My wife likes it so far, though has to get used to the lighter steering and a few things that just operate differently.
Driver, congrats to you and Mrs. D on the purchase of your new Audi. Is it a 2013 and what options or package/s did you get?
My wife will soon be in the market for an entry level compact/midsize entry level luxury sedan and the A4 is under consideration, although lately she has been leaning toward the Cadillac ATS.
Good luck and enjoy the ride. Oh! and don't forget to post some pics.
houdini - count me in with the type two diabetes. It may well be related to the myleodysplasia. I had so many blood transfusions that I am way overloaded with iron. Your blood can only hold so much and it start depositing it in internal organs. My liver's got a load of it and I'm betting my pancreas does as well.
That said, I don't give up easily.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
It's the curse of growing old because I too was recently diagnosed with Pre-diabetes. Both my parents died of this cronic illness. My doctor says diet and exercise can control it but my wife is constantly sabotaging my diet to the point where we have regular fights about that.
I was very surprised when I was diagnosed. I am 6-1, very active, and have always weighed about 170-175 all my adult life...skinny as a rail as a kid.
I see, hear, and read about so many unfortunate people who are so much worse off than I am, that I actually consider myself lucky. When you said you didn't give up easily I remembered a cartoon I saw once where a big long necked bird was in the process of swallowing a frog. The frog had managed to get his hands around the birds neck and had it squeezed shut. The caption was "Never give up". Good words to live by.
Thanks for the kind words, verdigo! My spirits are up a little today thanks in no small part to all you poster buddies. Appreciate your kind thought and wishes.
. Is it a 2013 and what options or package/s did you get?
Thanks bwia, it is nice of you to comment. More people have remarked on my wife's Audi than on my 535! Yes, it is a 2013, they have been out for a few months for some reason.
She has the Premium Plus model and that comes pretty complete, sunroof, GPS, bi-xenon headlamps, twin SD card slots, lane change warning on the mirror (if a car is in your blindspot), power seats and lumbar for driver, rear camera. Also, Bang & Olufsen sound system. Hers is a standard. The white with beige interior looks great, lots of black to contrast.
led lights front and back;
This is a great article that I agree with 100% if it is a car you are thinking about; (Prices are high because those are Canadian prices - U.S. should be 15 to 20% less). 2013 Audi Premium Plus A4
My wife didn't want an S-Line model because the seats are bolstered so much it is actually harder to slide out. Also, snow tires would have to be put on for the winter. There isn't much you can add to the Premium Plus model, it is pretty complete.
The Cadillac ATS would be a car I could be interested in, but my wife prefers European cars. She has never owned an American car, only Volvos, an MG, a Saab, an MB C Class, a BMW and now an Audi.
I'll try to get some pictures. Not to many are sold with the beige interior but people including the dealer staff really liked the beige interior.
I can only suggest you try both cars, I think they will be very different...in a good way. Thanks again.
I know of some people who have had excellent results from changing their diet and doing exercise. It can make a huge difference. I wasn't a big fan of carrots or celery. Then I discovered low fat vegetable dip. Now I have baby carrots, celery (it's like a miracle food, almost no calories and fills you up), and peppers with dip for a snack. I have pretty well cut out bread, rice, baked goods, and potatoes. Dinner is meat or fish and a vegetable. You really get used to eating less.
Hope you can try it...soon you get used to eating less and cake and stuff just isn't that appealing any more.
*driver, you mentioned that the new Audi you just got has the new BLIND SPOT MONITOR in the mirror. My GS350 has that and has already saved me from at least one accident. If the directional signal is not on, there are 2 lights that illuminate in the mirror to warn you that a car or truck is on the adjacent lane. If the directional signal is engaged, those 2 lights will flash rapidly to warn you not to leave your lane because a car is in that lane in close proximity to your car. It is an essential safety component that really should be standard on all cars. I believe it would significantly reduce accidents across the country.
I have the lane warning as well, but that really is not as important as the blind spot monitor. The lane monitor warns you if you inadvertently start to cross a line - like you fall asleep at the wheel or are not paying attention to where you are steering your car.
Another nice option is PARK ASSIST MONITORS, front and rear. In addition to my rear camera that engages whenever I put the car in reverse, bit there are sensors front and rear, as well as offset front and rear/left and right. I primarily use the system when I am pulling into a space and don't know how close I am to a wall or a pole/post.
Amazing what they have on today's cars to improve your driving safety.
BLIND SPOT MONITOR: It is an essential safety component that really should be standard on all cars.
Yes, this is a great feature and I am surprised the A4 has it but my 535 doesn't. I am pretty sure the Audi has the park assist monitors too, seems to me he showed us you can increase the sound of the warning noise.
Yes, it is absolutely amazing what todays cars have. The rear camera with tracking lines is very helpful as well. Prices double every ten years with normal inflation, but it seems the content of the cars we buy today is much greater than a car 10 years old.
I agree, Blind Spot Monitoring and the rear camera are very significant safety devices that make you feel like you have more control in your car.
Watch out for those if you are diabetic, lots of sugar in carrots.
I have heard that but at least it is real sugar, and I find I can only eat about 3 or 4 baby carrots at a time. Lots of beta caratene in carrots too, which is something you want to get enough of. Hey, you're suppose to be positive about this kind of thing. And, if you are eating carrots you aren't eating chips or nachos!
From the link you provided. “Build quality is equally excellent, with nary a squeak nor rattle from any portion of the car.”
In addition to safety these are the precisely attributes my wife is looking for in her next ride.
Meanwhile, Wow! What an aggressive looking stance. Thanks for sharing the pic and the details of your purchase. The Premium Plus is at the top of the food chain with all wheel drive and most of the tech gizmos but it seems as though navigation is a separate option with even with the Premium Plus package.
