Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

suydam · December 2016

My car says :Hello. Wait till initializing.
Not nearly as cuddly as Hi, Mike!

abacomike · December 2016

Mr_Shiftright said:

@driver100 said: "LMAO oldfarmer. Maybe if you come down to Largo you can get Snake to take you out too! We just have to calculate you into the equation. I think we are looking at Port Charlotte. Snake, bring your American Express card." I think snake would be better off making sure he has a functioning GPS in his car or a portable GPS system rather than an AMEX. With the directions you are doling out, driver, even I would have to have a detailed conversation with my BMW. When I get into the car, the screen lights up with a "Hi, Mike!" Now isn't that cute? My 740i already knows me!
"Open the door, Hal" "I'm sorry Mike. I can't let you do that".

Now that's funny, Shifty!!! But in a BMW, the answer would be, "...nein, schvinehunt!"

abacomike · December 2016

driver100 said:

Does it say other things, like; "I think we need gas Mike" "Let's get a car wash Mike" "Do you wanna coffee Mike?" "Hi Mike, I am Christine" "Don't even think of trading me in.....Mike"

That's funny, driver. What I am trying to get used to is the active blind spot assist - the steering wheel and brakes take control of the car if I begin to enter a lane occupied by another vehicle. It gives back control to me once the danger has passed. This is as close to an autonomous vehicle I have ever driven. The heads up display even show the legal speed limit for any road or highway I am driving on.

abacomike · December 2016

@jipster:

I have to be honest - I really didn't research this new car as much as I usually do. I just concentrated on the entering and exiting features of several cars - I just can't get in or out of low stance cars since my surgery. The 740i was the best car of all those I investigated - even the S550 was too low for me. If I would have known how tech-loaded this car is, I would not have opted for all the packages this car came with.

abacomike · December 2016

suydam said:

My car says :Hello. Wait till initializing. Not nearly as cuddly as Hi, Mike!

As long as the arm rests don't begin to encircle my body independently and ask me out on a date, Hi, Mike is fine and cuddly enough.

suydam · December 2016

You don't have to use them if you don't want to. I haven't used most of the doodads on my new car. I'm easing into them gradually. on mine you have to turn the parking assist feature on and I haven't tried it yet.

fintail · December 2016

I've been to Seattle twice in the past year - and I am under 10 miles away, as the crow flies. Once was early on a Saturday for an estate sale, the other was driving through on a Sunday morning to the annual MBCA gathering. It's a cool city with a lot of fun touristy attractions and some lovely views, but I've seen all that more than once. Now I can act like a snooty eastsider and say there's nothing over there that I can't get in Bellevue

isellhondas4 said:

I will no longer drive to Seattle. Too nerve wracking for me now. the 554 bus is wonderful!

oldfarmer50 · December 2016

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

Does it say other things, like;
"I think we need gas Mike"
"Let's get a car wash Mike"
"Do you wanna coffee Mike?"
"Hi Mike, I am Christine"
"Don't even think of trading me in.....Mike"

That's funny, driver. What I am trying to get used to is the active blind spot assist - the steering wheel and brakes take control of the car if I begin to enter a lane occupied by another vehicle. It gives back control to me once the danger has passed. This is as close to an autonomous vehicle I have ever driven. The heads up display even show the legal speed limit for any road or highway I am driving on.

Sorry, that would be a deal killer for me.

fintail · December 2016

I live in Bellevue, I see that ideal every day

Sometimes I feel bad about whining, as it is simply a cultural issue at heart - people with little or no exposure to motoring being placed behind the wheel out of necessity (and given a far too easy test), but it still irks me.

I think I told you the story of a new arrival friend I had in college, and his memorable test drive. It's even better now, as many of the newbies have more money than jeebus and are aimlessly piloting the largest most expensive car they can find. It's even worse in Vancouver, too - Vancouver has a few dedicated local dashcam channels on Youtube now to document the idiocy.

isellhondas4 said:

You should try going on a test drive with some of these "new arrivals" to our area! How they pass their Drivers License test is beyond me! One of the reasons I got out early!

fintail · December 2016

I know I have mentioned it a lot, my dad had a 60 Ford Country Sedan back in the 90s. He got lucky when he found it - saw it parked beside a house, he knocked on the door and asked about it, and bought it almost on the spot. He sold it on a whim and always regretted it. If I could find that car again, I might buy it - it was a very cool old battleship. Red and white on red and white, also an eye catcher. It would look amazing restored.

ab348 said:

I agree. I am not a big fan of Fords from this era generally since the interiors always seemed a bit subpar compared to the General, but I thought the styling of the '60 Ford was the best of the low-priced three that year. Also the '64, which is my favorite Ford of the era. That '60 convertible looks great.

fintail · December 2016

A few people who work in my office campus drive huge trucks. I don't know the log behind it, as I doubt most of them have the same need as your co-worker. The normal parking garage doesn't have spaces large enough for a 4x4 dually behemoth, so they have to park in the service vehicle area. Funny.

