Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

venture

roadburner said:

qbrozen said:

Hey, I have a topic.

Wife has made mention that the older son gets a bit neglected due to all the sports the younger one plays. Many weekends for a couple of years at the baseball field, etc.

Older one has been pushing more and more about cars and racing talk. So I started searching for some kind of driving-related vacation. The racing programs I have found thus far are stupid expensive (we’re talking 5 figures for the 2 of us for 3 days). A long time ago, I had stumbled across this place that was offering a vacation in Europe where you convoyed in BMWs for like 5 or 6 days to various hotels and driving spots. It wasn’t terribly expensive. I have not been able to find it again. All similar ones are called “luxury tours” or some such nonsense and are, again, stupid pricey, and amount to someone handing you keys and a programmed nav.

Maybe we should just build and race a Lemons car. I dunno.

Thoughts? Experiences?

My wife is wanting to tour Tuscany (after reading a non-fiction book by one of her acquaintances), and coincidentally I saw that AMG was hosting an event there. Nice tours, great food, and the opportunity to drive both classic and modern Mercedes- the only downside was the price- nearly $12,000 per person.

On a more realistic note, my son and I have attended numerous events at the BMW Performance Center in SC, and I highly recommend it.

You need to take away her bookmarks.

andres3

I would say a car manufacturer/dealer is only responsible to pay for the tow when your car doesn't run on its own. When it drives fine, it's acceptable to have you come get it. Asking for absurdities from a car maker lessens the ability for legitimate claims (warranty) to be handled the way they should be (no muss no fuss).

Insurance companies don't have this issue since it seems they deny both legitimate and absurd claims about equally.

venture

andres3 said:

I would say a car manufacturer/dealer is only responsible to pay for the tow when your car doesn't run on its own. When it drives fine, it's acceptable to have you come get it. Asking for absurdities from a car maker lessens the ability for legitimate claims (warranty) to be handled the way they should be (no muss no fuss).

Insurance companies don't have this issue since it seems they deny both legitimate and absurd claims about equally.

I just figured if it was under warranty and broken enough that it had to be towed it should be returned when fixed.

You have probably owned more Audi's than most of us, consequently you've probably had more tows, so I guess we should defer to you.

stickguy

some brands (like Genesis) offer to pick up and drop back off your car for normal service.

explorerx4

Do you really want the least paid person at the dealership driving your car back to you?

oldfarmer50

houdini1 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

sda said:

imidazol97 said:

Will state farm insurance pay to replace windshield cracked by rock with Toyota brand glass? On a 2.5 year old Venza.

I think all you have to do is specify OEM glass. That’s what we did when the windshield was replaced in the Q5. USAA complied.

On that topic what would the experts here recommend for repair of a windshield chip that hasn’t spread yet? Safelite, Independent shop or do it yourself kit from the auto parts store.

I think I’d want quality and durability first but not spend a fortune if I can avoid it.

In my neck of the woods most insurance companies have a deal with Safelite. If Safelite can repair it, Insurance co. will pay for it and waive any deductible, etc. I have used them a couple of times and they did a great job. Good deal for everyone. Safelite get the business and gets paid, you get a free repair, and Ins. co. doesn't have to pay for total new windshield.

I had it fixed out of pocket at an independent franchise call Mr. Windshield. 20 minute walk in for $125. Safelite made it impossible to even get an estimate or talk to a human being. They want everything done with an AI robot program. I got frustrated and drove to the other place to book an appointment and they did it while I had coffee at McDonalds.

Never did find out what Safelite would charge.

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

Do you really want the least paid person at the dealership driving your car back to you?

Hey, I know one multiline luxury dealer locally who only uses top line professional drivers sourced from Enterprise. They almost never wreck customer’s cars but when they do, it’s done professionally. 😂😂😂

kyfdx

stickguy said:

some brands (like Genesis) offer to pick up and drop back off your car for normal service.

Our Infiniti dealer did that. And, dropped off a loaner, until they brought it back.

stickguy

the loaner they probably sold as a big perk. Ignoring the fact that the pickup guy had to get there somehow! Unless they are using a rollback, which seems unlikely.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

the loaner they probably sold as a big perk. Ignoring the fact that the pickup guy had to get there somehow! Unless they are using a rollback, which seems unlikely.

Correct.. it was a good system.

venture

stickguy said:

some brands (like Genesis) offer to pick up and drop back off your car for normal service.

