Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

pensfan83

driver100 said:

This one stands out!



I like the white more, but it is different!

That's the Stinger GTS, the one @roadburner was considering.

jmonroe

driver100 said:

fintail said:

Looks nice and high res, like the Germans use, and like Toyota still doesn't seem to grasp.

Now only if they could have integrated it into the dash instead of using the tablet look, which is going to be passe in about 5 minutes.

graphicguy said:

Went to lunch with my son today. He snapped a pic of the Stinger’s GPS system. I usually use Apple CarPlay. Gotta admit, Kia’s looks pretty good.

I agree about building the GPS into the dash. I don't get that tablet look at all......though if I liked everything else about the car I could learn to live with it....especially if it had a backup camera.

Once again we disagree. I could not learn to live with a screen jutting out of the dash and that would kill the deal for me which would be a shame because the rest of the car seems to be everything you would want in a car.That screen would block too much of my view of the road. When I bought my last few cars I specifically wanted a built in NAV system because I don't like anything anywhere on my dash. I could live without a back up camera but not something obstructing my view of the road.

jmonroe

graphicguy

@jmonroe ....I understand what you're saying. I used to feel the same. But, I really don't feel the Stinger's screen blocks my view of anything. In truth, it's easier to see up a little higher than it would be if it were lower, and would take my eyes off the road to check it. In short, I have no issue with it as a tablet "look".

Tomato...Tomahto!

That said, this seems to be the styling rage these days. Mercedes has gone so far as to have two large LCD screens jutting out of the top of the dash for everything these days. At least, that's what I saw when I looked at the CLA. I think Mazda does something similar with its NAV screen jutting up from the dash, too. I'm sure there are others.

snakeweasel

abacomike said:

fintail said:

Not sure how that's karma, or how anyone who knows the definition of karma could claim so, but OK something.

Flyover country has plenty of similar problems, and is far from a high ground of moral fortitude.

cdnpinhead said:

Karma's a b**ch. That thing that happened in Colorado back in '03 has been forgotten (or never heard of) by nearly everyone in the important parts of the country/world. Behaviour that's accepted in LA or NYC isn't necessarily well thought of in flyover country.

What a great athlete does in his/her private life always impacts on how people view that individual. Same as how people view great philanthropists, Presidents, business moguls, medical researchers, physicists, etc., to name a few.

An example would be Tiger Woods - I consider him the greatest golfer who ever lived and respect him for his accomplishments and abilities. But I don't respect him for some, not all, of his off-the-course behaviors. I certainly would not consider Karma as a rationale if he was killed in an accident.

Well I agree with Fintail as Karma is not at play here. What Karma really is is that your actions in this and previous lives dictate your state in the next life. So if you were bad in this life being killed in an accident would not be Karma, Karma would be coming back as a slug because of your actions in this life.

laurasdada

Actually, Karma, formerly a Fisker, is now a company producing the Revero nee Karma.

fintail

I think the tablet look was indeed trendy like stickguy points out - but in 2014. I expect it to go away in new generation cars, as it already is for MB (who was an early user of the tablet look, I think putting it in production around 2012).

I think the big panel is the way to go if you want wide screens. I quite like the look of my instrument panel:

driver100 said:

I agree about building the GPS into the dash. I don't get that tablet look at all......though if I liked everything else about the car I could learn to live with it....especially if it had a backup camera.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

abacomike said:

fintail said:

Not sure how that's karma, or how anyone who knows the definition of karma could claim so, but OK something.

Flyover country has plenty of similar problems, and is far from a high ground of moral fortitude.

cdnpinhead said:

Karma's a b**ch. That thing that happened in Colorado back in '03 has been forgotten (or never heard of) by nearly everyone in the important parts of the country/world. Behaviour that's accepted in LA or NYC isn't necessarily well thought of in flyover country.

What a great athlete does in his/her private life always impacts on how people view that individual. Same as how people view great philanthropists, Presidents, business moguls, medical researchers, physicists, etc., to name a few.

An example would be Tiger Woods - I consider him the greatest golfer who ever lived and respect him for his accomplishments and abilities. But I don't respect him for some, not all, of his off-the-course behaviors. I certainly would not consider Karma as a rationale if he was killed in an accident.

Well I agree with Fintail as Karma is not at play here. What Karma really is is that your actions in this and previous lives dictate your state in the next life. So if you were bad in this life being killed in an accident would not be Karma, Karma would be coming back as a slug because of your actions in this life.

Originally Karma was what happens in the next life because of actions in next life. But, today, people use the word karma in ways that are not wholly consistent with its traditional meaning. For example, karma is often misused to denote luck, destiny or fate. Karma is also misused as a way to explain sudden hardships.

With karma, like causes produce like effects; that is, a good deed will lead to a future beneficial effect, while a bad deed will lead to a future harmful effect

I don't think a helicopter accident is a result of one's previous actions....it is just a sad unfortunate incident, totally unrelated.

Michaell

Every good idea can be taken to an extreme:

jmonroe

graphicguy said:

@jmonroe ....I understand what you're saying. I used to feel the same. But, I really don't feel the Stinger's screen blocks my view of anything. In truth, it's easier to see up a little higher than it would be if it were lower, and would take my eyes off the road to check it. In short, I have no issue with it as a tablet "look".

Tomato...Tomahto!

That said, this seems to be the styling rage these days. Mercedes has gone so far as to have two large LCD screens jutting out of the top of the dash for everything these days. At least, that's what I saw when I looked at the CLA. I think Mazda does something similar with its NAV screen jutting up from the dash, too. I'm sure there are others.

