Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

stever

Takata is in more trouble, accused of "manipulating" data (and people have since died...). (NY Times)

We shopped the 5 a couple of times @fezo. My wife didn't like the seating positions up front and I found it a bit narrow. Just something about it that didn't gel, and we (I) really wanted to like it.

That reminds me, I need to go pick up a bookshelf for a friend tomorrow.

bwia

Mike,  congrats on the new CLS 400 and happy gator hunting -- or was the gator an extra on an episode of Swamp People. 

GG, nice pics of the CTS. It is a fine looking masculine car; hope the ride and handling matches the aesthetics.

bwia

My LaCrosse displayed "engine on reduced power" or something similar. A few minutes later a wrench symbol and Stabilitrac appeared on the screen. I called OnStar but I arrived home before they could complete the diagnosis. 

Yesterday morning i started the car, the DIC is clear, engine runs smoothly, no issues. Has anyone experienced this before and what was the fix? I'm out of warranty and don't want the dealer charging me for unnecessary computer diagnostics. 

abacomike

bwia said:

Mike,  congrats on the new CLS 400 and happy gator hunting -- or was the gator an extra on an episode of Swamp People. 

GG, nice pics of the CTS. It is a fine looking masculine car; hope the ride and handling matches the aesthetics.

Thanks bwia! At the mall now trying hard to get some exercise before I collapse from weakness!  

driver100

bwia said:

My LaCrosse displayed "engine on reduced power" or something similar. A few minutes later a wrench symbol and Stabilitrac appeared on the screen. I called OnStar but I arrived home before they could complete the diagnosis. 

Yesterday morning i started the car, the DIC is clear, engine runs smoothly, no issues. Has anyone experienced this before and what was the fix? I'm out of warranty and don't want the dealer charging me for unnecessary computer diagnostics. 

bwia said:

My LaCrosse displayed "engine on reduced power" or something similar. A few minutes later a wrench symbol and Stabilitrac appeared on the screen. I called OnStar but I arrived home before they could complete the diagnosis. 

Yesterday morning i started the car, the DIC is clear, engine runs smoothly, no issues. Has anyone experienced this before and what was the fix? I'm out of warranty and don't want the dealer charging me for unnecessary computer diagnostics. 

If it ain't broke don't fix it.
I have no mechanical ability but it sounds to me (a layman) that it was temporarily low on power for some reason, but, that it corrected itself.
If it happens again, then decide whether to look into it.
Just my 2 cents which is worth exactly 2 cents.

driver100

stever said:

Takata is in more trouble, accused of "manipulating" data (and people have since died...). (NY Times)

We shopped the 5 a couple of times @fezo. My wife didn't like the seating positions up front and I found it a bit narrow. Just something about it that didn't gel, and we (I) really wanted to like it.

That reminds me, I need to go pick up a bookshelf for a friend tomorrow.

How did that remind you you needed to pick up a bookshelf?

Strange how the mind works!

graphicguy

Thanks Driver, BWIA and OldFarmer....this is the car I thought I bought a year ago. We'll see what happens. I do love the looks. And, given the steering and electronics are working as they're supposed to, and assuming no stalling, we'll see where we're at come late December, early January.

When they're right, they're a lot of fun to drive, and luxurious to boot.

To all of my U.S. friends, Happy Thanksgiving. I have a lot to be thankful for.

tjc78

bwia said:

My LaCrosse displayed "engine on reduced power" or something similar. A few minutes later a wrench symbol and Stabilitrac appeared on the screen. I called OnStar but I arrived home before they could complete the diagnosis. 

Yesterday morning i started the car, the DIC is clear, engine runs smoothly, no issues. Has anyone experienced this before and what was the fix? I'm out of warranty and don't want the dealer charging me for unnecessary computer diagnostics. 

There is probably a stored code for the incident in the computer, but I wouldn't worry about it unless it continues to happen. Some sensor probably went out of range (for whatever reason) and the computer was protecting the engine.

Mr_Shiftright

When an engine overheats badly (freeway overheat, prolonged driving while overheating) you can't just assume head gaskets. You'd have to straight edge the head to check for warpage and also for good measure replace the piston rings unless you want to drive a mosquito fogger.

stever

driver100 said:

How did that remind you you needed to pick up a bookshelf?

