This brings up another interesting question, do run-flat tires have the TPMS as well?
IIRC, the answer is yes. All vehicles under a certain weight must have a TPMS. Run flats are a solution to low pressure - just a backup system.
By the way, a manufacturer (can't remember the brand) was promoting its advanced TPMS that not only indicated that your tire pressure was low but would also prevent over inflation.
I believe that's Nissan - the lights flash when the proper inflation is reached.
All great technologies but isn't nitrogen filled tires supposed to negate the need for a TPMS?
Nope. Nitrogen leaks out through the tire at a slower rate than air and thus remain at the proper level longer. But at some point, one could have low pressure in a nitrogen filled tire. Further, small leaks caused by nails really don't care if you use air or nitrogen.
That was Ford that copied the idea but I get the point.
Below you will find a quote from wikipedia about that patent infringement case:
Kearns won one of the best known patent infringement cases against Ford Motor Company (1978–1990) and a case against Chrysler Corporation (1982–1992). Having invented and patented the intermittent windshield wiper mechanism, which was useful in light rain or mist, he tried to interest the "Big Three" auto makers in licensing the technology. They all rejected his proposal, yet began to install intermittent wipers in their cars, beginning in 1969.
As you can see, once again I was correct, but shot down for it by robe. I am not upset, just the usual sh-- from robe always trying to outdo me or find fault with me whenever I post. Just gets old!!!!!
As you can see, once again I was correct, but shot down for it by robe. I am not upset, just the usual sh-- from robe always trying to outdo me or find fault with me whenever I post. Just gets old!!!!!
Geez - I wasn't trying to shoot you down!! Believe it or not, I don't have a personal vendetta against you. If you really believe that, I'm sorry. Trust me, I have better things to do than nit pick people on the internet.
I should have said "I thought it was Ford." I saw the movie about made about it (Flash of Genius) and it only mentioned Ford. I had no idea Robert Kearns sued Chrysler as well. Thank you for that information.
I saw the movie about made about it (Flash of Genius)
Flash of Genius is on my list of movies to try to see one day...I don't know how because i doubt it is on pay per view and there aren't any more video stores.
But, I digress, my question is; Is that movie...Flash of Genius any good?
But, I digress, my question is; Is that movie...Flash of Genius any good?
It was OK - I watched it on HBO or Movie Channel years ago. You'd be surprised that the story really isn't about how his invention was purloined by Ford and Chrylser but more about how blind obsession can ruin one's life.
> the current version (active monitoring) is "modern" and the first version (wheel rotation) is "old".
Actually both systems are "active" monitoring of the tire pressure. One infers the change in pressure from a desired amount by using rotation speeds. The other directly measures the pressure more or less accurately with a built in gauge and reports it to the car via radio signal powered by a battery which eventually may need replacing.
Amazon has it (Flash of Genius) used DVD for $0.01 plus $3.99 shipping. It looks like you can rent it from Amazon Prime (streaming) for the same $3.99. Netflix streaming doesn't have it.
In my community a solar energy power plant went online but the promised reduction in electricity costs has not materialized.
The 5.75 megawatt facility, consisting of nearly 20,000 solar photovoltaic panels, is currently the largest of its kind in all of New England. On paper the proposal was a great idea. The facility would be built over capped landfill spread out over 15 acres. In addition, the town would derive significant economic benefits from leasing the property which would theoretically reduce property taxes.
To date, what we have received instead, is both a property and electricity tax hike---which brings up the perennial question, when will solar energy begin paying dividends? Maybe the technology is too simple or not practical on a commercial scale. Perhaps the next generation of solar power might provide the answer. But for now solar appears to be a pipe dream.
Perhaps the next generation of solar power might provide the answer. But for now solar appears to be a pipe dream
I don't know if it is just a pipe dream, bwia, but the problem is that the current technology does not create enough electricity per hour to justify the costs involved in its production. The same is true for wind power using turbines. The costs involved in building the turbines, installing them, and collecting the electrical energy the produce, not to mention the real estate taxes the owners have to pay local and state governments makes this source of electrical power too expensive under current technology.
I would imagine that in the near (perhaps distant) future, solar panels will produce much more electrical energy and turbines will generate more electrical energy than they currently (pun?) do. Until that occurs, all solar and wind generated electricity will merely supplement coal, oil and nuclear energy. I also believe there is promise in hydrogen fuel cells to produce power. We just don't have the necessary technology, at present, to make them economically more feasible.
