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Also, if you buy it make sure they give you both sets of floor mats AND the trunk mat. You should have cloth and rubber floor mats for free.
Furthermore, make sure a spare tire is included.
Lastly, do not let the sales guy go with you on the test drive. Drive it like you normally do without being pressured. If it takes 2 hours to decide or 12 hours, that is your prerogative, screw their convenience or policy if they want you to plunck down 27 to 30 k.
Lastly....enjoy yourself, and take some pictures!
After I got out and verified that it wasn't a pedestrian moaning under the car, (since I do not have a backup camera), but alas I think it is the fuel pump. It is dying. Noise is coming from the gas tank. The car isn't performing any different, and I would very much like to keep it that way.
Now I have to go and receive Fairfax Kia "service". Pray for me. Pray hard.
Nationwide Insurance commercial
I added the mud guards, and I recommend Lamin-X fog light protectors. They are a clear (or tinted) vinyl cover to prevent stone chips. $18, and custom cut for your car. They have a sticky backing and install in seconds.
Lastly I added a small Infinity Powered sub-woofer that only takes up 1 cubic foot of trunk space, and it really fills in the bass without booming or waking the neighborhood. It's called a Basslink. $250.
www.lamin-x.com There is a 10% coupon code. It is a creative enigma : 10off
Post some pics! I want a look-see.
Now from a performance and more to the point..even 'racing' aspect, yes, discs get the nod. While looking at a manual wind up window stick Accent with no A/C, I just shook my head in disgust as I walked away after the salesman was touting the fact that even their base base BASE car had rear discs. It's all hoopla...like big rims. Answers to questions that no one with any sense has ever asked.
Ya..ya.. I know I'm gonna get "but" from some out there..so be it..
And Toyota foolishly allowed this car to not do well in the crash tests. Shame on them..especially since the Camry too has taken this same recent heat. Personally, I drive pretty defensively, but side crash weaknesses especially get my attention due to the very-hard-to-be-on-top-of T bone scenes..
I like the interior smell of Toyotas. I like other things too of course, but they seem to keep missing the boat...their penny counters need a cuff upside the head somewhere within the decision makers..
You lost me with this term????
The dealers pay about 30 to 40 bucks for them, then charge the customer about 250 and up, and say that it is a "non-negotiable charge that they must transfer to the buyer".
edit..altho I think I edited the wrong post before..hopefully i have the right one this time..
edit..found a link to it..this is their rebuttal. Damage control at its finest..
http://www.globali.com/rsr/RSRGlobalProtection/Response.html
Regardless, I agree that dealers charging outlandish fees for any of these add ons is ridiculous. Whether it's etchings, pinstripes, N2 in tires, wheel locks etc. I try my hardest to avoid dealers like that and if I can't I certainly let them know up front just how schlocky I think the practice is.
I don't see a point of the post as a response to mine.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I suspect the quality of the inner tire lining and the quality preparation of the rim seal area on your tires
The water vapor is credited with causing some corrosion like roughening on the bead seats that can cause leakage as the tire squirms.
The tighter the rubber bead of the tire is compressed against the form fit of the rim bead, the greater resistance to leakage. Furthermore, the lesser chance that water vapour can undermine that seal. This is a much more common issue with aluminum rims...and owners who let their tires get too low, and corner hard on roads that have been salted on a regular basis.
I would have thought this reference was obvious. Why is everyone on this board so frig touchy lately?? Sheesh..
Oh...right..it's not lately...it's the norm.
Now, with that said, I see where your point is going.
> corner hard on roads that have been salted
I have read that too as a factor in corroding some rims by letting outside moisture with salts get under the edge of the bead.
>Why is everyone on this board so frig touchy
I didn't know where you were going. I thought you meant that leakage with N2 or normal air (80% N2) goes under the edge of the bead, on some rims which are not as tight as others, to a greater degree and the concept that the larger molecular size of gaseous nitrogen is not a retardant to migration through the rubber as claimed by the N2 generator (concentrator) sellers.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Drum brakes and stick rear suspensions are cheap. That is why it is on the Corolla. However, 95% of the compact car competition uses disc/disc. Toyota is betting that they will still sell a boatload of them anyway, and they are probably right. The Corolla's reliability continues to be legendary and former owners will have no problem with the drums. The ones that do can get the S- Premium model which does have them.
