Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

stickguy

I did have an idea (the seed of another grand plan.). I looked up in the garage and realized that I must have at least 12’ ceilings in there. They are really high. And an overly wide garage door. Other than needing to swap out to a high clearance door rail system I could easily fit a 4 post lift in there. Might drive me nuts having to work around it but if I really wanted to I could get 3 cars inside.

Might need to do some research !

tifighter

@breld said:
And when I was shopping for my i5 Friday, I had my choice of the Phytonic Blue I ended up with, the Tanzanite Blue II, and the Carbon Black. Nice to have choices!

I was tempted to go with that Carbon Black, which was paired with an ivory interior - thought it would be real sharp, but just wasn’t sure I wanted to go that dark.

They also had a Brooklyn Grey with a red interior. Also tempting.

You picked the right one. Tanzanite photographs well but it’s too dark in the real world. If it’s cloudy out, it’s hard to tell it’s blue at all. But maybe this is a Seattle problem.

tifighter

Posted for blue car sharing purposes -

fintail

Blue cars you say? (pic taken last Sunday):

benjaminh

stickguy said:

I did have an idea (the seed of another grand plan.). I looked up in the garage and realized that I must have at least 12’ ceilings in there. They are really high. And an overly wide garage door. Other than needing to swap out to a high clearance door rail system I could easily fit a 4 post lift in there. Might drive me nuts having to work around it but if I really wanted to I could get 3 cars inside.

Might need to do some research !

How big is your lot? From my pov might be better in the long run to add an extra 1-car garage or carport in your back yard if you have space for it?

Michaell

benjaminh said:

stickguy said:

I did have an idea (the seed of another grand plan.). I looked up in the garage and realized that I must have at least 12’ ceilings in there. They are really high. And an overly wide garage door. Other than needing to swap out to a high clearance door rail system I could easily fit a 4 post lift in there. Might drive me nuts having to work around it but if I really wanted to I could get 3 cars inside.

Might need to do some research !

How big is your lot? From my pov might be better in the long run to add an extra 1-car garage or carport in your back yard if you have space for it?

A lift will be considerably cheaper than adding a building - and, you avoid the hassle of getting permits and such.

Michaell

I suppose one of the few advantages to living in CA is the ability to car shop and purchase on Sunday.

My sister, BIL and middle son are heading back out again for more looking. Today, the middle son will be looking at the Camry Hybrid. No idea what trim, but I suspect his budget will not allow him to shop new. As previously noted, he drove the Accord Hybrid on Friday night and liked that a lot. I'll be curious what his thoughts are on the Camry.

My BIL, on the other hand, is now seriously considering a BMW EV - the i4, in particular. Apparently, one of his brothers has one and he had a chance to drive it yesterday, and is smitten.

However, his local BMW dealer has exactly one i4 - an e40 in grey over cognac, which shows as 'in transit'. I guess we'll see where this goes - he got a big promotion and a raise recently, and is looking to cement his new CFO status with an appropriate vehicle. He is very brand driven and won't consider a Toyota, Honda, etc.

stickguy

Lost 2’ of potential headroom. There is a drop down area on one side to clear plumbing from the master bath which doesn’t impact my side where I park but does limit the lift on the garage door. So might not work.

We looked into a 3rd bay but with the design of the house (and side entry garage) it would have required lot of extra work. Basically had to reengineer the whole end of the house to make the extra piece fit at a 90 degree angle. So quite expensive. I figured I could just build a stand alone at some point if I needed one but ended up with the building code (10’ from the house, etc) and the slope of the lot there was no easy way to make one of those fit.

Probably should have bit the bullet at the time. Or in retrospect should redid the design to be front entry since it’s always simpler to just take on. Bay to the side. Live and learn! Next house for sure.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

Lost 2’ of potential headroom. There is a drop down area on one side to clear plumbing from the master bath which doesn’t impact my side where I park but does limit the lift on the garage door. So might not work.

We looked into a 3rd bay but with the design of the house (and side entry garage) it would have required lot of extra work. Basically had to reengineer the whole end of the house to make the extra piece fit at a 90 degree angle. So quite expensive. I figured I could just build a stand alone at some point if I needed one but ended up with the building code (10’ from the house, etc) and the slope of the lot there was no easy way to make one of those fit.

Probably should have bit the bullet at the time. Or in retrospect should redid the design to be front entry since it’s always simpler to just take on. Bay to the side. Live and learn! Next house for sure.

How about a nice high end car cover?
https://www.covercraft.com/product/custom-sunbrella-car-cover/C-CCSA?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping - Car Covers&product_id=C-CCSA-D4&adtype=pla&utm_term=&utm_id=799324967&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=799324967&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItMGO5IKkjwMVtkhHAR3-KwjKEAQYAyABEgJ5lfD_BwE

explorerx4

A friend of mine bought a prebuilt garage, or a large shed depending on how you look at it.
This might be the one he has.
https://www.barnyard.com/structures/sheds/victorian-cape-garage

oldfarmer50

fintail said:

Blue cars you say? (pic taken last Sunday):

Some blues are so dark they look black:

fintail

oldfarmer50 said:

fintail said:

Blue cars you say? (pic taken last Sunday):

Some blues are so dark they look black:

9 years ago I leased a MB that was in a medium-dark blue, one of those colors that wakes up a bit in bright sun but can look near black in a dark garage. Nice and uncommon color but a pain to keep clean in a climate with damp winters (and in Spokane would have driven me over the edge due to dust and winter grime):

stickguy

if I did end up getting a car and having to park one outside, and it wasn't a beater (that a dump runner PU) I would likely get a cover because that part of the driveway is under some trees, including pines, so anything outside gets crap all over it quickly.

Simplest solution is convincing the wife that she really wants something like a GTI or WRX.

benjaminh

stickguy said:

...Simplest solution is convincing the wife that she really wants something like a GTI or WRX.

Since when do you go for the "simplest solution"? I think you need to get back to somehow trading in both of your great cars to get two new wonderful cars.

But seriously, messing with your wife's Acura RDX when you know she likes it seems dangerous. That seems like going against one of the things we do here, which is to get for our spouses cars that they really like. My wife didn't think she could ever like a car as much as her CR-V, but now she likes her Subaru even better.

It would be difficult for you, but if you could stand to have your Maverick under a cover that seems like maybe a possible way to go.

Then get a Porsche, GTI, WRX, Civic Si, or some other sports car for the garage.

Of those, I lean toward the Porsche if a good used one with a manual can be found. Wasn't there someone here who was willing to sell you their own sharp Porsche? Might get maintenance records and a fair price...

PS Or, what about trading in your Maverick on an Outback with the turbo? You'd have cargo room, AWD instead of FWD with the Maverick, more luxurious interior, more features, etc, and since you usually drive less than 10k a year the difference in gas wouldn't be that much. Just a thought. Good deals and 0.9 apr on the last of the real Outbacks right now. You might even be able to special order one to your exact specs. And you could still also get a sports car with a manual transmission on top of that, and then the Outback could be under the cover.

stickguy

I do like my plans.

I actually mentioned to the wife yesterday that I need to decide what to do with the Maverick by Q1 next year. Turns 3 in May so regular warranty expires. so I need to decide if I want to make it a real LT commitment or move on. If I am going to make it a keeper until I am in my 70s will probably get a Ford ESP from Granger (if they are still pretty cheap).

The driver's side window in the Acura decided to stop doing auto up/down. I hit the google machine and found instructions on how to reset it which I tried a few times (different variations) none of which fixed it. Might be time to junk it if major failures like this are happening.

benjaminh

Yeah, maybe trade them both in?

A Ford out of warranty does seem a risk, even though your Maverick is pretty much debugged and probably one of their best vehicles.

I guess the Acura is now out of warranty. What might work for your spouse after the luxury and power of the RDX?

stickguy

one problem right now is year end work hell started early for both of us. So going out to look at things (or even have mental bandwidth to think about it) is not easy right now. We really need to retire (so I can instead be paranoid about spending any money!)

Parking the Maverick outside is possible but I don't think it would enjoy that in the winter. more likely if I got a fun car that I would drive when it was nice, I would look to get a truck that I could treat as a winter beater (maybe lease a new one if cheap leases ever come back!) though my best plan is probably upgrade the wife's ride to something that can carry all her stuff for our shore vacation, and get a nice utility trailer to use for my dump runs. RDX has a tiny tow capacity (and no trailer hitch) so theoretically could do that duty, but it would also put it back into road trip duty.

one of my early schemes (which I thought was a great one!) was see if she liked a Ridgeline, and get one of those along with a sports car and be done with it.

benjaminh

Acura RDX length: 187 inches or 15.5 feet

Maverick: 200 inches or 16.7 feet

Ridgeline: 210 inches or 17.5 feet

Just a guess, but I wonder if your wife is going to want to drive something two feet longer, which is a lot from my pov. Ungainly in a parking lot, etc....


An Outback with turbo can tow up to 3500 pounds, but it's a station wagon. Even the non-turbo can tow 2700 or something like that, but it would be underpowered.

The RDX, as you say, can only tow 1500 pounds

benjaminh

stickguy said:

one problem right now is year end work hell started early for both of us...

It's a conundrum, but as you know work gives more resources to buy more cars.

That's in part how I'm helping our next generation get into a new car tomorrow, knock on wood. Their current car really is...something. It's actually a 2008 Honda Accord, handed down from her father many years ago. I've driven it a few times. Suspension is shot. The whole thing just seems antiquated and old. Most but not all of the controls work, and the engine and transmission are okay, but seem quite a bit weaker than the 2008 Accord I had long ago. The plastic wheel covers, the ones that are left, are losing their "silver."

Anyway, from my pov a 17-year old Accord is past its design life, unless it has been meticulously maintained and garaged, but that's not the case for this one. Impressive that it still even runs.

stickguy

benjaminh said:

Yeah, maybe trade them both in?

A Ford out of warranty does seem a risk, even though your Maverick is pretty much debugged and probably one of their best vehicles.

I guess the Acura is now out of warranty. What might work for your spouse after the luxury and power of the RDX?

Acura is fully on our dime now. 5.5 YO now (but only 28K on it). She likes it, but mostly because she is used to it (but still can't remember how to answer a phone call when she is driving!) We talked about an EV which would be perfect for most of our use, but would not be a travel option. so doesn't help me much!

we have not really looked at anything in the last 5 years so she has no idea what is even out there. But she does have a bit of brand snob going on, so not stopping at the domestics, and she pathologically dislikes VW and Audi. BMW will get a look, and she did seem interested in the Macan. really depends on what she wants. Sitting higher and having a roomy seat, and controls that don't confuse her too much, are the main requirements.

benjaminh

Let me see if I can come up with something even crazier than your schemes @stickguy....

Sell the RDX to highest bidder, whether carmax, Acura Dealer, whatever. For your wife's next SUV don't buy but lease. For a change up, how about leasing a nice Mazda CX-50 for c. $450 a month or so? With the cash from the sale of the RDX see if you can buy a sports car. Then either keep the Maverick or trade it in on an Outback.

stickguy

we have zero need for 2 CUVs like that.

Michaell

stickguy said:

and she did seem interested in the Macan. really depends on what she wants. Sitting higher and having a roomy seat, and controls that don't confuse her too much, are the main requirements.

I'd say the Macan doesn't meet that last requirement - lots of controls on the dash and center console.

But, always fun to get out and look, when the time is right.

Michaell

Just heard from my sister - her middle son prefers the Accord Hybrid over the Camry Hybrid (which I sort of knew he would).

benjaminh

stickguy said:

we have zero need for 2 CUVs like that.

Well, you could keep the Maverick. Or you could cash it out and lease a Ridgeline.

Could your wife be convinced to try a Mazda, or is that too entry-level for her? They are nice inside. Seem kinda like a luxury brand and almost as nice as an Acura RDX in some areas. Does your spouse need the power that the RDX has, or would a lower-power vehicle be ok?

benjaminh

Michaell said:

Just heard from my sister - her middle son prefers the Accord Hybrid over the Camry Hybrid (which I sort of knew he would).

Did you hear what specifically he liked about the Accord hybrid over the Camry hybrid?

stickguy

our daughter has a CX-50 Hybrid. Interior is nicer than the Acura. And the Macan does have a lot of buttons, but they are actually quite logical and easy to use. once you figure out where they all are!

she does not use most of the power of the RDX. anything over maybe 150 is overkill for her.

instead of downsizing I should slightly upsize. Maybe a BMW X5 hybrid (our SIL has one of those) with a trailer hitch, and that will be her car and our travel car. Then I but a utility trailer and a sports car for me.

That I could probably sell her on.

actually an X3 is probably big enough too for our travel needs. Just no bybrid.

benjaminh

stickguy said:

....she does not use most of the power of the RDX. anything over maybe 150 is overkill for her....

That might save something significant from my pov. If she doesn't need a lot of power, you could save a lot by getting a lower-level Mazda instead of a BMW. Cashing out the RDX, and then leasing something more affordable might free up funds for a sporty car with a manual.

BMW X3 lease c. $742 a month + fees and whatever else
CX-50 hybrid: c. $462 a month +

benjaminh

Driving only 8k miles a year could potentially save around $700 a year in gas by going from an RDX to a CX-50 hybrid.

Michaell

benjaminh said:

Michaell said:

Just heard from my sister - her middle son prefers the Accord Hybrid over the Camry Hybrid (which I sort of knew he would).

Did you hear what specifically he liked about the Accord hybrid over the Camry hybrid?

The feedback I got was that the Camry drove nicer, but he preferred the looks of the Accord (he’s almost 25, so I can see why that would be important to him).

I do think he’s going to get a wake up call on the finances. He wants $400/mo on a $30k car - I think he will need a substantial amount of money down to get there. I’m guiding him, but he needs to understand how it works - no plans to tell him outright.

carnaught

The Mrs and I looked at the Mazda CX-50 Hybrid and found it to be nice but underwhelming. The dash is about 2-4 years behind the times looking and the map/main display on the dash is about half height size, and to us the usually nice Mazda interior overall was plain and lacking. That said, it’s probably a good car.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

one problem right now is year end work hell started early for both of us. So going out to look at things (or even have mental bandwidth to think about it) is not easy right now. We really need to retire (so I can instead be paranoid about spending any money!)

Parking the Maverick outside is possible but I don't think it would enjoy that in the winter. more likely if I got a fun car that I would drive when it was nice, I would look to get a truck that I could treat as a winter beater (maybe lease a new one if cheap leases ever come back!) though my best plan is probably upgrade the wife's ride to something that can carry all her stuff for our shore vacation, and get a nice utility trailer to use for my dump runs. RDX has a tiny tow capacity (and no trailer hitch) so theoretically could do that duty, but it would also put it back into road trip duty.

one of my early schemes (which I thought was a great one!) was see if she liked a Ridgeline, and get one of those along with a sports car and be done with it.

Can I suggest going south to get a beater truck. At least down to southern NJ to get out of the rust belt. You might pay a little more but that’s better than losing sleep waiting for it to accordion.

Michaell

So, while my nephew has some research to do before pulling the trigger on a new (or nearly new) car, my BIL took the plunge and leased a BMW i5 today.

Carbon Black over white interior, M package, and a bunch of other options. e40, so RWD. Slightly less expensive than the i5 @breld leased the other day, but a slightly higher payment due to the lack of the state specific incentives that exist in CO.

ab348

oldfarmer50 said:

Some blues are so dark they look black:

That seems to be a thing with a lot of automakers these days. They all look black 90% of the time unless they are in direct sunlight, when you get a blue or green or red tinge showing through. I hate it. There are too many black vehicles already.

benjaminh

Audi is raising prices $2k-$4k on most models bc of tariffs. Audi sales were already weak before this...

https://www.kbb.com/car-news/audi-hikes-most-prices-adds-free-maintenance/

corvette

Weekend day trip report:

Saturday - finally went to a restaurant I've driven by many times, The Overlook in Leavenworth, Indiana with my best friend. Typical comfort food with very generous portions. The view of the Ohio was 10/10, highly recommend it for that reason alone. Lots of motorcyclists, as it's on a popular road for them. Drove through the waterfront "downtown" Leavenworth on the way back. I had no idea it existed, but there's a bar and a handful of other houses and buildings there, however, the area is mostly a lot of giant carports for people to park their RVs and boats under. Just remember to get them out before the river rises!

Plugged the Ariya into my L1 charger and started the day today with a 78% charge and headed to Cincinnati. Could have made it there on that charge, but charging options at my destinations were limited to L2 chargers. Stopped at the Flying J in Walton and used one of the new GM-affiliated chargers through the EVgo network. EVgo detected my car immediately and started charging. I went inside to grab food. Really wanted the two slices of pizza for $8.50, but settled on a spicy chicken wrap with what appeared to be kale in it, so healthy-ish. (Side note: the label said it was 850 calories, which was a lie, as I was hungry within a few hours. Also, it was not spicy at all. The other food option there was a Denny's. I'll get the pizza next time.) Got back to the car and a message that "your vehicle has stopped charging prematurely." Fun stuff. Unplugged the charger and plugged it back in and sat down to eat my lunch. It stopped charging again after eight minutes, with no error codes. There was a guy in a Polestar in the adjacent charger, and he appeared to not have similar issues, so I have to blame the car here.

Next stop: Cincinnati Museum Center to see the Thomas R. Schiff exhibit. They have two gated parking lots, but only one has EV charging. Both parking lots suffered from their members, who are entitled to free parking, trying to scan the QR code to unlock same, and it not working multiple times, which created a queue of 4+ vehicles waiting to enter the parking lot. Awful planning on someone's part. The first Flo charger connected and then indicated a system failure right out of the gate. The next one started charging. Great exhibit, but I've seen everything else there, so not really worth the price of admission and parking.

Went on to the Contemporary Art Center and parked at the garage under the Westin, which also has L2 Flo chargers. Very narrow corkscrew going down into that garage (not the only gnarly corkscrew downtown, if memory serves). This one connected without issue, other than there being no cell signal underground. I was able to connect and start charging once I got to ground level. Walked to the Taft Museum and back.

Cincinnati Art Museum - no issues with the Flo charger. There was a very nice looking dark red XC60 plug in hybrid in one of the other stalls. I doubt I'd pay $0.35/kWh to L2 charge a plug in hybrid when I could just use gas, but different strokes for different folks.

Stopped at the Pilot in Pendleton for a fast charge on the way back. Very weird that there are two Pilots, one on either side of the interstate, there.

Wireless CarPlay stopped working on the way home, even after rebooting my phone. Wired CarPlay worked for a bit, and then also quit. I made do with Bluetooth streaming audio.

Final tally: $26.19 in paid charging costs, which is less than the roughly $32 in premium fuel the Maverick would have burned, so I guess I win. The trip computer showed 213.4 miles at an average of 2.9 miles/kWh, which is more efficient than average for me. Something with an 80+ kWh battery, fully charged, would have probably done the entire trip on a single charge.

roadburner

benjaminh said:

stickguy said:

....she does not use most of the power of the RDX. anything over maybe 150 is overkill for her....

That might save something significant from my pov. If she doesn't need a lot of power, you could save a lot by getting a lower-level Mazda instead of a BMW. Cashing out the RDX, and then leasing something more affordable might free up funds for a sporty car with a manual.

BMW X3 lease c. $742 a month + fees and whatever else
CX-50 hybrid: c. $462 a month +

BMW should offer a "Fell Out of the Ugly Tree" rebate for the X3.

roadburner

My three blue cars:

corvette

roadburner said:

BMW should offer a "Fell Out of the Ugly Tree" rebate for the X3.

Ford should sue them over the use of the "Escape" moniker. The diagonal lines on the grill remind me of the radiator supports (visible behind the grill) on GMT800s, which BMW also copied on some models, if memory serves.

Michaell

Long talk with my sister tonight. Her son will start doing research on his credit history, and pre-applying for loans, to get the ball rolling on his new ride.

Most of the discussion was about her husbands new i5 - lots they didn't know about owning an EV (this was very much a spur of the moment decision). Gave them what information I had, but there is lot for them to learn. I appreciate the information shared by other EV owners here (thanks, @corvette, about your trip today).

They got 10K per year, which I suspect will be more than enough. His R/T to work is about 70 miles, so in theory he could get three trips before it needs a recharge (he only goes in 2x per week, and the car has a range up to 295 miles).

Will be interesting to learn about their experiences.

corvette

@Michaell - a Level 2 charger will probably make their life easier. I haven't done it yet, largely because the Ariya goes back in December, plus I'm not sure how much longer I'll stay in this house. I'd strongly consider installing one if I get another EV.

stickguy

man, cars got expensive. built a couple online just for the heck of it. an X5 hybrid (no real options) was $78K. even the non-hybrid was close to 75K. Even a Santa Fe hybrid AWD limited (not the top trim) cranked out to $48K! Lots of goodies I would like, and fancy, but still a Hyundai.

Michaell

corvette said:

@Michaell - a Level 2 charger will probably make their life easier. I haven't done it yet, largely because the Ariya goes back in December, plus I'm not sure how much longer I'll stay in this house. I'd strongly consider installing one if I get another EV.

I've mentioned to her that she needs to contact local electricians to get a quote, or two. For the moment, I think they will use a 220V outlet.

stickguy

when I built the X5 (plug in) it comes with a portable charger that has 110 and 220 plugs on it. Since I have the outlet installed in the garage, seems like no need for a wall mounted charger unit (which is optional, I think for $500?) But I assume is DIY since it just needs to have the bracket screwed to the wall, hang the charger, and plug it in!

My BIL and SIL that have one never bothered to put in an outlet for it. They just use the wall outlet and let it charge overnight, which seems to be plenty to top it up.

Michaell

stickguy said:

when I built the X5 (plug in) it comes with a portable charger that has 110 and 220 plugs on it. Since I have the outlet installed in the garage, seems like no need for a wall mounted charger unit (which is optional, I think for $500?) But I assume is DIY since it just needs to have the bracket screwed to the wall, hang the charger, and plug it in!

My BIL and SIL that have one never bothered to put in an outlet for it. They just use the wall outlet and let it charge overnight, which seems to be plenty to top it up.

It's quite possible that, since they'll only need to charge it once every 10 days or so, that their existing setup will be sufficient.

Tried to explain to my sister that the stated range (295 miles) is like the MPG numbers on a window sticker. Do you ever get those? No, she said. Told her it was the same thing.

Will I know when it needs to be recharged? she asked. Yeah, when do you know you need to put gas in your car? 1/2 tank? 1/4 tank? When the low fuel light comes on? Same thing for an EV.

She's scared of it - too much technology. Even my BIL wasn't sure he was going to take it to work in the morning.

oldfarmer50

corvette said:

Weekend day trip report:

Saturday - finally went to a restaurant I've driven by many times, The Overlook in Leavenworth, Indiana with my best friend. Typical comfort food with very generous portions. The view of the Ohio was 10/10, highly recommend it for that reason alone. Lots of motorcyclists, as it's on a popular road for them. Drove through the waterfront "downtown" Leavenworth on the way back. I had no idea it existed, but there's a bar and a handful of other houses and buildings there, however, the area is mostly a lot of giant carports for people to park their RVs and boats under. Just remember to get them out before the river rises!

Plugged the Ariya into my L1 charger and started the day today with a 78% charge and headed to Cincinnati. Could have made it there on that charge, but charging options at my destinations were limited to L2 chargers. Stopped at the Flying J in Walton and used one of the new GM-affiliated chargers through the EVgo network. EVgo detected my car immediately and started charging. I went inside to grab food. Really wanted the two slices of pizza for $8.50, but settled on a spicy chicken wrap with what appeared to be kale in it, so healthy-ish. (Side note: the label said it was 850 calories, which was a lie, as I was hungry within a few hours. Also, it was not spicy at all. The other food option there was a Denny's. I'll get the pizza next time.) Got back to the car and a message that "your vehicle has stopped charging prematurely." Fun stuff. Unplugged the charger and plugged it back in and sat down to eat my lunch. It stopped charging again after eight minutes, with no error codes. There was a guy in a Polestar in the adjacent charger, and he appeared to not have similar issues, so I have to blame the car here.

Next stop: Cincinnati Museum Center to see the Thomas R. Schiff exhibit. They have two gated parking lots, but only one has EV charging. Both parking lots suffered from their members, who are entitled to free parking, trying to scan the QR code to unlock same, and it not working multiple times, which created a queue of 4+ vehicles waiting to enter the parking lot. Awful planning on someone's part. The first Flo charger connected and then indicated a system failure right out of the gate. The next one started charging. Great exhibit, but I've seen everything else there, so not really worth the price of admission and parking.

Went on to the Contemporary Art Center and parked at the garage under the Westin, which also has L2 Flo chargers. Very narrow corkscrew going down into that garage (not the only gnarly corkscrew downtown, if memory serves). This one connected without issue, other than there being no cell signal underground. I was able to connect and start charging once I got to ground level. Walked to the Taft Museum and back.

Cincinnati Art Museum - no issues with the Flo charger. There was a very nice looking dark red XC60 plug in hybrid in one of the other stalls. I doubt I'd pay $0.35/kWh to L2 charge a plug in hybrid when I could just use gas, but different strokes for different folks.

Stopped at the Pilot in Pendleton for a fast charge on the way back. Very weird that there are two Pilots, one on either side of the interstate, there.

Wireless CarPlay stopped working on the way home, even after rebooting my phone. Wired CarPlay worked for a bit, and then also quit. I made do with Bluetooth streaming audio.

Final tally: $26.19 in paid charging costs, which is less than the roughly $32 in premium fuel the Maverick would have burned, so I guess I win. The trip computer showed 213.4 miles at an average of 2.9 miles/kWh, which is more efficient than average for me. Something with an 80+ kWh battery, fully charged, would have probably done the entire trip on a single charge.

Sorry about all your electrical problems. What do you think cause the charging and infotainment issues, sunspots, software glitch, aliens?😳

oldfarmer50

Michaell said:

Long talk with my sister tonight. Her son will start doing research on his credit history, and pre-applying for loans, to get the ball rolling on his new ride.

Most of the discussion was about her husbands new i5 - lots they didn't know about owning an EV (this was very much a spur of the moment decision). Gave them what information I had, but there is lot for them to learn. I appreciate the information shared by other EV owners here (thanks, @corvette, about your trip today).

They got 10K per year, which I suspect will be more than enough. His R/T to work is about 70 miles, so in theory he could get three trips before it needs a recharge (he only goes in 2x per week, and the car has a range up to 295 miles).

Will be interesting to learn about their experiences.

The son doesn’t know his credit history? How old is he? They’re lucky to have you as a consultant. So many people go into car buying like lambs to the slaughter.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

man, cars got expensive. built a couple online just for the heck of it. an X5 hybrid (no real options) was $78K. even the non-hybrid was close to 75K. Even a Santa Fe hybrid AWD limited (not the top trim) cranked out to $48K! Lots of goodies I would like, and fancy, but still a Hyundai.

Hybrids are the new trendy thing so you’re going to pay a premium.

kyfdx

oldfarmer50 said:

That F-150 looks like a 1976 maybe? Nice restoration.

1977. My brother in law bought it new. It's a one-owner with 131K miles

benjaminh

https://www.mazdausa.com/shopping-tools/special-offers-and-incentives