The cheapest electricity is generated by hydro-electric plants like Hoover Dam or TVA, closely followed by coal and then nuclear. Until technology allows us to produce sufficient electricity at a economically feasible cost using solar/wind, the costs will continue to remain stagnant or increase.
Wow, things are a bit slow around here, so I'll post an update of our new home progress since I won't be interrupting cars sales stories.
A couple of months ago we owned a flat lot in a subdivision, which then turned into a giant pile of dirt when they placed the spoils from the dig next door onto our property. At least we had something to look at. And then we became excited when they removed all that dirt, plus a bit more in order to pour our basement (or should that be "poor" after buying a new home?). Which was a little ironic since we were thrilled over the ABSENCE of something...we technically owned a hole.
Since they started the build process everything has moved at light speed. The first concrete pour was just a few weeks ago and by Friday last week they had 99% of the framing complete with just a few mistakes to correct today. Those mistakes were pointed out by yours truly, so we took over donuts to the framers as a friendly gesture. The outer siding materials were delivered Friday and I believe they'll start that process along with roofing this week.
We finished picking our options within a couple of weeks of signing, and, of course, the prices were outrageous. We skipped the pricey countertop upgrades, which we'll do through Lowes after closing since the cost is literally less than half. Same with other items that I either prefer to do myself or we can get better quality later. We focused our upgrades on those items that would be difficult to do later. Electrical, bathroom tiling, cabinets, and such. Oh, which reminds me, we took your advice and kept the "half hot" outlets and put phone/cable in every room.
It's been a fun process, especially watching a crew of three framers put up a home in a week. Incredible. Outside protection will be next on the schedule, followed by electrical and plumbing. And then insulation and wallboard.
I recommend taking a lot of pictures before drywall goes on so that you have sort of an "x ray" view of what is inside your walls. This can prevent poking holes in air conditioning lines, water lines or electric lines when hanging pictures or mounting TV's.
I couldn't live without a basement. Where would we put all of our stuff like canned goods in cool storage, snow blower, treadmill, pool stuff off season.
The costs involved in building the turbines, installing them, and collecting the electrical energy the produce,
yeh, we have wasted $millions on the stupid things in Ontario Canada too. No matter what they produce you still need the old system in case it doesn't produce enough. They should have waited until a better system was invented......you know the system is a flop if they require government funds and if private investors aren't going to get involved.
While we are off topic we went to see Now You See It. It was an amazing movie with lots of twists and turns and with the magic as the background. The critics gave it a 49% on rotten tomatoes, but the real people who go to watch movies gave it 74%. There's a great car chase with a bmw chasing a Malibu (some car comments) and lots of thrills and fun.
My wife who is pretty particular about movies loved it too!
Oh yes, we are in Florida for one week until Thursday. Hotter than you know what. 92 every day with a humidex of about 120. It is good though, you just do what you can...stay where it is cool and go in the pool if you get too hot. We are really liking being here, and no line ups at the restaurants and the highways aren't very busy.
We have a walk out basement. It gets morning sun and has a full bath, fridge, micro, surround sound entertainment system, futon, couch and couple of comfy chairs. My kids friends call it the 'Condo'.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
Our house is built on a crawl space which is the worst of all worlds. Changing the furnace folkier now involves stuff that I can't do the rest of my life so either the soon to be son-in-law does it or I have to pay someone.n when we built the house my wife was in the we have a basement that's just full of junk why spend money on one? Well our oldest was 4 at the time and it soon became obvious. A basement would have been infinitely useful and I'd have access to the furnace and such. And the termites find their way into the crawl space.
On more important news I was in for a 6 hour infusion yesterday. They don't have the official biopsy reports but it looks like what I have is Epstien Barr lymphoma. While you don't like hearing lymphoma this is utterly treatable - even curable. The problem is that Epstein Barr attaches to your be cells and stays there latent forever. The treatment is to kill all the B cells ( that will mean a longer compromised immune system, but it's only a matter of time) as the new B cells grow back they are not affected. I should still be heading, though delayed, to a clean bill of health.
This has changed our plans for our 28th anniversary. The idea was a three day weekend in the historic section of Philadephia. Now it's a four day visit to New York, but the hotel we stayed in this past weekend more than doubled their rate for next weekend. Anyone who wants to send me a grand as an anniversary present please feel free. Only so much to spend especially with a wedding coming up.