My (former) BMW dealer would do that as well. I never took them up on the offer though even though they are about 35 miles away. It just felt icky.

stickguy

I don’t like anyone driving my car. Certainly not someone I don’t know, and without me.

kyfdx

We had jobs then.. saving the 1hr 10 minute R/T, twice in one day was worth it.

laurasdada

After posting, I thought similar, once repaired/running, no tow to return.
And, other than the wife, don't want anyone else driving my toys, I avoid valet parking at all costs!

Picked it up noontime yesterday, they had washed it Saturday and it was on the charger, so left with a full tank of juice. Grabbed some chips, cookies and soda pop because, well, that's what I do.

Went to the mall, saw a Jeep 4xe plugged in to one L2, the other was open. And may have been broken, as a Caddy Lyriq was parked across the aisle, not plugged in. Just a theory.
Charging stations are "Volta" which noted now owned by Shell Oil.

And I do like the styling of the Lyriq and potential functionality. Dismayed by reviews noting QC issues, even a year into production.

Drove home fine.

ab348

Woke up today to the news of the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. Very tragic but I gather from news reports that it was closed to traffic a few minutes before the collision, so that likely saved many lives. I was surprised to learn that it was a 1970s build, as that design looked older at first glance. Now I am reading that the port will be shut down until the shipping channel can be cleared which has major implications for certain car manufacturers and parts availability, aside from other sectors that used the port for their supply chain. There are also a number of ships marooned on the wrong side that cannot leave.

kyfdx

In addition to the loss of life, it will have serious financial consequences for those that depend on that busy port. 😕

Michaell

kyfdx said:

In addition to the loss of life, it will have serious financial consequences for those that depend on that busy port. 😕

I read that 850,000 cars and light trucks are offloaded there every year.

Not every port can handle automobile imports, so re-routing the ships won't necessarily help.

I would expect to see some inventory shortages of those brands who use Baltimore.

tjc78

@jmonroe1 said:
————————————————-
I have a question for you since your house has PEX. Did your plumbers use the stainless steel Cinch Clamp Rings or the black anodized Copper Compression Rings? We have used only the compression rings and have never had a problem with those. However, the plumber we’ve used to do the heavy work to break up the concrete basement floors when we’ve installed bathrooms down there, said he likes the stainless rings because they’re a little cheaper and a lot easier to cinch than using the compression rings.

I have to admit using the compression tool does take some work but maybe it’s a good way to get in a little. exercise.

jmonroe

It’s the black anodized

tjc78

@ab348 said:
Woke up today to the news of the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. Very tragic but I gather from news reports that it was closed to traffic a few minutes before the collision, so that likely saved many lives. I was surprised to learn that it was a 1970s build, as that design looked older at first glance. Now I am reading that the port will be shut down until the shipping channel can be cleared which has major implications for certain car manufacturers and parts availability, aside from other sectors that used the port for their supply chain. There are also a number of ships marooned on the wrong side that cannot leave.

My wife runs international logistics for a major retailer… her life is not good today.

kyfdx

Michaell said:

kyfdx said:

In addition to the loss of life, it will have serious financial consequences for those that depend on that busy port. 😕

I read that 850,000 cars and light trucks are offloaded there every year.

Not every port can handle automobile imports, so re-routing the ships won't necessarily help.

I would expect to see some inventory shortages of those brands who use Baltimore.

Charleston is a big port for autos. Of course, they probably couldn't handle all of them.

Michaell

kyfdx said:

Michaell said:

kyfdx said:

In addition to the loss of life, it will have serious financial consequences for those that depend on that busy port. 😕

I read that 850,000 cars and light trucks are offloaded there every year.

Not every port can handle automobile imports, so re-routing the ships won't necessarily help.

I would expect to see some inventory shortages of those brands who use Baltimore.

Charleston is a big port for autos. Of course, they probably couldn't handle all of them.

The Port of Hueneme, north of LA, is where I grew up - they were the west coast port for Mazda and Jaguar when I was living there. I think that both of the daughters MINIs came through that port, also.

tjc78

@kyfdx said:
Charleston is a big port for autos. Of course, they probably couldn't handle all of them.

Philly can take autos as well but is typically only Hyundai/Kia

explorerx4

The ship braodcast a Mayday so they stopped traffic from crossing the bridge shortly before the ship hit the pylon.
If they can remove the senter section from the water, the channel should open back up.
I wonder how many stolen cars are in those containers?