I don't doubt that KIA thinks it is stylish. The best of both worlds would be if it popped when you turned on the NAV system and when you put the car in reverse so you had your backup display. Let's face it, who drives around needing NAV all the time. I could live with it being up when I wanted to use the NAV. Just don't want it up all the time. If you want style and function that is the way to go. Yeah, that would be a bump in price but I think a lot of people would like that as a toy and would be sure to tout that feature. Me, I would just like the function of it that way. Of course, there should be a selection that you could have it up all the time if you like it that way. Maybe I should patent that idea but I don't think you can patent ideas. If you can I also have an idea of how to get to the moon.

jmonroe

ab348

jmonroe said:

The best of both worlds would be if it popped when you turned on the NAV system and when you put the car in reverse so you had your backup display.

Nothing new under the sun:

https://youtu.be/QGue2GsWeQQ

jmonroe

Michaell said:

Every good idea can be taken to an extreme:

OK, what is it? I'm looking at it on my phone and when I zoom in, it blurs out. Maybe I should use this as an excuse to replace my newish Samsung Galaxy lll.

jmonroe

stickguy

20 years ago Volvo had that for a nav screen. popped up from the dash right in front of the steering wheel. Flush to the dashtop when not in use.

driver100

jmonroe said:

graphicguy said:

@jmonroe ....I understand what you're saying. I used to feel the same. But, I really don't feel the Stinger's screen blocks my view of anything. In truth, it's easier to see up a little higher than it would be if it were lower, and would take my eyes off the road to check it. In short, I have no issue with it as a tablet "look".

Tomato...Tomahto!

That said, this seems to be the styling rage these days. Mercedes has gone so far as to have two large LCD screens jutting out of the top of the dash for everything these days. At least, that's what I saw when I looked at the CLA. I think Mazda does something similar with its NAV screen jutting up from the dash, too. I'm sure there are others.

The best of both worlds would be if it popped when you turned on the NAV system and when you put the car in reverse so you had your backup display. Let's face it, who drives around needing NAV all the time. I could live with it being up when I wanted to use the NAV. Just don't want it up all the time. If you want style and function that is the way to go.

jmonroe

But, how do you get it to show you your media stuff.....like what song is on or what station you are listening to?
Back to the drawing boards on that one.

imidazol97

graphicguy said:

@jmonroe ....I understand what you're saying. I used to feel the same. But, I really don't feel the Stinger's screen blocks my view of anything. In truth, it's easier to see up a little higher than it would be if it were lower, and would take my eyes off the road to check it. In short, I have no issue with it as a tablet "look".

Tomato...Tomahto!

That said, this seems to be the styling rage these days. Mercedes has gone so far as to have two large LCD screens jutting out of the top of the dash for everything these days. At least, that's what I saw when I looked at the CLA. I think Mazda does something similar with its NAV screen jutting up from the dash, too. I'm sure there are others.

Now for the big question: which car does Graphicguy like better? His Acura or his Kia? Consider the Acura to be an up-to-date model so there's no difference in the model years between the two.

stickguy

you would need to have a regular screen for all that audio stuff. and might as well just put the BU camera there, since it would drive me nuts (and waste time) to have the screen need to motor up every time you put car in reverse.

now that I think of it, my son's A3 had a screen that retracted when you turned the car off. But it was always up when car was on. No clue what the point was of having it up and do like that.

venture

graphicguy said:

@jmonroe ....I understand what you're saying. I used to feel the same. But, I really don't feel the Stinger's screen blocks my view of anything. In truth, it's easier to see up a little higher than it would be if it were lower, and would take my eyes off the road to check it. In short, I have no issue with it as a tablet "look".

Tomato...Tomahto!

That said, this seems to be the styling rage these days. Mercedes has gone so far as to have two large LCD screens jutting out of the top of the dash for everything these days. At least, that's what I saw when I looked at the CLA. I think Mazda does something similar with its NAV screen jutting up from the dash, too. I'm sure there are others.

Yes. To each their own.

I'm not particular about what the interior of a car looks like (I already got scorched for that opinion so no need to go through it again), but the tablet look is not one I like. It looks, to me, like it is an afterthought and it's right there in your face.

I was looking at Mazda's and, yes, they have the same thing - at least the 3 and the 6. I'm no longer considering Mazda.

graphicguy

imidazol97 said:

graphicguy said:

@jmonroe ....I understand what you're saying. I used to feel the same. But, I really don't feel the Stinger's screen blocks my view of anything. In truth, it's easier to see up a little higher than it would be if it were lower, and would take my eyes off the road to check it. In short, I have no issue with it as a tablet "look".

Tomato...Tomahto!

That said, this seems to be the styling rage these days. Mercedes has gone so far as to have two large LCD screens jutting out of the top of the dash for everything these days. At least, that's what I saw when I looked at the CLA. I think Mazda does something similar with its NAV screen jutting up from the dash, too. I'm sure there are others.

Now for the big question: which car does Graphicguy like better? His Acura or his Kia?

Good question. Was thinking about this yesterday. Probably too early to tell if my biggest fear with the Stinger is warranted. That is, whether it will be as trouble free as my Acura has been, which has been stellar.

As best as I can tell after 3 weeks of driving the Stinger, it feels solid as a rock. No untoward noises, squeaks, rattles, etc. Doors and hatch close with a satisfying "thunk". Materials inside and out are great...some, really quite good. The technology is above average. The Nav system is the best I've ever used. But, I use Apple CarPlay most of the time. Voice recognition works as they say it's supposed to. It doesn't make me repeat commands. I don't have to go through layer upon layer of voice commands or touchscreen menus to get what I want.

