Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

[Deleted User] · September 2015

New day equals new knee.

Today was the big day. I'm sitting in a recovery suite attached to a machine which is flexing and extending my knee 95 degrees. It's an odd feeling but I'm growing used to it. The hardest thing to adjust to was the use of a spinal block, my first experience with such a pain killer.

The surgeon said the bones were a wreck and my joint resembled a knee from someone more than twice my age. Glad I did it now as we were able to catch the damage before it migrated into the interior, which allowed for a lateral compartment partial replacement versus total knee. The uni-compartmental replacement added time to the surgery and complicated the technical aspects, but it'll pay dividends long term.

First reviews of the 2016 Volt have been publishing today. Looks to be a solid gen 2 and will be on my shopping list.

stever · September 2015

Ouch, got a sister-in-law recovering from knee replacement right now. Stay ahead of the pain (don't skip the pain pills).

The new Volt has great mpg numbers - good range and then good mph when you switch to gas. Wish they made a hatch and hope the "transmission" hump is small this time around.

abacomike · September 2015

tyguy said:

New day equals new knee. Today was the big day. I'm sitting in a recovery suite attached to a machine which is flexing and extending my knee 95 degrees. It's an odd feeling but I'm growing used to it. The hardest thing to adjust to was the use of a spinal block, my first experience with such a pain killer. The surgeon said the bones were a wreck and my joint resembled a knee from someone more than twice my age. Glad I did it now as we were able to catch the damage before it migrated into the interior, which allowed for a lateral compartment partial replacement versus total knee. The uni-compartmental replacement added time to the surgery and complicated the technical aspects, but it'll pay dividends long term. First reviews of the 2016 Volt have been publishing today. Looks to be a solid gen 2 and will be on my shopping list.

Heal quickly, tyguy! I had the full knee replacement. I do remember the leg machine. I had to use it every hour for 15 minutes to stretch the ligaments and avoid adhesions. It was not a painless exercise.

Next, after rehab, you will most likely be in physical therapy as an out patient 3-4 days a week. I wish you the best of luck and a speedy recovery.

Michaell · September 2015

My wife will be having minor knee surgery later this year. She has a torn meniscus.

[Deleted User] · September 2015

Thanks Stever and Mike. I positively hate narcotics and have avoided them after previous surgeries, but this surgery is definitely a different scenario. I'll take your advice and keep ahead of the meds. The spinal block has dissipated in my legs, and now I just need to restore feeling in my....uh...."other" areas. Very strange experience.

Stever, the 2016 Volt will still have that hump to accommodate the batteries. The new pack is shorter in height so the hump is also shorter, but it's still there. It does have a hatch but it's so steeply sloped it looks like a sedan. I prefer hatches and wagons but I live on the wrong continent for those kinds of preferences

driver100 · September 2015

tyguy said:
New day equals new knee.

Today was the big day. I'm sitting in a recovery suite attached to a machine which is flexing and extending my knee 95 degrees. It's an odd feeling but I'm growing used to it. The hardest thing to adjust to was the use of a spinal block, my first experience with such a pain killer.

The surgeon said the bones were a wreck and my joint resembled a knee from someone more than twice my age. Glad I did it now as we were able to catch the damage before it migrated into the interior, which allowed for a lateral compartment partial replacement versus total knee. The uni-compartmental replacement added time to the surgery and complicated the technical aspects, but it'll pay dividends long term.

First reviews of the 2016 Volt have been publishing today. Looks to be a solid gen 2 and will be on my shopping list.

Good luck with the healing Tyguy.

If it isn't too personal, how did you develop your knee problem?

Was it by any chance from playing football? There is supposed to be a pretty sensational movie opening on Christmas Day about head injuries NFL players receive.

Movie Concussion Starring Will Smith

[Deleted User] · September 2015

Sorry to hear about your wife's knee, Michael. They'll probably clip the soft tissue so it doesn't continue tearing along the grain. Hope it goes well for her.

snakeweasel · September 2015

houdini1 said:

driver100 said:
If I was to buy something like a 58 T-Bird it would be for my own fun. I think the dollar value could really drop off as an investment - I doubt the next generation will be interested in 50s and 60s type cars.

My wife was executor for friends and she sent their furniture to an auction. Big problem is everything sells, even if you only get $1 for it. Other problem is younger people don't want china, crystal, silverware or old furniture. They do like really old toys and those old thermometers that advertised Orange Crush or Quaker State oil.
That has pretty much been my experience with garage sales also. Most people want the junk that I thought would never sell.

Remember that one mans trash is another mans treasure. I have a couple of friends that search garage and estate sales looking for stuff. One for his own personal collections and one for resale. These two men know their @#$% when it comes to some of this stuff, they both say that they often find things being offered for as little as 1% or less than their actual value.

snakeweasel · September 2015

andres3 said:

Someone brought up an interesting point, what if GG's situation was a lease deal? I would think that you could legally stop making the lease payments since the other end of the bargain isn't being provided, but I'm no lawyer. This is based on renting an apartment where the landlord fails to do repairs (deduct from rent allowed in CA with notice and reasonable time frame).