As to a manual transmission my wife never how to and she has a hard enough time with parallel parking much less for a stick.
Hope you can try it...soon you get used to eating less and cake and stuff just isn't that appealing any more.
My diet is very basic the usual oatmeal for breakfast, a green salad with tuna fish for lunch and broiled or steam fish and a mixed vegetable for dinner. Sounds like a sensible diet until my wife bakes fresh bread and pastries twice a week even though she knows I cannot resist hot or freshly baked bread.
Furthermore, nuts (especially cashews) are my Achilles heel and I will eat almost an entire can in one sitting—yet my wife continues to buy them and leaves them in plain view for me to gorge on. If that is not sabotage I don’t what is. And I forgot to mention we eat out fairly frequently as we are empty nesters.
Of course, I exercise mostly walking and push-ups everyday. Oops! I'm late for my daily walk. Off I go...
where are the pictures of his new Mustang? I want to see those stripes.
I pick it up on Monday. Seems the stripe lady brought pale yellow. My
salesman called me assuming I wanted bright yellow (he knows me well).
I agreed that bright yellow works fine, but she has to come back Saturday
(closed Sunday). I'll post to facebook then transfer pics to here when it's in
my driveway.
Here's what actually is going on. Wife and I want to get out of dollar denominated assets. So I was going to buy Krugerrands. While checking them out (price rising daily) I wandered into the Ford dealer, asked the price difference for a V8 and it came back better than anticipated. I was going to order a 2014, but I was getting such a deal I laid down and signed right there. The next day I asked him to tear up the papers and order a 2014 , but he didn't want to, so I asked for a couple freebies and stayed with the 2013. And here we are.
The Premium Plus is at the top of the food chain with all wheel drive
I could be wrong but I think the Premium and Premium Plus models have the navi system...at least they do in Canada. Look up Audi.com and build one and see what you come up with.
The thing my wife likes the most about the Audi is the driving position. She likes to sit as high as possible and the Audi seat goes higher than any car she has driven. She can see the hood clearly too. It is hard to believe but on some cars she couldn't see over the dash and she couldn't see any of the hood. She is 5'4", but car makers often forget the importance of being able to see clearly.
She likes the car very much, and it is as solid as a car can be. As good as the bmw was, this seems even stronger and quieter. She finds the gears have to be more exact than the 335....with 300 hp vs 220 the transmission in the bmw is more forgiving, you can stay in 2nd longer or be going slow in 3rd....but, I don't mind, you get a standard so you can shift. Also, she had to go up a big hill in 2nd where the 335 could do it in 3rd. Not a problem in an automatic.
The speedometer and the tach are switched around so she has to get used to that. The door locks work a little different but that is just something you get used to. The difference between the bmw and Audi are small, but we both prefer the Audi just a bit more in the things that really matter.
The Caddie would make for a very interesting comparison.
I can snack on nuts too, but cashews are really high in calories. Almonds, which aren't as bad have 7 calories per almond. Doesn't sound like much until you pick up 12 about 4 times a day and you have eaten 336 calories of your 2500 quota.
Eating out is also fatal, you have no control. They add lots of salt so your body holds water which weighs a lot. Some restaurants use MSG even for vegetables and that keeps some people (like us) up all night.
Bread and pastry is 250 to 4 or 500 calories right there, add butter and it shoots up even more.
I am not much better....I have the same problem, but I am really trying to keep under 2500 calories a day. You have to burn off 3000 calories to lose one pound, and that is really difficult to do, better not to do it in the first place if possible.
My spirits are up a little today thanks in no small part to all you poster buddies.
Hi Mike,
I was just thinking of you and wondered how your father is doing after he heard about your situation. I believe you said he was 90 and you are caring for him. As his primary caregiver you have to be strong and have a good temperament and being a former educator and great communicator I believe you can put his mind at ease.
Remember, my neighbor cut down 3 30 foot trees to build a pool in his yard. Trees make a beautiful privacy barrier, and suddenly they were gone.
After he cut them down I said his house looked like hell, and it does. He came over with his wife and said they want to stay as good neighbors and they will try to help get things satisfactory as possible. I agreed to this, I don't like what he did but no use having our neighbors upset. They are nice people.
They are building the pool and they struck rock. They needed a larger digger, which cost him an extra $8000 for the day. Also, a special dump truck that cost $2000. He needed to use part of my property to get these machines into his yard. He's lucky I agreed, or he would be stuck with a big hole in the ground.
I mentioned before, we saved $15000 buying the Audi instead of the BMW. That is rapidly disappearing, now we need to spend about $4000 to replace trees, now the dog has a lump on his back leg and that will cost $1500. Then there was the drain pipe that cost $1000 to fix.
I could be wrong but I think the Premium and Premium Plus models have the navi system.
Driver, it appears the navigation is part of a separate package, the Audi MMI Navigation Plus Package (MSRP $3,050; Invoice $2,837) That package includes:
--Single-disc CD/DVD player; --HD AM/FM radio; --Color driver information system; --Audi parking system plus with rearview camera; --HDD navigation with voice control; --MMI "high" control panel; --Audi connect with online services
The A4 is similar in size and performance to the Cadillac ATS but its hard to compare price beyond the standard models as options and packages are mind boggling on the ATS. To get the features my wife wants the total price would be between $40 - 45K for either the A4 or the ATS. Her budget is limited to $45K however, so she might have to compromise or return to yet another Volvo.
I think he said he would cooperate and make sure we were happy. He's going to put in 6 ft cedars, but they won't do a lot. He will do some resodding and leave the fence down until we get our trees in, but I don't think he'll pay for new trees on our property.
