I've passed on a few cars at dealerships because there was (were) no maintenance records
Isell used to throw them away. When I trade in a car I always leave the window sticker and maintenance records in the console and both sets of keys for the next owner to use (not for the dealer to dispose of).
Your car was really well cared for and that would make it an attractive buy. If given a choice, I wouldn't bother rotating tires. I know this goes against all the rules of gravity and the universe etc., but I have lost more times than I won when I rotated tires. For some reason they wear out really fast after a rotation.
I would rather leave the tires where they are, the front ones will wear out first, then I move the back ones to the front, and the new ones go on the back. For one thing, it is a lot easier economically to buy 2 tires at a time, instead of 4.
I have a friend who knows a lot more about cars than I do, and even knows a lot of the mechanics, and he told me without me even saying anything, that that is what he likes to do too.
I think rotating tires is a myth created by tire retailers so they can make money rotating tires, and then selling you new ones when they prematurely wear out.
No fast food restaurant is worth adding 200+ miles to an already long trip! Don't you agree?
Actually, going through N.C. is an option for traveling to Florida, it is actually shorter distance wise. You go through mountains and much nicer scenery and I have a friend who loves to go that way. I prefer I-75 because the speed limits are pretty much the same, you don't have to go through many towns, and it is made for travel, lots of restaurants and motels and the best part....you don't have to think, just head all the way to our Florida home on I-75.
I was just joking a bit with Richard, though I know he would like us to go that way so we can stay at his new digs one night. :P
Just wait until those with instant electric water heaters lose power in the winter. Then they will be crying the blues (the color they will turn when trying to take a shower).
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
This is true, explorer! When we lost power during hurricane Wilma, no hot water. But wouldn't that also happen with gas water heaters? Don't gas water heaters have electric ignitions?
I thought they did. In my house up north, I remember my head hot water heater didn't work when we list power due to the solid state electric igniter. I could be wrong, but....
North Carolina is quite a bit east of Floida. Going southeast to then go southwest seems the longer trip.
But, at the top where we start out we could go across the border at Buffalo and then head directly south if we go through N.C. At the top end we have to go way west and cross at Detroit to get across the border and join up on I-75.
It's one of those 6 of one or half a dozen of the other...you have to go west at some point.
We didn't have power for 11 days last February. Was not around for the whole 11 days, but we have gas heat and had hot water the whole time. Didn't have to shower at work like a lot of other people. No heat from the furnace though.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
What happened to your 1995 Chrysler Neon? I know one person who bought one and she said it was a "throw away" car...meaning you use it for a few years then throw it away. Cheap to buy initially...but won't last very long.
Well, it's not cheap when you buy it fully loaded and brand new (about 15K out the door in 1994).
It wasn't a good throw away car cause even under warranty it seemed to visit the dealership every 3 or 4 months without fail.
HOwever, that gets to my case and charge of fraud on all Chrsyler workers and executives. When you go to the grocery store and see BIC razors in the checkout aisle, it says "Disposable Razors" on the packaging. When Chrysler sold the Neon, they didn't state "Disposable Vehicle." Therefore, I find Chrsyler's Executives and assemblyman guilty of Fraud, False Advertising, and intent to deceive.
They should be put in prison! No question about it.
That Neon got hooked on the tow truck to a Dodge dealership its 4th time at about 65K miles, and that was the last straw, my parents didn't let me bring it home (since they were paying for repairs since I was a student at the time), and they traded it in for a new Camry (first offer from Toyota dealer was $800). I wouldn't pay that much for any Neon of any year or model.
It was the true definition of a :lemon: . But it wasn't a bad one, they were all the same, I've checked with other owners.
Virtually every owner has the same check list of early failures with the Automatic transmission, the Air Conditioner, and the Head Gaskets. All major big bucks $$$ repairs.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
Normally I’m not in favor of bailouts but in the case of the US auto industry it was necessary.
That's the argument of fear mongerers and GM supporters. Bush and Obama are two of the biggest fear mongerers around. Accept what I say or the "world will end!" type arguments.
The supplier's could have been saved and bailed out for pennies on the dollar compared to bailing out all of GM. The private market would have bought the good parts of GM as fair market value prices and done a turnaround swifter and leaner than gov't motors has. There could have been JMONROE Corvettes, and Andres Caddy's for example, instead of Bush Lacrosse's, Obama Malibu's and Biden Tahoes.
Sure, letting GM fail might have cause a tad bit more acute pain, but it would have been short lived, and the recovery would have been faster and larger. Now time and history has proven the bailouts were failures, the economy is still in shambles, and the recovery is painfully slow in large part due to the bailouts which were like a bandaid on a large open wound. Letting them fail would have been akin to cutting off the limb, but the surgury would have had a quick recovery time compared to the mess were in now where we simply wasted billions in billions, part of which will be realized by the stock losses in GM, part of which was lost to opportunity costs and well never really know how high those are.
If you think the economic recovery that we are going through now is slow, it would be lots worse if the auto industry was allowed to kill itself.
The problem is I can say the absolute exact opposite and be more correct. We will never know because they were not allowed to fail and we'll never know what really would have happened. LIkely, it would have been only marginally as bad as they said it would be, and the recovery would have been only marginally worse than what was promised with the bailouts.
Some recovery.... where is it?; the bailouts didn't work. They just prolonged the pain and helped a few key select people in power at the expense of the majority. The recovery that was promised from doing all those bailouts was much better then what actually occurred in the real world.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
On this page you will see the Canadian Sears models from $500 to $1100.
I was out looking at TV’s last night and saw this post when I returned but Mrs. j and I got into a discussion about what stand she wanted. Mind you, not what TV we would get but which stand to put it on. :sick: I saw this post but after that discussion, my head was spinning so much I decided to get back to you about this post in the morning from the office.
Boy, I should have done it last night. The guy that said “don’t put off till tomorrow what can be done today was right”. Here’s what happened:
I open the link to the Sears water heaters you provided but I didn’t see the $1100 job, however, I did see one for $1700. I had coffee go up my nose, choked a little then I started laughing. Two fellow workers hear this and come into my office asking what’s so funny? I show them the screen and one of them damn near coffee’d my keyboard. There is a company policy around here about destruction of company property so; I ain’t showing that guy my screen anymore if he has a cup of coffee in his hands. You wanna get me fired? :mad: FWIW, neither of these guys, and a few more after them that saw this $1700 water heater plan to get one either.
