Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

dino001

So let me present you my beef with JD Power's data. See both pictures : 430 GC and 440 GC. SAME VALUES for performance! I understand that 430 is quite adequate and could score high, but if so, then 440 should get at least a point higher. I bet you EVERY SINGLE model with two or more engine choices will see the same. Even those that may differ by more than 100 hp. If they just said "4 Series" and didn't give you any choices, then fine, some kind of average, or if they disclosed that model tested was 4xx with this, that and the other thing. But no - they actually make you believe they have unique data for all trims, but it's a blatant lie.

Also how are Quality, Comfort, Safety and Technological Features part of "Overall Performance" Very poor choice of terms. "Overall content", "Overal vehicle experience". You can go on an on. To me it's just garbage.

Mr_Shiftright

dino001 said:

So let me present you my beef with JD Power's data. See both pictures : 430 GC and 440 GC. SAME VALUES for performance! I understand that 430 is quite adequate and could score high, but if so, then 440 should get at least a point higher. I bet you EVERY SINGLE model with two or more engine choices will see the same. Even those that may differ by more than 100 hp. If they just said "4 Series" and didn't give you any choices, then fine, some kind of average, or if they disclosed that model tested was 4xx with this, that and the other thing. But no - they actually make you believe they have unique data for all trims, but it's a blatant lie.

That basically make me think what else did they get wrong.

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Well they combine that category into Performance + Drivability. There are certainly vehicles out there which are more fun to drive but less drivable, say, in commute traffic. They might also be geared differently. So I could see one balancing out the other.

dino001

Mr_Shiftright said:

Well they combine that category into Performance + Drivability. There are certainly vehicles out there which are more fun to drive but less drivable, say, in commute traffic. They might also be geared differently. So I could see one balancing out the other.

I get that part, just a poor choice of words. Better would be something like "Overall content", "Overall experience".

And my biggest beef is with the actual 9 points for "Performance" on both models, even they're 50hp+ apart and have quite a separation in track figures (0-60, 1/4 mile, etc.). Somebody is pretending doing a job they're simply not doing.

imidazol97

Mercedes was the one who designed the sunroof. They approved the design if it was done for them by someone else. Most companies receive car parts already assembled. I watched the seats for vehicles arriving in semis "just-in-time" from the manufacturer (Johnson Controls? IIRC) already to bolt into the new vehicles. Same for the engines and transmissions at the GM Moraine plant. The brake lines and master cylinder likely came in on a truck as a unit. Same for the wiring harnesses for the vehicle. They were in order in the semi to match the vehicle coming down the assembly line when that seat unit or other part got there.

The car company is just as responsible for knowing how to repair/replace parts on the seats from the power adjusters to the cover material. Same for the S450 sunroof.

What's happening here is a typical mixup probably compounded with some lack of skill on the part of the advisor and the tech. The tech likely isn't paid much for verifying the parts needed in terms of times in the flat rat chart BM uses, as it is at most shops.

Hopefully they'll get it sorted out and repaired and week from now we'll never think about it again. Probably the store will try to find some way at their expense to make it up to @abacomike. Perhaps the company gives them a slush fund from which to do things for good PR for future sales.

I've said it before when people were being critical of other brands--they all put their lug nuts on one at a time. They're all subject to failures, despite the red rose reputations of some.

dino001

imidazol97 said:

Mercedes was the one who designed the sunroof. They approved the design if it was done for them by someone else. Most companies receive car parts already assembled. I watched the seats for vehicles arriving in semis "just-in-time" from the manufacturer (Johnson Controls? IIRC) already to bolt into the new vehicles. Same for the engines and transmissions at the GM Moraine plant. They were in order in the semi to match the vehicle coming down the assembly line when that seat unit or other part got there.

The car company is just as responsible for knowing how to repair/replace parts on the seats from the power adjusters to the cover material. Same for the S450 sunroof.

What's happening here is a typical mixup probably compounded with some lack of skill on the part of the advisor and the tech. The tech likely isn't paid much for verifying the parts needed in terms of times in the flat rat chart BM uses, as it is at most shops.