I'll tell you that is a relief because we were talking about shrinking the wedding it and making it earlier and sooner to be sure I'd be there. Now they can wait years if they want and I'll be there with my ruby earring (her birthstone). Faith is a wonderful thing.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
imid: great play on words. The clever dialogue written in MASH is one of the reasons it's my favorite show.
jwm: wise suggestion. We're filling up file space on our home storage drives with all the photos. Once they finish electrical and plumbing, the wall, floors, and ceilings will all be photographed with a tape measure for reference. The plumbing is PTEX, so we need to be doubly careful about where we drill and nail in the future.
Verdugo: ha, ha. Admittedly that was said a bit tongue in cheek.
Basements: love 'em. I never had one growing up in California, but now I can't imagine not having one. It's the difference between parking the cars in the garage and outside. In Colorado the new construction basements involve careful engineering and landscape design due to bentonite clay (aka expansive soils/clay). The soil around here swells like a sponge when soaked, and similarly shrinks like a sponge when dry. It's incredible the damage it can do. I've watched the driveway in our rental home shift two inches in the last 10 months as the weather has changed. Garage floors and basement concrete floors are designed to float about 2 to 3 inches vertically. If you finish a basement, the walls are not connected to the ground, but rather the floor joists above. Pretty wild. The landscape is designed to slope away from the home on all sides at relatively steep angles and no irrigation is supposed to be placed within 5 feet of the foundation.
Basements are a thing of the past here on the West Coast but I know in other parts of the country people expect houses to have them.
Around Louisville basements are maybe a 50/50 proposition at best, but given our placement on the edge of "Dixie Alley" it was a big selling point for us. Especially since we started our househunting in March of last year, just a few days after an EF-4 tornado slammed a few small towns in southern Indiana.
Our basement has already been used for that purpose once, and we haven't quite been in the house a year.
It's about 50/50 here in Missouri, too, but that was a big "must-have" feature when we bought this house. We needed the space anyway, but the idea of me going into a blind panic every time the tornado sirens went off was unappealing to everyone. We've been here almost 4 months, and I've already spend some quality time down there.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
The 2011 Regal turbo was totaled with a little over 15,000 miles on it when a lady went through a red light.
Anywho...I decided to drop out of the rat race for a while and had a desire for all wheel drive and a hatch. It eventually came down to a Subaru Outback (which I found to be too big) or XV Crosstrek (the one Subaru built that nobody asked for) or a Ford Escape (I've never owned a Ford before).
After driving the Crosstrek I was sort of startled by the apparent cheapness of the interior. The nail was the CVTransmission. I just couldn't get used to it.
So it came to the Escape. A friend sells Fords so I told him what I wanted and he found one in jmonroes backyard.
I wanted the 302A package, no sunroof, black interior, and any color but blue. He called a few days later and said it arrived. The deal was invoice less the $2,000 Ford rebate.
It was Sterling Gray which I really like, but it had a sunroof (I should probably say moonroof) and it had gray interior. :sick:
I was tired of looking and took it anyway. A little over 350 miles and so far so good. It will take a little "getting used to" since I have always had cars before.
The SYNC thingamabob is getting better each day but it's a challenge.
Way to go on the Escape. I bought mine (07 used a couple years ago) on a whim just to get out of a 2 door Explorer my wife hated. Mine was a nice Red color with cloth seats and manual headlights, but quickly became my alternate vehicle I always went to. Easy to park, haul stuff and just a nifty runabout. I traded it on the first Mustang and sort of wish I still had it. The 2013s look real nice with all new styling. I'm with you on the glass roof business. Just one more thing to forget to close and have to worry about in a hail storm.
The deal was invoice less the $2,000 Ford rebate....Now if I can ever get the Homelink to work...
The Escape is a wonderful and "perfectly sized" SUV. My daughter has one and it is a joy to drive on both short and long trips. As to the deal, it seems as though you stole this one. I've heard of good deals before but this one is truly exceptional. Which begs the question, what is invoice anyway? Surely a company cannot sell below invoice and still remain in business, at least not for very long.
Good luck with the Escape and have fun breaking it in.
The Impala basically sits in the parking lot...the Passat is way more comfortable and fun to drive. The Impala only cost about $200 for a week, less than it would have cost to get transportation to and from the airport, and it gives us two cars to use if we need them...some days we have different activities.
It has a small backseat and not much legroom for a fairly large car. I find the transmission kind of struggles to find the right gear. The side mirrors are really small...that is something they should not have cheaped out on - that tells me a lot about the thinking behind this whole car.
It is smooth and solid, but, all cars are these days. Not much fun in mudville driving a rental version Impala.
The last, I don't know, maybe 7 cars I had had a sunroof. I only opened it 2 or 3 times a year and only because it was there.