Seattle is definitely involved in a war against the car - and the special snowflake activists who have weaseled their way into policy positions won't admit it. At least the suburbs aren't fully in on it - the big developer of Bellevue will gladly admit the private car is a part of his future plans.

murphydog said:

My co-worker lives in Snohomish - he has mentioned how the first half of his commute north out of Redmond is all Audis, BMWs and the like. Then when he crosses the county line it begins to switch to domestic trucks. He of course drives a Sierra 2500 Diesel that he traded a...prius in for! Acutally makes sense, he and the wife upgraded their travel trailer and it was too big for her SUV so he jumped at a chance for a new truck.

Other Seattle comments - There is a war on cars for sure - road and parking diets going on all over the place, new and expensive tolls, massive light rail( don't mind the light rail per se, but it is absolutely stupid expensive and will benefit a very select few), etc... Seems like all of that will be an incredible waste of $$ if we we switch to electric cars especially if self driving becomes a mass reality.

abacomike · December 2016

suydam said:

You don't have to use them if you don't want to. I haven't used most of the doodads on my new car. I'm easing into them gradually. on mine you have to turn the parking assist feature on and I haven't tried it yet.

This car does not have the ability to park itself. It has front and rear sensors that beep and show on the iDrive screen your proximity to walls, posts and other vehicles. But it does have 3-D camera and 360 degree surround view of your car and what's around you. It helps me park equidistantly between parking stripes. The self-parking feature is a waste here in south Florida because we don't have much parallel parking.

suydam · December 2016

Apparently the parallel park feature will park itself. Like yours, mine has parking s nsors that chirp at you if you stray. But no surround camera.

abacomike · December 2016

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

Does it say other things, like; "I think we need gas Mike" "Let's get a car wash Mike" "Do you wanna coffee Mike?" "Hi Mike, I am Christine" "Don't even think of trading me in.....Mike"

That's funny, driver. What I am trying to get used to is the active blind spot assist - the steering wheel and brakes take control of the car if I begin to enter a lane occupied by another vehicle. It gives back control to me once the danger has passed. This is as close to an autonomous vehicle I have ever driven. The heads up display even show the legal speed limit for any road or highway I am driving on.
Sorry, that would be a deal killer for me.

OF, these features like active blind spot monitoring assist and active lane tracking assist have to be manually turned on in the iDrive system. So if you don't like those features along with active steering, you don't have to enable them - just leave them turned off.

tifighter · December 2016

stever said:
The Volt is more appealing than a pure EV because there's no range limit. We drive them forever and hate car payments so leasing isn't on our radar (although leasing new tech does has it good points).

@tifighter likes his Soul EV I think, in spite of someone creaming it.

Port Charlotte is ~650 miles from Chattanooga where I'll go from VA, and my brother will be camping in Florida most of January so that could work. A Snake dinner sounds interesting. Can I get hush puppies with it?

I knew my ears were tingling.

I recently returned to driving the Soul EV and quickly remembered why I liked it. Drives well, quiet, excellent outward visibility, instant torque, etc. And I love the glass roof. We've had a relative cold snap here in Puget Sound lately, with temps hovering at or slightly below freezing. In the prior Leaf I had, this would have had a definite effect on range, but for whatever reason, the Soul doesn't seem to be that bothered by it. It must get a lot colder in Seoul, right?

berri · December 2016

Actually Seoul and Tokyo can get cold in the winter. Seoul probably a bit more. Snow too!

I imagine the weight of those batteries can help EV in the traction department.

roadburner · December 2016

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

Does it say other things, like;
"I think we need gas Mike"
"Let's get a car wash Mike"
"Do you wanna coffee Mike?"
"Hi Mike, I am Christine"
"Don't even think of trading me in.....Mike"

That's funny, driver. What I am trying to get used to is the active blind spot assist - the steering wheel and brakes take control of the car if I begin to enter a lane occupied by another vehicle. It gives back control to me once the danger has passed. This is as close to an autonomous vehicle I have ever driven. The heads up display even show the legal speed limit for any road or highway I am driving on.

You can turn off the steering "assistance" if you don't like it.

Mr_Shiftright · December 2016

abacomike said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

abacomike said:
@driver100 said:

"LMAO oldfarmer. Maybe if you come down to Largo you can get Snake to take you out too! We just have to calculate you into the equation. I think we are looking at Port Charlotte. Snake, bring your American Express card."

I think snake would be better off making sure he has a functioning GPS in his car or a portable GPS system rather than an AMEX. With the directions you are doling out, driver, even I would have to have a detailed conversation with my BMW.

When I get into the car, the screen lights up with a "Hi, Mike!" Now isn't that cute? My 740i already knows me!
"Open the door, Hal"

"I'm sorry Mike. I can't let you do that".

Now that's funny, Shifty!!! But in a BMW, the answer would be, "...nein, schvinehunt!"

I always wanted a Voice Command in my Mini, where I could say "Engine Light----OFF!)

jmonroe · December 2016

abacomike said:

isellhondas4 said:

So I was making an offer to the General Sales Manager of $82,500 on this 2017 BMW 740i (white exterior with cognac interior) which MSRP'd for $92,000 with the M Package when he coughed, choked, and then threw me out of the dealership. Some days, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed to buy a new car!
I'm glad to hear you're back. I'm the same old isellhondas but I can no longer check in under that username so I pretty much stay away. I miss all of you! Now, STAY HEALTHY Mike!