But, I like your idea of doing exercises in the nude in the yard...or even in a Speedo. Maybe if I get some binoculars I could watch his wife swim and he will pay for a barrier.
We were considering Oak trees, please send those acorns.
it appears the navigation is part of a separate package,
I am surprised because if you check out audi.ca the Canadian site the nav package comes on the Premium and Premium Plus models. The Premium Plus listed at $48K in Canada, with 4% discount it was $45K. It should be a lot less in the U.S., most cars are 20% less. Sometimes they package the options different here, because they don't want to offer as many different combinations.
Check it out, it may cost less than you think. Automatic adds a bit, but it should come out to about $40K with those options.
When you go to Florida I'd like you to get this one for me.
Thats a very nice 1997 mercy cougar!
Some of those older cars can look really nice....they hold up well and look good even today.
That one looks like it has been heavily painted and I don't think those are original equipment wheel discs. I think it might have 133,000 miles on it. Seems, the driver side door doesn't close that well. But, all in all, a steal for $3000!
That car would be a big hit at a cruise night....even the interior seemed pretty good.
My wife had a funny story driving the new Audi. She wanted to make the radio louder so she thought she was pressing the voice control on the steering wheel, but she must have hit the telephone button instead.
When she pressed the telephone button the radio went off completely.
She realized what she did...I am sure she turned it up to hear what the stock market was at, she only listens to all news radio..........but the radio went completely off!
Even though I have explained everything to him, the very next day he had forgotten most of what I told him. He does not suffer from Alzheimer's but has moderate dimensia, so his memory is pretty bad. He remembers numbers and anything numerical, but cannot remember various things we discuss. Really a shame - he was a brilliant man and earned a silver star for bravery in WWII.
I still drive him to the doctors, his bank(s), and I take him to a different shopping mall every morning so he can walk and exercise - we walk about 30 minutes a day at a fairly brisk pace. The malls down open an hour early so seniors can walk and get their exercise. It is much too hot and humid most months of the year to walk outdoors.
I also go food shopping with him a few times a week. Gives him something to do instead of sitting home and becoming a recluse. It doesn't give me much independence as I must watch over him constantly. So I don't have much time to feel sorry for myself.
Thanks for your kind thoughts. I just have to take each day as it comes. If I am still alive when he passes on, I want to sell this condo unit and move further north up the coast of Florida or move to the west coast of Florida like Naples or Ft. Myers. Can't stand southeast Florida. Terrible drivers, terrible traffic and the people here are not very nice.
Man, I’ve been busy all day helping to put out a fire that I didn’t start, although I’m sure I’ll get blamed for it. First chance for a breather all day and it’s over. :sick:
My wife said, "Oh Sh_t!
I’m surprised you let her talk like that. :surprise:
Like I said before, when Mrs. j’s Subie said “Pardon” to me and I was pretty frustrated working with the system I said, “take the sh*t out of your ears and you’d know what I said”. The response was “PARDON”. I’m not allowed to say how I responded to that one.
Pass on my congrats to Mrs. driver.
Between the Audi and then the Passout in a few months, Fez won’t know which one to go after.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Between the Audi and then the Passout in a few months, Fez won’t know which one to go after.
If it were my choice, I would definitely take the Audi. The Passat is nice, but the Audi is really special.
I guess that made it doubly funny for me, she has to be pretty angry and upset to say s--t out loud, and I am sure she said it because no one else was around.
It would have been better if the car said, "watch your mouth there lady".
Good observations. A lot of cars get repainted in Florida because of the sun and as Mike said previously you always have to rule out accident repaint. I'd have to see some proof of those miles too, a lot of ads for Cougars of that vintage mention that the odo stopped working. I can't tell much about the door from that picture but the fit on cars of that era is not as tight as on a BMW. I like the style of that older Cougar even though the next generation was a better car.
When a car seems too good to be true..bring a mechanic. :lemon:
Florida seems to have a lot of older cars with low milage maybe because of snowbirds like you who only put a few thousand miles on each winter.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
He does not suffer from Alzheimer's but has moderate dimensia, so his memory is pretty bad.
Too bad that your dad suffers from dimensia. He is part of the great generation who fought heroicically in WWII. Please extend my gratitude for his service.
My good friend, at only 74 also suffers from a moderate-to-severe form of dimensia. He is so combative that they had to put him away at a group home. It's a shame to see him deteriorate so quickly.
Meanwhile, continue to take care of your dad but don't forget to take care of yourself. Staying physically active is important as well to continue to interact with your cyber friends here on Edmunds. Keep your mind busy by posting frequently and in no time you will adjust to your new reality.
That's sad because the typical dementia patient becomes combative because they are scared to death by a world they no longer understand. My dad (also a WWII combat vet) was a nationally noted engineer who designed turbines. He became so confused that he barely knew where he was. Fortunately, his dementia was a pleasent one and he enjoyed his later days. He was so agreeable that we had to make sure telemarketers didn't get to him. Once he bought a $5000 scooter from some scam artist that he could have gotten free from Medicare.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
My mom started a long decline with dementia when she was 76 or 77. Well, it actually started before that but wasn't something we noticed. She had learned to fly single engine planes when she was 62 and flew for 14 years. When they yanked her medical certificate for macular degeneration that threw her into a depression that she never really came back out of. She died just short of 85.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Yes, you are correct! But You must remember that dimensia takes may forms. Our doctor gave him some medication to help with his memory, but it didn't help at all. He was never an externally emotional person like my mother was. He keeps his feelings deep inside which, at times, frustrates me because I never know what he thinks or feels. His emotions are completely hidden/protected or missing - I really don't know because he does not provide me with any feedback, emotionally. If his stomach bothers him, he tells me. But if he is hurt, emotionally, I never know.