Michaell

The ship was headed to Sri Lanka, so who knows?

The water under the bridge is only 50' deep; I thought those big container ships had a deeper draft than that?

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

houdini1 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

sda said:

imidazol97 said:

Will state farm insurance pay to replace windshield cracked by rock with Toyota brand glass? On a 2.5 year old Venza.

I think all you have to do is specify OEM glass. That’s what we did when the windshield was replaced in the Q5. USAA complied.

On that topic what would the experts here recommend for repair of a windshield chip that hasn’t spread yet? Safelite, Independent shop or do it yourself kit from the auto parts store.

I think I’d want quality and durability first but not spend a fortune if I can avoid it.

In my neck of the woods most insurance companies have a deal with Safelite. If Safelite can repair it, Insurance co. will pay for it and waive any deductible, etc. I have used them a couple of times and they did a great job. Good deal for everyone. Safelite get the business and gets paid, you get a free repair, and Ins. co. doesn't have to pay for total new windshield.

I had it fixed out of pocket at an independent franchise call Mr. Windshield. 20 minute walk in for $125. Safelite made it impossible to even get an estimate or talk to a human being. They want everything done with an AI robot program. I got frustrated and drove to the other place to book an appointment and they did it while I had coffee at McDonalds.

Never did find out what Safelite would charge.

Safelite provides you with coffee.

explorerx4

The damage to the ship could comlicate things.
The discovery/recovery of the missing people comes first.

ab348

Michaell said:

The water under the bridge is only 50' deep; I thought those big container ships had a deeper draft than that?

About 25 years ago (goodness, how time flies) I was involved in a process that if successful (it wasn't) would have seen Maersk build a "superport" in Nova Scotia. At the time a 50' draft was the minimum depth portside for ships to tie up. Maybe now it is deeper for the new mega-ships, I don't know.

qbrozen

My wife said “sucks if you have a car coming.” The ‘Yota hasn’t been booked on a ship yet as far as I know. I wonder how long it will take now. NY/Bayonne accepts cars. The company I work with won’t send there for me for some reason.

jmonroe1

tjc78 said:

@jmonroe1 said:

————————————————-

I have a question for you since your house has PEX. Did your plumbers use the stainless steel Cinch Clamp Rings or the black anodized Copper Compression Rings? We have used only the compression rings and have never had a problem with those. However, the plumber we’ve used to do the heavy work to break up the concrete basement floors when we’ve installed bathrooms down there, said he likes the stainless rings because they’re a little cheaper and a lot easier to cinch than using the compression rings.

I have to admit using the compression tool does take some work but maybe it’s a good way to get in a little. exercise.

jmonroe

It’s the black anodized

————————————————
Thanks.

Based on what I have heard from the plumber we have used for the heavy work, like breaking up basement concrete floors to install new bathrooms, when a house is built today around here most plumbers are using the stainless steel cinch clamps.

An interesting story about that:

When the county plumbing inspector was inspecting the plumbing in the 4 bedroom house we did a while back after everything was roughed in he said, “it doesn’t look like you guys care very much about using the more expensive crimp rings or the effort needed using the compression tool to make all these connections.” When he said that he was looking at the 24 valve manifold (12 hot and 12 cold) we installed so each water run had its own shutoff. The plumber was there and he said, “see, what did I tell you guys”.

@stickguy, has your plumber made any PEX connections yet so that you can see what connection method you will have. They’re both good, I’m just curious what your new home will have.

jmonroe

stickguy

we are going for another walkthrough Thursday and will try to remember to ask him (or look at one to see if I can figure it out). primary purpose is to look at where all the electric rough in went while there is still time to change it before insulation and drywall go in. All the PEX is in at this point.

roadburner

For those of you who don't follow the CCBA topic, I managed to snag a spot on a digital live talk with the product managers of the new Mercedes-AMG E 53 PHEV. It was conducted on MS Teams and all of the participants were able to ask multiple questions. That said, I only asked one- Will the E53 Estate (wagon) be available in the US? Unfortunately, the answer was no, but one of the AMG managers said that it may be available later. Another participant asked how the PHEV sytem worked on the track and the answer was that the E53 was not intended to be driven on the track. Kind of disappointing, but I'm guessing that the upcoming E63 will not have a similar restriction. I'd still like to have one, however.

dino001

Michaell said:

kyfdx said:

In addition to the loss of life, it will have serious financial consequences for those that depend on that busy port. 😕

I read that 850,000 cars and light trucks are offloaded there every year.

Not every port can handle automobile imports, so re-routing the ships won't necessarily help.

I would expect to see some inventory shortages of those brands who use Baltimore.

True, but considering we are in the middle of a fast-building inventory glut for many brands (not all, but enough to be significant for the whole market), I'd consider any talk of supply disruption causing another new car price reversal, a red herring. At worst there may be small shortages of specific vehicles in the region served by this port, but I'd question even that in longer term (over couple of months). I'm aware of at least several East Coast ports capable of ro-ro vehicle loading: Savannah/Brunswick, Charleston, New York/Jersey, Virginia, Jacksonville, I'm sure there are a few more. Foreign cars are not experiencing such production rush that they'd suddenly exhaust all available shipping slots. So, there may be a quick squeeze for a short while to adjust the new logistics and added cost of land transportation to specific limited locations in the US, but I'd not listen to those doom-prophets using this opportunity to condition us for "Baltimore disaster" ADMs.

kyfdx

Today, read that Baltimore is the biggest port for automobiles in the country.

ab348

The Halifax Autoport does 185,000 vehicles a year and usually has lots of capacity to ramp that number up.

dino001

According to "Port Technology International", October 2023, Brunswick was "set to be top auto and roro facility in the US" due to recent construction activity. It grew by 18 percent in 2023 alone. Baltimore disaster will likely give it a bog boost for a while. Also Mobile Alabama just opened a new automotive Ro-Ro terminal for 150 thousand vehicles per year. Seems like there were recent big capacity expansions.

tjc78

Just finished our kitchen renovation at the shore (finally!). We are very happy.

Before

After

tjc78

Replacing the lighting next week and I’d like new appliances but there is nothing wrong with the set in there now and they are stainless which is what we wanted anyway.

We did all new doors and painted the frames. The counters are quartz and the tile is glass. What you really can’t see in the pictures is the peninsula was totally replaced. The cabinet that was there was added onto the kitchen and done poorly. The new one was custom made and perfectly integrates on the kitchen side now.

stickguy

Looks good. My wife would love the blue glass subways.

kyfdx

Nice!

explorerx4

Looks nice and much brighter. Cabinet doors give it a beach feel.

ab348

I like the paint color on the cabinets. That's similar to what I'd like when mine gets redone, though with a different door style. Unfortunately I need to replace the floor in mine too, and maybe do a bit of layout re-jigging too.

jmonroe1

tjc78 said:

Just finished our kitchen renovation at the shore (finally!). We are very happy.

Before

After

————————————————-
Looks good. I guess you’ll be eating a lot of hotdogs and burgers for a while. Maybe come Summer you guys can share a ribeye.

Enjoy.

jmonroe

tjc78

Thanks everyone! Beach feel was exactly what we were going for.

oldfarmer50

tjc78 said:

Just finished our kitchen renovation at the shore (finally!). We are very happy.

Before

After

Very nice. Are white cabinets the thing now? How do you keep them clean?

cdnpinhead

tjc78 said:

Just finished our kitchen renovation at the shore (finally!). We are very happy.

I liked the "before" just as well, which probably goes a long way toward explaining why I'm not worthy.

tjc78

White cabinets absolutely are a thing. We did it back in our old house in 2011. Our primary home is all white too.

It’s not too bad to keep clean. Some mild soap and any grease or splatters comes right off.

Here is our old kitchen.

New house

tjc78

@cdnpinhead said:
I liked the "before" just as well, which probably goes a long way toward explaining why I'm not worthy.

It wasn’t in bad shape or anything just wasn’t our thing especially at a shore place. Way too dark.

ab348

oldfarmer50 said:

Very nice. Are white cabinets the thing now? How do you keep them clean?

I don’t think those cabinets are white.

tjc78

@ab348 said:
I don’t think those cabinets are white.

They are white. Not ultra pure white but very close. I already forget the color name.

@oldfarmer50
The pics from our old house were from 2020 so that kitchen was nearly 10 years old and still looked good. Also we were early to the gray trend.

abacomike

@explorerx4 said:
Do you really want the least paid person at the dealership driving your car back to you?

I’ve never had my G90 picked up or returned to me by the service department even though there was no charge. I prefer driving my own car the 3 miles to and from the service department at my dealership.