Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

tbirdmarco · May 2017

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m3_5-Iku3sQ

ab348 · May 2017

explorerx4 said:
GM just came out with a diesel for their next size down pickup. Ford F150 is going to have a diesel available starting with the 2018 model.

GM has a diesel Cruze now too.

imidazol97 · May 2017

abacomike said:
No New Cars!!!

Does that also exclude motorcycles like you were looking at a few weeks back? LOL.

stickguy · May 2017

2 people around my neighborhood where do my walking have Ram PUs with the ecodiesel. Both of them are white too.

bwia · May 2017

imidazol97 said:

Have to hear the rest of the story before commenting imid.

That's the end of the story for Canada Revenue. I loved the lack of accent or accent however someone wants to describe it.

The rest is IRS tales.

Interesting story but that sounds like a happy problem. Usually I have little sympathy for people with tax problems. And i am not about to offer one here either. And by and large only people with high enough income pay taxes.

As a socially responsible and high net worth individual, the 15% tax withholding is a small price to pay for the previledge of owning Canadian equity securities.

Opinion of this poster was written tongue in cheek and should not be held against him.

roadburner · May 2017

explorerx4 said:
GM just came out with a diesel for their next size down pickup. Ford F150 is going to have a diesel available starting with the 2018 model.

I'd love to own a BMW M550d xDrive; 0-60 in 4.4 seconds and around 38 mpg on the highway:

berri · May 2017

I believe it was Autonews that claims former Ford CEO Mark Fields tried to hang in all on North American chief Hinrichs and fire him, but in the end Ford board decided to get rid of Fields. If true, kind of poetic justice for this executive class act behavior!

roadburner · May 2017

In other news, I took the M235i to the local 1/8 mile drag strip tonight. It was a "Test and Tune" night, so there was no real competition going on. For my first run I used the launch control feature; I lit up the tires through the first three gears and ran a 10.09- roughly equivalent to a 15.74 second quarter. Meh. For the remainder of my runs I put the car and transmission in Sport and just drove it out of the hole. I finally got my ET down to 8.59- or a 13.4 second quarter- decent, considering how terrible my reaction times were.
With an engine that makes 332 lb ft of torque from 1300rpm to almost 4500rpm the car definitely needs a limited slip diff for both road courses and the strip. That said, it was still a lot of fun.

jwm40517 · May 2017

Reaction time has no effect on your ET. Time starts when you leave, regardless of how late, not when the green comes on.. That is why a drag race can be won by a slower ET but with a quicker RT compared to your competition .

abacomike · June 2017

imidazol97 said:

No New Cars!!!

Does that also exclude motorcycles like you were looking at a few weeks back? LOL.

DEFINITELY!

qbrozen · June 2017

jwm40517 said:

Reaction time has no effect on your ET. Time starts when you leave, regardless of how late, not when the green comes on.. That is why a drag race can be won by a slower ET but with a quicker RT compared to your competition .

Wait...you just contradicted yourself. You said RT has no effect on ET but then said a faster RT can overcome a slower ET. Or do you just mean coming across the line first and disregarding ET?

stickguy · June 2017

Winner crosses line first, so I assume what is what he meant. Even if opponent gets down track quicker, you can beat him if get a good jump

roadburner · June 2017

stickguy said:
Winner crosses line first, so I assume what is what he meant. Even if opponent gets down track quicker, you can beat him if get a good jump

Exactly; it affects who wins but not the ET; on one of my worst runs I almost beat a seriously modded Monte Carlo, His ET was almost two seconds faster but he "won" by only 0.16 seconds.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2017

murphydog said:

28firefighter said:

murphydog said:

Pulled the Trigger -

Given the massive Memorial Day incentives we decided to pull the trigger on the Ram 1500 Laramie. Sticker was $54,800, paid $40,975. Ride is great, interior is plush and it will (occasionally) pull my wife's horse and trailer. Likely our new road trip car as well for both the Washington/Oregon coast and the mountains.

