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

Mr_Shiftright

Mike was talking in another topic about how the waiter at a restaurant he frequents just bought a $60K CTS. A bit of a scary thought, like when mortgages were given to people with horrendous credit scores in 2006.

fintail

One never knows the back story - roomates, good tips, gift from mommy and daddy?

Kind of like when people I know make 70K buy a 700K house - oh, mom and dad put down 250K for you and the rest is on an ARM, carry on.

kyfdx

I left a 20% tip on a $288 bill, last week. That server is doing better than I am.

berri

Did the waiter really buy the caddy or was it a lease???

ab348

Was out earlier today and stopped by the VW dealer nearest to me to see what they had on the lot since they are closed today. They had 4 GTIs there in black, dark gray, silver and red. All were manual transmissions and all except the red one had the leather package. They ranged from $36.5 to $39.5 Cdn. Man, that seems expensive. Also had a Golf R in the "sold" corral which looks-wise didn't thrill me because it was sort of a meh blue color with black wheels. They also had a Jetta GLI on the lot, automatic, black on black (ugh) but otherwise nice, unfortunately a staggering $38K. There was an Alltrack there for the same price.

stickguy

cars ain't cheap these days. I am going to have serious sticker shock later this year when I go shopping. Well, only if I am shopping to buy. If I am looking to lease again, I won't care what they list for!

tjc78

That's what my wife doesn't understand.  When we were looking st SUVs at the show she was stunned by the prices.  I looked at her and said, what do you think the Enclave cost?  She only knows the payment, had no clue on the MSRP.   Sometimes with a lease the more expensive vehicle can actually cost less depending on the terms.  

Mr_Shiftright

I had a room mate like that once...she labeled her eggs (no, really) and milk, and parsed the phone bill meticulously...one day she announces she's moving: "Oh, I bought a ranch in Aspen!" LOL....(insert "daddy").

Well even a lease on a CTS isn't small change for a waitperson. That's a week's work probably.

fintail

And those will be the first people who claim they built it all themselves.

There's a long-standing stereotype about young 20-something guys who don't have high incomes but drive EVOs, STis, etc, they live at home. Some people want to live a little today.

Mr_Shiftright

"Short time here, long time gone".

tlong

Went out looking at smaller SUVs. Interesting observations:
- Prices getting high. Most highly optioned ones (non luxury makes) were in the mid 30's.
- Subaru Outback - nice interior, lower and longer than others
- Subaru Forrester - still looks kind of dowdy, but eminently practical
- RAV4 - Even with leather the interior still seems cheap. And among the most expensive against its peers
- CRV - nice interior but I still find it ugly and a mess from a design perspective. But I'm sure a good vehicle
- CX-5 - The cheapest fully loaded (more like $31K). Quite nice interior but not as much interior color options, you have black and black+beige seats. The rest of the interior is always all black. Due to be refreshed shortly.
- Escape - This is a nice vehicle, doesn't seem as overstyled inside as I remember it (or perhaps we're getting used to it). Seems tighter inside than the others, especially width and leg width. Among the more expensive (Titanium model $36K)

kyfdx

I agree that the CX-5 interior seems sort of low-rent and dated, compared to its peers. I'll be interested to see the new one.

fintail

Stopped by the MB dealer today, a few less usual cars hanging around. Highlight was an S65 Cabrio, sticker was 253K IIRC. Amusing that the metallic white paint is still a $900 option when base price is 247K - Willkommen in Deutschland! Also a GLC43 AMG at 68K, a C300 cabrio seemed a bargain at 62K, and an E43 AMG was being wheeled in to the showroom, but had no sticker. A host of normal cars too of course, and quite a few people in the showroom. Used section had a 2014 C63 listed at 53K (I think), and a W205 C300 with the odd luxury grille, seldom seen.

