing what is right for you. Maybe it wasn't meant to be and something better will come along.

One thing, and I only put it in as kind of a devils advocate kind of question. Can't there be some flexibilty in a faith based spiritual life, that says, hey if I have to eat and survive can't I bend the rules twice a month in order to make it in this life.....and isn't my time spent working on Sundays helping mankind....which is about as spiritual as you can get in my opinion.

I live my life trying to make life better for those who I come into contact with....it is something I strongly believe in. Someone has to work Sundays in a "care facility"....I think your spiritual leader would understand.....but, that is the opinion of a layperson in these matters.

driver100

thebean said:

@driver100, I happened to come across the US Open Pickleball championship the other day on TV. Wondered if any of the participants was you. This was the first time I had seen pickleball and I have to say it looks fun. I wish my local rec center had a league.

Mr Bean, I wish I caught that. I think I saw it listed on my program guide but it was on a channel not available to me. I am amazed at the people who are starting pickleball every week, and 99.9% of the people who try it, love it. I would be surprised if it isn't available somewhere close to you....people see it in Florida or Arizona and they want to take it home with them. It can be played by almost anyone, at any age, it is fast to learn, it becomes addictive, it is great workout, great socially and for well being.

Usually those games become available on youtube and they are fun to watch. Look up pickleball in the towns near you to see if it is offered somewhere. I believe there is an organization that could help you locate games...probably pickleball USA.

The first time I went I wasn't sure, so I got dressed ready to play, shorts and running shoes, and went to watch thinking I would only play if they needed a fourth person. They did so I joined in, and then quickly learned about classes.

If you don't know pickleball this clip by Brian Williams (remember him) is a quick introduction;
https://youtu.be/qmYF67dqNaQ

graphicguy

Game on...the more I tell Acura I'm not in the market, the more aggressive they are becoming.

stickguy

GG, I stopped at dealer today. Only read sticker and eyeballed (no units inside, and dealer was hopping so did not interact with a salesguy). Like the new front end. Rest of it looks similar. Base car would be perfectly equipped if they had just included BLIS with the safety nannies (I hate lane assist and would just turn that off). And would hate to spend another $3k for a tech package where that was the only must have!

The A spec was sharp. Both cars where white.

driver100

Guess this is the model we are talking about;


Looks really nice. How come so many copy MB and VW with a big emblem in the middle of the grill? Nice looking front end, why didn't they do that years ago?

stickguy

that is exactly like the one I saw. And yeah, it took a while to ditch the beak. Designers get stubborn I guess.

ab348

driver100 said:

If you don't know pickleball this clip by Brian Williams (remember him) is a quick introduction;
https://youtu.be/qmYF67dqNaQ

I didn't watch the clip. Is this the one where Brian Williams says he was world Pickleball Champion?

fintail

Red flag right there. If leadership isn't willing to share some sacrifice with front line employees, it probably doesn't bode well for treatment in other ways. You are probably better off finding something else.

I can say one thing about my employer, when the crap hits the fan, many leadership types will actually put in extra work right along with everyone else. It definitely motivates, IMO, and helps morale.

iluvmysephia1 said:

Too bad things didn't work out for you. I'm surprised though that the prospective employer was not willing to entertain a spiritual accommodation if they were otherwise satisfied with your qualifications.

I wondered the same thing - seems the Boss would have to work some weekends. His comment? "That's not gonna happen." So there you go.

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

My truck has an Ecoboost(twin turbo) 3.5 V6.
Anyways, off to install gutters and downspouts for our project.

Cool. The boys on Fast n Loud installed one of those in a 72 Pantara and got 600hp with bigger turbos.

iluvmysephia1

Exactly how I felt about it, fin. I just decided then and there that it didn't look like it was going to work out with this one.

qbrozen

graphicguy said:

graphicguy said:

? Already? Breld rubbing off on you?

Maybe he misses the rush of fighting with a dealer over a bad car. A smooth running Q50 just doesn't do it for him.

I miss the adrenaline rush!



Anyway, just got back from the dealer. They have probably 10 new '18 TLX's and a TON of leftover '17s. Differences between '17 and '18? Quite a bit actually.