Strange how the mind works!

Nice of you not to say "your" mind, lol.

Just remembered the narrowness of the Mazda5 and how sheet goods would be a tougher fit. That made me think of all the various junk I've hauled, including sheet goods in the somewhat smaller Voyager/Quest I owned previously(smaller compared to the Grand Caravan et. al.). Hauling stuff triggered the bookcase errand I need to do.

Re the Stabilitrac light coming on, there's a long thread over in a Traverse discussion - the possibilities of the cause are endless.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

tyguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Need opinions.

BIL's Jeep Larado with, I believe the 3.7L 6cyl. Is having an overheating problem. Had a coolant leak repaired but is still overheating. Worried that his daughter, the princess, drove it hot too long and may have warped the heads.

Is this engine noted for head gasket problems? Could there be other causes for the continued overheating?

He doesn't need any more problems. His wife has advance MS and just got out of the hospital.

HG failure will show up in the form of mixed fluids or leakage around the block. I'm not aware of HG design issues with the 3.7, though. I'd start cheap with the thermostat and new coolant, then measure the radiator with a thermal gun to look for cold spots that would indicate a clog. If the radiator looks good and thermostat doesn't fix it, then I would suspect the water pump or fan. The fan is easy to check since it should turn when the engine is hot. Pressure from the water pump is a little harder to determine and it might be worth swapping if the preceding things all check out. If the fan isn't turning, then he would need to isolate the fan and provide power to it to determine if it's the fan that failed or the temp sensor that trips the fan.

Bummer. Just got a call from SIL telling me that as I suspected it was head gaskets. Toasted engine. I suggested a junkyard motor (maybe $2000 or so installed if lucky) she said they couldn't afford it. My only other suggestion is try to sell it on Craigslist to a mechanic who could do the swap himself for a flip. It's a 2005 with about 100k miles in otherwise good condition.

I'm confused. It is just the gaskets? An engine swap would be more expensive than replacing head gaskets. Hell, do it themselves! Or did you mean to say it is the actual heads? 

Their mechanic said don't bother, engine is ruined. I'm thinking coolant got into oil. BIL is not mechanically inclined and SIL can barely move from MS. Head gaskets are beyond me as well even if I had the time.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

@oldfarmer50: Still looking for a set of wheel/tires for your GT? I was bored and thumbing through a Mustang magazine(that I had bought back when I was laboring under the misconception that I could afford a decently equipped GT) and I noticed an ad for a company that sells Mustang take-off tire/wheel sets for $899 and up: www.newtakeoff.com
Might be worth a shot....

Thanks. I'll look that one up.

oldfarmer50

nyccarguy said:

@oldfarmer50 - twice in the last week ive seen some nice looking mustang GTs.  Now I'll admit that the 5.0 badge on the 1/4 panel cranks the stang 's sexiness up a few notches.  Parked next to me at the Subaru dealer service dept (also a Ford store) was a Silver GT Coupe.  I liked it a lot.  Then on one of the Turnpike's rest areas, I parked next to a black GT coupe with a stick & some gorgeous split 5 spoke wheels.  Mamma Mia!

Did they look like this?


Those are the standard wheels I wanted. $900 each if you buy from Ford as replacements.

qbrozen

oldfarmer50 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Need opinions. BIL's Jeep Larado with, I believe the 3.7L 6cyl. Is having an overheating problem. Had a coolant leak repaired but is still overheating. Worried that his daughter, the princess, drove it hot too long and may have warped the heads. Is this engine noted for head gasket problems? Could there be other causes for the continued overheating? He doesn't need any more problems. His wife has advance MS and just got out of the hospital.

HG failure will show up in the form of mixed fluids or leakage around the block. I'm not aware of HG design issues with the 3.7, though. I'd start cheap with the thermostat and new coolant, then measure the radiator with a thermal gun to look for cold spots that would indicate a clog. If the radiator looks good and thermostat doesn't fix it, then I would suspect the water pump or fan. The fan is easy to check since it should turn when the engine is hot. Pressure from the water pump is a little harder to determine and it might be worth swapping if the preceding things all check out. If the fan isn't turning, then he would need to isolate the fan and provide power to it to determine if it's the fan that failed or the temp sensor that trips the fan.