I will say their service isn't bad. I stopped in to get a keyfob battery for the spare key - free of charge. There was also a guy there looking for plastic clips, I think bumper clips for a W211. The parts guy gave him a few for free.

explorerx4

I saw my first Model X today. Doesn't look very good. Styling fits Model S much better.
Got my wife's MKC serviced today, but forgot to go to the showroom to see if they have a Continental.

tifighter

Today in Berkeley- two new Alfa Giulias, one silver and one red. Base models. Not bad but they didn't blow me away. Also saw my first Bolt, in forgettable silver.

stickguy

another new Pilot with temp tags in my neighborhood. Seems to be popular.

fushigi

tlong said:

Went out looking at smaller SUVs. Interesting observations:
- Prices getting high. Most highly optioned ones (non luxury makes) were in the mid 30's.
- Subaru Outback - nice interior, lower and longer than others
- Subaru Forrester - still looks kind of dowdy, but eminently practical
- RAV4 - Even with leather the interior still seems cheap. And among the most expensive against its peers
- CRV - nice interior but I still find it ugly and a mess from a design perspective. But I'm sure a good vehicle
- CX-5 - The cheapest fully loaded (more like $31K). Quite nice interior but not as much interior color options, you have black and black+beige seats. The rest of the interior is always all black. Due to be refreshed shortly.
- Escape - This is a nice vehicle, doesn't seem as overstyled inside as I remember it (or perhaps we're getting used to it). Seems tighter inside than the others, especially width and leg width. Among the more expensive (Titanium model $36K)

It's a pretty broad segment now. Even with what you listed there's the Rogue, Sportage / Tucson, and Outlander Sport to consider. If FWD is fine, consider the hybrid Kia Niro .. gets something like 46MPG with a sticker of $28-32K.

Here's the "Star Wars Rogue" from the Chicago Auto Show. Note the stormtrooper int he background; Nissan had 2 there posing for pics with the guests.

fintail

Saw a new NSX today, first one for me.

Also a later S63 with a "driver" who had a phone to his ear and didn't bother with signals. Must be all of that hard work and responsibility at play.

qbrozen

I have noticed quite a few drivers with high-end newer cars with phones to ears. What the hell is that all about? Inability to figure out the BT?

fintail

Ineptitude and probably some simple lack of self-awareness, too. When you won't be held accountable, why bother? These are the early adopters of microwaves and VCRs who had blinking clocks 35 years ago. I don't exactly have a PhD in computer science, yet I've never had an issue pairing BT to a car.

tjc78

I point that out the wife all the time.  Just yesterday woman driving a new S-class with an IPhone to her ear.  No way in hell that car didn't have BT.  

fintail

Saw a highline Malibu today, with the big sunroof. Kind of unusual. Also spotted a McLaren, these things just don't impress me anymore. A white late model AMG G-Wagen rounded out the class and taste.

tjc78

At work a brand new XC90, appeared really optioned up with 22" wheels.  Really a looker, IMO.

Michaell

fintail said:

Saw a highline Malibu today, with the big sunroof. Kind of unusual. Also spotted a McLaren, these things just don't impress me anymore. A white late model AMG G-Wagen rounded out the class and taste.

Every time I travel to the Bay Area to visit company HQ, there is a McLaren dealership on my drive from the hotel to the office.

texases

All 345 recent McLaren models look the same to me. And OK, but not great. 

anythngbutgm

Checked out the new V90 Cross Country last night while I was there looking at V60CC. That thing is huge!

kyfdx

anythngbutgm said:

Checked out the new V90 Cross Country last night while I was there looking at V60CC. That thing is huge!

Saw one at the car show a couple of weeks ago. I like it! (except the price)

anythngbutgm

The one on the floor had a price tag of 66k and change which puts it in the exact price range as a comparable XC90.

I think I'd actually go for the XC90 just because of V90's length even tho I much prefer wagons over SUV's.

Still, it gives me hope the next V60 gets the same details, it was quite nice. Interior is just as stunning as the XC90 (not surprising).