Hopefully they'll get it sorted out and repaired and week from now we'll never think about it again. Probably the store will try to find some way at their expense to make it up to @abacomike. Perhaps the company gives them a slush fund from which to do things for good PR for future sales.

I've said it before when people were being critical of other brands--they all put their lug nuts on one at a time. They're all subject to failures, despite the red rose reputations of some.

One way of mitigating those kind of issues would be sending larger assemblies to the dealerships, not just parts and then sending back unused parts. As long as they weren't retailed, it shouldn't be a problem, other than cost of extra shipping and tracking. I think one could see justification for that in something like S-class, though, when timely resolution should have priority over saving extra 50 bucks on shipping (extra weight) and 10 minutes of the warehouse staff for logging the shipment.

Mr_Shiftright

I think what we are beginning to see with automobiles, electronics and communications is that things are getting so complex that no one person understands the entire system anymore.

driver100

ab348 said:

Sunroofs are always difficult to fix. Keep in mind that they arrive in the assembly plant as a completed subassembly from an outside manufacturer and then are just bolted in and connected to the wiring loom. Taking one apart and repairing it is a big job, usually requiring removal of the headlining and and associated lights/hardware, plus now side curtain airbags, even before you get to the sunroof assembly. Then you are dealing with a third-party piece whose documentation and repair instructions may not be up to the usual M-B standards.

All that said, it does not sound like the dealer handled this very well.

All true and good points. One bit of information I learned when we went to the Mercedes factory in Stuttgart, the sunroof in a Mercedes makes the car stronger....the steel frame adds strength to the roof. So, even if you don't use it, it does add something to the car.

driver100

tjc78 said:

I got a photo radar ticket in Baltimore area on 95 last year.  

No doubt it was me (photo of car ans license plate driving).  I think it was $45.00 no points.  Certainly not worth fighting.  Money grab for sure! 

The way I see it...it is the cost of doing business. Think of all the times you were speeding......and didn't get caught.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

I just found the first year Initial Quality Study by accident in bar graph format:

How come Buick fell so much on this chart?

Mr_Shiftright

Interesting read in IQS pros and cons:

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15122465/the-trouble-with-jd-powers-initial-quality-study-feature/

stickguy

Somers in a repair, you get to the broken piece, and figure that’s it and replace it. And not til after that discover something else down stream you didn’t see was also bad.

fintail

Well-connected "businessmen" and "entrepreneurs" who operate camera companies and grease palms for various authorities to install them all work to keep the economy going.

I mean, it is all about safety.

driver100 said:

The way I see it...it is the cost of doing business. Think of all the times you were speeding......and didn't get caught.

28firefighter

graphicguy said:

@28firefighter ...to me, it's sneaky and should be illegal. I have questions. If I go to trial, can I question the alleged officer whose name is on the ticket? Can I ask him if he recognizes my car? Me? Will he even show up? Will they provide some sort of certification that their "speed equipment" is calibrated? I'm sure they want you to just pay it out, so that's why there are no points levied. It's a money grab, in an area right outside of where I live.

This is the first ticket I've had in 25+ years. Last one I received I fought it because the officer didn't show up at the first hearing. They continued it. The 2nd hearing, I questioned the officer whether he knew the car he had ticketed or if he remembered me. He answered "no" and the case was dismissed.

I do really want to fight it. Not sure of the laws anymore on speed cameras. I thought they were illegal.

@graphicguy Believe me, I understand your frustration. But because this is a civil violation (not criminal), my assumption is that your right to question your accuser is more narrow.

fintail

I think my parents had a similar opinion. My mom went to Catholic school until high school, when they moved to an area where it wasn't convenient. She had no desire to enroll her own kids in it - I don't think she thought her experience was poor, but my parents didn't see the value. The area where we lived had decent public schools, especially for the region, which wasn't always the most affluent. I have strong doubts the results would have been better had I attended a private school.

An interesting trend, especially on the west/best coast both in the US and Canada, is private "academies", usually centered around sports, that have private school costs but piggyback on local public schools.

pensfan83 said:

Both my sister and myself went to a Catholic school until Grade 5 before our parents elected to put us in public school. My parents felt that beyond the elementary level the school we were in simply couldn't compete with opportunities available in the public district, which was and is consistently ranked very high in the state. It's hard to argue because my sister and myself both went to top universities and are successful professionally. For reasons I have never asked my parents my younger brother went to public school from K-12 and he'll graduate this spring with honors after also balancing collegiate lacrosse for 4 years.