Here is the link: http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/2013-chevrolet-malibu-eco-vs-2012-honda-- - accord-ex-l-2012-hyundai-sonata-se-2012-kia-optima-ex-2012-toyota-camry-se-2012-- - volkswagen-passat-25-se-comparison-tests
The Optima EX came in 3rd, and the Sonata SE was 4th in this one.
I will dig a little deeper and see if I can find a "Sonoptima" Turbo vs Turbo contest.
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere
I had a nail in my tire about 2 months after I bought the car, so I went to get the spare out, but all I found was a fancy can of fix-a-flat and a 12 volt compressor.
The directions said to attach the tire sealant to the compressor and then turn the unit on. As it pumps up the tire it also blows in the tire sealant.
Then, you are supposed to immediately get in the car and drive it at least 5 miles to spread the sealant evenly. I even spun the tire a few times while it was on the jack.
It took less than 5 mins to put all the gear back in the trunk and I drove off to go to the Shell station for a tire plug after the 5 miles had elapsed. I made sure I kept my speed steady at 45 mph or so.
Needless to say the tire started vibrating on the way to work and later that day the dealer had to scrape all that gunk out of the tire where it had hardened all in one spot around the leak. He could not get all of it w/o scraping the rubber off itself, and said that he couldn't get the tire 100% balanced....but it did drive OK.
In the end the sealant did work, but all the damage and time was not worth the 10 pound saved by not including a spare tire. The trunk even has the Styrofoam packaging with a hole where the spare is supposed to be.
Before my next road trip that hole will be filled with a mini-spare.
My neighborhood had a rash of nails in tires and after 4 more plugs over two years I jettisoned the Nexen's before my vacation road trip. Sure enough that tire was cupped, and all of the tires were 3/4 worn after only 18k.
C/D liked the Optima better. They liked the quality of the materials in the interior, and they liked the handling and styling.
In the end they said they prefer their Sonata in Optima clothing. They compared the Optima's lines to a Jaguar. Now, as far as room is concerned in the rear seats, I fit in the back just fine, and I am 6'2" and weigh....well a lot.
The only seat that isn't comfortable is the middle rear "hump seat"...and we all know that seat is for a kid and for short trips only. That is true for almost all sedans. Since it is me and three kids, the middle hump is not an issue.
Drum brakes are cheap. The reason they last so long today is that they don't get used very much - most of the braking (when disc/drum) is done with the front brakes. They (rear drums) should probably last the life of your car. To actually "work", drum brakes require constant adjustment. Two ways to adjust them: 1) use a specialized tool and 2) by applying them when backing up. In the past, when parallel parking was the norm this action adjusted the drum brakes and kept them adjusted and thus working. Now that parallel parking is almost a thing of the past, once the initial adjustment wears off the drum brakes do virtually nothing.
The only advantage to drums is cost.
This simply is not true at all! Not sure where you're getting that from but I suggest trying to relate to just a couple theories (there are more but 2 will suffice I hope).
Ask yourself why front brakes be they old fashioned drums or discs are ALWAYS larger on the front axle than the rear. Everything is larger, the rotors, the pads, the calipers...all because the front does the vast majority of the braking. There are many reasons for this but weight transfer is among the top...and while this is happening, the rear becomes less loaded so hence even less braking ability is available on the rear. And this now is one reason that, yes, discs on the rear can provide a bit more controllable activation so are desirable for TC on sporting/panic characteristics.
The second scenario is one you can try easily yourself by walking beside your bicycle (providing it has separate fr and rr brakes). Just walk beside it and apply the rear brake and see how easy it is to drag the back wheel. Now try the same walk-beside, but instead, apply the front brake and see how much more retardation is available.
The Elantra also shares it's platform with the Kia Forte'. (both current and previous models).
You should probably ask the guys on the compact car board if they have had a similar experience like the one you described. Maybe they know more about it.
And while many will activate the rear pads through the caliper, those types are very prone to corrosion and sticking in areas where roads are salted etc...especially on cars whose owners don't always use the parking brake.
All reasons why I prefer rear drums.
(cski) As for some of the performance perks from rear discs vs drums, fact is, rear drums weigh.. if anything, a bit less than a rotor...especially the rotors that house a drum parking brake inside. Factoring in that that, combined with weight of calipers and pads vs the weight of shoes and assorted springs and levers, can sometimes weight MORE than a drum set up. This becomes an unsprung weight comparo (less is better) because less unsprung weight allows the suspension duties to perform/react not only quicker to road irregularities but do so more easily. This is for the most part (but not exclusively) a performance and racing perk. But I do agree that TC and threshold braking can be a little better controlled with rear discs...it's just that, personally, I prefer to give up those performance enhancements to have all the other benefits that mean more to me if I could have drums.
And for info...I recently had to replace rear rotors (with inside parking drums...read expensive) on my CRV. And the fronts are still original! This is certainly not the norm on most cars tho...it has more to do with Honda's known crappy brake designs on CRVs.
If someone prefers them I say enjoy the 1940's technology. I'll take disc brakes any day, including using them on Motorcycles and Bicycles.
As far as weight is involved, rear calipers and rotors are smaller on back wheels, and the weight difference is most likely nil because of that. It depends on the car.
Having rear discs is upmarket, and drums are downmarket. That is the way it is in the industry. Whether they work any better than drum, on a middle model car like mine, is most likely negligible at reasonable (and legal) speeds. Pedal feel is better "they say", but I don't know as I have had rear disc's since 2001.
Longevity wise, my Grand Cherokee needed new rear pads at 130,000 miles, but they still passed inspection and I sold it with the original pads still on it. I informed the buyer and he said it he would do it himself. This is on a 5000 lb vehicle with 4x4. Longevity is not an issue in my experience.
There is no advantage to drums other than cost, and rear brakes do tend to wear faster than the fronts at least on some modern cars.
Another thing that jumped out a bit for me was their like for the seats in the Optima. I thought...cool..I guess because I love the office in an Optima. I got the impression though they preferred the lighter steering and overall handling of the Sonata better. I was shocked to read the Sonata was the second quietest in the group at speed.
From my own experiences I can concur with them on the auto in the Passat. It's a gem...the regular 6 sp auto that is..
1) The rim cannot be wider than the tire. This avoids "rim rash". Tires bend, aluminum does not.
2) Easy to clean: self explanatory.
3) Looks: I like "split" 5 star rims, where it is basically a 5 spoke design but with 2 fins on each main spoke. I have them on my car currently. My Jeep had 5 stars too, and were easy to clean. I clean my rims once a week, and they will still look new 10 years from now. Brake dust and dirt over time will permanently damage aluminum wheels by pitting.
The Optima's sound system is good as long as you listen to digital media. Turn on an FM source though, and it sounds like "My First Radio" by Fisher Price. Horrible. Or maybe FM is just that bad in comparison. But it does have Sirius and pairing a phone is easy. I guarantee you guys you will not need the manual to set it up. Also, all the major controls are on the steering wheel...no need to reach. Use a thumb drive and you can skip the Sirius fees. I am not going to pay to listen to old Twisted Sister and Van Halen. I have over 1000 MP3's right in the USB port. My kids LOVE it.
It does not have enough bass for me....and why they didn't use the rear deck for speakers I will never understand. The SX model has a sub mounted in the center of the rear deck, thus the premium sound.
I don't know ab out you guys, but I miss the simplicity of the older 89-94 model Honda Accords. They used 6 1/2" speakers on front doors and rear decks, and took a standard DIN size stereo in the dash. You could put ANY stereo on the aftermarket in those cars, and adding a sub was Awwwwwwsummmm. Those were the good-old-days of car Audio. (for me).
Ok I am done posting today....someone else take over!
2/3's of the trip there were 3 people in the car, the rest with 2.
About the only difference I noticed was that it didn't downshift on some hills that it would otherwise.
I would guess that the fuel mileage was about the same for the trip as using regular, 28.8.
Am trying another tank of premium for my normal commute.
Probably would not have made my goal of 500 miles on one tank, but the opportunity didn't really present itself.
With two 250+ pound guys in back, two more people in front, and luggage for all four in the trunk, it's likely your son exceeded the payload capacity of the car. Or if not, could be the weight was unevenly distributed with two big guys plus the luggage in back of the car.
Another way to look at it is, one could load a LOT of gold bouillon into a car the size of the Elantra, including in the trunk. Doesn't mean it's a good idea!
I can guess you are not considering the Chevy, but it is a darn fine car and has been well received in the mags. With the 3.6 it makes 305 hp, and is very nice inside.
Also, good news...there is NOTHING wrong with my car. A crushed coke can got sucked off the road and jammed between the muffler and the body, causing a buzzzzzzzing noise. The mechanic came out laughing.
So, 24,000 heavy footed miles and still zero problems with the Optima.