Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

stickguy

my son texted more car options. Got interested in a Mazda 3 or CX30 Turbo AWD. Considering in case he wants to go (much) more budget friendly. I assume to leave room for a toy to go with it.

Must have noticed the 320 ft/lbs of torque, and thought it could serve acceptably as a fun car for around town. Could be an interesting test drive coming out of the G70.

venture

laurasdada said:

Not to be too psychologically self-analyzing, but (hopefully not like many here...) I've had much loss in my family since Thanksgiving time; perhaps I"m not ready to "lose" the Jag.

I really do like the A7; I hadn't even noticed the shifter. Of course, I"ve been using the Jag hockey puck shifter for seven years, so maybe a "stick" type shifter just seems normal. Although, the hockey puck has become quite natural to me.

I'm just trying to figure out if my 7+ year old, 68k mile Jag is a ticking time bomb. It still drives incredibly well, still looks good and fits me well. I don't want to put myself in a position where I "have" to buy a car.

I don't think I"m quite ready to go all electric yet, but like all, am keeping my eye on the developments. Interesting article on Edmunds regarding their "true" battery range vs. EPS estimates for a few of the popular electrics. The Porsche Taycan does well, but, like all things Porsche, at a price.

I saw somewhere that Jaguar will be all electric by 2025.

nyccarguy

28firefighter said:

Seems like you’re trying to force the A7 and not loving it. I’d move on.

+1

The A7/S7 are beautiful cars. The RS7 is supposedly a riot, but very pricey. It sounds like you really enjoy the way your Jag drives. Look into a Giulia or Stelvio. I believe there is still lease support available for leftover 2020s (can hosts confirm?). Since you are open to hatchback-ish type sedans and CPO, have you considered a Panamera?

oldfarmer50

sda said:

Based on all the current cars with timing chains that fail somehow, generally not the chain but the tensioners and supporting hardware, a timing belt is fairly simple and inexpensive maintenance. I would not have thought that years ago as I thought having a timing chain instead of a timing belt was a real plus. With all the failures around 100k and needing replacement, might as well just have a timing belt which is typically less involved and less expensive to replace. I don’t know of any manufacturer calling for
timing chain replacement at a given interval, but those with a timing belt generally specify at xx miles, or xx months, timing belt maintenance required.

I think modern timing chain failure is due to a combination of overly long design and poor owner maintenance. Add to that tensioners that wear prematurely and the whole system cascades into failure.

The chain on my 69’ Plymouth failed at 139k miles which seems early but you have to remember cars in the 60s weren’t meant to last that long. The chain on my 85’ Ford F-150 lasted almost 200k miles.

Timing belts aren’t that cheap to replace either. I got an estimate to do the one on my Sebring for $1,100 which is a lot for a car only worth a few thousand.

laurasdada

Jag is moving (like many it appears) to all electric, the new XJ is to be an electric. Was to be here by now, but I believe Coventry factory was shut for quite some time due to Covid (if the XJ is coming from Coventry?).

I"ve considered the Panamera on and off, but price, large size (just slightly larger than the A7, true) and some reviews mentioning reliability (all electronic cabin) have kind of put me off.

The fact that my local Alfa dealership abandoned the marque as soon as they could, along with anecdotal and stories from right here in CCBA-land, have also turned me away from a Giulia. But, I drive a British car, how bad could it be? Closest Alfa dealer is probably 25 miles away.

No, I think my foot-dragging is really because my XF is still such a strong driver and still looks new-ish in and out. Yes, some dings and dents expected of an 7+ yo car, but regular washing and polishing have kept a youthful glow. And, familiarity and fit, it just fits me. But, as I've said, I'd hate to get to a point where the Jag forces me to "need" to buy a car.

corvette

oldfarmer50 said:

sda said:

Based on all the current cars with timing chains that fail somehow, generally not the chain but the tensioners and supporting hardware, a timing belt is fairly simple and inexpensive maintenance. I would not have thought that years ago as I thought having a timing chain instead of a timing belt was a real plus. With all the failures around 100k and needing replacement, might as well just have a timing belt which is typically less involved and less expensive to replace. I don’t know of any manufacturer calling for
timing chain replacement at a given interval, but those with a timing belt generally specify at xx miles, or xx months, timing belt maintenance required.

I think modern timing chain failure is due to a combination of overly long design and poor owner maintenance. Add to that tensioners that wear prematurely and the whole system cascades into failure.
...

Timing belts aren’t that cheap to replace either. I got an estimate to do the one on my Sebring for $1,100 which is a lot for a car only worth a few thousand.