When we purchased our house we did so with an eye on the quality of the public school district as we never really considered sending our kids to Catholic school. There's only a handful of Catholic schools in the entire diocese we would consider sending our kids to and none are in areas we wanted to live or could afford at that time. I think if you're considering which route to take you need to stack rank the schools (public and private) and determine what works best for you.

28firefighter

I attended public school from K-2, then private school from 3rd-12th grade. Even though we lived in one of the top school districts in the Philly area, the classes were still large. I also was not always the social, well adjusted individual you have come to know here. I think through middle school being in the smaller private environment helped me come into my own, but after that I should have moved back to public schooling. The private high school social environment was actually quite toxic and probably did more harm than good, even though the education itself was outstanding (I went into freshman year of college with 1.5 semesters of classes already completed and writing skills evaluated at the graduate school level).

My wife on the other hand attended private school in Northeast Ohio (Pre-K-12) and swears by the experience.

For Sam, we've landed ourselves in one of the best School Districts in the Seattle area and feeding into the "right" schools in that district. Our plan is to start him there for Kindergarten and then see how things go. With the cost of living so high here, I have a much harder time justifying private school than if we were in a lower COL area.

ab348

driver100 said:

How come Buick fell so much on this chart?

I dunno, but I see the 3 names at the top and my suspicious mind immediately told me something fishy was going on with them. Do they give a bonus to new-car customers if they get a perfect score?

pensfan83

fintail said:

An interesting trend, especially on the west/best coast both in the US and Canada, is private "academies", usually centered around sports, that have private school costs but piggyback on local public schools.

Some coaches in public districts have made veiled public comments over the years about that very thing. There is a school bordering the college campus @28firefighter and myself went to. Strong academics, notable alumni (a certain QB for the Dolphins for example), but a powerhouse football team.

stickguy

The social development aspect IMO is often overlooked when debating schools, especially HS. It’s not all about test scores. Plus, even if the average in a certain school is lower, doesn’t mean that a good student gets a worse education, just that there is a broader mix of students. Just depends on which opportunities you take advantage of.

berri

I think cars have generally gotten somewhat close with a few exceptions. I didn't do the math, but it appear visually that if you throw out a couple of the bottom dwellers you have basically a bell curve with perhaps a bit of peakness due to a somewhat tight range.

28firefighter

The social aspect is completely overlooked and when anyone dares call out the social side of things, it is poo-pooed in favor of academics. My high school had some incredibly bright people and was a powerhouse in private school sports (I'd argue the emphasis was too hard on athletics). But socially you had better fit into a few very narrow groups otherwise you were cast out. And if you think bullying doesn't exist in private schools, you're dead wrong.

At least in a public school I would have had exposure to a broader group of people, more choices in academics (the public high school had great STEM programs), etc. Hindsight is always 20/20, though, so who knows.

Mr_Shiftright

Less than 15% of CEOs of top-performing companies attended top-tier undergraduate schools. Some have no college degree at all.

Mr_Shiftright

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

How come Buick fell so much on this chart?

I dunno, but I see the 3 names at the top and my suspicious mind immediately told me something fishy was going on with them. Do they give a bonus to new-car customers if they get a perfect score?

As C&D points out, the IQS includes both mechanical AND design issues, so a brand name that has recently introduced a series of new models might suffer disproportionately.

driver100

Mr_Shiftright said:

Interesting read in IQS pros and cons:

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15122465/the-trouble-with-jd-powers-initial-quality-study-feature/

So defects and design problems are treated equally. A car could have more "problems", but it could just mean buyers don't know how the new thing works.

So a car that has more engineering or new technology for example, will probably lose points because some buyers can't figure out how it works.

