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If you're about to write a large check for a big ticket item, you should assume exactly nothing. Although the salesman didn't cover himself with glory, Dad loses lots of points in my book for his conspicuous failure to ask just one pointed question: "Does this have 4WD?" If he had done that, the outcome of this unhappy tale would have been entirely different.
I'll stop short of calling Dad a dim bulb - he's not here to defend himself, after all - but I have to wonder if he even glanced at the window sticker.
Sorry to sound so unsympathetic, but I think that Dad got what he deserved.
That sounds like a radio station high end of the FM dial! that's a fever.
Good luck with the medical end of things there.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I bought a replacement mirror for my car from a wrecking yard 150 miles away by telephone. When the gentleman was packing it he noticed the glass had some light scratches. I got a phone call from him to be sure I still wanted the mirror with the light scratches. He could have just packed it up and sent it. They are almost unnoticeable until lights are on the mirror from behind.
He did the right thing by calling and making sure the customer understood it wasn't perfect.
The salesman should have done the same selling the Jeep when it wasn't usual and customary as far as the equipment people think it has, like 4-wheel drive.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Great advice. I do the same thing, when I buy something the only thing I have to actually do once I am ready to commit is sign away. With all the info available today via the web there is no reason to go into a store uniformed.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
Expensive they are... I had to replace 2 already (same one no less driver front). One for a nail though the sidewall, the other a giant bubble (caused by a pothole I assume). I was STUNNED at the cost of $250+ mounted and balanced. To top it off they are special &*%$ order! They do handle well in dry and wet weather but are useless in the snow. Genny will stay parked when/if it snows this year. I'll load up the bed of my 2WD S10 with snow or use my GFs Elantra.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
Flashbacks of a friend falling over his seat at a baseball game and dropping his hotdog, loaded with all the options, onto the head of the gentleman sitting in front of us.
A hotdog is probably about the most dangerous thing to eat, other than soup, in a car. But always good to have exceptions to the rule.
I had a no eat no drink rule when we first bought our MPV. The kids were younger. Now it's pretty much, "Be careful with that drink", whenever my youngest gets in the car. A few little "accidents" now and then, but the van is 6 years old now so it doesn't bother me as much.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
They call it a manual, and it doesn't work unless you do the shifting. I would think, by definition, an automatic means no clutch and no shifting.
If you look up the "site" you will see, all fomula one cars use these transmissions, and they say they are manuals.
Ken Blocks
The How it Works site explains how it works
How a Sequential Transmission Worksa>
The first article says, for those who care:
boosted 2.0-liter four-pot capable of 850 horsepower (de-tuned with a restrictor plate to output 650 hp in the name of tractability) and 660 pound-feet of torque. Partnered with a Olsbergs Motorsport-developed MSE Maktrak six-speed sequential transmission and powering all four wheels, the new Gymkhana contender will hit 60 mph in two seconds flat
And I chose him as the World's Best Driver because that's what came up when I googled it...looking for the WBD. I am not making a big issue, I was just pointing out that I think a really good driver would have to be aware of how to use a manual transmission. I think you would have to know how to select gears to brake, and turn etc., and to have more control.
Disclaimer: I am not saying drivers are superior if they can drive a manual. I am only saying for maximum driving ability, I think you would have to use a manual.
Special Note: Fezo, I hope you are feeling better really soon.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
A drive thru restaurant in a small town serves a crumbled hamburger meat well seasoned. It's called a MaidRite, a chain out of Midwestern state. They have a unique scent. That scent hangs in the car for days.
I've found the cure is to leave it outside with the windows down where the air moves through. Windows down inside our heated garage doesn't do it.
The dry sloppy joe type meat always escapes while eating a sandwich in the car from the wax paper they serve them in. I think the meat bits that find their way between the seats take a few days to dry out.
Richard's right. We just shouldn't eat in the car and there wouldn't be a problem afterwards.
I have found the Febreez helps. I bought the auto version in the parts stores. But I suspect the regular sizes from big box stores would be a decent way to descent the car.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
the owner thought an animal had died somewhere but he couldn't find the remains.
As I recall, he literally had to junk the car.
A lot of people in here will never know you wrote that... just kidding.
Nice post. I almost missed it.....