When I sat him down to discuss my situation, all he could say was, "...are you going to leave me or can you keep staying with me. When I was in the hospital for 10 days back in April, he never came up to see me. Our neighbors tried to drive him (only 5 minute drive to hospital) but he refused - he would call me once a day, but never took a cab or came up to see me even though my friends and neighbors did everything they could to convince him to go with them.
So, as you can see, he is a very difficult person to deal with. Even when he didn't suffer from dementia and could drive, he would never visit me in the hospital. He just cannot show his emotions for some reason. Not an easy person to love - he rejects any positive emotional offerings of concern or love.
So, I just do my best with him. He has no clue as to how his behaviors affect others - then or now.
Terrible affliction - my dad suffers from that as well. I try to put myself into his shoes, so to speak - try to imagine what it would be like to not remember names, dates, conversations, etc., and also not be able to see directly in front of you (he has peripheral vision, but not straight ahead of him). When I do that, I become more understanding.
When my brother calls, my dad tells him everything is fine - so when I talk to him, he thinks I am lying to him. So I tell my brother to drive down from northern Florida to see him (hasn't visited my dad in over 18 months - what does that tell you?) but he says he is not interested.
So.....enough of this - I'm only getting depressed over this!
My Mom has lived with us since her myocardial infarction 4 years ago. She's fine except her vision is blurry. Happy all the time. We sit and talk every day.
She'll be 85 on Thursday. When we talk about cars like the Mustang she reminds me her dad had a Model A in 1931 (after the depression) because he had a job at Alcoa (good job). Anyway, I just visited a man known by a fellow car club member today and arranged to have him bring his Model A to our house and take Mom on a 15-30 minute ride. Aoogah horn and all. I guarantee that will make her day.
>Anyway, I just visited a man known by a fellow car club member today and arranged to have him bring his Model A to our house and take Mom on a 15-30 minute ride. Aoogah horn and all. I guarantee that will make her day.
Oh, wow. What a wonderful thing to do for her! That will make a great picture for you to keep.
Mako, that's fantastic! My mom learned on a Model T. My grandfather just expected her to know how everything - including planetary gears - worked.
On the eye front I haven't had any central vision in my left eye since I was 10 due to the toxoplasmosis. It's done damage to my right eye and was what almost did me in a few weeks ago when it showed up on my brain. I was exposed to it while still in mom. It's a protozoa that is just there. Now the trick is to get back on a working preventative.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
That's true of a lot of people who have seen combat. With some of them it's as if they let any emotion show then all the horrors they've witnessed will come spilling out and so they bottle it all up forever. It makes them and the people around them pretty unhappy.
I'm so sorry that you don't have that support when you need it.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
My best to those with medical issues, and to those who are taking care of others, and my thanks to all the rest for helping renew my faith in the human race.
It's very discouraging in my world sometimes, but this board is a pleasant refuge. . .most of the time.
It's too bad we drove Craig away, but maybe he'll come back one day.
That just brought back a memory of my father telling us as kids about his 1932 Terraplane which must have been bought quite used because judging by his stories it was a hooptie.
Good grief - I just remembered something that happened at my dealership when I was selling cars (prior to becoming a manager at a dealership).
I believe this happened during my first year in the business back in the early 2000's. This elderly couple came on to buy a new car. They must have been in their early 80's, maybe older. But they were both mentally and physically adept for their ages. After asking several questions regarding their needs, it became quickly evident that what the husband wanted/needed was almost the opposite of what the wife wanted. He wanted a luxury and well-equipped sedan and she wanted a convertible or coupe. I took them out to the new car inventory where we must have had 600+ cars in stock - 50+ in each model we sold.
No matter what I did to land them on a car, it was futile. Each of them had selected a car but not the same model, color or style. When things like this happened, I never sold the customers a car - if they couldn't agree on a car, there was no urgency to buy, which was always essential on this business. And then I came up with an idea - work on the husband to agree with his wife's selection because of all the wonderful years of marriage. I told him it would be a blessing to let her have what she wanted and it would be more peaceful in the house without arguments and jealousies. He saw the wisdom in this and agreed to let her have her new coupe convertible. So when we went back to the showroom, he went over to her, kissed her moistly on her lips (I remembered that it was a moist kiss because he drooled a little from the left side of his mouth!), and said all he wanted was for her to be happy and thus he will buy her the red convertible.
As we began the negotiations for pricing, he told me he would not be trading in his 2 year old luxury sedan because he hated convertibles and needed a car he liked to drive. His wife, after hearing this comment, got up abruptly, walked outside of the showroom, got in the car, started it up, put it in gear, and ran it right into the wall of our service department. She got out of the car, unhurt, proceeded back to the showroom, sat down at the desk, and calmly stated that even though they would take a beating on their damaged sedan, she wanted to trade it in on the new convertible.
I was speechless, to say the least, but her husband related to me that, "...ever since they met each other and got married over 50 years prior to that night, whatever Lola wants, Lola gets!"
The entire showroom (managers, salespeople, customers, receptionists) broke out into uncontrollable laughter and almost in unison began singing that song from the show "Damn Yankees"! Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets! And honest, this is a true story!!!
did some shopping tonight after dinner, down at the local automall. Stopped over at the Hyundai store to at least look at the new Santa Fe (at this point, it was getting close to 9, so really too late to drive anyway).
so, we get met outside (there were 3 salesguys out chatting, and my wife commented on how she hates that about the Hyundai store there). Get out, ask the guy if they have one to look at. He proceeds to tell us no, they won't be out until Mid-September probably, yada, yada, yada. So we left.
I declined to mention that their main competition a few miles away has had one sitting there at least since last week!
Needless to say, we will be stopping at the other dealer tomorrow to finally get a look/drive (assuming, of course, that they still have one available!)
