Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

akangl

Wow, haven't been in here in a long time. Good to see everyone is still here. How are you guys?? I've been busy punching my card left and right. Haven't really settled down since the Jeep was totaled. Just can't find the ONE again. I've had the following since 2020:

2020 Explorer ST (sold when we sold our house and bought a new house)
2021 Explorer ST (bought after we bought the new house, weird I know)
2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk identical to the one that was totaled, that lasted 3 days before it started self destructing and I ended up fighting with the dealer to get my ST back. Not a pretty situation.
Currently driving a 2023 Tahoe LT which I really like but not enough to keep so I'm on the hunt.

In between all of these we traded our 2020 Heartland Prowler 290BH travel trailer in on a 2023 Venture Sporttrek Touring 343VIB travel trailer. We are taking a huge vacation this summer to the lower 48 so this is a very welcome upgrade. We still have our 2018 Ram 2500 despite all of its quirks, its a good truck.

Hubby retired in July of last year and took up a job that's a lot less stress than being a fire captain. Nice to see him happy.

We are probably moving out of Alaska in the next couple years due to my health declining since the accident and the cold becoming too much for me. Just need to find a state that's a good balance of the 4 seasons without a ton of extreme cold weather.

That's the quick summary of my insane world!

Now I'm going to go read through the last 10 million posts to catch up on you guys!

Michaell

akangl said:

Wow, haven't been in here in a long time. Good to see everyone is still here. How are you guys?? I've been busy punching my card left and right. Haven't really settled down since the Jeep was totaled. Just can't find the ONE again. I've had the following since 2020:

2020 Explorer ST (sold when we sold our house and bought a new house)
2021 Explorer ST (bought after we bought the new house, weird I know)
2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk identical to the one that was totaled, that lasted 3 days before it started self destructing and I ended up fighting with the dealer to get my ST back. Not a pretty situation.
Currently driving a 2023 Tahoe LT which I really like but not enough to keep so I'm on the hunt.

In between all of these we traded our 2020 Heartland Prowler 290BH travel trailer in on a 2023 Venture Sporttrek Touring 343VIB travel trailer. We are taking a huge vacation this summer to the lower 48 so this is a very welcome upgrade. We still have our 2018 Ram 2500 despite all of its quirks, its a good truck.

Hubby retired in July of last year and took up a job that's a lot less stress than being a fire captain. Nice to see him happy.

We are probably moving out of Alaska in the next couple years due to my health declining since the accident and the cold becoming too much for me. Just need to find a state that's a good balance of the 4 seasons without a ton of extreme cold weather.

That's the quick summary of my insane world!

Now I'm going to go read through the last 10 million posts to catch up on you guys!

Welcome back!

Glad to see you're keeping the punches coming.

As for relocation, I'd throw my hat in for the Colorado Front Range. While we've had a couple of below 0 stretches this winter, that's the exception. Certainly not as cold as AK, and there are 4 true seasons here.

Anywhere from Fort Collins to Pueblo, depending on how big a town you're looking for.

How are the kids?

tifighter

Might be once every few years, but @akangl never disappoints…

akangl

@Michaell said:
Welcome back!

Glad to see you're keeping the punches coming.

As for relocation, I'd throw my hat in for the Colorado Front Range. While we've had a couple of below 0 stretches this winter, that's the exception. Certainly not as cold as AK, and there are 4 true seasons here.

Anywhere from Fort Collins to Pueblo, depending on how big a town you're looking for.

How are the kids?

Colorado is way too cold. Trying to stay out of snow if possible. The joints and arthritis aren’t handling winter very well. We just want somewhere small and quiet. Can even be 3 seasons and skip winter all together. I just can’t take the pain that the cold brings.