I didn't realize when I bought it how much room there is with the rear seats folded down - and they are really easy to fold down. There is a fairly huge, totally flat, area there.
How come you didn't go back to the Buick again? just needed a change?
The Regal was only the 2nd Buick I ever owned, with the first one being in 1988, so I don't have any loyalty to Buick. I got the Regal because I liked the styling and handling (for a front wheel drive).
Needed a change is correct. Just transportation now for a while. Here in the mountains of central Pennsylvania I think I am going to enjoy the all wheel drive too.
The touch screen isn't really that bad, but trying to learn things while driving isn't a good idea. I suspect it is like most other items on any car. After you get things the way you want them, you rarely mess with them again.
Power seats and the tilt-telescoping steering wheel are good examples. When I buy a new vehicle and after getting the seat and wheel where I want them, I never touch them again.
This Escape has all kind of doo-dads like the power liftgate that you can stick your foot under the bumper to open, remote start (that I didn't even know it had initially), and other stuffs.
It does seem to be about right size-wise. I drove a 2013 Explorer Limited while car shopping and it was a beast. Huge! No wonder it had a back-up camera. You could hardly see behind you what with all the head rests and huge pillars. I had to be careful where I parked it if I wanted to get out again.
The 2014 Escapes are out (or coming very soon) so they need to clear their lots. There is very little change to the 2014 except that the SEL will no longer be offered (which is the one I have). I told the sales guy beforehand that I would pay invoice less rebates. Dealer cost is less than invoice. Plus they get the holdback and future maintenance work. This is a deal anyone can get right now.
Not much fun in mudville driving a rental version Impala.
How much lesser of a car is the rental? I would expect it to be the base version, LS in this case, but the ride and handling should be about the same as the higher trim levels. Can't remember if it is the Malibu or Impala, but I believe the 2013 would carry over as fleet/rentals but the 2014 would be sold exclusively to the final consumer.
While the nondescript Impala rental may not be your cup of tea I had a different experience with the Optima. I had a 2012 Kia Optima rental and there was no difference between the rental and the regular Optima.
Either I've been working too much, or you folks have been really busy posting....
Catch-up...
fezo....as mentioned, you're one tough hombre. Health and happiness are just around the corner.
kirstie....I think I mentioned I have a friend that lives in OK City. He said he's been in his basement at least once/week for the past month.
Driver....Whenever the rental company tries to give me an Impala, I ask them to switch it out....I don't care if I have to drop down a category. I do not like driving them. Those cars define what GM is/was about...cost cutting, enginnering compromise, indifferent build quality, and in some instances (like the mirrors) a desire to squeeze material costs out by sacrificing safety.
It's good that they're only selling those to rental car companies. I saw the new Impala at the auto shows. I don't know if they are any better, though.
GM seems to think they're out of the woods financially. I wouldn't bet the farm that they've completely learned their lesson if the Cadillac forums at Edmunds are any indication.
I would expect it to be the base version, LS in this case, but the ride and handling should be about the same as the higher trim levels
The 2014 Impala is a completely different version. This rental car is the previous version, they only make it for rental cars. You would think they could sell these things for about $14k since it is such an ancient design.
It is kind of ridiculous to sell this car to rental car companies, it tarnishes the Chev brand and actually all of GM. They should be embarrassed to still be producing this beast.
Those cars define what GM is/was about...cost cutting, enginnering compromise, indifferent build quality, and in some instances (like the mirrors) a desire to squeeze material costs out by sacrificing safety.
GG, once again you have summarized the situation perfectly. I feel like I am driving a GM car straight out of the mid 90s. It is the perfect car for a low tech person who wants a car from the 90s. The pity is, even if there was a GM car I might consider....say a Cadillac or Vadero, this car kind of tarnishes the whole company. If they can put this car on the road, then they can't be too proud of what they produce. And, what are they thinking, using these cars as rental cars, isn't the rental car a way to get people to test drive a car in the hope they might buy one.
I should have upgraded to a Challenger. If i could do it over again, that's what I would have done. I think you are wise to take something else GG, I certainly would next time.
It is kind of ridiculous to sell this car to rental car companies, it tarnishes the Chev brand and actually all of GM. They should be embarrassed to still be producing this beast.
Or it's a vehicle whose tooling is paid for and can be sold cheaply to rental fleets without tarnishing the luster of the new model.
I heard Ford was going to do away with the touch screen, they were getting low scores because people were finding it hard to use, or at least learn.
You heard wrong. They are still going to have touch screens and MySinc. What they're adding are knobs so you're not forced to only use the touchscreen.