This $1700 job is a high efficiency, 100K BTU, LED display, hybrid thing, etc. etc. The hybrid means it’s both a tank and a tankless unit all in one. I’m all for lots of hot water (100K BTU’s), after all isn’t this why we buy water heaters, but this unit ain’t never going to be seen in my basement. That’s for sure. If I bought one of those there would be no money left for the TV stand that Mrs. j is all worked up about.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I found one Sears hybrid. That was not a tankless/tank heater. Instead it's a heat pump combined with electric backup heat coils. So it takes heat from its immediate environment, e.g., your basement, laundry room, closet, and uses that to heat the water while cooling that area. In the winter, that means your home's heat source has to makeup for that lost heat. So you'll pay more. If the heat pump water heater is placed in a garage, in the winter it will have to work harder to remove heat from the garage to heat the water because the garage is cooler already. If in basement it will have the same effect on the overall heating for the house.
Same thing just happend a few days ago with our new Hyundai Veracruz. Wife is driving home, a "rock that came out of no where" jumps up and leaves a nice little chip with 4 spider legs in middle of windshield. What are the stinking odds?
Welcome to the world of new car ownership. A few months a go Mrs. j’s new Subie with less than 2500 miles on it was rammed by a runaway shopping cart in a parking lot. About $300 worth when it goes to the shop. Then, I’ll bet it wasn’t 2 weeks later that she had a cracked windshield that had to be replaced because the crack grew across the lower part of the windshield. We are now anxiously awaiting event #3.
“What are the stinking odds”? Between you and Mrs. j it’s 100%.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
The problem is I can say the absolute exact opposite and be more correct. We will never know because they were not allowed to fail and we'll never know what really would have happened. LIkely, it would have been only marginally as bad as they said it would be, and the recovery would have been only marginally worse than what was promised with the bailouts.
Some recovery.... where is it?; the bailouts didn't work. They just prolonged the pain and helped a few key select people in power at the expense of the majority. The recovery that was promised from doing all those bailouts was much better then what actually occurred in the real world.
I contend that throwing many more thousands of people on the street immediately by letting the auto industry fail would have been even worse than the bailout. I guess you can argue that until we let them go under we will never know for sure. I agree that private parties could have gotten into the auto industry but that would have taken much too long to workout. The contract language for something like that would still be going on now. The government had the horsepower to make it happen quickly. I think the government saw what happened when the steel industry died and they weren’t willing to take that chance again. I personally believe the auto industry failing would have been worse than the steel industry failure but I for one am glad we tried.
Like I said before, we won’t get all of that money back but it had to be done. As for the economy recovering, it’s slow but it can’t be blamed on just the auto industry bailout. The banking and housing markets were big contributors too.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
So you'll pay more. If the heat pump is placed in a garage, in the winter it will have to work harder to remove heat from the garage to heat the water because the garage is cooler already. If in basement it will have the same effect on the overall heating for the house.
Is that another way of saying you can’t rob Peter to pay Paul?
There was a guy long ago that said you can’t create matter. All you can do is move it around and when you’re done doing that it’s returned to where it came from. It seems like some of these high technology folks didn’t get that email. :confuse:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
>I contend that throwing many more thousands of people on the street immediately by letting the auto industry fail would have been even worse than the bailout. I guess you can argue that until we let them go under we will never know for sure. I agree that private parties could have gotten into the auto industry but that would have taken much too long to workout.
Exactly right. I cring whenver I hear someone say they should just have let GM "fail." Even with the administration's political shenanigans it put a great hurt on this part of Ohio because of the lost jobs. We do have suppliers who were fairly heavy in this area, however those in some cases closed because the UAW/Obama combo closed down the IUE truck plant in the area which provided many just-in-time suppliers with jobs. This part of Ohio has been hurt drastically.
So when someone implies that just letting them fail and take whatever happens has no empathy for those living in regions that used to be the breadbasket for manufacturing in the auto industry. While other parts of Ohio have recovered more, this region is much slower at making jobs that pay anything for manufacturing-related work.
As for the money, I would much rather have the money involved keep people working somewhere than have the company collapse. It seems a much better use of the money than congressmen's pet projects being funded with Fed Dollars or giving it to the money-changers on Wall Street who are very tight with the congressfolk--all of them in my opinion.
It's especially irritating to see people still falling for platitudes like the executives of auto companies dared to fly to DC in the companys' private jets, as though that matters. Ask how the congressfolk get around--the past speaker of the house flew to California in a 757 IIRC military plane because she couldn't fly commercial and the regular plane used for top congressfolk was too small to include her "staff," most like friends and family than staff.
Since this topic is about cars and dealers, I have to point out that many dealerships were closed, some on a political basis, some in GM on a locality-driven choosing of which ones got to keep a marque such a Buick. This too added to lost jobs in our area. A longtime Cadillac store along the interstate in downtown was closed and the suburban, upscale area stores stayed open. Because of lowers sales and the local economy, the people who lost jobs didn't have much chance at the suburban stores for jobs.
This $1700 job is a high efficiency, 100K BTU, LED display, hybrid thing, etc. etc.
Sorry, didn't want anyone to get fired over a water heater .
When I was on my plane flight I watched a business program and it was about how luxury sales are actually stronger than ever. They are selling more Ferraris than ever. And the largest growing segment of the market is to men. They are buying expensive shoes for example, and many of the famous women's shoe brands are going to feature men's shoes.
My theory is, manufacturers are taking advantage of this in a big way. I don't know how a dishwasher can make dishes any cleaner than our $500 Bosch, yet diswashers can cost $1500 or more. You can get a 50 inch LED TV for $800 or one for $2000, is the $2000 one that much better? And on it goes with refrigerators, stoves, etc etc.
I think the manufacturers know there are people willing to pay extra for something that has a few more features (that you don't really need) just because there are some people who think they need the very best.
When I was on my plane flight I watched a business program and it was about how luxury sales are actually stronger than ever. They are selling more Ferraris than ever.
Although I’ve never done it I always said that if I opened a store of any kind it would be high end. My reasoning was that even in bad times the people with money would still have the money to spend for the finer things in life. The guys at the bottom never could buy what they wanted and the guys in the middle are always hurt by economic hard times. The top 10% should be the ones to go after.
That may be the one thing I’m sorry for not doing. My excuse now is I didn’t know if that store should have been clothing or furniture. Not that I know much about either one but that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. :sick:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Hm... good thought, but sometimes the top 10% hold off buying depending on pending tax legislation, or other legislation that might affect their income. Or, if they're business owners, they may hold off due to pending business expenses or other stuff you can't see. But I agree, your basic premise is sound.
On the other hand, after being with my SO for quite a few years, I've seen that an industry that does not suffer during hard times is one that provides basic necessities. He works in the food/grocery sales and marketing business. They have done well over the past few years. People will give up a lot, but they still have to eat, and they eat in more than out in hard times. So, if you were looking for a long-term stable business, one that is well-run and focuses on must-haves is probably a good bet.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
"...sure they have CFAs in or around Tampa-St. Pete's..."
There's one on the corner of Park & Seminole Blvds. over by the gulf beaches. Noticed it because of the funny name which I mis-pronounced for years. I would have eaten there if I knew the food was good.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
*oldfarmer, stop off and have their chicken strips or a chicken sandwich. Make sure you get an order of their kitchen sliced fries. You won't be disappointed. Then, let us know what you thought about the place!
Stopped in for a carwash this morning and saw my salesman. He said the sales manager got into trouble for taking in my E350 on trade for the new Lexus. Seems they lost $2000 on the trade. I felt bad about that - they gave me $52,000 for the trade and sold me the GS350 for $1500 under invoice due to the conquest money available at the time. Someone got a great deal on my trade, that's for sure. A $62,325 Benz for $50,000 and only 5000 miles on it.
While I was there, I sat in the new 2013 ES350. Looks similar to the GS, and the interior is very close to what mine looks like, including all those technology enhancements. My salesman told me that the usual buyers of the ES350 (more mature adults) are having difficulty with the new technology - way above the heads of those drivers. Learning curve is very long and arduous for them, according to the salesman. All of you remember how long it took me to fully grasp and utilize all that technology - and I'm very computer literate. Now just imagine a 70 or 80 year old retiree trying to figure it out.
He told me they had to hire 2 geeks to work on deliveries with the salesmen because of the technology impact on older buyers. Good grief!
one that provides basic necessities. He works in the food/grocery sales and marketing business
It depends on where you fit in with the food business. Farmers, not so good, too dependent on weather and lots of other factors. Suppliers to food stores, well, unless you are a big conglomerate the big chains will make your life miserable and make sure you don't make much of a profit. But, yes, food is a necessity, so if you are in the right field you could do alright.
Maybe a high priced gourmet food shop, the wealthy like to eat too!
Now there's an idea...let Apple design the system for Mercedes. They could probably simplify it.
Our tennis club has just gone to being able to book courts online. People are so confused, but will learn it eventually. It will make things better in the long run too, I can see that already.
I can do most of the things I need to do with the bmws i-system, it's pretty good. But, each time I start the car I have to press enter that I have read the rules and regulations and agree to the terms of the navigation unit (I have never actually read them, I just press accept), then I have to turn off the off/on switch (which does build up power so the a/c is still going even when the engine is off). At least I have learned I don't have to take the key out of my pocket.
I went to tennis with my wife the other evening. She walked away to talk to someone and I couldn't lock the door by touching the door handle like I am supposed to be able to do. I looked in my pocket for the key and I didn't have it, so I wondered how I was able to drive to the club. I know the car is good but it isn't that good that it can recognize me. Then it hit me, I asked my wife if she had the key to my car on her. She did, and that is why it was working for me, but she was too far out of range for me to be able to lock the doors. :sick:
Good analogy, *explorer! From my understanding, Lexus has funded each dealership with 1 or 2 such positions, depending on dealership size/sales. You can make a post-delivery appointment with one of these "geeks" to go over all the technology. I had problems at first with their applications on the computer in the car. So I made an appointment with this guy (Jerry). He downloaded Lexus Enform to my iPhone. Then he downloaded Pandora and Bing and iHEART. He set up user names and passwords for me and then started streaming data to the car's computer. Sound is as good as HD radio, all streamed from the phone and filtered through the Lexus Enform application.
Definitely reminded me of Apple Genius, which I have used myself. Every time I pass by my Apple Store, the place is jammed - literally jammed. They have one-on-one training, small group training, and I even have access to APPLECARE by phone or online.
Yes, I guess Apple has definitely set the standard.
She was too far out of range for me to lock the doors
My Mercedes had an application that would find your car on a map if you forgot where you parked it. It would locate your car then direct you to it. It also would unlock or lock your doors. With the Lexus, I have to call them on the Enform app in the car (I just press a bottom on my overhead panel) for info or I can call them on my cell phone to open the doors or trunk.
Yes, things are moving very quickly in auto technology!
My Mercedes had an application that would find your car on a map if you forgot where you parked it. It would locate your car then direct you to it
I don't need that yet, but probably I will some day soon. They probably sell a lot of cars in Florida with that option. What happenned to just having the colored ball on your aerial?
“What are the stinking odds”? Between you and Mrs. j it’s 100%
Uhh, that would be Mrs. Jip and Mrs. J that these wierd things happen to at a record setting 100% rate.
Bet Mrs. j can't top the time my wife picked up a crow-bar in the spare tire of our MPV... while driving down the interstate at 65mph. Mrs. Jip said she saw it fall off a tow truck and bounce along the highway before she ran over it. The sheer force of the crow-bar lodged itself in the spare tire carried on underside of vehicle. That was about $150 for a new doughnut spare tire.
Or, how about this one, happened recently, wife is driving down same interstate that is being re-paved. They have those large orange drums blocking off the fast lane. She says one had been nudged slightly in her lane, says she can't avoid it, clips off the mirror... the impact shattering the drivers side window about a mile down the road. That was about $400
I'm thankful no one was hurt during these strange freak occurances. But, it usually seems to happen to the nicer of our vehicles.
Took the Optima into body shop today to have those swirl marks buffed out and scratches touched up. For $75 looks pretty good. The few small rock chips I'll do myself with touchup paint.