Obviously, the Stinger is much faster than the TLX. Plus, the suspension is much better.

Seats are a tie...I really like both seats in the TLX and the Stinger. The TLX's SH-AWD is a shade better around corners. But, I would suspect @roadburner could really make the Stinger sing given it's 100% rear drive bias and a mechanical Torque Vectoring.

Transmission in the Stinger is as good as any as I've experienced. That includes the vaunted ZF that's in the BMW. The ZF in the TLX is tuned differently. It's programmed to get into the highest gear and I have to really spur it to downshift.

Auto start/stop is way better (and very fast) in the Stinger. In the TLX it's kind of clunky. I routinely turn it off as a ritual before I back out of my parking spots.

Paint and build in both are as good as I've seen on any car. Kia has really stepped up their game. Paint is smooth with little to no orange peel. White pearl is quite fetching. Body seams in both are consistently very good.

Stinger has Nappa leather. The TLX has Murano leather. Both are quite nice. Not sure what the difference between Nappa leather vs Murano leather.

Both are fun to drive. Performance goes to the Stinger, though....both for the drivetrain and the suspension...by a large margin.

Can't beat the ELS stereo in the TLX. It's simply the best I've experienced in any car, at any price point. The Harman Kardon in the Stinger is quite good...just not as good as the ELS.

TLX lights up everything inside....the garage door opener, the shift paddles...just about everything. If there's a nit to be picked, the Stinger has the Home link on the mirror. The buttons do not light up at night. So, it's a bit inconvenient to find the Home Link on the mirror at night. Plus, while I've memorized the up/down shift paddles on both cars, the TLX's are lit.

I can't imagine another option on either car. They both have the bevy of safety tech. Will give the Stinger the nod for how they've implemented radar cruise. The TLX's can be abrupt and jerky. The Stinger's is smooth and consistent.

The Stinger has a power hatch. You can just stand behind the rear hatch with the key fob in your pocket and it will open. You also only have to push a button to close the hatch. The TLX does neither.

Stinger has a head's up display that shows speed, status of cruise control, lane keep warning and lane keep assist, Nav directions, and a host of other things. TLX does not have HUD.

TLX feature I really like... You just touch the back of the door handle to unlock. You walk away from it after shutting it down, and it locks itself once the key fob is out of range. Again, a nit, but in the Stinger, you have to touch a button on the door to unlock the door, and touch the same button to lock it. How spoiled am I when that's an issue?

Only about a 1.5 tanks of gas into the Stinger, I'm getting about 20-21 MPG in real world driving....around 95% city and 5% highway. Going a little easy on it for break in. But, I'm slowly putting the right foot into it more. I suspect city will be around 20 MPG and highway to be somewhere in the 25-26 MPG RANGE. The trip computer in the Stinger so far has been accurate (after one tankful).

TLX averages around 22 MPG in city driving. All highway is where it shines. I've had a high of 38 MPG all highway. Mixed driving, it's averaging 23-24 MPG. It's MPG computer in the car is woeful. It overestimates MPH between 5%-7%.

The TLX has been very easy to maintain and down right frugal in maintenance costs. That said, the big one will come at 36K miles. I doubt I'll still own it by then, but it'll be between $600-$750, depending on coupons available. Oil changes and tire rotations, along with the numerous checks the dealership does, runs about $60-$70 with a coupon. I change the filters in it myself. That's all that's been called for so far. Never had it in for any warranty work other than a Head Unit update that was supposed to clear up glitches that I never experienced.

Looking at the Stinger's maintenance schedule, it looks like an oil change and tire rotation (along with the usual inspections) every 6K miles. That's a bit more than the TLX (roughly every 8K miles). I have not seen anything in the Stinger's manual that states anything about a timing chain/belt, or changing out differential fluid (as you have to do in the TLX). But, I've just given it a cursory look.

That's all for now. If interested, I'll let you know how it goes.

jmonroe

ab348 said:

jmonroe said:

The best of both worlds would be if it popped when you turned on the NAV system and when you put the car in reverse so you had your backup display.

Nothing new under the sun:

https://youtu.be/QGue2GsWeQQ

That would work but I don't like looking at that clock.

jmonroe

driver100

Can't you tell the time with a clock that has hands on it?

jmonroe said:

ab348 said:

jmonroe said:

The best of both worlds would be if it popped when you turned on the NAV system and when you put the car in reverse so you had your backup display.

Nothing new under the sun:

https://youtu.be/QGue2GsWeQQ

That would work but I don't like looking at that clock.

jmonroe

Can't you tell the time with a clock that has hands on it?

imidazol97

graphicguy said:

...Looking at the Stinger's maintenance schedule, it looks like an oil change and tire rotation (along with the usual inspections) every 6K miles. That's a bit more than the TLX (roughly every 8K miles). I have not seen anything in the Stinger's manual that states anything about a timing chain/belt, or changing out differential fluid (as you have to do in the TLX). But, I've just given it a cursory look.

That's all for now. If interested, I'll let you know how it goes.

