Stories from the Sales Frontlines

jmonroe

If you don't mind me asking, how was that journey...especially in a mini-van. I have sat in the back seat and middle seat in an Odyssey and it was ok since they seem to make the seats fairly high...so you can see. Plus, the Odyssey is pretty car like.

Son #1 has an ’08 Town & Country and while his three boys are still young (11, 9 and soon to be 7 in August) we fit pretty well but when they get older it probably won’t work so well. Here is how we do it:

All of the boys sit in the third row bench seat. DIL #1 and Mrs. j sit in the second row captain’s chairs and Son #1 and I are in the front. The kids read and play with their hand held games. The girls yack, read, and snooze. The guys up front make sure we get to where we are going without the passengers ever realizing the skill it takes to do that.

We’ve gone to Myrtle Beach 4 times like this so we’ve gotten pretty good at it. This year Son #2 and us will be going in his ’10 Kia Sedona equipped the same as the Town and Country. Son #1 has decided not to go this year. Son #2 has only two kids (8 year old son and a soon to be 5 year old daughter) so we should have no problems. I told Son #2 to borrow his brother’s car top carrier which he had already planned to do. It’s amazing how much that thing holds.

While vans don’t ride as well as cars, the first time we did it I was wondering how it would work out and I was surprised how well they ride. Now I just expect it and don’t give it any thought.

Also, I give you a lot of credit.....I wouldn't have lasted on a vacation with 3 kids these days, that's why nature makes you have them when you are younger.

Mrs. j and I consider ourselves very fortunate that our son’s live in the same area as we do and that we can go with on vacations with them. That is part of how we stay young. The other part is going to the kids sporting activities and there are plenty of them. Today we will be going to see Son #2s son play three tournament soccer games. Then we head over to pick up Son #1s kids after his middle son finishes his ice hockey game. Then we take them out for dinner, take them to our house where they will sleep over (don't ask me where Son #1 and DIL #1 are going as to why the kids are sleeping over. I can't keep up with their schedule too. :confuse:) then we take them to Sunday school tomorrow morning. Mrs. j and I will then go out for breakfast and after that we go to watch Son #2s son play deck hockey. After that I will cut the grass. That’s how I plan to spend this weekend.

If you did that you would feel as young as me although I have a couple years on you.

BTW, we went to watch DIL #1 perform in a play last night which is a new hobby for her.

See, I didn't forget. The reason I had to run out early last night was because I was a little late heading out to meet Son #1 and Mrs. j for dinner before the play (DIL #1 was at the playhouse).

Yeah, there ain’t nothing like having the family live close by. :surprise:

jmonroe

driver100

CalTrans requires one set of chains for a drive axle.

Actually this article explained using tire chains really well. You can use just one pair, but they advise using 2 pairs;

On 4WD vehicles:

• Snow chains mounted on all 4 with 4WD/AWD - ideal lateral stability, perfect acceleration, crisp steering, super braking. However, part time systems will show some understeer (turns are wider than intended). Full time 4WD systems are best. This is what everyone should have for snow and ice. Be careful anyway.
• Snow chains mounted on front axle with 4WD/AWD - good acceleration, good steering, good braking. However, since the rear wheels have no lateral guidance, the rear end might come around - fast. Not good. Feather your brakes. Go slow.
• Snow chains mounted on rear axle with 4WD/AWD - good acceleration, lousy steering (no lateral guidance), marginal braking (remember, 80% of brake force is created at front wheels and without chains that ain't happening). No fishtailing. Best compromise for 4WD with only one pair of chains. Go slow.

The article goes on to explain how all the different combinations would work;
Tire chains - Rubicon Trail

I don't like snow, so hopefully I won't ever need this information.

driver100

Yeah, there ain’t nothing like having the family live close by.

Thanks, I was hoping that would be the seating arrangement....that seems to work pretty well.

I agree, having kids and family around does keep you younger and more with it......and it works two ways, the young people benefit from your wisdom and experience.

Good for you guys......sounds like a great set up all around.

tjc78

best car movies?

Christine
American Graffiti
The Cannonball Run
Tucker: The Man and His Dream

For the kids: Cars

roadburner

Speaking of movies, and since this a car forum after all, what are some the best car movies? The following come to mind.
--Bullitt
--The French Connection
--Fast and the Furious
--Smokey and the Bandit

I'd break your list down into car movies and car chase movies. FF and Smokey and the Bandit are car movies while Bullitt and The French Connection are car chase movies. A car movie may contain-and most do-one or more chases, but the cars are also an integral part of the entire film.

Some other good car chase movies:

The Seven Ups

Ronin

Car Movies?

BMW's The Hire series of short films Ticker is a nail-biter.

Dirty Mary Crazy Larry

Gone in 60 Seconds(1974)

Grand Prix Forget the plot,; you watch this movie for the stunning on-board and car to car footage.

The Italian Job (1969)

Two Lane Blacktop Especially for GTO and '55 Chevy fans.

Vanishing Point(1971) A true classic, and one of my favorites.

Was Steve McQueen a real race car driver too?

You bet- and he was also a great off-road motorcycle racer(McQueen-along with Bud Elkins-represented the US in the 1964 ISDT). In the 1970 12 Hours of Sebring race, Peter Revson and McQueen (driving with a cast on his left foot from a motorcycle accident two weeks before) won with a Porsche 908/02 in the 3 litre class and missed winning overall by 23 seconds to Mario Andretti/Ignazio Giunti/Nino Vaccarella in a 5 litre Ferrari 512S. He next wanted to race at Le Mans AND make a movie about it, but the studio made him choose one or the other. He decided to make the movie: Le Mans. My son and I watch the BD at least once a year.
For the full story, read the book McQueen's Machines: The Cars And Bikes Of A Hollywood Icon

roadburner

I forgot American Graffiti; Lucas did a wonderful job of accurately recreating the 1962 cruising scene.

bwia

I forgot American Graffiti; Lucas did a wonderful job of accurately recreating the 1962 cruising scene.

Thanks for the info on Steve McQueen, he was truly a gritty Hollywood daredevil.

And while we are at it, add "The Transporter I and II" to that list. In Transporter I, Jason Latham's starring partner was a BMW 735 and in Transporter II, the Audi A8. Those driving scenes were better than anything done in the James Bond flicks.

houdini1

As you all know, we haven't heard much from Richard lately. I recently tried to email him, tried twice, and got a postmasters notice that the emails could not be delivered. Has anyone else been in contact with him?

Richard, are you out there?

abacomike

I saw my orthopedic surgeon yesterday at his office. After reviewing the X-Rays and the MRI, he said that it was apparent that when I fell down the stairs back on January 30th, my shoulder dislocated and then went back into its socket. It chipped some bone, tore a major tendon connected to the rotator cuff, and tore the muscles of the rotator cuff in two places. So the surgical procedure (arthroscopic) will concentrate on repairing the tendon and the two muscle tears, as well as tightening the capsule that surrounds the shoulder.

Surgery is scheduled for a week from Tuesday at 7:00 AM. Once I am awake and can stand, they will release me to go home. They figure that will be at around 5:00 PM. I'll be in a sling for several weeks and will undergo physical therapy for a few months. The surgeon said he expects a significant improvement in pain and movement within 3-4 months. I just want to get this over with. I think it's the anxiety that has reduced my ability to sleep well at night and my patience are a bit short, as well.

abacomike

Richard, are you out there?

Yes, I've been wondering where he's been. Somewhat ominous that his emails are undeliverable. I hope he's OK!

explorerx4

he did respond to Edmunds request complete their survey within the last couple of weeks.

driver100

For the kids: Cars

Whadya mean "for kids"? :mad:

driver100

As you all know, we haven't heard much from Richard lately.

Thanks for checking....hope he comes back soon.

Just a quick car no-sales story.
Saw a friend the other day. He is a doctor and he buys a new Mercedes every 4 years, when the warranty is up.

He has bought a car every 4 years for the last 4 times from the same dealer and the same salesman.

His 2008 Mercedes, I believe it is a CLS350, cost him $92000 4 years ago.

It is in immacualate condition, as perfect as can be.

It is time to trade so he asked the salesman what they would give him for it. They said "$20000". He was angry and he left.

He thinks either they sold a lot of cars this month or their sales are so good they don't want to sell him a car.

He said he won't be going back there again.

One rule of sales...it is much easier to keep a current customer than it is to win over a new customer.

abacomike

Saw a friend the other day. He is a doctor and he buys a new Mercedes every 4 years, when the warranty is up.

It's probably a CLS550. If it's a super clean car with loads of equipment and options, it's worth about $24,500-$25,000 as a trade (wholesale). If the dealer has to pay to get it certified by MB, and depending on the mileage, it might not be worth quite that much. It costs the dealer close to $2000+ to get a 100,000 total mile warranty. Also, the CLS is a specialty car because it is considered a coupe with4 doors. Very limited space in the car and not a great market for it because of its peculiarities.

He should be able to get more than $20,000 for it. If it was an S Class, which cost about the same back in 2008, it would be with much more.

Just thought I would give you my honest opinion.

driver100

Just thought I would give you my honest opinion

Appreciate your opinion. I think I saw his car a long time ago (when I saw him on Thursday he was with his wife, and she has some senior problems so they use their old Taurus wagon, about a 2002 model I would guess, because she can get in and out of it a lot easier) but it seems to me it was sleek and low and I believe it was a 2-door coupe.

My wifes 2008 335 bmw paid $60K and the bmw dealer offered a lowball $20K for that, used book value was $20K to $25K and Audi dealer gave us $24K. A $92K Mercedes shouldn't depreciate that much in 4 years. One reason you buy an MB is because it holds it's value.

I guess it could be a specialty car, but, the salesman should point that out when selling it. I don't think he would have bought that model if he had known.

He was amazed at the way I wheel and deal on my 535 and on the Audi. I think there could be a service for professionals like doctors who don't know how to negotiate buying a car.

stickguy

stopped with my SIL to look at a Cadillac this afternoon, just wanting to look. Arrived about 4:45 (they closed at 5:30) and it was slow. A family was in one office doing a deal, and we seemed to be the only other shoppers by then. so not worried about wasting anyone's time!

ended up looking at an SRX on the showroom floor, and talking to a very nice salesguy (probably about 60 I would guess, and a few of the other salesguys were actually fairly young).

really liked the car, and the dealer was pleasant. And really a good experience with the salesman. My SIL can be a bit of a handful, but the guy interacted well, to the extent that if she decides to get one of these, she would come back down to south jersey (from Long island) to buy it.

interesting that when she asked about trading in from out of state, he said they had no problem doing DMV work for NY (we are no where near NY down here), and that he has sold cars registered in Fla and a number of other states.

It is amazing how pleasant car looking can be when a dealer is low key, and the sales people are friendly and not high pressure. No clue if she would really go back down to ultimately buy, and he could have figured it was a waste of time and blown her off, but by acting professionally he actually might see her again.

abacomike

Appreciate your opinion. I think I saw his car a long time ago (when I saw him on Thursday he was with his wife...

What I did was look up a "super clean" 2008 CLS 550 with 50,000 miles on it as a guess, loaded with every option. That particular model of MB does not hold it's value, assuming it was a CLS. A comparably equipped E350 would be priced about the same, and the E350 cost half of what the CLS cost. It's the model - very low stance, no rear passenger room, very small trunk, but 4 doors. My E Class has more interior room and cargo space than the current CLS and is about $28,000 less.

It is similar to the BMW 6 series 4 door coupe.

driver100

It is similar to the BMW 6 series 4 door coupe.

I only saw it when he bought it in 2008, and I am pretty sure it is a CL 2 door model.
Looks like this if I am correct;


They are for sale in the US for about $40K, so should be 10 to 20% more here.
I find a 4 year old BMW should be worth about 1/3 of it's initial cost at dealer level.

It does seem that a CLS which is the low swoopy MB with 4 doors sells for even less though they cost more new.


They are listed for about $35K selling price on the site (carguru )

I am surprised that those swoopy models don't hold their value....I don't like them, not enough headroom and small windows, but they would make a good buy as a used car since they depreciate so quickly.

$20K sounds really low for a car that sold for $92K 4 years ago though, even taking that into account. I think the salesman made a mistake or the dealership doesn't want to sell too many cars. He is the kind of customer every dealer would love to have.

I have said it before, but, often I think it is best not to buy from the same dealer a 2nd time. They start to take you for granted, and it is hard to negotiate with someone you are supposed to trust....the salesman. Sometimes I like to have a fresh start with someone I don't owe anything to. It is OK to go back and see what your old dealer says, but, don't assume they will always be looking out for your best interest.....move on if it looks like they could take advantage....I have done that with the last 2 purchases at home, and in Florida I told them they had one more chance and if they didn't sell the car at the Edmund's average price I would be moving on. Somehow, they reluctantly agreed.

[Deleted User]

Everyone seems to have forgotten the best car movies of all time: the Herbie series. The Love Bug proved definitively a Ferrari doesn't stand a chance next to a vintage Beetle. :P

I was just thinking, to get Richard back into these forums we need to de-evolve our grammar into something genuinely embarrassing and atrocious. He'll be drawn like a moth to a flame.

bwia

I was just thinking, to get Richard back into these forums we need to de-evolve our grammar into something genuinely embarrassing and atrocious.

This is Richard's busy season.

A few months back he mentioned that he was going to teach two courses at a Community College, and that would keep him busy for a while. If he is teaching in a traditional college program, then this is the end of the semester when instructors are up to their kazoo grading papers and exams.

Give him some time, he'll soon be back.

kyfdx

I bet he could have saved money by leasing for 36 or 48 months, each time.. especially on an expensive, fast depreciating model, like that..

abacomike

I only saw it when he bought it in 2008, and I am pretty sure it is a CL 2 door model.

If it was a CL, then it would be worth much more. My brother has a 2013 in white and even though he bought it below invoice, he still paid $110,000 for it. They MSRP for $128,000+ equipped nicely. Back in 2008, $92,000 would be near invoice. Assuming perfect condition, it's worth around $35,000+ with 50,000 miles.

jayrider

I could be wrong, but I think Richard may have had issues with other posters.
That has occurred to several folks --- some have come back and some haven't. Hopefully it is not related to illness.

driver100

I bet he could have saved money by leasing for 36 or 48 months, each time.. especially on an expensive, fast depreciating model, like that..

Yes, he would have been further ahead leasing....I suppose if you know you are going to trade in every 4 years then you may come out ahead just doing that, especially if it is a fast depreciating model.

I think with most people in his income bracket, he may be thinking he will have to retire one year, and he may have to keep a car longer than the 4 year period, though I have a feeling he has planned it so he will continue to be able to trade when the warranty is up....he loves his cars and he won't want to drive a car that is out of warranty.

Sometimes I see a guy who has been retired for about 20 years and he has a deluxe 25 year old Cadillac, and I think to myself....his final year selling real estate or something was fantastic, then things kind of went down hill - but, at least he got the new Caddie in before things went bust.

driver100

Mercedes CL: My brother has a 2013 in white and even though he bought it below invoice, he still paid $110,000 for it.

I see the 2008 model started at $103000, and went to $295000 for an AMG model. I think that is what he had, and he probably got it for 10% off or so because it was either the end of the year or they are slow movers.

Here is part of a review I was reading:

With its occasional rear seating for two, it's roomier than a sports car but tighter than a sedan. We think the CL will be extremely appealing to a relative few drivers who fall in love with it and can afford the luxury of choosing stylish lines over day-to-day practicality.

The CL is a 2 door hardtop, made of the finest materials and is ultra luxurious, but totally impractical when you can get much more useable car in a 4 door S Class. They probably offered him $20000 for it because they know it will be a very hard car to resell. Still would make a tremendous buy for someone even at $25 or $30K...low mileage babied car that was worth $100K 4 years ago.

houdini1

A good way to price any vehicle whether you are buying or selling is to go to Autotrader and simply see what the average asking price is for that model and year. The lowest price I could find there for a 2008 Mercedes CL 550 with (74,000 miles) was about $39,000.

In Canada I would think the price would be higher than that, so if the car is a CL 550, someone is trying to take advantage of him.

abacomike

I could be wrong, but I think Richard may have had issues with other posters.
That has occurred to several folks --- some have come back and some haven't. Hopefully it is not related to illness.

I don't remember any such instances in the last several months where Richard had a problem with other posters. The ominous fact is when emails have been sent to his address, they are found to be undeliverable. I've had issues with one or two posters, but not Richard, to the best of my knowledge.

driver100

so if the car is a CL 550, someone is trying to take advantage of him.

I think it is something along those lines....either they think he will just go along with whatever they say - he says he has never done any wheeling and dealing, he just goes in and buys a new car every 4 years, or, they just don't want his car as a trade in, because it is a hard model to sell. Maybe the salesman doesn't even want the responsibility of taking the used model in.

I said, he should just check out another dealer. When we bought our last MB in 2003 MB had territories, you could only buy from your closest dealer. I don't think they follow that too much any more.

Maybe Mike knows about that rule. (or was it just a Cdn thing?)

abacomike

Maybe Mike knows about that rule. (or was it just a Cdn thing?)

There is no such restriction here in the U.S. You can buy a Mercedes from any dealer.

As for you doctor friend and the $20,000 offer, there must be something wrong. If the car he had was an E Class (E 350), that's about what it would be worth with under 50,000 miles on it. But a CL, or an S or even a CLS would be up in the 30,000+ range, at the very minimum, assuming under 50,000 miles (which is the warranty limit).

So I am going to assume you are mistaken about the model he has or it may have been in an accident. Something just doesn't make sense.

stickguy

sometimes people ball park when talking to acquaintances. 20K may be getting taken too literally. Maybe he got offered 28K? No one knows accept the doctor and the dealer.

driver100

So I am going to assume you are mistaken about the model

Possible, but I am sure it had letters in the name, and I would remember if he said C, E or S Class.

I'll try to find out but won't see him again until August.

Thanks for the info and for trying to put this together. I do know he paid $92K and they offered $20K after 4 years, and no accidents, pristine condition.

driver100

20K may be getting taken too literally. Maybe he got offered 28K?

Could be a misunderstanding....maybe they said there would be $20K difference between his car and a new one! That wouldn't be bad.

Like I said above, the facts I have are what he told me and he is a very honest person, he paid $92K for the car 4 years ago, it is in perfect condition with low mileage, they offered him $20K and he was very upset.

I said to him one reason you buy an MB is because of the high resale value.

Guess we have to leave it there until I find out more...which will be in August.

verdugo

No. CalTrans requires one set of chains for a drive axle. It looks like they don't care which axle they go on.

What Rob said. I have 4WD with snow tires, so I never had to put snow chains on it. But if I had to, I'd put them on the rear axle.

I still carry chains because it's the law, but I have never taken them out of the package.

nyccarguy

You put snows on the Wrangler? That thing must be UNSTOPPABLE!

graphicguy

Off topic, but have seen this coming for a long while....

The Oil and Gold Booms Are Over
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-05/the-oil-and-gold-booms-are-over.html

abacomike

Off topic, but have seen this coming for a long while....

The Oil and Gold Booms Are Over

I read the entire article and disagree with its conclusions - that the increases in the price of oil are over. Oil has gone up almost 7% just in the past 2 weeks and continues to rise. Gold prices are a hedge against currencies and with the Euro in trouble and the US Dollar being printed at the rate of 80 billion a month, gold will rise as well.

I still see Silver as a good hedge against inflation as well. I expect that next year, Silver will be over $40 an ounce.

The world economy continues to be anemic, at the very least, and will continue until well into 2015. But of course, this is just my humble opinion.

driver100

The Oil and Gold Booms Are Over

Maybe yes and maybe no.

He makes some good points. There is always someone who will write an article, but there are other "experts" with opposing views.

There are always unknowns, war in the Middle East, sudden recovery in Europe or China. Or fall back into recession.

Like one guy I met who has been a stock broker. I said to him, you must have done very well for yourself. He said, you know what they say about stock brokers, we handle other peoples millions of dollars worth of investments, and we go to work on a bus every day.

If the guy who wrote the article has all the answers why is he writing articles (even if it is for prestigious Bloomberg News)?

graphicguy

Mike...Driver....The article states that the reasons for oil to fall are in play. Now, the fact that gas prices continue to rise because of of socio-economic reasons have no basis in fact. Or, as we're seeing, gas prices rise on artificial factors. In short, they are being manipulated. OPEC has been saying for years that oil prices are being manipulated, and not by them.

In short, the reasons oil prices are being propped up are getting ever rarer.

Gold just took a dump. Not certain about silver. I stay away from commodity based investments, for a variety of reasons.

verdugo

You put snows on the Wrangler? That thing must be UNSTOPPABLE!



They'll probably close the roads before I get stuck. I also carry a shovel just in case.

abacomike

In short, the reasons oil prices are being propped up are getting ever rarer.

It's not the gasoline price I was commenting on - the price of a barrel of oil has risen from $87 to $95 in the past two weeks or so. Gasoline prices are, by their very nature, more volatile because of refining capacity, demand, winter vs. summer additives, to name a few.

From my perspective, gas prices have dropped during that same time frame.

I believe there are just too many hands in that pie - each taking their cut.

Oil is not going to drop significantly in price - at least in the next several years. Just wait until inflation starts to take hold with the Fed printing so much money that will eventually devalue the dollar - which has already occurred.

I'm not arguing your perspective at all - just using some logic and my observations of oil pricing over the past 4-5 years.

Now, the EPA wants all gasoline sold in this country to have 15% ethanol. My new car can run on that, but most cars cannot run on 15% ethanol. Ethanol is more costly than gasoline, so there will be even more upward pressure on gas prices if the EPA gets what it wants.

houdini1

Yes, ethanol is more costly, gets 25% worse mileage, can damage engines, uses up a valuable food source, and some say it pollutes more. Makes perfect sense to increase gasoline content to 15% !!

No wonder the U.S. is broke.

graphicguy

Around SW OH, E85 is tough to find. I know E85 has been around for several years. I just don't see the market embracing it. It certainly hasn't made an impact so far.

Sandman6472

Did a single run to Jupiter this morning right from my neighborhood, Coconut Creek. Enterprise has an office there and behind it they have a holding lot where we picked up our vehicles that they are sending to auction. Today I got a nice Ford Focus SEL hatch with all the goodies except my flash drive didn't work in the Mysync Ford system...it couldn't read it, the first time this has happened...very strange. Nice vehicle except that it accelerated kinda wonky, something I've noticed on every Focus I've driven no matter the miles...don't understand it and I would never purchase one because of it, it's like something is holding it back at low speeds and then it spurts pretty quickly after a few seconds. But I didn't feel safe and think it is kind of dangerous.

Got petrol here for $3.42 but passed a station that was going for $3.37 and another few at $3.39 to $3.43 with the highest being $3.52...no rhyme or reason as to why some charge more and some charge less. It seems to be cheapest down by the port in downtown Lauderdale. About the economy, I've noticed the handful of investments in my portfolio are all doing very well this past 6 months especially my AT&T and utility stock. Even my Fidelity account is on the upswing which is great. I realize this is all on paper as I am not taking any profit as of yet but I personally feel that the economy will be doing better in the coming months if things in the middle east remain calm. If not, all bets are off and something tells me that within a few years, things will get to the point where we see a major power shift in that region with the U S being called back into action to calm things but in a good way. There will be a time in the not to distant future where all parties will have to come to the table and compromise on a few things...the world will demand it. We can not go on the way things are now with all sides ready to pounce...we all need to realize that world peace will have to finally happen if the world economy will have any chance of moving forward. All sides will finally see that it'll be in everyone's best interest to come to some sort of an arrangement. But that's just the Sandman's opinion, simple as it may sound.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

robr2

Around SW OH, E85 is tough to find. I know E85 has been around for several years.

FYI, E85 is 85% Ethanol. Mike was talking about E15 which is 15% alcohol. It took me a while to get it right.

IIRC, the flex fuel Fords and GM's can run on up to E85. Most cars though have a hard time with anything more than E10 because the hoses and such aren't capable of working with that much ethanol.

robr2

Nice vehicle except that it accelerated kinda wonky, something I've noticed on every Focus I've driven no matter the miles...

It probably has something to do with the dual clutch transmission Ford uses on the Focus. It's great for fuel economy but it feels different because it doesn't have a torque converter like most automatic transmissions.

There's nothing wrong with it - it's just different. IIRC, Ford implemented a software update that improved the feel.

tjc78

Sounds like something you just have to get used to. It is along the lines of Nissan's CVT. I've had rental Altimas and Maximas and could never get used it in the short time I had the car.

abacomike

Sounds like something you just have to get used to. It is along the lines of Nissan's CVT. I've had rental Altimas and Maximas and could never get used it in the short time I had the car.

I have noticed some definitive differences between the 2013 and the 2014 Mercedes since taking delivery almost 2 weeks ago - one of them is the transmission and gear shifts on the 2014. They put a brand new 7 speed auto transmission in the E 350 that shifts very quickly from 1st to 5th gear. In past transmissions, when the car started in gear, it was always in 2nd gear unless you pressed "S" for sport. Now it starts in 1st, but quickly shifts. I would have to press "S" to have it hold gears longer on normal acceleration. Thus, it tend to be a little sluggish around town because you are in 5th gear at 30mph. All in the name of fuel economy!

So when I am driving around town, I keep it in "sport mode" and when going on the Turnpike or I-95, I press "E" for economy. This sluggishness seems similar to what Sandy is describing, no?

nyccarguy

Hey guys. I'm going to need some financial advice in the next few days. Most of you are older than me and have A LOT more experience when it comes to finances. If you'd like to help, Walt (kyfdx) has my gmail.

Thanks in advance!

abacomike

Hey guys. I'm going to need some financial advice in the next few days. Most of you are older than me and have A LOT more experience when it comes to finances. If you'd like to help, Walt (kyfdx) has my gmail.

Would be more than happy to assist, nyccarguy. Just tell me what you need and have someone email me your address.

roadburner

Ditto!!!