I spotted a NEW (insert make/model) today!

fintail

The Accord wagon of that era was a very clean design and smooth engine, and the Camry was big, unpretentious, and weird, with dual rear wipers. Now the 2013 CUV equivalents have none of that identity.

fintail

Some people are penny pinchers. He did claim to have hit 40mpg in it already (which was another reason for purchase).

ateixeira

Is the blind fold included with the purchase? :shades:

lemko

I understand cops give Crosstour drivers a break for DUI. One would need serious beer goggles to drive one!

ateixeira

Same for Panamera and X6 and Juke?

{flame suite activated}

stever

Saw a Juke yesterday heading for lunch with my wife. Asked her if she liked the car parked at the curb. Said it was okay.

texases

At least it looks like there will be a Panamera Wagon, a coupe would also look good.

ateixeira

LOL I just saw that and came to post, you beat me to it.

Never in the history of the automobile has the wagon looked THAT much better than the sedan version. Absolutely no contest.

In fact I'd buy one of those...so much better looking!

fintail

It's really amazing. A better alternative to the Cayenne and Panamera sedan both.

ateixeira

My pick would still be a Boxster S but that's actually my 2nd choice among Porsches.

fintail

Most of them I like are pretty vintage by now.

ateixeira

Didn't know that was allowed. I'll take any air cooled 911 Targa. :shades:

hoosiergrandad

Is it hot in here or is it (Crosstour driver) me! My optometrist says my eyes correct to 20/15.........besides , I can't see the outside of the car when I'm driving it, and it drives very well, thank you.

kyfdx

I think those sunglasses come with a pack of Kools...

fintail

I still have a thing for a nice 928. Really, that Panamera wagon is kind of like a modern 928.

New cars today - new ES, new Altima, new Malibu.

Also saw a ridiculous HS250h HYBRID h today - black, black tinted windows, black lenses - ooh that's an intimidating bowl of vanilla flavored ice milk you've got there.

ateixeira

Saw an ES350. Those seem much taller than the old ones.

Then a Rio sedan. 5 door looks better.

fintail

I think proportionally, the greenhouse of the new ES is taller. It's inoffensive, anyway.

Small trunkback cars look awkward.

ateixeira

Gary used to complain about headroom in the previous ES ... maybe they were trying to address that?

lemko

...orange Scion IQ with a driving school sign on top of it on Montour Street near Passmore in NE Philly.

ateixeira

Can't be too hard to parallel park that little toy.

Yaris is cheaper, though. These small businesses are throwing money away.

Then again the toys probably draw more attention (you noticed it).

fintail

Around here, driving schools use xB and Civic hybrids. I don't know what public schools use, or if they even offer drivers ed anymore (they did back in my day).

robr2

Around here, driving schools use xB and Civic hybrids. I don't know what public schools use, or if they even offer drivers ed anymore (they did back in my day).

Around here are the typical Cobalts, Focii, et al. One local school does offer advanced training in SUV's for parents willing to pay extra.

Schools rarely offer driver's ed anymore. It's hard to justify spending limited funds on driving lessons when art, music and basics are being cut.

stickguy

drivers ed by us is a class, with the only driving a stint in a golf cart. But in NJ you are requried to pay for a school for 6 hours before getting a permit.

I did see a driving school sign on a new Mustang recently. Bright red. that was odd.

robr2

My godfather used to own a driving school - it's where I did my drivers ed. Back then he had a baby blue Mustang II coupe with a stick shift that he offered lessons in. IIRC, he charged quite the premium to pay for the clutches!!

fintail

There should be lessons in SUV driving for adult drivers too.

Drivers ed in school cost something like $250 when I took it roughly 20 years ago. I bet the local private schools aren't cheap.

tjc78

I did see a driving school sign on a new Mustang recently. Bright red

My driver's ed car (Echelon driving school) was a Plymouth Horizon! It must have been one of the last ones as it had an airbag. I can't quite understand a Mustang, a Focus would be more inline.

robr2

I bet the local private schools aren't cheap.

A neighbor said it was about $1000 for his son this past winter. My son turns 16 in January so we're getting ready.

ateixeira

I wouldn't mind paying if the quality of the instruction is good.

From what I recall you mostly watched videos that tried to scare you and then practiced parallel parking the rest of the time. :sick:

robr2

Here in MA the requirements to get a junior operator license (16.5-18YO):

30 hours classroom time from a state approved school
12 hours behind the wheel with an instructor
6 hours of backseat observation
40 hours of driving time with a parent or guardian or 30 hours if the student takes a skills course
2 hour parent education class.

fintail

Back in my day, the requirements weren't much different. I remember a lot of classroom time, and long driving time. The parental stuff would be hard to verify. I doubt I practiced for 30 or 40 hours, but I mostly did it in vintage cars, so maybe 1 of those hours = 3 in a normal car.

I looked online - local schools seem to charge around $800-1000 for any real time. Inflation and no subsidies I suppose.