Yes, it seems like certain engines with timing chains are more failure prone. The early GM 3.6 liter V6 comes to mind. I would think they have resolved those issues by now, but then again, look at how long GM struggled with manifold gasket issues on their pushrod V6s.

I watched a YouTube of a timing belt replacement on a second-generation Honda Pilot. It looked fairly straightforward, other than having to remove an engine mount and support the engine in order to get access. I'm not sure whether that is part of the official procedure or just something that makes it easier to work on, but that makes it a lot less DIY-friendly.

pensfan83

For a a t-belt service on most Honda's my indie shop is about $750+tax and they include all belts, the tensioner, water pump, coolant, and many seals accessible when you having the timing belt cover off. Throw in new plugs and an oil change and you're still under $1,000. Figure doing that once every 10 years or 100K and it's not bad at all.

Michaell

Member looking for advice on a mid-size sedan

roadburner

corvette said:

I had trouble falling asleep the other night, and, inspired by one of the YouTube car guys, typed up a "driven list" of every car I can remember having driven. I won't repost it here, but notably absent from the list are any Lexus ever, any Panther platform vehicle, any modern Mazda, any Miata ever, and most Mercedes.

I’m with you except for Mazdas and the Miata.

qbrozen

It would be impossible for me to recall all the vehicles I have driven.

Michaell

qbrozen said:

It would be impossible for me to recall all the vehicles I have driven.

If test drives count, my number has gone up logarithmically since becoming friends with @breld.

au1994

qbrozen said:

It would be impossible for me to recall all the vehicles I have driven.

It hurts my head to even think about it.

Michaell

au1994 said:

qbrozen said:

It would be impossible for me to recall all the vehicles I have driven.

It hurts my head to even think about it.

Most of us need a spreadsheet to manage the cars we've owned, much less those we've borrowed, rented or test driven.

Let me narrow the scope of the question - for those cars that you haven't owned, which ones stand out to you, for whatever reason?

I remember renting an 2nd generation Taurus SHO once, on a business trip to MN/WI (I flew into MSP, but drove over to WI where the customer was located). At the time, to me, a pretty quick car.

au1994

Michaell said:

au1994 said:

qbrozen said:

It would be impossible for me to recall all the vehicles I have driven.

It hurts my head to even think about it.

Most of us need a spreadsheet to manage the cars we've owned, much less those we've borrowed, rented or test driven.

Let me narrow the scope of the question - for those cars that you haven't owned, which ones stand out to you, for whatever reason?

I remember renting an 2nd generation Taurus SHO once, on a business trip to MN/WI (I flew into MSP, but drove over to WI where the customer was located). At the time, to me, a pretty quick car.

Oh yeah, I was a road warrior at one point as well. A couple of those stick out:

I was upgraded to a Town Car in the 06/07 timeframe. I was flying into Cleveland and out of Ft Wayne so put some miles on it and loved every minute of it. The most comfortable ride and plenty of power.

Once I was lusting after a Jeep Liberty. Picked one out in Wichita and had it for a week and a few hundred miles. Let’s just say that took care of that and there was no Liberty in my future.

corvette

Michaell said:

Let me narrow the scope of the question - for those cars that you haven't owned, which ones stand out to you, for whatever reason?

1st generation BMW X5 - was really a revelation at the time in terms of providing a driver-oriented SUV.

W-body Chevrolet Impala - one of my favorite rental cars. Nothing spectacular about it, but it's a known quantity--smooth ride, quiet, standard V6, so it's decently powerful.

Dodge Charger - rental fleet model with ABS and numerous other features deleted, and the 2.7 liter V6, which was gutless in a car of that heft. Seemed to have good chassis tuning, and probably would have been very nice with some options and the 3.5 liter engine, but as it wass, with the decontenting, really turned me off to the Chrysler brand.

Jeep Cherokee with the 3.2 liter "mini" Pentastar - Had this as a rental in Utah, really liked the way it drove. I wish it had the full-size 3.6 liter Pentastar, and the Carplay implementation had a serious bug with the non-GPS car trying to provide a GPS signal to my phone, but other than that, it was a great SUV.

Pontiac 6000 station wagon - this was the "backup" driver's ed car at our high school. I had the misfortune of driving it once when the regular one (a new Grand Am) was in for service. Reminded me of how far cars have come, even in 20-ish years. It felt like it was constantly fighting you--didn't want to go, stop, or turn.