I thought all antennas (aerials) are now embedded in the rear windshields or front windshields. I must be incorrect then. But, I haven't seen an antenna on a car down here in quite a long time.
I'll look carefully at the cars in my community and try to assess the numbers with antennas!
I think the manufacturers know there are people willing to pay extra for something that has a few more features (that you don't really need) just because there are some people who think they need the very best.
It's not even for getting the best a lot of times though. It's about getting something of decent quality and durability, providing maximum long term value.
A lot of American's prefer "cheap now, expensive later." If we were smart, we'd prefer "expensive now, cheaper in the long run." Quality over price. Unfortunately price wins out over quality in the US for most products.
That 50" LED TV for $800 is lousy! Cheap, generic, and probably won't last long. It has slow and inefficient processing and video capabilities, probably lacks abundant connections for flexibility, and future usability. The video quality probably won't compare well with the $2,000 set (you usually get what you pay for, but not always; so buyer beware).
The expensive dishwashers might not clean any better, but they might be a few DB quieter while doing so. Maybe they are a tad faster. Maybe the warranty is longer or the expected lifespan more than makes up for the initial costs in value.
I can't defend clothes, shoes, or handbags though. Unless it's lined in platinum, I just don't get the high prices.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
So when someone implies that just letting them fail and take whatever happens has no empathy for those living in regions that used to be the breadbasket for manufacturing in the auto industry.
Why does the auto industry deserve more empathy than:
1) Lehman Brothers 2) Construction Industry and Workers 3) Retail 4) Electronics 5) Computers 6) Dot.com companies
I think the anger with the jet planes going to DC to ask for money was this:
If they can afford to fly in jet planes to DC why couldn't they have afforded to put a decent transmission in my (such and such car). Or if they have all that money for bonuses, why couldn't they have offerred an extended warranty on my head gaskets since they failed in 98% of the vehicles made prior to 100K miles.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
I thought all antennas (aerials) are now embedded in the rear windshields or front windshields. I must be incorrect then. But, I haven't seen an antenna on a car down here in quite a long time.
Some of us don't buy new cars, every year...
To be fair, the newest of those two cars is 20 years old..
Why does the auto industry deserve more empathy than:
Not to get into politics, but I received an interesting email the other day, that says the reason is, so those union workers will vote for - guess which party?
I won't say any more, just something to think about, but if someone wants to join dots..................
My wife will soon be in the market for an automobile. She can’t make up her mind as to what she wants however her primary concern is safety. For many years she has been a loyal Volvo customer but now she wants a change, but to what?
First she said she wanted something small. Then she changed her mind to something big and more substantial commensurate with her social status (petit bourgeois). But now she is vacillating toward something in between—i.e. medium size.
So I am beginning to wonder is there an app that can enable her to narrow her choices?
So I am beginning to wonder is there an app that can enable her to narrow her choices?
Do you really need an app to decide what car your wife may be interested in?
She might want to think about things that are important to her, 4- door, coup, hatchback, wagon, SUV etc. Then maybe an idea of what is important to her, styling, engineering, reliability etc. You may want to consider price range too.
What's the fun in buying a new car if you are going to use an app to find a car? Narrow it down a bit and then every one can help you from there.
But there are so many choices. However, her price range is $40 - $45K and she definitely does not want an SUV. I believe she is leaning toward an import and flexible about a coupe or sedan. Still, safety and good snow capability are at the top of her list.
Then it hit me, I asked my wife if she had the key to my car on her. She did, and that is why it was working for me, but she was too far out of range for me to be able to lock the doors.
Like I said before, when we go anywhere local we almost always take Mrs. j’s car and I’m the driver. She is always the last one to leave the house. She checks that the iron is unplugged, the washing machine is off and the water valves are off, dryer is off, lights are on, hair dryer is unplugged, doors are locked, that kind of stuff. Believe me; she has a routine that she goes through when she leaves the house. She does this because she says I’m forgetful, won’t do it right, in a daze etc. OK, that’s her job so I let her do it. No sense in having a grievance filed, right. So, because of this I’m in the car first. Since the Subie has bluetooth and it is set for her phone, right after the car is started and you hit the “Agree” button on the touch screen to accept the NAV waiver thing, the display is on whatever screen was used last and you see a message if/when bluetooth is connected.
Not too long after we got the car I see the message, “Bluetooth connection established” (or something to this effect). Since the car was new, I thought my phone was the one selected because to get familiar with the car I did that a few times but I usually put it back to her phone so I thought I forgot. I didn’t, it was set for her phone (see, I’m not always forgetful). Ding, I get it now. Even though she is in the house, when her phone is turned on, the car is in range of the bluetooth signal from her phone. Being the curious type that I am, I pull the car toward the street to see how far I could go before it was out of range of her phone. I’m now at the end of the driveway (a little more than 100 feet if I had to guess) and her phone is still connected. So, I pull onto the street and go slowly to see when the signal dies. It didn’t lose range until I was almost 2 doors down the street. I turn the car around in the neighbor’s driveway and head back to the house. As I’m pulling into the driveway I see Mrs. j staring down the street in the opposite direction. She then turns her head and has one of those looks I don’t like seeing. She opens the door and says, “Hey forgetful how far did you go before you realized I wasn’t in the car”? :surprise:
I tried to explain what happened but since she is a non technical person she had no idea what I was talking about. However, she does like to tell the story that I once drove off without her. :sick:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
her price range is $40 - $45K and she definitely does not want an SUV. I believe she is leaning toward an import and flexible about a coupe or sedan.
I am a bit prejudice so take that into consideration. Of course, the first car I would say to test drive would be a BMW 328. But, it sounds like your wife has similar taste to my wife....safety is her priority too. By accident she tried the Audi A4 and found it to be the best seating position she has ever experienced. Also, great vision too, forward and in all directions. The BMW and Audi have excellent AWD systems and traction control so would be good in snow. The Audi system is a little better in snow though, and you can check out articles that will confirm that.
If she likes something sportier an A5 is similar, but it's a coupe. My wife and I prefer 4 doors in case you are carrying more people, it has a higher roof line, better vision outward, and not as awkward having long doors in parking lots.
I am sure many people would recommend a C-Class. We found it to be not as good seating, and not as good for forward vision, but that was us.