I wondered if you thought about upgrading the Acura to the next new performance model--I believe you had mentioned a version coming out. TLX and Stinger are different cars and I was interested in what one had over the other. Interesting reading. Nicely done review where someone not into highest performance levels can factor that out of each vehicle.

roadburner

graphicguy said:

imidazol97 said:

graphicguy said:

@jmonroe ....I understand what you're saying. I used to feel the same. But, I really don't feel the Stinger's screen blocks my view of anything. In truth, it's easier to see up a little higher than it would be if it were lower, and would take my eyes off the road to check it. In short, I have no issue with it as a tablet "look".

Tomato...Tomahto!

That said, this seems to be the styling rage these days. Mercedes has gone so far as to have two large LCD screens jutting out of the top of the dash for everything these days. At least, that's what I saw when I looked at the CLA. I think Mazda does something similar with its NAV screen jutting up from the dash, too. I'm sure there are others.

Now for the big question: which car does Graphicguy like better? His Acura or his Kia?

Good question. Was thinking about this yesterday. Probably too early to tell if my biggest fear with the Stinger is warranted. That is, whether it will be as trouble free as my Acura has been, which has been stellar.

As best as I can tell after 3 weeks of driving the Stinger, it feels solid as a rock. No untoward noises, squeaks, rattles, etc. Doors and hatch close with a satisfying "thunk". Materials inside and out are great...some, really quite good. The technology is above average. The Nav system is the best I've ever used. But, I use Apple CarPlay most of the time. Voice recognition works as they say it's supposed to. It doesn't make me repeat commands. I don't have to go through layer upon layer of voice commands or touchscreen menus to get what I want.

Obviously, the Stinger is much faster than the TLX. Plus, the suspension is much better.

Seats are a tie...I really like both seats in the TLX and the Stinger. The TLX's SH-AWD is a shade better around corners. But, I would suspect @roadburner could really make the Stinger sing given it's 100% rear drive bias and a mechanical Torque Vectoring.

Transmission in the Stinger is as good as any as I've experienced. That includes the vaunted ZF that's in the BMW. The ZF in the TLX is tuned differently. It's programmed to get into the highest gear and I have to really spur it to downshift.

Auto start/stop is way better (and very fast) in the Stinger. In the TLX it's kind of clunky. I routinely turn it off as a ritual before I back out of my parking spots.

Paint and build in both are as good as I've seen on any car. Kia has really stepped up their game. Paint is smooth with little to no orange peel. White pearl is quite fetching. Body seams in both are consistently very good.

Stinger has Nappa leather. The TLX has Murano leather. Both are quite nice. Not sure what the difference between Nappa leather vs Murano leather.

Both are fun to drive. Performance goes to the Stinger, though....both for the drivetrain and the suspension...by a large margin.

Can't beat the ELS stereo in the TLX. It's simply the best I've experienced in any car, at any price point. The Harman Kardon in the Stinger is quite good...just not as good as the ELS.

TLX lights up everything inside....the garage door opener, the shift paddles...just about everything. If there's a nit to be picked, the Stinger has the Home link on the mirror. The buttons do not light up at night. So, it's a bit inconvenient to find the Home Link on the mirror at night. Plus, while I've memorized the up/down shift paddles on both cars, the TLX's are lit.

I can't imagine another option on either car. They both have the bevy of safety tech. Will give the Stinger the nod for how they've implemented radar cruise. The TLX's can be abrupt and jerky. The Stinger's is smooth and consistent.

The Stinger has a power hatch. You can just stand behind the rear hatch with the key fob in your pocket and it will open. You also only have to push a button to close the hatch. The TLX does neither.

Stinger has a head's up display that shows speed, status of cruise control, lane keep warning and lane keep assist, Nav directions, and a host of other things. TLX does not have HUD.

TLX feature I really like... You just touch the back of the door handle to unlock. You walk away from it after shutting it down, and it locks itself once the key fob is out of range. Again, a nit, but in the Stinger, you have to touch a button on the door to unlock the door, and touch the same button to lock it. How spoiled am I when that's an issue?

Only about a 1.5 tanks of gas into the Stinger, I'm getting about 20-21 MPG in real world driving....around 95% city and 5% highway. Going a little easy on it for break in. But, I'm slowly putting the right foot into it more. I suspect city will be around 20 MPG and highway to be somewhere in the 25-26 MPG RANGE. The trip computer in the Stinger so far has been accurate (after one tankful).

TLX averages around 22 MPG in city driving. All highway is where it shines. I've had a high of 38 MPG all highway. Mixed driving, it's averaging 23-24 MPG. It's MPG computer in the car is woeful. It overestimates MPH between 5%-7%.

The TLX has been very easy to maintain and down right frugal in maintenance costs. That said, the big one will come at 36K miles. I doubt I'll still own it by then, but it'll be between $600-$750, depending on coupons available. Oil changes and tire rotations, along with the numerous checks the dealership does, runs about $60-$70 with a coupon. I change the filters in it myself. That's all that's been called for so far. Never had it in for any warranty work other than a Head Unit update that was supposed to clear up glitches that I never experienced.

Looking at the Stinger's maintenance schedule, it looks like an oil change and tire rotation (along with the usual inspections) every 6K miles. That's a bit more than the TLX (roughly every 8K miles). I have not seen anything in the Stinger's manual that states anything about a timing chain/belt, or changing out differential fluid (as you have to do in the TLX). But, I've just given it a cursory look.

That's all for now. If interested, I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks for the update! The GTS doesn't have the extra nannies, HUD, or power hatch. I can live without those easily enough.
As for service, on the Normal schedule the rear diff gets a fluid change every 36k, but only if it's an LSD.
On the Severe schedule F/R open diffs get changed at 72k and the rear LSD interval remains at 36k. ATF gets changed at 60k on the Severe schedule, not at all on Normal.
No timing belt/chain service called for, but the valve clearance is checked at 60k/six years(!).