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah, that's part of the issue with this type of survey.

tjc78

Thanks everyone for your insight.  Wife and I will be looking everything over and make a decision.  

imidazol97

Here's the initial quality study for 2017. Buick stayed the same. Chevrolet improved! from 85 to 82.



his is after 90 days of ownership. They survey 80000 owners. I suspect you're conflating the 2018 3-year study of 2015 vehicles over their lifetime with the Initial Quality STudy 2018 and now 2017.

https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2017-us-initial-quality-study-iqs

I note that JD Powers has a lot of commentary on the study in the 2017 text. Interesting and transparent.

Here's the 2018 IQS with text commentary on the cars and improvements in problems with tech that many here have cited.

https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2018-us-initial-quality-study-iqs

I don't know if sunroofs are considered tech... just complicated when they do more than flip up or get removed and have a manual sunshield that pulls forward to cover them like in my Pace Car Mustang 1979.

imidazol97

fintail said:

Well-connected "businessmen" and "entrepreneurs" who operate camera companies and grease palms for various authorities to install them all work to keep the economy going.

I mean, it is all about safety.

A Columbus mayor was found to have improper connections to the "sales folks" for a red light camera.

If it were about safety, actually stopping the individual vehicle at the time of the infraction would be the best way to operate. The driver and vehicle can be inspected for proper registration, license, insurance, impairment, etc.. Sending a letter a few weeks later doesn't do anything for the driver on Gettysburg Avenue in Dayton who went through a red light and then a few blocks up crashed into the rear of a vehicle waiting at a light to make a left turn. Fatal.

dino001

1. I Don't like the spot of the cup holder - quality problem by JD Power
2. My mother can't figure out the entertainment system - quality problem by JD Power
3. My late didn't know how to use navigation system - quality problem by JD Power
4. My wife doesn't like hard suspension on my sports car - quality problem by JD Power
5. I don't like my wife's soft suspension in her luxury car - quality problem by JD Power
6. My sister thinks the seats are uncomfortable - quality problem by JD Power
7. My aunt thinks the red color doesn't match her shoes well - quality problem by JD Power
8. My new huge SUV can't turn on the same streets I could with my previous Civic - quality problem by JD Power.

My car had 8 quality problems by JD Power

1. My neighbor's engine exploded on his driveway.
2. Otherwise, he said the car was great until then.

My neighbor's car had 1 problem by JD Power survey.

My coworker bought a brand new 2.0 Turbo top-of-the-line Accord. His brother bought a stripper 1.5. According to JD Power, both cars have exactly the same rating on performance, power and feature content.

pensfan83

driver100 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Interesting read in IQS pros and cons:

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15122465/the-trouble-with-jd-powers-initial-quality-study-feature/

So defects and design problems are treated equally. A car could have more "problems", but it could just mean buyers don't know how the new thing works.

So a car that has more engineering or new technology for example, will probably lose points because some buyers can't figure out how it works.

Or they don't care if they hydroplane into a field so long as their wheels remain shiny...

imidazol97

driver100 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Interesting read in IQS pros and cons:

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15122465/the-trouble-with-jd-powers-initial-quality-study-feature/

So defects and design problems are treated equally. A car could have more "problems", but it could just mean buyers don't know how the new thing works.

So a car that has more engineering or new technology for example, will probably lose points because some buyers can't figure out how it works.

Those frustrations with transmissions that jerk or with electronics that don't work well are reasons that people don't buy another of that same car when they replace it 3 years later. I think of the example from here with Cadillac's CUE system if I recall the name. I am sure other brands have had some similarly frustrating things in them.

I thought the MyLink in MyChev was fairly logical to operate. And it has knobs for blower speed and tuning and volume. Good enough for me!

houdini2

abacomike said:

28firefighter said:

You know, I could understand (kind of) if this was a CLA or C-Class customer. But an S-class customer? Come on now.

I just got a call from the service manager at Mercedes.  They received the seal for the glass this morning and when they replaced the seal on the glass and tested the operation of the sunroof, it snapped due to a defective hidden seal they were unaware of.  So they have ordered a new set of seals and tracks and glass for overnight delivery tomorrow.  They are hoping to have the car finished tomorrow but it all depends on when they get the parts.

This has become a fiasco - each new day brings with it even more problems with the sunroof.  The service manager apologized for the poor communication but added that the service advisor was trying to avoid letting me know that there were more problems today considering the fact that the car has been in service for 4 working days with no solution to the problem at hand and now the need for even more days in service.

I can empathize with the service writer as I doubt I would look forward to informing a customer that my mechanic screwed up again delaying the “fix” even more days.  I have to look at it this way - do I have any control over getting my car repaired and back in my possession?  The answer is NO!  So why get all worked up over something I have no control over?  I sound like a psychiatrist, don’t I? 

Maybe they needed to use it for a few days as a loaner car for other customers.

houdini2

tjc78 said:

Just toured a private Catholic school for my son entering Kindergarten in Sept.  My wife and I are so undecided whether to send him to public or go the private route.  

We both did Catholic school up until about 5th grade and have no bad memories but such a tough decision.  Input appreciated 

thx 

tjc78 said:

Just toured a private Catholic school for my son entering Kindergarten in Sept.  My wife and I are so undecided whether to send him to public or go the private route.  

We both did Catholic school up until about 5th grade and have no bad memories but such a tough decision.  Input appreciated 

thx 

Some areas have very good public schools and some have very bad public schools. Due diligence.

ab348

Dark financial clouds gathering above the Glass House over at Ford:

https://www.autonews.com/manufacturing/ford-posts-first-quarterly-loss-2-years

Not really surprising considering all the changes.restructuring etc they have going on there.

dino001

It looks like all that they made in America was taken away elsewhere. "Dark clouds" may be an exaggeration, but it's certainly a period of difficult market, after several years of boom. Those businesses are very lumpy - a few great years, then bottom falls out, often unexpectedly. Only best operators, ready for the next downturn, with loads of cash in the banks can take that kind of volatility. That's why we don't have all those old brands/manufacturers around anymore. And the survivors themselves went through several near death experiences and it's not guaranteed they will pull through the next one.

explorerx4

@tjc78,
A big thing to look at is how good is the public education system?
Good idea to look at both, there is a long way to go and you can always change.
Personally, I went to Catholic school through 6th grade, the public middle school 7 and 8(my choice, start of angry teenager years), then back to Catholic for high school and college.
Our town has a really good public school system, both my kids went through it, and none of us has regretted it.

ab348

Speaking of old brands, this is a sad sight. The bridge connecting the old Packard plant buildings in Detroit collapsed.

imidazol97

Thanks for posting that!

Did @Fintail go there this fall on his trip?

imidazol97

dino001 said:

1. I Don't like the spot of the cup holder - quality problem by JD Power
2. My mother can't figure out the entertainment system - quality problem by JD Power
3. My late didn't know how to use navigation system - quality problem by JD Power
4. My wife doesn't like hard suspension on my sports car - quality problem by JD Power
5. I don't like my wife's soft suspension in her luxury car - quality problem by JD Power
6. My sister thinks the seats are uncomfortable - quality problem by JD Power
7. My aunt thinks the red color doesn't match her shoes well - quality problem by JD Power
8. My new huge SUV can't turn on the same streets I could with my previous Civic - quality problem by JD Power.

My car had 8 quality problems by JD Power

1. My neighbor's engine exploded on his driveway.
2. Otherwise, he said the car was great until then.

My neighbor's car had 1 problem by JD Power survey.

My coworker bought a brand new 2.0 Turbo top-of-the-line Accord. His brother bought a stripper 1.5. According to JD Power, both cars have exactly the same rating on performance, power and feature content.

Is there any survey that does what you would like to see? On a sample size that's adequate?

berri

If you think about it, market research has resulted in some pretty god awful designs over the years

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

stickguy said:

the center diff is 30K interval, starting at 30k. The rear for some reason they call for at 15K, for the first change, then every 30K after that.

Which means I am almost due for a 2nd change on the rear on the RDX, since the MM is down to 30% and we recently went over 50,000 miles.

That’s exactly what my dealer told me....Acura’s first rear diff fluid change is at 15K (or in my case, 17K) Is generally a “clean out”....30K increments after that.