Then there are Infinities, Lexuses, Accuras etc. Of course it looks like our Florida car will be a Passat. That can be pretty good and the FWD will help pull it through snow. I am not crazy about FWD for driving pleasure, but it is hard to get a car with German engineering for that price.
By the way, all these cars are about as safe as can be. Let us know what you are thinking..........
That 50" LED TV for $800 is lousy! Cheap, generic, and probably won't last long. It has slow and inefficient processing and video capabilities, probably lacks abundant connections for flexibility, and future usability. The video quality probably won't compare well with the $2,000 set
You had to bring that up, huh? That’s what I dropped last night at HH Gregg for a Samsung 7100 Series 55”, 3D LED TV with 240 HZ refresh rate. I could have bought something a little less expensive and probably gotten the same picture quality but I went with that model.
Ever since my 2005 Sony LCD started having “blue mountains”, I’ve been keeping an eye on the price of the 55 inch LED jobs and I finally pulled the trigger last night. The price has been falling and I’m pretty sure that’s because the new models will be out any day now. I wasn’t going to get one like that at first but the price was almost right and they were throwing in a blueray player and 10 pairs of 3D glasses not just 4. I know, I’ll probably never use the 3D thing but my grandkids will get a kick out of it. I have to admit that it looks pretty good because the screen has almost no bezel around it. Only a very thin sliver of chrome and because of that the picture looks like it is sitting in space.
I got to pick the TV. Mrs. j picked the stand. I don’t want to get into that. :sick:
I can't defend clothes, shoes, or handbags though. Unless it's lined in platinum, I just don't get the high prices.
Maybe you are into high line clothing after all. I don’t want my skivvies platinum lined.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Bet Mrs. j can't top the time my wife picked up a crow-bar in the spare tire of our MPV... while driving down the interstate at 65mph.
Or, how about this one, happened recently, wife is driving down same interstate...
OK, Mrs. jip wins. The closest I can come to that is when Mrs. j whacked the passenger side mirror on her ’06 Sonata about 3 weeks after she got it while backing out of the garage.
Don’t forget to include those mishaps in the CAUTION chapter of your new book about what happens when you buy a new car. :P
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Comments
Isell used to throw them away. When I trade in a car I always leave the window sticker and maintenance records in the console and both sets of keys for the next owner to use (not for the dealer to dispose of).
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
Your car was really well cared for and that would make it an attractive buy. If given a choice, I wouldn't bother rotating tires. I know this goes against all the rules of gravity and the universe etc., but I have lost more times than I won when I rotated tires. For some reason they wear out really fast after a rotation.
I would rather leave the tires where they are, the front ones will wear out first, then I move the back ones to the front, and the new ones go on the back. For one thing, it is a lot easier economically to buy 2 tires at a time, instead of 4.
I have a friend who knows a lot more about cars than I do, and even knows a lot of the mechanics, and he told me without me even saying anything, that that is what he likes to do too.
I think rotating tires is a myth created by tire retailers so they can make money rotating tires, and then selling you new ones when they prematurely wear out.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Actually, going through N.C. is an option for traveling to Florida, it is actually shorter distance wise. You go through mountains and much nicer scenery and I have a friend who loves to go that way. I prefer I-75 because the speed limits are pretty much the same, you don't have to go through many towns, and it is made for travel, lots of restaurants and motels and the best part....you don't have to think, just head all the way to our Florida home on I-75.
I was just joking a bit with Richard, though I know he would like us to go that way so we can stay at his new digs one night. :P
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
That's interesting! North Carolina is quite a bit east of Floida. Going southeast to then go southwest seems the longer trip.
Yes, I know you were kidding with Richard!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
This is true, explorer! When we lost power during hurricane Wilma, no hot water. But wouldn't that also happen with gas water heaters? Don't gas water heaters have electric ignitions?
I thought they did. In my house up north, I remember my head hot water heater didn't work when we list power due to the solid state electric igniter. I could be wrong, but....
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
But, at the top where we start out we could go across the border at Buffalo and then head directly south if we go through N.C. At the top end we have to go way west and cross at Detroit to get across the border and join up on I-75.
It's one of those 6 of one or half a dozen of the other...you have to go west at some point.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
lol.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Didn't have to shower at work like a lot of other people.
No heat from the furnace though.
Well, it's not cheap when you buy it fully loaded and brand new (about 15K out the door in 1994).
It wasn't a good throw away car cause even under warranty it seemed to visit the dealership every 3 or 4 months without fail.
HOwever, that gets to my case and charge of fraud on all Chrsyler workers and executives. When you go to the grocery store and see BIC razors in the checkout aisle, it says "Disposable Razors" on the packaging. When Chrysler sold the Neon, they didn't state "Disposable Vehicle." Therefore, I find Chrsyler's Executives and assemblyman guilty of Fraud, False Advertising, and intent to deceive.
They should be put in prison! No question about it.
That Neon got hooked on the tow truck to a Dodge dealership its 4th time at about 65K miles, and that was the last straw, my parents didn't let me bring it home (since they were paying for repairs since I was a student at the time), and they traded it in for a new Camry (first offer from Toyota dealer was $800). I wouldn't pay that much for any Neon of any year or model.
It was the true definition of a :lemon: . But it wasn't a bad one, they were all the same, I've checked with other owners.
Virtually every owner has the same check list of early failures with the Automatic transmission, the Air Conditioner, and the Head Gaskets. All major big bucks $$$ repairs.
That's the argument of fear mongerers and GM supporters. Bush and Obama are two of the biggest fear mongerers around. Accept what I say or the "world will end!" type arguments.
The supplier's could have been saved and bailed out for pennies on the dollar compared to bailing out all of GM. The private market would have bought the good parts of GM as fair market value prices and done a turnaround swifter and leaner than gov't motors has. There could have been JMONROE Corvettes, and Andres Caddy's for example, instead of Bush Lacrosse's, Obama Malibu's and Biden Tahoes.
Sure, letting GM fail might have cause a tad bit more acute pain, but it would have been short lived, and the recovery would have been faster and larger. Now time and history has proven the bailouts were failures, the economy is still in shambles, and the recovery is painfully slow in large part due to the bailouts which were like a bandaid on a large open wound. Letting them fail would have been akin to cutting off the limb, but the surgury would have had a quick recovery time compared to the mess were in now where we simply wasted billions in billions, part of which will be realized by the stock losses in GM, part of which was lost to opportunity costs and well never really know how high those are.