Volvo XC90 2.5T - reminded me of a softer X5, but still very nice.

tifighter

I had to park a Megane wagon in the tightest underground parking garage I'd ever seen while in Barcelona below a 400 year old building. I'm still traumatized.

But some of my most memorable rentals have been motorcycles.

stickguy

Let’s see, a Subaru SVX. Drove that before even released (my neighbor worked for Sube corporate.). Like a spaceship compared to my normal cars. The Mustang GT I test drove back in about 1988, while driving a 68 HP colt. The 2001 525 BMW I almost bought.

Michaell

corvette said:

Dodge Charger - rental fleet model with ABS and numerous other features deleted, and the 2.7 liter V6, which was gutless in a car of that heft. Seemed to have good chassis tuning, and probably would have been very nice with some options and the 3.5 liter engine, but as it was, with the decontenting, really turned me off to the Chrysler brand.

I rented a 300 once with the same engine. Was really looking forward to having it for the week (I was accompanying my wife to NC as she attended a conference). Way underwhelmed, for sure.

Michaell

Another car that stood out was the Audi R8 I was able to drive in anger at Pikes Peak Int'l Raceway. Got a complement from both my "instructor" as well as the guy driving the pace car (who I was able to keep up with over three laps).

au1994

A couple other rentals that stand out:

- I guess I got lucky. My Challenger did have a Hemi. That was fun and why I wouldn’t recommend buying ex-rentals.

- The Renault rental in Germany who’s E brake handle looked just like the console hatch handle especially due to its location. Took a solid 20 minutes to figure that out because no way I was going to the counter to ask for help.

- A Fiat 500 in Pea Green thats wasn’t bad surprisingly.

- A multitude of Malibu’s/Impalas that were.

explorerx4

@oldfarmer50,
I checked the 2 largest Corvette dealers and neither seems to have any new models in stock.

stickguy

I forgot the Land Rover disco sport I had in Ireland. RHD of course, and diesel. And what taught me exactly how small most roads and parking spots were over there. was like driving an F250 dually over here. I really thought I was going to get stuck in a parking garage since the exit lane was so tight (didn't help that the S class Mercedes in front of me got wedged in and scraped out both rear fenders!)

next time we go, I am asking for something the size of a VW Up!

stickguy

turns out my local VW dealer has 10 2021 GTIs in stock (or at least listed). I thought there was not even going to be a 21 MY. Guess I was wrong.

breld

Wait, so we're talking about cars we drove, liked...and didn't buy?

I don't get it.

corvette

Finally got the formal response from my insurance company in regard to the rental reimbursement on my glass repair... Turns out, when the person who denies your claim does not have a license to adjust claims in your state, and you complain to the state about them, they act like their hair is on fire and quickly pay. Probably doesn't help that they are under a "performance improvement plan" with the state as a result of a recent audit, for the very same licensing issue, among several others...

I am sure my policies have some sort of red flag on them, at this point.

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

@oldfarmer50,
I checked the 2 largest Corvette dealers and neither seems to have any new models in stock.

Yeah, unicorns.

I’m guessing that as someone said you have to put down a big non-refundable deposit and wait a year for delivery. I actually wouldn’t mind that if I could get it custom ordered.

Thousands in ADMs wouldn’t fly though.

Look at this one, almost $20k “market adjustment”.

https://www.berterachevy.com/VehicleSearchResults?search=new&make=Chevrolet&model=Corvette&year=2021

xwesx

laurasdada said:

No, I think my foot-dragging is really because my XF is still such a strong driver and still looks new-ish in and out. Yes, some dings and dents expected of an 7+ yo car, but regular washing and polishing have kept a youthful glow. And, familiarity and fit, it just fits me. But, as I've said, I'd hate to get to a point where the Jag forces me to "need" to buy a car.

I support the notion that having not bought a car in many years is not a good reason to look at buying one now. I think that your just being "out there" and looking at potential replacements will prepare you if the day comes that you "need" to buy one. If the right replacement model comes along, then you can just monitor pricing on them until you get to the point where you are ready to pull the trigger. Just your thinking about it so much means that you aren't going to be caught off guard if the Jag does let you down.

xwesx

stickguy said:

The Mustang GT I test drove back in about 1988, while driving a 68 HP colt.

That seems like a natural progression to me.

xwesx

corvette said:

Finally got the formal response from my insurance company in regard to the rental reimbursement on my glass repair... Turns out, when the person who denies your claim does not have a license to adjust claims in your state, and you complain to the state about them, they act like their hair is on fire and quickly pay. Probably doesn't help that they are under a "performance improvement plan" with the state as a result of a recent audit, for the very same licensing issue, among several others...

I am sure my policies have some sort of red flag on them, at this point.

Sounds like an odd sort of "perfect storm" scenario. Just goes to show that being a squeaky wheel (in the right way) can be a good thing. Perhaps the next step is to find a better insurance company (although, this "performance improvement plan" might just turn out to be a blessing in disguise for you....).

explorerx4

@breld,
I've driven a few that were over my pay grade at the time.
Really enjoyed the experience to do it.
The drives, maybe, maybe not.

roadburner

I lost count of the cars I’ve driven once I started work at BMW.

28firefighter

@corvette it seems that perhaps you should start checking your six. There may be an angry unemployed adjuster floating around somewhere.

au1994

xwesx said:

stickguy said:

The Mustang GT I test drove back in about 1988, while driving a 68 HP colt.

That seems like a natural progression to me.

Oh heck yeah! I went from the 2.0 w/90hp in my 89 Beretta to the 190hp V-6 in my 95 Tacoma and it felt like a rocket ship.

Shoulda, woulda, coulda kept that Tacoma. SR5, 4x4, extended cab V6 and was actually a compact truck. I’d love to have that around still.

corvette

xwesx said:

corvette said:

Finally got the formal response from my insurance company in regard to the rental reimbursement on my glass repair... Turns out, when the person who denies your claim does not have a license to adjust claims in your state, and you complain to the state about them, they act like their hair is on fire and quickly pay. Probably doesn't help that they are under a "performance improvement plan" with the state as a result of a recent audit, for the very same licensing issue, among several others...

I am sure my policies have some sort of red flag on them, at this point.

Sounds like an odd sort of "perfect storm" scenario. Just goes to show that being a squeaky wheel (in the right way) can be a good thing. Perhaps the next step is to find a better insurance company (although, this "performance improvement plan" might just turn out to be a blessing in disguise for you....).

I had that discussion with a neighbor who expressed the "get a quote every year and switch companies" point of view... I told them that I'd been with the current company for several years, which was long enough to know how to deal with them when there is a problem. Definitely some value in that!

ab348

Got an email from GM Canada saying that from now until sometime in March they will double my GM Card earnings if I buy/lease a new car. I only have $1K so a $2K incentive is only big enough for me to see what offers they have right now. Nothing too compelling as it turns out - a Buick Encore GX and the outgoing Envision, the CT6 if you don’t mind a $500 monthly lease, or the GMC Terrain if you can live with a 1.5L turbo 4 in one of those. You need to spring for the Denali at almost $10K more if you want a nice one now.

tjc78

Not bought but wish I did:

98 Mark VIII - really nice car. I was looking at nice used one around 2002 when my Solara was going back. Got an 03 Avalon instead.

Standout rentals from the road warrior days (early 2000s)

Olds Alero. I don’t quite know why, but never minded getting those.

Maxima. Always enjoyed them a lot, the VQ was/is such a sweet engine. I had one in Montana... may have fractured a speed limit or two.

Impalas were always solid and comfortable as mentioned.

corvette

28firefighter said:

@corvette it seems that perhaps you should start checking your six. There may be an angry unemployed adjuster floating around somewhere.

Their resume is going to look kind of weird, if they're honest. "Unlicensed insurance adjuster with Big Auto Insurance Company" sounds a lot like "Practiced medicine without a license at Death Star Hospital."

oldfarmer50

breld said:

Wait, so we're talking about cars we drove, liked...and didn't buy?

I don't get it.

Well, a few years ago I rented an Eclipse and a PT Cruiser on a trip to Florida. I liked the Eclipse and my wife liked the PT so I bought both.

Sandman6472

Corvette, been offline the last few days so had no idea about your foot issues. Sorry to hear that. I've been using a cane since my work truck accident back in 2005 as I've developed a balance issue since then and feel like I'm going to fall without it. It's become part of me and at work, they call me "Stick" or "Citizen Cane" but I laugh right along with them. It's never far from me and like a service animal, it calms me when I walk anywhere if that makes any sense. That added confidence I guess.
Just take it easy and in due time, you'll be done with it and never have to use it again. But it really is a great companion. I'd be lost without mine!

nyccarguy

Tomorrow is time to take the Pilot to “the guy.” 63,000 miles and it will get some fresh Mobil 1, a new Honda oil filter, Honda Brake Pads on all 4 corners, & Honda Rotors on all four corners.