Kids are doing great! Oldest is applying to the airlines now, he’s been building hours with his own little plane. He’s been married for 3 years and has 2 kids. My middle kiddo is doing amazing, her health has been better than ever the past 3 years, her jelly business is doing great, she just started a sourdough baking business, and moved out on her own. My little guy is 9 (where does time go??) and is super excited about the trip this summer. He’s decided we are going to Paris next year to see the Eiffel Tower. I think I have a world traveler on my hands!

akangl

@tifighter said:
Might be once every few years, but @akangl never disappoints…

I was doing some comparison shopping tonight trying to decide what I want to pull the trigger on and it dawned on me I hadn’t popped in here for a long time! Have to keep my membership current.

Michaell

akangl said:

@Michaell said:

Welcome back!

Glad to see you're keeping the punches coming.

As for relocation, I'd throw my hat in for the Colorado Front Range. While we've had a couple of below 0 stretches this winter, that's the exception. Certainly not as cold as AK, and there are 4 true seasons here.

Anywhere from Fort Collins to Pueblo, depending on how big a town you're looking for.

How are the kids?

Colorado is way too cold. Trying to stay out of snow if possible. The joints and arthritis aren’t handling winter very well. We just want somewhere small and quiet. Can even be 3 seasons and skip winter all together. I just can’t take the pain that the cold brings.

Kids are doing great! Oldest is applying to the airlines now, he’s been building hours with his own little plane. He’s been married for 3 years and has 2 kids. My middle kiddo is doing amazing, her health has been better than ever the past 3 years, her jelly business is doing great, she just started a sourdough baking business, and moved out on her own. My little guy is 9 (where does time go??) and is super excited about the trip this summer. He’s decided we are going to Paris next year to see the Eiffel Tower. I think I have a world traveler on my hands!

OK, Colorado is out.

I've been trying to convince the wife to move to NM - Las Cruces, specifically. Kinda hot in the summer, but little or no snow (maybe a couple of small 1-2" storms come through, it seems). College town, about 100K population. There are other, smaller towns in NM that you could look into, as well.

Glad to hear the kids are doing well. Maybe you'll stick around for more than a hot minute, this time?

akangl

@Michaell said:
OK, Colorado is out.

I've been trying to convince the wife to move to NM - Las Cruces, specifically. Kinda hot in the summer, but little or no snow (maybe a couple of small 1-2" storms come through, it seems). College town, about 100K population. There are other, smaller towns in NM that you could look into, as well.

Glad to hear the kids are doing well. Maybe you'll stick around for more than a hot minute, this time?

We are going to look around this summer while we are on our 9 week trip. Thinking Tennessee or Kentucky or maybe even Texas.

I’ll try to stick around longer lol.

akangl

Alright now on to car talk. I’m currently driving a 2023 Tahoe LT with the 5.3L V8, bless its little heart it tries but it’s a lethargic pig. I settled for it and gave up some options that I’m now regretting giving up so I’m thinking hard about selling it and leasing (or buying) something else.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk 4xe has caught my eye. I drove a grand Cherokee with a 4xe yesterday and was pleasantly surprised by how fun it was.

My other thought is a 2023 Tahoe RST with the 3.0L Duramax. However I don’t need a big suv or tow capacity, I just like the size.

Decisions decisions. Either way I’m probably going to have to order which is fine. We will be away for 2 months and then I have Gremlin (the Ram) to drive since hubby has a work truck.

nyccarguy

akangl said:

Alright now on to car talk. I’m currently driving a 2023 Tahoe LT with the 5.3L V8, bless its little heart it tries but it’s a lethargic pig. I settled for it and gave up some options that I’m now regretting giving up so I’m thinking hard about selling it and leasing (or buying) something else.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk 4xe has caught my eye. I drove a grand Cherokee with a 4xe yesterday and was pleasantly surprised by how fun it was.

My other thought is a 2023 Tahoe RST with the 3.0L Duramax. However I don’t need a big suv or tow capacity, I just like the size.

Decisions decisions. Either way I’m probably going to have to order which is fine. We will be away for 2 months and then I have Gremlin (the Ram) to drive since hubby has a work truck.