On a side note, I test drove the new V60CC. Although it cannot be considered "Spotted a new Model" since it is now a year or 2 old and was still on the showroom floor, it was pretty nice. Interior is a bit dated now since it goes back to the original 60 series but it is still a nice place to be. I love the seats, best in the industry IMO. I also thought I was going to dislike the T-5's 4-cylinder Turbo but it was quite peppy. It's definitely not the rocketship 3.0 Turbo Straight six, but it was plenty spunky. One thing I absolutely hate is the Stop/Start tho. If I can, I pledge never to buy a car with it. Ever... But for 40g, it was certainly a step above a loaded Outback 3.6R in interior, seats, power and definitely gas mileage. Not sure if I'm going to jump on buying one or wait for the new XC40 tho...

berri

Next time you test drive one, see if you can turn the stop start off. I think on some cars you can, but not on others. I don't like that feature either and unless you are stopping an awful lot. I suspect the fuel advantage is quite minimal compared to the annoyance and possible resulting complications if the system goes haywire down the road.

explorerx4

Volvo's start/stop is pretty unrefined. My neighbor had an XC60 as a loaner for several months.
We went for a ride and it's very ragged. He was afraid to disable it, so I had to listen to him complain about it.
My Fusion has start/stop. When you stop the car just gets quiet. You notice the engine starting, but just a little kick plus the sound.

ab348

I've had it on both Chevy and Cadillac loaners and even though it is MOSTLY unobtrusive, you occasionally feel it restart. That alone is enough to make me not want it. Unfortunately the GM implementations are required to meet their EPA mileage ratings, so it cannot be turned off easily.

tifighter

The new Drive-E V60CC should be hitting dealers now. Car and Driver has a write up on it; sounds like the 8 speed AT is a nice improvement.

Michaell

ab348 said:

I've had it on both Chevy and Cadillac loaners and even though it is MOSTLY unobtrusive, you occasionally feel it restart. That alone is enough to make me not want it. Unfortunately the GM implementations are required to meet their EPA mileage ratings, so it cannot be turned off easily.

The loaner MINI I had on Monday offers start/stop. I disabled it.

qbrozen

Had an ATS loaner with start/stop. It did not actually turn itself off very often. It seemed to me if I slowed down to a crawl and then feathered the brakes to a stop, it would not shut off the engine. Only if I came to a stop with steady pressure on the brake pedal the whole way would it shut off the engine.

fushigi

Some work that way to try to figure out if you're coming to a red light (steady braking .. OK to shut off) or in heavy traffic where the stop/start can cause delays/problems.

imidazol97

qbrozen said:

Had an ATS loaner with start/stop. It did not actually turn itself off very often. It seemed to me if I slowed down to a crawl and then feathered the brakes to a stop, it would not shut off the engine. Only if I came to a stop with steady pressure on the brake pedal the whole way would it shut off the engine.

There's an input that's the percent of brake pedal depression. Harder than that and the S/S can operate. If you apply brakes lightly or lighten pressure just before dead stop, the car doesn't meet the % brake pedal for S/S. Then there are many other factors including the HVAC system and demand vs outside temp vs actual cabin temp.

andres3

tjc78 said:

I point that out the wife all the time.  Just yesterday woman driving a new S-class with an IPhone to her ear.  No way in hell that car didn't have BT.  

Could it be a work phone, and only the personal phone is paired via Bluetooth? Probably a lot harder to pair multiple phones for the same person? I haven't tried yet, and I should !

I know in the old diesel VW you had to select one phone/user at a time.

andres3

anythngbutgm said:

The one on the floor had a price tag of 66k and change which puts it in the exact price range as a comparable XC90.

I think I'd actually go for the XC90 just because of V90's length even tho I much prefer wagons over SUV's.

Still, it gives me hope the next V60 gets the same details, it was quite nice. Interior is just as stunning as the XC90 (not surprising).