I do like the F150, there are some useful features that are not available on the Ram, but the Fords were $5K more on the sticker and the incentives were way smaller, think a screaming deal would have been around $50K for a similar truck.

I have to do some rearranging in the garage to make it fit, I have plenty of width, but need to move a few cabinets to allow for the increase depth.

Congrats! Did you get it from CJDR seattle?

I did - they were really straight forward and did not twist my arm at all - their prices are on par with Dave Smith over in Idaho so I was comfortable with the purchase. Only two negatives (and these are small) they still showed a second sticker on the truck, I pity the person who walk in off the street and didn't use the web - the truck was listed with a $6k mark up which had it as $61K!!!! We never even discussed that number as on the web it as clearly listed at $40,950.

Second the delivery guy overinflated the tires. Should be at 39 PSI per the door sticker but all were at 45-46. The TPMS showed the value for each tire, so at least they were consistent. I confirmed with my trusty digital gauge and lowered all of them to 40 PSI even.

I will takes some pictures tomorrow, I love the interior - leather buckets with heated and ventilated seats in the front, plus heated rear seats, moonroof, 9 speaker Alpine system, navigation, etc. Should be great on road trips.

Oh and side note - for those of you around here, was at the Monroe fairgrounds for horse show. My wife and the other women from her barn were out there with their horses. However the schedule on Saturday amazed me.

1. Horse show, all day and ran through Monday
2. Swap Meet - quite the opposite crowd from most of the horse people
3. Goat Show - yes bring your goat to the fair grounds for the show - did not make it over to that
4. Auto racing, Saturday night is car racing night, looked to be Junior NASCAR types, very loud
5. And just to keep you on your toes there is a small airfield right next door, several times as we came out of the stalls we were looked up to see the belly of a light plane maybe 50 feet above us on final approach

Damn...I missed the Goat Show again this year.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2017

driver100 said:
The thinking is since GM has been caught up in the diesel fiasco that might mean the end of using diesels in cars and lighter trucks.

Points at random:
This year there are only 10 diesel models for sale in the U.S., half what was offered in 2016. Sales fell to 86,000 last year from 143,000 in 2015, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

And it’s not just Volkswagen pulling them off the market. Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz isn’t selling four models that were on dealer lots in 2016, and BMW AG has dropped its offering to two from four, selling only its 328 sedan and X5 sport utility vehicle.

The technology required to clean soot and smog-causing oxides of nitrogen will get more expensive as rules get tougher.

Death of Diesel Could Be Closer Than You Think

I don't like being the guinea pig when it comes to new technology, I'll wait until it shakes out!

I don't want to say "I told you so"......but.........

Look at the imaginary X/Y chart....gas engines keep getting better MPG and emissions controls, and diesel engines don't......this can't continue.

stickguy · June 2017

When a gas Passat can pull close to 40 on a highway run, harder to justify the diesel.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2017

But then you run up to the Passat gasser and implore the driver: "Think about the torque you're missing"

And he says:

Wha?

And you counter with: "But a diesel engine can last 300,000 miles!"

and he says:

"Great, I guess, but I would never keep a car that long".

Then you play your last card: "I save .10 a gallon on fuel, and get 44 mpg, and all that goes right into my pocket"

And he says:

"All $104? Good for you"

stickguy · June 2017

Around here diesel is usually more than RUG, and sometimes as much as PUG.

fintail · June 2017

In my area, diesel is a bit cheaper than RUG, which makes even more impact if one drives a car where the gasser requires PUG.

I wonder if anyone has nosed around for cheat devices in gasoline cars.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2017

Still the "impact" is pretty minimal given the premium you paid for the diesel car. The numbers just don't work anymore.

fintail · June 2017

For MBs when a diesel can easily get 10mpg+ more than the gasser, the fuel difference is 30 cents/gallon or more, and the MSRP is the same, it can add up. The driving characteristics of the engine have value too.

nyccarguy · June 2017

fintail said:
In my area, diesel is a bit cheaper than RUG, which makes even more impact if one drives a car where the gasser requires PUG.

I wonder if anyone has nosed around for cheat devices in gasoline cars.

It is called the transmission. Some of these 8 speed automatics shift into 6th gear by the time you cross an intersection

stickguy · June 2017

the Sonata is like that. upshift quick, and does not like to drop back down. No problem lugging around town I guess.

tjc78 · June 2017

Back in 05 or so, Toyota had such crazy transmission logic (100% tuned for FE) that owners begged for a re-flash. They did offer it up, and many people said driveability got much better at the expense of FE. There were several notes of it here on Edmunds in the Avalon, Lexus ES and Camry forums.

oldfarmer50 · June 2017

roadburner said:
In other news, I took the M235i to the local 1/8 mile drag strip tonight. It was a "Test and Tune" night, so there was no real competition going on. For my first run I used the launch control feature; I lit up the tires through the first three gears and ran a 10.09- roughly equivalent to a 15.74 second quarter. Meh. For the remainder of my runs I put the car and transmission in Sport and just drove it out of the hole. I finally got my ET down to 8.59- or a 13.4 second quarter- decent, considering how terrible my reaction times were.
With an engine that makes 332 lb ft of torque from 1300rpm to almost 4500rpm the car definitely needs a limited slip diff for both road courses and the strip. That said, it was still a lot of fun.
</blockquote

So how much does that puppy weigh? Sound like a fun car. Tried to see if I fit in a 1 series at an auto show years ago and the snutty salesperson wouldn't let me in it. Get I was among the great unwashed.

BTW, this site is glitchy as an 80s Detroit car. You hit quote, nothing happens. Hit it again and it takes you to a payment calculator. Hit it three times and you quote the previous post 3 times. Huh? :@

Guess I shouldn't complain about this site. Now nothing I type gets posted.???

fintail · June 2017

I was thinking of emissions cheat devices, but shift mapping is definitely used to make impressive testbed mpg claims which may not exist in real world driving/

Maybe not a new thing - my fintail has a 4 speed non-OD automatic, which is in 4th by 25 mph. It's a small enough displacement engine to be revving OK even at that, but if you want to move along with any urgency, manually hold it in 3rd a little longer. I think the E is in 5th at 35mph or so, but it is a 7 speed - I think 7th isn't until at least 45-50mph, haven't memorized it.

abacomike · June 2017

stickguy said:
When a gas Passat can pull close to 40 on a highway run, harder to justify the diesel.

I agree - the fuel economy on the modern internal combustion engines is phenomenal. I'm getting 25 mpg average with 36+ mpg on the highway. In ECOPRO setting, I get close to 40 mpg on the highway at 65 mph. An amazing statistic for a 4300 pound car.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2017

fintail said:
For MBs when a diesel can easily get 10mpg+ more than the gasser, the fuel difference is 30 cents/gallon or more, and the MSRP is the same, it can add up. The driving characteristics of the engine have value too.

True, true. I was basing my musings on the original comparison to a new Passat getting 40 mpg highway--which, by the way, is what more and more mid-size gasser sedans will be putting up these days.

bwia · June 2017

I am enjoying free WiFi on Jetblue on my way to Dulles-Washington airport. Flying on the petit Embraer 190. Plenty fast but noiisy.

nyccarguy · June 2017

The 2 diesel cars I have driven at length have impressed me. Their fuel economy numbers were just icing on the cake.

The E90 335d I had cruised so effortlessly and passed other cars like they were standing still. I found myself driving well into triple digits when stabbing the throttle from the 70 mph my cruise was set at. In 2 days of driving faster than normal, I measured 10 mpg better (33) than in my gas powered 328xi.

I took a very long test drive in a Passat TDI. I liked it a lot. Very smooth. Powerful little 4cyl too. If they had made me an offer I couldn't refuse or offered the car with 4Motion, I might have bought it instead of the Legacy.

fintail · June 2017

For mainstream-priced buyers shopping RUG cars and who don't know or care about torque, diesel has little attraction, I agree. Diesel isn't such an amazing deal.

For heavier vehicles with mandated PUG, it can be logical. I'd much rather have a diesel GLE/X5 etc than the 6 cyl gassers.

Mr_Shiftright said:

True, true. I was basing my musings on the original comparison to a new Passat getting 40 mpg highway--which, by the way, is what more and more mid-size gasser sedans will be putting up these days.

Michaell · June 2017

fintail said:
For mainstream-priced buyers shopping RUG cars and who don't know or care about torque, diesel has little attraction, I agree. Diesel isn't such an amazing deal.

For heavier vehicles with mandated PUG, it can be logical. I'd much rather have a diesel GLE/X5 etc than the 6 cyl gassers.

Mr_Shiftright said:

True, true. I was basing my musings on the original comparison to a new Passat getting 40 mpg highway--which, by the way, is what more and more mid-size gasser sedans will be putting up these days.

I would agree. A trans-continental road trip in a diesel SUV would be most excellent.

stickguy · June 2017

the diesel LR Disco Sport I had in Ireland was a great driver. Loved the engine. Just hated how big it was, relative to the roads and parking! Got good mileage (I think we averaged about 30), was smooth and quiet, pulled well, and loafed along at high speeds on the highway.

and they are so quiet and clean now, you really don't even notice it, and I was paying attention. I know that my wife would never have had a clue.

Michaell · June 2017

stickguy said:
the diesel LR Disco Sport I had in Ireland was a great driver. Loved the engine. Just hated how big it was, relative to the roads and parking! Got good mileage (I think we averaged about 30), was smooth and quiet, pulled well, and loafed along at high speeds on the highway.

and they are so quiet and clean now, you really don't even notice it, and I was paying attention. I know that my wife would never have had a clue.

I spent this last weekend in Santa Fe, NM with the Outback. That thing felt like a duelly pickup in the narrow streets of the old part of town.

cdnpinhead · June 2017

fintail said:
For MBs when a diesel can easily get 10mpg+ more than the gasser, the fuel difference is 30 cents/gallon or more, and the MSRP is the same, it can add up. The driving characteristics of the engine have value too.

Have the zealots over there in the diesel thread (there's only one left, last I checked) come to grips with anything resembling reality regarding the future of diesel automobiles in North America? Since 2001 I've been waiting for some of the vehicles that I drove in Europe back then. I'm still waiting, but have lost all hope. CARB has won.

fintail · June 2017

I had an X5 diesel for the rental car on my last trip to Germany. Drove through Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France. Very good road trip car, and probably felt at least as big in Italy as a LR would feel in Ireland. Comfortable wafty thing. I think 100% of German rental fleet cars of that size are diesels, unless they are tuned models (AMG/M/S-RS cars are common in European fleets). Just like with big trucks, diesel is made for that application, leisurely hauling with some economy.

Michaell said:

I would agree. A trans-continental road trip in a diesel SUV would be most excellent.

fintail · June 2017

Nope. Just as Teslas and Prius have a cult, so does diesel. I think it's more than CARB too, it's the complete regressive DOT/NHTSA. We can't even get the lighting systems found in Europe. The cool stuff from overseas is unlikely to be seen here, maybe even more so now with a twitty babbler complaining to markets that know how to make what people want.

I don't know if MB will even bring back diesel cars, or if the current BMW diesels will live into the replacement model. I doubt the diesel Cruze will find many buyers.

cdnpinhead said:
Have the zealots over there in the diesel thread (there's only one left, last I checked) come to grips with anything resembling reality regarding the future of diesel automobiles in North America? Since 2001 I've been waiting for some of the vehicles that I drove in Europe back then. I'm still waiting, but have lost all hope. CARB has won.

ab348 · June 2017

bwia said:
I am enjoying free WiFi on Jetblue on my way to Dulles-Washington airport. Flying on the petit Embraer 190. Plenty fast but noiisy.

I find them not only noisy but very cramped. Not much of a fan.

cdnpinhead · June 2017

They may be noisy and cramped, but at least you have to stand in several lines to even get onto the plane, then walk a half mile to the gate. What's not to like?