I don't think so, the lease deal is basically between GG and the finance company with the finance company and is basically the finance company upfronting the cost and GG repaying with interest. The finance company's only concern is if GG makes the payments.

snakeweasel · September 2015

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

Just a couple of links to show you the stuff I say isn't made up or some regurgitated insurance-backed & perpetuated myth as you wrote above, some which is blatantly plainly false.
Interesting that the links are newspaper articles and not the actual studies.

Fact is that going faster is more risky, you may wish to deny that to justify your need to speed, but the facts are still the facts.
The links provided have links to the actual studies cited in the article on the front page; not hard to find and not hidden.

The fact is you are ignoring that higher speeds are reserved for roads in which those higher speeds result in reduced risk of collision. That reduced risk greatly outweighs the added risk of increased speed which is only a factor if, and only if, you have a collision.

Then why not cite the studies instead of someones report of them?

What you are ignoring is that while higher speeds are reserved for roads which are designed to handle higher speeds safer it does not mean that the risk does not increase as speed increases. So while driving a rural interstate highway at 70 MPH is safer than driving a two lane state rural highway at 70 it does not mean that driving that rural interstate highway at 70 is safer or as safer as driving that rural interstate highway at 65.

And while increased speed is a factor if you have a collision it is also a factor on if you have a collision. Higher speeds makes cars harder to control and reduce reaction time in case of an emergency. It also makes losing control easier.

snakeweasel · September 2015

oldfarmer50 said:

There's no such thing as a stripped 2015 Mustang GT.

Depending on what you mean by "stripper" I would say that there are few, if any, true strippers out there. Most car, if not all, have power windows, A/C and a host of things that many cars 30 years ago didn't have.

abacomike · September 2015

snakeweasel said:

There's no such thing as a stripped 2015 Mustang GT.
Depending on what you mean by "stripper" I would say that there are few, if any, true strippers out there. Most car, if not all, have power windows, A/C and a host of things that many cars 30 years ago didn't have.

I knew a few "strippers" in my early years. Believe me when I say that they all came with the standard equipment!!!

snakeweasel · September 2015

oldfarmer50 said:
"The worst of them seems to be Chrysler"

HEY! I own a Chrysler and I'm personally insulted that you would say that and...wait...No, you're right, they're crap.

As a former MOPAR fanatic I'm sad to say that my best Chrysler was my old '69.

I own a Chrysler and while it isn't the best car out there it is far from the worst one I ever had. It's doing me good at almost 100K miles.

snakeweasel · September 2015

abacomike said:

What amazes me is the audacity many auto dealership possess to think that the average car buyer is plain "stupid".

Well here is the head of a major dealer network giving his opinion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDKDBd22lNM

abacomike · September 2015

snakeweasel said:

What amazes me is the audacity many auto dealership possess to think that the average car buyer is plain "stupid".
Well here is the head of a major dealer network giving his opinion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDKDBd22lNM

That was funny!

stever · September 2015

tyguy said:
Stever, the 2016 Volt will still have that hump to accommodate the batteries. The new pack is shorter in height so the hump is also shorter, but it's still there.

The flat floors in the minivan have really spoiled me (another reason I like the Soul - FWD only so no need for the hump). It's been a while since I've seen a Volt; wish they'd do the Bolt thing. Then again, gas is down to $2.49 here so the motivation (for GM) is probably down. Prius's are getting $3,000 discounts..

Oh, another friend is a few weeks further into his new knee than my SIL. He was doing fine until he decided to help clear old tires off a Lake Superior beach. The lifting was fine - it was the sand that killed him. Might want to avoid Great Sand Dunes for a spell.

SIL had to have some scar tissue "rolled" last week and it went well.

verdugo · September 2015

abacomike said:
One of the real technological advantages of my new iPhone is the "fingerprint" ID. My bank accounts, credit card accounts and several other Apps I use (including iTunes Store purchases using iCloud) are all accessible using one of two fingerprints instead of having to type in my passwords or user ID.

If I am not mistaken, there are other smart phones with that feature. Have any of you found this asset to be helpful as well as simple to use?

My Samsung Galaxy S6 had the fingerprint reader. I thought it was a gimmick at first, but I came to love it. I only used it to unlock the phone.

Sadly the Galaxy S6 had unacceptable (I won't use another word since this is a family forum) battery life, so I traded it in (using my T-Mobile JUMP) for a LG G4. The G4 has much better battery life, but I miss the fingerprint sensor.

[Deleted User] · September 2015

stever said:

tyguy said:
Stever, the 2016 Volt will still have that hump to accommodate the batteries. The new pack is shorter in height so the hump is also shorter, but it's still there.
The flat floors in the minivan have really spoiled me (another reason I like the Soul - FWD only so no need for the hump). It's been a while since I've seen a Volt; wish they'd do the Bolt thing. Then again, gas is down to $2.49 here so the motivation (for GM) is probably down. Prius's are getting $3,000 discounts..

Oh, another friend is a few weeks further into his new knee than my SIL. He was doing fine until he decided to help clear old tires off a Lake Superior beach. The lifting was fine - it was the sand that killed him. Might want to avoid Great Sand Dunes for a spell. SIL had to have some scar tissue "rolled" last week and it went well.

Ouchie!! Being a lake guy we definitely planned ahead for this one. Our last water outing was Saturday, and then Tuesday night I finished winterizing our watercraft so I wouldn't be crawling around the trailer post surgery. I'm hoping for about 3 months of cooling temps before the snow hits and my knee has to deal with the slick and uneven surfaces. I sure hope your SIL recovers okay. Sounds like no fun at all, but good for him for wanting to help clean up our public places.

The flat floors on our AWD Grand Caravan were awesome. The cargo area with seats removed was 4 ft wide by 8 feet long by 4 feet tall, better than pickup trucks in most situations. Loading up at Home Depot was a riot when the helpers were shocked at the capacity. I think a few minivans were purchased by those folks over the years

[Deleted User] · September 2015

Edmunds did a nice job reviewing the new Volt:

edmunds.com/chevrolet/volt/2016/road-test.html?SID=ie3jssoio0000a2v001ol&kw=flexibletexttool&PID=4145509&AID=10364102&mktid=cj260233&mktcat=affiliates

Motor Trend also tested it recently, this time with instruments, and found 0-60 came in 7.1 seconds against the published rate of 8.4. That's darn quick in EV land aside from a sportier car like a Tesla. I think we're going to see the gaps between EV and ICE vehicles come to parity over the next decade and slowly start enticing people to electrified transport. The Tesla 3 could really upturn the small luxury market if they come through with their promises on pricing, range, and handling. Competition is great, isn't?

imidazol97 · September 2015

tyguy said:
Loading up at Home Depot was a riot when the helpers were shocked at the capacity. I think a few minivans were purchased by those folks over the years

We gave the 2-yr old couch from my son's college apartment to his girlfriend to move to her apartment for this fall. Her dad brought the Chrysler van and it fit in back with the door closed!

imidazol97 · September 2015

My wife's knee replacement doctor does not use the flexing machine after surgery. He said the studies had shown that flexing the knee to full flex several times a day keeps the muscle scar tissue from being a problem. It's worked 3 years ago and 1 year ago for my wife. And he used a block for a nerve center above the knee with a ball supplying the medicine slowly over the next 4 days or so and that stops much of the pain. My wife could tell when the air pressure stopped pushing the medicine through the fine tube buried into her thigh muscle.

abacomike · September 2015

tyguy said:

Edmunds did a nice job reviewing the new Volt: edmunds.com/chevrolet/volt/2016/road-test.html?SID=ie3jssoio0000a2v001ol&kw=flexibletexttool&PID=4145509&AID=10364102&mktid=cj260233&mktcat=affiliates Motor Trend also tested it recently, this time with instruments, and found 0-60 came in 7.1 seconds against the published rate of 8.4. That's darn quick in EV land aside from a sportier car like a Tesla. I think we're going to see the gaps between EV and ICE vehicles come to parity over the next decade and slowly start enticing people to electrified transport. The Tesla 3 could really upturn the small luxury market if they come through with their promises on pricing, range, and handling. Competition is great, isn't?

I noticed you posted this at 2:43 AM this morning. I guess the pain keeps you up. When I take pain medication (narcotic), it keeps me awake and makes me a bit hyperactive - the opposite effect it usually has on other people. Most people get woozy and end up in lala land. Hope you are feeling a bit more comfortable.

oldfarmer50 · September 2015

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:
"The worst of them seems to be Chrysler"

HEY! I own a Chrysler and I'm personally insulted that you would say that and...wait...No, you're right, they're crap.

As a former MOPAR fanatic I'm sad to say that my best Chrysler was my old '69.
I own a Chrysler and while it isn't the best car out there it is far from the worst one I ever had. It's doing me good at almost 100K miles.

Don't get me wrong, I've gotten good service out of my Chryslers. Loved my 97 Cirrus. It got me interested in cars again. My wife's current car, the PT Cruiser has disappointing gas milage (less than the Mustang), has had constant brake problems and is now starting to shed interior trim. For less than 30k miles that's pretty crappy.

stever · September 2015

imidazol97 said:
We gave the 2-yr old couch from my son's college apartment to his girlfriend to move to her apartment for this fall. Her dad brought the Chrysler van and it fit in back with the door closed!

Looks like I'll be picking up ~800 sq. ft. of click lock flooring in a couple of weeks. Broke down and got a little table saw last night - gonna be doing a couple of rooms for a friend. After that I can safely get rid of the van and learn how to rent a Home Depot truck for hauling stuff .

Scar tissue is weird; my wife had a lot of PT after getting her broken leg repaired with a rod (and an ACL fix the year before that). She still has the occasional "relief" click when something lets loose but no real scar tissue problems. My S(ister)IL scarred up right away - people's bodies are different.

[Deleted User] · September 2015

abacomike said:

tyguy said:

Edmunds did a nice job reviewing the new Volt:

edmunds.com/chevrolet/volt/2016/road-test.html?SID=ie3jssoio0000a2v001ol&kw=flexibletexttool&PID=4145509&AID=10364102&mktid=cj260233&mktcat=affiliates

Motor Trend also tested it recently, this time with instruments, and found 0-60 came in 7.1 seconds against the published rate of 8.4. That's darn quick in EV land aside from a sportier car like a Tesla. I think we're going to see the gaps between EV and ICE vehicles come to parity over the next decade and slowly start enticing people to electrified transport. The Tesla 3 could really upturn the small luxury market if they come through with their promises on pricing, range, and handling. Competition is great, isn't?

I noticed you posted this at 2:43 AM this morning. I guess the pain keeps you up. When I take pain medication (narcotic), it keeps me awake and makes me a bit hyperactive - the opposite effect it usually has on other people. Most people get woozy and end up in lala land. Hope you are feeling a bit more comfortable.

Thanks Mike. Appreciate the well wishes. Last night was pretty rough with the bladder and knee pain, but this AM is shaping up okay. My connecting hamstring tendons are super tight and the surgeon just visited with an explanation. My knee has been collapsed for so long that the tendons have shrunk, and now with metal hardware properly spacing out the joint I'm going to have to fight to stretch them out. That'll most likely become my biggest challenge.

[Deleted User] · September 2015

imidazol97 said:
My wife's knee replacement doctor does not use the flexing machine after surgery. He said the studies had shown that flexing the knee to full flex several times a day keeps the muscle scar tissue from being a problem. It's worked 3 years ago and 1 year ago for my wife. And he used a block for a nerve center above the knee with a ball supplying the medicine slowly over the next 4 days or so and that stops much of the pain. My wife could tell when the air pressure stopped pushing the medicine through the fine tube buried into her thigh muscle.

That's fascinating, imid. This morning the therapists had me up and walking with a crutch, and the flexing machine will go away in a couple of hours. According to my doc I have some difficult weeks ahead breaking the joint stiffness, but I'm committed to do this the right way.

Mr_Shiftright · September 2015

I like the stock exhaust....the "racing" exhaust sounds like a fart can to me.

explorerx4 said:
@oldfarmer50,
Edmunds just swapped the exhaust in their Mustang and posted a comparison sound clip.
http://www.edmunds.com/ford/mustang/2015/long-term-road-test/2015-ford-mustang-gt-new-exhaust-before-and-after.html

Mr_Shiftright · September 2015

well he DOES have a point there.....

snakeweasel said:

abacomike said:

What amazes me is the audacity many auto dealership possess to think that the average car buyer is plain "stupid".
Well here is the head of a major dealer network giving his opinion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDKDBd22lNM

oldfarmer50 · September 2015

Mr_Shiftright said:
I like the stock exhaust....the "racing" exhaust sounds like a fart can to me.

explorerx4 said:
@oldfarmer50,
Edmunds just swapped the exhaust in their Mustang and posted a comparison sound clip.
http://www.edmunds.com/ford/mustang/2015/long-term-road-test/2015-ford-mustang-gt-new-exhaust-before-and-after.html

I listened to that clip and although the Borla system sounded better I guess I expected more from a $1500 cat back installation. You're right, it did sound a little buzzy but listening to it in person might be different.

abacomike · September 2015

tyguy said:

tyguy said:

Edmunds did a nice job reviewing the new Volt: edmunds.com/chevrolet/volt/2016/road-test.html?SID=ie3jssoio0000a2v001ol&kw=flexibletexttool&PID=4145509&AID=10364102&mktid=cj260233&mktcat=affiliates Motor Trend also tested it recently, this time with instruments, and found 0-60 came in 7.1 seconds against the published rate of 8.4. That's darn quick in EV land aside from a sportier car like a Tesla. I think we're going to see the gaps between EV and ICE vehicles come to parity over the next decade and slowly start enticing people to electrified transport. The Tesla 3 could really upturn the small luxury market if they come through with their promises on pricing, range, and handling. Competition is great, isn't?

I noticed you posted this at 2:43 AM this morning. I guess the pain keeps you up. When I take pain medication (narcotic), it keeps me awake and makes me a bit hyperactive - the opposite effect it usually has on other people. Most people get woozy and end up in lala land. Hope you are feeling a bit more comfortable.
Thanks Mike. Appreciate the well wishes. Last night was pretty rough with the bladder and knee pain, but this AM is shaping up okay. My connecting hamstring tendons are super tight and the surgeon just visited with an explanation. My knee has been collapsed for so long that the tendons have shrunk, and now with metal hardware properly spacing out the joint I'm going to have to fight to stretch them out. That'll most likely become my biggest challenge.

That is the tough part - been there, done that!

The knee bending machine just gets you in a position so that you are ready for physical therapy to begin walking with crutches. Then you graduate to a cane and in a few months, you'll be as good as new.

My physical therapist was the difference in my success. At first it's slow going, but before you know it, you are racing to the finish line. You must be patient. Every knee replacement patient is different. I spent 2 weeks in rehab and then 2-1/2 months in intensive physical therapy. It might be a shorter time for you since the whole knee was not replaced.

Get well soon!

abacomike · September 2015

Just got a text from my son. They arrived at DFW a little early but the flight was turbulent. Those MD80's are so old but that's all American flies out of Palm Springs. Their DFW-FLL leg is on a 737/800 so it should be a smooth flight. He said they are hungry but the lines are so long at the fast food places they couldn't eat. Their layover is 55 minutes but they had a long trip to go from their arrival gate to the new departure gate.

I told him to expect a big dinner - we'll go right from the airport to NYY Steakhouse.

Unfortunately it will be right in the middle of rush hour.

Michaell · September 2015

abacomike said:
Just got a text from my son. They arrived at DFW a little early but the flight was turbulent. Those MD80's are so old but that's all American flies out of Palm Springs. Their DFW-FLL leg is on a 737/800 so it should be a smooth flight. He said they are hungry but the lines are so long at the fast food places they couldn't eat. Their layover is 55 minutes but they had a long trip to go from their arrival gate to the new departure gate.

I told him to expect a big dinner - we'll go right from the airport to NYY Steakhouse.

Unfortunately it will be right in the middle of rush hour.

Let the anticipation build! Enjoy your time with them ... don't expect to see you posting much here.

houdini1 · September 2015

Michaell said:
My wife will be having minor knee surgery later this year. She has a torn meniscus.

Ah, the definition of minor surgery---Surgery that is performed on someone else.

stever · September 2015

I'd loan you my wife's "ice machine" @Michaell but my S(ister)IL is using it with her knee. My cane is available though - fibula me, hip friend, tibia wife. It's well broken in and one of those souvenirs I've been hauling around since the mid 80s.

Morning headline - 2016 Rolls-Royce Dawn Breaks on September 8.

Naturally I read it as 2016 Rolls-Royce Breaks Down.

abacomike · September 2015

That Rolls-Royce Dawn looks almost identical to their Wraith Model (Coupe).

driver100 · September 2015

Message to GG!

So, the dealer isn't asking for their XTS back? Are they expecting you to come in one day and pick up your car? Have they stopped working on it?

I took my car in yesterday for a complimentary wash, inside and out. When I picked it up last November I found they hadn't loaded the GPS. My sales guy said he would come to the house to do it. I said I was driving by their place the next day so I would just come in. He gave me the gift certificate for driving down there.

After I got the car home I noticed a chip in the plastic bumper - once I got home. I don't think it was there before the wash, but, no proof either way. I took it in and they said it would be pretty well impossible they did it. I don't think it was hit or it would cover a larger area, about 3/4 in X 1/4 inch, black spot on a white bumper.

It is pretty low to the ground so it was probably a stone chip. They sold me touch up paint for $28 and then they put it on....looks pretty good.

It would have been nice if the dealer covered it, but, that would have been asking too much....I can't say who caused the damage. But, I was treated like a king...free full wash and always courteous service. Made me think about GGs experience - it's like the opposite.

Audi too....only look at how they can get out of doing anything that might cost them a few $$$s

imidazol97 · September 2015

driver100 said:
It would have been nice if the dealer covered it, but, that would have been asking too much....I can't say who caused the damage. But, I was treated like a king...free full wash and always courteous service. Made me think about GGs experience - it's like the opposite.

But there's a reason certain stores can treat you like kings--they make a lot of money on the deal whether it's selling or servicing. My shadetree neighbor keeps having folks with expensive cars come in for him to do their service on them after finding out the spark plugs and wires tuneup will be $1200. He recently bought the E500 that's 12 or so years old because the fellow who bought it for his daughter to drive (!!!!) decided it needed to much spent to bring it up to shape ($5000). My shadetree neighbor felt he knew what lots of it it was and has repaired a lot of little things.

Neighbor did show me the bill the previous owner paid when the $65 air pump failed and the suspension collapsed. The dealer charged previous owner $1300. Easy, known problem. Currently the car is in the Mercedes shop because the transmission shop can NOT replace the body control module which is part of the transmission. MB is ordering it by VIN for that car and will only charge my neighbor $1500. Has to be programmed by MB store after being shipped with VIN already encoded.

It's those payments that enable to the store to be extra nice. And people buying premium cars understand that as part of the deal for the most part. And most of us wouldn't own one out of warranty just using common sense. Some of the folks bringing their Jags and MBs and BMWs to my neighbor have bought them used.

imidazol97 · September 2015

Ugliest colleges? Instead of worst or best cars, some of us have had recent experiences with colleges.
Here's a list of worst appearing campuses (campii?).

http://dailycaller.com/2015/09/02/19-ugliest-college-campuses-in-america/
None of them are related to GM (Kettering Institute formerly GMI). LOL

ab348 · September 2015

The author hates Brutalism, that's for sure. Most people do I guess. Some of those other ones are bad as well but I guess not every college can have a quad with trees and grassy meadows.

andres3 · September 2015

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

Just a couple of links to show you the stuff I say isn't made up or some regurgitated insurance-backed & perpetuated myth as you wrote above, some which is blatantly plainly false.
Interesting that the links are newspaper articles and not the actual studies.

Fact is that going faster is more risky, you may wish to deny that to justify your need to speed, but the facts are still the facts.
The links provided have links to the actual studies cited in the article on the front page; not hard to find and not hidden.

The fact is you are ignoring that higher speeds are reserved for roads in which those higher speeds result in reduced risk of collision. That reduced risk greatly outweighs the added risk of increased speed which is only a factor if, and only if, you have a collision.
Then why not cite the studies instead of someones report of them?

What you are ignoring is that while higher speeds are reserved for roads which are designed to handle higher speeds safer it does not mean that the risk does not increase as speed increases. So while driving a rural interstate highway at 70 MPH is safer than driving a two lane state rural highway at 70 it does not mean that driving that rural interstate highway at 70 is safer or as safer as driving that rural interstate highway at 65.

And while increased speed is a factor if you have a collision it is also a factor on if you have a collision. Higher speeds makes cars harder to control and reduce reaction time in case of an emergency. It also makes losing control easier.

I cited the reports of the studies so that I could kill two birds with one stone. You get a summary report, and a link right on the front page of the original study; one being from a federal national government agency, the other from a prominent University. Far better than spouting off a bunch of references that are either A) Non-existent made-up references,

Don't have any link/reference provided, C) are being misinterpreted and misrepresented by you and/or your favorite insurance published and backed source.

Due to the Solomon curve, we do know that if the typical average flow of traffic is 70 MPH, then going 65 MPH makes you less safe, so going slower isn't always safer because the multitude of factors that weigh-in on what is safer heavily favor my arguments over yours (longer reaction times and stopping distances) just don't factor in nearly as much as 85th percentile speeds of other traffic around you. Since we know the 85th percentile speed is often higher than the speed limit on the sign, that's the conundrum you have to deal with personally; that you can't seem to get over.

Yes, I think I've conclusively proven that sometimes going faster than the speed limit is safer; especially when other traffic is going faster than the speed limit as well.

graphicguy · September 2015

abacomike said:
I received an email this morning offering me a $50 gift card if I would go into a local Cadillac dealer and test drive any of their vehicles. So, I said to myself, what the heck - $50.00 is $50.00.

So I drove over there at noon and was greeted by a salesperson. He seemed like he was sort of new to the car selling game because he was somewhat hesitant in his questions and even asked several questions twice even though I had answered them. I said that I got an email inviting me to take a test drive in any of their vehicles and that for my cooperation, I would receive a $60.00 gift card. He said yes, they have had many customers come in for the gift. He then led me over to a new CTS. I sat in the car and as I had mentioned to him prior to our walking over to the CTS that I had sat in a CTS before, but it was too snug for me. I guess he thought I lost weight or something because it was if he wasn't even listening to what I was saying. So, I sat in the car and, of course, it was too snug for me. He then suggested an XTS. I had told him I did not want a front wheel drive car - that I was only interested in a rear wheel drive vehicle. What can I say - I guess they hire anyone these days to sell cars.

I then asked him about the CT6. He said they didn't have any at the dealership at this time, but urged me to test drive the XTS. So I agreed. I was not overly impressed with the car at all. Seemed a bit sluggish and had a fairly soft ride to it. He had me take it on the interstate, which I did, and it was a very nice riding car at higher speeds. The fit and finish to the car was outstanding, as was the CTS I sat in back at the showroom. I liked the leather - very plush compared to the Mercedes-Benz.

When we got back to the showroom, he introduced me to the manager. I shared with him that I currently drive an E400 Sedan, but was interested in the CT6 as it was a bit more roomy for me. He suggested that I return in about 4 weeks when they expect to have some in inventory.

He then thanked me for coming in and handed me his card. I asked about the gift card and he said, "...you know what, we are out of them and really don't expect to have any more for a few weeks." I asked him why that wasn't mentioned to me when I first walked into the dealership and told the sales person I was really only interested in the gift card. The manager said he was a new salesman and was not aware that they had just run out of the gift cards. I asked for a rain check, but he said they don't give out rain checks.

It would appear, from the experience I had this morning, that an upscale dealership like Cadillac should have been much more "UPSCALE!" I guess I would have expected the usual "run-of-the-mill" dealerships to play games with me, but I guess I was wrong. Too bad. Even though I at first thought the CT6 might be out of my price range (at least what I was willing to spend on a car), I am very intrigued by what I learned from my research of the new model. I am sure Cadillac wants to make sure this new entry to their line is handled correctly by dealerships. I am not turned off the new Cadillac as much as I am turned off by the dealership.

Live and learn, I guess.

Mike...that's just wrong on the dealer's part. I don't care which way you slice it.

graphicguy · September 2015

driver100 said:
Message to GG!

So, the dealer isn't asking for their XTS back? Are they expecting you to come in one day and pick up your car? Have they stopped working on it?

I took my car in yesterday for a complimentary wash, inside and out. When I picked it up last November I found they hadn't loaded the GPS. My sales guy said he would come to the house to do it. I said I was driving by their place the next day so I would just come in. He gave me the gift certificate for driving down there.

After I got the car home I noticed a chip in the plastic bumper - once I got home. I don't think it was there before the wash, but, no proof either way. I took it in and they said it would be pretty well impossible they did it. I don't think it was hit or it would cover a larger area, about 3/4 in X 1/4 inch, black spot on a white bumper.

It is pretty low to the ground so it was probably a stone chip. They sold me touch up paint for $28 and then they put it on....looks pretty good.

It would have been nice if the dealer covered it, but, that would have been asking too much....I can't say who caused the damage. But, I was treated like a king...free full wash and always courteous service. Made me think about GGs experience - it's like the opposite.

Audi too....only look at how they can get out of doing anything that might cost them a few $$$s

Driver....They haven't said a word about giving the XTS back. That's quite different than their response earlier this year. Nothing new to report. Waiting on parts. This is the 5th straight week it's been in their service dept. Lawyer that it would be a pretty easy case. He said going further would cost more than just a few hundred dollars. However, he feels I have a very good case for a buy back.

So, I have to decide to float a $1,500 retainer to the lawyer in the hopes he'll recoup those fees for me. Or, go it through the BBB in the belief they stick to the local Lemon Law rules (which in my case, Cadillac has broken many).

Mike...hope you and your son have fun. You both deserve some.

Lots of health issues flying around here. Went for an eye exam this a.m. because it seems I was seeing shadows out of the corner of my left eye that weren't there. Turns out, I have a detached retina. I guess it's bad enough that they wanted me to have surgery before I left their office. But, since I had eaten a power bar for breakfast and some coffee, I couldn't because of the anesthesia. So, first thing tomorrow morning it is. What a way to get Labor Day weekend started......

stever · September 2015

Ugh, that happened to me back in Boise. Having a laptop saved my bacon since recovery usually involves "positional" bed rest.

abacomike · September 2015

graphicguy said:

Message to GG! So, the dealer isn't asking for their XTS back? Are they expecting you to come in one day and pick up your car? Have they stopped working on it? I took my car in yesterday for a complimentary wash, inside and out. When I picked it up last November I found they hadn't loaded the GPS. My sales guy said he would come to the house to do it. I said I was driving by their place the next day so I would just come in. He gave me the gift certificate for driving down there. After I got the car home I noticed a chip in the plastic bumper - once I got home. I don't think it was there before the wash, but, no proof either way. I took it in and they said it would be pretty well impossible they did it. I don't think it was hit or it would cover a larger area, about 3/4 in X 1/4 inch, black spot on a white bumper. It is pretty low to the ground so it was probably a stone chip. They sold me touch up paint for $28 and then they put it on....looks pretty good. It would have been nice if the dealer covered it, but, that would have been asking too much....I can't say who caused the damage. But, I was treated like a king...free full wash and always courteous service. Made me think about GGs experience - it's like the opposite. Audi too....only look at how they can get out of doing anything that might cost them a few $$$s
Driver....They haven't said a word about giving the XTS back. That's quite different than their response earlier this year. Nothing new to report. Waiting on parts. This is the 5th straight week it's been in their service dept. Lawyer that it would be a pretty easy case. He said going further would cost more than just a few hundred dollars. However, he feels I have a very good case for a buy back. So, I have to decide to float a $1,500 retainer to the lawyer in the hopes he'll recoup those fees for me. Or, go it through the BBB in the belief they stick to the local Lemon Law rules (which in my case, Cadillac has broken many). Mike...hope you and your son have fun. You both deserve some. Lots of health issues flying around here. Went for an eye exam this a.m. because it seems I was seeing shadows out of the corner of my left eye that weren't there. Turns out, I have a detached retina. I guess it's bad enough that they wanted me to have surgery before I left their office. But, since I had eaten a power bar for breakfast and some coffee, I couldn't because of the anesthesia. So, first thing tomorrow morning it is. What a way to get Labor Day weekend started......

Detached retinas are not an uncommon eye ailment. So long as you have a great ophthalmologist doing the surgery. I believe they use lasers IIRC. Once you've had that surgery, make sure you have your eyes examined periodically for other side effects. Good luck!

driver100 · September 2015

graphicguy said:

driver100 said:
Message to GG!

So, the dealer isn't asking for their XTS back? Are they expecting you to come in one day and pick up your car? Have they stopped working on it?

I took my car in yesterday for a complimentary wash, inside and out. When I picked it up last November I found they hadn't loaded the GPS. My sales guy said he would come to the house to do it. I said I was driving by their place the next day so I would just come in. He gave me the gift certificate for driving down there.

After I got the car home I noticed a chip in the plastic bumper - once I got home. I don't think it was there before the wash, but, no proof either way. I took it in and they said it would be pretty well impossible they did it. I don't think it was hit or it would cover a larger area, about 3/4 in X 1/4 inch, black spot on a white bumper.

It is pretty low to the ground so it was probably a stone chip. They sold me touch up paint for $28 and then they put it on....looks pretty good.

It would have been nice if the dealer covered it, but, that would have been asking too much....I can't say who caused the damage. But, I was treated like a king...free full wash and always courteous service. Made me think about GGs experience - it's like the opposite.

Audi too....only look at how they can get out of doing anything that might cost them a few $$$s

Driver....They haven't said a word about giving the XTS back. That's quite different than their response earlier this year. Nothing new to report. Waiting on parts. This is the 5th straight week it's been in their service dept. Lawyer that it would be a pretty easy case. He said going further would cost more than just a few hundred dollars. However, he feels I have a very good case for a buy back.

So, I have to decide to float a $1,500 retainer to the lawyer in the hopes he'll recoup those fees for me. Or, go it through the BBB in the belief they stick to the local Lemon Law rules (which in my case, Cadillac has broken many).

Mike...hope you and your son have fun. You both deserve some.

Lots of health issues flying around here. Went for an eye exam this a.m. because it seems I was seeing shadows out of the corner of my left eye that weren't there. Turns out, I have a detached retina. I guess it's bad enough that they wanted me to have surgery before I left their office. But, since I had eaten a power bar for breakfast and some coffee, I couldn't because of the anesthesia. So, first thing tomorrow morning it is. What a way to get Labor Day weekend started......

Good luck on the eye surgery......this group is becoming very disabled. Maybe we should rename it Buying and Selling cars for those with Various Ailments.

I think the fact they are letting you use the XTS says quite a bit. In my opinion it says, we don't want to be responsible for you having an accident in your own car - which we can't repair satisfactorily. I think it also says we have done all we can do to help you, but if head office won't approve of more funds or give us a way to fix your car at least we are doing all we can do.

BBB is worth what you pay....$nothing. You might ask to see a track record of the results they have obtained. But, you will be signing away your rights and who knows what the car companies do for them - probably give them contributions.

If you can use the Lemon Law and it is not affiliated with the BBB and is independent of the car companies then go for it. I'd be suspicious of the BBB, they get their funding from their clients. I thought you could apply directly to the consumer guy in government in your state....if any case deserves to be taken on then this is it. No one can fix the car, it is unsafe to use, has been in the garage for over a month......what more could be possible.

(btw......my comments would be the same no matter what make of car this was....even if it was an MB)

imidazol97 · September 2015

graphicguy said:
Turns out, I have a detached retina. I guess it's bad enough that they wanted me to have surgery before I left their office. But, since I had eaten a power bar for breakfast and some coffee, I couldn't because of the anesthesia. So, first thing tomorrow morning it is. What a way to get Labor Day weekend started......

Best of success with the eye surgery. The fact they didn't want you to leave and wanted to do the surgery
right then emphasizes how important this problem is. Did you have eye lens replacement? My 401k advisor
had cataract replacement and his retina detached. If you're near-sighted or maybe it's farsighted, one is at
higher risk of detachment. I'll say a prayer for your good outcome.

I often meet an elderly guy for coffee at the local UDF (quick market) and he can't see in the middle of his field of vision. Nothing the VA or anyone can do for him. Drives him crazy. Had to quit driving a couple years back after 3 accidents.
He's 91.

qbrozen · September 2015

hmmm... so you have to pay the lawyer up front for an "easy case"? I dunno... I might look for a different lawyer. Seems to me if it is so easy, he should have no problem doing it without your money knowing he'd get it on the backend.

imidazol97 · September 2015

Windows 10. @isellhondas
I was watching my second laptop carefully after you encountered a problem upgrading
yours, also an HP. This is same processor and hard drive as my first but with a smaller
screen that my wife uses, so I wanted to be extra careful not to lose anything.

I put in the request for Win10. However, the regular update that checks and certifies
that the computer is ready for upgrading, did not download. Since I didn't get the
Win10-ready icon, I found the Windows Update had failed. I had to remove it manually
and then let Windows Update find it was missing that update and download it again.
Second time it worked.

I put in the request for Upgrade to 10. I wanted to clone the hard drive before it
did anything but I wanted the clone copy to have the initial approval files and
all on it. Instead of notifying me that the upgrade was ready, the Windows Update
automatically started to run the Upgrade to 10. And failed. Then the Windows Update
seems to be locked up for other updates--maybe. There are several self help steps
to use to try to restart the Upgrade. Or I can make a DVD from Windows 10's
website that's specific for my computer and run it just like a regular installation
of a new Windows would work.

After your trouble and some others on the net, I'm am officially nervous about
this computer upgrading properly.

berri · September 2015

Those MD80's are so old but that's all American flies out of Palm Springs. Their DFW-FLL leg is on a 737/800 so it should be a smooth flight.

The MD80 and it's variants 82/83/87 is a pretty durable aircraft. American, Northwest and TWA used a lot of them, as did Delta, which also ordered the engine and avionics updated MD90. Delta has bought most of Air Tran's B717 which is a modernized and better performing version of the MD90 to replace those older models. Those MD80's have a reputation as being a bit touchy in crosswinds due to the long, narrow fuselage. I'm sure the newer B737 will blow the older MD80's away in performance, while getting better fuel economy as well. But the same thing is true in cars over time. Now before the Seattle members on board hit us with the old "if it ain't Boeing, it ain't going", remember Boeing now owns the aircraft because it was part of McDonnell Douglas.

I wasn't familiar with Palm Springs Airport, although I know American has had mainline trunk operations there for a long time. I looked it up and it has the typical desert required long runway. I imagine in peak desert heat those MD80 pilots need to spool the engine up quite a bit before taking off with a pretty long roll.

Enjoy your son's visit Abacomike!

driver100 · September 2015

qbrozen said:
hmmm... so you have to pay the lawyer up front for an "easy case"? I dunno... I might look for a different lawyer. Seems to me if it is so easy, he should have no problem doing it without your money knowing he'd get it on the backend.

I was thinking the same QB. I kind of said it would be better for GG to go with the lawyer. I forgot to consider, $1500 up front, GM has their own lawyers, lawyers fees could escalate. If it is so clear cut it should be on a contingency basis.

Using lemon law should be free or minimal cost.

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