On a side note, I test drove the new V60CC. Although it cannot be considered "Spotted a new Model" since it is now a year or 2 old and was still on the showroom floor, it was pretty nice. Interior is a bit dated now since it goes back to the original 60 series but it is still a nice place to be. I love the seats, best in the industry IMO. I also thought I was going to dislike the T-5's 4-cylinder Turbo but it was quite peppy. It's definitely not the rocketship 3.0 Turbo Straight six, but it was plenty spunky. One thing I absolutely hate is the Stop/Start tho. If I can, I pledge never to buy a car with it. Ever... But for 40g, it was certainly a step above a loaded Outback 3.6R in interior, seats, power and definitely gas mileage. Not sure if I'm going to jump on buying one or wait for the new XC40 tho...

Not sure the T5 drive-train has any advantage power wise over Subaru's 3.6 engine, but I'd agree Volvo is a step up, but also in price.

Michaell

andres3 said:

tjc78 said:

I point that out the wife all the time.  Just yesterday woman driving a new S-class with an IPhone to her ear.  No way in hell that car didn't have BT.  

Could it be a work phone, and only the personal phone is paired via Bluetooth? Probably a lot harder to pair multiple phones for the same person? I haven't tried yet, and I should !

I know in the old diesel VW you had to select one phone/user at a time.

I've got both my personal iPhone and my work iPhone paired to the Jetta concurrently. I had to rename my work phone so I knew which was which.

fintail

I am pretty sure multiple phones can be paired at once, and multiple phones can definitely be stored in the memory.

tjc78

Yes multiple phones no problem, but most only allow on connected at a time.  

tlong

Saw a McLaren in the parking lot. Beautiful in orange even if I wouldn't buy one...

kyfdx

How is holding a phone to your ear any different than drinking from your big gulp? It's not like anyone is driving a stick shift, any more (except me).

Holding phone to your ear = OK
Looking down at your text messages = NOT ok

fintail

Holding food/drink/cig/pet/kid while driving results in just as much stupidity no doubt, it just isn't the flavor of the day in terms of outrage.

kyfdx

fintail said:

Holding food/drink/cig/pet/kid while driving results in just as much stupidity no doubt, it just isn't the flavor of the day in terms of outrage.

Studies quoted in newspapers, etc.. say it's the distraction of the phone call itself that is the problem, not the fact that you are holding the phone. I'd have to agree with that.

The bonus of those that use bluetooth is they probably don't keep the phone handy to look at text messages. It's not the holding (phone, cig, big gulp) that is the problem, it's the distraction.

So, my ranking of distraction problems:

1) Texting
2) Talking on phone (bluetooth or not)
3) Passenger who won't shut up (especially those who don't pay attention to driving situations)
4) Drinking/eating while driving a stick-shift (that one is mostly for me). I think this is why they invented longnecks, before we had cupholders.

berri

4) Drinking/eating while driving a stick-shift (that one is mostly for me). I think this is why they invented longnecks, before we had cupholders

hahaha !

stickguy

I drove sticks as my main car for about 35 years. I never had any problem eating or drinking while doing so. Just took a little more creativity, and coordination.

I really should get another stick when I replace my car. While I still have a chance!

fintail

Studies can be made to show a lot, but I have to believe that physically holding a device and usually looking at it while talking creates a different real world result than yapping toward a speaker with hands on the wheel and not looking at a phone. It might not even create more crashes, but more stupid slow inconsiderate driving, the kind the LEO community hasn't yet wanted to touch.

ab348

I found even with Bluetooth, I felt distracted on a phone conversation while driving, at least when it was an important discussion that required thinking. It seemed to take away from my ability to focus on my driving. .

stickguy

I seem to recall studies saying that. Basically it is mentally focusing on the call, not holding the phone, that is the problem. But at least with bluetooth, have 2 hands available for the wheel!