My drivers ed car was a fairly new Plymouth Acclaim. Seemed nice for the role it was serving.

texases

I don't know if it's allowed where you live, I did 'drivers ed in a box' with my son, required a lot of seat time for the both of us, seemed to turn out OK.

ateixeira

I would go to Bondurant or a similar school and make the requirements look like this:

30 hours classroom time from a school unrelated to any government
12 hours behind the wheel with a track instructor
0 hours of backseat driving
30 hours of driving time with a parent or plus mandatory skills course
2 hour parent education class

imidazol97

>local schools seem to charge around $800-1000 for any real time

Sounds like they are bear hunting: charging whatever the "traffic will bear."

stever

A reporter is looking to speak with someone who bought a new car in September. If you’re able to assist this reporter please send a brief description of your purchase and your preferred contact information to pr@edmunds.com.

robr2

I don't know if it's allowed where you live, I did 'drivers ed in a box' with my son, required a lot of seat time for the both of us, seemed to turn out OK.

Nope - Massachusetts law requires what I listed.

robr2

I would go to Bondurant or a similar school and make the requirements look like this:

My plan is to take my son down to Lime Rock in CT to attend a Skip Barber class.

fintail

Today I saw what looked like a gigantic egg that got in a collision with a 61 Plymouth coated with LEDs. It was a new RX :shades:

fintail

I suspect it is kind of like most MBA schools - pay the tuition and you pass, even if they pretend to make you work for it. A lot of "new residents" here use the schools, and still act pretty clueless once licensed.

lemko

Our driver's ed car was a 1981 Chervrolet Malibu Classic. You'd have loved our old driver's ed textbooks. The illustrations for the book were photos of scale models showing different driving scenarios. The car that indicated the driver's car in the models was a yellow Matchbox fintail Mercedes.

lemko

I learned to drive in my Dad's 1978 Ford Granada and it was tougher than any driving school. Everytime I screwed up, Dad would give me a nice solid punch in the right shoulder! My first time out was in the driving rain. Dad reasoned if I could handle driving in poor conditions, I could do well in better weather. One of our early times out, he had me go up this steep mountain road with tight hairpins curves! He set up a slalom course in a factory parking lot and had me drive through it in reverse! Well, I DID pass my driver's test the first time!

ateixeira

Deja vu all over again.

Last night, and then again this morning, a different one.

Nice looking hatch. Gotta have the panoramic moonroof on that one.

fintail

Sounds cool. I remember the drivers ed "training" films we had to endure were mostly vintage - in the early 90s my school was using stuff made in the late 60s-early 70s (and the "simulators" were of similar vintage). I paid more attention to the street scenes than the actual driving simulation.

ateixeira

Ever learn the trick to keep your foot on the brake the whole time?

IIRC we were allowed up to 3 mistakes and if you did that you were pretty much golden. The "film" had one green light where you were supposed to let off the brakes and hit the gas, but you could even ignore that and pass.

The quality of instruction is so poor. Kids can parallel park (for a week, then they forget), but they can't control a skid and don't know what to do when they hydroplane or get a flat tire.

fintail

I don't have many specific memories...I do remember the speed minder part of the simulator was rarely on, as I often would see how high I could make the gauge read. It took forever past 60.

I vaguely remember discussion about flat tires, and snow driving, but none of it was actually demonstrated on the road. I think one of the assignments was to change a tire at home. On the other side, when my dad would teach me, he was more concerned about parking and in town driving, too. However, when I was younger, he would show me cornering lines and tell me when one should brake or accelerate.

ateixeira

I'd floor it all the time, almost pinned the speedo. They didn't check speed limits, it was funny.

I was learning stick and best advice came from a friend. Always start in 1st, take 90 degree corners in 2nd, and highway exit ramps in 3rd.

Simple rule of thumb for stick drivers that driver's Ed never covered, and I took a whole semester of it, August to December!

ateixeira

So, did Piech and Marcionne end up in a fist fight this AM, or what?

Sergio complained about VW offering big incentives now that VW has deeper pockets than the struggling Italians, and that started a huge war of words. They're supposed to have a "sit down" today, LOL.

Careful, Piech, you have a big ego but the dude's Italian. Don't bring a knife to a gun fight.

fintail

No discussion at all of manuals when I took drivers ed. Another one left to my dad - and as the manual car in the family by the time I was driving was a 68 Ford with a 3 on the tree and power assists for nothing, I didn't like it anyway.

In VW vs Fiat, I'd bet on VW.

ateixeira

Even less reason now, given so few MTs are available.

Marcionne is stronger but Piech's ego alone will knock him out. Remember he thought the Phaeton could take Mercedes.

VW has deeper pockets for sure.

Sergio's right, though. VW is dumping HUGE incentives at a time when Fiat is most vulnerable.

Very opportunistic.

lemko

How many "obscure cars" did you spot in those street scenes?

fintail

It's been so long ago, I barely remember...I remember one had hilarious dorky early 70s music though.

On a filmstrip no less. Kids of today would recoil in horror.