I also discovered that I really like driving the Pilot in “Sand” mode. It dials the traction control waaaay down (maybe even off). I think it sends torque to all four wheels instead of just waiting for the front wheels to slip. It jumps off the line too.

Michaell

oldfarmer50 said:

explorerx4 said:

@oldfarmer50,
I checked the 2 largest Corvette dealers and neither seems to have any new models in stock.

Yeah, unicorns.

I’m guessing that as someone said you have to put down a big non-refundable deposit and wait a year for delivery. I actually wouldn’t mind that if I could get it custom ordered.

Thousands in ADMs wouldn’t fly though.

Look at this one, almost $20k “market adjustment”.

https://www.berterachevy.com/VehicleSearchResults?search=new&make=Chevrolet&model=Corvette&year=2021

$20k? Pshaw.

I saw where the Launch Edition of the Ram TRX was getting $50k ADMs on them at some dealers. Over $140k.

qbrozen

Still haven’t test driven the ML. I know it runs. Lol. But need MB coolant. Amazon sent it west instead of east, so it didn’t arrive until late tonight, about 30 hrs layer than it was supposed to. I have also discovered the battery is toast. It will charge but discharges pretty quick. After fully charging on Monday afternoon, it was down to 8v this afternoon. Wound up ordering an AGM-type battery from Rockauto for the same price as Autozone’s mid-grade lead acid.

corvette

nyccarguy said:

I also discovered that I really like driving the Pilot in “Sand” mode. It dials the traction control waaaay down (maybe even off). I think it sends torque to all four wheels instead of just waiting for the front wheels to slip. It jumps off the line too.

Didn't realize the newer Pilots had different terrain modes. Sounds like it may remap the throttle, kind of like the tow mode on my truck.

qbrozen said:

Still haven’t test driven the ML. I know it runs. Lol. But need MB coolant. Amazon sent it west instead of east, so it didn’t arrive until late tonight, about 30 hrs layer than it was supposed to. I have also discovered the battery is toast. It will charge but discharges pretty quick. After fully charging on Monday afternoon, it was down to 8v this afternoon. Wound up ordering an AGM-type battery from Rockauto for the same price as Autozone’s mid-grade lead acid.

Could there be a battery drain issue? I know that's been an problem with a lot of newer vehicles and electronic modules not always going into low-power mode as designed. I have an electronic battery tester I got from Harbor Freight that supposedly can measure the CCA of a battery, as a proxy for its health--I try to do that every 1,000 miles when I check the tires.

oldfarmer50

Michaell said:

oldfarmer50 said:

explorerx4 said:

@oldfarmer50,
I checked the 2 largest Corvette dealers and neither seems to have any new models in stock.

Yeah, unicorns.

I’m guessing that as someone said you have to put down a big non-refundable deposit and wait a year for delivery. I actually wouldn’t mind that if I could get it custom ordered.

Thousands in ADMs wouldn’t fly though.

Look at this one, almost $20k “market adjustment”.

https://www.berterachevy.com/VehicleSearchResults?search=new&make=Chevrolet&model=Corvette&year=2021

$20k? Pshaw.

I saw where the Launch Edition of the Ram TRX was getting $50k ADMs on them at some dealers. Over $140k.

Some folks have more dollars than sense I guess. I can’t imagine having hot pants for a vehicle so bad I’d pay an extra $50k.

nyccarguy

corvette said:

nyccarguy said:

I also discovered that I really like driving the Pilot in “Sand” mode. It dials the traction control waaaay down (maybe even off). I think it sends torque to all four wheels instead of just waiting for the front wheels to slip. It jumps off the line too.

Didn't realize the newer Pilots had different terrain modes. Sounds like it may remap the throttle, kind of like the tow mode on my truck.

qbrozen said:

Still haven’t test driven the ML. I know it runs. Lol. But need MB coolant. Amazon sent it west instead of east, so it didn’t arrive until late tonight, about 30 hrs layer than it was supposed to. I have also discovered the battery is toast. It will charge but discharges pretty quick. After fully charging on Monday afternoon, it was down to 8v this afternoon. Wound up ordering an AGM-type battery from Rockauto for the same price as Autozone’s mid-grade lead acid.

Could there be a battery drain issue? I know that's been an problem with a lot of newer vehicles and electronic modules not always going into low-power mode as designed. I have an electronic battery tester I got from Harbor Freight that supposedly can measure the CCA of a battery, as a proxy for its health--I try to do that every 1,000 miles when I check the tires.

