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Like many of the regulars here, you do recognize what I like. Still, I am committed to making my wife happy. This purchase is her choice. I've had my choices so many times over the years.
Richard
I'm not so sure about that. Read Edmunds review of the 2010 Explorer. It was very positive, especially for an old SUV design. The review of the Flex was even better---nearly flawless.
Richard
Good grief, I'm not in the old folks home yet. It would hardly confuse me to prefer something else. Could you pass me my cane, dentures, and toupee? I think that I'll walk to the end of the drive and back. :confuse:
Richard
19 years next month for me.
I've lost too many friends and loved ones who were unfortunate enough to have the genes that retaliated and succumbed early.
Good for you. The poor guy needs help. :P
Richard
driver--
That's one possible interpretation. Another is that while you perceive "depth", other sensible observers might detect "shallowness".
Gogiboy
My 79 year old mother did, and does, call "sofas" davenports. She lives in SE MI so your "midwestern" tag is right on. My OK students have never heard the term. Now, maybe you can tell me how bedroom suite (as in bed, bureau, end tables) has become bedroom "suit"--at least in OK? I always thought bedroom suit was...well, you're an adult so I don't have to elaborate--think birthday suit.
Gogiboy
Gim & others--
Don't know if any of you read this, but one of the car manufacturers (not a luxury brand--perhaps Hyundai?) is releasing one of their new models with adjustable electric power assist steering. The idea is that the driver can pick the right amount of "feel" or resistance. Is this the solution?
Gogiboy
If they are that concerned about the tiny increase in MPG from the electric set up, maybe stop layering on silly (and heavy) gadgets and power features, and porking out their cars so much that they have to keep putting in bigger, more powerful, engines.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Like icebox and drainboard? The latter slips out once in awhile and my kids look at me like I'm crazy.
Not sure how my western Washington Italian immigrant family started using davenport but they did.
Eaton's, Woodwards? Enquiring minds want to know.
I can thank the Woodwards stores for most of the misspellings of my name when I lived in Canada. Down here, I'm not sure why so few can get it right.
My point is drive what you like and don't worry what other's think. And the flip side is don't think that what you like is right for somebody else - not directed at you of course!.
I know you love your car - and that is the best recommendation there is - and in no way is the Ginny a throw-away!
:shades:
Many people do make that mistake. "Suite" refers to connecting rooms or units of furniture, while "suit' refers to men's clothing.
I'm still trying to get used to "24/7", "No problem", "He passed", "Later", "In a few", and some others.
"He passed."---what did he pass? A car, gas, a house? Are we now afraid to say, "He died."?
"No problem."---A simple "Thank you." or "You're welcome." would be nice.
"24/7"---a lazy way of not saying twenty-four hours, seven days a week.
"Later"---What happened to "Good-bye" ,"I'll see you later.", and "Take care."?
"In a few"---minutes, hours, days, months, or years?
I suppose that texting has had its influence.
Richard
I remember when people called their refrigerator "kelvinator". :shades:
Richard
Yes, Timothy T Eaton's. Though about the wealthiest people in the country, they all drove regular Fords. Of course, they don't have to show off by getting a BMW, everyone knows they have money.
Actually, they didn't want to be showy at all. Unfortunately, the 2nd generation usually ruins a great business, it happens many times, and Eaton's didn't survive with the sons running it.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Very good interpretation. I have a hard time believing people will spend $10 - $20k more just to show off. There has to be value or BMW wouldn't sell all the cars they do, nor convert so many people to aspire to own one. Overall, the public is smarter than that. There has to be some substance to the car, or people wouldn't think so highly of it.
I do agree though, I am sure a certain percentage of people buy the car for "shallow" reasons, they just want to own a bimmer, and don't really appreciate the engineering etc.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Richard has a history of driving Buick, Cadillac, Lincoln, etc...
Back when Richard was driving his LTC, you were moving up to a Cavalier from a Corsica, so a BMW is going to be a total shock to you (Driver100).
BTW, I got a close up look at a GLK today. What a Frankenstein. Looks exactly like a 5 year old Suzuki XL7 with oversize front and rear Mercedes lights.
I think Woodwards is still struggling on, but they are only in Western Canada. It was Eaton's that closed down
Here are the basic facts;
The T. Eaton Co. Limited was once Canada's largest department store retailer. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an Irish immigrant. Eaton's grew to become a retail and social institution in Canada, with stores across the country, buying offices across the globe, and a catalogue that was found in the homes of most Canadians. A rapidly changing economic and retail environment in the late 20th century proved difficult for Eaton's, and the chain went bankrupt in 1999
The history is quite interesting: Eatons
I can see the confusion in your name, it is natural to say Woodward, but not so common to leave out that "W".
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Not totally, I travelled for sales and rented almost every kind of car at one time or another....and my last 2 cars before the bmw were Jeeps. I still rent cars when we go on trips, but, there is a difference in the steering and handling.
We can go in circles but I have never heard of a person actually driving an MB, Audi, or BMW and saying they preferred a Lincoln, Cadillac, or Buick more. I have heard lots of people who have gone the other way.
Today a friend took me out in his new MKZ. The good things are the electronics. The navigation system is easy to use, the mirrors light up if there is someone coming up beside you (in case you are getting senile), and the camera in the back bumper (also good if you are getting senile or are parking impaired). The cons include; monochrome drab gray interior, overdone fancy instrument cluster, poor seats and seating, have to look out the front window up and over the instrument panel, and, it just doesn't feel as well balanced on the road, sloppy and loose.
I know the MKZ isn't an LTC or Explorer, but I think the Kia Optima had better basic engineering than the Lincoln.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I read the reviews and though nothing too negative, the reviewer did not say anything like this;
Close the GLK's doors and the sound they emit gives the feeling of closing a bank vault -- all that's missing is that spinny wheel thing. Go over railroad tracks and the body doesn't flex a bit, nor does any jarring or jiggling greet your backside. This little SUV feels like you could drive over a grenade and experience nothing but a muted "thump." The GLK350 may not be perfect, but when it comes to meticulous build quality, it simply has no equal in this segment.
I guess it depends on how you interpret what you read. I didn't see anything about solid as a bank vault or that you could drive over a grenade and just get a quiet thump. Did I miss that part?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Not sure about Canada, but down here in the states, MB is touting those 'senile' features as a reason to buy their E class models.
I have been thinking about Richard's mysterious 5th candidate.
How about a Cadillac SRX? Not too big, but does a good job pulling off the Cadillac look.
The SRX looks interesting, and it is an SUV but is more car like, however, knowing my good friend Richard, he will never, ever, buy another Cadillac.
If you don't know why you will have to find some of his early posts....after his experience with a brand new Cadillac, he will not buy another one, no matter how good the reviews are or how much he likes the styling.
About the MKZ, I thought the MKZ would be superior to an LTC because it is modelled on a Fusion, which I did like. And one friend has a 5 year old MKZ and I did like the comfort of the back seat, and even the fit and finish of the interior. But, as a front seat passenger, this 2010 model did not look as nice, and the ride was not as good as my wifes 2008 3 Series - I have sat in the front passenger seat in her car as a comparison. Her car hits a bump with a small thud, you know you hit a bump but don't feel it, you sense it...feel of the road. The MKZ wallows over bumps, it hides the bump pretty well, but it tries to hide the bump, but doesn't.
I like to know the bump is there, but not really feel it. That's what a BMW does. Also, I can see the steering wheel wandering and can feel the steering is vague, by the motions of the driver.
The front seat doesn't surround you, it actually pokes you in the rear somehow. Really, I can't explain it....the electronics are nice, and yes the E Class has the camera and stuff, those are pretty good features, especially for really bad drivers, but the car is lacking that magical feeling, that you have to experience to appreciate.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Don't tell yourself that you will try to stop smoking. That's setting the bar too low. You'll almost certainly fail. No surprise there. After all, you never promised yourself that you would actually quit - only that you would try. And you did just what you set out to do: you tried.
Instead, pick a date in the near future - no more than 2 or 3 weeks away - & tell yourself & anyone who will listen that on that date you will become an ex-smoker. You won't be satisfied with merely trying to stop. Not at all. Nothing short of total victory will satisfy you.
Then, after you've stopped, reward yourself often & well. I'm a music lover, so I treated myself to jazz CDs at the end of each smoke-free week. After I had been clean for 3 months, I bought a high-end stereo receiver. Three months later, I bought a rather pricey watch. I didn't look on these things as extravagances but as stuff that I had earned through hard work.
As it happens, the money that I spent on these goodies was a fraction of what my habit would have cost me if I had not kicked it when I did.
As I said in an earlier post, if I can do it, anyone can.
Here are tonight's competitors:
From Upper Saddle River, NJ: Jack Daniel's Porsche
From White Plains, NY: Pepe Porsche
Jack Daniel's is where my Mom originally drove the Cayenne last Saturday afternoon. She was passed off from one salesman to a greenpea who couldn't work the computer and didn't return my phone call on Tuesday. My Dad went with her Tuesday night to drive the car himself and was seriously impressed.
Pepe Porsche is the dealer I called on the phone Tuesday to get some pricing info. The gentleman I spoke to on the phone was extremely friendly, no bs, and knowledegable. I explained to him how my Mom went to Jack Daniel's and they didn't return my phone call.
_____________________________________________________________________
When I last left you all off, I was waiting for a better offer to come from Jack Daniel's Porsche. He was still $1000 more than I wanted to pay. While I was waiting, I called Pepe Porsche and told the guy the exact color & options and gave him the price I wanted to pay as well.