Test drove a star red on red A-Spec SH AWD....very sharp. Pictures don't do them justice. They are very good looking. Liked the Blue on Black. But, wanted to see White on Red. They didn't order any (huh?).



0-60 fees like somewhere in the 5.5 sec range by my "butt-o-meter"....plenty fast. Drivetrain makes really good sounds, too. Tried to trip up the trans....couldn't. Shifts were positive and quick....even via the steering wheel paddles (which were little stubs, not very luxurious nor sporty).



Loved, LOVED the seats. Very comfy and held me in well (I wasn't gentle on the test drive).



Wished I would have brought some of my own music, but didn't. So, couldn't test out the stereo. That said, every ELS stereo I've heard (sourced from Pioneer?), has been excellent...among the best I've heard.



Cornernig was better than the positive impression I remembered. Very good. Would be tough to choose between Quattro and SH AWD.



Steering was fast but a tad light. It firmed up quickly as you toss it around. Good on-center feel. Fat leather feel of the wheel itself was great.



Very high quality build. Doors shut with a particularly hushed yet solid thud.



Seats were ALL leather (red). The Blue A-Spec had black leather with alcantara inserts. Both quite fetching.



A-Spec had aluminum trim with some sort of grain. Very good looking. LEDs front and back.



Just a very well done car.



I told them to call me when they were ready to make a $500 over deal, which clearly, they weren't...after seeing how much I liked the car, knowing I've been a customer of there's since 2005.



Oh Yeah....no sales yet on the 2018. They made a deal of it that I would be the first, probably in the state.



Still....no deal.

More like 6 secs. Regardless, are you really already willing to downgrade from your Infiniti? You may miss that extra power.

Q...I like my Infiniti. And, I've always liked Acuras. Some cars just seem to "fit". The TL(X) is one of those.

I think it was Mike who said we're always looking. Depends on the mood on if we pull the trigger at any given time.

I wouldn't consider it a downgrade, at all. The TLX I drove felt faster than that. Not scientific in my assessment, though.

I couldnt find new tests online, but a couple of mags said the powertrain is still the same as the 2015, which hit the mark in 5.9secs

driver100

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

If you don't know pickleball this clip by Brian Williams (remember him) is a quick introduction;
https://youtu.be/qmYF67dqNaQ

I didn't watch the clip. Is this the one where Brian Williams says he was world Pickleball Champion?

That was hilarious!

sda

I checked the online site of our only Acura dealer. Only '18 TLXs listed and two used ones. About 2 weeks ago they around 20 new '17s!

abacomike

iluvmysephia1 said:

Well - update on the western Kansas gig. It's not gonna work. Drove out there, met the Boss, he seems fine, but I would have to work every other Sunday, no way around it, and that won't jibe with our Spiritual lives. We can't afford to miss every other Sunday meeting and feel like we would be able to survive Spiritually.

So the search goes on. The next work search highlight is a phone interview with a Hospital in Arizona - east of PHX 1 1/2 hours. This one would be remote - their employees are offered housing on site, or they can go to the town of Globe, AZ, and look for it there. U.I. started this past week, so there has been some financial relief. Still studying for my RPSGT credential - should be taking it within a month from now. That should help get me employed sooner than later.

I am so sorry to hear that, iluv. But, in the medical profession, weekend work is SOP, from what I understand. As for the spiritual rationale, most understandable, to be sure. Sundays are set aside for the Lord in Christianity, and Saturdays for Judaism.

1-1/2 hours "east" of Phoenix is almost considered no-man's land, if you know what I mean. However, Arizona is a nice place to live during the winters - summers, on the other hand can be brutal. My son said it was 110 degrees F yesterday in the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs and surrounding cities). But, a job is a job, no matter where it takes you. Sometimes, a move like that will surprise you with unexpected job satisfaction and new neighbors, friends and acquaintances. I wish you the best of luck, iluv.

abacomike

driver100 said:

thebean said:

@driver100, I happened to come across the US Open Pickleball championship the other day on TV. Wondered if any of the participants was you. This was the first time I had seen pickleball and I have to say it looks fun. I wish my local rec center had a league.

