Black and Black. I had a copy of the window sticker around here some where but I can't find it now. It is probably in our Centre managers office some where but I am not going to try and find it in that chaos.
Britishrover... Black and Black is my least favorite color combo. Black and tan, Black and grey... would be OK. My favorite is Magnolia exterior with Magnolia leather... perfect!
The Bentley Continental Fly Spur might be next when I'm looking for a sedan. Gorgeous cars!
M.156
2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
Has almost got me wishing I was getting a Honda Pilot. That was probably my favorite vehicle of everything I looked at. I love trucks and all, but sometimes I wish I could get away with an SUV, so much easier to park, easier to get groceries, just easier in general.
If hubby had a crew cab diesel to pull the TT with I probably could get away with an SUV. Worst part is the Honda dealership has the PERFECT Pilot sitting there, an EX-L with res in silver........*sigh*. Oh and no, I haven't been in there, just drove by.
If my little brother ever gets here today I'll have my Sebring back again.......had to stop driving it because of the brakes.
You would be correct. We are unable to retrieve our new purchase until Monday. It is having accessories installed. We can't wait to pick up my .... I mean Gee's car.
Well, my friend's Beetle now has an ABS light to go along with the airbag light. I replaced the dipstick tube today, added two quarts of oil, and there was a ton of sludge underneath the filler cap. And, the power steering fluid is low. Her mechanic has ordered an oil pan because he says it's leaking as well. :lemon:
Also, drove a Ford Escape 2WD, automatic, four-banger today. It had mushy brake pedal syndrome and absolutely no torque off the line. Also, it felt weird to be sitting up that high in a small car.
VETTE............Before your friend spends that $1000 bucks for a new ABS unit stop over to e-bay!
There is a guy/company over there that rebuilds a Bosch or KH unit(s) and actually IMPROVES it for less than $200 bucks w/shipping included ! Do a "ABS rebuilder" search over there.
Quite a few folks on the GM truck/car sites have used him/them and report excellent results.
added two quarts of oil, and there was a ton of sludge underneath the filler cap.
Do you mean to tell me this car was bought without anyone with one eye and half a brain looking under the filler cap? It's lucky that there's something to see at all; many engines are so baffled that you can't tell anything -- the Toyota (car) 3.0 V6, for one.
This wouldn't be a turbo Beetle? The 1.8t is known for sludging up, and there is some sort of VW warranty behind it, but I don't know what's required on the part of the owner.
At any rate, the ABS light is something I would turn my attention to for the month AFTER I have convinced myself the darned thing is gonna run another year or so. And I know from driving beaters...
anony, gee: When you're done with the 8th-grade stuff, will you just tell us what you're buying? Or how about a picture. Also, an update on the fleet; I forget whether you still have the spider condo or not (I'm guessing YES).
anony, gee: When you're done with the 8th-grade stuff, will you just tell us what you're buying? Or how about a picture. Also, an update on the fleet; I forget whether you still have the spider condo or not (I'm guessing YES).
8th grade games are so much fun though. Seriously, Gee purchased a 2006 Acura TSX 6-speed NAV on Friday. It is Carbon Gray with Black interior. We added the front chin spoiler, rear spoiler, cargo net, and splash guards. The deal is OK but you still can't get the NAV 6-speeds for invoice. We leased it for 3 years and if we like it we will buy it at the end.
Looks just like this one but it's gray with a manual tranny.
That will leave us with the Accord, TSX, Civic, and Lexus. The Civic and Lexus will be sold with plans on purchasing a CR-V or some other wagon, mini-ute.
Does this sound any better? I'm thinking about not buying the Ram, I dunno, the closer it gets the less I want to spend $40k+ on a truck. Hubby is going to trade his Dodge in, that's a given, so that would give us a CC diesel to tow the TT with. Now that still leaves me with needing 4WD and there's one 4WD that I've wanted for a while.
What about a Honda Pilot? Its $15k cheaper than the Dodge and I imagine (looking at used prices) will hold its value. Don't get me wrong, I love having a truck, its handy and works pretty good most of the time. However, on long trips its a pain, grocery time its a pain, parking is a challange, and I miss having an SUV.
I have the option not to take the Dodge, its not an odd truck, they said they would have no trouble selling it (they told me this when we ordered it).
...then now is the time... They have incentives and are going for under invoice..
The only worry I would have is how it would hold up under Alaskan conditons..
Not that I like them, but have you considered a Ridgeline, instead? Pretty much the same mechanicals as the Pilot, but with a semi-boxed frame that might hold up better to the abuse it will see.
If you get a Honda, just know that you can't treat it like a domestic pickup truck.. They just aren't built for that..
Won't see near the use(some call abuse) that the Titan has seen. I already told hubby my new vehicle isn't going on the logging road in the summer and only in the winter if I have to. The Titan has held up fairly well, no rattles or squeaks, does have an SES light on right now though.
He is saying I can get whatever I want and he's cool with it. He said if I want the Pilot then by all means buy it. I might look at the Ridgeline, but it isn't much different than having a pickup truck which is what I'm not sure I want.
I'm going to drive the Pilot I want tomorrow in Anchorage, its a silver EX-L with RES. Hubby hasn't driven one, only sat in one and leg room was tight (that's the only issue with the Pilot).
We are taking the Sebring to Anchorage, so pulling into a car lot with that thing should send salespeople running, lol. It actually looks a lot better now that little brother put the trim back on the driver's side.
The Pilot holding up is a big concern, I know the Ram will hold up for 200k+ miles, just not sure about the Honda.
Then there's days like today when I NEED a truck, have to tow the big trailer (2600 lbs empty) to go pick up a dog kennel. Hubby is headed out logging and has his truck, so if I didn't have the Titan I couldn't get the kennel until he came home. These are days I'm glad I have a truck.......see the dilema??
And I thought I was schizophrenic about picking vehicles....(sorry just kidding!). When you say "go pick up a dog kennel"--how big a dog kennel? The Pilot holds 90 cu. ft. of stuff.
You could do a lot with the cabbage you'd save over buying the $40K Dodge........or have much lower payments. If you're anything like me, you probably really want them both.....
*These are days I'm glad I have a truck.......see the dilema??*
This is going to be like watching episodes of "As the World Turns": you never know what's gonna happen next, but you know it's gonna be bad, so you keep watching.....I think we pretty much know there's not going to be a happy conclusion to this miled-up Beetle purchase tho......will it go out with a bang, or sap the bank account of the owner in a series of frustrating problems?
And I thought I was schizophrenic about picking vehicles....(sorry just kidding!). When you say "go pick up a dog kennel"--how big a dog kennel? The Pilot holds 90 cu. ft. of stuff.
Now you see why hubby rolls his eyes and says "whatever you want dear", lol. He's easy, as long as its a 1-ton truck and does the job he's happy for years......well, until gas prices start forcing him to spend $150 every 3 days, then its time for a diesel.
The dog kennel is made up of 6 6x8 chain link panels, it won't even fit in the bed of my Titan after I dismantle it.
Thanks for the heads-up. Don't know if it's an ABS unit or some other part, but her old car didn't have ABS at all, so that's probably not a huge worry.
There was an 8-10" oil spot under it this morning when I last saw it. It's the 2.0-liter, which, in that model year, commonly consumed a quart every 1,000 miles anyway. Add that level of consumption to the open dipstick tube (now fixed) and the leaking oil pan, and there's no telling how fast it's going through the stuff.
Power steering fluid is also a little low, but I have plenty of that to top it off with. Other than simple stuff like that, I'm trying to take a hands-off approach. Her mechanic ordered a new timing belt--I strongly suggested a water pump and tensioner at the same time. I'm thinking if the oil consumption gets fixed, I might suggest a diet of Mobil One to try to clean up the sludge. An oil change sticker in the windshield indicates a recent oil change, probably shortly before the car was traded in.
Maybe I won't go look at a Pilot, just called the dealership in Anchorage and they have NO Pilots at all. Not sure when they will get some back in either, are they really that popular??
They do have a great selection of Acura MDX including 3 2005. Is there any huge difference?
but a bit smaller. It is sportier and handles better, more buttons, better warranty.
The Ridgeline is actually not as truck-like as you probably think. It still has a fully-independent suspension and most reviews say it drives more like a car than a truck. Might be worth a look. Plus, at least here in the Continental US, deals on the Ridgeline are better than the Pilot.
Ridgeline and the MDX tomorrow. The biggest problem with the Pilot is hubby had NO legroom on the driver's side.
In other words I'd be driving all the time if we had to go any distance, maybe the MDX will be a little better in that respect. This is a common problem for him with Japanese vehicles, the center console gets in the way.
The Titan doesn't seem to be that way. We did look at an Armada a while back (april), a new 06, went over a bump (normal bump in the road) and the driver's side flexed so badly that the door moved with a huge THUMP. That was enough to convince me that quality still wasn't there.
I wish Mitsubishi had something out there I liked, I've been really impressed with the quality of the cars they build. My Sebring is the Mitsu variant and is very well built......survived a serious impact to a tree with really minimal damage mechanically.
FWIW, Gee is 6'6 with a 38" inseam and he fit comfortably in the MDX. We average about 22-23 MPG before we put the 20" wheels on it. After that it went down to 17-18 MPG.
FWIW, Gee is 6'6 with a 38" inseam and he fit comfortably in the MDX. We average about 22-23 MPG before we put the 20" wheels on it. After that it went down to 17-18 MPG.
Hmmmm, then the MDX might work, hubby has a 32" inseam, he's 6'. I wonder what kind of deal I could get on a leftover 05. The gas mileage sounds pretty good, I average about 15 mpg with the Titan in mixed driving.
That's great! Sounds like he knows the proper role of the Man of the House.....(I should have gotten his advice years ago).....
LOL, usually I go find the car I want, he test drives it to make sure its comfortable for him too, then I go back and talk price, agree on a deal, he shows up, signs the papers and leaves. Its worked great for many car deals, course sometimes I wish he would talk me OUT of certain vehicles......namely the Titan!!
All I want this time is a practical, decent on gas, 4WD, reliable vehicle that will hold its value. Will be interesting to see what I end up with! :confuse:
I thought you really needed to have 2 trucks available for work duty? Isn't that why the Titan was being worked so hard?
I think you should sit down and write out a list of all the duties each of the 3 vehicles will have to serve (including the Sebring, which you should keep). Plan out for a full year so you cover both seasons (Winter, and mosquitos).
Then, go back and read the list, and assign a type of vehicle to each task (e.g., pull small trailer = Titan, pull skidder = 1 ton, run out for groceries = Sebring).
Tally the items for each car/truck, and ID which ones will happen at the same time (obviously both of you can't use the truck at the same time for a different purpose).
This exercise should give you a clearer, more impartial idea of what needs to be available in the yard.
The idea of getting a real HD PU like the Ram does seem to make sense, since it can serve multiple uses. You seem to like the Sebring for runs into town. The wildcard really seems to be what you need for a 3rd vehicle, but a truck of some kind seems to be the best bet.
If you do want an SUV, how about a Tahoe? Not great mileage, but at least it can tow, and is probably tough enough to survive the environment.
Or, get the new ram, and keep the old one for back up duty.
to the old cars. The Odyssey is right now having an ipod adapter installed (no more FM modulater, can't wait!), and new front speakers to replace the OEM tissue paper ones. Should make the tune action much nicer when we travel.
So, of course the discussion with the stereo guy made me realize that i need new speakers all around for my Accord. He did confirm that honda puts in decent electronics, but probably puts in the cheapest speakers of any manufacturer.
Only downside is making an investment like this will make me more committed to keeping it long term! And as we all know in this thread, what's the fun in that?
Ah, who am I kidding. I could put the speakers in, and see something I like on the way home and trade it in on something new!
I gotta hand it to you ... your advice to Jolie is probably one of the 10 best things I think I've ever read here at Edmunds.
Most of us CCB'ers just waft through life, buying and selling cars based on whatever whim or fancy strikes us.
You, OTOH, have given Jolie a recipe for exactly how the vehicles they own ought to be bought/leased, and for what purpose.
BTW, how much of an investment would new speakers really be for the Accord? One months' payment? Two? C'mon, if you're going to spend that much time in your car, you owe it to yourself to have the best environment you can provide.
When I bought my L300, I popped for the "Advanced Audio System" since it came with a sub (a small one mounted under the rear parcel shelf. Makes a big difference in the quality of the music.
Now that I have my L back (yay!), I'm looking to do a few 'upgrades' to it. First, I'm thinking about some new wheels. The 16" chrome wheels are starting to look at bit worn due to the brake dust that has permeated them. I could probably spend $400-500 without too much static from the spouse. Been poking around on tirerack.com, but haven't committed to any one style yet. Upgrading the speakers may not be such a bad idea either.
I also need to get a new driver's side floor mat, as a hole has been worn into the current one.
Daughter says she loves her ION; at the rate she drives - pretty much at the other end of the spectrum from Jolie - she'll have maybe 40-50K on it in 5 years. The nice thing is that she's such an anti-car person that she'll probably keep it forever and get something new when it's worn out 10-15 years from now.
I REALLY wanted an Ody. But I wanted the features of the Touring without the PAX tires. I actually like the wheels on the Touring but the I've read some horror stories about unavailability of replacements. I checked tires.com and tirerack to no avail. So I decided against it.
Fill me in on the iPod adapter. Will you control it through the head unit? Will it charge the battery? Where will it plug in to? How much is it costing?
Thanks Michael. I'm planning to put your compliment on my resume!
Let's see. The speakers for the Accord will run about $300 installed. Should make a big difference. I don't make payments on it, but if I did I guess it wold be about 1 payments worth! Actually a nice way to think about having a paid off car, what you can do with each payment you aren't making!
The new speakers in the Ody sound real nice, but I only took a quick listen with the doors open (to check the install on the ipod gizmo).
I researched ipod connectors for a while, and the one I got is fairly new. It is from USA spec. Ipod interface part # 581PA11HN2 from Crutchfield. It cost $119.99.
It plugs right into the aux port on the radio. There is a small box that I put in the tob cubby hole. The unit comes with a docking port cable that plugs into the unit. The radio seems to recognize the ipod, and you can change songs from the steering wheel, as well as the ipod.
It does charge the ipod, and will automatically shut it off after one hour (when you turn off the car).
Another nice feature is it has RCA input jacks too, so you can also hard wire in another unit, such as a sat receiver (anything that has RCA or headphone jacks).
We are taking a trip soon, so I will report back how it all works.
We did test drive the MDX, really liked it, however, after weighing the pros and cons we decided it was a bad idea.
Stickguy......THANK YOU for the advice, we will be doing that tonight just to be sure that we are making the right decision.
We learned something valuable about the Sebring today, its great for trips into town, running errands around here, but it SUCKS for long trips (drove 700 miles today). We fought over the driver's seat since the passenger seat has been dubbed "The Pretzel Seat." The kids were miserable as well. Granted it saved us a ton in gas $$$ so I guess the misery was worth it. Averaged 28.5 mpg, not too shabby from a V6. Its not anywhere near in danger of being sold, just kept close to home. It did great, no issues at all.
We stopped by the Dodge dealer today and the new Dodge is there (surprised us), I got to touch it, sit in it, and WOW, its the most beautiful truck I've ever seen. We weren't ready to pick it up obviously since we were driving the Sebring.
Right now we are thinking 2 1-ton trucks are going to fit the bill just fine. Silly to some, but it seems to be the only thing that really fits.
So, its off to make some dinner, then sit down and make some lists. We really are trying to look long term instead of short term. The firewood business isn't going away (good grief there would be a lynch mob if we tried to quit) and our lifestyle will stay the same. We have one long term goal and that's to build a log house in 4 years, very attainable providing we do the truck thing right and don't fall back into the CCBA trap.
We have time to think since the Dodge dealer isn't too worried about us picking the truck up right away. Plus I have to get some warranty things fixed on the Titan next week......front diff again and the check engine light is on.
Let me ask a dumb question. I've never owned a pickup and don't understand the references to 1 ton, 3/4 ton, 1/2 ton, etc. What does that mean? Is that what the bed can hold?
The 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton and 1 ton monikers are supposed to be what the pay load capacity is. It is not always exactly right though.
For example a 1/2 ton truck loaded up with all the options probably won't be officialy rated with 1000 lbs pay load capacity anymore. A 1/2 ton truck loaded up with 4wd, automatic, extended cab and then all of the "luxury" options people seem to expect now has a significantly lower payload capacity then a 2wd, standard tranny, regular cab truck.
You can still put a 1000 lbs or more of stuff in it but you are probably techincaly above the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of the chassis.
A lot of 1 ton trucks can hold more then one ton of stuff in the bed though. It just depends how it is equipped.
Picked up my new Civic LX in Galaxy Gray yesterday and am quite pleased so far. The stripes & body colored wheel well mouldings and door edge guards make it look really sharp. Could've gotten the Atomic Blue Sedan, but decided not to. I bought on Saturday & it was gone on Sunday I was told. They did get in my color in the EX form and those wheels look really sharp. I can always get a set on Ebay in the future. The wife was really against the sunroof though, so I had to compromise a bit. She'll be tinted tomorrow morning & will probaly add a set of tweeters also. Very pleased indeed!!!!
Way back in the old days (World War II), it actually did refer to how much stuff you could safely put in the bed (1000, 1500, or 2000 pounds). However, that went away long ago and these days it's just a shorthand for "small" "medium" and "large" payload and towing capacities, whatever those happen to be within a given truck line.
Groceries, small errands, quick runs to town are all designated for the Sebring.
That was the easy part, the rest is a jumble that we haven't figured out yet. Here's the problems:
Trailers:
Dump trailer, GVWR of 14k and its all of that with 3 cords of wood in it. Dodge struggles with it big time.
Car hauler trailer, GVWR of 12k, its maxed out with 4 cords in it. Dodge pulls it fairly well as long as we are on level ground and not the logging road.
Travel trailer, GVWR of 6200 lbs, dry tongue weight of 494 lbs. The Titan has pulled this in the past, but we are over the GVWR of the Titan with even the dry tongue weight. The Titan pulls it pretty good, slight tranny overheating on occation and it has burnt up one rearend towing it.
So there you have it, the dilema. Neither of the trucks we have are very well suited to what we do. Guess it pays to plan for the future, hindsight being 20/20 we would have bought a 1-ton CC diesel when we bought the Dodge and the same when we bought the Titan.
It sounds like you really need, & probably want, the Dodge Ram (350?)/Cummins. Have you driven it yet? I don't see how a Pilot/MDX fits into any of this. Altho, then, you're using a $40K new vehicle for logging, right? I assume most people who buy HD trucks like that use them for real work tho.
I'm still betting on the new Dodge diesel. And hope nothing else breaks on the Titan before trading it in.
Sounds like a 1/2 ton truck with a higher payload/towing capacity might work for you, but your husband definitely needs a 1-ton for towing. Don't some of the domestic 1/2 ton trucks tow close to 10,000 lbs.?
LOL, yeah, I'm sure it will, but it still won't seat 4 comfortably.
I'm about to the point of throwing up my hands, selling the Titan and Zippy, then just waiting until we figure this out. It'll all be figured out one way or another in the next 2 weeks.
I know you like the classics, british_rover, but I really think THIS is in Jolie's future.
ACK.........NO, do you know how hard its been to keep hubby away from the Kodiaks?? Let alone the Internationals. If he had his way he'd have stopped at the Freightliner dealership yesterday.
Comments
The BEST way to buy them is used!
Mark156
The Bentley Continental Fly Spur might be next when I'm looking for a sedan. Gorgeous cars!
M.156
He didn't listen to me and once he bought I told him that he would be looking to dump it in six months.
He didn't even last six months it was more like four months.
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
If hubby had a crew cab diesel to pull the TT with I probably could get away with an SUV. Worst part is the Honda dealership has the PERFECT Pilot sitting there, an EX-L with res in silver........*sigh*. Oh and no, I haven't been in there, just drove by.
If my little brother ever gets here today I'll have my Sebring back again.......had to stop driving it because of the brakes.
Also, drove a Ford Escape 2WD, automatic, four-banger today. It had mushy brake pedal syndrome and absolutely no torque off the line. Also, it felt weird to be sitting up that high in a small car.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
$1000 bucks for a new ABS unit stop over to e-bay!
There is a guy/company over there that rebuilds
a Bosch or KH unit(s) and actually IMPROVES it for
less than $200 bucks w/shipping included !
Do a "ABS rebuilder" search over there.
Quite a few folks on the GM truck/car sites have
used him/them and report excellent results.
Do you mean to tell me this car was bought without anyone with one eye and half a brain looking under the filler cap? It's lucky that there's something to see at all; many engines are so baffled that you can't tell anything -- the Toyota (car) 3.0 V6, for one.
This wouldn't be a turbo Beetle? The 1.8t is known for sludging up, and there is some sort of VW warranty behind it, but I don't know what's required on the part of the owner.
At any rate, the ABS light is something I would turn my attention to for the month AFTER I have convinced myself the darned thing is gonna run another year or so. And I know from driving beaters...
anony, gee: When you're done with the 8th-grade stuff, will you just tell us what you're buying? Or how about a picture. Also, an update on the fleet; I forget whether you still have the spider condo or not (I'm guessing YES).
-Mathias
8th grade games are so much fun though. Seriously, Gee purchased a 2006 Acura TSX 6-speed NAV on Friday. It is Carbon Gray with Black interior. We added the front chin spoiler, rear spoiler, cargo net, and splash guards. The deal is OK but you still can't get the NAV 6-speeds for invoice. We leased it for 3 years and if we like it we will buy it at the end.
Looks just like this one but it's gray with a manual tranny.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BRAND-NEW-2006-ACURA-TSX-SPRING-SALES-EVENT_W0QQi- - temZ4644138550QQihZ002QQcategoryZ84153QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
That will leave us with the Accord, TSX, Civic, and Lexus. The Civic and Lexus will be sold with plans on purchasing a CR-V or some other wagon, mini-ute.
What about a Honda Pilot? Its $15k cheaper than the Dodge and I imagine (looking at used prices) will hold its value. Don't get me wrong, I love having a truck, its handy and works pretty good most of the time. However, on long trips its a pain, grocery time its a pain, parking is a challange, and I miss having an SUV.
I have the option not to take the Dodge, its not an odd truck, they said they would have no trouble selling it (they told me this when we ordered it).
The only worry I would have is how it would hold up under Alaskan conditons..
Not that I like them, but have you considered a Ridgeline, instead? Pretty much the same mechanicals as the Pilot, but with a semi-boxed frame that might hold up better to the abuse it will see.
If you get a Honda, just know that you can't treat it like a domestic pickup truck.. They just aren't built for that..
regards,
kyfdx
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
He is saying I can get whatever I want and he's cool with it. He said if I want the Pilot then by all means buy it. I might look at the Ridgeline, but it isn't much different than having a pickup truck which is what I'm not sure I want.
I'm going to drive the Pilot I want tomorrow in Anchorage, its a silver EX-L with RES. Hubby hasn't driven one, only sat in one and leg room was tight (that's the only issue with the Pilot).
We are taking the Sebring to Anchorage, so pulling into a car lot with that thing should send salespeople running, lol. It actually looks a lot better now that little brother put the trim back on the driver's side.
The Pilot holding up is a big concern, I know the Ram will hold up for 200k+ miles, just not sure about the Honda.
Then there's days like today when I NEED a truck, have to tow the big trailer (2600 lbs empty) to go pick up a dog kennel. Hubby is headed out logging and has his truck, so if I didn't have the Titan I couldn't get the kennel until he came home. These are days I'm glad I have a truck.......see the dilema??
You could do a lot with the cabbage you'd save over buying the $40K Dodge........or have much lower payments. If you're anything like me, you probably really want them both.....
*These are days I'm glad I have a truck.......see the dilema??*
Now you see why hubby rolls his eyes and says "whatever you want dear", lol. He's easy, as long as its a 1-ton truck and does the job he's happy for years......well, until gas prices start forcing him to spend $150 every 3 days, then its time for a diesel.
The dog kennel is made up of 6 6x8 chain link panels, it won't even fit in the bed of my Titan after I dismantle it.
There was an 8-10" oil spot under it this morning when I last saw it. It's the 2.0-liter, which, in that model year, commonly consumed a quart every 1,000 miles anyway. Add that level of consumption to the open dipstick tube (now fixed) and the leaking oil pan, and there's no telling how fast it's going through the stuff.
Power steering fluid is also a little low, but I have plenty of that to top it off with. Other than simple stuff like that, I'm trying to take a hands-off approach. Her mechanic ordered a new timing belt--I strongly suggested a water pump and tensioner at the same time. I'm thinking if the oil consumption gets fixed, I might suggest a diet of Mobil One to try to clean up the sludge. An oil change sticker in the windshield indicates a recent oil change, probably shortly before the car was traded in.
They do have a great selection of Acura MDX including 3 2005. Is there any huge difference?
The Ridgeline is actually not as truck-like as you probably think. It still has a fully-independent suspension and most reviews say it drives more like a car than a truck. Might be worth a look. Plus, at least here in the Continental US, deals on the Ridgeline are better than the Pilot.
In other words I'd be driving all the time if we had to go any distance, maybe the MDX will be a little better in that respect. This is a common problem for him with Japanese vehicles, the center console gets in the way.
The Titan doesn't seem to be that way. We did look at an Armada a while back (april), a new 06, went over a bump (normal bump in the road) and the driver's side flexed so badly that the door moved with a huge THUMP. That was enough to convince me that quality still wasn't there.
I wish Mitsubishi had something out there I liked, I've been really impressed with the quality of the cars they build. My Sebring is the Mitsu variant and is very well built......survived a serious impact to a tree with really minimal damage mechanically.
FWIW, Gee is 6'6 with a 38" inseam and he fit comfortably in the MDX. We average about 22-23 MPG before we put the 20" wheels on it. After that it went down to 17-18 MPG.
Hmmmm, then the MDX might work, hubby has a 32" inseam, he's 6'. I wonder what kind of deal I could get on a leftover 05. The gas mileage sounds pretty good, I average about 15 mpg with the Titan in mixed driving.
*hubby rolls his eyes and says "whatever you want dear"*
LOL, usually I go find the car I want, he test drives it to make sure its comfortable for him too, then I go back and talk price, agree on a deal, he shows up, signs the papers and leaves. Its worked great for many car deals, course sometimes I wish he would talk me OUT of certain vehicles......namely the Titan!!
All I want this time is a practical, decent on gas, 4WD, reliable vehicle that will hold its value. Will be interesting to see what I end up with! :confuse:
Since you won't be keeping it once the new smell wears off it doesn't really matter.
I thought you really needed to have 2 trucks available for work duty? Isn't that why the Titan was being worked so hard?
I think you should sit down and write out a list of all the duties each of the 3 vehicles will have to serve (including the Sebring, which you should keep). Plan out for a full year so you cover both seasons (Winter, and mosquitos).
Then, go back and read the list, and assign a type of vehicle to each task (e.g., pull small trailer = Titan, pull skidder = 1 ton, run out for groceries = Sebring).
Tally the items for each car/truck, and ID which ones will happen at the same time (obviously both of you can't use the truck at the same time for a different purpose).
This exercise should give you a clearer, more impartial idea of what needs to be available in the yard.
The idea of getting a real HD PU like the Ram does seem to make sense, since it can serve multiple uses. You seem to like the Sebring for runs into town. The wildcard really seems to be what you need for a 3rd vehicle, but a truck of some kind seems to be the best bet.
If you do want an SUV, how about a Tahoe? Not great mileage, but at least it can tow, and is probably tough enough to survive the environment.
Or, get the new ram, and keep the old one for back up duty.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
So, of course the discussion with the stereo guy made me realize that i need new speakers all around for my Accord. He did confirm that honda puts in decent electronics, but probably puts in the cheapest speakers of any manufacturer.
Only downside is making an investment like this will make me more committed to keeping it long term! And as we all know in this thread, what's the fun in that?
Ah, who am I kidding. I could put the speakers in, and see something I like on the way home and trade it in on something new!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Most of us CCB'ers just waft through life, buying and selling cars based on whatever whim or fancy strikes us.
You, OTOH, have given Jolie a recipe for exactly how the vehicles they own ought to be bought/leased, and for what purpose.
BTW, how much of an investment would new speakers really be for the Accord? One months' payment? Two? C'mon, if you're going to spend that much time in your car, you owe it to yourself to have the best environment you can provide.
When I bought my L300, I popped for the "Advanced Audio System" since it came with a sub (a small one mounted under the rear parcel shelf. Makes a big difference in the quality of the music.
Now that I have my L back (yay!), I'm looking to do a few 'upgrades' to it. First, I'm thinking about some new wheels. The 16" chrome wheels are starting to look at bit worn due to the brake dust that has permeated them. I could probably spend $400-500 without too much static from the spouse. Been poking around on tirerack.com, but haven't committed to any one style yet. Upgrading the speakers may not be such a bad idea either.
I also need to get a new driver's side floor mat, as a hole has been worn into the current one.
Daughter says she loves her ION; at the rate she drives - pretty much at the other end of the spectrum from Jolie - she'll have maybe 40-50K on it in 5 years. The nice thing is that she's such an anti-car person that she'll probably keep it forever and get something new when it's worn out 10-15 years from now.
Let's see. The speakers for the Accord will run about $300 installed. Should make a big difference. I don't make payments on it, but if I did I guess it wold be about 1 payments worth! Actually a nice way to think about having a paid off car, what you can do with each payment you aren't making!
The new speakers in the Ody sound real nice, but I only took a quick listen with the doors open (to check the install on the ipod gizmo).
I researched ipod connectors for a while, and the one I got is fairly new. It is from USA spec. Ipod interface part # 581PA11HN2 from Crutchfield. It cost $119.99.
It plugs right into the aux port on the radio. There is a small box that I put in the tob cubby hole. The unit comes with a docking port cable that plugs into the unit. The radio seems to recognize the ipod, and you can change songs from the steering wheel, as well as the ipod.
It does charge the ipod, and will automatically shut it off after one hour (when you turn off the car).
Another nice feature is it has RCA input jacks too, so you can also hard wire in another unit, such as a sat receiver (anything that has RCA or headphone jacks).
We are taking a trip soon, so I will report back how it all works.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Mark :P
Stickguy......THANK YOU for the advice, we will be doing that tonight just to be sure that we are making the right decision.
We learned something valuable about the Sebring today, its great for trips into town, running errands around here, but it SUCKS for long trips (drove 700 miles today). We fought over the driver's seat since the passenger seat has been dubbed "The Pretzel Seat." The kids were miserable as well. Granted it saved us a ton in gas $$$ so I guess the misery was worth it. Averaged 28.5 mpg, not too shabby from a V6. Its not anywhere near in danger of being sold, just kept close to home. It did great, no issues at all.
We stopped by the Dodge dealer today and the new Dodge is there (surprised us), I got to touch it, sit in it, and WOW, its the most beautiful truck I've ever seen. We weren't ready to pick it up obviously since we were driving the Sebring.
Right now we are thinking 2 1-ton trucks are going to fit the bill just fine. Silly to some, but it seems to be the only thing that really fits.
So, its off to make some dinner, then sit down and make some lists. We really are trying to look long term instead of short term. The firewood business isn't going away (good grief there would be a lynch mob if we tried to quit) and our lifestyle will stay the same. We have one long term goal and that's to build a log house in 4 years, very attainable providing we do the truck thing right and don't fall back into the CCBA trap.
We have time to think since the Dodge dealer isn't too worried about us picking the truck up right away. Plus I have to get some warranty things fixed on the Titan next week......front diff again and the check engine light is on.
For example a 1/2 ton truck loaded up with all the options probably won't be officialy rated with 1000 lbs pay load capacity anymore. A 1/2 ton truck loaded up with 4wd, automatic, extended cab and then all of the "luxury" options people seem to expect now has a significantly lower payload capacity then a 2wd, standard tranny, regular cab truck.
You can still put a 1000 lbs or more of stuff in it but you are probably techincaly above the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of the chassis.
A lot of 1 ton trucks can hold more then one ton of stuff in the bed though. It just depends how it is equipped.
She'll be tinted tomorrow morning & will probaly add a set of tweeters also. Very pleased indeed!!!!
The Sandman
Groceries, small errands, quick runs to town are all designated for the Sebring.
That was the easy part, the rest is a jumble that we haven't figured out yet. Here's the problems:
Trailers:
Dump trailer, GVWR of 14k and its all of that with 3 cords of wood in it. Dodge struggles with it big time.
Car hauler trailer, GVWR of 12k, its maxed out with 4 cords in it. Dodge pulls it fairly well as long as we are on level ground and not the logging road.
Travel trailer, GVWR of 6200 lbs, dry tongue weight of 494 lbs. The Titan has pulled this in the past, but we are over the GVWR of the Titan with even the dry tongue weight. The Titan pulls it pretty good, slight tranny overheating on occation and it has burnt up one rearend towing it.
So there you have it, the dilema. Neither of the trucks we have are very well suited to what we do. Guess it pays to plan for the future, hindsight being 20/20 we would have bought a 1-ton CC diesel when we bought the Dodge and the same when we bought the Titan.
I'm still betting on the new Dodge diesel. And hope nothing else breaks on the Titan before trading it in.
One of those will tow well over 10,000 lbs.
http://www.boyceequipment.com/
LOL, yeah, I'm sure it will, but it still won't seat 4 comfortably.
I'm about to the point of throwing up my hands, selling the Titan and Zippy, then just waiting until we figure this out. It'll all be figured out one way or another in the next 2 weeks.
http://www.internationaldelivers.com/site_layout/XTFamily/rxt.asp
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
ACK.........NO, do you know how hard its been to keep hubby away from the Kodiaks?? Let alone the Internationals. If he had his way he'd have stopped at the Freightliner dealership yesterday.
I'm trying to stay reasonable, lol.