Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

rockylee

I can't believe how much the automobile industry has changed in the last 20 years. I had to drop in and say hello.

venture

I think I'll stay away from this guy.

imidazol97

ab348 said:

imidazol97 said:

There are programs that will transfer most if not all programs and data from your old computer to your new one.

I saw the software touted by EaseUS but it wasn’t the thing you were discussing as it was supposedly free. However I was unsure about exactly what it did and how because the webpage didn’t inspire a lot of confidence, to be frank. It was all supposed to work automagically but I could find no online references to it saying it worked, which I would have expected.

A deeper dive into the migration process just confused me further. Some talked about needing a special cable to connect the two machines like it was 25 years ago. Some said there was no way to move installed programs from old machine to new, while others implied there was without saying how to do it. Nothing gave a clear path to follow. This is what I suspected from first looking into the issue months ago. You would think there would be a simple MS tool, but this is Windows of course where nothing is simple.

I saw a video someone had made claiming EaseUS PC Transfer was free. It is free to download, which many software makers often state. The basic program license will transfer 2 GB (IIRC) for free.
The regular licensing is for 2 pcs to connect to each other . Period. Then there's a lifetime license that is transferable to 2 other pcs, and more, as long as it's deleted from the earlier 2 pcs (just like MS Office).

From reading it seems PC Trans is better at finding all the programs and transferring them and installing as needed like the original on old pc. PC Trans also lets you choose what data and programs you want it to transfer. It transfers over your WIFI, as one choice of modes. My WIFI is fast enough. PC Trans also can transfer even faster over the older Cat5 reversing cable which goes directly pc to pc.

My hope is it will bring the license for my version of Office, which doesn't show up in my MS info.

driver100

suydam said:

roadburner said:

jmonroe1 said:

corvette said:

IMO, the highway range test should be an 80 MPH cruise with several bursts up to 85. That would probably knock about 25% off the stated range, in my experience.

————————————————
At that rate I’m going to gueestimate that @roadburner would deplete his battery in a 3 hour road trip. Because “several” to him is more than your “several.

jmonroe

Undoubtedly; we drive to Charlotte or Seabrook Island a couple of time per year. It usually takes 7-8 hours. We stop once around the halfway point and get lunch and fuel up the car. That usually takes no more than 30 minutes- tops. Then back on the road for another four hours or so non-stop.

Same with the Blazer. We stop, get lunch and walk the dog while we charge. So many charging stations are in malls now.

It seems that for a trip over 3 or 4 hours you have to plan for a lunch stop, whether you want to eat lunch or not. What if I eat lunch at noon, leave at 1 p.m. and hope to be at my destination in 6 hours.....but don't want to eat lunch or spend 30 minutes charging in the middle of the afternoon...making my trip about an hour longing by the time I get off the highway, find a working charger, hope there is a decent place to eat when I don't want to eat.........just wondering?????????
You might save on gas but you spend more on food and gain a lot of weight!!!!!!!!

oldfarmer50

rockylee said:

I can't believe how much the automobile industry has changed in the last 20 years. I had to drop in and say hello.

Hello, welcome back.

oldfarmer50

venture said:

I think I'll stay away from this guy.

I was behind a minivan the other day and the entire back window was covered in decals like this:

suydam

driver100 said:

suydam said:

roadburner said:

jmonroe1 said:

corvette said:

IMO, the highway range test should be an 80 MPH cruise with several bursts up to 85. That would probably knock about 25% off the stated range, in my experience.

————————————————
At that rate I’m going to gueestimate that @roadburner would deplete his battery in a 3 hour road trip. Because “several” to him is more than your “several.

jmonroe

Undoubtedly; we drive to Charlotte or Seabrook Island a couple of time per year. It usually takes 7-8 hours. We stop once around the halfway point and get lunch and fuel up the car. That usually takes no more than 30 minutes- tops. Then back on the road for another four hours or so non-stop.

Same with the Blazer. We stop, get lunch and walk the dog while we charge. So many charging stations are in malls now.