Mr Bean, I wish I caught that. I think I saw it listed on my program guide but it was on a channel not available to me. I am amazed at the people who are starting pickleball every week, and 99.9% of the people who try it, love it. I would be surprised if it isn't available somewhere close to you....people see it in Florida or Arizona and they want to take it home with them. It can be played by almost anyone, at any age, it is fast to learn, it becomes addictive, it is great workout, great socially and for well being.

Usually those games become available on youtube and they are fun to watch. Look up pickleball in the towns near you to see if it is offered somewhere. I believe there is an organization that could help you locate games...probably pickleball USA.

The first time I went I wasn't sure, so I got dressed ready to play, shorts and running shoes, and went to watch thinking I would only play if they needed a fourth person. They did so I joined in, and then quickly learned about classes.

If you don't know pickleball this clip by Brian Williams (remember him) is a quick introduction;
https://youtu.be/qmYF67dqNaQ

So they relegated Brian Williams to "Pickleball Coverage" on MSNBC. I wonder if he covers the play-by-play or the color part of the game.

abacomike

driver100 said:

Guess this is the model we are talking about;


Looks really nice. How come so many copy MB and VW with a big emblem in the middle of the grill? Nice looking front end, why didn't they do that years ago?

Speaking of MB, every time I see a C300 on the road, I swear they are E300's. And when I finally find a new E Class on the road, I thought it was a C Class. Not many E Class cars around. I don't understand why MB decided to style the C and the E and the S so much alike one another. The S Class is bigger - that we know. But trying to tell the difference between and E Class and a C Class is almost impossible unless you are right behind one of them and you see the C or the E emblem.

abacomike

Woke up this morning with a swollen gum around my left canine incisor tooth. I had popcorn last night and I was sure it was a kernel stuck in the bum between the two teeth. I called the emergency number my dentist gave me and luckily they were open this morning for patients. They squeezed me in at 9:00 AM but I sat in the chair for almost an hour before the dentist got to me. They gave me for amoxicillin capsules (because I had a knee replacement - SOP after one of those operations) and after they took effect about half an hour later, the dentist picked at it, but couldn't get it. He took Xrays and they spotted what looked like a kernel deep in the gum line of one of the teeth. So he put novicane into my upper gum and then dug and finally got it out.

My cheek, left side of my upper lip, and the left side of my nose were numb until about an hour ago. What surprised me is that they did not charge me a penny for the visit. That was impressive.

As for consuming popcorn in the near future - no way. I need to let tis become a hard to remember experience before I put another kernel in my mouth.

abacomike

My grandson got on base on an error in the 3rd inning of yesterday's game, but unfortunately his team lost 3-2. But it must have been a tremendous experience for a 16 year old to play a championship game in Chavez Ravine at Dodger Stadium. Not many kids his age get to have an experience like that.

Next year he will be a senior and I think he will enjoy playing baseball again on the varsity team. The Palm Desert Aztecs have won 11 championships in the past 20 years. I hope he gets to experience this again next year - but with more acceptable results.

fintail

I have an easy way to tell E from C. On an E, the accent line on the side goes through the door handles. On a C, it dips below the door handles. A C has single LED running lights, an E has dual LED running lights. Without these details, it can be pretty tough. They are much different inside compared to outside.

IIRC, Acura was bound and determined to use the shield/beak grille, and did not take well to criticism. Sales tanked when they introduced it. Over time, it grew more subtle, and is now finally gone. I suspect sales will increase now.

berri

So they relegated Brian Williams to "Pickleball Coverage"

...and that pickleball traveled almost a whole mile and went faster than an F-18

tjc78

Weren't we just talking about long lasting engines?  Here is a video

 ****warning, lots of foul language****

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W1LMDhKRgBQ

3800 threw a rod and was still running.   Look at the torture this thing took 

fintail

Speaking of long-lived gassers This one lived a good life.

fordfool

fezo said:

First off the cataract operation went without a hitch. Of course now instead of wearing glasses all the time I now have to take then on and off if I want to read. Pretty heavy presbyopia. OTOH, there's like $16 for 3 pairs at Costco so I leave them in various places.

Cataract surgery is usually done one eye at a time several weeks apart to avoid the possibility of cross-infection.
Was this operation the first eye or have you had both done.