Count me in as a HUGE fan of yours. Your posts are excellent & I look forward to your candid remarks about the auto sales industry. You are a truly exemplary human being.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Stopped over at the Hyundai store to at least look at the new Santa Fe
First, you guys are amazing, being able to cope with your medical issues without a lot of complaining (some is certainly permitted), and for looking after elderly relatives (that isn't easy). We visited my 94 year old mother about 4 weekends out of 5, and we were surprised to hear most children visit their elderly parents once or twice a year, and quite often for only 5 or 10 minutes. I give you guys a lot of credit.
I find it really annoying when sales people find their private discussions are more important than a prospective customer. Once we set up an appointment with a salesman, we were right on time, but his buddy came in at the last minute and he went to talk to him. I just lost all my confidence in that salesman.
Let us know how the Santa Fe story goes......I'd like to hear your impressions. Seems Hyundai can do no wrong these days.
Comments
Driver, congrats to you and Mrs. D on the purchase of your new Audi. Is it a 2013 and what options or package/s did you get?
My wife will soon be in the market for an entry level compact/midsize entry level luxury sedan and the A4 is under consideration, although lately she has been leaning toward the Cadillac ATS.
Good luck and enjoy the ride. Oh! and don't forget to post some pics.
That said, I don't give up easily.
It's the curse of growing old because I too was recently diagnosed with Pre-diabetes. Both my parents died of this cronic illness. My doctor says diet and exercise can control it but my wife is constantly sabotaging my diet to the point where we have regular fights about that.
I see, hear, and read about so many unfortunate people who are so much worse off than I am, that I actually consider myself lucky. When you said you didn't give up easily I remembered a cartoon I saw once where a big long necked bird was in the process of swallowing a frog. The frog had managed to get his hands around the birds neck and had it squeezed shut. The caption was "Never give up". Good words to live by.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Thanks for the kind words, verdigo! My spirits are up a little today thanks in no small part to all you poster buddies. Appreciate your kind thought and wishes.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
We all would, *jmonroe, we all would. I'd pay $20k to be able to do that one more time!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Add me to that list of congrats, *driver. Hope you and your wife have many years of enjoyment with that new A4!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Thanks bwia, it is nice of you to comment. More people have remarked on my wife's Audi than on my 535! Yes, it is a 2013, they have been out for a few months for some reason.
She has the Premium Plus model and that comes pretty complete, sunroof, GPS, bi-xenon headlamps, twin SD card slots, lane change warning on the mirror (if a car is in your blindspot), power seats and lumbar for driver, rear camera. Also, Bang & Olufsen sound system. Hers is a standard. The white with beige interior looks great, lots of black to contrast.
led lights front and back;
This is a great article that I agree with 100% if it is a car you are thinking about; (Prices are high because those are Canadian prices - U.S. should be 15 to 20% less).
2013 Audi Premium Plus A4
My wife didn't want an S-Line model because the seats are bolstered so much it is actually harder to slide out. Also, snow tires would have to be put on for the winter. There isn't much you can add to the Premium Plus model, it is pretty complete.
The Cadillac ATS would be a car I could be interested in, but my wife prefers European cars. She has never owned an American car, only Volvos, an MG, a Saab, an MB C Class, a BMW and now an Audi.
I'll try to get some pictures. Not to many are sold with the beige interior but people including the dealer staff really liked the beige interior.
I can only suggest you try both cars, I think they will be very different...in a good way. Thanks again.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I know of some people who have had excellent results from changing their diet and doing exercise. It can make a huge difference. I wasn't a big fan of carrots or celery. Then I discovered low fat vegetable dip. Now I have baby carrots, celery (it's like a miracle food, almost no calories and fills you up), and peppers with dip for a snack. I have pretty well cut out bread, rice, baked goods, and potatoes. Dinner is meat or fish and a vegetable. You really get used to eating less.
Hope you can try it...soon you get used to eating less and cake and stuff just isn't that appealing any more.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Thanks Mike. This was the first day she has driven it, I'll have to find out what she thinks and I'll report tomorrow.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
*driver, you mentioned that the new Audi you just got has the new BLIND SPOT MONITOR in the mirror. My GS350 has that and has already saved me from at least one accident. If the directional signal is not on, there are 2 lights that illuminate in the mirror to warn you that a car or truck is on the adjacent lane. If the directional signal is engaged, those 2 lights will flash rapidly to warn you not to leave your lane because a car is in that lane in close proximity to your car. It is an essential safety component that really should be standard on all cars. I believe it would significantly reduce accidents across the country.
I have the lane warning as well, but that really is not as important as the blind spot monitor. The lane monitor warns you if you inadvertently start to cross a line - like you fall asleep at the wheel or are not paying attention to where you are steering your car.
Another nice option is PARK ASSIST MONITORS, front and rear. In addition to my rear camera that engages whenever I put the car in reverse, bit there are sensors front and rear, as well as offset front and rear/left and right. I primarily use the system when I am pulling into a space and don't know how close I am to a wall or a pole/post.
Amazing what they have on today's cars to improve your driving safety.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Watch out for those if you are diabetic, lots of sugar in carrots.
Like that Audi. Now I'm jealous of both you and mako1.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Yes, this is a great feature and I am surprised the A4 has it but my 535 doesn't. I am pretty sure the Audi has the park assist monitors too, seems to me he showed us you can increase the sound of the warning noise.
Yes, it is absolutely amazing what todays cars have. The rear camera with tracking lines is very helpful as well. Prices double every ten years with normal inflation, but it seems the content of the cars we buy today is much greater than a car 10 years old.