Intelligent Traction Management. Normal. Snow which starts the vehicle off in 2nd gear and sends some power to the rear wheels to aid in take off. There is a Mud mode and a Sand mode.

They change throttle mapping, traction control threshold, sending different amounts of power to the rear wheels.s

stickguy

I don't the RDX has terrain modes. I know it has comfort/normal, sport, sport+ drive modes. But can't remember if there is another one for snow. I guess I should turn the giant knob on the console and see what the options are!

andres3

laurasdada said:

I think I can understand about a bit tough to warm up to Audi. It is a coolly efficient German machine. The A7 interior is quite lovely, if a bit Xmas tree-ish at night. The engine is strong, a great design with the hatch. And, a nice GT drive. But, again, coolly efficient. As a GT fan, that's not bad at all. But for backroad twisties, not the car.
And, it is a bit unique, I don't see them everywhere around here. And that's a selling point to me. Again, I'm superficial!

I really think you'd enjoy the '15-`16 S5 much more than the A7. Of course, that's going back a little older, a bit harder to find with low miles, but it has a far superior transmission and in the S models, the 3.0 is souped-up over the A models. If you don't need the latest tech and doodads, you'll be fine.

au1994

nyccarguy said:

corvette said:

nyccarguy said:

I also discovered that I really like driving the Pilot in “Sand” mode. It dials the traction control waaaay down (maybe even off). I think it sends torque to all four wheels instead of just waiting for the front wheels to slip. It jumps off the line too.

Didn't realize the newer Pilots had different terrain modes. Sounds like it may remap the throttle, kind of like the tow mode on my truck.

qbrozen said:

Still haven’t test driven the ML. I know it runs. Lol. But need MB coolant. Amazon sent it west instead of east, so it didn’t arrive until late tonight, about 30 hrs layer than it was supposed to. I have also discovered the battery is toast. It will charge but discharges pretty quick. After fully charging on Monday afternoon, it was down to 8v this afternoon. Wound up ordering an AGM-type battery from Rockauto for the same price as Autozone’s mid-grade lead acid.

Could there be a battery drain issue? I know that's been an problem with a lot of newer vehicles and electronic modules not always going into low-power mode as designed. I have an electronic battery tester I got from Harbor Freight that supposedly can measure the CCA of a battery, as a proxy for its health--I try to do that every 1,000 miles when I check the tires.

Intelligent Traction Management. Normal. Snow which starts the vehicle off in 2nd gear and sends some power to the rear wheels to aid in take off. There is a Mud mode and a Sand mode.

They change throttle mapping, traction control threshold, sending different amounts of power to the rear wheels.s

Big fan of the Pilot. Just wish they leased better.

stickguy

My local place has a nice looking 2018. Seems pretty loaded. Not a fan of the color combo though. And of course, no clue if the price is good, bad or indifferent.

https://www.royalmotorsnj.com/details-2018-audi-s4-3_0_tfsi_premium_plus_quattro_awd-used-waub4af41ja003513.html

pensfan83

au1994 said:

nyccarguy said:

corvette said:

nyccarguy said:

I also discovered that I really like driving the Pilot in “Sand” mode. It dials the traction control waaaay down (maybe even off). I think it sends torque to all four wheels instead of just waiting for the front wheels to slip. It jumps off the line too.

Didn't realize the newer Pilots had different terrain modes. Sounds like it may remap the throttle, kind of like the tow mode on my truck.

qbrozen said:

Still haven’t test driven the ML. I know it runs. Lol. But need MB coolant. Amazon sent it west instead of east, so it didn’t arrive until late tonight, about 30 hrs layer than it was supposed to. I have also discovered the battery is toast. It will charge but discharges pretty quick. After fully charging on Monday afternoon, it was down to 8v this afternoon. Wound up ordering an AGM-type battery from Rockauto for the same price as Autozone’s mid-grade lead acid.

Could there be a battery drain issue? I know that's been an problem with a lot of newer vehicles and electronic modules not always going into low-power mode as designed. I have an electronic battery tester I got from Harbor Freight that supposedly can measure the CCA of a battery, as a proxy for its health--I try to do that every 1,000 miles when I check the tires.

Intelligent Traction Management. Normal. Snow which starts the vehicle off in 2nd gear and sends some power to the rear wheels to aid in take off. There is a Mud mode and a Sand mode.

They change throttle mapping, traction control threshold, sending different amounts of power to the rear wheels.s

Big fan of the Pilot. Just wish they leased better.

And if you don't need a 3rd row the Passport is essentially the same thing, replacing that 3rd row with a huge cargo area.