Pepe called me back and gave me the exact same price the guy @ Jack Daniel's gave me. He said the Jack Daniel's is a bigger dealership that gets more allocations so if they can sell me the car cheaper to buy it from them. I told him they were both at the exact same price.
I called the salesman back at Jack Daniel's. We were $1000 apart and I knew that I was going to have to cough up the extra $1000. I tried his line: Let's split the difference. He told me: "AT this point, I'm all in."
My Mom is getting an amazing SUV at a very fair price. Everybody's happy!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Richard
Richard
Great. So if I jump into the "floaty ride vs. feel the road" exchange, I can say that Toyota, Buick, (or insert your fave) is like driving a davenport... and some of you will understand me.
explorer - too late notification on the museum in Hatteras. I read your post after we came back. We did, however, both make the trip up the tallest lighthouse in North America (tallest brick lighthouse in the world) and spend some really quality ocean time on the best beach in the country so I'll save other items for next trip.
Next time I'll tack on a couple of days and spend wither the first few or last few down in Ocracoke and Hatteras.
Was great to meet up with bianca and her husband - very nice people - and while we missed many things there's no one thing that we did where I thought "oh, we should have done something else."
I still have another week off which will be spent at teh lovely Jersey shore where I am at this very moment.
Richard
In that case, I go with convenience, If you live over in westchester/connecticut, WP is certainly more convenient.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
It also depends on how it is written. Phrases such as "solid as a bank vault" or sentences such as "You could drive over a grenade and just get a quiet thump." are as over the top as the way that they trashed the Town Car. I just read the review of the BMW X3. It was obvious that they hated to make any negative comments. They simply said that the car hadn't had a redesign in six years, while the competitors had. That's a little different from saying that the Town Car is "out dated". They also said that the X3 ride was a bit firm for some folks. That's different from calling the Town Car ride "sloppy". Just like numbers, you can manipulate words to influence or paint a different picture.
Richard
(Sorry, Tidester. I'll have to leave you alone on the night shift. Drink some coffee and have a good night. I have to get up early in the morning.)
Thanks. I have a couple of textbooks to keep me company.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
A dealership called Jack Daniel's. Were you buying a car or a drink?
You did very well, $500 more than the price you had in mind, over 5 years that is just $2 a week with the Driver low cost averaging plan.
Sounds like a great car at a great price and your Mom will go through life knowing what "the feel of the road" is all about.
Good story, Tidester must have fallen asleep with his text book, you should have a gold star by now.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
It also depends on how it is written. Phrases such as "solid as a bank vault" or sentences such as "You could drive over a grenade and just get a quiet thump."
So, if they mention a good thing about the GLK it is over the top. They might be exaggerating but we know the idea they are trying to get across.
are as over the top as the way that they trashed the Town Car. I just read the review of the BMW X3. It was obvious that they hated to make any negative comments. They simply said that the car hadn't had a redesign in six years, while the competitors had. That's a little different from saying that the Town Car is "out dated".
In this case I think they were kinder to the Town Car, by not giving a time period. If they wanted to be nasty they would have said the LTC has not been updated, a let us see, ah, since it was first made over 20 years ago. Though the X3 is a 6 year old design it is well ahead a lot of other cars in driving dynamics.
They also said that the X3 ride was a bit firm for some folks. That's different from calling the Town Car ride "sloppy".
The X3 is definitely too firm for most people, that is true. I don't mind, because the trade off is better handling and steering. I don't know if any one prefers a sloppy ride. I don't know how they could have made that sound better. Maybe, "the ride sure won't be firm".
Just like numbers, you can manipulate words to influence or paint a different picture.
That is true and a good point. But, Edmunds doesn't have an ax to grind with any one. I think they called it as they see it. I think you can interpret the review to get the most out of it........If they say the X3 is 6 years old and is firm I might wait until a new model comes out. If they say a GLK is as solid as a vault I would want to know what they are talking about...it must mean something. If they say a Lincoln Town Car has sloppy steering it might be exaggerated, but they aren't going to say this just to make something up.
I agree, you have to take from the review what you can use, but, some things they mention are indisputable facts. A bank vault is solid, a grenade under your car would be noticeable, and we all know what sloppy feels like.
I think the reviews were excellent, they were interesting, and they explained the positives and negatives of each car very clearly. In fact, I found the CR reviews almost useless, they just state the horse power or the features on the car, without any opinion. I might not agree with the reviewer, but I want his informative opinion about the cars he is testing.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
And this from a woman who drives around in mud and dog poop....
"You could drive over a grenade and just get a quiet thump."
Hey! When they say a car is bulletproof that's a good thing. Shouldn't grenade proof be a better thing?