Hi @akangl . Thanks for stopping back in. Glad to hear your family is doing ok, but sorry to hear about your declining health stemming from your accident. The 5.3 in the Tahoe isn't a bahn burner, but gets the job done. My Dad has a 2018 Yukon with 115K on it and the 5.3L motor. He recently ordered a 2023 Tahoe RST. He does a lot of driving during the year with a 65 mile round trip commute 5-6 days a week (he turned 77 yesterday). My parents like to road trip down south when we close our business for the last 2 weeks in July. They always take Dad's truck. He considered the Duramax due to the increased range and fuel efficiency. We did some poking around and there are quite a few issues that require multiple trips to the dealer in order to make them right. He went with the 5.3 again. You want something with a little extra kick in the pants, you can always go for the 6.2 L V8:)-

Sandman6472

Nyc, at 77, is your dad thinking of retiring soon? Going in almost everyday must be hard. And from what you've said, figure he's got to cross over to the Bronx using the GW bridge as I think they live in Rockland County. Since we used to live in the upper part of Westchester, we mostly used the Tappan Zee but suspect when our family business moved over to Ridgefield New Jersey, he most likely took the GW bridge.
Been a long time since I was back in New York, 2006 I think. But I was based in Westport where we have cousins. Hoping for another trip in a few years as I want to come up in October & see the leaves change.

stickguy

Northern Tennessee should meet your criteria.

qbrozen

@akangl said:
Alright now on to car talk. I’m currently driving a 2023 Tahoe LT with the 5.3L V8, bless its little heart it tries but it’s a lethargic pig. I settled for it and gave up some options that I’m now regretting giving up so I’m thinking hard about selling it and leasing (or buying) something else.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk 4xe has caught my eye. I drove a grand Cherokee with a 4xe yesterday and was pleasantly surprised by how fun it was.

My other thought is a 2023 Tahoe RST with the 3.0L Duramax. However I don’t need a big suv or tow capacity, I just like the size.

Decisions decisions. Either way I’m probably going to have to order which is fine. We will be away for 2 months and then I have Gremlin (the Ram) to drive since hubby has a work truck.

Nice to hear from you!

Couple of quick things:
1. If your complaint is the 5.3 being lethargic, swapping to a diesel is NOT a step in the right direction. Have you tried a Durango 392?
2. My housing suggestion is the Carolinas. Not sweltering, very little to no snow, low tornado activity, and (at least inland) still relatively inexpensive. Inland also cuts down on hurricane problems. Just always seemed like an area of good balance.

sda

I just received a summons yesterday for possible jury duty potentially for the entire week of April 11.

ab348

akangl said:

Colorado is way too cold. Trying to stay out of snow if possible. The joints and arthritis aren’t handling winter very well. We just want somewhere small and quiet. Can even be 3 seasons and skip winter all together. I just can’t take the pain that the cold brings.

First, welcome back, Jolie! Sorry to hear about your arthritis issues; I can relate. I hate cold too but at least in my case I have always hated cold. I'm no expert on potential relocation destinations, but be aware of too much heat/humidity which can be pretty miserable in itself, just in different ways. One of the areas that always interested me was in the hills/mountains of interior North Carolina, around Asheville and that area, or a bit further west in Tennessee, around Gatlinburg. Always seemed the best of both worlds.

As for the vehicles, GM seems to habitually under-power their offerings a lot of the time, although in the case of the pickups they do offer the 6.2 in certain models, which helps. I would avoid the Duramax, it's expensive to get into and the maintenance would put me off. You like your 2018 Ram so maybe the new version would better suit you. Not sure how you feel about Ford pickups but they certainly seem to have something for everyone judging by how well they sell, if you're willing to pick up that tab. I can't believe how expensive pickups have become generally.

breld

Nice to hear from you @akangl! Sorry to hear of your struggles with arthritis - certainly sounds like moving to a warmer climate will help.

Tennessee is great! I travel there fairly often for work. Nashville itself is growing so quickly, much like Austin from years ago, and is starting to get pricey, but the areas outside the city are wonderful.

And I second North Carolina as well.