I guess ignorance is bliss (I squared b), since many of the people putting up with this never experienced flying 20 or 30 years ago.

abacomike · June 2017

cdnpinhead said:

They may be noisy and cramped, but at least you have to stand in several lines to even get onto the plane, then walk a half mile to the gate. What's not to like?

I guess ignorance is bliss (I squared b), since many of the people putting up with this never experienced flying 20 or 30 years ago.

When I was living in the Palm Springs area in the early 90's, flying out of PSP airport was true bliss. I would check my bags and get a boarding pass at the American Airlines desk and then walk to the gate - they did not have "jetways" at the time. I would sit on a chaise lounge right at the outdoor gate and wait for the boarding. Just a fence separated the chaise lounges from the tarmac and the MD80. I then would show my boarding pass to the gate agent and casually walk right up to the plane and board.

The only way anyone could get me on a plane in this day and age is if I lost another child or grandchild. Otherwise, I drive to where I have to go.

cdnpinhead · June 2017

Amen.

Sadly, I have to fly quite a bit for my job, but I generally try to bundle my supplier visits such that I fly to Chicago (or some other central place) and drive to 3-4 places, often accumulating 1000-1400 miles in the course of 10 days or so. Then I gird my loins and fly back.

Oh boy.

pensfan83 · June 2017

ab348 said:

I am enjoying free WiFi on Jetblue on my way to Dulles-Washington airport. Flying on the petit Embraer 190. Plenty fast but noiisy.

I find them not only noisy but very cramped. Not much of a fan.

Amen. That plane is my only nonstop option when flying to Raleigh and I dread that flight every time.

abacomike · June 2017

cdnpinhead said:

Amen.

Sadly, I have to fly quite a bit for my job, but I generally try to bundle my supplier visits such that I fly to Chicago (or some other central place) and drive to 3-4 places, often accumulating 1000-1400 miles in the course of 10 days or so. Then I gird my loins and fly back.

Oh boy.

It's not just the long lines, taking off my shoes, etc., but also the "germs" and "viruses" inside the cabin. I remember that almost every time I would fly, the next day I was sick with the flu or some other virus, especially in the winter.

I hated getting on a plane for that reason alone.

suydam · June 2017

cdnpinhead said:
They may be noisy and cramped, but at least you have to stand in several lines to even get onto the plane, then walk a half mile to the gate. What's not to like?

I guess ignorance is bliss (I squared b), since many of the people putting up with this never experienced flying 20 or 30 years ago.

At least you're less likely to get dragged off the plane!

oldfarmer50 · June 2017

roadburner said:
In other news, I took the M235i to the local 1/8 mile drag strip tonight. It was a "Test and Tune" night, so there was no real competition going on. For my first run I used the launch control feature; I lit up the tires through the first three gears and ran a 10.09- roughly equivalent to a 15.74 second quarter. Meh. For the remainder of my runs I put the car and transmission in Sport and just drove it out of the hole. I finally got my ET down to 8.59- or a 13.4 second quarter- decent, considering how terrible my reaction times were.
With an engine that makes 332 lb ft of torque from 1300rpm to almost 4500rpm the car definitely needs a limited slip diff for both road courses and the strip. That said, it was still a lot of fun.

Can't get rid of this....HELP!

abacomike · June 2017

Just found out that my grandson, who plays varsity baseball for Palm Desert High School, will be playing at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles tomorrow with his team for the State Championship.

In the semi-finals, he hit a double and scored the winning run in the 14th inning. He was the DH in that game. He also pitches - his fastball clocked at 87 mph and he's only 16 years old. He's 6'1" tall and weighs 210. He's still growing!

imidazol97 · June 2017

I came across this pic where I had parked my Cobalt to walk around a cruise in. I came back to find these the Vette had parked next to me. They look good together! Would be better if both could be in my driveway.

tbirdmarco · June 2017

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JGOqu6_3I7Y

tbirdmarco · June 2017

@roadburner nice nice glad you had an good time at the track! want to go to one soon around hear just to experance it and be there.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2017

The larger the car or truck, the more a diesel makes sense.

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