Thanks, isell, but I'll be honest with you - if I had to sign in as "abacomike23455", I would sign in anyway. I happen to like the number 4 - it becomes you, isell! I enjoy your posts - don't leave me in a lurch - hang around!

I think we'd all like 'isell' to come back.

I'm beginning to believe that Edmunds renamed him because they know (from sources known only to them) that he is back to selling cars and has lost his touch. Supposedly, Edmunds has info that 'isell' has logged in only 4 sales with his new Hyundai dealership. Maybe he just doesn't have his heart into selling Hyundai's like he did while selling Honda's.

jmonroe

jmonroe · December 2016

fintail said:
A co-worker of mine vanpools from Federal Way to Bellevue. He can usually make it in an hour or less in the van, but driving alone would require a calendar.

I think licenses are easier to get now more than ever, with privatized testing. Drive around Bellevue for a day, it never ceases to amaze me.

murphydog said:
Seattle talk -

My commute works out only because I am in a vanpool. From Seattle to Redmond - no I don't work at Microsoft.

Anyway it is 13 miles from parking lot to my garage. Using the vanpool the drive home is ~ 35 minutes, sometimes 45 on a bad day. My record drive home not in the vanpool was 2 hours and 5 minutes. Needless to say I do everything possible to vanpool

Seattle and snow - always a disaster, I remember watching King5 interview a guy putting chains on his Honda, one chain on a front wheel, one chain on the rear because he did not know if his car was FWD or RWD....I wish somebody would have taken his license on the spot...

Well, that kinda proves the old story about a state trooper that was responsible for giving drivers tests to people:

One day a trooper was asked, "how do you guys allow all of these poor drivers to pass the drivers test"? His answer was, "if you think we're going to get in a car with them again, you're nuts".

jmonroe

jmonroe · December 2016

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

driver100 said:

@snakeweasel:

Tell you what, snake - I'll meet you halfway so long as you're picking up the check for lunch!
If he does that he can take us both to lunch.

All of a sudden you became a partner, driver! As for halfway, you live WSW of Orlando and I live SSE of Orlando. Where did you think we could meet snake halfway? Tallahassee? Jacksonville? Atlanta?
You are near Miami, Snake is going to Orlando. For the sake of this exercise I am just North of Bradenton which is 2 hours south of Orlando, and 4 hours North of Miami. You are 6 hours from Orlando, so you have to drive 3 hours North, Snake drives 3 hours South, I drive one hour South, and we meet in Port Charlotte or Fort Meyers. Do you know any good steakhouses in those towns where Snake can take us?

Driver, I live 200 miles SSE of Orlando - or a 3 hour drive at most. I'm 300 miles (5+ hours drive) south of Jacksonville. You have me totally confused - again!

Mike, I was trying to find a place equidistant for the 3 of us and I came up with Fort Meyers which is the half way point for you and I, and it is within Snakes 199 mile limit,...160 miles. If you are meeting Snake then you will want to stay on the East coast, and maybe meet in Port Lucie......that is about half way.

It is 3 hours for me to drive to Port Lucie and 3 hours back for a Chick-a-Fil......I don't think so! Maybe if you guys get together and pay for an all expense paid weekend on the beach for Mrs D and Gigi,

That sounds like one of those math questions from high school exams:

"If a driver 100 travels east for 3 hours and a Mike travels west for 200 miles where will Snake have to go to find a Chick-Fil-A?"

Remember to show your work.

Yeah, I remember those tests well. I used to put the important stuff in the corners so I could find them without having to look all over the paper to find what I wanted. One time I had a professor say, "what's with all the formula's in the corners"? I told him, "before I forgot them I wrote them down". He said, "isn't that cheating a little bit"? I said, "no, it's being forgetful, a LOT". His come back was, "I guess that isn't so bad, since when you're out of school and in the work place, everything is an open book test".

Now that was a prof who was understanding.

jmonroe

imidazol97 · December 2016

jmonroe said:
One time I had a professor say, "what's with all the formula's in the corners"? I told him, "before I forgot them I wrote them down". He said, "isn't that cheating a little bit"? I said, "no, it's being forgetful, a LOT". His come back was, "I guess that isn't so bad, since when you're out of school and in the work place, everything is an open book test".
jmonroe

That was one of the skills I taught my son to when he was in elementary/middle school: write down each and every formula before you start on anything, whether it was math, AP Chem, AP Physics, etc.. That avoids confusing similar formulas when you get rattled about a question as you read it because you realized you may not be sure how to work the whole thing out.

At The Ohio State University one of his Honors Physics profs had students bring in formulas on a sheet of paper limited to a certain size. Most skills require knowing where to look to find what you don't recall or don't understand.

Same is true working on cars. My shadetree neighbor asks me about some things because he knows I'll look them up and come back to him with results. Meanwhile he's working. If I had to make a living working on cars like he does, I'd starve to death. I spend a lot of time looking up things.

andres3 · December 2016

Mr_Shiftright said:
AWD provides better acceleration in slippery conditions---that's about it---braking, steering has little, if any, advantage over FWD or RWD equipped with dedicated snow tires. It's all about "go", not stop.

Being able to accelerate your way through a turn sounds like a handling advantage to me.

Mr_Shiftright · December 2016

Well good luck with that on an icy road.

isellhondas4 · December 2016

jmonroe said:

fintail said:
A co-worker of mine vanpools from Federal Way to Bellevue. He can usually make it in an hour or less in the van, but driving alone would require a calendar.

I think licenses are easier to get now more than ever, with privatized testing. Drive around Bellevue for a day, it never ceases to amaze me.

murphydog said:
Seattle talk -

My commute works out only because I am in a vanpool. From Seattle to Redmond - no I don't work at Microsoft.

Anyway it is 13 miles from parking lot to my garage. Using the vanpool the drive home is ~ 35 minutes, sometimes 45 on a bad day. My record drive home not in the vanpool was 2 hours and 5 minutes. Needless to say I do everything possible to vanpool

Seattle and snow - always a disaster, I remember watching King5 interview a guy putting chains on his Honda, one chain on a front wheel, one chain on the rear because he did not know if his car was FWD or RWD....I wish somebody would have taken his license on the spot...

Well, that kinda proves the old story about a state trooper that was responsible for giving drivers tests to people:

One day a trooper was asked, "how do you guys allow all of these poor drivers to pass the drivers test"? His answer was, "if you think we're going to get in a car with them again, you're nuts".

jmonroe

I feel like an E-8 Sergeant suddenly demoted to an E-1 Private. From over 17,000 posts to, what? 15?
20 years (literally) of history gone!

jmonroe · December 2016

isellhondas4 said:

jmonroe said:

fintail said:
A co-worker of mine vanpools from Federal Way to Bellevue. He can usually make it in an hour or less in the van, but driving alone would require a calendar.

I think licenses are easier to get now more than ever, with privatized testing. Drive around Bellevue for a day, it never ceases to amaze me.

murphydog said:
Seattle talk -

My commute works out only because I am in a vanpool. From Seattle to Redmond - no I don't work at Microsoft.

Anyway it is 13 miles from parking lot to my garage. Using the vanpool the drive home is ~ 35 minutes, sometimes 45 on a bad day. My record drive home not in the vanpool was 2 hours and 5 minutes. Needless to say I do everything possible to vanpool

Seattle and snow - always a disaster, I remember watching King5 interview a guy putting chains on his Honda, one chain on a front wheel, one chain on the rear because he did not know if his car was FWD or RWD....I wish somebody would have taken his license on the spot...

Well, that kinda proves the old story about a state trooper that was responsible for giving drivers tests to people:

One day a trooper was asked, "how do you guys allow all of these poor drivers to pass the drivers test"? His answer was, "if you think we're going to get in a car with them again, you're nuts".

jmonroe
I feel like an E-8 Sergeant suddenly demoted to an E-1 Private. From over 17,000 posts to, what? 15?
20 years (literally) of history gone!

It's time for you to create some new history.

Remember, "it's what have you done for me lately". Not what I did for you long ago.

We know you can do it. Just start chipping away.

In no time you'll be a regular.

jmonroe

abacomike · December 2016

Just got back home from meeting my "BMW Genius" at the dealership where I bought the new car. This was an "encore" presentation - or what most of us would call, "... I FORGOT EVERYTHING YOU SHOWED ME WHEN YOU DELIVERED THE NEW CAR SO PLEASE HELP ME FIGURE OUT HOW THIS DARN THING WORKS..." presentation. My "encore" presentation took 2-1/2 hours - almost as long as it took to buy this 740i. Let me tell you something - I am totally exhausted - mentally and physically, and I still can't explain how many of these technology features operate. I know I will master most of these thingamajigs (haven't used that word in 40 - 50 years) as I drive the car more, but just the idea that this new car knows more about how to drive and protect itself than I do is humbling and depressing for someone who prides himself on being an excellent driver.

Part of the "encore" presentation included sitting in the back of the car to learn what the dials and knobs do. I must admit - I did not sit in the back of the car or even look in the back of the car before buying it. I opened the left rear door (it is actually longer and wider than the front doors, if you can believe that) and sat in the back seat. It was like sitting in a living room on a couch as I stretched out my legs. My legs never came close to touching the back of the front driver's seat - this is a big car - more like a limousine than a daily driver. There is a stationary moonroof in the back seat area with the retractable moonroof up front above the driver's seat. Both have sun screens so you don't get sunlight through the top of the car unless you move the retractable screens.

At least I know more about how to use the technology and myriad of buttons in the car than I did prior to the "encore" presentation. This "Genius" was extremely patient with me and knew everything there was to know about this car. He offered to provide me with another techie presentation in a few weeks. It was definitely a great experience - tiring and overwhelming at times - but great!

abacomike · December 2016

@isellhondas4 said:

"I feel like an E-8 Sergeant suddenly demoted to an E-1 Private. From over 17,000 posts to, what? 15?
20 years (literally) of history gone!"

Isell, I'd give anything to have a ton of my posts disappear like that - there are many aspects of my posting history that give me goosebumps and hives when I look back on what I've posted over the years. Consider this an opportunity to "start fresh" like being transferred out of a miserable job to a job you really enjoy. Just a thought from a different perspective.

andres3 · December 2016

graphicguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:

fintail said:
Yep, 740 was an angular boxy highline Volvo starting from 1984 until around 1991-92. BMW also has some history with the 740 moniker, going back to the later E32 7er around 1992.

My wife had a 1991 740 Turbo- it was almost fast for it's time. I shut down more than one automatic Fox Body 5.0 GT with it.
The 1991 mustang GT had 225 hp. Not hard to beat.

Back in the mid-90s, my boss at the time had a 740 Turbo. As you say, quick for its time. But, I remember the spool up time was pretty bad. One second (or two, or three) you're moving at a snaills pace, then all of a sudden you're pushed back in your seat.

The Volvo V50 T5 also exhibited a healthy amount of lag in 2006. Felt like a rubber sling shot out the gate.

fintail · December 2016

Wow, flashback to a finance class that wasn't one of my all time faves (but not the worst, by far). You could use one 3x5 card for formulas, as many as you can fit in the space. Tough class, but I made it out alive. Today whenever I need such data, I just use a reference tool called the internet, they even had it when I was in school.

Graphing calculators are also good for "storing" formulas

imidazol97 said:

At The Ohio State University one of his Honors Physics profs had students bring in formulas on a sheet of paper limited to a certain size. Most skills require knowing where to look to find what you don't recall or don't understand.

Same is true working on cars. My shadetree neighbor asks me about some things because he knows I'll look them up and come back to him with results. Meanwhile he's working. If I had to make a living working on cars like he does, I'd starve to death. I spend a lot of time looking up things.

andres3 · December 2016

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/12/16/were-really-bad-at-judging-risk-to-kids-were-really-good-at-judging-parents/?utm_term=.e3bf82bad576

Super interesting article in that I find it probably explains why some of you incorrectly associate speeding with risk. You find it morally objectionable to you personally that people speed, and therefore you exaggerate the risk of the action in order to justify your moral outrage.

Finally beginning to understand the psychosis that perpetuates the "Speed Kills" myth.
I want to go on record that I don't incorrectly associate speeding with risk. I correctly associate increased speeds with risk (there is a difference) simply because I understand physics.

If you understand physics then you know it is not the speed that puts you at risk for injury or worse, but the sudden deceleration that gets you. Avoiding those quick deceleration situations will keep you safe no matter how fast you go.

andres3 · December 2016

Given all that, it's not going to compete with a Camry, Malibu, Fusion or an Accord. But, for the money, I'd take it with an extended warranty over an Altima and put a fair amount of money back in my pocket as a result.

Ever owned a Chyrsler out of warranty?

How much would an extended warranty cost on one; I'd imagine a lot of dough if they are ever going to honor the claims.

I own a Chrysler out of warranty. With 115K miles on it now and only about $200 spent on non routine maintence I would say it has been real good. Two cars ago was another Chrysler that went well over 100K miles with just oil changes, brake jobs and new tires. I know others with Chryslers that have little issues with them.

______

But you didn't answer how much it would cost to get an extended warranty on the Chrysler.

qbrozen · December 2016

t

andres3 said:

But you didn't answer how much it would cost to get an extended warranty on the Chrysler.

Hmmm... trying to recall what ours cost. It was pretty reasonable. I believe about $2400 for the lifetime maximum care plan.

Mr_Shiftright · December 2016

abacomike said:
Just got back home from meeting my "BMW Genius" at the dealership where I bought the new car. This was an "encore" presentation - or what most of us would call, "... I FORGOT EVERYTHING YOU SHOWED ME WHEN YOU DELIVERED THE NEW CAR SO PLEASE HELP ME FIGURE OUT HOW THIS DARN THING WORKS..." presentation. My "encore" presentation took 2-1/2 hours - almost as long as it took to buy this 740i. Let me tell you something - I am totally exhausted - mentally and physically, and I still can't explain how many of these technology features operate. I know I will master most of these thingamajigs (haven't used that word in 40 - 50 years) as I drive the car more, but just the idea that this new car knows more about how to drive and protect itself than I do is humbling and depressing for someone who prides himself on being an excellent driver.

Part of the "encore" presentation included sitting in the back of the car to learn what the dials and knobs do. I must admit - I did not sit in the back of the car or even look in the back of the car before buying it. I opened the left rear door (it is actually longer and wider than the front doors, if you can believe that) and sat in the back seat. It was like sitting in a living room on a couch as I stretched out my legs. My legs never came close to touching the back of the front driver's seat - this is a big car - more like a limousine than a daily driver. There is a stationary moonroof in the back seat area with the retractable moonroof up front above the driver's seat. Both have sun screens so you don't get sunlight through the top of the car unless you move the retractable screens.

At least I know more about how to use the technology and myriad of buttons in the car than I did prior to the "encore" presentation. This "Genius" was extremely patient with me and knew everything there was to know about this car. He offered to provide me with another techie presentation in a few weeks. It was definitely a great experience - tiring and overwhelming at times - but great!

Sounds like a great Uber car with that spacious back seat. You could get out of the house more, make enough to pay that baby off.

andres3 · December 2016

qbrozen said:
t
andres3 said:

But you didn't answer how much it would cost to get an extended warranty on the Chrysler.
Hmmm... trying to recall what ours cost. It was pretty reasonable. I believe about $2400 for the lifetime maximum care plan.

That sounds like a good deal to me; provided there are no deductibles and a free loaner every time you need to use it.

Someone on Jalopnik likes to blog about the amount of money a Land Rover saves him because he bought the Car Max warranty extension. I think it is more like the amount of money he's costing Car Max, not saving anyone anything really.

andres3 · December 2016

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

Does it say other things, like;
"I think we need gas Mike"
"Let's get a car wash Mike"
"Do you wanna coffee Mike?"
"Hi Mike, I am Christine"
"Don't even think of trading me in.....Mike"

That's funny, driver. What I am trying to get used to is the active blind spot assist - the steering wheel and brakes take control of the car if I begin to enter a lane occupied by another vehicle. It gives back control to me once the danger has passed. This is as close to an autonomous vehicle I have ever driven. The heads up display even show the legal speed limit for any road or highway I am driving on.

I can just see it now "But your Honor, the heads-up display told me the speed limit was 70!"

driver100 · December 2016

jmonroe said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

driver100 said:

@snakeweasel:

Tell you what, snake - I'll meet you halfway so long as you're picking up the check for lunch!
If he does that he can take us both to lunch.

All of a sudden you became a partner, driver! As for halfway, you live WSW of Orlando and I live SSE of Orlando. Where did you think we could meet snake halfway? Tallahassee? Jacksonville? Atlanta?
You are near Miami, Snake is going to Orlando. For the sake of this exercise I am just North of Bradenton which is 2 hours south of Orlando, and 4 hours North of Miami. You are 6 hours from Orlando, so you have to drive 3 hours North, Snake drives 3 hours South, I drive one hour South, and we meet in Port Charlotte or Fort Meyers. Do you know any good steakhouses in those towns where Snake can take us?

Driver, I live 200 miles SSE of Orlando - or a 3 hour drive at most. I'm 300 miles (5+ hours drive) south of Jacksonville. You have me totally confused - again!
,

That sounds like one of those math questions from high school exams:

"If a driver 100 travels east for 3 hours and a Mike travels west for 200 miles where will Snake have to go to find a Chick-Fil-A?"
Remember to show your work.

Yeah, I remember those tests well. I used to put the important stuff in the corners so I could find them without having to look all over the paper to find what I wanted. One time I had a professor say, "what's with all the formula's in the corners"?

jmonroe

So where is the genius who can figure out the mid point between Orlando, Jacksonville, and Bradenton?

And where has Snake disappeared since he mentioned a free dinner?

driver100 · December 2016

isellhondas4 said:

jmonroe said:

fintail said:
A co-worker of mine vanpools from Federal Way to Bellevue. He can usually make it in an hour or less in the van, but driving alone would require a calendar.

I think licenses are easier to get now more than ever, with privatized testing. Drive around Bellevue for a day, it never ceases to amaze me.

murphydog said:
Seattle talk -

My commute works out only because I am in a vanpool. From Seattle to Redmond - no I don't work at Microsoft.

Anyway it is 13 miles from parking lot to my garage. Using the vanpool the drive home is ~ 35 minutes, sometimes 45 on a bad day. My record drive home not in the vanpool was 2 hours and 5 minutes. Needless to say I do everything possible to vanpool

Seattle and snow - always a disaster, I remember watching King5 interview a guy putting chains on his Honda, one chain on a front wheel, one chain on the rear because he did not know if his car was FWD or RWD....I wish somebody would have taken his license on the spot...

Well, that kinda proves the old story about a state trooper that was responsible for giving drivers tests to people:

One day a trooper was asked, "how do you guys allow all of these poor drivers to pass the drivers test"? His answer was, "if you think we're going to get in a car with them again, you're nuts".

jmonroe
I feel like an E-8 Sergeant suddenly demoted to an E-1 Private. From over 17,000 posts to, what? 15?
20 years (literally) of history gone!

I wish I could wipe out some of my past and start life anew. Besides, now you have 21 posts, just another 16 979 to go to catch up. Remember, every journey starts with one post.

abacomike · December 2016

andres3 said:

driver100 said:

Does it say other things, like; "I think we need gas Mike" "Let's get a car wash Mike" "Do you wanna coffee Mike?" "Hi Mike, I am Christine" "Don't even think of trading me in.....Mike"

That's funny, driver. What I am trying to get used to is the active blind spot assist - the steering wheel and brakes take control of the car if I begin to enter a lane occupied by another vehicle. It gives back control to me once the danger has passed. This is as close to an autonomous vehicle I have ever driven. The heads up display even show the legal speed limit for any road or highway I am driving on.
I can just see it now "But your Honor, the heads-up display told me the speed limit was 70!"

You know - I was thinking about that on I-595 coming home today. It showed a speed limit of 75 when I knew darn well it is 65. Obviously some kind of gremlin in the system - we don't have a 75 mph speed limit anywhere in the State of Florida.

driver100 · December 2016

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/12/16/were-really-bad-at-judging-risk-to-kids-were-really-good-at-judging-parents/?utm_term=.e3bf82bad576

Super interesting article in that I find it probably explains why some of you incorrectly associate speeding with risk. You find it morally objectionable to you personally that people speed, and therefore you exaggerate the risk of the action in order to justify your moral outrage.

Finally beginning to understand the psychosis that perpetuates the "Speed Kills" myth.
I want to go on record that I don't incorrectly associate speeding with risk. I correctly associate increased speeds with risk (there is a difference) simply because I understand physics.
If you understand physics then you know it is not the speed that puts you at risk for injury or worse, but the sudden deceleration that gets you. Avoiding those quick deceleration situations will keep you safe no matter how fast you go.

Oh, I didn't do well in physics, so I didn't realize you can go around corners at full speed, it is only when you decelerate that you are at risk.

jmonroe · December 2016

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

driver100 said:

@snakeweasel:

Tell you what, snake - I'll meet you halfway so long as you're picking up the check for lunch!
If he does that he can take us both to lunch.

All of a sudden you became a partner, driver! As for halfway, you live WSW of Orlando and I live SSE of Orlando. Where did you think we could meet snake halfway? Tallahassee? Jacksonville? Atlanta?
You are near Miami, Snake is going to Orlando. For the sake of this exercise I am just North of Bradenton which is 2 hours south of Orlando, and 4 hours North of Miami. You are 6 hours from Orlando, so you have to drive 3 hours North, Snake drives 3 hours South, I drive one hour South, and we meet in Port Charlotte or Fort Meyers. Do you know any good steakhouses in those towns where Snake can take us?

Driver, I live 200 miles SSE of Orlando - or a 3 hour drive at most. I'm 300 miles (5+ hours drive) south of Jacksonville. You have me totally confused - again!

,

That sounds like one of those math questions from high school exams:

"If a driver 100 travels east for 3 hours and a Mike travels west for 200 miles where will Snake have to go to find a Chick-Fil-A?"

Remember to show your work.

Yeah, I remember those tests well. I used to put the important stuff in the corners so I could find them without having to look all over the paper to find what I wanted. One time I had a professor say, "what's with all the formula's in the corners"?

jmonroe

So where is the genius who can figure out the mid point between Orlando, Jacksonville, and Bradenton?

Do I really have to tell you the answer to that question?

I guess I do. Nobody involved in this problem knows how to use the corners of their work sheets.

jmonroe

driver100 · December 2016

Mike, I was thinking about all those electronic devices today as I made a trip in the C250. I kind of miss the back up camera, I have to be careful backing in between two cars....if I don't remember which car I am lining up my space with I may back right into a parked car. But, like my wife said, this is probably a good exercise for us...just so we don't forget how to actually back in ourselves.

BMW did a smart thing, leaving you with the car for a few days before giving you lessons. It sounds like you will need another lesson again soon, way to much to learn at one time.

thebean · December 2016

abacomike said:

andres3 said:
I can just see it now "But your Honor, the heads-up display told me the speed limit was 70!"

You know - I was thinking about that on I-595 coming home today. It showed a speed limit of 75 when I knew darn well it is 65. Obviously some kind of gremlin in the system - we don't have a 75 mph speed limit anywhere in the State of Florida.

Sounds like a job for the new superhero "BMW Geniusman".

driver100 · December 2016

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

driver100 said:

@snakeweasel:

Tell you what, snake - I'll meet you halfway so long as you're picking up the check for lunch!
If he does that he can take us both to lunch.

All of a sudden you became a partner, driver! As for halfway, you live WSW of Orlando and I live SSE of Orlando. Where did you think we could meet snake halfway? Tallahassee? Jacksonville? Atlanta?
You are near Miami, Snake is going to Orlando. For the sake of this exercise I am just North of Bradenton which is 2 hours south of Orlando, and 4 hours North of Miami. You are 6 hours from Orlando, so you have to drive 3 hours North, Snake drives 3 hours South, I drive one hour South, and we meet in Port Charlotte or Fort Meyers. Do you know any good steakhouses in those towns where Snake can take us?

Driver, I live 200 miles SSE of Orlando - or a 3 hour drive at most. I'm 300 miles (5+ hours drive) south of Jacksonville. You have me totally confused - again!
,

That sounds like one of those math questions from high school exams:

"If a driver 100 travels east for 3 hours and a Mike travels west for 200 miles where will Snake have to go to find a Chick-Fil-A?"

Remember to show your work.

Yeah, I remember those tests well. I used to put the important stuff in the corners so I could find them without having to look all over the paper to find what I wanted. One time I had a professor say, "what's with all the formula's in the corners"?

jmonroe

So where is the genius who can figure out the mid point between Orlando, Jacksonville, and Bradenton?

Do I really have to tell you the answer to that question?

I guess I do. Nobody involved in this problem knows how to use the corners of their work sheets.

jmonroe

Maybe because I am working on a computer screen!

andres3 · December 2016

abacomike said:

andres3 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

Does it say other things, like;
"I think we need gas Mike"
"Let's get a car wash Mike"
"Do you wanna coffee Mike?"
"Hi Mike, I am Christine"
"Don't even think of trading me in.....Mike"

That's funny, driver. What I am trying to get used to is the active blind spot assist - the steering wheel and brakes take control of the car if I begin to enter a lane occupied by another vehicle. It gives back control to me once the danger has passed. This is as close to an autonomous vehicle I have ever driven. The heads up display even show the legal speed limit for any road or highway I am driving on.
I can just see it now "But your Honor, the heads-up display told me the speed limit was 70!"

You know - I was thinking about that on I-595 coming home today. It showed a speed limit of 75 when I knew darn well it is 65. Obviously some kind of gremlin in the system - we don't have a 75 mph speed limit anywhere in the State of Florida.

Hmmmm....

Maybe some progressive programmers at BMW decided to use the 85th percentile speed limit instead of what Florida might use to generate revenue.

Would it be a scandal the size of diesel-gate?

ab348 · December 2016

Got my car insurance renewal in the mail today. I use TD Insurance and find them pretty good to deal with though I have only ever had one small comp claim years ago. They also do my home insurance so I get some kind of combo discount. I could probably get a cheaper rate if I shopped around but I like these folks.

The rate is just a hair over $100/mo. for the ATS. There was a reminder in the cover letter saying that because my car is now 3 model years old the rate had gone up slightly because I have 5-year new model replacement coverage, which I had forgotten about. So theoretically in another couple of years the thing could be written off and they would buy me a new 2018 or 2019 model of the same car. Sounds like the situation @driver100 had only much deeper into the depreciation cycle. Wonder how often they pay off on that.

Mr_Shiftright · December 2016

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

driver100 said:

@snakeweasel:

Tell you what, snake - I'll meet you halfway so long as you're picking up the check for lunch!
If he does that he can take us both to lunch.

All of a sudden you became a partner, driver! As for halfway, you live WSW of Orlando and I live SSE of Orlando. Where did you think we could meet snake halfway? Tallahassee? Jacksonville? Atlanta?
You are near Miami, Snake is going to Orlando. For the sake of this exercise I am just North of Bradenton which is 2 hours south of Orlando, and 4 hours North of Miami. You are 6 hours from Orlando, so you have to drive 3 hours North, Snake drives 3 hours South, I drive one hour South, and we meet in Port Charlotte or Fort Meyers. Do you know any good steakhouses in those towns where Snake can take us?

Driver, I live 200 miles SSE of Orlando - or a 3 hour drive at most. I'm 300 miles (5+ hours drive) south of Jacksonville. You have me totally confused - again!

,

That sounds like one of those math questions from high school exams:

"If a driver 100 travels east for 3 hours and a Mike travels west for 200 miles where will Snake have to go to find a Chick-Fil-A?"
Remember to show your work.

Yeah, I remember those tests well. I used to put the important stuff in the corners so I could find them without having to look all over the paper to find what I wanted. One time I had a professor say, "what's with all the formula's in the corners"?

jmonroe

So where is the genius who can figure out the mid point between Orlando, Jacksonville, and Bradenton?

And where has Snake disappeared since he mentioned a free dinner?

Inglis Florida is pretty equidistant. Not perfect, but good if you don't want to all meet in a swamp. You'd each be driving 1.5 to 2.0 hours.

sda · December 2016

ab348 said:
Got my car insurance renewal in the mail today. I use TD Insurance and find them pretty good to deal with though I have only ever had one small comp claim years ago. They also do my home insurance so I get some kind of combo discount. I could probably get a cheaper rate if I shopped around but I like these folks.

The rate is just a hair over $100/mo. for the ATS. There was a reminder in the cover letter saying that because my car is now 3 model years old the rate had gone up slightly because I have 5-year new model replacement coverage, which I had forgotten about. So theoretically in another couple of years the thing could be written off and they would buy me a new 2018 or 2019 model of the same car. Sounds like the situation @driver100 had only much deeper into the depreciation cycle. Wonder how often they pay off on that.

As you lease the ATS do you need replacement coverage? Wouldn't the gap insurance take care of it?

explorerx4 · December 2016

Driver100 is the one who wants to spend all his money so his kids don't get it.
You would think he could spring for lunch for you guys.

oldfarmer50 · December 2016

abacomike said:

oldfarmer50 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

Does it say other things, like;
"I think we need gas Mike"
"Let's get a car wash Mike"
"Do you wanna coffee Mike?"
"Hi Mike, I am Christine"
"Don't even think of trading me in.....Mike"

That's funny, driver. What I am trying to get used to is the active blind spot assist - the steering wheel and brakes take control of the car if I begin to enter a lane occupied by another vehicle. It gives back control to me once the danger has passed. This is as close to an autonomous vehicle I have ever driven. The heads up display even show the legal speed limit for any road or highway I am driving on.
Sorry, that would be a deal killer for me.

OF, these features like active blind spot monitoring assist and active lane tracking assist have to be manually turned on in the iDrive system. So if you don't like those features along with active steering, you don't have to enable them - just leave them turned off.

Oh, ok then, if I had the money that 7 looks so nice. As long as it didn't try to take control.

I don't use any of the SYNC stuff on the Ford. Shame since I paid for it. I'll probably get a smart phone around the time I become so senile I won't be able to talk at all.

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