If you think the economic recovery that we are going through now is slow, it would be lots worse if the auto industry was allowed to kill itself.
The problem is I can say the absolute exact opposite and be more correct. We will never know because they were not allowed to fail and we'll never know what really would have happened. LIkely, it would have been only marginally as bad as they said it would be, and the recovery would have been only marginally worse than what was promised with the bailouts.
Some recovery.... where is it?; the bailouts didn't work. They just prolonged the pain and helped a few key select people in power at the expense of the majority. The recovery that was promised from doing all those bailouts was much better then what actually occurred in the real world.
The high efficiency units do. The standard gas ones have a standing pilot.
I was out looking at TV’s last night and saw this post when I returned but Mrs. j and I got into a discussion about what stand she wanted. Mind you, not what TV we would get but which stand to put it on. :sick: I saw this post but after that discussion, my head was spinning so much I decided to get back to you about this post in the morning from the office.
Boy, I should have done it last night. The guy that said “don’t put off till tomorrow what can be done today was right”. Here’s what happened:
I open the link to the Sears water heaters you provided but I didn’t see the $1100 job, however, I did see one for $1700. I had coffee go up my nose, choked a little then I started laughing. Two fellow workers hear this and come into my office asking what’s so funny? I show them the screen and one of them damn near coffee’d my keyboard.
This $1700 job is a high efficiency, 100K BTU, LED display, hybrid thing, etc. etc. The hybrid means it’s both a tank and a tankless unit all in one. I’m all for lots of hot water (100K BTU’s), after all isn’t this why we buy water heaters, but this unit ain’t never going to be seen in my basement. That’s for sure. If I bought one of those there would be no money left for the TV stand that Mrs. j is all worked up about.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Welcome to the world of new car ownership. A few months a go Mrs. j’s new Subie with less than 2500 miles on it was rammed by a runaway shopping cart in a parking lot. About $300 worth when it goes to the shop. Then, I’ll bet it wasn’t 2 weeks later that she had a cracked windshield that had to be replaced because the crack grew across the lower part of the windshield. We are now anxiously awaiting event #3.
“What are the stinking odds”? Between you and Mrs. j it’s 100%.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Some recovery.... where is it?; the bailouts didn't work. They just prolonged the pain and helped a few key select people in power at the expense of the majority. The recovery that was promised from doing all those bailouts was much better then what actually occurred in the real world.
I contend that throwing many more thousands of people on the street immediately by letting the auto industry fail would have been even worse than the bailout. I guess you can argue that until we let them go under we will never know for sure. I agree that private parties could have gotten into the auto industry but that would have taken much too long to workout. The contract language for something like that would still be going on now. The government had the horsepower to make it happen quickly. I think the government saw what happened when the steel industry died and they weren’t willing to take that chance again. I personally believe the auto industry failing would have been worse than the steel industry failure but I for one am glad we tried.
Like I said before, we won’t get all of that money back but it had to be done. As for the economy recovering, it’s slow but it can’t be blamed on just the auto industry bailout. The banking and housing markets were big contributors too.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Is that another way of saying you can’t rob Peter to pay Paul?
There was a guy long ago that said you can’t create matter. All you can do is move it around and when you’re done doing that it’s returned to where it came from. It seems like some of these high technology folks didn’t get that email. :confuse:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Exactly right. I cring whenver I hear someone say they should just have let GM "fail." Even with the administration's political shenanigans it put a great hurt on this part of Ohio because of the lost jobs. We do have suppliers who were fairly heavy in this area, however those in some cases closed because the UAW/Obama combo closed down the IUE truck plant in the area which provided many just-in-time suppliers with jobs. This part of Ohio has been hurt drastically.
So when someone implies that just letting them fail and take whatever happens has no empathy for those living in regions that used to be the breadbasket for manufacturing in the auto industry. While other parts of Ohio have recovered more, this region is much slower at making jobs that pay anything for manufacturing-related work.
As for the money, I would much rather have the money involved keep people working somewhere than have the company collapse. It seems a much better use of the money than congressmen's pet projects being funded with Fed Dollars or giving it to the money-changers on Wall Street who are very tight with the congressfolk--all of them in my opinion.
It's especially irritating to see people still falling for platitudes like the executives of auto companies dared to fly to DC in the companys' private jets, as though that matters. Ask how the congressfolk get around--the past speaker of the house flew to California in a 757 IIRC military plane because she couldn't fly commercial and the regular plane used for top congressfolk was too small to include her "staff," most like friends and family than staff.
Since this topic is about cars and dealers, I have to point out that many dealerships were closed, some on a political basis, some in GM on a locality-driven choosing of which ones got to keep a marque such a Buick. This too added to lost jobs in our area. A longtime Cadillac store along the interstate in downtown was closed and the suburban, upscale area stores stayed open. Because of lowers sales and the local economy, the people who lost jobs didn't have much chance at the suburban stores for jobs.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Sorry, didn't want anyone to get fired over a water heater
When I was on my plane flight I watched a business program and it was about how luxury sales are actually stronger than ever. They are selling more Ferraris than ever. And the largest growing segment of the market is to men.
They are buying expensive shoes for example, and many of the famous women's shoe brands are going to feature men's shoes.
My theory is, manufacturers are taking advantage of this in a big way. I don't know how a dishwasher can make dishes any cleaner than our $500 Bosch, yet diswashers can cost $1500 or more. You can get a 50 inch LED TV for $800 or one for $2000, is the $2000 one that much better? And on it goes with refrigerators, stoves, etc etc.
I think the manufacturers know there are people willing to pay extra for something that has a few more features (that you don't really need) just because there are some people who think they need the very best.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Although I’ve never done it I always said that if I opened a store of any kind it would be high end. My reasoning was that even in bad times the people with money would still have the money to spend for the finer things in life. The guys at the bottom never could buy what they wanted and the guys in the middle are always hurt by economic hard times. The top 10% should be the ones to go after.