I agree, Blind Spot Monitoring and the rear camera are very significant safety devices that make you feel like you have more control in your car.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I have heard that but at least it is real sugar, and I find I can only eat about 3 or 4 baby carrots at a time. Lots of beta caratene in carrots too, which is something you want to get enough of. Hey, you're suppose to be positive about this kind of thing. And, if you are eating carrots you aren't eating chips or nachos!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
In addition to safety these are the precisely attributes my wife is looking for in her next ride.
Meanwhile, Wow! What an aggressive looking stance. Thanks for sharing the pic and the details of your purchase. The Premium Plus is at the top of the food chain with all wheel drive and most of the tech gizmos but it seems as though navigation is a separate option with even with the Premium Plus package.
As to a manual transmission my wife never how to and she has a hard enough time with parallel parking much less for a stick.
My diet is very basic the usual oatmeal for breakfast, a green salad with tuna fish for lunch and broiled or steam fish and a mixed vegetable for dinner. Sounds like a sensible diet until my wife bakes fresh bread and pastries twice a week even though she knows I cannot resist hot or freshly baked bread.
Furthermore, nuts (especially cashews) are my Achilles heel and I will eat almost an entire can in one sitting—yet my wife continues to buy them and leaves them in plain view for me to gorge on. If that is not sabotage I don’t what is. And I forgot to mention we eat out fairly frequently as we are empty nesters.
Of course, I exercise mostly walking and push-ups everyday. Oops! I'm late for my daily walk. Off I go...
I pick it up on Monday. Seems the stripe lady brought pale yellow. My
salesman called me assuming I wanted bright yellow (he knows me well).
I agreed that bright yellow works fine, but she has to come back Saturday
(closed Sunday). I'll post to facebook then transfer pics to here when it's in
my driveway.
Here's what actually is going on. Wife and I want to get out of dollar denominated assets. So I was going to buy Krugerrands. While checking them out (price rising daily) I wandered into the Ford dealer, asked the price difference for a V8 and it came back better than anticipated. I was going to order a 2014, but I was getting such a deal I laid down and signed right there. The next day I asked him to tear up the papers and order a 2014 , but he didn't want to, so I asked for a couple freebies and stayed with the 2013. And here we are.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
I could be wrong but I think the Premium and Premium Plus models have the navi system...at least they do in Canada. Look up Audi.com and build one and see what you come up with.
The thing my wife likes the most about the Audi is the driving position. She likes to sit as high as possible and the Audi seat goes higher than any car she has driven. She can see the hood clearly too. It is hard to believe but on some cars she couldn't see over the dash and she couldn't see any of the hood. She is 5'4", but car makers often forget the importance of being able to see clearly.
She likes the car very much, and it is as solid as a car can be. As good as the bmw was, this seems even stronger and quieter. She finds the gears have to be more exact than the 335....with 300 hp vs 220 the transmission in the bmw is more forgiving, you can stay in 2nd longer or be going slow in 3rd....but, I don't mind, you get a standard so you can shift. Also, she had to go up a big hill in 2nd where the 335 could do it in 3rd. Not a problem in an automatic.
The speedometer and the tach are switched around so she has to get used to that. The door locks work a little different but that is just something you get used to. The difference between the bmw and Audi are small, but we both prefer the Audi just a bit more in the things that really matter.
The Caddie would make for a very interesting comparison.
I'll try to post pictures some time next week.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I can snack on nuts too, but cashews are really high in calories. Almonds, which aren't as bad have 7 calories per almond. Doesn't sound like much until you pick up 12 about 4 times a day and you have eaten 336 calories of your 2500 quota.
Eating out is also fatal, you have no control. They add lots of salt so your body holds water which weighs a lot. Some restaurants use MSG even for vegetables and that keeps some people (like us) up all night.
Bread and pastry is 250 to 4 or 500 calories right there, add butter and it shoots up even more.
I am not much better....I have the same problem, but I am really trying to keep under 2500 calories a day. You have to burn off 3000 calories to lose one pound, and that is really difficult to do, better not to do it in the first place if possible.
Life can be difficult.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Hi Mike,
I was just thinking of you and wondered how your father is doing after he heard about your situation. I believe you said he was 90 and you are caring for him. As his primary caregiver you have to be strong and have a good temperament and being a former educator and great communicator I believe you can put his mind at ease.
Hope you feeling better today. Stay Blessed.
After he cut them down I said his house looked like hell, and it does. He came over with his wife and said they want to stay as good neighbors and they will try to help get things satisfactory as possible. I agreed to this, I don't like what he did but no use having our neighbors upset. They are nice people.
They are building the pool and they struck rock. They needed a larger digger, which cost him an extra $8000 for the day. Also, a special dump truck that cost $2000. He needed to use part of my property to get these machines into his yard. He's lucky I agreed, or he would be stuck with a big hole in the ground.
I mentioned before, we saved $15000 buying the Audi instead of the BMW. That is rapidly disappearing, now we need to spend about $4000 to replace trees, now the dog has a lump on his back leg and that will cost $1500. Then there was the drain pipe that cost $1000 to fix.
Easy come, easy go! :sick:
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I thought the neighbor was going to cover that? Or is he using the excuse that the extra $10k he spent left him short?
$4k is kind of expensive, I could mail you some acorns from my oaks to help you out.
If the neighbor won't cooperate you could just start doing nude calisthenics on the property line every morning until he plants some new trees.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Driver, it appears the navigation is part of a separate package, the Audi MMI Navigation Plus Package (MSRP $3,050; Invoice $2,837) That package includes:
--Single-disc CD/DVD player;
--HD AM/FM radio;
--Color driver information system;
--Audi parking system plus with rearview camera;
--HDD navigation with voice control;
--MMI "high" control panel;
--Audi connect with online services
The A4 is similar in size and performance to the Cadillac ATS but its hard to compare price beyond the standard models as options and packages are mind boggling on the ATS. To get the features my wife wants the total price would be between $40 - 45K for either the A4 or the ATS. Her budget is limited to $45K however, so she might have to compromise or return to yet another Volvo.