My distance vision improved as each eye healed leaving me with 20/20 vision after one month. After having the first eye done I simply removed that lens from my glasses. Of course the artificial lens can't accommodate as the original lens could so reading glasses are necessary. And a trip to the DMV got the glasses restriction removed from my driver's license.

driver100

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

Guess this is the model we are talking about;


Looks really nice. How come so many copy MB and VW with a big emblem in the middle of the grill? Nice looking front end, why didn't they do that years ago?

Speaking of MB, every time I see a C300 on the road, I swear they are E300's. And when I finally find a new E Class on the road, I thought it was a C Class. Not many E Class cars around. I don't understand why MB decided to style the C and the E and the S so much alike one another. The S Class is bigger - that we know. But trying to tell the difference between and E Class and a C Class is almost impossible unless you are right behind one of them and you see the C or the E emblem.

I have done the same....think a C Class is an E Class and visa versa. I think they wanted to do it that way for a reason. At first I liked my squarer 2015 E400 more than the rounder new one....but, the new one is growing on me....very distinctive.
The 90 degree parking feature is very scary....the car can get very close to the car next to it before it stops and goes back in the other direction....much easier to just do it myself.
It is fun to tell people what it can do and it will amaze them showing them, but, like I told the salesman I will probably never use it, and I should stop driving if I really need it!

I don't think MB sold many Es this year because of the late arrival and the 400 wasn't available in the US, I think it is coming this year as a 2018.

graphicguy

qbrozen said:

graphicguy said:

qbrozen said:

graphicguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

? Already? Breld rubbing off on you?

Maybe he misses the rush of fighting with a dealer over a bad car. A smooth running Q50 just doesn't do it for him.

I miss the adrenaline rush!





Anyway, just got back from the dealer. They have probably 10 new '18 TLX's and a TON of leftover '17s. Differences between '17 and '18? Quite a bit actually.





Test drove a star red on red A-Spec SH AWD....very sharp. Pictures don't do them justice. They are very good looking. Liked the Blue on Black. But, wanted to see White on Red. They didn't order any (huh?).





0-60 fees like somewhere in the 5.5 sec range by my "butt-o-meter"....plenty fast. Drivetrain makes really good sounds, too. Tried to trip up the trans....couldn't. Shifts were positive and quick....even via the steering wheel paddles (which were little stubs, not very luxurious nor sporty).





Loved, LOVED the seats. Very comfy and held me in well (I wasn't gentle on the test drive).





Wished I would have brought some of my own music, but didn't. So, couldn't test out the stereo. That said, every ELS stereo I've heard (sourced from Pioneer?), has been excellent...among the best I've heard.





Cornernig was better than the positive impression I remembered. Very good. Would be tough to choose between Quattro and SH AWD.





Steering was fast but a tad light. It firmed up quickly as you toss it around. Good on-center feel. Fat leather feel of the wheel itself was great.





Very high quality build. Doors shut with a particularly hushed yet solid thud.





Seats were ALL leather (red). The Blue A-Spec had black leather with alcantara inserts. Both quite fetching.





A-Spec had aluminum trim with some sort of grain. Very good looking. LEDs front and back.





Just a very well done car.





I told them to call me when they were ready to make a $500 over deal, which clearly, they weren't...after seeing how much I liked the car, knowing I've been a customer of there's since 2005.





Oh Yeah....no sales yet on the 2018. They made a deal of it that I would be the first, probably in the state.





Still....no deal.

More like 6 secs. Regardless, are you really already willing to downgrade from your Infiniti? You may miss that extra power.

Q...I like my Infiniti. And, I've always liked Acuras. Some cars just seem to "fit". The TL(X) is one of those.



I think it was Mike who said we're always looking. Depends on the mood on if we pull the trigger at any given time.



I wouldn't consider it a downgrade, at all. The TLX I drove felt faster than that. Not scientific in my assessment, though.

I couldnt find new tests online, but a couple of mags said the powertrain is still the same as the 2015, which hit the mark in 5.9secs

Q....drove a 2017 TLX a few months ago...looking at the Q50, C Class, A4, 3 Series, IS/ES. Feels like they remapped the trans in the TLX. Shifts are quicker and smoother. Suspension feels significantly better, too.

Maybe it feels faster.

I like what Acura has done.