That may be the one thing I’m sorry for not doing. My excuse now is I didn’t know if that store should have been clothing or furniture. Not that I know much about either one but that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. :sick:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
That's easy, you should have gone for a furniture store, then your wife could buy wholesale.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
On the other hand, after being with my SO for quite a few years, I've seen that an industry that does not suffer during hard times is one that provides basic necessities. He works in the food/grocery sales and marketing business. They have done well over the past few years. People will give up a lot, but they still have to eat, and they eat in more than out in hard times. So, if you were looking for a long-term stable business, one that is well-run and focuses on must-haves is probably a good bet.
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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There's one on the corner of Park & Seminole Blvds. over by the gulf beaches. Noticed it because of the funny name which I mis-pronounced for years. I would have eaten there if I knew the food was good.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
*oldfarmer, stop off and have their chicken strips or a chicken sandwich. Make sure you get an order of their kitchen sliced fries. You won't be disappointed. Then, let us know what you thought about the place!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
While I was there, I sat in the new 2013 ES350. Looks similar to the GS, and the interior is very close to what mine looks like, including all those technology enhancements. My salesman told me that the usual buyers of the ES350 (more mature adults) are having difficulty with the new technology - way above the heads of those drivers. Learning curve is very long and arduous for them, according to the salesman. All of you remember how long it took me to fully grasp and utilize all that technology - and I'm very computer literate. Now just imagine a 70 or 80 year old retiree trying to figure it out.
He told me they had to hire 2 geeks to work on deliveries with the salesmen because of the technology impact on older buyers. Good grief!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
It depends on where you fit in with the food business. Farmers, not so good, too dependent on weather and lots of other factors. Suppliers to food stores, well, unless you are a big conglomerate the big chains will make your life miserable and make sure you don't make much of a profit. But, yes, food is a necessity, so if you are in the right field you could do alright.
Maybe a high priced gourmet food shop, the wealthy like to eat too!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Now there's an idea...let Apple design the system for Mercedes. They could probably simplify it.
Our tennis club has just gone to being able to book courts online. People are so confused, but will learn it eventually. It will make things better in the long run too, I can see that already.
I can do most of the things I need to do with the bmws i-system, it's pretty good. But, each time I start the car I have to press enter that I have read the rules and regulations and agree to the terms of the navigation unit (I have never actually read them, I just press accept), then I have to turn off the off/on switch (which does build up power so the a/c is still going even when the engine is off). At least I have learned I don't have to take the key out of my pocket.
I went to tennis with my wife the other evening. She walked away to talk to someone and I couldn't lock the door by touching the door handle like I am supposed to be able to do. I looked in my pocket for the key and I didn't have it, so I wondered how I was able to drive to the club. I know the car is good but it isn't that good that it can recognize me. Then it hit me, I asked my wife if she had the key to my car on her. She did, and that is why it was working for me, but she was too far out of range for me to be able to lock the doors. :sick:
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Good analogy, *explorer! From my understanding, Lexus has funded each dealership with 1 or 2 such positions, depending on dealership size/sales. You can make a post-delivery appointment with one of these "geeks" to go over all the technology. I had problems at first with their applications on the computer in the car. So I made an appointment with this guy (Jerry). He downloaded Lexus Enform to my iPhone. Then he downloaded Pandora and Bing and iHEART. He set up user names and passwords for me and then started streaming data to the car's computer. Sound is as good as HD radio, all streamed from the phone and filtered through the Lexus Enform application.
Definitely reminded me of Apple Genius, which I have used myself. Every time I pass by my Apple Store, the place is jammed - literally jammed. They have one-on-one training, small group training, and I even have access to APPLECARE by phone or online.
Yes, I guess Apple has definitely set the standard.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
My Mercedes had an application that would find your car on a map if you forgot where you parked it. It would locate your car then direct you to it. It also would unlock or lock your doors. With the Lexus, I have to call them on the Enform app in the car (I just press a bottom on my overhead panel) for info or I can call them on my cell phone to open the doors or trunk.
Yes, things are moving very quickly in auto technology!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
I don't need that yet, but probably I will some day soon. They probably sell a lot of cars in Florida with that option. What happenned to just having the colored ball on your aerial?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
When is the last time you saw a car with an aerial? Question asked. Question answered!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Two of them in my driveway....
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Uhh, that would be Mrs. Jip and Mrs. J that these wierd things happen to at a record setting 100% rate.
Bet Mrs. j can't top the time my wife picked up a crow-bar in the spare tire of our MPV... while driving down the interstate at 65mph. Mrs. Jip said she saw it fall off a tow truck and bounce along the highway before she ran over it. The sheer force of the crow-bar lodged itself in the spare tire carried on underside of vehicle. That was about $150 for a new doughnut spare tire.
Or, how about this one, happened recently, wife is driving down same interstate that is being re-paved. They have those large orange drums blocking off the fast lane. She says one had been nudged slightly in her lane, says she can't avoid it, clips off the mirror... the impact shattering the drivers side window about a mile down the road. That was about $400
I'm thankful no one was hurt during these strange freak occurances. But, it usually seems to happen to the nicer of our vehicles.
Took the Optima into body shop today to have those swirl marks buffed out and scratches touched up. For $75 looks pretty good. The few small rock chips I'll do myself with touchup paint.
I thought all antennas (aerials) are now embedded in the rear windshields or front windshields. I must be incorrect then. But, I haven't seen an antenna on a car down here in quite a long time.
I'll look carefully at the cars in my community and try to assess the numbers with antennas!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
I think the manufacturers know there are people willing to pay extra for something that has a few more features (that you don't really need) just because there are some people who think they need the very best.
It's not even for getting the best a lot of times though. It's about getting something of decent quality and durability, providing maximum long term value.
A lot of American's prefer "cheap now, expensive later." If we were smart, we'd prefer "expensive now, cheaper in the long run." Quality over price. Unfortunately price wins out over quality in the US for most products.
That 50" LED TV for $800 is lousy! Cheap, generic, and probably won't last long. It has slow and inefficient processing and video capabilities, probably lacks abundant connections for flexibility, and future usability. The video quality probably won't compare well with the $2,000 set (you usually get what you pay for, but not always; so buyer beware).
The expensive dishwashers might not clean any better, but they might be a few DB quieter while doing so. Maybe they are a tad faster. Maybe the warranty is longer or the expected lifespan more than makes up for the initial costs in value.