Good point fezo. For me, the Flex looks like a Mini Cooper only a larger version.
I doubt it will ever become a classic, or an example of great design, but there are worse cars around.
That's what I say about me, to my wife, "She could have done worse".
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Just then, my son piped up, "That's so-and-so's new car."
So-and-so is his high school classmate... :surprise:
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his wife has an '06 and is think about getting a new 1 Series, taking euro delivery, since they are going to Germany.
The husband, who drives a 9-3, says the 328 is too heavy for it's size, doesn't shift well unless you are really running up the rev's and hates the run flat tires.
Guess they are not for everyone.
FYI: the X3 will be all new for 2011. I would be surprised if BMW didn't take this opportunity to make significant changes to the X3's suspension.
Richard--
I don't know if you're familiar with William Safire (now passed..er, I mean deceased). He was a conservative, a political speech writer and he wrote a weekly column for the New York Times Magazine called "On Language".
Safire authored numerous books and often sought misuse of language stories from professionals in a broad range of fields. I know that my father provided an example that Safire published. We all know that internal combustion engines can, and do, seize. In the medial profession, however, a patient cannot "seize" as was reported by a medical student who was stating his clinical diagnosis.
My favorite, though, is a blooper produced by a secondary school student and contained in a book chapter called "Anguished English" by Richard Lederer:
"Sir Francis Drake circumcised the world with a 100 foot clipper".
What an image! What a difference a few letters make! A "little" knowledge is dangerous.
Gogiboy
You don't say which dealer prevailed, but I would expect Jack Daniel's Porsche to fill the entire Cayenne cabin with crates of fine, aged whiskey as an additional inducement!
Gogiboy
Richard--
Consumer's Guide used to employ the "bank vault" doors analogy to describe the Lexus LS400 series back in the mid-90s. It always intrigued me.
My favorite phrase, which was used quite often by CR once upon a time, was "the rear seats are vestigial" sort of a phantom, I guess. The comment was typically reserved for "four-seaters" that were for all practical purposes, two-seaters (late 80s Mustangs, Camaros--and quite a few other sporty cars of that era--and this era).
Gogiboy
Just then, my son piped up, "That's so-and-so's new car."
So-and-so is his high school classmate...
Good thing it wasn't one of Richard's kids. He would just tell the kid that it is an ugly little car and you can't have one.
I was only allowed to go to poorer schools, where the kids didn't get nice cars, that solved that problem.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Guess they are not for everyone.
A few things, I tried a Saab 9-3 convertible in 2008 when I bought my 328. Loved the handling and the turbo boosted engine. Didn't like the fact it hadn't been updated for a long time and had fallen behind technologically - though that doesn't bother "some people".
The 328 seems to have enough power, but he can get a 330 with twin turbos if he wants more power. The 1 Series has the same engines in a lighter car, so that might work for him.
I would think they all have run flat tires. It isn't my favorite way to go, but I wouldn't have any space in my trunk if I had a spare in there. Also, there are some advantages, so it isn't a big deal in the big scheme of things.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
my BIL bought a BMW 550 a couple of years back. Came with runflats. It wasn't until he got home that he discovered that it also had a spare tire (maybe full size, but not sure) in the tire well in the trunk. Kind of mixed messages there!
needless to say, when he recently got new tires, he did not get runflats.
Another guy I know has a mini cooper S, and same deal, hated the ride with the run flats. He put normal tires on, and just got a donut that would fit, and put it in a back and stuck it behind the front passenger seat. since no one was likely to ride in the back seat, it worked for him!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Sorry for the delayed response. It`s not that the tech is expensive for the hybrids-rather the hybrids have been the most reliable of all sedans as per CR. The Insight and Prius are the most reliable sedans followed by the Camry and Altima hybrids. The Escape hybrid is also much more reliable than the gas version. I think the taxis mostly opt for the most reliable cars that can take a serious beating. Plus the gas savings can be pretty significant especially in NYC as the traffic is stop and go almost 24 hrs -more stop than go .
The more you brake - the more mileage a hybrid is supposed to give due to the regeneration braking . And they have much higher mileage ratings for city vs highway. No wonder those taxi guys brake the hell out of their cars !! :P
And yes- I had shipped the Saturn from TX to NYC -- and it`s been pretty good ...Yup, I will be posting that sales story --nothing too dramatic though !! Was the first time in quite a while to shop at a regular car dealer instead of buying online on Ebay. But cant imagine anyone buying the Saturn new ,even in 2001. And I am driving it like a sports car-- LOL ! Hard repeated brakings ,sudden accelerations[totally intended though
And as Isell Craig had said before I bought that Saturn - that "Saturns are tough little buggers and seem to hold up quite decently" . And that`s what exactly it is--- good fuel economy and small enough to drive in congested NYC !!