Richard
Richard
Richard
Richard
Sequential manual gearboxes have a clutch but the clutch is hydraulically operated by the engine management system- there's no clutch pedal. They can usually be operated in fully automatic or manual mode.The early sequential boxes(such as BMW's SMG) tended to a bit crude on the street but pretty competent on the track. Just recently I found a lovely E46 M3 SMG that I was prepared to buy- until I drove it. The newer sequential transmissions have two clutches which allow for a faster and smoother shift action. The BMW DCT and the VW/Audi DSG are two good examples. The automatic tranny in the new Fiesta is actually a double-clutch box but -inexplicably- it has no manual mode.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Not sure about all, but these trannys use a microprocessor that is the brain behind controlling many electric solenoid activations of an internal clutch. Usually two, but I can't explain right here, right now why they use a dual clutch. My guess is the extra clutch acts like a buffer, so provides a more fluid engagement but that is only a guess. Possibly tho, one is used for up shifts and the other for downshifts?Just thinking outloud with ya here. Road speed, revs, decel, accel and a ton of other sensors all meet at the brain. So the clutch(es) does/do activate, engage and disengage like a manual tranny. It is not an automatic. If autos were better, you would find them on race tracks. I think drag racers use autos, but even those guys may use these seq shift trannys now too cuz they are so fast.
My guess, is tha t that big stick with his rt hand was set up so that he could brake the front axle or rear axle independently even tho it's an AWD'r. Likely by pulling stick back with a left or rt influence on it to choose which end of car brakes. I don't know this fpr a fact, but some of what he was doing, I think would have been made a bit easier with that brake ability.
You can find a more simplistic version of these seq shift trannys in farm tractors and backhoes etc. They have been in use successfully for years in a tractor. Yammy didn't execute theirs very well on their FJR bike. Honda too, is wrecking some of their bikes with the setup. I say wrecking in this case because they are not putting the higher tech components and microprocessing power needed that they use in race equip vehicles like F1 and that Fiesta Ken Block was abusing.
The reason it shifts so fast, is that while say, 2nd gear is engaging, 1st gear is disengaging at the same time. It's quite a bit faster than 2nd gear "waiting" for first to disengage before it engages.
Youz guyz amaze me with your knowledge of these things. By the way, your comments about Mako checking out the $5000 BMW were brilliant.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Gimme, you have a way of explaining things so someone with very little mechanical/technical knowledge can understand it. The sentence, " If autos were better, you would find them on race tracks" explains a lot in a very few words.
We are very fortunate to have such a range of talents with all of this knowledge right here.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Weather was cool, but then we hit a hot day and I started looking for the air conditioner buttons. They weren't there. I will say, it was all marked off on the bill of sale, so he did owe me an air conditioner.
The broker sent me to an after market air conditioner installation place. They installed it but it wasn't like the real thing. Didn't work as well as it should and the buttons weren't as easy to use as an original equipment model.
I was covered, but I would have to go to court if he hadn't fixed it. I think most people pick up their new car, and might not actually try out the air conditioner unless they needed it.
Not too much the Dad could do about the Jeep. One tactic that has worked for me is to say you are going to take the story to a consumer guy at the local paper or radio station.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
roadburner, why didn't you like the Mercedes set up?
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
I was covered, but I would have to go to court if he hadn't fixed it. I think most people pick up their new car, and might not actually try out the air conditioner unless they needed it.
When I buy a new car I check everything I can think of and also read the window sticker thoroughly. I don't want any surprises. If something isn't right the dealer can fix it before I sign the papers
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
i guess it has been awhile now, but I'm pretty sure i read some reports of VW's setup being a bit rough and jerky or something...can't remember the issues it had. Maybe they have perfected some software or something to make it work better if owners are now happy with how it shifts and downshifts.
Thanks for your post.
I couldn't tell you one way one way or the other. My radio is the basic radio, no name on it other than its a satellite radio, It does have a pretty good sound, as good or better than most I have heard. I have had and heard better, but it does well enough.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I never said it was safer.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
but...haha, i'm pretty sure not all (a couple at least) here agree with ya...lol
you're likely just a biased fellow Cdn supporter, but i appreciate it just the same. You do realize we are a very distinct minority around these parts, right??
Both posts had very different information. Both were very useful.........I learned a lot from both posts, and enjoyed reading both.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I never said it was safer.
It isn't worth arguing over snake, but if memory serves me correctly...you don't wear a seatbelt because you feel you have a better chance of surviving an accident if you are not wearing a seatbelt. I believe you had a friend who was killed when he was in an accident, and he could not remove his seatbelt. And I am sorry to hear that...it is always sad when a friend dies particularly in an car accident.
I suppose that isn't exactly the same as saying wearing a seatbelt is safer. I guess it would be more correct to say, "You feel safer without a seatbelt"..
I am sure there are people who agree with you, even though the statistics don't support it....but you have to do what you think is best for you.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Actually, there are 3 paddles. The third is a hand operated clutch.