My wife and I, having grown up in Colorado, are growing more and more tired of the snow as each season passes. With our youngest graduating high school in a few months and heading off to college (likely out of state), we are starting to think of warmer retreats ourselves.

stickguy

qbrozen said:

@akangl said:

Alright now on to car talk. I’m currently driving a 2023 Tahoe LT with the 5.3L V8, bless its little heart it tries but it’s a lethargic pig. I settled for it and gave up some options that I’m now regretting giving up so I’m thinking hard about selling it and leasing (or buying) something else.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk 4xe has caught my eye. I drove a grand Cherokee with a 4xe yesterday and was pleasantly surprised by how fun it was.

My other thought is a 2023 Tahoe RST with the 3.0L Duramax. However I don’t need a big suv or tow capacity, I just like the size.

Decisions decisions. Either way I’m probably going to have to order which is fine. We will be away for 2 months and then I have Gremlin (the Ram) to drive since hubby has a work truck.

Nice to hear from you!

Couple of quick things:

1. If your complaint is the 5.3 being lethargic, swapping to a diesel is NOT a step in the right direction. Have you tried a Durango 392?

2. My housing suggestion is the Carolinas. Not sweltering, very little to no snow, low tornado activity, and (at least inland) still relatively inexpensive. Inland also cuts down on hurricane problems. Just always seemed like an area of good balance.

Carolinas are good for weather/cost. especially if you like doing outdoors stuff (or living in the boonies).

Asheville is a fantastic area (though not cheap, at least close in). The high country of SC (Greenville/Spartanburg area) is also nice, and climate is not as bad as the humid low country.

our daughter went to school in north/central NC (in between Raleigh, which is also one of my favorite areas to relocate to, and Greensboro) and that was also a nice area. Well, some parts were nicer than others, but the weather was good!

stickguy

breld said:

Nice to hear from you @akangl! Sorry to hear of your struggles with arthritis - certainly sounds like moving to a warmer climate will help.

Tennessee is great! I travel there fairly often for work. Nashville itself is growing so quickly, much like Austin from years ago, and is starting to get pricey, but the areas outside the city are wonderful.

And I second North Carolina as well.

My wife and I, having grown up in Colorado, are growing more and more tired of the snow as each season passes. With our youngest graduating high school in a few months and heading off to college (likely out of state), we are starting to think of warmer retreats ourselves.

I did the same thing (and my daughter did go to college in NC). But somehow my plan to move to a warmer, more temperate (as in, fall is fine, don't need winter) location turned into (as I look at it currently still snowing outside) moving north to snow country. I dislike snow and hate being cold. Oops.

tjc78

which is also one of my favorite areas to relocate to

Says the guy who went from Jersey to upstate NY 😝😝

Sandman6472

My best friend moved up to Myrtle Beach and they love it. One of those Del Webb retirement communities and they say it's a great lifestyle. A brand new house and a clubhouse with loads to do with other over 55 year olds. Cost of living is cheaper than South Florida he tells me and the weather is very nice. He's still doing the Enterprise thing but since it's their slow season, maybe works one day a week instead of three. Temperate weather though in hurricane season, they do get their fair share of storms but nothing like we do.
I'm so ready to move also and looking more like the Orlando area is where we're all going to go. One daughter & son-in-law are already there, St. Cloud, and seem to really like it. Aiming for a move sometime in 2025 at this point.

jmonroe1

akangl said:

@tifighter said:

Might be once every few years, but @akangl never disappoints…

I was doing some comparison shopping tonight trying to decide what I want to pull the trigger on and it dawned on me I hadn’t popped in here for a long time! Have to keep my membership current.

————————————————
Nice to have you back in here again. Stick around for a while this time.

I don’t know if you’re aware of this but hit and run posters are now being charged a service fee to keep their accounts in good standing. Of course this is on top of a whopping dues increase.

jmonroe

sda

I had the oil/filter changed and wheel alignment done on the TL at the Honda dealer this morning. All good. I sat in a new Accord Sport hybrid they had in the showroom. The front passenger compartment was very nice, thick leather wrapped steering wheel, soft touch surfaces, comfortable seats. I was disappointed with how Honda cheaped out in the rear seat area. Other than the door armrest/door pull, the entire door panel is hard plastic. No rear ac vents or USB ports. Hardly upscale.

stickguy

one good thing about being empty nesters. Almost never have people in the back seat, so I don't even really pay attention to it when shopping!

and if we do have company, it is pretty local (like going out to dinner) so they can live without luxury goodies back there.

stickguy

I have been stalking my recently sold Maverick. will be 2 full weeks Monday, and it still has not shown up on the Carvana website. they add new ones every few days so not sure why mine is still MIA.

not that it matters, I just am curious what they list it at!

rayains

akangl -
Great to hear from you.
I understand the arthritis related issues. Sorry.
I vote for 8 month home is Georgia -
and a Summer cottage in Maine.
- Ray
MIGHT be a little prejudiced here...

nyccarguy

Sandman6472 said:

Nyc, at 77, is your dad thinking of retiring soon? Going in almost everyday must be hard. And from what you've said, figure he's got to cross over to the Bronx using the GW bridge as I think they live in Rockland County. Since we used to live in the upper part of Westchester, we mostly used the Tappan Zee but suspect when our family business moved over to Ridgefield New Jersey, he most likely took the GW bridge.
Been a long time since I was back in New York, 2006 I think. But I was based in Westport where we have cousins. Hoping for another trip in a few years as I want to come up in October & see the leaves change.

Retirement is a word that's not in my father's vocabulary. He's not thinking of retiring soon, or ever.

tjc78

@nyccarguy said:
Retirement is a word that's not in my father's vocabulary. He's not thinking of retiring soon, or ever.

Other than the guy he works with all is good I’m sure 😝😝

explorerx4

@stickguy,
Sometimes it takes a while to get the title released, etc.., so they can't sell it util then.

xwesx

I just don't know about the whole "move south from Alaska to escape the cold" thought. I feel like it gets warmer here every year at the same time it gets colder down south!

xwesx

nyccarguy said:

Retirement is a word that's not in my father's vocabulary. He's not thinking of retiring soon, or ever.

Hey, as long as he's enjoying life every day, what's to retire from?!

Sandman6472

And my dad couldn't wait to retire...did it at 47. I was almost 15 at the time & had a difficult time understanding it all. Since we lived a pretty nice lifestyle, wondered how we'd be able to keep it going. Then, he told us we're moving, a real shock to us all. Mexico was high on the list, Quernavaca was his first choice and then came Puerto Rico. Since my folks were golfers, that was his #1 priority on where to move. But life ruined those plans as it sometimes does. My grandparents were snowbirds after my dad took over the company, spending 6 months in New York & 6 months in North Miami. My grandpa got sick, Parkinsons, & since my dad was the oldest, my grandma told him she needed his help so we all moved to Florida. They sold their summer place in Shrub Oak New York in 1970 and that was that.
But some folks, like your dad, have no problems working into their 70's, G-d bless them. With me, not sure what'll happen as I'm doing part time work since the beginning of 2013. Nice to know that I'm doing this because I want to, not because I have to. And doing it in the car rental business is a big bonus for me as I just love driving new & almost new vehicles. Everyday is different which I like & now, have the perfect schedule. Feel extremely blessed to be able to do it & have no pans to stop anytime soon.

henryn

akangl said:

Alright now on to car talk. I’m currently driving a 2023 Tahoe LT with the 5.3L V8, bless its little heart it tries but it’s a lethargic pig. I settled for it and gave up some options that I’m now regretting giving up so I’m thinking hard about selling it and leasing (or buying) something else.

This comment surprises me, quite a bit. As most here know, I recently purchased a '23 Silverado with the 5.3L V8, and it is definitely not a "lethargic pig". I know, based on 0-60 times and 1/4 mile times, that it is in fact slower than my previous F150 with the ecoboost. But driving it, you would never notice the difference. They have this thing tuned for very fast throttle response, so it feels quite zippy.

Before buying the Silverado, I drove it, twice, back to back with a Ram 1500 with the 5.7L Hemi. The Hemi was undoubtedly faster, full throttle, but based on part throttle response just driving normally, the 5.3 actually felt faster.

Perhaps that Tahoe has an entirely different "engine tune", with much slower throttle response? The Tahoe really shouldn't weight that much more, Silverado yes, Tahoe no. Or the rear end gearing?

tjc78

My Ram with 5.7 Etorque is deceptively fast especially for something of its size and weight.

ab348

sda said:

I had the oil/filter changed and wheel alignment done on the TL at the Honda dealer this morning. All good. I sat in a new Accord Sport hybrid they had in the showroom. The front passenger compartment was very nice, thick leather wrapped steering wheel, soft touch surfaces, comfortable seats. I was disappointed with how Honda cheaped out in the rear seat area. Other than the door armrest/door pull, the entire door panel is hard plastic. No rear ac vents or USB ports. Hardly upscale.

Edmunds just posted a video review of that exact model yesterday. They tried to say nice things (because Honda I suspect) but in the end it was disappointing to them - slower than the model it replaced, lacking a bunch of features, and according to the reviewer, its 19" wheels cost it 4 mpg over the other models with 17" wheels. Honda seems to have taken a big step backwards with the Accord.

stickguy

explorerx4 said:

@stickguy,
Sometimes it takes a while to get the title released, etc.., so they can't sell it util then.

That never seemed to stop Carvana. I think they normally go ahead and sell when they can and let the paperwork catch up later! They actually had it paid off 2 days after I gave them the truck so I assume they have the title by now. Could certainly still list it since take a while to sell anyway. But who knows with them.

jmonroe1

xwesx said:

I just don't know about the whole "move south from Alaska to escape the cold" thought. I feel like it gets warmer here every year at the same time it gets colder down south!

————————————————
This from a guy who’s just grown numb to Alaska’s weather.

jmonroe

henryn

ab348 said:

sda said:

I had the oil/filter changed and wheel alignment done on the TL at the Honda dealer this morning. All good. I sat in a new Accord Sport hybrid they had in the showroom. The front passenger compartment was very nice, thick leather wrapped steering wheel, soft touch surfaces, comfortable seats. I was disappointed with how Honda cheaped out in the rear seat area. Other than the door armrest/door pull, the entire door panel is hard plastic. No rear ac vents or USB ports. Hardly upscale.

Edmunds just posted a video review of that exact model yesterday. They tried to say nice things (because Honda I suspect) but in the end it was disappointing to them - slower than the model it replaced, lacking a bunch of features, and according to the reviewer, its 19" wheels cost it 4 mpg over the other models with 17" wheels. Honda seems to have taken a big step backwards with the Accord.

This does not compute: "its 19" wheels cost it 4 mpg over the other models with 17" wheels"

I don't doubt the model which had the 19" wheels got lower MPGs, but I really don't think much of that difference could be attributed to the size of the wheels. Normally, when the wheels get taller the sidewall on the tires gets smaller, so the overall diameter remains roughly the same and has no particular effect on the gas mileage.

Sounds to me like that reviewer failed his basic math back around the 8th grade.

corvette

2023 Accord trims and specs
The reviewer isn't making it up... EX-L Hybrid has 17" wheels and is rated at 51 city / 44 highway / 48 combined. The other hybrid trims have 19" wheels and are rated 46/41/44. I can only assume it's from some combination of of the 19" tires being 10 mm wider, likely not as low on rolling resistance, and greater unsprung weight from the wheel/tire setup.

explorerx4

Carvana just sent me an email about buying my Lincoln, which I sold to them in Aug 2021.

jmonroe1

explorerx4 said:

Carvana just sent me an email about buying my Lincoln, which I sold to them in Aug 2021.

————————————————
Do you think that maybe they’re giving you a second chance not to make that mistake again.

jmonroe

sb55

stickguy said:

breld said:

Nice to hear from you @akangl! Sorry to hear of your struggles with arthritis - certainly sounds like moving to a warmer climate will help.

Tennessee is great! I travel there fairly often for work. Nashville itself is growing so quickly, much like Austin from years ago, and is starting to get pricey, but the areas outside the city are wonderful.

And I second North Carolina as well.

My wife and I, having grown up in Colorado, are growing more and more tired of the snow as each season passes. With our youngest graduating high school in a few months and heading off to college (likely out of state), we are starting to think of warmer retreats ourselves.

I did the same thing (and my daughter did go to college in NC). But somehow my plan to move to a warmer, more temperate (as in, fall is fine, don't need winter) location turned into (as I look at it currently still snowing outside) moving north to snow country. I dislike snow and hate being cold. Oops.

I live North of you @stickguy. I don't hate snow but the infrequent below zero are not my favorite. It's the lingering cloudy days that are the worst. Remember, there's no bad weather, only the wrong clothes.

nyccarguy

@sb55 said:
I live North of you @stickguy. I don't hate snow but the infrequent below zero are not my favorite. It's the lingering cloudy days that are the worst. Remember, there's no bad weather, only the wrong clothes.

I agree. The snow doesn’t bother me so much here. This winter has been awful though. So many days in the 30s - 40s and raining. Takes forever to warm up. When not raining, we’ve had a warm winter with way too many days in the 50s and even 60s. Business has been terrible.

stickguy

no freezing pipes I assume? I guess that would be a negative for you!

Sandman6472

And we've had a very mild winter down south here, a few nights in the mid to low 40's but then, mostly nights in the 60's and days in the 70's to 80's. Haven't needed a light jacket much at all & wear shorts 99% of the time. Keep the a/c at 79 mostly though when the one lid is here, she puts it down to 78 or 77, which gets it pretty cool. Our unit is pretty efficient and the bills haven't been too bad to be honest. There's usually someone home most days as I tend to stay close to home on my n/s days and the wife works out of the home at least 5 days a week.
I know I was freezing in the chase van on Friday so put on my light hoodie I carry in my backpack. That and a small umbrella plus a hat or two are needed as the weather can change quickly.

andres3

stickguy said:

explorerx4 said:

@stickguy,
Sometimes it takes a while to get the title released, etc.., so they can't sell it util then.

That never seemed to stop Carvana. I think they normally go ahead and sell when they can and let the paperwork catch up later! They actually had it paid off 2 days after I gave them the truck so I assume they have the title by now. Could certainly still list it since take a while to sell anyway. But who knows with them.

My theory is management employees have first right of refusal, or in this case, maybe they took it and didn't refuse.

jmonroe1

sb55 said:

stickguy said:

breld said:

Nice to hear from you @akangl! Sorry to hear of your struggles with arthritis - certainly sounds like moving to a warmer climate will help.

Tennessee is great! I travel there fairly often for work. Nashville itself is growing so quickly, much like Austin from years ago, and is starting to get pricey, but the areas outside the city are wonderful.

And I second North Carolina as well.

My wife and I, having grown up in Colorado, are growing more and more tired of the snow as each season passes. With our youngest graduating high school in a few months and heading off to college (likely out of state), we are starting to think of warmer retreats ourselves.

I did the same thing (and my daughter did go to college in NC). But somehow my plan to move to a warmer, more temperate (as in, fall is fine, don't need winter) location turned into (as I look at it currently still snowing outside) moving north to snow country. I dislike snow and hate being cold. Oops.

I live North of you @stickguy. I don't hate snow but the infrequent below zero are not my favorite. It's the lingering cloudy days that are the worst. Remember, there's no bad weather, only the wrong clothes.

————————————————
The older I get the less tolerance I have for Winter. When I was younger it didn’t bother me at all, now, I have a total dislike for Winter and everything that comes with it like you mentioned.