I think he said he would cooperate and make sure we were happy. He's going to put in 6 ft cedars, but they won't do a lot. He will do some resodding and leave the fence down until we get our trees in, but I don't think he'll pay for new trees on our property.
But, I like your idea of doing exercises in the nude in the yard...or even in a Speedo. Maybe if I get some binoculars I could watch his wife swim and he will pay for a barrier.
We were considering Oak trees, please send those acorns.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I am surprised because if you check out audi.ca the Canadian site the nav package comes on the Premium and Premium Plus models. The Premium Plus listed at $48K in Canada, with 4% discount it was $45K. It should be a lot less in the U.S., most cars are 20% less. Sometimes they package the options different here, because they don't want to offer as many different combinations.
Check it out, it may cost less than you think. Automatic adds a bit, but it should come out to about $40K with those options.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/cto/3222934316.html
Edmund's says it's worth low $2ks but KBB has it at a whopping mid $5ks. Quite a spread.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Thats a very nice 1997 mercy cougar!
Some of those older cars can look really nice....they hold up well and look good even today.
That one looks like it has been heavily painted and I don't think those are original equipment wheel discs. I think it might have 133,000 miles on it. Seems, the driver side door doesn't close that well. But, all in all, a steal for $3000!
That car would be a big hit at a cruise night....even the interior seemed pretty good.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
When she pressed the telephone button the radio went off completely.
She realized what she did...I am sure she turned it up to hear what the stock market was at, she only listens to all news radio..........but the radio went completely off!
My wife said, "Oh Sh_t!
The car voice said "Pardon".
You got to love the new technology.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Even though I have explained everything to him, the very next day he had forgotten most of what I told him. He does not suffer from Alzheimer's but has moderate dimensia, so his memory is pretty bad. He remembers numbers and anything numerical, but cannot remember various things we discuss. Really a shame - he was a brilliant man and earned a silver star for bravery in WWII.
I still drive him to the doctors, his bank(s), and I take him to a different shopping mall every morning so he can walk and exercise - we walk about 30 minutes a day at a fairly brisk pace. The malls down open an hour early so seniors can walk and get their exercise. It is much too hot and humid most months of the year to walk outdoors.
I also go food shopping with him a few times a week. Gives him something to do instead of sitting home and becoming a recluse. It doesn't give me much independence as I must watch over him constantly. So I don't have much time to feel sorry for myself.
Thanks for your kind thoughts. I just have to take each day as it comes. If I am still alive when he passes on, I want to sell this condo unit and move further north up the coast of Florida or move to the west coast of Florida like Naples or Ft. Myers. Can't stand southeast Florida. Terrible drivers, terrible traffic and the people here are not very nice.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
My wife said, "Oh Sh_t!
I’m surprised you let her talk like that. :surprise:
Like I said before, when Mrs. j’s Subie said “Pardon” to me and I was pretty frustrated working with the system I said, “take the sh*t out of your ears and you’d know what I said”. The response was “PARDON”. I’m not allowed to say how I responded to that one.
Pass on my congrats to Mrs. driver.
Between the Audi and then the Passout in a few months, Fez won’t know which one to go after.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
If it were my choice, I would definitely take the Audi. The Passat is nice, but the Audi is really special.
I guess that made it doubly funny for me, she has to be pretty angry and upset to say s--t out loud, and I am sure she said it because no one else was around.
It would have been better if the car said, "watch your mouth there lady".
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Good observations. A lot of cars get repainted in Florida because of the sun and as Mike said previously you always have to rule out accident repaint. I'd have to see some proof of those miles too, a lot of ads for Cougars of that vintage mention that the odo stopped working. I can't tell much about the door from that picture but the fit on cars of that era is not as tight as on a BMW. I like the style of that older Cougar even though the next generation was a better car.
When a car seems too good to be true..bring a mechanic. :lemon:
Florida seems to have a lot of older cars with low milage maybe because of snowbirds like you who only put a few thousand miles on each winter.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Too bad that your dad suffers from dimensia. He is part of the great generation who fought heroicically in WWII. Please extend my gratitude for his service.
My good friend, at only 74 also suffers from a moderate-to-severe form of dimensia. He is so combative that they had to put him away at a group home. It's a shame to see him deteriorate so quickly.
Meanwhile, continue to take care of your dad but don't forget to take care of yourself. Staying physically active is important as well to continue to interact with your cyber friends here on Edmunds. Keep your mind busy by posting frequently and in no time you will adjust to your new reality.
Stay Blessed
That's sad because the typical dementia patient becomes combative because they are scared to death by a world they no longer understand. My dad (also a WWII combat vet) was a nationally noted engineer who designed turbines. He became so confused that he barely knew where he was. Fortunately, his dementia was a pleasent one and he enjoyed his later days. He was so agreeable that we had to make sure telemarketers didn't get to him. Once he bought a $5000 scooter from some scam artist that he could have gotten free from Medicare.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Yes, you are correct! But You must remember that dimensia takes may forms. Our doctor gave him some medication to help with his memory, but it didn't help at all. He was never an externally emotional person like my mother was. He keeps his feelings deep inside which, at times, frustrates me because I never know what he thinks or feels. His emotions are completely hidden/protected or missing - I really don't know because he does not provide me with any feedback, emotionally. If his stomach bothers him, he tells me. But if he is hurt, emotionally, I never know.