Surely a company cannot sell below invoice and still remain in business, at least not for very long.
Like venture said, the dealer didn't really pay invoice.
Not that this is the case, but sometimes a dealer will take a loss in a car if it means reaching a certain target and qualifying for a big bonus. It's all about the big picture.
Yeah, but it seems it's a short term gain that hurts the brand long term. Those rentals flood the market in large numbers. It's not just the resale value. A consumer buys a used one, thinking it should have this and that (consumer research websites said so) then he or she finds it's not even half as good. Removing safety features, like side impact airbags would be one of those items retail Impalas have standard and rental may have removed. When one finds out, they surely would feel cheated. Word gets quickly around stay away from those used Impalas - how quickly would that spill to staying away from those new ones?
That's right. Today's "invoice" price is no longer real dealer cost, hasn't been for a while. Holdback, volume bonus, customer satisfaction bonus, annual bonus, quarterly incentive, yada, yada. Who knows what the real cost is and that's the whole idea. In world of the internet and information they had to bury it much deeper from public's view and show some shiny object to distract them. Basically, a slight of hand created by the manufacturers and dealers to create an illusion of "beating the system". If it were a true cost, those guys would have been out of business long time ago, as now too many transactions are "below invoice". What they did they narrowed the window of negotiation. Look - there is only $1500 markup on this Focus or Corolla, I give you all of this, I don't know how I pay the receptionist and the power company. You need to give me at least a couple of hundred bucks.
Not to mention that in many states the markup was shifted from invoice price markup to those infamous fees. Latest is $600-800 around here. With that kind of fee, one could sell "under invoice" and still be well off, especially if "invoice" isn't real, anyway.
So you argue that nobody should sell rental cars?? After all the brand is hurt no matter the brand. The idea for selling the old Impala is so the new Impala isn't flooded into the rental fleets.
BTW - all vehicles require side air bags, ABS, et al today so that point is moot.
Comments
IIRC, the answer is yes. All vehicles under a certain weight must have a TPMS. Run flats are a solution to low pressure - just a backup system.
By the way, a manufacturer (can't remember the brand) was promoting its advanced TPMS that not only indicated that your tire pressure was low but would also prevent over inflation.
I believe that's Nissan - the lights flash when the proper inflation is reached.
All great technologies but isn't nitrogen filled tires supposed to negate the need for a TPMS?
Nope. Nitrogen leaks out through the tire at a slower rate than air and thus remain at the proper level longer. But at some point, one could have low pressure in a nitrogen filled tire. Further, small leaks caused by nails really don't care if you use air or nitrogen.
Below you will find a quote from wikipedia about that patent infringement case:
Kearns won one of the best known patent infringement cases against Ford Motor Company (1978–1990) and a case against Chrysler Corporation (1982–1992). Having invented and patented the intermittent windshield wiper mechanism, which was useful in light rain or mist, he tried to interest the "Big Three" auto makers in licensing the technology. They all rejected his proposal, yet began to install intermittent wipers in their cars, beginning in 1969.
As you can see, once again I was correct, but shot down for it by robe. I am not upset, just the usual sh-- from robe always trying to outdo me or find fault with me whenever I post. Just gets old!!!!!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Geez - I wasn't trying to shoot you down!! Believe it or not, I don't have a personal vendetta against you. If you really believe that, I'm sorry. Trust me, I have better things to do than nit pick people on the internet.
I should have said "I thought it was Ford." I saw the movie about made about it (Flash of Genius) and it only mentioned Ford. I had no idea Robert Kearns sued Chrysler as well. Thank you for that information.
Flash of Genius is on my list of movies to try to see one day...I don't know how because i doubt it is on pay per view and there aren't any more video stores.
But, I digress, my question is; Is that movie...Flash of Genius any good?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
It was OK - I watched it on HBO or Movie Channel years ago. You'd be surprised that the story really isn't about how his invention was purloined by Ford and Chrylser but more about how blind obsession can ruin one's life.
Actually both systems are "active" monitoring of the tire pressure. One infers the change in pressure from a desired amount by using rotation speeds. The other directly measures the pressure more or less accurately with a built in gauge and reports it to the car via radio signal powered by a battery which eventually may need replacing.
Back from hiatus.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Welcome back and Happy Fathers' Day to you and to all the posters on Edmunds.
By the way, what's your impression of the new Chevy Impala. Is it the best Impala yet?
