Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

fezo · November 2014

oldfarmer50 said:

fezo said:

Smart idea. This is a great opportunity to sell a gas guzzler or buy a gas sipper as the general public is....well....stupid. No historical memory at all.

Don't expect these gas prices to last. I've seen these price wars before (remember $1 gas during the Clinton administration) but if it continues too long the government will sieze the opportunity to raise gas taxes.
The good part here is the current situation makes it more difficult for the government to screw it up other than increase in gas taxes which, if used exclusively to fix our crumbling infrastructure I could support. The problem is the government has never seen a pot of money that they couldn't find a "better" use for. "Hey, we could increase them ethanol subsidies!"

But the glut of oil is due to the fact that we have tons of extra oil and lots more coming from already accepted sources, As long as the Saudis don't blink and decrease production we can have a nice, long run.

When Clinton was president a couple of times I got gas for 74 cents.

driver100 · November 2014

nyccarguy said:
@driver100‌

I've been following your clutch fiasco. @ab348 has the best idea. Now I know this really does suck. Your car is brand new (10K miles), it wasn't abused at all, & driven by a mature woman with decades of MT driving experience. It might not give you a hint of trouble ever again. Other than this, you seem to be happy with the way the car drives.

At 52,000 miles, I had to replace the clutch on my Prelude. It was my 1st MT car, but I didn't race it, or abuse the car in any way. I was under the impression that a clutch lasts about 100K miles, so when I got that call from my service advisor I wasn't too pleased. Then when he told me how much it costs to replace a clutch on a Prelude Type SH ($2,100), I almost lost it. I thought a clutch replacement was a $1,000 job. Clutch replacement on my Prelude requires removal & reinstallation of the ATTS unit which adds about 5 additional hours of labor hours to the job. I came very close to trading the car in, but there was nothing out there that I LOVED (that wasn't a $50K ///M3 anyway). So I bit the bullet, and discussed my options with my trusted service advisor. I bought an aftermarket (Centerforce) clutch and used the new Honda Pressure Plate & Throw Out Bearing. My car just ticked over the 155K mark (I've got over 100K on the replacement clutch), so I can officially tell you that it was Honda's weak clutch that failed prematurely.

That is an interesting story nyc and it helps make me feel not quite as bad. A clutch wearing out at 52k miles doesn't sound right even. What you are saying has a lot of truth, if we got 2 more years of use from the A4 without another major issue (warranty is 4 years 48k miles) the repair would cost $400 a year.....not too bad in the big scheme of things.
BUT
Why just take it and let them get a way with it? It would be easier on me, but, I don't feel like just going along with whatever crumbs they want to use to appease me. I would rather go down fighting than just cave in. My wife is upset that Audi is saying she is incompetent. We just added up this morning, she learned how to drive on a standard, and she has owned 10 manual transmission cars and 4 automatics. Our daughter learned how to drive a manual and used manuals for many years before getting an automatic. Never a clutch problem before now!

oldfarmer50 · November 2014

ab348 said:
The provincial (state) government here is making noises about introducing a carbon tax. We already have a stiff gas tax but this would replace it and apply to all fossil fuels, so it would cover heating oil, nat gas, coal-fired generation (we have some of that), you name it. They say it would be revenue-neutral as it would go along with changes to the income tax system to compensate.

Say what you want about trusting any government to actually keep its promises but I do have to think that maybe the time has come, especially on vehicle fuel. I just shake my head when I see the number of absolutely massive pickups - especially dolled-up ones like F150 King Ranches, GMC Denalis, etc - taking up 2 (sometimes 4!) spaces in the mall parking lots. These trucks are often driven by pretty 30-something wives and are almost never used for work purposes. I am no environmentalist, but this just seems excessive, almost abusive to our world. Our gas prices would already make most of my American friends here weak in the knees thanks to taxes and yet it has had little apparent effect on this behavior so far.

Call me crazy but I think in a free society you should have the right to be as wasteful as your wallet can stand. You said it yourself, high taxes don't reduce wasteful behavior so why punish poor people with a crushing burden that makes it impossible for them to drive anything?

If government would take the additional revenue from a carbon tax and use it to fund a crash research program to bring the cost of renewables down to competitive levels I'd be all for it. Sadly, they would just use it to buy votes and nothing changes except the weight of my wallet.

I'm getting political so I'll shut up on the subject.

driver100 · November 2014

houdini1 said:

driver100 said:

robr2 said:

driver100 said:
Have a spine man Stand up for what is right....and truth and justice and the American Way.

I do have a spine. But I also know that there is a point that fighting is only going to piss me off even more. Life is better spent without having to carry a grudge.

If you really feel that it was defective, then take the time and spend the money prove it. You have the parts, then pay someone to look at them.

I was joking about the spine...and I usually like to take the route of less stress too, but, I don't like to be scammed. I would gladly have the parts examined, I just don't think they can get any real information from the parts. Yhe clutch will be show wear, how do we know if it was my wife who caused it - could be a faulty spring, loose part, lack of lubricant, something stuck....who knows. That's why even 50/50 would be somewhat fair....but, if they are going to be stubborn I will go for the whole enchilada.

driver, I think that is a good plan. Since they seem willing to negotiate, well, you are negotiating. If they won't budge further I think you have an excellent chance of winning this one.

One thing I did find out on automd.com was, that todays clutches all work on hydraulic systems, there are no nuts and bolts or springs.

The guy there thinks I should have it examined by a mechanic still. I will do that, but, I still don't think it will actually show who is at fault. If anything it says to me, there's more chance of a hydraulic part not working properly than it being my wife all of a sudden riding the clutch.

oldfarmer50 · November 2014

nyccarguy said:
@oldfarmer50‌

I saw my first '15 Mustang "in the wild" tonight. Dark Blue. I knew exactly what it was when I saw it coming up in the rear view mirror. Looks MUCH better in person than in the pictures!

I like the back end of the new one but the front of the 2014 looks better in my my opinion.

abacomike · November 2014

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:
@oldfarmer50‌

I saw my first '15 Mustang "in the wild" tonight. Dark Blue. I knew exactly what it was when I saw it coming up in the rear view mirror. Looks MUCH better in person than in the pictures!
I like the back end of the new one but the front of the 2014 looks better in my my opinion.

So, that's your answer, Oldfarmer! Buy a new 2014 Mustang and a 2015 Mustang. Cut the two of them in half. Then take the front of the 2014 and rear end of the 2015 to a master welder. He will then weld the two halves together and create for you a 2014.5 - a one-of-a-kind hybrid. Then, we could hear your commentary about your new Mustang from the standpoint of an owner of a rare breed of car.

As I got that idea, I was remembering a situation I had when I was a manager at a car dealer. I had this young guy come in to purchase a new Infiniti G37 Coupe in Red with Black leather. He drove his trade vehicle to the front of the dealership and I went out to appraise the car. It had obviously been painted (it was a black Porsche Coupe), but otherwise, it looked to be in pretty good shape. I sat in the driver's seat and took down the mileage - 18,500 miles on the odometer. It seemed strange that a 2001 Porsche would have such low mileage in 2007, but I just wrote the information down on my appraisal sheet. I took down the VIN number (showing the 10th digit as a 2001) and noticed that the interior in the front looked a little newer than the rear interior (less worn in my opinion) but I passed it off since the guy said he had a dog.

I went inside and walked over to the salesman and the customer and asked why he was trading such a nice car. I also asked why the car only had 18,500 miles. He said that he only used the car on weekends. He gave me his registration and title and I went over to my desk to pull up a DMV report. At the same time, I had one of my desk managers pull a CARFAX on the VIN number. Low and behold, the DMV report showed that the car was not registered with the State. Then, the CARFAX report showed that the car had been sold for salvage after an accident by the insurance company.

I then walked outside again to take a better look at this "car". I pulled up the carpeting in the front driver's side and also behind the driver's seat. There is was - a nice welding job right across the middle of the entire car. Thus, we had two cars welded together. I checked the numbers on the engine and went to the front of the car to check the numbers under the front trunk. They didn't match.

I went inside with both reports and laid them both on the desk in front of the customer. I said to him, "...why would you try to pull a fast one like this on me and my dealership?" His response was that if it didn't work here, it would work at some other dealership. I informed him that what he was doing was illegal. The only way it would be legal is if the title showed "salvage" on it, and it would have to have both VIN numbers of both halves of the car. The registration should also show both VIN numbers.

He picked up his registration, his forged title, and ran out the door. He forgot I had his key, but he had another duplicate key, obviously, because he tore out of my parking lot.

Ahhh, the car business - wasn't it interesting?

abacomike · November 2014

We went up the the Boca Town Center Mall this morning and arrived at 9:30 AM. All the stores were open (except for Saks and Nordstrom's) but the mall was empty. I would say there couldn't have been more than 100 people in the entire shopping mall. I would have thought the place would have been jammed with Macy's running their usual daily sales and Sears (the DIY shopping store because there are never any employees around to help you) having a special sale on all their TV's and appliances. Even Bloomingdale's was open.

We were able to take our walk without having to run interference among slow walking shoppers and got out of there before the rush arrived. I guess most people did their shopping Thursday evening and all day yesterday. I haven't heard the reports yet on the news about the relative success of Black Friday and Gray Thursday, but I would think with the economy slowly improving and gas prices down so low (more spendable income) that the reports should be glowing.

snakeweasel · November 2014

abacomike said:

Ahhh, the car business - wasn't it interesting?

It could have been worse, it could have been this car:

From what I heard the title weight 16 pounds.

isellhondas · November 2014

Thanks, Snake...I think I'm going to be sick!

graphicguy · November 2014

Saw the 2nd Tesla in the GG 'burg yesterday. One is red, the one I saw yesterday is black....very sharp. Looks like they're starting to populate the area slowly but surely.

graphicguy · November 2014

oldfarmer50 said:

fezo said:
Meanwhile, Gasbuddy sent me a message yesterday - the first they ever did that - advising if possible to not buy gas for the next three days as prices are going to substantially fall.

I'm really enjoying this. We're at $2.59 right now and I'm holding out for those three days.

Essentially what is happening is that Saudi Arabia is trying to make shale oil unprofitable. This is great news. For one, even at current prices which are dropping like a stone, shale is still profitable. Assuming they manage to get to the point where it's not it's the small time guys who are highly leveraged that are going to go under and if the price returns to where it is profitable someone else will jump in on the shale. I'm just as happy keeping shale at a minimum and holding it for emergency. Oil is a dirty biz no matter how you get it but shale is more so.

The really fun part is seeing who is most vulnerable to the price drop - Russia, Iran, Iraq, Venezuela... Gee, what a shame... The Saudis, Kuwait and the UAE have huge amounts of money socked away for just such things. The others don't and Russia funds 45% of their economy with oil. Couldn't happen to nicer guys.

OPEC has been asking Brazil to limit production (they and Russia aren't in OPEC and Brazil basically told them to pound tar sand. Good for them.

If this holds steady for a while my 6 will be easy to run and I can guarantee you my next car will be more economical. If I shop as gas prices are falling I can probably steal an economical car while those who aren't thinking are out buying big SUVs. Works for me.
Smart idea. This is a great opportunity to sell a gas guzzler or buy a gas sipper as the general public is....well....stupid. No historical memory at all.

Don't expect these gas prices to last. I've seen these price wars before (remember $1 gas during the Clinton administration) but if it continues too long the government will sieze the opportunity to raise gas taxes.

Farmer....Not that I've never been vocal about gas prices, but oil companies and the markets have done their damnedest to justify gas prices.....most, if not all, have proven to be bunk.

They're still running out of excuses.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/brighammccown/2014/10/15/oil-gas-prices-how-low-will-they-go/

driver100 · November 2014

snakeweasel said:

abacomike said:

Ahhh, the car business - wasn't it interesting?
It could have been worse, it could have been this car:

From what I heard the title weight 16 pounds.

Snake, even the inside has differnt color seats and head rests. It must have been made from many cars. Looks like the front bumper is ready to fall off too.

driver100 · November 2014

I just wrote back to Audi head office. I have left out a fair bit but this will give the general idea of my email;

We will need some clarification on what a $500 dealer credit actually means. If it is worth $500 as cash or a reduction of $500 for the cost of the repair that would be acceptable. If the credit can only be used for parts and service it would have little value to us. We bought a service contract when we purchased the car and hopefully we won't need more repairs as the car still should be under warranty for 2 more years.

We thank you for reaching out with an offer to try to resolve our problem, however if the $500 can only be used to buy merchandise and service it won't work for us.

I put in that my wife has owned 10 manual transmission cars (4 automatics), and has driven 100000s miles without a problem Most people would probably conclude it would be the car that malfunctioned, not the driver.

We'll see what comes back.

driver100 · November 2014

What if the guy brought this one in;

or, this one;

fezo · November 2014

I know the song. I should have figured someone would actually make one. Where is that, anyway?

oldfarmer50 · November 2014

abacomike said:

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:
@oldfarmer50‌

I saw my first '15 Mustang "in the wild" tonight. Dark Blue. I knew exactly what it was when I saw it coming up in the rear view mirror. Looks MUCH better in person than in the pictures!
I like the back end of the new one but the front of the 2014 looks better in my my opinion.
So, that's your answer, Oldfarmer! Buy a new 2014 Mustang and a 2015 Mustang. Cut the two of them in half. Then take the front of the 2014 and rear end of the 2015 to a master welder. He will then weld the two halves together and create for you a 2014.5 - a one-of-a-kind hybrid. Then, we could hear your commentary about your new Mustang from the standpoint of an owner of a rare breed of car.

As I got that idea, I was remembering a situation I had when I was a manager at a car dealer. I had this young guy come in to purchase a new Infiniti G37 Coupe in Red with Black leather. He drove his trade vehicle to the front of the dealership and I went out to appraise the car. It had obviously been painted (it was a black Porsche Coupe), but otherwise, it looked to be in pretty good shape. I sat in the driver's seat and took down the mileage - 18,500 miles on the odometer. It seemed strange that a 2001 Porsche would have such low mileage in 2007, but I just wrote the information down on my appraisal sheet. I took down the VIN number (showing the 10th digit as a 2001) and noticed that the interior in the front looked a little newer than the rear interior (less worn in my opinion) but I passed it off since the guy said he had a dog.

I went inside and walked over to the salesman and the customer and asked why he was trading such a nice car. I also asked why the car only had 18,500 miles. He said that he only used the car on weekends. He gave me his registration and title and I went over to my desk to pull up a DMV report. At the same time, I had one of my desk managers pull a CARFAX on the VIN number. Low and behold, the DMV report showed that the car was not registered with the State. Then, the CARFAX report showed that the car had been sold for salvage after an accident by the insurance company.

I then walked outside again to take a better look at this "car". I pulled up the carpeting in the front driver's side and also behind the driver's seat. There is was - a nice welding job right across the middle of the entire car. Thus, we had two cars welded together. I checked the numbers on the engine and went to the front of the car to check the numbers under the front trunk. They didn't match.

I went inside with both reports and laid them both on the desk in front of the customer. I said to him, "...why would you try to pull a fast one like this on me and my dealership?" His response was that if it didn't work here, it would work at some other dealership. I informed him that what he was doing was illegal. The only way it would be legal is if the title showed "salvage" on it, and it would have to have both VIN numbers of both halves of the car. The registration should also show both VIN numbers.

He picked up his registration, his forged title, and ran out the door. He forgot I had his key, but he had another duplicate key, obviously, because he tore out of my parking lot.

Ahhh, the car business - wasn't it interesting?

Ha ha I can't afford one new car and you have me buying TWO!

On the guy who tried to scam you why didn't you make the deal and have the sheriff put the cuffs on him when he signed all the documents without revealing the fraud? Would have gotten one crook off the street.

Mr_Shiftright · November 2014

I once pitched a scheme to eBay for me to build an entire car only from parts won at eBay auctions--but they didn't go for it.

graphicguy · November 2014

Mr_Shiftright said:
I once pitched a scheme to eBay for me to build an entire car only from parts won at eBay auctions--but they didn't go for it.

I kind of like that idea. They really wouldn't bite? You get a taker, I'll help with the build. Sounds fun.

abacomike · November 2014

@driver100‌

Driver, I noticed under "consumer reviews" for the Mercedes Benz E400, no one has written a review as of this date. You have had the car for over a month and have driven it from Canada to Florida - and probably have close to 2000 miles on it by now.

Why not take some time to write a complete review of the car and the new engine for other consumers. You've had it long enough and write well enough to post an interesting article. You have only shared a few things with us here and I am sure you have some opinions about the new V6 bi-turbo, the GPS, the audio system, ride and handling, fuel economy, comfort and the features you found to be the most impressive.

Go ahead and share your thoughts. I'd be interested to read your comments prior to my taking delivery in a couple of weeks. I only drove the E400 for a day or two - not long enough to form an opinion.

isellhondas · November 2014

I can't go a day without seeing at least one Tesla around here. One day I think I counted six.

All of these Microsoft and Amazon guys have to have the latest geeky cars!

abacomike · November 2014

On the "Gas-Buddy" App, if you tap or click on the Top-Tier logo on the right side of the gasoline price, it brings up an explanation and a video (click on arrow) of the history and development of top-tier gasolines. I found it quite interesting.

stickguy · November 2014

I actually was next to a Tesla the other day too. This was in S. jersey, in a bit of a boonie area outside Philly. May have been coming back up from the Jersey shore or Atlantic City.

I don't think I could ever have a pure electric for regular use. I just worry about stuff too much! Heck, I start sweating if my gas tank drops below 1/4 tank!

driver100 · November 2014

abacomike said:
@driver100‌

Driver, I noticed under "consumer reviews" for the Mercedes Benz E400, no one has written a review as of this date. You have had the car for over a month and have driven it from Canada to Florida - and probably have close to 2000 miles on it by now.

Why not take some time to write a complete review of the car and the new engine for other consumers. You've had it long enough and write well enough to post an interesting article. You have only shared a few things with us here and I am sure you have some opinions about the new V6 bi-turbo, the GPS, the audio system, ride and handling, fuel economy, comfort and the features you found to be the most impressive.

Go ahead and share your thoughts. I'd be interested to read your comments prior to my taking delivery in a couple of weeks. I only drove the E400 for a day or two - not long enough to form an opinion.

I am a bit overwhelmed because so many people have written such good reviews, I really couldn't do it justice. Also, I don't have the time to do a proper review the E400 properly, but I will give you a very brief review.

First, I get lots of comments about how beautiful the car is, and I think the black roof really sets it off. One guy said he was behind me and loved the exhaust outlets.

It was the closest I could find to an E400:

People ask me why I chose a Mercedes this time. I say, the time has come. Although the 535 had better cornering and handling for me, the Mercedes is better at everything else, and I have got used to the difference. I shouldn't say one is better than the other, just depends on which car suits one better.

I like the little touches like there are no unslightly vents under the windows aor speaker grill on top of the instrument panel. That is all hidden under a beautiful grill. Same with the back shelf, everything is finished nicely. The steering wheel is beautifully designed and I like the flat bottom...you know where you are at just by the feel. I can't imageine a car could be finished nicer, great attention to detail. Dash has stitiching and handsome instruments.....nicely lit up. Also the airline lighting (is that what it is called) along the doors etc looks great in blue, but can be changed to red or white.

I like the rear view camera and you can get a view from above the car if you you choose. GPS works well with traffic tie up warnings. I am having trouble with Gypsy, the GPS lady, I have to give her voice instructions about 4 times to get her to understand. I say city, "Sarasota" and she says is that Winter Haven or Clear Water....not even close. It wouldn't be so bad if she said Saratoga. You can do it manually, but not while driving. Too bad because my passenger could do it.

The car is solid as only Mercedes makes a car. The ride is as smooth as possible without being cushiony....it is a great compromise of the best handling possible with the softest ride possible, but you still feel the subtletys of the road.

It took me awhile getting used to not seeing a hood in front of me. I did like the big wide hood on the 535. But, I am getting to like the Merc more, larger front windows, the instrument panel is very low, and the forward vision is very broad. That reminds me, I really like the blind spot warnings.

All the instrumentation is about as easy as can be to operate, Mercedes knows who they are selling to. I like that the doors open wide and high, it is more like an SUV getting in and out. And seating is more like a chair than lying on your back in a sports car. Even the 535 felt lower to the ground and seating was lower.

The power is there if you need it, I can even get onto a highway in Econo mode. But sport mode really adds the power and tightens up the steering more...more the way I like it especially on the highway.

The interior is also nice, seats are the most comfortable I have experienced.

I am totally happy with this car. If feels very safe and it feels solid. The sound system is much better than the one in the bmw. It has a clarity that I have not noticed before...you hear notes and instruments you may never have noticed before.

Mike, I hope you like your E as much as I like mine....I can't imagine a nicer car to have and drive. I hope that is of some help.

houdini1 · November 2014

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:
@oldfarmer50‌

I saw my first '15 Mustang "in the wild" tonight. Dark Blue. I knew exactly what it was when I saw it coming up in the rear view mirror. Looks MUCH better in person than in the pictures!
I like the back end of the new one but the front of the 2014 looks better in my my opinion.

Well, with that car most people will only see it from the back anyway, so they will have plenty of time to admire it.

abacomike · November 2014

@driver100‌

Great job, driver - I couldn't have said it better!

houdini1 · November 2014

oldfarmer50 said:

abacomike said:

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:
@oldfarmer50‌

I saw my first '15 Mustang "in the wild" tonight. Dark Blue. I knew exactly what it was when I saw it coming up in the rear view mirror. Looks MUCH better in person than in the pictures!
I like the back end of the new one but the front of the 2014 looks better in my my opinion.
So, that's your answer, Oldfarmer! Buy a new 2014 Mustang and a 2015 Mustang. Cut the two of them in half. Then take the front of the 2014 and rear end of the 2015 to a master welder. He will then weld the two halves together and create for you a 2014.5 - a one-of-a-kind hybrid. Then, we could hear your commentary about your new Mustang from the standpoint of an owner of a rare breed of car.

As I got that idea, I was remembering a situation I had when I was a manager at a car dealer. I had this young guy come in to purchase a new Infiniti G37 Coupe in Red with Black leather. He drove his trade vehicle to the front of the dealership and I went out to appraise the car. It had obviously been painted (it was a black Porsche Coupe), but otherwise, it looked to be in pretty good shape. I sat in the driver's seat and took down the mileage - 18,500 miles on the odometer. It seemed strange that a 2001 Porsche would have such low mileage in 2007, but I just wrote the information down on my appraisal sheet. I took down the VIN number (showing the 10th digit as a 2001) and noticed that the interior in the front looked a little newer than the rear interior (less worn in my opinion) but I passed it off since the guy said he had a dog.

I went inside and walked over to the salesman and the customer and asked why he was trading such a nice car. I also asked why the car only had 18,500 miles. He said that he only used the car on weekends. He gave me his registration and title and I went over to my desk to pull up a DMV report. At the same time, I had one of my desk managers pull a CARFAX on the VIN number. Low and behold, the DMV report showed that the car was not registered with the State. Then, the CARFAX report showed that the car had been sold for salvage after an accident by the insurance company.

I then walked outside again to take a better look at this "car". I pulled up the carpeting in the front driver's side and also behind the driver's seat. There is was - a nice welding job right across the middle of the entire car. Thus, we had two cars welded together. I checked the numbers on the engine and went to the front of the car to check the numbers under the front trunk. They didn't match.

I went inside with both reports and laid them both on the desk in front of the customer. I said to him, "...why would you try to pull a fast one like this on me and my dealership?" His response was that if it didn't work here, it would work at some other dealership. I informed him that what he was doing was illegal. The only way it would be legal is if the title showed "salvage" on it, and it would have to have both VIN numbers of both halves of the car. The registration should also show both VIN numbers.

He picked up his registration, his forged title, and ran out the door. He forgot I had his key, but he had another duplicate key, obviously, because he tore out of my parking lot.

Ahhh, the car business - wasn't it interesting?
Ha ha I can't afford one new car and you have me buying TWO!

On the guy who tried to scam you why didn't you make the deal and have the sheriff put the cuffs on him when he signed all the documents without revealing the fraud? Would have gotten one crook off the street.

If you do buy the two Mustangs, those mini vans gave me an even better idea. Put the two back halves together and the two fronts together. You would never know if you were coming or going.

nyccarguy · November 2014

@driver100‌

Great write up!

driver100 · November 2014

houdini1 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

abacomike said:

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:
@oldfarmer50‌

I saw my first '15 Mustang "in the wild" tonight. Dark Blue. I knew exactly what it was when I saw it coming up in the rear view mirror. Looks MUCH better in person than in the pictures!
I like the back end of the new one but the front of the 2014 looks better in my my opinion.
So, that's your answer, Oldfarmer! Buy a new 2014 Mustang and a 2015 Mustang. Cut the two of them in half. Then take the front of the 2014 and rear end of the 2015 to a master welder. He will then weld the two halves together and create for you a 2014.5 - a one-of-a-kind hybrid. Then, we could hear your commentary about your new Mustang from the standpoint of an owner of a rare breed of car.

As I got that idea, I was remembering a situation I had when I was a manager at a car dealer. I had this young guy come in to purchase a new Infiniti G37 Coupe in Red with Black leather. He drove his trade vehicle to the front of the dealership and I went out to appraise the car. It had obviously been painted (it was a black Porsche Coupe), but otherwise, it looked to be in pretty good shape. I sat in the driver's seat and took down the mileage - 18,500 miles on the odometer. It seemed strange that a 2001 Porsche would have such low mileage in 2007, but I just wrote the information down on my appraisal sheet. I took down the VIN number (showing the 10th digit as a 2001) and noticed that the interior in the front looked a little newer than the rear interior (less worn in my opinion) but I passed it off since the guy said he had a dog.

I went inside and walked over to the salesman and the customer and asked why he was trading such a nice car. I also asked why the car only had 18,500 miles. He said that he only used the car on weekends. He gave me his registration and title and I went over to my desk to pull up a DMV report. At the same time, I had one of my desk managers pull a CARFAX on the VIN number. Low and behold, the DMV report showed that the car was not registered with the State. Then, the CARFAX report showed that the car had been sold for salvage after an accident by the insurance company.

I then walked outside again to take a better look at this "car". I pulled up the carpeting in the front driver's side and also behind the driver's seat. There is was - a nice welding job right across the middle of the entire car. Thus, we had two cars welded together. I checked the numbers on the engine and went to the front of the car to check the numbers under the front trunk. They didn't match.

I went inside with both reports and laid them both on the desk in front of the customer. I said to him, "...why would you try to pull a fast one like this on me and my dealership?" His response was that if it didn't work here, it would work at some other dealership. I informed him that what he was doing was illegal. The only way it would be legal is if the title showed "salvage" on it, and it would have to have both VIN numbers of both halves of the car. The registration should also show both VIN numbers.

He picked up his registration, his forged title, and ran out the door. He forgot I had his key, but he had another duplicate key, obviously, because he tore out of my parking lot.

Ahhh, the car business - wasn't it interesting?
Ha ha I can't afford one new car and you have me buying TWO!

On the guy who tried to scam you why didn't you make the deal and have the sheriff put the cuffs on him when he signed all the documents without revealing the fraud? Would have gotten one crook off the street.
If you do buy the two Mustangs, those mini vans gave me an even better idea. Put the two back halves together and the two fronts together. You would never know if you were coming or going.

I have a better idea for oldfarmer. Weld the back of a 2015 Mustang to the front of a 2014, then you will have the perfect Tang!

Or, is it the other way around?

driver100 · November 2014

abacomike said:
@driver100‌

Great job, driver - I couldn't have said it better!

One thing about reviews.....I like reviews that speak to the common man. I am not sure if Motorweek is still on TV, but I used to like watching when they reviewed cars I would consider buying. I wasn't as interested in reviews of $150k sports cars that I would never drive or own.

I like the reviews people have posted here more than some of the reviews I have read in the newspaper. These seem to be more like real reviews for real people.

One other thing I noticed about the E400 which most people wouldn't notice. They have brought the instrument panel way forward, so it is actually pretty close to the driver and passenger. There is still plenty of room for legs and hips etc. But, it makes all the controls easier to reach, and you can see the instruments very clearly. The GPS/Media screen is very close and though enclosed in the instrument panel, it is just below normal sight line. Mercedes people have really thought through everything very carefully. Even the side windows are huge, as the design has the windows getting larger as theyreach the front of the car. The wedge design allows the trunk to be higher and larger. It is all very cleverly done - I can't think of a car I would rather have...at any price.

Pix shows gps/media centre and surround instrument panel. You can also see attention to detail, no air vents or speakers showing on top of instrument panel...just a very attractive grill that spans the width of the instrument panel.

Pix shows how window line comes down and windows get larger near the front. This one should be similar to Mikes.....looks good in gray;

This pix is tos show attention to detail, for example the steering wheel...flat bottom like mine. There's an airbag hidden in a spoke. Leather at 10 and 2 o'clock and rest is wood. The interior of mine is light gray with black inserts;

I get the feeling the Mercedes people sat around and really thought about how they could revolutionize the automobile. They have made some risky changes but it all works really well.

imidazol97 · November 2014

driver100 said:
One thing about reviews.....I like reviews that speak to the common man. I am not sure if Motorweek is still on TV, but I used to like watching when they reviewed cars I would consider buying.

Motorweek still runs their shows. Pieces and videos are available online. In some cases, the text of what is said is there without the video.
http://www.motorweek.org/reviews/road_tests

The marque picture on that page says a lot about their value system, however, If it doesn't smoke the tires, have a large cult following, or have tremendous handling, they tend to not be interested in reviewing. That means the run of the mill cars don't get attention.

Last week they did a midsize car multicar test. I predicted the winner before they started: Sonata. Just by using the American Idol philosophy of who will keep the most people tuning in for the next show--or who will cause controversy and have people tuning in.

I spent many weeks looking at Motorweek's handling of car tests, in particular the back seat scamper test where the demonstrator hops into the backseat to show how much or how little knee room is there. This is because of the criticism of Malibu's rear legroom, despite its being larger than Sonata/Optima and the new TLX, e.g.. They tend to make cars they favor look better. However in the text and by listening closely, one finds they slip in criticisms and deficiencies, but do it in a way that it's part of a sentence subordinated to other positives so people won't notice it for cars they favor. With others the critical statements tend to be standalone or at the beginning of compound sentences.

ab348 · November 2014

Is Motorweek still a PBS production or is it now on commercial channels? Maybe Hyundai just made a big "donation" to get that result.

stickguy · November 2014

hey, why pick on Sonata? Maybe it won because it deserved to!

I have not watched motorweek much recently, but I do recall that they almost never said anything negative about any test car, and even then, it was a very faint slap on the wrist!

As to rear leg room, the TLX I sat in was OK, but certainly not huge. Though I work under the if you have enough more is a waste theory (on headroom too).

But the new Sonata is cavernous. More like the Passat (or a stretch Town car!). Not sure I sat in the back of the new Malibu when we looked at them in the showroom, but I know it was not as much leg room as the Sonata or Passat.

I am also doing it based on the "sit behind yourself" test, since rear leg room is so dependent on where you have to set the front seat. I put mine fairly far back, and still have enough space behind it to cross my legs (and I am 6' with 32" inseam) (or is that TMI?). Heck, we have a Volvo S40, which is a tiny car, but the roomiest seat is behind the driver's seat in the back (I always sit there when my daughter is driving, since she is 5'2" and has the seat way forward!)

but, IMO leg room is less important than how the rear seat is configured. You don't need as much room if the seat is higher vs. a low slung bench where you legs stick out.

stickguy · November 2014

ab348 said:
Is Motorweek still a PBS production or is it now on commercial channels? Maybe Hyundai just made a big "donation" to get that result.

No, Motorweek is on Velocity network now. I need to go look for this episode and tape it.

abacomike · November 2014

@driver100‌

My my car is the lighter gray, driver - between a silver and a gray hue - called Palladium Silver. I have that color on the CLS - love it so much I ordered it on the E400.

snakeweasel · November 2014

driver100 said:
What if the guy brought this one in;

or, this one;

Gee that second one looks like one of Red Greens creations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b61f6bAuytw

abacomike · November 2014

Filled the car up with gasoline this morning on the way up to take a walk at the mall. Costco's price for Premium Unleaded is now $309.9 a gallon and I am sure it will be below $3.00 a gallon by the end of the month, if not sooner.

Since the new car is due at the port this Wednesday and probably down to the dealership by the middle to end of the following week, I will not be filling up the car with gas any longer - when it gets to 1/4 of a tank, I'll put in $10.00 worth until I get the new car. Makes no sense to trade the CLS 550 into the dealer with more gas in the tank than that.

I saw a CLS 400 the other day at the dealership when I was there. I can't seem to picture a small V6 engine in a car like that. 329 horsepower with 354 lb ft of torque seems a bit tame for a car like that. The starting price on that car is in the mid 60's, but by the time you add enough goodies to make the car special, you are in the high 70's, about $5000 less in MSRP than my 2014 CLS 550. But, if you buy an identical car to mine for 2015, it is several thousand dollars more than mine listed for. I just don't see buying a car like the CLS with that small engine.

stickguy · November 2014

once you get the Mustang 15 front and 14 back put together, it only makes sense to use the leftovers halves to create a 14 front/15 rear model!

At least use 2 cars the same color so it doesn't look quite so bad.

abacomike · November 2014

@‌snakeweasel

I guess those cars would be great in a bank heist - police couldn't tell if you were coming or going, LOL!

stickguy · November 2014

Mike, I googled that color. Very nice. A little darker than my car and sharp on the MB. I would probably have picked that or dark blue.

imidazol97 · November 2014

stickguy said:
hey, why pick on Sonata? Maybe it won because it deserved to!

Yes it is. It's a good car. I checked them out several times--mostly the Optima because the local Hyundai store is owned by a large chain in Cincy/Dayton that I don't like. GG has mentioned them a few times.

It's very popular and won on the merits that Motorweek set. But it looked to me like there were several good enough cars within the group. I questioned the $27000 as the price limit. In the past the price limits were chosen by other multicar tests to eliminate certain features that made some of the higher priced cars more attractive.

stickguy said:
I am also doing it based on the "sit behind yourself" test, since rear leg room is so dependent on where you have to set the front seat. I put mine fairly far back, and still have enough space behind it to cross my legs (and I am 6' with 32" inseam) (or is that TMI?).

That's how I do the tests. I sit in both front seats and set them the way I would drive and then hop into the rear seats. Salespeople in the showrooms usually just roll their eyes.

The height of the rear platform does affect how the legs are positioned and make the legroom needed vary with that. I believe they said the Passat was the queen of the group for rear legroom and that shows in the legroom length charts as well.

A distant friend of ours explained how he eliminated the Cruze from his search for a car last year. He sets the front seat all the way back and then gets in the rear seat. So a manufacturer who sets up their seat rails to have good legroom and good position for a long-legged driver then is punished for having less legroom in the rear. That's even though the nominal average driver seat position in the comparison cars would have had the car with the long rails giving more legroom in the rear.

robr2 · November 2014

stickguy said:

ab348 said:
Is Motorweek still a PBS production or is it now on commercial channels? Maybe Hyundai just made a big "donation" to get that result.
No, Motorweek is on Velocity network now. I need to go look for this episode and tape it.

Motorweek is on both PBS and Velocity.

abacomike · November 2014

stickguy said:
Mike, I googled that color. Very nice. A little darker than my car and sharp on the MB. I would probably have picked that or dark blue.

Yes, Stick, of all the colors they offer, that one (Palladium Silver) is probably the best for me. I've had several Iridium Silver cars, the White, a Beige and the Black, but this lighter medium gray seems to be the only one I really like. It's smack dab in the middle of silver and gray, hence the name. I would have preferred dark gray seats, but the gray Mercedes offers in Leather is much too light for me (I've had it before). It gets dirty very easily and is very tough to keep clean. Remember, 8 months a year we have lots of heat and humidity and that causes perspiration which ends up right on the seat. That's why I prefer black with Mercedes because it does not show any dirt.

The car has ventilated seats which keeps the seats cool in the summer.

Mr_Shiftright · November 2014

I remember some kind of computer simulation game where you get to design a car--and it's not easy making all the compromises you have to make, while meeting both the styling and engineeering goals. So you design in "svoopy doopy" roofline and you lose rear headroom, or you increase rear legroom and then lose some of the trunk space. Or you rake the windshield and cause entry/exit problems It's tricky, and sometimes the results are surprising, with smaller cars having more driver head and leg room than larger cars.

abacomike · November 2014

When I selected the exterior and interiors of this car, what I did was pull up mbusa.com on my computer. When at the site, you can "build" the car you want. So I selected the E400 and when you select the exterior color (Palladium Silver) the model changes to the color you selected. Then, when you add black leather, you are shown the interior of the car and it changes the seat color to black. I then selected burl walnut for the wood trim, and the trim comes up and shows you what it would look like. As you add options, the car changes. When I added the Park Assist and the Lighting Package, the front of the car changes to show the lighting package and sensors.

It's a great way to build a car you want since you can actually see, firsthand, what it will look like.

driver100 · November 2014

stickguy said:

But the new Sonata is cavernous. More like the Passat (or a stretch Town car!). Not sure I sat in the back of the new Malibu when we looked at them in the showroom, but I know it was not as much leg room as the Sonata or Passat.

but, IMO leg room is less important than how the rear seat is configured. You don't need as much room if the seat is higher vs. a low slung bench where you legs stick out.

Our Passat is truly like a limo in the back area. However, as some have stated, including Mr S.,
you will pay for that in some other way. I find that the Passat has a cab forward design...a very short hood to cover a rather anemic little engine, and the driver isn't back far enough to make the whole car feel balanced. It's a small thing most people probably wouldn't notice or care about, but you really notice a difference driving the Audi, bmw or Mercedes which have long hoods and short rear decks.

I'll have to check to see if I can find Motorweek...it will be like the good old days.

driver100 · November 2014

I promise I won't drone on about my Audi clutch until I hear back, but this is part of an answer I got from a mechanic on automd.

the purpose for the independent inspection is not to assess responsibility for the worn clutch, but to honestly report the condition in a written form. Bottom line, there is no way a 2013 model year vehicle should have a worn clutch is only 10k miles and 2 years old..

NOTE: This I can't do because the dealer has done as much as possible for me.

(Then you can take this detail to the dealership and request their response / recompense / to make the clutch right - at their expense - as an attempt to retain (hopefully) your business. If the dealership is smart or business-savvy, they should recognize this opportunity before them.)

By the way,as far as an adjustment for the clutch - the system is hydraulic; (components with clutch master and slave cylinder) - with no adjustment possible for life of the clutch disk rotating mass

I think this is helpful to me......

driver100 · November 2014

I was on I-75 today and a Nissan SUV passed me...he was quite a ways ahead and I heard a noise like a shotgun. Now I have a star on my windshield...not too bad but noticeable. Do those windshield fillers really work?

Is there a particular company that does better work than others?

abacomike · November 2014

driver100 said:

I was on I-75 today and a Nissan SUV passed me...he was quite a ways ahead and I heard a noise like a shotgun. Now I have a star on my windshield...not too bad but noticeable. Do those windshield fillers really work? Is there a particular company that does better work than others?

Replace the windshield, driver. Most comprehensive coverages now include windshield replacement with no deductibles. I would not try to repair the windshield - replace it with Mercedes approved glass.

ab348 · November 2014

stickguy said:
hey, why pick on Sonata? Maybe it won because it deserved to!

I was only half-serious. Mentioned it because there have been long-standing rumors about Hyundai using paid agents to write good things about their cars in forums like these, on online automotive sites, etc., and lavishing freebies on writers. Then there was them getting caught misstating HP and fuel economy numbers to their benefit. I don't know if they are less ethical than other car companies or just more inept at covering up their shenanigans.

bwia · November 2014

Can't teach old dogs new tricks?

Well, I have to give my daughter her driving props. She recently purchased a town house with a tiny single car garage, that is suitable for perhaps a Smart for 2 or a FIAT 500. Yet she is able to park her Ford Escape Titanium in that tiny garage with about two inches to spare on either side.

For some drivers that perhaps is not a big deal but she does it backing-up in one try, every time; even when the sensors, buzzers and flashing red lights warn of imminent impact. After watching several episodes of her doing that I feel so embarrassed of not being able to back-up in a straight line much less to try that going into a tiny garage.

Getting old stinks but I can't remember if I could ever accomplish such a feat. So, while I take pride in my daughter's driving skills I don't think she could be so accomplished without the aid of technology. Unfortunately, the technology curve is steep for guys and gals in the 60+ age demographic.

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