Acura is pretty staunch in not supporting any “frivolous” services and sticks to the service minder as the ultimate guide for service. At this rate, and the strong possibility that an Acura TLX Type-S is on the horizon in the next 12-18 months, the only thing I should have to do to my current TLX is oil changes and tire rotations.

On a sadder, and angrier note, I received a letter yesterday informing me I received an affidavit issued to me for speeding.

HUH?

I guess someone, somewhere clocked me doing 65 MPH in a 50 MPH zone and took a picture of my license plate. Apparently it’s a Civil matter and no points assessed on my license. But, they want $95 paid to the city I was speeding. Don’t remember me being in the area they stated I was observed to be speeding. But, I do regularly speed if the road is open and dry.

My issue, while this was not in the OHIO area where the municipality had to return $3M in fines for using speeding cameras, this wasn’t all that far away from there. When did it become legal to use speeding cameras again? I thought all of this was decided to be unconstitutional?

Trying to decide whether to take this to court. There’s an officer’s digital sig on the “ticket, which they’re calling the PHOTO ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM NOTICE OF LIABILITY.

Pretty angered right now.

I can understand that. Just like when my son got a ticket for speeding in a “work zone” where they just put up signs 9 months ago but never did any work.

abacomike

stickguy said:

Mike I think is one of the few people that have problems with a Lexus. Or was that just someone else?

That was me - GS350 - it was tires.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

@imidazol97 ...I live in the Fairfield Township/West Chester/Liberty Township area, north of Cincinnati and just south of Dayton. My zip code says I live in Hamilton, though, which is weird because I'm not in Hamilton. But, the City of Hamilton is the issuing municipality.

I shop at Bridgewater Falls a lot, as well as up around Voice of America. They say they clocked me on By Pass 4, which is near Bridgewater. While it's sketchy, just turned up research that shows Hamilton has at least one mobile truck that moves from place to place issuing tickets. I certainly don't remember seeing any "truck" or "van" with official city tags on it, as I look for those. I'll assume the camera has to be stationary, so that means the truck/van was parked somewhere. Hard to hide in the area they say they clocked me. But, they've got a picture of my tag. Not sure where the pic was taken as it's low resolution and I can't tell.

@28firefighter ...to me, it's sneaky and should be illegal. I have questions. If I go to trial, can I question the alleged officer whose name is on the ticket? Can I ask him if he recognizes my car? Me? Will he even show up? Will they provide some sort of certification that their "speed equipment" is calibrated? I'm sure they want you to just pay it out, so that's why there are no points levied. It's a money grab, in an area right outside of where I live.

This is the first ticket I've had in 25+ years. Last one I received I fought it because the officer didn't show up at the first hearing. They continued it. The 2nd hearing, I questioned the officer whether he knew the car he had ticketed or if he remembered me. He answered "no" and the case was dismissed.

I do really want to fight it. Not sure of the laws anymore on speed cameras. I thought they were illegal.

I think they weasel out of due process by calling it a civil rather than criminal ticket. Seems they can deny you a trial or opportunity to present evidence or question witnesses. Maybe one of our legal scholars can explain this.

If it was me I’d go to court and talk to either the cop, DA or judge and try for a reduction.

abacomike

Got my S450 back this afternoon - I opened and closed the sunroof several times to make sure the assembly was correctly repaired.

The one thing I learned about not having my car for a week is this:

When my lease is up in November 2020, I will be in big trouble!   

Why you might ask?  Because this S450 is a dream car.  Compared to the noisy E300 I had as a loaner and its uncomfortable driver’s seat and its subpar interior ambiance, it’s like driving on a cloud and sitting in a luxurious Gulfstream cockpit.  There is no way I will be able to get into another one - I just can’t afford shelling out this kind of money again.

At least I will have fond memories of driving this fantastic automobile for three years.  I have never driven anything like it.  What a relief to have my S450 back again. 

oldfarmer50

tjc78 said:

Just toured a private Catholic school for my son entering Kindergarten in Sept.  My wife and I are so undecided whether to send him to public or go the private route.  

We both did Catholic school up until about 5th grade and have no bad memories but such a tough decision.  Input appreciated 

thx 

Went to a Catholic school until 8th grade and hated every minute. Told my parents if they made me go to Catholic HS I would run away and join the Army. They relented and sent me to public HS.

I was a tough case. I was defiant to authority in the extreme which didn’t go over well with the nuns. In the 50s physical punishment was the rule which just made me more defiant.

Having said that, today’s Catholic schools are much different and they have mainly lay teachers. Much kinder and gentler. Most offer a superior education if for no other reason that they can reject trouble makers like myself. If you can afford it, I would recommend it. Just do your due diligence as you would with any school.

oldfarmer50

Mr_Shiftright said:

Interesting read in IQS pros and cons:

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15122465/the-trouble-with-jd-powers-initial-quality-study-feature/

Driver100’s buddy would agree:

https://youtu.be/zKN5Wl4uTyY

cdnpinhead

abacomike said:

. . .Compared to the noisy E300 I had as a loaner and its uncomfortable driver’s seat and its subpar interior ambiance, it’s like driving on a cloud and sitting in a luxurious Gulfstream cockpit.  There is no way I will be able to get into another one - I just can’t afford shelling out this kind of money again.

Well, it looks like you'll have to pick s*** with the rest of us chickens in the future. It's not entirely (or even slightly) clear to me how you've been able to trade extremely high-end cars every few months for years on end but can't going forward.

I think I can feel a small piece of your pain. For quite a few years I flew back and forth to Taiwan business class, followed by twenty or so years of flying coach around NA and Europe. It's definitely a step down.

Either way, I hope your path forward is as pleasant as it can be.

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

Got my S450 back this afternoon - I opened and closed the sunroof several times to make sure the assembly was correctly repaired.

The one thing I learned about not having my car for a week is this:

When my lease is up in November 2020, I will be in big trouble!   

Why you might ask?  Because this S450 is a dream car.  Compared to the noisy E300 I had as a loaner and its uncomfortable driver’s seat and its subpar interior ambiance, it’s like driving on a cloud and sitting in a luxurious Gulfstream cockpit.  There is no way I will be able to get into another one - I just can’t afford shelling out this kind of money again.

At least I will have fond memories of driving this fantastic automobile for three years.  I have never driven anything like it.  What a relief to have my S450 back again. 

Craigslist here you come.

stickguy

well, enjoy while you can. when the time comes, I am sure you can find something that won't be too much of a penalty. Maybe try something different (so you aren't always comparing a cheaper MB to the S), Something like a Lincoln. That should be cushy and comfy! and a lot cheaper.

or go lowbrow. An Avalon? Something like that.

abacomike

@tjc78

As a retired teacher, school principal and private school headmaster, I can offer some experiential opinions regarding private vs. public school education.

Public schools are only as good as the teachers who work with the kids and the administration that supports those teachers.  I would suggest that you visit the elementary school that serves your community and observe how the children are treated by staff. Look at the expressions on their faces.  Happy children in a school environment usually indicates a well organized discipline system where children know their limits and boundaries and learn self control.  Observe the students’ interaction with their teachers.  Ask for standardized test results for the school from grades 1-5 to ensure the children are achieving, on average, at the 70th percentile or above in reading and math.  Check to make sure the school environment is one that is caring and loving, yet well structured to enable individualized instruction to best meet the needs of each child.  If the local public school does not meet the above criteria, start looking into private schooling.

Private schools you investigate must be accredited by the State’s Independent Association Of Private Schools.  It is a very rigorous process of accreditation.  Make sure the teaching staff is accredited by State Certification - each teacher possesses proper state credentials.  Investigate the school’s curriculum and find out when the curriculum for reading, math, language arts, science, social studies and computer technology were last updated to make sure the curriculum is current.  

No no matter what choice you make, become very involved in the school by joining the PTA/PTO and by volunteering in the classroom or the school to make sure the environment is loving, nurturing and structured.

I personally feel that private schools are preferable to most, not all, public schools.  Parents have more of a say in their children’s education and in the choice of the administrator because parents sit on the board of private schools, but not in parochial schools.  Catholic schools are not my area of expertise, but parents do not have the influence over Catholic schools that they do in Independent Private Schools.

Hope the above is helpful.

tjc78

Thanks Mike!! A very big help, I will share your information with my wife.