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

imidazol97 said:

graphicguy said:

@jmonroe ....I understand what you're saying. I used to feel the same. But, I really don't feel the Stinger's screen blocks my view of anything. In truth, it's easier to see up a little higher than it would be if it were lower, and would take my eyes off the road to check it. In short, I have no issue with it as a tablet "look".

Tomato...Tomahto!

That said, this seems to be the styling rage these days. Mercedes has gone so far as to have two large LCD screens jutting out of the top of the dash for everything these days. At least, that's what I saw when I looked at the CLA. I think Mazda does something similar with its NAV screen jutting up from the dash, too. I'm sure there are others.

Now for the big question: which car does Graphicguy like better? His Acura or his Kia?

Good question. Was thinking about this yesterday. Probably too early to tell if my biggest fear with the Stinger is warranted. That is, whether it will be as trouble free as my Acura has been, which has been stellar.

As best as I can tell after 3 weeks of driving the Stinger, it feels solid as a rock. No untoward noises, squeaks, rattles, etc. Doors and hatch close with a satisfying "thunk". Materials inside and out are great...some, really quite good. The technology is above average. The Nav system is the best I've ever used. But, I use Apple CarPlay most of the time. Voice recognition works as they say it's supposed to. It doesn't make me repeat commands. I don't have to go through layer upon layer of voice commands or touchscreen menus to get what I want.

Obviously, the Stinger is much faster than the TLX. Plus, the suspension is much better.

Seats are a tie...I really like both seats in the TLX and the Stinger. The TLX's SH-AWD is a shade better around corners. But, I would suspect @roadburner could really make the Stinger sing given it's 100% rear drive bias and a mechanical Torque Vectoring.

Transmission in the Stinger is as good as any as I've experienced. That includes the vaunted ZF that's in the BMW. The ZF in the TLX is tuned differently. It's programmed to get into the highest gear and I have to really spur it to downshift.

Auto start/stop is way better (and very fast) in the Stinger. In the TLX it's kind of clunky. I routinely turn it off as a ritual before I back out of my parking spots.

Paint and build in both are as good as I've seen on any car. Kia has really stepped up their game. Paint is smooth with little to no orange peel. White pearl is quite fetching. Body seams in both are consistently very good.

Stinger has Nappa leather. The TLX has Murano leather. Both are quite nice. Not sure what the difference between Nappa leather vs Murano leather.

Both are fun to drive. Performance goes to the Stinger, though....both for the drivetrain and the suspension...by a large margin.

Can't beat the ELS stereo in the TLX. It's simply the best I've experienced in any car, at any price point. The Harman Kardon in the Stinger is quite good...just not as good as the ELS.

TLX lights up everything inside....the garage door opener, the shift paddles...just about everything. If there's a nit to be picked, the Stinger has the Home link on the mirror. The buttons do not light up at night. So, it's a bit inconvenient to find the Home Link on the mirror at night. Plus, while I've memorized the up/down shift paddles on both cars, the TLX's are lit.

I can't imagine another option on either car. They both have the bevy of safety tech. Will give the Stinger the nod for how they've implemented radar cruise. The TLX's can be abrupt and jerky. The Stinger's is smooth and consistent.

The Stinger has a power hatch. You can just stand behind the rear hatch with the key fob in your pocket and it will open. You also only have to push a button to close the hatch. The TLX does neither.

Stinger has a head's up display that shows speed, status of cruise control, lane keep warning and lane keep assist, Nav directions, and a host of other things. TLX does not have HUD.

TLX feature I really like... You just touch the back of the door handle to unlock. You walk away from it after shutting it down, and it locks itself once the key fob is out of range. Again, a nit, but in the Stinger, you have to touch a button on the door to unlock the door, and touch the same button to lock it. How spoiled am I when that's an issue?

Only about a 1.5 tanks of gas into the Stinger, I'm getting about 20-21 MPG in real world driving....around 95% city and 5% highway. Going a little easy on it for break in. But, I'm slowly putting the right foot into it more. I suspect city will be around 20 MPG and highway to be somewhere in the 25-26 MPG RANGE. The trip computer in the Stinger so far has been accurate (after one tankful).

TLX averages around 22 MPG in city driving. All highway is where it shines. I've had a high of 38 MPG all highway. Mixed driving, it's averaging 23-24 MPG. It's MPG computer in the car is woeful. It overestimates MPH between 5%-7%.

The TLX has been very easy to maintain and down right frugal in maintenance costs. That said, the big one will come at 36K miles. I doubt I'll still own it by then, but it'll be between $600-$750, depending on coupons available. Oil changes and tire rotations, along with the numerous checks the dealership does, runs about $60-$70 with a coupon. I change the filters in it myself. That's all that's been called for so far. Never had it in for any warranty work other than a Head Unit update that was supposed to clear up glitches that I never experienced.

Looking at the Stinger's maintenance schedule, it looks like an oil change and tire rotation (along with the usual inspections) every 6K miles. That's a bit more than the TLX (roughly every 8K miles). I have not seen anything in the Stinger's manual that states anything about a timing chain/belt, or changing out differential fluid (as you have to do in the TLX). But, I've just given it a cursory look.

That's all for now. If interested, I'll let you know how it goes.

I was watching All Girls Garage yesterday and they were putting mods on a Stinger. Springs, CAI and exhaust. Have you thought if you’ll do any upgrades to your car? I guess you can submit your car to the show and get it done free.