That actually sounds like it could be even more interesting then. I am going to try to get a copy, I'd like to see it.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Thanks ohenryx....I am going to check it out.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
The 5.75 megawatt facility, consisting of nearly 20,000 solar photovoltaic panels, is currently the largest of its kind in all of New England. On paper the proposal was a great idea. The facility would be built over capped landfill spread out over 15 acres. In addition, the town would derive significant economic benefits from leasing the property which would theoretically reduce property taxes.
To date, what we have received instead, is both a property and electricity tax hike---which brings up the perennial question, when will solar energy begin paying dividends? Maybe the technology is too simple or not practical on a commercial scale. Perhaps the next generation of solar power might provide the answer. But for now solar appears to be a pipe dream.
I don't know if it is just a pipe dream, bwia, but the problem is that the current technology does not create enough electricity per hour to justify the costs involved in its production. The same is true for wind power using turbines. The costs involved in building the turbines, installing them, and collecting the electrical energy the produce, not to mention the real estate taxes the owners have to pay local and state governments makes this source of electrical power too expensive under current technology.
I would imagine that in the near (perhaps distant) future, solar panels will produce much more electrical energy and turbines will generate more electrical energy than they currently (pun?) do. Until that occurs, all solar and wind generated electricity will merely supplement coal, oil and nuclear energy. I also believe there is promise in hydrogen fuel cells to produce power. We just don't have the necessary technology, at present, to make them economically more feasible.
The cheapest electricity is generated by hydro-electric plants like Hoover Dam or TVA, closely followed by coal and then nuclear. Until technology allows us to produce sufficient electricity at a economically feasible cost using solar/wind, the costs will continue to remain stagnant or increase.
This is just my honest opinion.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Lexus.
Not sure if somebody got it already, as I haven't read all the replies.
A couple of months ago we owned a flat lot in a subdivision, which then turned into a giant pile of dirt when they placed the spoils from the dig next door onto our property. At least we had something to look at. And then we became excited when they removed all that dirt, plus a bit more in order to pour our basement (or should that be "poor" after buying a new home?). Which was a little ironic since we were thrilled over the ABSENCE of something...we technically owned a hole.
Since they started the build process everything has moved at light speed. The first concrete pour was just a few weeks ago and by Friday last week they had 99% of the framing complete with just a few mistakes to correct today. Those mistakes were pointed out by yours truly, so we took over donuts to the framers as a friendly gesture. The outer siding materials were delivered Friday and I believe they'll start that process along with roofing this week.
We finished picking our options within a couple of weeks of signing, and, of course, the prices were outrageous. We skipped the pricey countertop upgrades, which we'll do through Lowes after closing since the cost is literally less than half. Same with other items that I either prefer to do myself or we can get better quality later. We focused our upgrades on those items that would be difficult to do later. Electrical, bathroom tiling, cabinets, and such. Oh, which reminds me, we took your advice and kept the "half hot" outlets and put phone/cable in every room.
It's been a fun process, especially watching a crew of three framers put up a home in a week. Incredible. Outside protection will be next on the schedule, followed by electrical and plumbing. And then insulation and wallboard.
Good thing you were also there to "pore" over the work as they started up with the house to find mistakes.
> Those mistakes were pointed out by yours truly, so we took over donuts to the framers as a friendly gesture.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
Never saw one in California although they probably existed. In the older sections of Seattle there are lots of them.
I would love to have one but it would become just another catch all like our two pull down ladders are now.
yeh, we have wasted $millions on the stupid things in Ontario Canada too. No matter what they produce you still need the old system in case it doesn't produce enough. They should have waited until a better system was invented......you know the system is a flop if they require government funds and if private investors aren't going to get involved.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Congratulations on your great progress. It must be exciting not only going to be living in the house of your dreams, but planning it too.
You are doing a wise thing by buying those extras on your own...lots of bargains around these days for granite counters and wood floors etc.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
My wife who is pretty particular about movies loved it too!
Oh yes, we are in Florida for one week until Thursday. Hotter than you know what. 92 every day with a humidex of about 120. It is good though, you just do what you can...stay where it is cool and go in the pool if you get too hot. We are really liking being here, and no line ups at the restaurants and the highways aren't very busy.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
My kids friends call it the 'Condo'.
Are you sure you're in the right forum? :P
Congrats on the house.
Everything I've ever read indicate that basements are typical in colder climates due to:
frost line - having to dig down 36"-48" to get below the frost line, one might as well dig a couple of more feet and get usable space
food storage - basements stay cool year round and were good for storing vegetables
utilities - it was a place to store the coal and furnace and they've become a place to keep pipes from freezing.