I can't defend clothes, shoes, or handbags though. Unless it's lined in platinum, I just don't get the high prices.
Why does the auto industry deserve more empathy than:
1) Lehman Brothers
2) Construction Industry and Workers
3) Retail
4) Electronics
5) Computers
6) Dot.com companies
I think the anger with the jet planes going to DC to ask for money was this:
If they can afford to fly in jet planes to DC why couldn't they have afforded to put a decent transmission in my (such and such car). Or if they have all that money for bonuses, why couldn't they have offerred an extended warranty on my head gaskets since they failed in 98% of the vehicles made prior to 100K miles.
Some of us don't buy new cars, every year...
To be fair, the newest of those two cars is 20 years old..
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Not to get into politics, but I received an interesting email the other day, that says the reason is, so those union workers will vote for - guess which party?
I won't say any more, just something to think about, but if someone wants to join dots..................
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
First she said she wanted something small. Then she changed her mind to something big and more substantial commensurate with her social status (petit bourgeois). But now she is vacillating toward something in between—i.e. medium size.
So I am beginning to wonder is there an app that can enable her to narrow her choices?
Do you really need an app to decide what car your wife may be interested in?
She might want to think about things that are important to her, 4- door, coup, hatchback, wagon, SUV etc. Then maybe an idea of what is important to her, styling, engineering, reliability etc. You may want to consider price range too.
What's the fun in buying a new car if you are going to use an app to find a car? Narrow it down a bit and then every one can help you from there.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
But there are so many choices. However, her price range is $40 - $45K and she definitely does not want an SUV. I believe she is leaning toward an import and flexible about a coupe or sedan. Still, safety and good snow capability are at the top of her list.
If she's 5' 6" or under, the safest car I've been in is a Corvette.
The height thing is for ease of ingress/egress. Besides, that car will easily outrun a bourgeois chaser.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
Like I said before, when we go anywhere local we almost always take Mrs. j’s car and I’m the driver. She is always the last one to leave the house. She checks that the iron is unplugged, the washing machine is off and the water valves are off, dryer is off, lights are on, hair dryer is unplugged, doors are locked, that kind of stuff. Believe me; she has a routine that she goes through when she leaves the house. She does this because she says I’m forgetful, won’t do it right, in a daze etc. OK, that’s her job so I let her do it. No sense in having a grievance filed, right. So, because of this I’m in the car first. Since the Subie has bluetooth and it is set for her phone, right after the car is started and you hit the “Agree” button on the touch screen to accept the NAV waiver thing, the display is on whatever screen was used last and you see a message if/when bluetooth is connected.
Not too long after we got the car I see the message, “Bluetooth connection established” (or something to this effect). Since the car was new, I thought my phone was the one selected because to get familiar with the car I did that a few times but I usually put it back to her phone so I thought I forgot. I didn’t, it was set for her phone (see, I’m not always forgetful). Ding, I get it now. Even though she is in the house, when her phone is turned on, the car is in range of the bluetooth signal from her phone. Being the curious type that I am, I pull the car toward the street to see how far I could go before it was out of range of her phone. I’m now at the end of the driveway (a little more than 100 feet if I had to guess) and her phone is still connected. So, I pull onto the street and go slowly to see when the signal dies. It didn’t lose range until I was almost 2 doors down the street. I turn the car around in the neighbor’s driveway and head back to the house. As I’m pulling into the driveway I see Mrs. j staring down the street in the opposite direction. She then turns her head and has one of those looks I don’t like seeing.
I tried to explain what happened but since she is a non technical person she had no idea what I was talking about. However, she does like to tell the story that I once drove off without her. :sick:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I am a bit prejudice so take that into consideration. Of course, the first car I would say to test drive would be a BMW 328. But, it sounds like your wife has similar taste to my wife....safety is her priority too. By accident she tried the Audi A4 and found it to be the best seating position she has ever experienced. Also, great vision too, forward and in all directions. The BMW and Audi have excellent AWD systems and traction control so would be good in snow. The Audi system is a little better in snow though, and you can check out articles that will confirm that.
If she likes something sportier an A5 is similar, but it's a coupe. My wife and I prefer 4 doors in case you are carrying more people, it has a higher roof line, better vision outward, and not as awkward having long doors in parking lots.
I am sure many people would recommend a C-Class. We found it to be not as good seating, and not as good for forward vision, but that was us.
Then there are Infinities, Lexuses, Accuras etc. Of course it looks like our Florida car will be a Passat. That can be pretty good and the FWD will help pull it through snow. I am not crazy about FWD for driving pleasure, but it is hard to get a car with German engineering for that price.
By the way, all these cars are about as safe as can be. Let us know what you are thinking..........
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
That was a cute story. Too bad you didn't put the speaker phone on and maybe you could have heard what she was saying about you.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
You had to bring that up, huh? That’s what I dropped last night at HH Gregg for a Samsung 7100 Series 55”, 3D LED TV with 240 HZ refresh rate. I could have bought something a little less expensive and probably gotten the same picture quality but I went with that model.
Ever since my 2005 Sony LCD started having “blue mountains”, I’ve been keeping an eye on the price of the 55 inch LED jobs and I finally pulled the trigger last night. The price has been falling and I’m pretty sure that’s because the new models will be out any day now. I wasn’t going to get one like that at first but the price was almost right and they were throwing in a blueray player and 10 pairs of 3D glasses not just 4. I know, I’ll probably never use the 3D thing but my grandkids will get a kick out of it. I have to admit that it looks pretty good because the screen has almost no bezel around it. Only a very thin sliver of chrome and because of that the picture looks like it is sitting in space.
I got to pick the TV. Mrs. j picked the stand. I don’t want to get into that. :sick:
I can't defend clothes, shoes, or handbags though. Unless it's lined in platinum, I just don't get the high prices.
Maybe you are into high line clothing after all. I don’t want my skivvies platinum lined.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Or, how about this one, happened recently, wife is driving down same interstate...
OK, Mrs. jip wins. The closest I can come to that is when Mrs. j whacked the passenger side mirror on her ’06 Sonata about 3 weeks after she got it while backing out of the garage.
Don’t forget to include those mishaps in the CAUTION chapter of your new book about what happens when you buy a new car. :P
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl