Well, little brother bought a new truck, but it wasn't the one I thought it was going to be. He ended up going with the 2006 Nissan Titan that he looked at on Monday and had me work a deal on (since I practically lived at the Nissan dealer I knew everyone). He's absolutely thrilled with the truck and I have to admit, I'm rather jealous, I do miss my Titan. His ex-wife....errr, roommate...errr, something bought an 06 Frontier the next day.
I am surprised by all these people who constantly buy vehicles almost every year. Now the question is whether they are everyday schlubs like me or are rolling in dough and do cash down? :confuse:
If an average joe is purchasing cars every year, then he is neck deep in debt and I am assuming they dont care about things like retirement/nest egg or atleast postponing the thought of such(since they are never payment free). :P
Ofcourse, I know that everybody' situation is different. I am fully capable of pulling the trigger but I choose not to since (how should I put it?) ahem new car is not a priority right now.
Well, I've had my car for over a year, so I don't fall under the "buying a new car every year" category.
Retirement is a luxury, not a necessity. Many people want it all, now, and won't be able to afford to retire. Some people live like a hermit and sock enough money away to retire by the time they're 40.
I try to take a path somewhere in between those two extremes, enjoying today while planning for the future. I have been self-employed for most of my working life, but I do have a Roth IRA and some taxable investments.
I buy lots of cars... within the last 12 months, I think I've bought 4 and sold 3...
Who says it's expensive? I've made money on one, will make a little money on another one... lost $1200 on one car that I drove for 7 months last year... that's with sales tax etc. etc. I just lost $600 on another one that I bought wrong... it happens.
I don't know what you drive, but it's likely that you have more money sitting on the curb than I do.
I max out my 403(b) as well as both of our Roths. I will also buy a new car next year for $14 or so, if all goes to plan... 3 years down the road, it'll be worth $11 and change and I'll sell it. GMAC gives me $500 a year to help out through the GM Card.
I've been doing this sort of thing for years, I find it fun and interesting, and I think it's a lot cheaper than buying a new Taurus every 6 years. I've also never paid a dime in interest except for my mortgage.
If an average joe is purchasing cars every year, then he is neck deep in debt and I am assuming they dont care about things like retirement/nest egg or atleast postponing the thought of such(since they are never payment free)
Geez, you are making a lot of assumptions.
Maybe there are some people who max out their retirement savings and can buy a new vehicle each year.
For years, I rented a house for $100 a month. No, I did not miss a zero. And my boss wondered why I refused promotions to Manhattan where I could rent a closet for 10x the amount. In other words, some people on this forum pay 10% on housing and others 40-50%.
I have a few friends who buy a beater a year. They head out in the country, buy a 1988 Chevy and drive it for 18 months until the 1st major repair. Repeat the process.
Personally, I am always looking to buy a new car ... however, when it come time to write a check, I just can't see spending for than $6-7k on a vehicle.
Well, some people dismiss the CR reliability ratings. But when they always rank Honda, toyota, acura, Lexus, Subaru at the top, & VW, Isuzu, LR, & Jag near the bottom, (& the past few years, Mercedes), I think it jives with common sense, & what you hear from owners on boards like these.
For some reason, American cars seem to be all over the map, inc. different models from the same mfg. i.e. some GM models are supposedly very reliable; others horrendous.
I dunno, I use CR, & when I follow it, things seem to work out with the cars I buy. When I don't, like when I once bought a Passat, or with my infamous Range Rover purchase, the vehicle usually has had tons of problems.
I'm curious, if CR and JD Power both are not good guides of quality/reliability, what should the consumer use as a guide?
Not to be picky, but sooner or later, Retirement is a necessity. The only way to avoid retirement is to die while you're still working. Which could be good if you're still working at something you love when you're 70-80 whatever perhaps. But if you're old, & still forced to work just to survive, well.......
Personally, I like the idea of *socking enough money away to retire by the time they're 40*. Better yet if you can do that & still afford to indulge your hobbies, if even to a moderate degree. :-)
Not to be OT here, but I gotta chime in on that one...my brother (also my roommate) has a friend who lives in Grand Rapids, likes to come to Chicago to 'hang out' every now and then....problem is, this guy will call when he's a block away without notice and assume he can crash on our couch (mind you, there are three of us living in a four-room apartment til the end of this month); last time he did this with his girlfriend. Uh, no. This guy is 37 years old and I'm pretty sure makes over $100k (he's a computer programmer, the lack of social skills is so cliche). I know rooms in Chicago are expensive, but come on!
We are averaging 3-4 cars per year. We are not rich by any means but we aren't up to our eyeballs in debt either. One reason is because we buy wisely, usually, and have even made a profit with some cars. The other factor is our housing is super cheap out in neverneverland. Also, we more or less live beneath our means when it comes to extras like eating out, furniture, and extravagant vacations.
With that said, we are up in VA Beach checking the area out and they have this awesome apartment complex about a block from where I might be working. It's $2000 per month for a 3 bedroom apartment with 1200 sq. ft. That's twice what we pay for our house near metro Atlanta ... but it's right across the street from PF Chang, Cheesecake Factory, and they give you complimentary Starbucks coffee.
Does anyone here have any opinions on trading in a car vs. selling it yourself? I'm aware of the general arguments of saving money vs. avoiding hassle, but I'm just curious about any real-world experiences that swayed you one way or the other.
A personal example: My father was offered $5,000 to sell his 2003 Volkswagen Beetle TDI to Carmax. It sold for $11,100 on eBay. The time involved was probably three hours in listing and answering questions, then about two hours in meeting the buyer at the airport and signing paperwork.
If he were unsure of the title transfer process, or if the whole process frustrated him, it would have been worth it to sell it to Carmax. It depends on what you think is important--people make the choice to pay for convenience all the time.
Ummmm....can't disagree that I'm a "schlub", but in the past 3 years or so, I've bought a new car every year....for a variety of reasons. Not knee deep in debt. Matter of fact, my house will be paid off next year (hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). Took a bit of a hit on my investments when the "dot com" bubble burst, but they've recovered nicely. Hope to retire comfortably well before my 60th birthday....if nothing crazy happens with the economy.
I don't know how you define "rolling in dough". I don't think I am. I hope I'm normal (but not really sure of that, either).
...rolling in it, and I've slacked off a bit in the car buying department. Last time I bought something was back in April of last year, when I got my '76 LeMans. Might have to start calling it the LeMons now though, because the brakes went out on it.
Anyway, I manage to max out the 401k and Roth every year. I don't make a ton of money, but the mortgage is also only $600 per month. Plus I have two roommates, which helps out A LOT.
I've also only bought one brand-new car in my life, a 2000 Intrepid. Other than that I haven't paid more than ~$3500-4000 for a car ever. I could probably afford to buy a new one every year or so if I really wanted to and had an eternal car payment, but I'd rather save up for the financial independence, paid-off house, early retirement, etc.
I've had my license now for almost 20 years, and in that time I think I've had 16 cars. Although I'm sure that's chickenfeed compared to some of you CCB'ers!
Our VW store just took in a 1997 2 door Jeep Cherokee Sport with a manual tranny.
It looks in pretty good shape and has only 57,000 miles. I walked around it last night but it was dark and they were already closed up.
They only own it for 1,700 dollars!!!! Man that is tempting I am probably going to try and swing by there monday and see how it drives.
The best part is the previous owner lost the title so they can't do anything with it for a few weeks till they get a duplicate title. That gives me a chance to make up my mind and convince my wife that we need a beater jeep.
She doesn't need to know that I plan to make it into a trail vehicle....
Some of my favorite vacations have been spending 2-3 days in Chicago. I don't know anyone there to mooch off of so I just shop a lot for a rate on any nice hotel. Last time I was there, around 6 years ago probably, my then-GF & I stayed at a pretty luxurious 4* hotel (Omni just off Michigan Ave., centrally located), for around $100 a night. Adds a whole 'nother level to the "experience" for not big $$........
$1700! If your wife won't let you buy it can I?:-) I understand the lost title, but what would possess someone to sell a 57K mile Cherokee 1997 for $1700?
How hard is it to get a replacement title on a vehicle? I'm sure it varies by locality, but when my buddy traded his '98 Tracker for an '06 Xterra back in May, he couldn't find the title. He had the title that still showed a lien on it. And he had a payoff notice from GMAC, but no title that showed the lien released. He went to the DMV (well in MD they call it MVA) and they took care of it right then and there.
Having the original title and the payoff notice might have helped, though. Which reminds me, I better look around and see if I actually have a clear title on my Intrepid, or just the original title and a payoff notice. I've been saying that I don't want to buy another car until the summer of '08, when my driving record is squeaky-clean again, but I'm kinda pissed at my Intrepid right now.
I went out to change the oil and the pcv valve. Oil was no trouble, but with the pcv valve, the little rubber hose that connects into it had rotted and literally fell apart when I was trying to wrestle it off. I found some old heater hose in my grandparents' garage and was able to rig something up so that it at least seems to run okay. The check engine light doesn't come on or anything.
I know it's kinda dumb to get bent out of shape over a little piece of hose that's probably under 10 bucks at the dealer. But it does drive home the point that this thing ain't a new car anymore, and I'm starting to wonder what else is just waiting to fail. :mad:
I'd just keep checking all the other hoses. Or do a preventative replacement of hoses at some point. Of course, "Rubber" is one of the things that starts to go after 7-8 years; in suspension parts, cooling system hoses, etc.......
The parking is covered. No separate garages. We also drove over to the beach ... there are some reasonable oceanfront properties there. That's another option.
We drove the TSX. It averaged 30-31 MPG the entire trip. Not bad considering it hasn't really broken in yet and we had the AC on the entire time. The NAV also proved itself worthy of the extra $2000. It allowed us to find a Steak-Out franchise on the way up and on the way back down. We also arrived at our hotel and the front desk clerk would not give Gee his military discount because he was not active duty. So they wanted to double the room rate and would not give us our AAA rate. Thanks to the TSX we were able to find another hotel 5 miles away that only charged us $90 for the entire stay.
Strangest part of the trip is that the gas in the VA Beach area is $2.59 per gallon. Also found some places in NC with $2.54 gas but the lines started as soon as you got off the exit ramp.
Couple of questions. What are the main differences between TSX (Euro accord) and NA accord? I heard TSX is not all that quiet. Also, would a garmin street pilot work just fine in place of built in NAV?
I travel a lot for work in different cities/states. So, I needed something portable to take from rental car to rental car. I can heartily recommend the Garmin NUVI. It's very portable and excellent in all respects.
In my personal car I have BMW's nav system. While it's integrated into the car (which makes for a much cleaner look), I can't really say the maps are any more accurate than the NUVI. Of course, the one integrated in my car has a lot more functionality, but for strictly maps and directions, the Garmin units are hard to beat.
Does it have voice and turn by turn directions for Canada and US. How do you update the maps, and does it provide good alternate directions if you run into constructions?
I also dig the Nuvi - ours is the 360. Yes, turn-by-turn directions for the US, including street names if you get the one with text-to-speech. ("Turn right in 40 feet at Main Street", instead of just the distance.) Not sure about Canada, Europe is extra $$$. Mine also has bluetooth and works as a hands free kit.
Not sure about map updates. I'll have to play with that. Best thing is being able to slip it in your pocket when you go somewhere, as it's about the size of a PDA. Leave a visible nav system in your car and you're asking for a breakin.
This may be converting me to paying $2K for Nav in my next vehicle. I consider myself a good navigator & map reader, & usually have all the guidebooks for areas I'm visiting, but still.......there are always those times late at night in a strange locale when you're lost, or running out of ideas for food or lodging.....
As jaserb said, the NUVI does have turn by turn directions via street names and distance. I've used mine in Canada as well as the U.S.
North American maps are already pre-loaded. If you want to update the maps, or the firmware/software, you download from the Garmin site hooking the unit up to your computer via USB cable. I'm not certain of this, but I believe the map updates cost $$$. Firmware/software is free, though.
You can have the NUVI give you alternate routes, too....if you run into traffic jams. It does not have "real time" traffic updates (at least my 350 doesn't), however.
Very easy to use. Text to speech is very understandable and the screen is very bright.
woody....I'll admit I'm a tech geke, but the GPS systems that are integrated into the car these days are very good. Mine offers speech recognition (most 3rd party units do not). So, I can just bark out an address and the unit will find what I'm looking for. Mine also controls my blue tooth cell phone. All names and numbers are downloaded from my phone. All I have to do is say "call home" and the number is automatically dialed and the conversation is handled via the microphones and speakers in the car. It's great since you don't have to take your eyes off the road or your hands off the wheel to control anything regarding the GPS or your cell phone.
We leave for St. Louis in the morning to take the youngest to college. I'm renting with Alamo and I'd be thrilled to get a Ford Fusion, as I've heard some great things about it. My next choice would be a G6, but we'll see tomorrow afternoon. When we went thru Boston in June, I asked for a "back friendly" car and the attendant gave me a brand new Impala LTZ with the power leather seat eventhough we had reserved and would pay for the intermediate sized car. She told me not to worry, as I was still be charged for the smaller car. Some folks are truly nice out there and it made it very easy for me to drive with the power seat. Hopefully, I'll be as lucky tomorrow with a power seated car!
Sandman, which college is he/she attending? I do some work for one of the St. Louis institutions of higher lurnin'.
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Good luck ... we helped our daughter move to CSU last week. Everybody was OK until we got home, then the wife got a bit emotional. Our daughter is doing great, however.
To make this post (semi) relevant, my daughters' ION has the AUX jack for the iPod, while my wife has the FM transmitter for her VUE. Wife rode up with the daughter and commented on the way home that the AUX jack was WAY better than FM when it came to the sound quality.
Hmmm, wonder if there is a way to add an aux cable to her existing stereo?
Not a chance ... we're staying put with the vehicles that we have. Wife loves her VUE, daughter just got her ION 2 months ago, and my L300 only has 15 payments left.
So, no CCB'ing for us.
Plus, college is costing the proverbial arm and a leg!
My boy's going to Washington University in St. Louis. He actually started his freshman year this past summer just to get a "feel" for the campus and get 2 required freshman classes out of the way. According to Mapquest, the airport isn't that far away...which is a good thing! Now I just hope that I can get a "back friendly" rental from Alamo.
To make this post (semi) relevant, my daughters' ION has the AUX jack for the iPod, while my wife has the FM transmitter for her VUE. Wife rode up with the daughter and commented on the way home that the AUX jack was WAY better than FM when it came to the sound quality.
Hmmm, wonder if there is a way to add an aux cable to her existing stereo?
I was looking at Ipods the other day, but the only way I can use one in my truck is through the FM transmitter since I don't have an AUX jack. What bugs me is hubby's Dodge has the AUX jack and its the base model stereo (single CD am/fm). My truck has the upgraded 6-disc in dash CD changer/am/fm infinity system and I don't have the AUX jack. What gives?? My Titan had it with the Rockford Fosgate system although I never used it.
Looks like the AUX jack is standard on the 2006 Vue--don't know if the radio would be a direct swap, but you might also be able to find a 2006 head unit on eBay.
NAV system in the TSX. The screen is bigger and in my opinion probably easier to read than the aftermarket units. After our experience hopefully we will always have a car with Navigation. One question though, do the aftermarket units like the Garmin list hotels, restaurants, and their phone #'s?
growwise: The TSX is smaller, has a firmer suspension, and has a higher performance engine than the 4 cylinder Accord. The V6 Accord is faster than the TSX however. The TSX has more luxury features like memory seats, HIDS, better stereo, and in my opinion better interior materials. The Acura has a better warranty and roadside assistance but is more expensive than the 4 cylinder Accord and probably more expensive than a V6 Accord considering the deals on Accords right now. As for the noise level the TSX is much quieter than our 04 Accord EX-L. It's a tough call between the Accord and the TSX. It just depends where your priorities are.
It's a tough call between the Accord and the TSX. It just depends where your priorities are.
My priorities are simple 1. Car should be good looking (its important if you plan on keeping a car for a while). Great colors with gorgeous interiors top priority. 2. It should seat 5 comfortably for long hauls (think roomy back seat) 3. It should ride softly (no hard suspensions thank you but at the same time not wallowy ). 4. Whisper quiet ride (nothing says luxury more than this). 5. Should cost a reasonable amount (say little less than 30k). 6. Should have short front overhang for parking in tight spots etc. 7. Last but not the least - reliability.
Sounds like you're describing something like.... --Buick Lucerne --Accord --Impala --Avalon --Ford 500 --Chrysler 300 (non Hemi...although, they're cutting deals on the Hemi, too) --if you like the look, Dodge Magnum (although I guess technically, they're station wagons)
You might even be able to locate a Lincoln LS for that amount of dough. I've seen them advertised for less than $30K around the southwest OH area. I've also seen base Lincoln Town Cars advertised for around $30K.
Sandman, that's who I do some work for, and no, it's not at all far from the airport. Plus, the light rail system runs pretty efficiently from Wash U to the airport. Good luck with your trip!
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NAV system in the TSX. The screen is bigger and in my opinion probably easier to read than the aftermarket units. After our experience hopefully we will always have a car with Navigation
That's the one option that's nearly impossible to get up here. On the Alaska bound Dodge Rams its not even offered, you read about it in the brochure, but its not an option on the order sheet. Apparently most car navagation systems don't work in Alaska.
Same goes for XM Radio and Sirius Radio, they don't work here either. I ended up with a $195 credit on the invoice for my truck since it came with Sirius but it doesn't work up here so they deleted it.
I would have loved to have gotten Nav with this truck since we travel a lot and plan on traveling into the lower 48. Ah well, I've got my laptop, its map software, and little GPS.
Everytime I heare that Jeep commercial about Alaska and they mention the SAT radio I always figured that was bogus. No way regular sat radio is going to work that far north.
I wonder if Land Rovers SAT NAV will work in Alaska... I know it works in Iceland and most of Scandnavia.
Comments
If an average joe is purchasing cars every year, then he is neck deep in debt and I am assuming they dont care about things like retirement/nest egg or atleast postponing the thought of such(since they are never payment free). :P
Ofcourse, I know that everybody' situation is different. I am fully capable of pulling the trigger but I choose not to since (how should I put it?) ahem new car is not a priority right now.
Retirement is a luxury, not a necessity. Many people want it all, now, and won't be able to afford to retire. Some people live like a hermit and sock enough money away to retire by the time they're 40.
I try to take a path somewhere in between those two extremes, enjoying today while planning for the future. I have been self-employed for most of my working life, but I do have a Roth IRA and some taxable investments.
Who says it's expensive? I've made money on one, will make a little money on another one... lost $1200 on one car that I drove for 7 months last year... that's with sales tax etc. etc. I just lost $600 on another one that I bought wrong... it happens.
I don't know what you drive, but it's likely that you have more money sitting on the curb than I do.
I max out my 403(b) as well as both of our Roths. I will also buy a new car next year for $14 or so, if all goes to plan... 3 years down the road, it'll be worth $11 and change and I'll sell it. GMAC gives me $500 a year to help out through the GM Card.
I've been doing this sort of thing for years, I find it fun and interesting, and I think it's a lot cheaper than buying a new Taurus every 6 years. I've also never paid a dime in interest except for my mortgage.
-Mathias
Geez, you are making a lot of assumptions.
Maybe there are some people who max out their retirement savings and can buy a new vehicle each year.
For years, I rented a house for $100 a month. No, I did not miss a zero. And my boss wondered why I refused promotions to Manhattan where I could rent a closet for 10x the amount.
In other words, some people on this forum pay 10% on housing and others 40-50%.
I have a few friends who buy a beater a year. They head out in the country, buy a 1988 Chevy and drive it for 18 months until the 1st major repair. Repeat the process.
Personally, I am always looking to buy a new car ... however, when it come time to write a check, I just can't see spending for than $6-7k on a vehicle.
For some reason, American cars seem to be all over the map, inc. different models from the same mfg. i.e. some GM models are supposedly very reliable; others horrendous.
I dunno, I use CR, & when I follow it, things seem to work out with the cars I buy. When I don't, like when I once bought a Passat, or with my infamous Range Rover purchase, the vehicle usually has had tons of problems.
I'm curious, if CR and JD Power both are not good guides of quality/reliability, what should the consumer use as a guide?
Personally, I like the idea of *socking enough money away to retire by the time they're 40*. Better yet if you can do that & still afford to indulge your hobbies, if even to a moderate degree. :-)
*Retirement is a luxury, not a necessity*
No more Motel 6 for me... Bunking with my buddies has my 401K bulging and a Rolls Royce in the driveway..
regards,
kyfdx
P.S.: Corvette.. give it another 20-25 years... you'll be singing a different tune.. :surprise:
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You wouldn't be the first person from Cincinnati to do that ... just make sure that you don't expect me to cook and to pick up the check too ...
I don't plan on working forever, but I think that may be the plan for some people--and others may not have a choice.
With that said, we are up in VA Beach checking the area out and they have this awesome apartment complex about a block from where I might be working. It's $2000 per month for a 3 bedroom apartment with 1200 sq. ft. That's twice what we pay for our house near metro Atlanta ... but it's right across the street from PF Chang, Cheesecake Factory, and they give you complimentary Starbucks coffee.
Sounds like a nice location, close to retail establishments... Do the apartments have optional garages?
If he were unsure of the title transfer process, or if the whole process frustrated him, it would have been worth it to sell it to Carmax. It depends on what you think is important--people make the choice to pay for convenience all the time.
I don't know how you define "rolling in dough". I don't think I am. I hope I'm normal (but not really sure of that, either).
Anyway, I manage to max out the 401k and Roth every year. I don't make a ton of money, but the mortgage is also only $600 per month. Plus I have two roommates, which helps out A LOT.
I've also only bought one brand-new car in my life, a 2000 Intrepid. Other than that I haven't paid more than ~$3500-4000 for a car ever. I could probably afford to buy a new one every year or so if I really wanted to and had an eternal car payment, but I'd rather save up for the financial independence, paid-off house, early retirement, etc.
I've had my license now for almost 20 years, and in that time I think I've had 16 cars. Although I'm sure that's chickenfeed compared to some of you CCB'ers!
It looks in pretty good shape and has only 57,000 miles. I walked around it last night but it was dark and they were already closed up.
They only own it for 1,700 dollars!!!! Man that is tempting I am probably going to try and swing by there monday and see how it drives.
The best part is the previous owner lost the title so they can't do anything with it for a few weeks till they get a duplicate title. That gives me a chance to make up my mind and convince my wife that we need a beater jeep.
She doesn't need to know that I plan to make it into a trail vehicle....
Having the original title and the payoff notice might have helped, though. Which reminds me, I better look around and see if I actually have a clear title on my Intrepid, or just the original title and a payoff notice. I've been saying that I don't want to buy another car until the summer of '08, when my driving record is squeaky-clean again, but I'm kinda pissed at my Intrepid right now.
I went out to change the oil and the pcv valve. Oil was no trouble, but with the pcv valve, the little rubber hose that connects into it had rotted and literally fell apart when I was trying to wrestle it off. I found some old heater hose in my grandparents' garage and was able to rig something up so that it at least seems to run okay. The check engine light doesn't come on or anything.
I know it's kinda dumb to get bent out of shape over a little piece of hose that's probably under 10 bucks at the dealer. But it does drive home the point that this thing ain't a new car anymore, and I'm starting to wonder what else is just waiting to fail. :mad:
Also I have no idea what the condition of the car is. I haven't driven it and the only note in the file is the lost title.
I saw it in pitch black night so it could have bald tires, no brakes a bad clutch and every warning light on in the instrument cluster.
The used car manager in that store is also very good at his job. He could probably sell ice to eskimos.
We drove the TSX. It averaged 30-31 MPG the entire trip. Not bad considering it hasn't really broken in yet and we had the AC on the entire time. The NAV also proved itself worthy of the extra $2000. It allowed us to find a Steak-Out franchise on the way up and on the way back down. We also arrived at our hotel and the front desk clerk would not give Gee his military discount because he was not active duty. So they wanted to double the room rate and would not give us our AAA rate. Thanks to the TSX we were able to find another hotel 5 miles away that only charged us $90 for the entire stay.
Strangest part of the trip is that the gas in the VA Beach area is $2.59 per gallon. Also found some places in NC with $2.54 gas but the lines started as soon as you got off the exit ramp.
In my personal car I have BMW's nav system. While it's integrated into the car (which makes for a much cleaner look), I can't really say the maps are any more accurate than the NUVI. Of course, the one integrated in my car has a lot more functionality, but for strictly maps and directions, the Garmin units are hard to beat.
Does it have voice and turn by turn directions for Canada and US. How do you update the maps, and does it provide good alternate directions if you run into constructions?
Not sure about map updates. I'll have to play with that. Best thing is being able to slip it in your pocket when you go somewhere, as it's about the size of a PDA. Leave a visible nav system in your car and you're asking for a breakin.
-Jason
North American maps are already pre-loaded. If you want to update the maps, or the firmware/software, you download from the Garmin site hooking the unit up to your computer via USB cable. I'm not certain of this, but I believe the map updates cost $$$. Firmware/software is free, though.
You can have the NUVI give you alternate routes, too....if you run into traffic jams. It does not have "real time" traffic updates (at least my 350 doesn't), however.
Very easy to use. Text to speech is very understandable and the screen is very bright.
woody....I'll admit I'm a tech geke, but the GPS systems that are integrated into the car these days are very good. Mine offers speech recognition (most 3rd party units do not). So, I can just bark out an address and the unit will find what I'm looking for. Mine also controls my blue tooth cell phone. All names and numbers are downloaded from my phone. All I have to do is say "call home" and the number is automatically dialed and the conversation is handled via the microphones and speakers in the car. It's great since you don't have to take your eyes off the road or your hands off the wheel to control anything regarding the GPS or your cell phone.
Hopefully, I'll be as lucky tomorrow with a power seated car!
The Sandman :sick:
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To make this post (semi) relevant, my daughters' ION has the AUX jack for the iPod, while my wife has the FM transmitter for her VUE. Wife rode up with the daughter and commented on the way home that the AUX jack was WAY better than FM when it came to the sound quality.
Hmmm, wonder if there is a way to add an aux cable to her existing stereo?
So, no CCB'ing for us.
Plus, college is costing the proverbial arm and a leg!
According to Mapquest, the airport isn't that far away...which is a good thing! Now I just hope that I can get a "back friendly" rental from Alamo.
The Sandman :sick:
Hmmm, wonder if there is a way to add an aux cable to her existing stereo?
I was looking at Ipods the other day, but the only way I can use one in my truck is through the FM transmitter since I don't have an AUX jack. What bugs me is hubby's Dodge has the AUX jack and its the base model stereo (single CD am/fm). My truck has the upgraded 6-disc in dash CD changer/am/fm infinity system and I don't have the AUX jack. What gives?? My Titan had it with the Rockford Fosgate system although I never used it.
Guess I'll have to stick to CDs with my truck.
http://www.autotoys.com/x/cust/home.php?cat=39
Looks like the AUX jack is standard on the 2006 Vue--don't know if the radio would be a direct swap, but you might also be able to find a 2006 head unit on eBay.
growwise: The TSX is smaller, has a firmer suspension, and has a higher performance engine than the 4 cylinder Accord. The V6 Accord is faster than the TSX however. The TSX has more luxury features like memory seats, HIDS, better stereo, and in my opinion better interior materials. The Acura has a better warranty and roadside assistance but is more expensive than the 4 cylinder Accord and probably more expensive than a V6 Accord considering the deals on Accords right now. As for the noise level the TSX is much quieter than our 04 Accord EX-L. It's a tough call between the Accord and the TSX. It just depends where your priorities are.
My priorities are simple
1. Car should be good looking (its important if you plan on keeping a car for a while). Great colors with gorgeous interiors top priority.
2. It should seat 5 comfortably for long hauls (think roomy back seat)
3. It should ride softly (no hard suspensions thank you but at the same time not wallowy ).
4. Whisper quiet ride (nothing says luxury more than this).
5. Should cost a reasonable amount (say little less than 30k).
6. Should have short front overhang for parking in tight spots etc.
7. Last but not the least - reliability.
Any suggestions?
--Buick Lucerne
--Accord
--Impala
--Avalon
--Ford 500
--Chrysler 300 (non Hemi...although, they're cutting deals on the Hemi, too)
--if you like the look, Dodge Magnum (although I guess technically, they're station wagons)
You might even be able to locate a Lincoln LS for that amount of dough. I've seen them advertised for less than $30K around the southwest OH area. I've also seen base Lincoln Town Cars advertised for around $30K.
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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That's the one option that's nearly impossible to get up here. On the Alaska bound Dodge Rams its not even offered, you read about it in the brochure, but its not an option on the order sheet. Apparently most car navagation systems don't work in Alaska.
Same goes for XM Radio and Sirius Radio, they don't work here either. I ended up with a $195 credit on the invoice for my truck since it came with Sirius but it doesn't work up here so they deleted it.
I would have loved to have gotten Nav with this truck since we travel a lot and plan on traveling into the lower 48. Ah well, I've got my laptop, its map software, and little GPS.
I wonder if Land Rovers SAT NAV will work in Alaska... I know it works in Iceland and most of Scandnavia.