Now there are slab homes built here in New England but I would be leery of buying one - it's just one of those things for me.
On more important news I was in for a 6 hour infusion yesterday. They don't have the official biopsy reports but it looks like what I have is Epstien Barr lymphoma. While you don't like hearing lymphoma this is utterly treatable - even curable. The problem is that Epstein Barr attaches to your be cells and stays there latent forever. The treatment is to kill all the B cells ( that will mean a longer compromised immune system, but it's only a matter of time) as the new B cells grow back they are not affected. I should still be heading, though delayed, to a clean bill of health.
This has changed our plans for our 28th anniversary. The idea was a three day weekend in the historic section of Philadephia. Now it's a four day visit to New York, but the hotel we stayed in this past weekend more than doubled their rate for next weekend. Anyone who wants to send me a grand as an anniversary present please feel free. Only so much to spend especially with a wedding coming up.
I'll tell you that is a relief because we were talking about shrinking the wedding it and making it earlier and sooner to be sure I'd be there. Now they can wait years if they want and I'll be there with my ruby earring (her birthstone). Faith is a wonderful thing.
No problem. I will gladly send you a grand, oh wait, make that two grand Zimbabwe dollars.
jwm: wise suggestion. We're filling up file space on our home storage drives with all the photos. Once they finish electrical and plumbing, the wall, floors, and ceilings will all be photographed with a tape measure for reference. The plumbing is PTEX, so we need to be doubly careful about where we drill and nail in the future.
Verdugo: ha, ha. Admittedly that was said a bit tongue in cheek.
Basements: love 'em. I never had one growing up in California, but now I can't imagine not having one. It's the difference between parking the cars in the garage and outside. In Colorado the new construction basements involve careful engineering and landscape design due to bentonite clay (aka expansive soils/clay). The soil around here swells like a sponge when soaked, and similarly shrinks like a sponge when dry. It's incredible the damage it can do. I've watched the driveway in our rental home shift two inches in the last 10 months as the weather has changed. Garage floors and basement concrete floors are designed to float about 2 to 3 inches vertically. If you finish a basement, the walls are not connected to the ground, but rather the floor joists above. Pretty wild. The landscape is designed to slope away from the home on all sides at relatively steep angles and no irrigation is supposed to be placed within 5 feet of the foundation.
Around Louisville basements are maybe a 50/50 proposition at best, but given our placement on the edge of "Dixie Alley" it was a big selling point for us. Especially since we started our househunting in March of last year, just a few days after an EF-4 tornado slammed a few small towns in southern Indiana.
Our basement has already been used for that purpose once, and we haven't quite been in the house a year.
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Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
The 2011 Regal turbo was totaled with a little over 15,000 miles on it when a lady went through a red light.
Anywho...I decided to drop out of the rat race for a while and had a desire for all wheel drive and a hatch. It eventually came down to a Subaru Outback (which I found to be too big) or XV Crosstrek (the one Subaru built that nobody asked for) or a Ford Escape (I've never owned a Ford before).
After driving the Crosstrek I was sort of startled by the apparent cheapness of the interior. The nail was the CVTransmission. I just couldn't get used to it.
So it came to the Escape. A friend sells Fords so I told him what I wanted and he found one in jmonroes backyard.
I wanted the 302A package, no sunroof, black interior, and any color but blue. He called a few days later and said it arrived. The deal was invoice less the $2,000 Ford rebate.
It was Sterling Gray which I really like, but it had a sunroof (I should probably say moonroof) and it had gray interior. :sick:
I was tired of looking and took it anyway. A little over 350 miles and so far so good. It will take a little "getting used to" since I have always had cars before.
The SYNC thingamabob is getting better each day but it's a challenge.
Now if I can ever get the Homelink to work...
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
I'm with you on the glass roof business. Just one more thing to forget to close and have to worry about in a hail storm.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
Oh good, an actual car buying sales story. Congratulations on your new purchase, sounds like a great little
carSUV.How come you didn't go back to the Buick again? just needed a change?
I heard Ford was going to do away with the touch screen, they were getting low scores because people were finding it hard to use, or at least learn.
Enjoy the new Escape.....the new design looks really nice.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Hang in there fezo...it has been quite a journey. Keep us posted.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
The Escape is a wonderful and "perfectly sized" SUV. My daughter has one and it is a joy to drive on both short and long trips. As to the deal, it seems as though you stole this one. I've heard of good deals before but this one is truly exceptional. Which begs the question, what is invoice anyway? Surely a company cannot sell below invoice and still remain in business, at least not for very long.
Good luck with the Escape and have fun breaking it in.
The Impala only cost about $200 for a week, less than it would have cost to get transportation to and from the airport, and it gives us two cars to use if we need them...some days we have different activities.
It has a small backseat and not much legroom for a fairly large car. I find the transmission kind of struggles to find the right gear. The side mirrors are really small...that is something they should not have cheaped out on - that tells me a lot about the thinking behind this whole car.
It is smooth and solid, but, all cars are these days. Not much fun in mudville driving a rental version Impala.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I didn't realize when I bought it how much room there is with the rear seats folded down - and they are really easy to fold down. There is a fairly huge, totally flat, area there.
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
The Regal was only the 2nd Buick I ever owned, with the first one being in 1988, so I don't have any loyalty to Buick. I got the Regal because I liked the styling and handling (for a front wheel drive).
Needed a change is correct. Just transportation now for a while. Here in the mountains of central Pennsylvania I think I am going to enjoy the all wheel drive too.
The touch screen isn't really that bad, but trying to learn things while driving isn't a good idea.
Power seats and the tilt-telescoping steering wheel are good examples. When I buy a new vehicle and after getting the seat and wheel where I want them, I never touch them again.
This Escape has all kind of doo-dads like the power liftgate that you can stick your foot under the bumper to open, remote start (that I didn't even know it had initially), and other stuffs.
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
The 2014 Escapes are out (or coming very soon) so they need to clear their lots. There is very little change to the 2014 except that the SEL will no longer be offered (which is the one I have). I told the sales guy beforehand that I would pay invoice less rebates. Dealer cost is less than invoice. Plus they get the holdback and future maintenance work. This is a deal anyone can get right now.
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
How much lesser of a car is the rental? I would expect it to be the base version, LS in this case, but the ride and handling should be about the same as the higher trim levels. Can't remember if it is the Malibu or Impala, but I believe the 2013 would carry over as fleet/rentals but the 2014 would be sold exclusively to the final consumer.
While the nondescript Impala rental may not be your cup of tea I had a different experience with the Optima. I had a 2012 Kia Optima rental and there was no difference between the rental and the regular Optima.
Catch-up...
fezo....as mentioned, you're one tough hombre. Health and happiness are just around the corner.
kirstie....I think I mentioned I have a friend that lives in OK City. He said he's been in his basement at least once/week for the past month.
Driver....Whenever the rental company tries to give me an Impala, I ask them to switch it out....I don't care if I have to drop down a category. I do not like driving them. Those cars define what GM is/was about...cost cutting, enginnering compromise, indifferent build quality, and in some instances (like the mirrors) a desire to squeeze material costs out by sacrificing safety.
It's good that they're only selling those to rental car companies. I saw the new Impala at the auto shows. I don't know if they are any better, though.
GM seems to think they're out of the woods financially. I wouldn't bet the farm that they've completely learned their lesson if the Cadillac forums at Edmunds are any indication.
The 2014 Impala is a completely different version. This rental car is the previous version, they only make it for rental cars. You would think they could sell these things for about $14k since it is such an ancient design.
It is kind of ridiculous to sell this car to rental car companies, it tarnishes the Chev brand and actually all of GM. They should be embarrassed to still be producing this beast.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
GG, once again you have summarized the situation perfectly. I feel like I am driving a GM car straight out of the mid 90s. It is the perfect car for a low tech person who wants a car from the 90s. The pity is, even if there was a GM car I might consider....say a Cadillac or Vadero, this car kind of tarnishes the whole company. If they can put this car on the road, then they can't be too proud of what they produce. And, what are they thinking, using these cars as rental cars, isn't the rental car a way to get people to test drive a car in the hope they might buy one.
I should have upgraded to a Challenger. If i could do it over again, that's what I would have done. I think you are wise to take something else GG, I certainly would next time.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Or it's a vehicle whose tooling is paid for and can be sold cheaply to rental fleets without tarnishing the luster of the new model.
You heard wrong. They are still going to have touch screens and MySinc. What they're adding are knobs so you're not forced to only use the touchscreen.
Like venture said, the dealer didn't really pay invoice.
Not that this is the case, but sometimes a dealer will take a loss in a car if it means reaching a certain target and qualifying for a big bonus. It's all about the big picture.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Not to mention that in many states the markup was shifted from invoice price markup to those infamous fees. Latest is $600-800 around here. With that kind of fee, one could sell "under invoice" and still be well off, especially if "invoice" isn't real, anyway.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
BTW - all vehicles require side air bags, ABS, et al today so that point is moot.