When I sat him down to discuss my situation, all he could say was, "...are you going to leave me or can you keep staying with me. When I was in the hospital for 10 days back in April, he never came up to see me. Our neighbors tried to drive him (only 5 minute drive to hospital) but he refused - he would call me once a day, but never took a cab or came up to see me even though my friends and neighbors did everything they could to convince him to go with them.
So, as you can see, he is a very difficult person to deal with. Even when he didn't suffer from dementia and could drive, he would never visit me in the hospital. He just cannot show his emotions for some reason. Not an easy person to love - he rejects any positive emotional offerings of concern or love.
So, I just do my best with him. He has no clue as to how his behaviors affect others - then or now.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Terrible affliction - my dad suffers from that as well. I try to put myself into his shoes, so to speak - try to imagine what it would be like to not remember names, dates, conversations, etc., and also not be able to see directly in front of you (he has peripheral vision, but not straight ahead of him). When I do that, I become more understanding.
When my brother calls, my dad tells him everything is fine - so when I talk to him, he thinks I am lying to him. So I tell my brother to drive down from northern Florida to see him (hasn't visited my dad in over 18 months - what does that tell you?) but he says he is not interested.
So.....enough of this - I'm only getting depressed over this!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
She'll be 85 on Thursday. When we talk about cars like the Mustang she reminds me her dad had a Model A in 1931 (after the depression) because he had a job at Alcoa (good job). Anyway, I just visited a man known by a fellow car club member today and arranged to have him bring his Model A to our house and take Mom on a 15-30 minute ride. Aoogah horn and all. I guarantee that will make her day.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
Oh, wow. What a wonderful thing to do for her! That will make a great picture for you to keep.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
On the eye front I haven't had any central vision in my left eye since I was 10 due to the toxoplasmosis. It's done damage to my right eye and was what almost did me in a few weeks ago when it showed up on my brain. I was exposed to it while still in mom. It's a protozoa that is just there. Now the trick is to get back on a working preventative.
That's true of a lot of people who have seen combat. With some of them it's as if they let any emotion show then all the horrors they've witnessed will come spilling out and so they bottle it all up forever. It makes them and the people around them pretty unhappy.
I'm so sorry that you don't have that support when you need it.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
My best to those with medical issues, and to those who are taking care of others, and my thanks to all the rest for helping renew my faith in the human race.
It's very discouraging in my world sometimes, but this board is a pleasant refuge. . .most of the time.
It's too bad we drove Craig away, but maybe he'll come back one day.
That just brought back a memory of my father telling us as kids about his 1932 Terraplane which must have been bought quite used because judging by his stories it was a hooptie.
I don't think his was in this kind of shape:
http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv149/OlenMac/HudsonTerraplaneCoupe1938.jpg
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I believe this happened during my first year in the business back in the early 2000's. This elderly couple came on to buy a new car. They must have been in their early 80's, maybe older. But they were both mentally and physically adept for their ages. After asking several questions regarding their needs, it became quickly evident that what the husband wanted/needed was almost the opposite of what the wife wanted. He wanted a luxury and well-equipped sedan and she wanted a convertible or coupe. I took them out to the new car inventory where we must have had 600+ cars in stock - 50+ in each model we sold.
No matter what I did to land them on a car, it was futile. Each of them had selected a car but not the same model, color or style. When things like this happened, I never sold the customers a car - if they couldn't agree on a car, there was no urgency to buy, which was always essential on this business. And then I came up with an idea - work on the husband to agree with his wife's selection because of all the wonderful years of marriage. I told him it would be a blessing to let her have what she wanted and it would be more peaceful in the house without arguments and jealousies. He saw the wisdom in this and agreed to let her have her new coupe convertible. So when we went back to the showroom, he went over to her, kissed her moistly on her lips (I remembered that it was a moist kiss because he drooled a little from the left side of his mouth!), and said all he wanted was for her to be happy and thus he will buy her the red convertible.
As we began the negotiations for pricing, he told me he would not be trading in his 2 year old luxury sedan because he hated convertibles and needed a car he liked to drive. His wife, after hearing this comment, got up abruptly, walked outside of the showroom, got in the car, started it up, put it in gear, and ran it right into the wall of our service department. She got out of the car, unhurt, proceeded back to the showroom, sat down at the desk, and calmly stated that even though they would take a beating on their damaged sedan, she wanted to trade it in on the new convertible.
I was speechless, to say the least, but her husband related to me that, "...ever since they met each other and got married over 50 years prior to that night, whatever Lola wants, Lola gets!"
The entire showroom (managers, salespeople, customers, receptionists) broke out into uncontrollable laughter and almost in unison began singing that song from the show "Damn Yankees"! Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets! And honest, this is a true story!!!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
so, we get met outside (there were 3 salesguys out chatting, and my wife commented on how she hates that about the Hyundai store there). Get out, ask the guy if they have one to look at. He proceeds to tell us no, they won't be out until Mid-September probably, yada, yada, yada. So we left.
I declined to mention that their main competition a few miles away has had one sitting there at least since last week!
Needless to say, we will be stopping at the other dealer tomorrow to finally get a look/drive (assuming, of course, that they still have one available!)
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
First, you guys are amazing, being able to cope with your medical issues without a lot of complaining (some is certainly permitted), and for looking after elderly relatives (that isn't easy). We visited my 94 year old mother about 4 weekends out of 5, and we were surprised to hear most children visit their elderly parents once or twice a year, and quite often for only 5 or 10 minutes. I give you guys a lot of credit.
I find it really annoying when sales people find their private discussions are more important than a prospective customer. Once we set up an appointment with a salesman, we were right on time, but his buddy came in at the last minute and he went to talk to him. I just lost all my confidence in that salesman.
Let us know how the Santa Fe story goes......I'd like to hear your impressions. Seems Hyundai can do no wrong these days.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250