Bummer. Just got a call from SIL telling me that as I suspected it was head gaskets. Toasted engine. I suggested a junkyard motor (maybe $2000 or so installed if lucky) she said they couldn't afford it. My only other suggestion is try to sell it on Craigslist to a mechanic who could do the swap himself for a flip. It's a 2005 with about 100k miles in otherwise good condition.

I'm confused. It is just the gaskets? An engine swap would be more expensive than replacing head gaskets. Hell, do it themselves! Or did you mean to say it is the actual heads? 

Their mechanic said don't bother, engine is ruined. I'm thinking coolant got into oil. BIL is not mechanically inclined and SIL can barely move from MS. Head gaskets are beyond me as well even if I had the time.

Ah, well that sucks. 

roadburner

oldfarmer50 said:

Did they look like this?


Those are the standard wheels I wanted. $900 each if you buy from Ford as replacements.

The site I listed wants $1100 for a set of four- including Pirelli PZero A/S tires and TPMS...

driver100

roadburner said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Did they look like this?


Those are the standard wheels I wanted. $900 each if you buy from Ford as replacements.

The site I listed wants $1100 for a set of four- including Pirelli PZero A/S tires and TPMS...

Sounds like a deal! Wait until you need new tires any way, then you are getting the wheels for a few $100.

But will they work in snow?

abacomike

driver100 said:

Did they look like this? Those are the standard wheels I wanted. $900 each if you buy from Ford as replacements.

The site I listed wants $1100 for a set of four- including Pirelli PZero A/S tires and TPMS...

Sounds like a deal! Wait until you need new tires any way, then you are getting the wheels for a few $100. But will they work in snow?

Interestingly enough, my new CLS came equipped with staggered sized Pirrelli Summer Performance Tires.  Never ever had Pirrelli tires on any of my Mercedes Benz vehicles - usually I get Continentals - but these Pirrelli's are also much quieter.  They are Pirrelli PZeros 255/35 ZR19 96Y XL fronts and 285/30 ZR19 96Y XL rears.  They really add to the handling and stability of the CLS.

My research showed that they are one of the highest rated Maximum Performance Summer Tires in production.  Great responsiveness.

snakeweasel

mako1a said:

This is where it gets good. Manager goes back into his office and calls in another guy who works there. He comes over to my salesgirl and proceeds to tell me they have to further check auction sites and will get back with a number on Wednesday. Now I'm no Judge Judy but doesn't offer and acceptance constitute a contract?

Not always, there are more conditions that need to be met other than offer and acceptance. But ignoring that verbal contracts are not enforceable if they are over a certain amount (usually on amounts over $500, but it varies by state). So get things in writing.

isellhondas

kyfdx said:

isellhondas said:

If you do the math getting 2 MPG better mileage isn't going to save anyone a lot of money.

Hey... I saw you quoted in Businessweek!

Really? I didn't know that!

isellhondas

berri said:

Anyone have a lot of time on their hands?


Speaking of which Isell, I was catching up on reading this past weekend and in either Time or Business Week, can't remember which, there was an article about Takata air bags, In it a guy from Issaquah, WA said Honda fixed them in his CRV relatively quickly, but he was still having problems getting the Avalon done. Sounded like you ironically

Oh, yeah, that was me allright. They missed my age by a few years though!

I don't know how safe the Avalon is to drive at this point. It does make me a bit nervous.

snakeweasel

berri said:

I wonder if those pictures are really from cable or if they are special 4K feeds?

They are special 4K videos from a feed from inside the store, basically they are just playing a DVD. Now think of this, how many shows are you going to watch today that were filmed in 4K resolution? You're only get as good a resolution as the show was filmed in.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

All I'm saying is GGs experience has scared me off of considering a GM product until I see more evidence in their favor.

I have always said if I stayed away from every car manufacturer where I know or have heard of someone that had an experience that GG had I would be driving a.....OK I would be walking everywhere.

oldfarmer50

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

tyguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Need opinions.

BIL's Jeep Larado with, I believe the 3.7L 6cyl. Is having an overheating problem. Had a coolant leak repaired but is still overheating. Worried that his daughter, the princess, drove it hot too long and may have warped the heads.

Is this engine noted for head gasket problems? Could there be other causes for the continued overheating?

He doesn't need any more problems. His wife has advance MS and just got out of the hospital.

HG failure will show up in the form of mixed fluids or leakage around the block. I'm not aware of HG design issues with the 3.7, though. I'd start cheap with the thermostat and new coolant, then measure the radiator with a thermal gun to look for cold spots that would indicate a clog. If the radiator looks good and thermostat doesn't fix it, then I would suspect the water pump or fan. The fan is easy to check since it should turn when the engine is hot. Pressure from the water pump is a little harder to determine and it might be worth swapping if the preceding things all check out. If the fan isn't turning, then he would need to isolate the fan and provide power to it to determine if it's the fan that failed or the temp sensor that trips the fan.

Bummer. Just got a call from SIL telling me that as I suspected it was head gaskets. Toasted engine. I suggested a junkyard motor (maybe $2000 or so installed if lucky) she said they couldn't afford it. My only other suggestion is try to sell it on Craigslist to a mechanic who could do the swap himself for a flip. It's a 2005 with about 100k miles in otherwise good condition.

I'm confused. It is just the gaskets? An engine swap would be more expensive than replacing head gaskets. Hell, do it themselves! Or did you mean to say it is the actual heads? 

Their mechanic said don't bother, engine is ruined. I'm thinking coolant got into oil. BIL is not mechanically inclined and SIL can barely move from MS. Head gaskets are beyond me as well even if I had the time.



Update: SIL asked her mechanic if coolant got into the oil and he said no, only exhaust gas. Got to admit I'm puzzeled. I thought with a bad head gasket you could get exhaust into the coolant or coolant into the oil but not sure the implications of exhaust gas into the oil. That doesn't sound as serious. Why would the mechanic consider the engine ruined?

She asked me to call him Monday but this is getting beyond my knowledge base.

imidazol97

oldfarmer50 said:

Update: SIL asked her mechanic if coolant got into the oil and her said no, only exhaust gas. Got to admit I'm puzzeled. I thought with a bad head gasket you could get exhaust into the coolant or coolant into the oil but not sure the implications of exhaust gas into the oil. That doesn't sound as serious. Why would the mechanic consider the engine ruined?

She asked me to call him Monday but this is getting beyond my knowledge base.

If you have a mechanic friend whose services you use, I'd tell them ask much as you know and
see if they think it's likely to be terminal for the engine or if it can be rebuilt, the heads/block planed, and that might be good enough.

oldfarmer50

bwia said:

My LaCrosse displayed "engine on reduced power" or something similar. A few minutes later a wrench symbol and Stabilitrac appeared on the screen. I called OnStar but I arrived home before they could complete the diagnosis. 

Yesterday morning i started the car, the DIC is clear, engine runs smoothly, no issues. Has anyone experienced this before and what was the fix? I'm out of warranty and don't want the dealer charging me for unnecessary computer diagnostics. 

Our school buses constantly throw these error codes. We even get the little wrench. When some bus driver calls the garage in a panic they usually tell the driver to pull over and turn off the engine for a minute. This resets whatever sensor is glitching. Usually that's all it takes. If the same error reading doesn't go off or keeps repeating then they bring it in off the road. Usually it results from some fluctuation in voltage setting off bogus alarms.

snakeweasel

abacomike said:

I've lived down here for 15 years now. Sure I've seen alligators at the the zoo and animal parks, but never have I seen one in the wild (if you can consider Boca Raton the "wild").

When I was in Florida a few years ago I saw one in the wild after less than 15 hours. Our first day there we took it easy and had a picnic in a park and walked over to a deck area overlooking a small lake. I looked down and there next to the water was a gator.It was less than a foot in front of me and maybe 4 feet below my feet.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

Not sure about that with GM cars. The odds of having early engine failure in the new Corvette seem to be pretty high, and I'd consider engine failure in the first 50,000 miles a lemon.

How do you figure that engine failures rates are high with Vetts.

ab348

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

Not sure about that with GM cars. The odds of having early engine failure in the new Corvette seem to be pretty high, and I'd consider engine failure in the first 50,000 miles a lemon.

How do you figure that engine failures rates are high with Vetts.

Don't even go there with him.

Once again we are reminded of the absence of an "Ignore User" function in this software after seeing some of the posts over the last few days.

roadburner

snakeweasel said:

How do you figure that engine failures rates are high with Vetts.

Some early C7s did have engine issues; Car and Driver had two engines let go- one in their Long Term C7 and the other in their Lightning Lap car. And a friend of mine had the same thing happen to his nearly new C7. That said, I am convinced the issues have been resolved by now.

fezo

So, GG. Don't make me go through all the posts, please... How did things resolve or temporarily so?

They stopped making the 5 because no one was buying them. Pretty standard practice.

It is narrow and there are times I'd really like to punt on utility but not much to be gained by thinking about that. I will put better tires - maybe even Pilots when the time comes.

it's days like the past few that make Florida more attractive.

abacomike

fezo said:

So, GG. Don't make me go through all the posts, please... How did things resolve or temporarily so? They stopped making the 5 because no one was buying them. Pretty standard practice. It is narrow and there are times I'd really like to punt on utility but not much to be gained by thinking about that. I will put better tires - maybe even Pilots when the time comes. it's days like the past few that make Florida more attractive.

I have a vacant master bedroom suite - and I don't charge friends.

It was 78 degrees today and 69 degrees is forecasted for tonight.  Truly delightful down here.  

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

100K miles out of a Chrysler engine. Consider themselves lucky and move on. That's gotta be like 3 or 4 standard deviations beyond the norm

I know a few people with over 100K on Chrysler engines with no issues. Including myself.

stickguy

Going to be 68 Friday in Jersey. Don't leave yet!

IIRC from the C&D recap, there was a specific part that was defective on the Corvette (rod? bearing? something internal) on early cars. It was resolved, but led to an abnormally high failure rate at low miles. hence the new engines, but the replacements did not have the "fatal flaw"/

snakeweasel

GG great to see that you got a resolution on the Caddy, just one piece of advice, keep it for a while before you decide what to do with it. You should make a decision that is more logical than emotional.

stickguy

Snake, that makes a lot of sense. But I think in this situation, logic sailed from port long ago, and only emotion is left!

stickguy

Fezo, you want the nickle version of the GG saga? They took his 2014 back, and gave him a (slightly lower model) 2016 to replace it, along with a check for the difference.

iluvmysephia1

abacomike-I use ta have Pirelli P-Zero Nero 18" tires on my 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS. Helped the car to handle well and lasted around 30,000 - 35,000 miles IIRC. Would buy them again sometime for our rig. Singular, rig, of course.


Not placing blame but I don't think you hear of that happening at 100K miles.
It is really sad when something goes so wrong and people can't afford to repair it. No easy answer. Your suggestion sounds like the best possibility.

I wrote a while ago about our dog groomer lady. She works so hard and is so pleasant, has had so many problems in life, and she bought a used car and the engine was pretty well useless after one month. It had a warranty for one month but they just fixed it enough so it would get through the warranty period.

I gave her the name and email address for a mechanic who writes a Q&A column in the local newspaper.

The columnist has some clout and he (he can name the garage if they don't comply) got the garage to agree to get her car completely repaired to her satisfaction.

It was so nice to see a nice person get a break!



The story above is sure a heartwarming one. I like it when there's people around who look out for those who fall on bad fortune. Very nice.

iluvmysephia1

Well, my quest for the '16 Scion iA is over. For now. Decided that continuing ta live in the same house as my wife was more important than scoring my '16 Frost White Scion iA 6-speed manual. For only $15,470. With accident avoidance system, 7" entertainment screen, backup camera and Mazda 2 sedan mechanicals throughout.

Am I out of my mind? I...I mean...of course, iluvmysephia1, you're spot on the way you're handling this one. Meanwhile, found a place in Garden City, KS, that changed the '11 Kia Soul's oil. Got a tip on a good tire store in Dodge....tires are next. Or, the 60,000 mile timing belt replacement should get done next. Then the tires.

We do have Frontier Kia here in Dodge City for service. It's maintenance, though, not covered under the Long-Haul Warranty. We're the Soul's 2nd owner, but bought a couple years extra Long-Haul to go to 10 years and 100,000 miles on the car. But, and it could be a big but, I'd better read my yellow owner's copy of that deal. The details could be revealing, there. I don't feel stuck with my little hamster, I do like it a lot. Not far off from loving the little 4-door. I just researched the iA to the n-th degree, and, I know the car would be a good fit for us. But would it be big enough in the front for us? Reviewers say there's good room up front.

Oh...there I go again.

stickguy

since it is your only car, do you need to cargo capacity of the wagon back? The ia is certainly not going to be nearly as functional.

stever

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

100K miles out of a Chrysler engine. Consider themselves lucky and move on. That's gotta be like 3 or 4 standard deviations beyond the norm

I know a few people with over 100K on Chrysler engines with no issues. Including myself.

My first one, the '89 Voyager, got to 100k. But had three head gaskets fixed (all covered under warranty). But this van seems pretty good at 157,000. Got a power steering whine though.

tommister2

ab348 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

Not sure about that with GM cars. The odds of having early engine failure in the new Corvette seem to be pretty high, and I'd consider engine failure in the first 50,000 miles a lemon.

How do you figure that engine failures rates are high with Vetts.

Don't even go there with him.

Once again we are reminded of the absence of an "Ignore User" function in this software after seeing some of the posts over the last few days.

ab348, Have you ever explained why you are so defensive about GM? Did you retire from there or something? You seem to get so upset about anyone that has a problem with GM. Obviously I don't know you at all but it doesn't seem healthy.

I hope you don't think I'm bashing you. I really am just curious.

iluvmysephia1

stick - yeah, that's actually what I'm starting ta think. For instance, the Scion iA has no armrest in the middle. Mrs.iluv and I are not small people, either. We like our beef, chicken and pork. I mean, I am really starting ta think like you did above in your question to me. I mean, when the '08 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS blew it's engine due to premature belt failure (that they're conveniently dissing coverage for in our case - because we didn't "call them while SOL at the dealer with our dead Lancer GTS". Right. No, they didn't say those words but they did say words to that effect. They are on my mud list and I stuck up for Mitsubishi while I enjoyed owning and driving our '08.

But, even in the Lancer GTS we had a factory armrest - I mean, really. I could easily order one on the net and fight with installing it and all, I'm up for that. But, here's what I was getting to. Viva Kia/Mitsubishi of El Paso sells Kia's and Mitsu's. I sat in the new '14 Soul (this was in early July 2014) and it was very comfortable. But when I sat in a '14 Kia Rio, it was not comfortable. And that is Kia's subcompact sedan offering. They want just north of $14,000 for the Rio sedan. But it was too small. I told my salesman "no dice" on the Rio.

Then, I asked about the Nissan cube, because I love that box. No kidding. They have a Nissan dealer but had no cube's at all! Huh? They didn't. So I asked if I could sit in and maybe drive a 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage 4-door hatch. I did. Too small - the Mrs. was inside the dealer at this time with our friends from Alamogordo, NM, who volunteered to come get us if we needed a ride. I didn't even need her ta come over and sit in there with me.

So, I'm thinking the Mrs. might be....right! You read it here first, carnut-heads.

tommister2

iluvmysephia1 said:

Well, my quest for the '16 Scion iA is over. For now. Decided that continuing ta live in the same house as my wife was more important than scoring my '16 Frost White Scion iA 6-speed manual. For only $15,470. With accident avoidance system, 7" entertainment screen, backup camera and Mazda 2 sedan mechanicals throughout.

Am I out of my mind? I...I mean...of course, iluvmysephia1, you're spot on the way you're handling this one. Meanwhile, found a place in Garden City, KS, that changed the '11 Kia Soul's oil. Got a tip on a good tire store in Dodge....tires are next. Or, the 60,000 mile timing belt replacement should get done next. Then the tires.

We do have Frontier Kia here in Dodge City for service. It's maintenance, though, not covered under the Long-Haul Warranty. We're the Soul's 2nd owner, but bought a couple years extra Long-Haul to go to 10 years and 100,000 miles on the car. But, and it could be a big but, I'd better read my yellow owner's copy of that deal. The details could be revealing, there. I don't feel stuck with my little hamster, I do like it a lot. Not far off from loving the little 4-door. I just researched the iA to the n-th degree, and, I know the car would be a good fit for us. But would it be big enough in the front for us? Reviewers say there's good room up front.

Oh...there I go again.

As a chronic car buyer it is hard for me to move on when I start obsessing about a car. I wish you the best. You have to do what is right for your wife/family.

Maybe you can get a new Scion next year

stickguy

I have obsessed over plenty of cars in my time, that I managed to move on from!

Iluv, I had a similar issue with the Mazda 3. When the wife and I drove it together, it was just a bit tight up front. It really made more sense for us to get something a bit bigger. I just didn't expect to go huge! at least by my standards.

it did have a side benefit though. Sonata is such a roomy and comfy road car, we take that on trips. Pretty sure that would not happen if I had gotten the 3.

we also have an SUV for bulky duty. No way I could go without at least 1 car that was some sort of box.

iluvmysephia1

Maybe you can get a new Scion next year

Bingo, tommister2. Read my last post above, too. I am starting ta think that the 2016 Scion iA would not have been a good choice for us. We're on our 3rd Kia ('99 Sephia, '01 Sportage 4X4 and this '11 Soul) now and they are cars, vans and suv's that are built well. The Korean military uses the type of Sportage we owned, the '01 style. I don't know what they choose now, but no doubt there's HyunKia's in their stable somewhere. My point is that these are not "Killed in Action" vehicles at any stretch. They're built tough, to last.

Heck, I might even go for a 2016 or 2017 Soul later on. We're at 58,455 miles on our Soul now. Now for some pork, or beef. Don't get me wrong, we're not Pugs McGirk-sizers, we just like Midwest beef, ya know? I'm thinking the nice interior space the Kia Soul offers is more of a blessing than a throw-away.

What I would love and need ta do, of course, is test drive the Scion iA to get the best feel for the import automobile. That lies (at the best price, that is) about 388 miles to our west, in Denver.

stickguy

can't you find one close to home to test drive? Forget about the price. at least you can see how it works for you. Not required to buy it.

I think you actually came to the best realization, that the ia is not the best idea for your only car in the household.

graphicguy

fezo said:

So, GG. Don't make me go through all the posts, please... How did things resolve or temporarily so?

They stopped making the 5 because no one was buying them. Pretty standard practice.

It is narrow and there are times I'd really like to punt on utility but not much to be gained by thinking about that. I will put better tires - maybe even Pilots when the time comes.

it's days like the past few that make Florida more attractive.

Fezo...will give a brief synopsis... After Thanksgiving!

iluvmysephia1

can't you find one close to home to test drive? Forget about the price. at least you can see how it works for you. Not required to buy it.

I think you actually came to the best realization, that the ia is not the best idea for your only car in the household.

stickguy-we're in SW Kansas. The closest Scion dealer to us, to my knowledge anyway, is in Wichita. 150 miles to our east. Eddy's Scion of Wichita. They mark up the new Scion's but it would be a way ta check the new Scion's out up close and personal and test drive them. I'm putting the idea on the far right...or left, backburner, however.

For now.

stickguy

that far away? Well, if it were me, that would be a deal breaker. I would get something that had a dealer nearby.

iluvmysephia1

Here in Dodge City we have new Ford, Chrysler, GM, Toyota and Hyundai dealers. And Lewis Toyota chooses not to sell Scion's. That was going to come up in negotiations if I bought in Denver. Even though I'm buying here, it's 388 miles from my home, can you guys set up a deal with Lewis Toyota of Dodge City to service my new Scion at Lewis Toyota? Every new Scion gets free 2-year scheduled maintenance with it - something I've mentioned perhaps only once in all this chatter on Edmunds I've shared about the new Scion iM and iA. Just some more food for thought on the matter. Would that have been a deal-breaker if they said no, we're not gonna do that for you as part of your deal with us, you might ask?

Humm...I don't think so.