It seems that for a trip over 3 or 4 hours you have to plan for a lunch stop, whether you want to eat lunch or not. What if I eat lunch at noon, leave at 1 p.m. and hope to be at my destination in 6 hours.....but don't want to eat lunch or spend 30 minutes charging in the middle of the afternoon...making my trip about an hour longing by the time I get off the highway, find a working charger, hope there is a decent place to eat when I don't want to eat.........just wondering?????????
You might save on gas but you spend more on food and gain a lot of weight!!!!!!!!

We are more likely to stop for coffee and to walk the dog around. So we are getting exercise too!
It really is so easy now, people keep looking for reasons for it to be hard when it isn’t. And there are EVs that get longer range if that’s your priority. I was just pointing out that for us (and I suspect many people) 300 mi. range is fine.

ab348

Driver doesn’t seem to get that there are horses for courses. If you want just one vehicle that handles all possible types of uses perfectly then perhaps a choice ought to be something other than an electric if you don’t want the occasional 600-mile marathon ride to be interrupted beyond just a few minutes for a gas stop. Of course you could always rent an ICE vehicle for that one trip a year and pay for it with the fuel savings you get on the other 98% of your travel.

xwesx

Or.... get a vehicle like mine and do that 600 mile jaunt non-stop!

roadburner

xwesx said:

Or.... get a vehicle like mine and do that 600 mile jaunt non-stop!

My C43 has a range of a bit over 450 miles driving at 80 mph, which is my average interstate cruising speed. That's about perfect for the trips that we take.

driver100

ab348 said:

Driver doesn’t seem to get that there are horses for courses. If you want just one vehicle that handles all possible types of uses perfectly then perhaps a choice ought to be something other than an electric if you don’t want the occasional 600-mile marathon ride to be interrupted beyond just a few minutes for a gas stop. Of course you could always rent an ICE vehicle for that one trip a year and pay for it with the fuel savings you get on the other 98% of your travel.

If I was driving to Florida which is 23 hours of actual driving time I don't want to have to stop for 30 minutes which will probably be more like an hour in real life.......every 3 1/2 hours!
I never said EVs weren't OK for some people.....most people think they are ideal for grocery shopping. My one friend bought a Cadillac LYRIQ for his wife so it is basically a second car for around town...and he said that is all it is good for. You can never depend on finding refueling stations, it has been recalled a few times to fix stuff........somethings were major like they had to replace the battery which was worth about $12000 under warranty.
If you live in an apartment you may want to check if your insurance policy covers EVs in underground garages...I have heard this may be a problem. And EVs may need costly repairs if they are in accidents, if the battery gets damaged. Just saying...I don't need those problems. And if they are so great, why aren't people buying them?

ab348

Driver, there are any number of use cases where an electric vehicle would not work well. We all know that. You do not have to continually make up hypothetical ones to prove whatever point you may be trying to make. Same with takes of woe around warranty claims. It is still relatively new technology and things may go wrong in some. I'm sure Model T early adopters did not have trouble-free experiences with those either.

Michaell

ab348 said:

Driver, there are any number of use cases where an electric vehicle would not work well. We all know that. You do not have to continually make up hypothetical ones to prove whatever point you may be trying to make. Same with takes of woe around warranty claims. It is still relatively new technology and things may go wrong in some. I'm sure Model T early adopters did not have trouble-free experiences with those either.

...or the first cars with air conditioning, power steering and brakes, and any number of "mod cons" that have been introduced over the last 100 years of automobile development.

tjc78

.most people think they are ideal for grocery shopping
Explain the EVs that have hundreds of thousands of miles - this is a statement of opinion

My one friend bought a Cadillac LYRIQ for his wife so it is basically a second car for around town...and he said that is all it is good for. You can never depend on finding refueling stations,
Again - opinion. There are more than enough chargers around... especially now that many manufacturers have an adapter available for Tesla chargers

it has been recalled a few times to fix stuff.
The same for any number of new cars. Heck look at all the poor people with 100K+ Escalades or Denali's with the 6.2 who are getting new engines. These are big American V8s.... think that tech would have been bulletproof by now.

If you live in an apartment you may want to check if your insurance policy covers EVs in underground garages...I have heard this may be a problem.
Source please.

And EVs may need costly repairs if they are in accidents,
That's what insurance is for.... and yes they can cost a bit more to insure (at least mine did)

And if they are so great, why aren't people buying them?
For one.. they are more expensive than gas powered equivalents and since when has early tech outsold tried and true?

We all know you hate electric cars, and they are aren't for everyone... but to just constantly bash them and say they don't have a place is wrong. It is a choice no different than SUV vs Truck vs Sedan ... or Domestic vs Import.

Different strokes....

tjc78

xwesx said:

Or.... get a vehicle like mine and do that 600 mile jaunt non-stop!

My truck has a 33 gallon tank... that 660-700 miles at 75. That's what 8 hours of driving? Who wants to be in the seat that long without a break.

stickguy

Remember who you are talking too.

tjc78

@stickguy
How was your vacation... your departing day stunk for sure with the weather.

stickguy

Great week. It started to rain just as I finished packing and just as we drove out it poured Saturday.

andres3

Michaell said:

andres3 said:

Getting a loan setup that provides more favorable terms than the market would otherwise provide so you can avoid bankruptcy is absolutely a bailout, expectation or no expectation of being paid back doesn't change that one bit. It's crony capitalism by definition; picking winners and losers via bailouts.

So, by your definition, Chrysler should have been allowed to go bankrupt in the 70's, and GM in 2008. If either company would have been unable to restructure their debt, they would have gone out of business.

And you're OK with that? That we have virtually no domestic automobile production? That we would be forced to buy a majority of our cars from Europe or Asia?

Not to mention the hundreds of thousands, or millions, of jobs lost - not just from the primary companies, but from the hundreds of suppliers as well?

Do I believe in a Divine Right of Business? I do not - companies go out of business all the time for dumb decision making. But, I think the automobile business has some national security implications that would cause the government to intervene - and they have.

Two different cases there.

With Chrysler, certainly had they been allowed to disappear and go bankrupt in the 70's/80's then I wouldn't have ever had to suffer the decision to get into a Dodge Neon in the 90's. I see that as a big net positive for humanity; and every former Neon owner.

With GM in 2008, it wasn't all or nothing. The good parts of GM would have been bought up and scavenged by the free market, such as Corvette, and the bad parts would have been saddled on those responsible for making them bad parts in the first place.

Collaterally damaged companies/suppliers could have been "bailed-out" for pennies on the GM bailout dollar; though that still presents moral hazards. Ford didn't need bailouts; had they needed it because GM was allowed to go under; again, pennies on the dollar. Certainly, if Chrysler hadn't been bailed out the first time they wouldn't have required a 2nd bailout in 2008; as they wouldn't have existed. With the field cleared, maybe others would have fared better, upstarts, perhaps more than just Tesla would have attracted more investment.

ab348

Well, between some of the inanities from a couple of posters here let me interject with some actual factual news - reports today are that Nissan will be shuttering its 60 y-o Civac plant in Mexico, which makes Frontier pickups. The Frontiers sold in the US apparently come out of its Tennessee facility so there should be no effect on this market. They also have a much newer plant in Aguascalientes that makes the Sentra, Kicks and other models that may catch some fallout but will apparently stay operational. Tough times for them.

tjc78

I'm not following it too closely... but it seems to me Nissan is having a tough time being relevant. Are any of their vehicles class leading at this point?

andres3

ab348 said:

Well, between some of the inanities from a couple of posters here let me interject with some actual factual news - reports today are that Nissan will be shuttering its 60 y-o Civac plant in Mexico, which makes Frontier pickups. The Frontiers sold in the US apparently come out of its Tennessee facility so there should be no effect on this market. They also have a much newer plant in Aguascalientes that makes the Sentra, Kicks and other models that may catch some fallout but will apparently stay operational. Tough times for them.

I don't get rental cars or loaners often, but when I do, it's often a Nissan, and I haven't been impressed. Whether it was a Versa that should be sold at dollar stores, or a Frontier, or an Altima (much better but still not my cup of tea), it seems to be a signal that your market share is doomed if rentals fail to impress in any way and a high % of sales are going to rental fleets to begin with.

andres3

roadburner said:

xwesx said:

Or.... get a vehicle like mine and do that 600 mile jaunt non-stop!

My C43 has a range of a bit over 450 miles driving at 80 mph, which is my average interstate cruising speed. That's about perfect for the trips that we take.

With bathroom breaks I don't mind a lesser range.... provided the refueling doesn't take much longer than the bathroom break an d stretching my legs.

xwesx

tjc78 said:

xwesx said:

Or.... get a vehicle like mine and do that 600 mile jaunt non-stop!

My truck has a 33 gallon tank... that 660-700 miles at 75. That's what 8 hours of driving? Who wants to be in the seat that long without a break.

Haha, agreed! I made the 12-hour trip between Ohio and NC last year without needing to fuel my pickup. And, that doesn't mean I never stopped... just that I never stopped for fuel. After dropping it off at my brother's place in NC and renting a minivan for the trip back to Ohio, I believe that I stopped for fuel two times in that vehicle. Way better fuel economy but not nearly the range.

While I've never tried it, I don't think I would mind somewhat extended stops with an electric-propulsion vehicle *if* I didn't need to stop outside of those breaks, and I could charge where I wanted/needed to do so. In other words, if I can stop at a state park somewhere, do an hour-long hike, and fully recharge the car while I am there, that would be perfect. But, if I'm having to spend an hour at a service station next to the freeway.... not so perfect. If I could get enough juice to approximately recover the usage since the last stop within 10-15 minutes at such a location, though, I could live with that. We probably spend about that amount of time fueling with gasoline, using the lavatory, and buying a couple snacks or coffee anyway.

driver100

tjc78 said:

xwesx said:

Or.... get a vehicle like mine and do that 600 mile jaunt non-stop!

My truck has a 33 gallon tank... that 660-700 miles at 75. That's what 8 hours of driving? Who wants to be in the seat that long without a break.

Do you prefer a one hour break - if you can find a recharging station and if it isn't broken - every 3 hours?

xwesx

I don't think it would bother me at all... as long as I have something active I can do. As it is, we often will stop for a couple hours during a single stop mid-day, and that is a little too long for me: I get anxious to get back the road. But, I do like to get some activity in. If I can get two or three one-hour stops in with 9-12 hours of driving, that seems pretty reasonable. It's only an issue for me if I'm literally waiting around for fuel.

And, I bet my wife would love that type of stopping, as she is pretty annoyed when we don't stop for longer breaks.

suydam

You do have a thing about broken chargers! Really hardly an issue any more. If you find a gas pump out of order do you freak out? No, because there are usually several more that are fine. Same with charging stations. And finding them is pretty easy too.

corvette

tjc78 said:

I'm not following it too closely... but it seems to me Nissan is having a tough time being relevant. Are any of their vehicles class leading at this point?

"Class leading" in terms of competing with Mitsubishi for buyers with the lowest credit score, perhaps.

corvette

@xwesx - if you are ever on I-74 eastbound through IL, be sure to stop at the Spoon River Rest Area (pics from 2018, you can see my white Tahoe in the background in one)... Yes, that's an observation tower where you can observe not much of anything other than the interstate and flat fields, but it's a great way to stretch your legs, and I would gladly make a few laps there while fast charging an EV, if they had EV charging there. The westbound rest area has an extended trail with picnic tables strewn throughout, but no stream, bridges, or observation tower.

roadburner

xwesx said:

I don't think it would bother me at all... as long as I have something active I can do. As it is, we often will stop for a couple hours during a single stop mid-day, and that is a little too long for me: I get anxious to get back the road. But, I do like to get some activity in. If I can get two or three one-hour stops in with 9-12 hours of driving, that seems pretty reasonable. It's only an issue for me if I'm literally waiting around for fuel.

And, I bet my wife would love that type of stopping, as she is pretty annoyed when we don't stop for longer breaks.

I usually go at least 30 minutes more after the C43 tells me I need to take a rest stop- with no complaints from the passenger seat.

driver100

I got an email from my MB dealer, in part it says;
Every month, we’ll run an automated appraisal of your vehicle to get an idea of current market value. Remember this is automated, so the best way to get an exact value is to always bring it into the dealership for a detailed assessment.
They are saying that I might want to buy a car at times, so they will tell me the value of my car, and give me ideas of cars I may be interested in buying.
I think it is a great idea. I don't think I am in the market to buy right now, but if my car is worth more than I think it is I might be tempted.

driver100

suydam said:

You do have a thing about broken chargers! Really hardly an issue any more. If you find a gas pump out of order do you freak out? No, because there are usually several more that are fine. Same with charging stations. And finding them is pretty easy too.

A recent survey from Consumer Reports indicates that EV owners experience issues in about 1 out of every 5 charging sessions. Additionally, a study using AI models trained on EV review data found that charging stations in the US have an average reliability score of 78%, implying that about 20% of chargers may not be working. This highlights the ongoing issue of reliability within the EV charging infrastructure.
They are, on average, less reliable than regular gas stations, Asensio said. “Imagine if you go to a traditional gas station and two out of 10 times the pumps are out of order,” he said. “Consumers would revolt.”

corvette

Availability of charging stations is also an issue, especially on weekends/holidays. That's one of the reasons I seldom drive the Ariya beyond its home-and-back range anymore.

xwesx

That looks like just the type of stop that could occupy a good hour in a relaxing way, @corvette ! I don't know.... It is possible that I stopped at that very rest area back in 2016 when I was bringing my Passat home. Sadly, I arrived after dark and just did what was necessary to prep for sleep. I was back on the road before 0600, so it was still pretty dark that morning, and I just put away my supplies and jumped right back out on the road again.

If memory serves, it was somewhere about five hours of driving beyond my Costco stop in Indianapolis. I had lunch with @kyfdx earlier that day before heading toward home in earnest!

It was the only trip, to date, that I traveled that stretch of I-74.

nyccarguy

@tjc78 said:
I'm not following it too closely... but it seems to me Nissan is having a tough time being relevant. Are any of their vehicles class leading at this point?

Definitely not like they used to be! It is a shame too, because they have some decent cars with a lot of potential that compete in very crowded segments. Like you said, they are class leading in nothing (power, efficiency, reliability, acceleration…)

oldfarmer50

corvette said:

Availability of charging stations is also an issue, especially on weekends/holidays. That's one of the reasons I seldom drive the Ariya beyond its home-and-back range anymore.

Our office in White River Junction VT used to do a brisk business in renting cars to Hertz customers who waited too long to charge their rented Teslas and couldn’t find one within range. It’s much better now because last time I was through there I noticed a bank of new chargers at a local quickie mart.

In some urban areas there’s also a problem with theft of the copper cables or vandalism of the units themselves. I know last year when one of our drivers had to do a long distance trip with one of our EVs he finally had to go to a dealer along the way because all the chargers were occupied or broken.

If someone wants an EV, more power to them but the few people I know outside of this group who have bought them have switched back to ICE when they bought a new car. As you said new technology always has it’s challenges.

tjc78

It is my opinion that the majority of owners who have problems don't do any research.

I've driven ours a lot recently and planned charging activities (even if I wasn't low) around errands or other things. If you are taking a trip look up where the chargers are!! It's not like you have to pull out the yellow pages we have Google and a host of other apps to help. There are at least five major charging companies Chargepoint, Electrify America, Blink, Tesla and EVGO all have apps. All tell you if the charger you are planning to use is operable and/or occupied. I'd also wager most if not all of the EV's internal systems have a charging database. My Mercedes does and it pops right up on the screen with the KW of the charger and availability.

Don't buy something new without learning how to use it properly.

I'm not kidding.. I would 100% jump in our EV, take a 1000 mile road trip in it and feel confident in both the infrastructure and my ability to plan charging. Even more so if I bought the Tesla charger adapter.

roadburner

@nyccarguy said:

@tjc78 said:
I'm not following it too closely... but it seems to me Nissan is having a tough time being relevant. Are any of their vehicles class leading at this point?

Definitely not like they used to be! It is a shame too, because they have some decent cars with a lot of potential that compete in very crowded segments. Like you said, they are class leading in nothing (power, efficiency, reliability, acceleration…)

I was ready to buy a new Z until it turned out to be completely underwhelming in reality.
I had an SPL311 as well as a 1993 Pathfinder SE which was very nice. I might have gone with an Xterra over a Wrangler if that SUV was still available, but at this point there’s nothing in the Nissan product line that interests me.
Although that’s also true for around 90% of current automakers.

tjc78

2 second Google for chargers near my office.... Many of these aren't super chargers but you get the point

suydam

It does seem that the newer offerings from Nissan like the Ariya and Leaf are very nice looking and getting good reviews. I think they just relied too long on their third tier vehicles like the Sentra and Altima. Now they are taking a page from Kia and Hyundai successes but it may be too late.

jmonroe1

tjc78 said:

It is my opinion that the majority of owners who have problems don't do any research.

I've driven ours a lot recently and planned charging activities (even if I wasn't low) around errands or other things. If you are taking a trip look up where the chargers are!! It's not like you have to pull out the yellow pages we have Google and a host of other apps to help. There are at least five major charging companies Chargepoint, Electrify America, Blink, Tesla and EVGO all have apps. All tell you if the charger you are planning to use is operable and/or occupied. I'd also wager most if not all of the EV's internal systems have a charging database. My Mercedes does and it pops right up on the screen with the KW of the charger and availability.

Don't buy something new without learning how to use it properly.

I'm not kidding.. I would 100% jump in our EV, take a 1000 mile road trip in it and feel confident in both the infrastructure and my ability to plan charging. Even more so if I bought the Tesla charger adapter.

————————————————-
That’s just it, when you have an EV you have to do at least a minimal amount of “planning”. I’ve driven too many years without having to do ANY planning about how I can keep my car from running out of fuel. So until EVs are the only vehicles you can buy, you won’t see one in my garage. Plus, I’m going to have to learn something about electricity because it would kill me having to pay an electrician to install a home charger for me.

jmonroe

stickguy

Seems like that anti EV crowd just gets obsessed with range anxiety scenarios. And ignores all the benefits (the reasons so many people buy and love their EVs). Of course like any other vehicle option your specific needs will make some options not good for you. If I lived in an old city I would not want a dually F250. But if I towed a horse trailer I would.

tjc78

@stickguy said:
Seems like that anti EV crowd just gets obsessed with range anxiety scenarios. And ignores all the benefits (the reasons so many people buy and love their EVs). Of course like any other vehicle option your specific needs will make some options not good for you. If I lived in an old city I would not want a dually F250. But if I towed a horse trailer I would.

Exactly

tjc78

@jmonroe1 said:
————————————————-
That’s just it, when you have an EV you have to do at least a minimal amount of “planning”. I’ve driven too many years without having to do ANY planning about how I can keep my car from running out of fuel. So until EVs are the only vehicles you can buy, you won’t see one in my garage. Plus, I’m going to have to learn something about electricity because it would kill me having to pay an electrician to install a home charger for me.

jmonroe

You could theoretically allow the car’s built in functionality do all the planning … but I like a little assurance.

I’m gojng to install my home charger eventually. I’ll take pics for you 😀

kyfdx

I picked up friends from the airport, last week. And, dangit, I couldn't take my 2-seater.

roadburner

If I didn't already have the 4xe I'd like to have an i3s just to run around my local area. My wife and I both loved the 2016 we leased for a couple of years.

ab348

tjc78 said:

2 second Google for chargers near my office.... Many of these aren't super chargers but you get the point

“Street Road” seems to be a popular location for them. And also a very unusual name for a road. For some reason it reminded me of this:

https://youtu.be/SPZVrmJ2HH8?si=Z-XOAfUA-swMrvmH

stickguy

Street road is one of the many philly roads where they kept making it wider, it's lined with businesses, and people drive on it like it is a highway.

tjc78

Luckily I am only on it for a second before turning off.

sb55

stickguy said:

Seems like that anti EV crowd just gets obsessed with range anxiety scenarios. And ignores all the benefits (the reasons so many people buy and love their EVs). Of course like any other vehicle option your specific needs will make some options not good for you. If I lived in an old city I would not want a dually F250. But if I towed a horse trailer I would.

Sorry, but you will have to jump up to an F350 to get a dually. AI Overview

"The Ford F-250 Super Duty does not come with a dual-rear-wheel (DRW) or "dually" configuration. While the F-250 is a heavy-duty truck, the DRW option is exclusive to the F-350 and higher models like the F-450 and F-550."

I agree that many vehicles are for specific purposes. I have a Ram 2500, but do tow a 30' Airstream with it. I rarely drive it in the good weather because that's what the Miata is for. I don't think that I have put 500 miles on it since April when we got back from a camping trip down south. I will use put about 6000 miles on it this fall when we drive to Albuquerque to camp at the balloon Fiesta, then zig back across the country to the NC coast for a fall family reunion before heading back to Vermont.