Not bias, I call them as I see them.
Let's keep the Canadian thing quiet, we don't want anyone thinking we are trying to take over.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I live near Chicago and we likely have worse weather than the NYC area in the winter. I have seen 2 WD SUV's on dealer lots.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I won't argue that point, but I don't think I read anything about a clutch, and wouldn't that defeat the purpose of being able to change gears so quickly?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Most manual lovers that I know would scoff at the idea that a sequential gear box is a true manual. They tend to view it as a shiftable manual.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Best to find the original post and reread it, memories can be tricky.
you don't wear a seatbelt because you feel you have a better chance of surviving an accident if you are not wearing a seatbelt.
I never said that, I said I prefer not to, big difference.
My brother in law lives across the street and a few houses down. It would be safer for me to walk to the end of the block to the intersection where there are stop signs and crosswalks. But i prefer not to, but it doesn't mean I think crossing in the middle of the block is safer.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I can hear the salesman now...(really wanting to get the blazes rid of this 2 WD slug/mistake of an SUV). "Have you considered Jeeps new downsized SUV? They call it the Liberty. It has the Jeep tried and true components of previous Jeeps, has a shorter WB so will be easier to park. How be you have a seat in one to see if it fits you well enough and how is it for looking out of?" i'm getting slimeball off this salesman. He/she, saw it as an opportunity to finally rid themselves of this 2WD slug/mistake, and it is proven by their brutal 5 grand $ penalty for 3.5 hours use. The salesman and dealership (assuming the GSM knew the recent/same day/hours sale would like to have been reversed due to less than up-and-up disclosures about the car being a slug) are certainly not your average, honourable corner street NA dealership representative. I gotta believe that..
I would picket their butts from the sidewalk (make sure you check with local bylaws first, so you adhere to minimum distance regulations from the low-life's place of business property boundaries, so you aren't liable to a lawsuit). Hopefully you can get them to see the light before resorting to such rash measures to ensure the right outcome. I think 'Dad' should take a thousand $ penalty for his part in it. Tops tho. I think 500 would be a lot more fair.
He who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. (Proverbs 18:17 RSV)
Not sure what would be said if the salesman and dealership present their side of the story. The salesman might have taken advantage of this person. But the flip side of that coin is that the buyer somehow communicated the desire to buy the 2WD car. Either on purpose or by mistake.
You did say he likes to save money so he might have agreed to buying 2WD. I can see the salesman saying "if you want to save some money we have this 2WD one for sale" and the buyer hearing only "If you want to save some money".
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
yup, I could see this too. It is 'possible'.
F1 used to have fully automatic transmissions, but the rules were changed to require the drivers to do the shifting.
Good, I knew that tho, driver. The caliper of person you are supports it. Of course you knew I said it in jest, but I still appreciate you asserting your stand.
I hold many of my American friends in very high regard.
It was actually a BMW M3- this very one, to be precise:
The shift quality of the SMG at anything other than full throttle was just too jerky and annoying. People either love the SMG or they hate it- and I'm solidly in the latter camp. One SMG owner assured me that I'd love the gearbox once I drove it for a month or so, which is much like saying "Marry that gorgeous girl with the terrible personality- you'll adapt." Honestly, I would have bought the car the day I saw it had it been a true manual...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Fully automatic SMGs have existed (late 90's???) in F1 but were banned. CVTs were banned as well when there was a rumour that one of the teams was developing one.
I suspect you would find regulations in most series that would prohibit fully auto transmissions.
What type of race were they using these supposed autos? And of course the style and type of racetrack is a huge part of it also. Numerous corners in between numerous fairly short straight sections, vs a long open track with a lot of high speed straights. Bike racing I am more familiar with than car.
Brother-In-Law's Dad kept the Liberty and still has it. He's retired now and puts maybe 3000 miles a year on the Jeep. During the winter months he and his wife go to Florida for a few weeks at a time. My Brother-In-Law says the 2WD Liberty is the best thing because it keeps his Dad off the roads in bad weather.
I agree a set of snow tires would do wonders for this 2WD Liberty in the snow.
Craig - Funny you said that about 2WD Pilots & CRVs. I personally think these FWD based 4WD SUVs are ridiculous. They would benefit much more from a set of dedicated winter tires than 4WD.
Someone also wrote about checking the car thoroughly before delivery. You are preaching to the choir brother. Before we took delivery of my wife's black, 2010 Acura TSX last August, I called the salesman and told him that I won't take delivery if there are any swirl marks.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD