I've had only a few encounters with tornados over the years. First was in Milwaukee (!) where one was thought to go through the area where my hotel was located.
Second was in Greensboro NC - I was with my wife at a conference and one touched down not far from our hotel. A friend of ours at a different hotel had to evacuate.
Third was here in CO - most of the tornados are farther out on the plains, but a couple years ago there was one only a few miles from our house.
Until this latest round of storms this had been a reasonably quiet storm season in OK. I will say that our TV meterologists always seem to have the most advanced doppler radar and computer modeling. They typically provide viewers with 20 minutes of warning, which is some help.
Before this week the big news had been a series of hail storms in the OKC areas. There are tons of TV and radio commercials advertising hail damaged cars at a supposedly "deep" discount. Anyone here ever bought one of those?
As I write this email we have a thunderstorm. I heard that this same storm has delayed some of the cleanup and recovery efforts in Moore.
Have any of you seen the photos or video of the pile of cars and truck outside the door of the Moore Medical Center? Incredible! Last figure I heard was that almost 13,000 houses/buildings were damaged or destroyed. This is OK's 7th F5 tornado since US weather service started keeping records. Believe it or not this dubious distinction merely ties us with Alabama at the top.
I think we have only had one post all day yesterday. We are going to lose our place as the #1 site for number of posts.
I don't have anything much to report myself. SIL finally paid off the business, shares all go to him, now we have to learn how to live on our fixed income. I am just hoping we don't have to eat cat food one day.
Read a review of the new Jaguar XF and it got lots of positives. Seems steering is a bit vague and it doesn't hold it's resale value as well as others.
Also read a review of the new Outlander and it got quite a good rating. They liked it because it was a high safety pick...one of the few small SUVs that did well in all crash tests. Personally, I like the looks and I would definitely put it on my list of cars to check if I was looking for a smaller SUV. My main concern would be getting service if I needed it, on a long trip.
A Mechanics Life , Tales From the Hood... is the new number 1 baby. Stories from the blah blah blah is on the way down. :P
Jmonroe, roadburner, and a few others have already defected.
We offer lower monthly dues, a free t-shirt, and a swim party at Kirsties, every month during the summer, to new members. But, you have to sign up today. :mad:
Don't make any negative remarks about mechanics, even if they used mayonnaise instead of engine oil for an oil change. Nor any comments of having done any of your own repairs... you'll do just fine.
I'm still here being bombarded by dealerships of every stripe offering their "too low to be published" low prices. Even Consumer Reports sent a link to their "Build and Buy Program." I thought they were an independent organization--what's with that? Nonetheless, the discounts were quite good on some domestics but marginal at best on German imports.
On the technology side Automobile Magazine crowned the ubiquitous back-up camera as the technology of the year. I am inclined to agree but I believe active parallel parking is a smart technology as well.
but I believe active parallel parking is a smart technology as well
The rear camera is a wonderful safety device...too many accidents are caused when cars are reversing, and often it is little children who are in harm's way.
But, that parallel parking device, I say, if you can't parallel park you shouldn't have a license. Or, as they say in the Audi commercials as they show someone parallel parking...."For people who like to drive themselves"
Yeah, those three other boards with 85,000 posts are about to take over the world.
Mechanic's Life (should be called Doc's Life) has only 4 posts today and Sales Frontlines has 12! The only fun thing over there is when Doc defends his profession and never admits there could be an unscupulous auto mechanic.
I think I had to parallel park maybe ONCE in the past five years so that feature would be worthless to me.
Lucky you. In Boston, and perhaps most of the Northeast, where street parking is in short supply one has to be very skilled to negotiate the tight parking spots. That was never a problem before but now auto makers have sacrificed visibility for design esthetics and safety. The high deck lid and gargantuan B and C pillars found in new cars today are not driver friendly. To make up for that shortcoming manufactures have installed back up cameras, but that is not enough.
Besides, as one ages they lose flexibility and what was once pretty routine and taken for granted becomes a challenge. Speaking of aging, I believe manufacturers should put more effort into developing night vision technologies. HID was sold as an improvement over Halogen but I don't see much of a difference. Now, LED is being promoted as being superior to HID. At least Acura with their RLX thinks so.
For those familiar with LED headlights please share your experiences.
There were some interesting points Mr Fletcher made in his review of the 2014 Kia Forte. I like the heading: 2014 Kia Forte transforms from frumpy to fabulous
He says the Forte has 3 steering modes, Comfort being extra light, with Normal and Sport for more engaged driving. And this is what he says, his words not mine;
"FlexSteer was interesting from another perspective. Many cars are hog-tied by the steering feel — drive the Buick LaCrosse or the Chevrolet Impala and you get the message loud and clear. Both are pinky-light and less than enamouring. However, those suffering from the early onset of arthritis want light steering because it eases the discomfort caused by wheeling a heavier setup. Comfort caters to this situation without limiting the Forte’s appeal for other drivers.
Also, this was an interesting thing to say;
How times have changed. Two of the three worst vehicles I have ever tested belonged to Kia — the original Sportage and Sephia. These two were only pipped by the Lada Sagona on my list of the worst cars. The Forte is, on the other hand, one of the top contenders in the highly competitive compact segment.
For those familiar with LED headlights please share your experiences.
I had HID Xenons on the 2013, but Mercedes discontinued HID's in favor of LED's for the 2014 E350's, one of which I bought 4 weeks ago.
My HID's, when turned on, used to "auto-level" as the ballasts fired up. The LED's go on instantly and do not have that 1-2 second delay. I find the LED's to actually be brighter than the HID's in my 2013. Additionally, they seem to light up the road better on left and right sides giving better fringe visibility. The headlight are "whiter", or seemingly more natural looking. I have the optional lighting package which includes "full LED" lights for brights, curve illumination and cornering lights. They also auto adjust for oncoming as well as rear "red" lights for approaching a car on front of you.
The LED's are superior to the previous year's HID's.
...seem to light up the road better on left and right sides giving better fringe visibility... They also auto adjust for oncoming as well as rear "red" lights for approaching a car on front of you.
Thanks Mike for sharing. I was so intrigued by the auto adjust feature that I did a search for a YouTube video and found this one for a BMW. Is that how yours work in the E350? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dvPZ3H1Vm4
Thanks Mike for sharing. I was so intrigued by the auto adjust feature that I did a search for a YouTube video and found this one for a BMW.
I am not totally familiar with how mine works, but I know it has sensors that pick up oncoming lights as well as trailing lights from a car in front of you and automatically adjust brights as well as low beams.
I'll try to do some research on it. *driver, I am sure, will also research this as that is one of his fortes.
That was cool. I have heard the term "auto adjust headlights" mentioned but had no idea what it really meant. Assumed the headlights turn a bit on corners or up and down on hills, but it is really a pretty complex system that really does a lot.
Thanks for coming up with that one bwia, I really learned something today.
driver, I am sure, will also research this as that is one of his fortes.
Thanks for the compliment, I will try to live up to my reputation.
The term is actually "adaptive highbeam assist" (rather than automatic adjust headlights), and you will find the information on google if you do a search. Yes, the Mercedes system works the same way, and via computers and a camera the headlight system gets information every 40th of a millisecond and adjusts the light beams accordingly. Adaptive Highbeam Assist
Amazing! And one reason I prefer to trade cars every 4 years or so maximum, so I have the latest and best technologies available.
I was checking in over at Mechanic's Life....it is usually way to technical for me, however I gave them a link to a Canadian TV program called W5 (Who, What, Where, Why, When) that works with the Automobile Protection Agency (APA) to expose or find out whether garages are honest or not.
They use a car that is in perfect running order, and they make one minor fault with the car, and then see how if the garage is honest in dealing with the problem. I found it very interesting, that in Toronto, they tested 11 garages and only one was honest. Here is the 15 minute link; Undercover probe of garages Part 1
The resident mechanic over there thinks these findings are all staged to make garages look bad. One of my points is that I like to drive a newer car that has a warranty, because my odds of finding a good honest mechanic aren't that good.
Thanks for the compliment, I will try to live up to my reputation.
*driver, I took a look at your link - and it does explain quite a bit about the lighting systems in their cars.
I am not sure, but I believe they are talking about Xenon HID adaptive highbeam assist, and have not yet posted the system using LED lighting. Since I have the lighting package, all front, rear and side lights are LED's, not just the headlights. These not only adapt to left/right turning of the steering wheel and the lights in front of the car, but also curve illumination, which is something different than adaptive headlight. Curve illumination "lights up" a broader spectrum of the road when there is a curve.
It is very confusing, but this new lighting is truly phenominal when compared to the 2013 lighting package.
I am not sure, but I believe they are talking about Xenon HID adaptive highbeam assist
I am pretty sure you are right.....I was just looking up the adaptive aspect of today's lighting.
If you want to compare HID and LED or HID/LED adaptive lighting that is another topic. I assumed, and it seems I usually assume wrong these days of great technilogical advances, that an LED adaptive system would work using the same principles as HID, but everything would be brighter.
they are talking about Xenon HID adaptive highbeam assist, and have not yet posted the system using LED lighting.
This article from Yahoo.com may be of interest, or may be more than you need to know. It may help.
HID (High Intensity Discharge) are normally much brighter than standard halogen lights (the luminosity is greater providing much higher foot candles). They work by heating xenon gas (an inert gas) within a small chamber. This is why they are so bright. But they require a special ballast in order to convert the 12V DC current to a much higher level to ignite the gas. This is also why they are so expensive. Normal halogen lights work by heating a filiment within the bulb and reflecting the light forward.
LED (Light Emitting Diodes) are basically diodes that become heated and glow. Unfortunately they aren't very bright. However they glow white or bluish-white which looks pretty cool and they last a very long time using only a small amount of energy. As far as headlights are concerned, you will never find an LED headlight with the LED being the main light. LED headlights will always have a HID or halogen main bulb. The LED will usually be a ring around the projector lens (known as HALO lenses) or will have a line of LED lights below the main lights (look at the new AUDI).
Basically HID is a very bright headlight and LED is a headlight accessory (makes it look fancy).
Hope this helps. BTW - I own a professional headlight restoration company so I deal with headlights every day.
Basically HID is a very bright headlight and LED is a headlight accessory (makes it look fancy).
My headlights, brights, running lights, cornering lights and rear lights (including fog lights) are all LED's. I took a closer look at the headlights and they have magnifying lenses which swivel left/right and up/down. They are not the same as BMW's lights which have LED halos - mine are pure LED's, both individual strings of LED bulbs (directional lights) and a tube-like light (looks like a neon light) for daytime running lights.
The headlights are also LED, but the LED's intensified by the magnifying lenses.
I've tried to research this, but have not succeeded yet.
My headlights, brights, running lights, cornering lights and rear lights (including fog lights) are all LED's
I think you are right, most articles refer to last years cars and LED headlights are totally new, possibly only available on 2014 MBs so far.
One article said this; The most noticeable change upon observing the new E-Class two-doors are the dazzling headlight clusters. Full LED headlights are available as an option, while every Mercedes-Benz model will receive an integrated "eyebrow" LED design. The E-Class will be the only one that will sport two eyebrows in each cluster.
Speaking of technology, how about this amazing breakthrough.
An 18-year-old high school student has come up with a device that can recharge a cell phone battery in 20 - 30 seconds. Wow! Can you imagine the potential of this technology when applied to the electric car battery? Goodbye to expensive shale oil, and no more range anxiety. Read more at http://money.msn.com/now/post.aspx?post=3ea5906a-c0ac-4b73-aa8f-78591fd8886f
She developed a tiny device that fits inside cell phone batteries, allowing them to fully charge within 20-30 seconds."
Amazing! And nice to see an 18 year old kid comes up with a way to do this. It seems that some of the best leading edge technology is being found by young people.
One reason I don't get too overly concerned about energy, the environment, etc., is that man usually comes through with some device to solve the problem before we get to the critical stage. The capitalistic system is working.
I once read 90% of the things we worry will happen don't happen. I will worry when we are near the end of finding a solution, but, not way in advance.
I'll try to do some research on it. *driver, I am sure, will also research this as that is one of his fortes.
Here is a write up and short video on the Audi LED headlight. The article states that the headlight is legal everywhere else but banned in the USA. This does not sound right as BMW, MB, Acura and Volvo all use full LED headlights on some of their product lines.
How can that be?
Well, “in 1968 -- two years before the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was founded -- the U.S. instituted a regulation that required all vehicle headlights to be capable of switching from high-beam to low-beam. That rule is still on the books .
.NHTSA says that it's open to new technologies, but the agency isn't sold on this one. Most importantly, NHTSA isn't fully convinced that LEDs make roads any safer. In fact, some tests have shown that cars with LED brake lights get rear-ended more often than those with incandescent lights.”
Here is a write up and short video on the Audi LED headlight. The article states that the headlight is legal everywhere else but banned in the USA. This does not sound right as BMW, MB, Acura and Volvo all use full LED headlights on some of their product lines.
The Mercedes LED headlights (low and high beams) are not the same as those described in the article. My high beams need to first be "switched" on manually before the auto adaptive feature is initiated. Also, I can turn off the auto adaptive feature at any time and can manually shut off high beams in favor of low beams. That is a significant departure from Audi and Volvo.
OK, folks, time for a little project for all of you ... we haven't had a roll call in some time, but instead of the usual (read: boring) list of cars you currently have in the stable, I thought I'd combine it with a little bit of history.
List for us, the vehicle(s) you currently own, but do so by showing what you traded in or sold outright for it. Go back as far as you can.
I'll list the three cars in my stable (the car in bold face is the one we currently have):
List for us, the vehicle(s) you currently own, but do so by showing what you traded in or sold outright for it. Go back as far as you can.
I'll go back to 2001 only - too many to list if I go back further;
2001 Lexus GS300; 2003 VW Passat; 2004 Infiniti G35; 2005 BMW 525i; 2006 BMW 530i; 2007 BMW 530i; 2008 BMW 535i; 2008 BMW 535i (first one was lemon as was this one - both bought back by BMW); 2008 MB E350; 2009/2010/2011/2011/2012/2013 MB E350 Sports; 2013 Lexus GS350 (awful car); 2014 Mercedes Benz E350 Sport
driver....it's amazing the growth and explosion of individuals or start ups as a result of companies like Intel doing microfunding. I am an investor in several "KickStarter" companies. Some have been quite successful, some have bombed. But, it's a quick and relatively easy way to get funding for an idea without getting VC's greedy hands in them.
it's amazing the growth and explosion of individuals or start ups as a result of companies like Intel doing microfunding.
GG, you said something very important. Lot's of successes and some failures. There is nothing wrong in failing, if you don't fail a few times you aren't trying to do enough new things....you always learn from your failures, even if it's what not to do.
Microfunding is a great way to launch new ideas...glad companies like Intel see the importance of launching new ideas.
Wife's cars (she was on car #3 when we got married, but I dated her through the first two as well):
68 Pontiac GTO convertible, 86 Ford Mustang GT, 88 Acura Integra, 93 Mazda 626 ES, 97 Pontiac Trans Sport, 02 Mercury Mountaineer, 05 Chevy Avalanche, 06 Suzuki Grand Vitara, 07 Hyundai Santa Fe, 11 Ford Mustang GT. The Hyundai stuck around when the Mustang was added a it'll be our daughter's car in Nov.
My cars:
74 Ford Gran Torino, 84 Buick Skylark, 90 Ford Ranger XLT, 91 Ford Ranger XLT SuperCab, 95 Chevy 1500 Silverado, 05 Chevy Avalanche (I took it over when we added the Suzuki as an extra car), 13 F-150 King Ranch
00 Pontiac Trans Am WS6. Added as extra car; didn't replace anything.
Company cars (had one from 95 thru 09):
95 Dodge Neon Sport, 97 Pontiac Sunfire SE, 00 Chevy Malibu, 03 Dodge Intrepid SE, 06 Dodge Magnum SE, 09 Ford Taurus SE.
23 cars total from 1985 thru 2013.
2024 Ram 1500 Longhorn, 2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2019 Ford Mustang GT Premium, 2016 Kia Optima SX, 2000 Pontiac Trans Am WS6
Still have pain on and off - not wearing a sling since last Wednesday when they took the stitches out. I go to physical therapy 2 x a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and have some mobility of the shoulder.
I only took morphine tabs for 2 days, but the side effects were not worth the trouble, so I use extra strength Tylenol and I ice the shoulder 8-10 x a day. Still quite a bit of swelling down my upper right anterior arm.
I guess I will survive - thanks for asking.
And you are right - I have owned at least one car every year since 1964 with the exception of 1991-1996 when I leased a Mercedes 300E for 5 years and kept it to full term.
And you are right - I have owned at least one car every year since 1964 with the exception of 1991-1996 when I leased a Mercedes 300E for 5 years and kept it to full term.
Although you are in some discomfort, it sounds like you are on the mend, which is good!
We went out for dinner with some friends....he made a lot of money selling his business a long time ago. He believes in buying the largest car possible for safety reasons. And his Caddilac is probably about 20 years old, though he can well afford to buy a newer car.
He liked my 535 and he said when will you trade it in. I said probably around the 4 year mark when the warranty is up. He said, isn't that a real waste of money?
Some people don't like to buy a new car until the current one won't go any more. I would rather pay a few $1000 more a year and have the reliability and fixed cost of a newer car, that has the latest features, than drive a car into the ground....with all the possible risks of a breakdown. It also controls the cost of trading, so it is more manageable....kind of like forced savings.
How did it work out when you kept the car for 5 years?
ME (starting at same point): a bunch of cheap crap -> 1990 Nissan PU -> 1991 Mazda 626 -> 1995 Mercury Mystique -> 1998 Maxima SE/2001 Miata (2 at a time) -> 2005 Scion tC -> 2005 Accord (2005 was busy in our driveway...) -> 2007 Volvo (daughters now) -> 2000 Integra (garage ornament).
Son: 1998 Ford Contour (what a lousy car to drive that was) -> 2000 Acura TL (hand me down from my sister)
How did it work out when you kept the car for 5 years?
The car was outstanding. I put 60,000+ miles on it (leased it in San Diego) and drove it mostly in the desert (Palm Desert) for 4 of those years. The car never let me down. I replaced the brakes once, the tires 3 times (desert heat and sand ate them up) and had to replace the battery 4 times because of the oppressive desert heat (104-110 Degrees F from June to September).
: 1998 Ford Contour (what a lousy car to drive that was)
I wonder what went through the minds of the engineers when they made cars like that. Any particular reason you made that statement.
Too boring to go too far back, but, my first car was a 1960 bug eye Sprite. More recent 1988 Corsica, 1992 Cavalier, 95 Jeep Cherokee Ltd, 2000 Jeep Cherokee Sport, 2004 BMW X3, 2008 BMW Cabriolet, 2012 BMW 535ix.
My wife's cars 92 Saab, 95 Volvo (what a lemon), 99 MB C230, 2003 MB wagon (good car but gutless), 2008 BMW 335, 2013 Audi A4.
Not sure what the next cars will be, but since we are officially retired now we have to learn to live on a fixed income....might be getting Smartcars!
What I meant by that term (mechanically) is that other than the usual maintenance and service required (brakes, wiper blades, batteries, periodic services), I had to do nothing to the car to keep it operating effectively and efficiently. The Southern California Desert heat is what tears almost any car apart at the seams because of the stress it causes on air filters, batteries, wiper blades, tires, to name a few.
If I lived in Los Angeles or San Diego, I would not have had to replace the battery every year or so nor the wiper blades or the tires.
As for keeping a car for 5 years, I would say NO! But I would keep a car until the warranty was up because I have the same philosophy as you do regarding trading cars. It is extremely costly to keep a German Import for many, many years unless you are a mechanic and know how to fix things, like both of us are not. Once the warranty is up, I would trade the car. That would be every 4 years, in my case since I do not drive 50,000 miles in 4 years. My warranty is 4 years/50,000 miles, whichever occurs first.
As for keeping the 2014 Mercedes, I would consider keeping it for 2 or 3 years because there are no major body changes due until 2016. After that, I might consider a new one.
I have learned that there is nothing out there in the price range I am willing to consider that is as good or better than the E Class Mercedes Sport Sedan - IMHO. I've tried Lexus, BMW, Audi, Infiniti, etc., and nothing compares to the Mercedes for quality, handling, comfort and styling.
If they had not changed the body style and interior along with adding tremendous amounts of new technology, I would not have bought a 2014, but would have kept the 2013. But with so many changes, coupled with the fact that I was able to purchase this car for $58,000 ($64,850 MSRP) and they gave me more than wholesale value for the trade, it seemed worthwhile.
Since there will be no major changes for 2 or 3 years, I would not consider buying another until that time.
the contour ( a 2l 4, At) was just a nasty little thing to drive. uncomfortable, noisy, slow, just all around beastly.
funny thing though, one reason I bought it (other than being cheap, clean and reasonable miles!) was I really liked my 1995 Mystique, which overall seemed like a nice european sports sedan. But, that was a V6 5 speed top line model, before they started decontenting. Frankly, it seemed like a completely different car.
Cars I've Owned 1967-Present Rating Remarks Owned 1955 Studebaker President 327 V-8 auto 1 6 volt electrical system battery always dead 12 months 1962 Renault Dauphine 4 cyl stick 1 no power always in shop skipped college classes to fix 12 months 1957 MGA Convertible 4 cyl 4 speed 9 excellent car much fun John and I had fun in this car 2-3 years 1956 MGA Convertible 4 cyl 4 speed 9 bought for parts for 57 MGA 2-3 years 1963 Triumph Spitfire Conv 4 cyl 4 speed 2 blew up on Pa Turnpike drove NJ to Pa many times 2 years 1962 Ford T-Bird 390 V-8 auto 8 Owned in Navy Many going to/from Pa miles Nice 2 years 1964 Pontiac Grand Prix V-8 auto 6 bought from grandad totaled while parked at dentist 2-3 years 1965 Ford Mustang Conv 6 cyl stick 7 nice car ran good small eng bought from Gary Stewart 3 years *1971 Olds Cutlass Conv Rocket V-8 auto 10 Best Car to this date Most Power Fun 5-6 years 1977 Pontiac Firebird V-8 auto 4 First Brand New Car Not as good as Olds 6 months 1974 Toyota Celica 4 cyl auto 3 received on trade for Firebird totaled in snow storm 6 days 1968 Ford Mustang 6 cyl auto 8 2nd car to AZ Got hit in rear. Traded for pickup 2-3 years 1972 Jeep Wagoneer Big V-8 4WD auto 6 Drove to Arizona used as camper 2 years 1962 Chevy Pickup with camper V-8 stick 4 AZ truck no rust drove it to Va Bch sold to Jim Gallentine 1 year 1972 Ford Mustang V-8 auto good runner 9 Excellent car very fast Most comfortable car to date 1 year 1976 Dodge Van 225 slant six auto 2 Nice Looking, had interior done piece of junk to drive 1 year 1973 Chevy Caprice Classic 400 ci V-8 auto 9 First Luxury car with A/C and cloth interior 6-7 years 1971 Chevy Camaro (Z-28) 350 V-8 4 speed 9 Fast car Had racing stripes, dual mufflers, air shocks 5-6 years 1984 Chevy Blazer V-8 auto 4WD 8 Had etched windows. Nice Ran Good 3-4 years 1965 Ford Mustang 6 cyl stick 5 Auction Car Looked nice ran fair Dad stole it from me 1 year 1982 Olds Station Wagon V-6 auto 6 Auction car ran good many accessories 3-4 years 1978 Chevy pickup V-8 4WD auto (old blue) 6 Old Blue bought from Sam Heavy Duty truck 4-5 years 1973 Chevy Corvette Conv V-8 auto 5 Black car without A/C no good in Va 6 months 1978 Pontiac Trans Am V-8 auto 4 Shaker Hood was nice looking but blew con rod bearing 6 months 1984 Olds Cutlass V-6 auto 4 door 6 Many trips to work in this car very reliable 5 years 1986 Cadillac Brougham V-8 auto 8 First leather seat car Extreme Luxury for a 7 yr old car 3-4 years 1986 Chevy Blazer V-8 auto 4WD 6 White Blazer only had it a short time 1 year 1996 Dodge Dakota Sport V-8 auto 4WD 4 Faulty trans shift points. Nice, new, but didn't like it 1 year 1990 GMC Z-71 pickup V-8 auto 4WD 8 Traded Dakota for non-Dodge Excellent GMC 9 years 1989 Chevy Blazer V-8 auto Lifted High 6 White Dolphin 38 in tires Lifted Big Tall Truck Won Trophy 1 year 1994 Ford Explorer Ltd V-6 auto 9 Beautiful Truck Ran great Comfortable seats 130k mis 3-4 years 2000 Chevy Z-71 V-8 auto 4WD 9 First Really expensive vehicle ($31k) Heated seats loaded 3 years 1989 Cadillac Allante V-8 auto 9 Way expensive to fix ABS. Nice car too expensive to keep 6 months *1998 Ford Mustang GT V-8 auto 10 Best Car Super Sound System Comfortable seats Power! 14 months *1998 Chevy Corvette V-8 auto Bright Red 10 Bought from Hall Chev. low miles (19k) sold to retire NICE 12 months 2003 Toyota 4 Runner Sport 4WD 9 Bought Dec, 2003 for trip to Wisconsin. Traded Mustang 2 1/2 years 1970 Mustang Mach 1 with Shaker Hood 351 7 Dad gave it to me for work done. 4 spd Not my cup of tea sold$8500 1990 Toyota 4Runner 4WD SR5 V6 5 Bought for work miles Retired and sold it next day at a loss 3 Months 1999 Tahoe for Debi Traded 90 PU 8 Debi sure likes it. Rides nice. All Options 14 months 2006 Toyota Solara SLE V6 9 Nice luxury car Very comfy seats 30 MPG 160MPH Speedo 4 years *1967 Camaro SS 350 4 speed from Dad 10 Very nice original 67k miles pure factory condition sold $25k *1938 Bantam Roadster perfect from Dad 10 Perfectly restored Bantam Roadster 4 cyl 22 hp very cute sold $12k 1991 Camaro Z28 Convertible Automatic 7 Complete rebuild 420HP A/C Auto Fast Car Stroker Motor sold $5k 2001 GMC Yukon Denali 9 Traded 99 Tahoe so as to have 6L engine, HID lights etc. current 2002 GMC Safari Van ebay $2100 8 Bought off ebay cheap, quick fixes and drive it all the time 1 1/2 years 2010 Toyota Avalon Limited 10 Traded Solara at Ramey. Needed 4 door for Mom. sold to dlr 1998 Ford Explorer 2 door 4WD 6 Traded van for this. Owned 6 weeks and traded for Escape 6 weeks 2007 Ford Escape 4 door 6 cyl 4WD 10 Traded Explorer. Great stereo, 4WD 4 door Red Nice 1.5 years 2013 Mustang V6 Premium Sync,Sirius,Shaker 10 Traded Escape and Plow truck at Magic City Ford 4 months 2013 Mustang GT Premium white with stripe 10 Traded 2013 Mustang V-6 Just had to have the V-8 rumble 10 months
purchase this car for $58,000 ($64,850 MSRP) and they gave me more than wholesale value for the trade
Just out of curiosity how much difference did you pay...if you don't mind answering.
I am just thinking what is the cost per year compared to driving the car for say 4 years when it will be worth about half of it's value. Your 2013 when new was probably close to $60K. If worth $30K after 4 years = $7500 a year.
That's why I was wondering...how much it cost to trade after 1 year....of course you have a new car with way more content.
Comments
I've had only a few encounters with tornados over the years. First was in Milwaukee (!) where one was thought to go through the area where my hotel was located.
Second was in Greensboro NC - I was with my wife at a conference and one touched down not far from our hotel. A friend of ours at a different hotel had to evacuate.
Third was here in CO - most of the tornados are farther out on the plains, but a couple years ago there was one only a few miles from our house.
I will admit that they terrify me!
Before this week the big news had been a series of hail storms in the OKC areas. There are tons of TV and radio commercials advertising hail damaged cars at a supposedly "deep" discount. Anyone here ever bought one of those?
As I write this email we have a thunderstorm. I heard that this same storm has delayed some of the cleanup and recovery efforts in Moore.
Have any of you seen the photos or video of the pile of cars and truck outside the door of the Moore Medical Center? Incredible! Last figure I heard was that almost 13,000 houses/buildings were damaged or destroyed. This is OK's 7th F5 tornado since US weather service started keeping records. Believe it or not this dubious distinction merely ties us with Alabama at the top.
Gogiboy
I don't have anything much to report myself. SIL finally paid off the business, shares all go to him, now we have to learn how to live on our fixed income. I am just hoping we don't have to eat cat food one day.
Read a review of the new Jaguar XF and it got lots of positives. Seems steering is a bit vague and it doesn't hold it's resale value as well as others.
Also read a review of the new Outlander and it got quite a good rating. They liked it because it was a high safety pick...one of the few small SUVs that did well in all crash tests. Personally, I like the looks and I would definitely put it on my list of cars to check if I was looking for a smaller SUV. My main concern would be getting service if I needed it, on a long trip.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Jmonroe, roadburner, and a few others have already defected.
We offer lower monthly dues, a free t-shirt, and a swim party at Kirsties, every month during the summer, to new members. But, you have to sign up today. :mad:
Yeah, those three other boards with 85,000 posts are about to take over the world.
Ah, you're all just fickle traders...................no loyalty.
There is still more posts here on an average day, and just tech talking about cars all day long is b-o-r-i-n-g!!!!!!
I think you guys just like to be told off by that mechanic guy.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Did they get their feelings hurt? Get mad?
Get bored....or worse?
I'm still here being bombarded by dealerships of every stripe offering their "too low to be published" low prices. Even Consumer Reports sent a link to their "Build and Buy Program." I thought they were an independent organization--what's with that? Nonetheless, the discounts were quite good on some domestics but marginal at best on German imports.
On the technology side Automobile Magazine crowned the ubiquitous back-up camera as the technology of the year. I am inclined to agree but I believe active parallel parking is a smart technology as well.
The rear camera is a wonderful safety device...too many accidents are caused when cars are reversing, and often it is little children who are in harm's way.
But, that parallel parking device, I say, if you can't parallel park you shouldn't have a license. Or, as they say in the Audi commercials as they show someone parallel parking...."For people who like to drive themselves"
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Mechanic's Life (should be called Doc's Life) has only 4 posts today and Sales Frontlines has 12! The only fun thing over there is when Doc defends his profession and never admits there could be an unscupulous auto mechanic.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Lucky you. In Boston, and perhaps most of the Northeast, where street parking is in short supply one has to be very skilled to negotiate the tight parking spots. That was never a problem before but now auto makers have sacrificed visibility for design esthetics and safety. The high deck lid and gargantuan B and C pillars found in new cars today are not driver friendly. To make up for that shortcoming manufactures have installed back up cameras, but that is not enough.
Besides, as one ages they lose flexibility and what was once pretty routine and taken for granted becomes a challenge.
Speaking of aging, I believe manufacturers should put more effort into developing night vision technologies. HID was sold as an improvement over Halogen but I don't see much of a difference. Now, LED is being promoted as being superior to HID. At least Acura with their RLX thinks so.
For those familiar with LED headlights please share your experiences.
2014 Kia Forte transforms from frumpy to fabulous
He says the Forte has 3 steering modes, Comfort being extra light, with Normal and Sport for more engaged driving. And this is what he says, his words not mine;
"FlexSteer was interesting from another perspective. Many cars are hog-tied by the steering feel — drive the Buick LaCrosse or the Chevrolet Impala and you get the message loud and clear. Both are pinky-light and less than enamouring. However, those suffering from the early onset of arthritis want light steering because it eases the discomfort caused by wheeling a heavier setup. Comfort caters to this situation without limiting the Forte’s appeal for other drivers.
Also, this was an interesting thing to say;
How times have changed. Two of the three worst vehicles I have ever tested belonged to Kia — the original Sportage and Sephia. These two were only pipped by the Lada Sagona on my list of the worst cars. The Forte is, on the other hand, one of the top contenders in the highly competitive compact segment.
Complete review at:
Graeme Fletcher reviews 2014 Kia Forte
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I had HID Xenons on the 2013, but Mercedes discontinued HID's in favor of LED's for the 2014 E350's, one of which I bought 4 weeks ago.
My HID's, when turned on, used to "auto-level" as the ballasts fired up. The LED's go on instantly and do not have that 1-2 second delay. I find the LED's to actually be brighter than the HID's in my 2013. Additionally, they seem to light up the road better on left and right sides giving better fringe visibility. The headlight are "whiter", or seemingly more natural looking. I have the optional lighting package which includes "full LED" lights for brights, curve illumination and cornering lights. They also auto adjust for oncoming as well as rear "red" lights for approaching a car on front of you.
The LED's are superior to the previous year's HID's.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Thanks Mike for sharing. I was so intrigued by the auto adjust feature that I did a search for a YouTube video and found this one for a BMW. Is that how yours work in the E350? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dvPZ3H1Vm4
Enjoy!
I am not totally familiar with how mine works, but I know it has sensors that pick up oncoming lights as well as trailing lights from a car in front of you and automatically adjust brights as well as low beams.
I'll try to do some research on it. *driver, I am sure, will also research this as that is one of his fortes.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
That was cool. I have heard the term "auto adjust headlights" mentioned but had no idea what it really meant. Assumed the headlights turn a bit on corners or up and down on hills, but it is really a pretty complex system that really does a lot.
Thanks for coming up with that one bwia, I really learned something today.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Thanks for the compliment, I will try to live up to my reputation.
The term is actually "adaptive highbeam assist" (rather than automatic adjust headlights), and you will find the information on google if you do a search. Yes, the Mercedes system works the same way, and via computers and a camera the headlight system gets information every 40th of a millisecond and adjusts the light beams accordingly.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist
Amazing! And one reason I prefer to trade cars every 4 years or so maximum, so I have the latest and best technologies available.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
They use a car that is in perfect running order, and they make one minor fault with the car, and then see how if the garage is honest in dealing with the problem. I found it very interesting, that in Toronto, they tested 11 garages and only one was honest. Here is the 15 minute link;
Undercover probe of garages Part 1
The 2nd part is 6 minutes, and in Calgary only 8 out 30 garages passed;
Undercover probe garages Part 2
The resident mechanic over there thinks these findings are all staged to make garages look bad. One of my points is that I like to drive a newer car that has a warranty, because my odds of finding a good honest mechanic aren't that good.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
*driver, I took a look at your link - and it does explain quite a bit about the lighting systems in their cars.
I am not sure, but I believe they are talking about Xenon HID adaptive highbeam assist, and have not yet posted the system using LED lighting. Since I have the lighting package, all front, rear and side lights are LED's, not just the headlights. These not only adapt to left/right turning of the steering wheel and the lights in front of the car, but also curve illumination, which is something different than adaptive headlight. Curve illumination "lights up" a broader spectrum of the road when there is a curve.
It is very confusing, but this new lighting is truly phenominal when compared to the 2013 lighting package.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
I am pretty sure you are right.....I was just looking up the adaptive aspect of today's lighting.
If you want to compare HID and LED or HID/LED adaptive lighting that is another topic. I assumed, and it seems I usually assume wrong these days of great technilogical advances, that an LED adaptive system would work using the same principles as HID, but everything would be brighter.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
This article from Yahoo.com may be of interest, or may be more than you need to know. It may help.
HID (High Intensity Discharge) are normally much brighter than standard halogen lights (the luminosity is greater providing much higher foot candles). They work by heating xenon gas (an inert gas) within a small chamber. This is why they are so bright. But they require a special ballast in order to convert the 12V DC current to a much higher level to ignite the gas. This is also why they are so expensive. Normal halogen lights work by heating a filiment within the bulb and reflecting the light forward.
LED (Light Emitting Diodes) are basically diodes that become heated and glow. Unfortunately they aren't very bright. However they glow white or bluish-white which looks pretty cool and they last a very long time using only a small amount of energy. As far as headlights are concerned, you will never find an LED headlight with the LED being the main light. LED headlights will always have a HID or halogen main bulb. The LED will usually be a ring around the projector lens (known as HALO lenses) or will have a line of LED lights below the main lights (look at the new AUDI).
Basically HID is a very bright headlight and LED is a headlight accessory (makes it look fancy).
Hope this helps. BTW - I own a professional headlight restoration company so I deal with headlights every day.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
My headlights, brights, running lights, cornering lights and rear lights (including fog lights) are all LED's. I took a closer look at the headlights and they have magnifying lenses which swivel left/right and up/down. They are not the same as BMW's lights which have LED halos - mine are pure LED's, both individual strings of LED bulbs (directional lights) and a tube-like light (looks like a neon light) for daytime running lights.
The headlights are also LED, but the LED's intensified by the magnifying lenses.
I've tried to research this, but have not succeeded yet.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
I think you are right, most articles refer to last years cars and LED headlights are totally new, possibly only available on 2014 MBs so far.
One article said this;
The most noticeable change upon observing the new E-Class two-doors are the dazzling headlight clusters. Full LED headlights are available as an option, while every Mercedes-Benz model will receive an integrated "eyebrow" LED design. The E-Class will be the only one that will sport two eyebrows in each cluster.
Entire article: 2014 E-Class
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
An 18-year-old high school student has come up with a device that can recharge a cell phone battery in 20 - 30 seconds. Wow! Can you imagine the potential of this technology when applied to the electric car battery? Goodbye to expensive shale oil, and no more range anxiety.
Read more at http://money.msn.com/now/post.aspx?post=3ea5906a-c0ac-4b73-aa8f-78591fd8886f
Amazing! And nice to see an 18 year old kid comes up with a way to do this. It seems that some of the best leading edge technology is being found by young people.
One reason I don't get too overly concerned about energy, the environment, etc., is that man usually comes through with some device to solve the problem before we get to the critical stage. The capitalistic system is working.
I once read 90% of the things we worry will happen don't happen. I will worry when we are near the end of finding a solution, but, not way in advance.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
These things are called tradeoffs. The great unwashed has no clue.
They are the prey.
According to the story the device extends battery life from 1,000 cycles to 10,000 cycles. Imagine that. No trade-off, it is a win win situation.
Here is a write up and short video on the Audi LED headlight. The article states that the headlight is legal everywhere else but banned in the USA. This does not sound right as BMW, MB, Acura and Volvo all use full LED headlights on some of their product lines.
How can that be?
Well, “in 1968 -- two years before the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was founded -- the U.S. instituted a regulation that required all vehicle headlights to be capable of switching from high-beam to low-beam. That rule is still on the books .
.NHTSA says that it's open to new technologies, but the agency isn't sold on this one. Most importantly, NHTSA isn't fully convinced that LEDs make roads any safer. In fact, some tests have shown that cars with LED brake lights get rear-ended more often than those with incandescent lights.”
http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1083015_audis-smart-led-headlights-banned-i- - - n-the-u-s-okay-everywhere-else
The Mercedes LED headlights (low and high beams) are not the same as those described in the article. My high beams need to first be "switched" on manually before the auto adaptive feature is initiated. Also, I can turn off the auto adaptive feature at any time and can manually shut off high beams in favor of low beams. That is a significant departure from Audi and Volvo.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
List for us, the vehicle(s) you currently own, but do so by showing what you traded in or sold outright for it. Go back as far as you can.
I'll list the three cars in my stable (the car in bold face is the one we currently have):
1986 Isuzu P'up --> 1991 Nissan Sentra SE --> 1993 Honda Accord DX --> 1999 VW Beetle --> 2005 Saturn VUE --> 2008 Saturn VUE --> 2010 Mazda CX-7
1997 Ford Escort --> 1999 Ford Expedition XLT --> 2002 Ford Explorer XLT --> 2003 Ford Focus --> 2006 Saturn ION
2003 Saturn L300 --> 2010 MINI Cooper
I'll go back to 2001 only - too many to list if I go back further;
2001 Lexus GS300; 2003 VW Passat; 2004 Infiniti G35; 2005 BMW 525i; 2006 BMW 530i; 2007 BMW 530i; 2008 BMW 535i; 2008 BMW 535i (first one was lemon as was this one - both bought back by BMW); 2008 MB E350; 2009/2010/2011/2011/2012/2013 MB E350 Sports; 2013 Lexus GS350 (awful car); 2014 Mercedes Benz E350 Sport
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
GG, you said something very important. Lot's of successes and some failures. There is nothing wrong in failing, if you don't fail a few times you aren't trying to do enough new things....you always learn from your failures, even if it's what not to do.
Microfunding is a great way to launch new ideas...glad companies like Intel see the importance of launching new ideas.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
You've owned more cars in 12 years than most people own in 60 years.
We would have run out of space if you went back to the beginning, and your shoulder would be really sore! How are you doing btw.?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
68 Pontiac GTO convertible, 86 Ford Mustang GT, 88 Acura Integra, 93 Mazda 626 ES, 97 Pontiac Trans Sport, 02 Mercury Mountaineer, 05 Chevy Avalanche, 06 Suzuki Grand Vitara, 07 Hyundai Santa Fe, 11 Ford Mustang GT. The Hyundai stuck around when the Mustang was added a it'll be our daughter's car in Nov.
My cars:
74 Ford Gran Torino, 84 Buick Skylark, 90 Ford Ranger XLT, 91 Ford Ranger XLT SuperCab, 95 Chevy 1500 Silverado, 05 Chevy Avalanche (I took it over when we added the Suzuki as an extra car), 13 F-150 King Ranch
00 Pontiac Trans Am WS6. Added as extra car; didn't replace anything.
Company cars (had one from 95 thru 09):
95 Dodge Neon Sport, 97 Pontiac Sunfire SE, 00 Chevy Malibu, 03 Dodge Intrepid SE, 06 Dodge Magnum SE, 09 Ford Taurus SE.
23 cars total from 1985 thru 2013.
2024 Ram 1500 Longhorn, 2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2019 Ford Mustang GT Premium, 2016 Kia Optima SX, 2000 Pontiac Trans Am WS6
Still have pain on and off - not wearing a sling since last Wednesday when they took the stitches out. I go to physical therapy 2 x a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and have some mobility of the shoulder.
I only took morphine tabs for 2 days, but the side effects were not worth the trouble, so I use extra strength Tylenol and I ice the shoulder 8-10 x a day. Still quite a bit of swelling down my upper right anterior arm.
I guess I will survive - thanks for asking.
And you are right - I have owned at least one car every year since 1964 with the exception of 1991-1996 when I leased a Mercedes 300E for 5 years and kept it to full term.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Although you are in some discomfort, it sounds like you are on the mend, which is good!
We went out for dinner with some friends....he made a lot of money selling his business a long time ago. He believes in buying the largest car possible for safety reasons. And his Caddilac is probably about 20 years old, though he can well afford to buy a newer car.
He liked my 535 and he said when will you trade it in. I said probably around the 4 year mark when the warranty is up. He said, isn't that a real waste of money?
Some people don't like to buy a new car until the current one won't go any more. I would rather pay a few $1000 more a year and have the reliability and fixed cost of a newer car, that has the latest features, than drive a car into the ground....with all the possible risks of a breakdown. It also controls the cost of trading, so it is more manageable....kind of like forced savings.
How did it work out when you kept the car for 5 years?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
hers: 1985 Horizon (pre-married)-> 1986 Mazda 323 -> 1991 Subaru Legacy wagon -> 1995 Voyager -> 1998 Quest -> 2005 Odyssey - > 2013 Acura RDX.
ME (starting at same point): a bunch of cheap crap -> 1990 Nissan PU -> 1991 Mazda 626 -> 1995 Mercury Mystique -> 1998 Maxima SE/2001 Miata (2 at a time) -> 2005 Scion tC -> 2005 Accord (2005 was busy in our driveway...) -> 2007 Volvo (daughters now) -> 2000 Integra (garage ornament).
Son: 1998 Ford Contour (what a lousy car to drive that was) -> 2000 Acura TL (hand me down from my sister)
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The car was outstanding. I put 60,000+ miles on it (leased it in San Diego) and drove it mostly in the desert (Palm Desert) for 4 of those years. The car never let me down. I replaced the brakes once, the tires 3 times (desert heat and sand ate them up) and had to replace the battery 4 times because of the oppressive desert heat (104-110 Degrees F from June to September).
Mechanically, the car was stupendous!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Why did you say "mechanically"?
Would you do it over again...that is, keep the car for 5 years? Obviously, I don't think you will do it again in the future.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I wonder what went through the minds of the engineers when they made cars like that. Any particular reason you made that statement.
Too boring to go too far back, but, my first car was a 1960 bug eye Sprite.
More recent 1988 Corsica, 1992 Cavalier, 95 Jeep Cherokee Ltd, 2000 Jeep Cherokee Sport, 2004 BMW X3, 2008 BMW Cabriolet, 2012 BMW 535ix.
My wife's cars 92 Saab, 95 Volvo (what a lemon), 99 MB C230, 2003 MB wagon (good car but gutless), 2008 BMW 335, 2013 Audi A4.
Not sure what the next cars will be, but since we are officially retired now we have to learn to live on a fixed income....might be getting Smartcars!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
What I meant by that term (mechanically) is that other than the usual maintenance and service required (brakes, wiper blades, batteries, periodic services), I had to do nothing to the car to keep it operating effectively and efficiently. The Southern California Desert heat is what tears almost any car apart at the seams because of the stress it causes on air filters, batteries, wiper blades, tires, to name a few.
If I lived in Los Angeles or San Diego, I would not have had to replace the battery every year or so nor the wiper blades or the tires.
As for keeping a car for 5 years, I would say NO! But I would keep a car until the warranty was up because I have the same philosophy as you do regarding trading cars. It is extremely costly to keep a German Import for many, many years unless you are a mechanic and know how to fix things, like both of us are not. Once the warranty is up, I would trade the car. That would be every 4 years, in my case since I do not drive 50,000 miles in 4 years. My warranty is 4 years/50,000 miles, whichever occurs first.
As for keeping the 2014 Mercedes, I would consider keeping it for 2 or 3 years because there are no major body changes due until 2016. After that, I might consider a new one.
I have learned that there is nothing out there in the price range I am willing to consider that is as good or better than the E Class Mercedes Sport Sedan - IMHO. I've tried Lexus, BMW, Audi, Infiniti, etc., and nothing compares to the Mercedes for quality, handling, comfort and styling.
If they had not changed the body style and interior along with adding tremendous amounts of new technology, I would not have bought a 2014, but would have kept the 2013. But with so many changes, coupled with the fact that I was able to purchase this car for $58,000 ($64,850 MSRP) and they gave me more than wholesale value for the trade, it seemed worthwhile.
Since there will be no major changes for 2 or 3 years, I would not consider buying another until that time.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
funny thing though, one reason I bought it (other than being cheap, clean and reasonable miles!) was I really liked my 1995 Mystique, which overall seemed like a nice european sports sedan. But, that was a V6 5 speed top line model, before they started decontenting. Frankly, it seemed like a completely different car.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
1955 Studebaker President 327 V-8 auto 1 6 volt electrical system battery always dead 12 months
1962 Renault Dauphine 4 cyl stick 1 no power always in shop skipped college classes to fix 12 months
1957 MGA Convertible 4 cyl 4 speed 9 excellent car much fun John and I had fun in this car 2-3 years
1956 MGA Convertible 4 cyl 4 speed 9 bought for parts for 57 MGA 2-3 years
1963 Triumph Spitfire Conv 4 cyl 4 speed 2 blew up on Pa Turnpike drove NJ to Pa many times 2 years
1962 Ford T-Bird 390 V-8 auto 8 Owned in Navy Many going to/from Pa miles Nice 2 years
1964 Pontiac Grand Prix V-8 auto 6 bought from grandad totaled while parked at dentist 2-3 years
1965 Ford Mustang Conv 6 cyl stick 7 nice car ran good small eng bought from Gary Stewart 3 years
*1971 Olds Cutlass Conv Rocket V-8 auto 10 Best Car to this date Most Power Fun 5-6 years
1977 Pontiac Firebird V-8 auto 4 First Brand New Car Not as good as Olds 6 months
1974 Toyota Celica 4 cyl auto 3 received on trade for Firebird totaled in snow storm 6 days
1968 Ford Mustang 6 cyl auto 8 2nd car to AZ Got hit in rear. Traded for pickup 2-3 years
1972 Jeep Wagoneer Big V-8 4WD auto 6 Drove to Arizona used as camper 2 years
1962 Chevy Pickup with camper V-8 stick 4 AZ truck no rust drove it to Va Bch sold to Jim Gallentine 1 year
1972 Ford Mustang V-8 auto good runner 9 Excellent car very fast Most comfortable car to date 1 year
1976 Dodge Van 225 slant six auto 2 Nice Looking, had interior done piece of junk to drive 1 year
1973 Chevy Caprice Classic 400 ci V-8 auto 9 First Luxury car with A/C and cloth interior 6-7 years
1971 Chevy Camaro (Z-28) 350 V-8 4 speed 9 Fast car Had racing stripes, dual mufflers, air shocks 5-6 years
1984 Chevy Blazer V-8 auto 4WD 8 Had etched windows. Nice Ran Good 3-4 years
1965 Ford Mustang 6 cyl stick 5 Auction Car Looked nice ran fair Dad stole it from me 1 year
1982 Olds Station Wagon V-6 auto 6 Auction car ran good many accessories 3-4 years
1978 Chevy pickup V-8 4WD auto (old blue) 6 Old Blue bought from Sam Heavy Duty truck 4-5 years
1973 Chevy Corvette Conv V-8 auto 5 Black car without A/C no good in Va 6 months
1978 Pontiac Trans Am V-8 auto 4 Shaker Hood was nice looking but blew con rod bearing 6 months
1984 Olds Cutlass V-6 auto 4 door 6 Many trips to work in this car very reliable 5 years
1986 Cadillac Brougham V-8 auto 8 First leather seat car Extreme Luxury for a 7 yr old car 3-4 years
1986 Chevy Blazer V-8 auto 4WD 6 White Blazer only had it a short time 1 year
1996 Dodge Dakota Sport V-8 auto 4WD 4 Faulty trans shift points. Nice, new, but didn't like it 1 year
1990 GMC Z-71 pickup V-8 auto 4WD 8 Traded Dakota for non-Dodge Excellent GMC 9 years
1989 Chevy Blazer V-8 auto Lifted High 6 White Dolphin 38 in tires Lifted Big Tall Truck Won Trophy 1 year
1994 Ford Explorer Ltd V-6 auto 9 Beautiful Truck Ran great Comfortable seats 130k mis 3-4 years
2000 Chevy Z-71 V-8 auto 4WD 9 First Really expensive vehicle ($31k) Heated seats loaded 3 years
1989 Cadillac Allante V-8 auto 9 Way expensive to fix ABS. Nice car too expensive to keep 6 months
*1998 Ford Mustang GT V-8 auto 10 Best Car Super Sound System Comfortable seats Power! 14 months
*1998 Chevy Corvette V-8 auto Bright Red 10 Bought from Hall Chev. low miles (19k) sold to retire NICE 12 months
2003 Toyota 4 Runner Sport 4WD 9 Bought Dec, 2003 for trip to Wisconsin. Traded Mustang 2 1/2 years
1970 Mustang Mach 1 with Shaker Hood 351 7 Dad gave it to me for work done. 4 spd Not my cup of tea sold$8500
1990 Toyota 4Runner 4WD SR5 V6 5 Bought for work miles Retired and sold it next day at a loss 3 Months
1999 Tahoe for Debi Traded 90 PU 8 Debi sure likes it. Rides nice. All Options 14 months
2006 Toyota Solara SLE V6 9 Nice luxury car Very comfy seats 30 MPG 160MPH Speedo 4 years
*1967 Camaro SS 350 4 speed from Dad 10 Very nice original 67k miles pure factory condition sold $25k
*1938 Bantam Roadster perfect from Dad 10 Perfectly restored Bantam Roadster 4 cyl 22 hp very cute sold $12k
1991 Camaro Z28 Convertible Automatic 7 Complete rebuild 420HP A/C Auto Fast Car Stroker Motor sold $5k
2001 GMC Yukon Denali 9 Traded 99 Tahoe so as to have 6L engine, HID lights etc. current
2002 GMC Safari Van ebay $2100 8 Bought off ebay cheap, quick fixes and drive it all the time 1 1/2 years
2010 Toyota Avalon Limited 10 Traded Solara at Ramey. Needed 4 door for Mom. sold to dlr
1998 Ford Explorer 2 door 4WD 6 Traded van for this. Owned 6 weeks and traded for Escape 6 weeks
2007 Ford Escape 4 door 6 cyl 4WD 10 Traded Explorer. Great stereo, 4WD 4 door Red Nice 1.5 years
2013 Mustang V6 Premium Sync,Sirius,Shaker 10 Traded Escape and Plow truck at Magic City Ford 4 months
2013 Mustang GT Premium white with stripe 10 Traded 2013 Mustang V-6 Just had to have the V-8 rumble 10 months
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
Looks like a Carmax list.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Just out of curiosity how much difference did you pay...if you don't mind answering.
I am just thinking what is the cost per year compared to driving the car for say 4 years when it will be worth about half of it's value. Your 2013 when new was probably close to $60K. If worth $30K after 4 years = $7500 a year.
That's why I was wondering...how much it cost to trade after 1 year....of course you have a new car with way more content.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250