That’s an episode I’d stay up late to see.

imidazol97

Right now my car buying plans would have to be spur of the moment on need. Son's Cruze will be out of warranty in September after 5 years since he bought it. I'd like to help him trade but they're looking at building a house in the 3-4 range, so I suspect he'll hang onto the Cruze despite potential repair maintenance costs. His wife's family tended to hang onto cars but bought what they wanted when they did buy. I had hoped to take the Cruze to give them a clear no trade in purchase negotiation. But... can't get too involved.

Currently the Cruze has the driver window regulator being replaced this time. A couple winters ago it had failed in the down position. I'll check whether it was a parts repair or full replacement of the regulator that time. This time it is a complete replacement.

But getting the clips that hold the door panel on is holding up finishing the repair under extended warranty. GM is having trouble supplying them. I wonder if they can go across the street to the auto parts store and buy the Dorman version. On 4th work day of waiting for repair to be finished. Good thing I still have the Cobalt for Junior to drive to work. The Chevy dealer is really frustrated with GM and parts since the strike by UAW folks.

fintail

I remember having an A8 rental in Germany several years ago with the popup nav. On a VWAG car especially, I would worry about it becoming stuck in the up or down position. MB had a similar popup on the pre-facelift W204 C-class (the original version of driver100's car).

I remember this trip vividly, as I became horribly ill about halfway through it, and also remember being unable to find a spot in a parking garage big enough for the Audi barge:

driver100

That pop-up display on the A8 looks like they decided to add it on at the last minute. In fact, it looks like you are supposed to supply your own tablet.
I remember the early C Class (2011), kind of like the works in a drawer;

stickguy

I just don't understand the point of that motorized screen. It always rises/opens when you start the car on, so why not just leave it up all the time? Like Fin said, just one more thing to go wrong out of warranty!

stickguy

this is the Audi A3. Unless you want no readout of any AV, radio, nav, it will always but in the up position.

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

Right now my car buying plans would have to be spur of the moment on need. Son's Cruze will be out of warranty in September after 5 years since he bought it. I'd like to help him trade but they're looking at building a house in the 3-4 range, so I suspect he'll hang onto the Cruze despite potential repair maintenance costs. His wife's family tended to hang onto cars but bought what they wanted when they did buy. I had hoped to take the Cruze to give them a clear no trade in purchase negotiation. But... can't get too involved.

Currently the Cruze has the driver window regulator being replaced this time. A couple winters ago it had failed in the down position. I'll check whether it was a parts repair or full replacement of the regulator that time. This time it is a complete replacement.

But getting the clips that hold the door panel on is holding up finishing the repair under extended warranty. GM is having trouble supplying them. I wonder if they can go across the street to the auto parts store and buy the Dorman version. On 4th work day of waiting for repair to be finished. Good thing I still have the Cobalt for Junior to drive to work. The Chevy dealer is really frustrated with GM and parts since the strike by UAW folks.

How about if you went across to the auto parts store and bought the part? Would they install it?

qbrozen

Interesting news hit our neighborhood yesterday. We apparently have a car theft ring working its way around. A really lazy car theft ring. Based on videos and reports, including my own evidence, this person(s) only steals cars with the door open and keys inside. Evidently, I have neighbors silly enough to do that. Cars were stolen from the driveway 2 doors down, and guy on an adjoining street posted his security vids of a hooded thief trying the handles on his vehicles. Came to find out someone went into my Chevy and opened the console and glovebox looking for keys or anything worth taking. Didn’t even realize I left it unlocked. Probably my kid did when he got his karate equipment out of it. Thankfully, I had removed the garage door opener last week to put in the hyundai. Kind of wish I left my keys in there, LOL. But I would imagine insurance scowls at that sort of behavior.

My wife is now on me to get camera(s) up. I have had one sitting in the box for over a year now that I have yet to get around to.

oldfarmer50

JohnFriman said:

No one is immune from fraud, and not only in the field of car sales. I bought my Honda too. Thank God everything is all right with her. My colleagues from webcorelab also came across bad clients. Even in IT, you need to be alert.

Ironic since you’re trying to do just that with your stealth ad.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

Interesting news hit our neighborhood yesterday. We apparently have a car theft ring working its way around. A really lazy car theft ring. Based on videos and reports, including my own evidence, this person(s) only steals cars with the door open and keys inside. Evidently, I have neighbors silly enough to do that. Cars were stolen from the driveway 2 doors down, and guy on an adjoining street posted his security vids of a hooded thief trying the handles on his vehicles. Came to find out someone went into my Chevy and opened the console and glovebox looking for keys or anything worth taking. Didn’t even realize I left it unlocked. Probably my kid did when he got his karate equipment out of it. Thankfully, I had removed the garage door opener last week to put in the hyundai. Kind of wish I left my keys in there, LOL. But I would imagine insurance scowls at that sort of behavior.

My wife is now on me to get camera(s) up. I have had one sitting in the box for over a year now that I have yet to get around to.

Those aren’t thieves, just unauthorized test drivers. :@

I don’t lock my cars as I reason that any determined thief will bust a window. The random kid or junkie can have the few pennies I leave there in return for not doing other damage. My garage door opener is in the car that goes in the garage.

I never understood why people leave keys in the car although with the advent of push button start folks might get used to not removing them. Still...

driver100

stickguy said:

this is the Audi A3. Unless you want no readout of any AV, radio, nav, it will always but in the up position.

That would have looked much better if it was built in to the dash.....looks silly sticking up like that.

stickguy

Well, turn the car off and it goes away!

But, think of how big a hump there would be if you wrapped the dash pad around it. Would be a vinyl mountain and look lousy. I think that’s the big reason why they put a slim screen up there. Less bulky.

stickguy

We get the petty thieves around here occasionally. I’m always surprised how many people don’t lock. But they just steal change, phones, etc. whatever is in the car. Not heard about anyone taking the whole car.

graphicguy

@roadburner ...thanks for the info on maintenance. Sounds like the Stinger is going to be fairly cheap to maintain. As things go with this group, in reality, the car will be long gone before the major dollar maintenance items come around (trying to remember when I owned a car past the 50K mile mark).

@oldfarmer50 ...I like that show, All Girls Garage. They can mod my Stinger any time. But, my guess is since they’ve already done one, doubt they’d do another.

Forgot about the brakes impressions. Stinger wins, hands down. Not that the TLX is bad. But, they do tend to get a bit soft and fade after long applications in highway driving (like on a long decline).

Stinger....brembos all around. Strong, positive and easy to modulate. Fade free, too.

Steering.....this is probably a tie. They’re both good, just different. TLX has a heavier steering feel. Accurate, but heavy. Stinger is lighter which tightens up at speed. Maybe takes some getting used to on my part.

Did I mention that it’s fast?

stickguy

I can first hand confirm the fast part, based on seat time in a G70 3.3t. I think they underrated that motor.

ab348

stickguy said:

I just don't understand the point of that motorized screen. It always rises/opens when you start the car on, so why not just leave it up all the time? Like Fin said, just one more thing to go wrong out of warranty!

It is understandable on the German cars. Just one more thing to over-engineer, complicate, and eventually fail.

qbrozen

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

Interesting news hit our neighborhood yesterday. We apparently have a car theft ring working its way around. A really lazy car theft ring. Based on videos and reports, including my own evidence, this person(s) only steals cars with the door open and keys inside. Evidently, I have neighbors silly enough to do that. Cars were stolen from the driveway 2 doors down, and guy on an adjoining street posted his security vids of a hooded thief trying the handles on his vehicles. Came to find out someone went into my Chevy and opened the console and glovebox looking for keys or anything worth taking. Didn’t even realize I left it unlocked. Probably my kid did when he got his karate equipment out of it. Thankfully, I had removed the garage door opener last week to put in the hyundai. Kind of wish I left my keys in there, LOL. But I would imagine insurance scowls at that sort of behavior.

My wife is now on me to get camera(s) up. I have had one sitting in the box for over a year now that I have yet to get around to.

Those aren’t thieves, just unauthorized test drivers. :@

I don’t lock my cars as I reason that any determined thief will bust a window. The random kid or junkie can have the few pennies I leave there in return for not doing other damage. My garage door opener is in the car that goes in the garage.

I never understood why people leave keys in the car although with the advent of push button start folks might get used to not removing them. Still...

I know its not worth much, but I thought it odd they didn't pull the BT transmitter out of the power socket. I only had that and a bottle of air freshener in the car. I can't imagine what would be worth taking out of a car these days unless you inadvertently leave your phone or laptop.

28firefighter

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

Interesting news hit our neighborhood yesterday. We apparently have a car theft ring working its way around. A really lazy car theft ring. Based on videos and reports, including my own evidence, this person(s) only steals cars with the door open and keys inside. Evidently, I have neighbors silly enough to do that. Cars were stolen from the driveway 2 doors down, and guy on an adjoining street posted his security vids of a hooded thief trying the handles on his vehicles. Came to find out someone went into my Chevy and opened the console and glovebox looking for keys or anything worth taking. Didn’t even realize I left it unlocked. Probably my kid did when he got his karate equipment out of it. Thankfully, I had removed the garage door opener last week to put in the hyundai. Kind of wish I left my keys in there, LOL. But I would imagine insurance scowls at that sort of behavior.

My wife is now on me to get camera(s) up. I have had one sitting in the box for over a year now that I have yet to get around to.

Those aren’t thieves, just unauthorized test drivers. :@

I don’t lock my cars as I reason that any determined thief will bust a window. The random kid or junkie can have the few pennies I leave there in return for not doing other damage. My garage door opener is in the car that goes in the garage.

I never understood why people leave keys in the car although with the advent of push button start folks might get used to not removing them. Still...

I know its not worth much, but I thought it odd they didn't pull the BT transmitter out of the power socket. I only had that and a bottle of air freshener in the car. I can't imagine what would be worth taking out of a car these days unless you inadvertently leave your phone or laptop.

Funny you should bring that up. My wife said in one of her local facebook parents groups last night, someone forgot to lock their car that was parked outside and left their passports and social security cards in the glovebox! You can guess what was taken immediately.

These folks wouldn't even be trying if they didn't keep hitting the jackpot.

FWIW, the most valuable things in each of our cars is the car seat. I'm a little surprised those aren't stolen more often because they are not cheap at all.

stickguy

I keep seeing people reporting rings of catalytic converter thieves, working apartment and mall parking lots. In and out real quick too.

My faith in humanity keeps getting tested.

ab348

qbrozen said:

Came to find out someone went into my Chevy and opened the console and glovebox looking for keys or anything worth taking. Didn’t even realize I left it unlocked. Probably my kid did when he got his karate equipment out of it. Thankfully, I had removed the garage door opener last week to put in the hyundai. Kind of wish I left my keys in there, LOL.

Such a golden opportunity missed!

Next time, be sure to leave it unlocked with the keys on the passenger seat to be sure no mistake is made.

tjc78

28firefighter said:

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

Interesting news hit our neighborhood yesterday. We apparently have a car theft ring working its way around. A really lazy car theft ring. Based on videos and reports, including my own evidence, this person(s) only steals cars with the door open and keys inside. Evidently, I have neighbors silly enough to do that. Cars were stolen from the driveway 2 doors down, and guy on an adjoining street posted his security vids of a hooded thief trying the handles on his vehicles. Came to find out someone went into my Chevy and opened the console and glovebox looking for keys or anything worth taking. Didn’t even realize I left it unlocked. Probably my kid did when he got his karate equipment out of it. Thankfully, I had removed the garage door opener last week to put in the hyundai. Kind of wish I left my keys in there, LOL. But I would imagine insurance scowls at that sort of behavior.

My wife is now on me to get camera(s) up. I have had one sitting in the box for over a year now that I have yet to get around to.

Those aren’t thieves, just unauthorized test drivers. :@

I don’t lock my cars as I reason that any determined thief will bust a window. The random kid or junkie can have the few pennies I leave there in return for not doing other damage. My garage door opener is in the car that goes in the garage.

I never understood why people leave keys in the car although with the advent of push button start folks might get used to not removing them. Still...

I know its not worth much, but I thought it odd they didn't pull the BT transmitter out of the power socket. I only had that and a bottle of air freshener in the car. I can't imagine what would be worth taking out of a car these days unless you inadvertently leave your phone or laptop.

Funny you should bring that up. My wife said in one of her local facebook parents groups last night, someone forgot to lock their car that was parked outside and left their passports and social security cards in the glovebox! You can guess what was taken immediately.

These folks wouldn't even be trying if they didn't keep hitting the jackpot.

FWIW, the most valuable things in each of our cars is the car seat. I'm a little surprised those aren't stolen more often because they are not cheap at all.

Bulky and tough to get out ... plus they don’t want to get covered in Goldfish crumbs.

tjc78

Way late to the party.... but over the last few weeks binged watched the entire Breaking Bad series. Wow, how did I ever miss that when it aired live.

They claim it’s one of if not the best TV series ever and I can see why. I still prefer the Sopranos, but I’m an Italian from Jersey so maybe a bit biased.

laurasdada

I lock my car everywhere. In the hope that any would be thief would check cars and go for the lowest hanging fruit, an unlocked car. I know I've just been lucky, that if a thief targets your car, a bad thing will happen.

tjc78

On the car thieves. I left my Genesis open once and they actually stole the entire manual set. Since it was leased I knew I’d get dinged if it wasn’t there. Luckily one turned up on EBay fairly cheap.

And no it wasn’t mine... from several states away

laurasdada

tjc78 said:

Way late to the party.... but over the last few weeks binged watched the entire Breaking Bad series. Wow, how did I ever miss that when it aired live.

They claim it’s one of if not the best TV series ever and I can see why. I still prefer the Sopranos, but I’m an Italian from Jersey so maybe a bit biased.

The GF and I just finished binging Breaking Bad, too. Wowzer, great stories and acting. Tension, so tense. El Camino next...

28firefighter

This was a fundamental disagreement between my wife and I when we started dating.

I lock the cars everywhere, including in our own garage. I grew up bordering Philadelphia County and it wasn't uncommon for folks to get into garages and then into unlocked cars.

My wife, on the other hand, grew up in suburban Cleveland. She was accustomed to leaving the car unlocked, with the keys in the center console, and her purse on the floor of the car. Her car was broken into shortly after we moved to Seattle and she saw the light...

tjc78

laurasdada said:

tjc78 said:

Way late to the party.... but over the last few weeks binged watched the entire Breaking Bad series. Wow, how did I ever miss that when it aired live.

They claim it’s one of if not the best TV series ever and I can see why. I still prefer the Sopranos, but I’m an Italian from Jersey so maybe a bit biased.

The GF and I just finished binging Breaking Bad, too. Wowzer, great stories and acting. Tension, so tense. El Camino next...

I liked El Camino. Watched that too not long after the finale.

Debating on watching Better Call Saul

Funny note... the show Homeland has a Better Call Sail episode too.

pensfan83

stickguy said:

I keep seeing people reporting rings of catalytic converter thieves, working apartment and mall parking lots. In and out real quick too.

My faith in humanity keeps getting tested.

New home developments, abandoned structures, junkyards....all gold (or is it copper?!) mines. Some of the more scrupulous scrap metal dealers or those operating under younger ownership install controls to detect criminal activity. The ones who don't want to be bothered and pass out funds like candy to whoever walk in the door usually end up on a financial institution's and ultimately law enforcement's radar

Michaell

tjc78 said:

laurasdada said:

tjc78 said:

Way late to the party.... but over the last few weeks binged watched the entire Breaking Bad series. Wow, how did I ever miss that when it aired live.

They claim it’s one of if not the best TV series ever and I can see why. I still prefer the Sopranos, but I’m an Italian from Jersey so maybe a bit biased.

The GF and I just finished binging Breaking Bad, too. Wowzer, great stories and acting. Tension, so tense. El Camino next...

I liked El Camino. Watched that too not long after the finale.

Debating on watching Better Call Saul

Funny note... the show Homeland has a Better Call Sail episode too.

I saw a handful of episodes of Breaking Bad, but have watched all of the Better Call Saul episodes. New season starting next month.