You’re going to have to tell me what clothes you wear that brings on sunshine. If you can do that it would help me a lot.

jmonroe

andres3

So I test drove a TSX Sport Wagon with 168,000 miles. Was reasonably clean for the age and mileage inside and out. Definitely not a spring chicken though (2012).

So for the armchair mechanics out there, what might cause a car to shudder/vibrate/intermittent power feeling a bit under load (mid to high RPM) at speed on the freeway or elsewhere? Is the engine on its last legs? Bad motor mounts? Auto Transmission (5-speed) way past its notoriously short lifespan?

I suppose it could just be spark plugs and/or coils but no codes were thrown.

This 2012 has it all too; even a back up cam and DVD audio player.

breld

@jpp75 and I spent some time yesterday afternoon testing out MDXs and the Grand Cherokee 4xe (@michaell was feeling sick).

After extended drives of the MDX Type S and a non-Type S Advance model, we concluded that the Type S model is noticeably more fun to drive (obviously), but the price point puts it up against things like the X5, and for the money, I’d take the X5. The regular trims of the MDX seem to hit more of a sweet spot…a modest premium that is well worth it over things like the Palisade/Telluride, Pilot and Highlander, and competitive with offerings from Infiniti. Quality of interior materials seem to be a nice step up from previous generations. The ride quality is impressive.

We agreed the GC 4xe is a more engaging drive, and it will be a strong consideration for @jpp75 when it comes time to replace his Defender. Other than the high price of the upper trim levels, the main potential drawback for me is the center console obtrudes just a bit into the driver’s side knee room. I’ve had vehicles (my current Polestar) where that becomes annoying. Haven’t yet decided if it is an issue with the Jeep, but it’s a consideration.

Sandman6472

Drove a current Highlander last week that we had sold to a Miami dealer. With just over 64K on the clock, drove well enough for even me to like it but the size of it was more than I would ever want. But for someone with a family, can see why they sell like they do. Great visibility & it scooted pretty well on I-95 traffic. The infotainment center was typical Toyota...didn't like it one bit but others may feel different. It was a dark gray color over a black vinyl like interior which made it feel like a black hole. Prefer a lighter interior to be honest as it just brightens things up. But do get why they sell like hotcakes.
See so many Rav4's down here so I suspect it has taken over the Camry as Toyota's best selling model. Just does everything right. But also lately, have been seeing more Corolla Cross's on the roads. Most are LE models for some reason but LE models with alloy wheels. Ig I were to get one though, it would have to be an XLE model with the JBL audio system. Not sure if Toyota is making any with the JBL system yet but hoping they are with the shortage of parts being over from what I've been reading. Still want to drive one again but really think that ship has sailed for me.

henryn

breld said:

Other than the high price of the upper trim levels, the main potential drawback for me is the center console obtrudes just a bit into the driver’s side knee room. I’ve had vehicles (my current Polestar) where that becomes annoying. Haven’t yet decided if it is an issue with the Jeep, but it’s a consideration.

This is a deal breaker for me. My right knee is a total knee replacement, and I cannot keep it in one position for too long without suffering. Given a car with a really big center console, forcing that right knee into an upright position, an hour or so of driving and I am in real pain.

Just one of those things that come with age. Adapt and carry on.

qbrozen

@andres3 said:
So I test drove a TSX Sport Wagon with 168,000 miles. Was reasonably clean for the age and mileage inside and out. Definitely not a spring chicken though (2012).

So for the armchair mechanics out there, what might cause a car to shudder/vibrate/intermittent power feeling a bit under load (mid to high RPM) at speed on the freeway or elsewhere? Is the engine on its last legs? Bad motor mounts? Auto Transmission (5-speed) way past its notoriously short lifespan?

I suppose it could just be spark plugs and/or coils but no codes were thrown.

This 2012 has it all too; even a back up cam and DVD audio player.

Tough to tell from here, but no CEL certainly would point to it being mechanical rather than electrical. Transaxle seems like an appropriate starting point.