Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

andres3 · June 2017

28firefighter said:
Not to me. It's all part of the journey.

Keep in mind my perspective though. My wife and I had been trying to have a baby for nearly two years and the initial testing made it look like we may not be able to have kids. So, I'm more than excited and thrilled to experience every part of parenthood.

Both my wife and I have parents way out of town (5 hour drive or more). That means we didn't have quite the support we would have liked to have had with the baby.

That being said, we are super thankful when the grandparents of the little one do visit and help out a bit.

fordfool · June 2017

fintail said:

Debadging has been a thing in Europe for decades. It's usually a way for people
to hide that they have a small engined model, as the cars can be nearly identical
otherwise. Some will also use it to disguise their high performance model, the
"sleeper" concept.

As a kid I hung a second exhaust pipe on the Chevy in my avatar to give the
appearance of the larger 348 cu. inch block.

fordfool · June 2017

It sounds like that dog picked the wrong foster home!

Gary Larson drew a "Far Side" cartoon of a dog in a car sticking out his tongue at the cat saying
"Ha ha, our owner is taking me to be fixed." Apparently the dog had no clue.

graphicguy · June 2017

ab348 said:
Like many things in life these days it seems, I do not understand debadging at all. To me it just makes the car look like it has been in an accident and had the damage repaired on the cheap. But I am old so what do I know?

AB...I'm the same. I see a "debadged" vehicle and think...."someone should have paid the body shop more money to finish fixing the wreck".

nyccarguy · June 2017

Some de-badging looks clean to me, but it isn't something I'd do.

driver100 · June 2017

houdini1 said:
Driver, I just heard a good joke about Canada. Seems this good 'ol boy from Saskatchewan won a new fishing boat in a raffle. His wife asked him what he was going to do with a fishing boat when there was not a good lake within 50 miles, etc.. He said well, he won it and he was going to keep it.

A few days later his brother came to visit. His wife told him his brother was out back in his fishing boat. He walks out and sure enough, his brother in sitting in his boat right in the middle of a big field of flax. He yelled and asked him what he was doing. His brother yelled back, what does it look like, I'm fishing. His brother yelled back and said, you know, you're the reason people think that people from Saskatchewan are not very smart. You make me so mad, if I could swim, I would come out there and kick your butt !

Houdini.....cute, I laughed out loud. I have a good friend who lives in Saskatchewan so I will send it to him.

driver100 · June 2017

graphicguy said:

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:
There are some really smart people who post in here. Not sure I can keep up with the minimum requirements to keep posting.

Mike, Crag, Bean and the rest of you, great observations.

So, chalk this up to "I had no idea"!

Compensation for cemetery sales (at least the one my acquaintance works at) has several components....

1. Upsell the family who has an immediate need. Meaning, upsell to a more expensive Casket, burial vault, more elaborate viewing and final service, etc (apparently you can shop around for the best price on a coffin)

2. Selling "pre need" packages count more than immediate need. Selling the family more plots during the interment of their loved one, counts more....with a higher commission rate.

3. Bigger, better grave markers count more, with a higher commission rate.

I was informed of others, but I stopped the compensation explanation because frankly, it was not all that interesting to me.

Anyway, his quota is $25K the first month of the qtr, $28K the 2nd and $30K the 3rd month of the qtr. Acclerators hit after you make your quota for the month.

I know having services for my parents were at least $10K, and I think more for my Mother has she passed away about 7 years after my Father. I didn't buy the most expensive casket, nor the cheapest, either...it was probably a little on the higher end of the price scale, though.

So, aside from only having families who only wanted to put their loved ones in a box, with no service, it really doesn't sound that difficult to sell $30K/mo. In order to make any real money, assuming a 10% commission (straight commission), you'd have to go over quota, hit accelerators, and sell the higher margin products and services.

More than any of us needed to know about cemetery sales.
Sounds like a dead end job!
Driver...what I can't figure out is how he justifies staying in a job that doesn't pay squat...even making quota? I know his wife has been a teacher for a while. I have a pretty good idea what she makes as I know what my (ex) wife made with about the same about of teaching years experience. He's making about ½ what his wife is making.

Heck, you could get any number of hourly jobs and make more than he is. I can't figure out why he's whining about the job. Further, I still can't figure out why he's failing at it. Any of us here could roll out of bed and without trying all that hard and sell 3-4 burials in a month, I'm thinking.....WORKING PART time, in all probability.

GG, I have come to the conclusion most people prefer not to work, they do like to collect a pay check though. When I started my business I knew of at least 6 people who had the knowledge to make the same business. None of them would do the work that it would take to get the business going. I knew that was my one big advantage so I worked my butt off.

When I started out I needed a simple catalog made so I said to this guy who was starting a business doing design work on his computer, if he did the catalog for me we would split the profits. He said he wasn't going to spend time doing something he might not get paid for. I am glad he turned me down, he would have made some pretty good money for doing not a lot of work. And it wasn't like he was doing anything anyway.

That guy is coasting through life. His wife makes a decent salary and he is putting in the appearance of holding a job. Then he justifies his poor performance by blaming everyone but himself. He was hoping you would confirm his story so his wife won't catch on, which she probably has after the dinner. I like that you paid for your dinner and left, he definitely would have tried dodging the bill.....by rights he should have paid your bill, he was asking you for help and he has to pay for two, why not pick up the guests bill?

driver100 · June 2017

isellhondas said:

graphicguy said:
Just finished up some meetings in Milwaukee. Weather is really pleasant here....high '70s and sunny.

Something that's a first for me, Hertz put me in a Honda CRV as a rental. I don't know that I've ever seen a Honda "anything" as a rental. I know Craig has said many times that Honda doesn't do fleet sales to rental car agencies. I'll assume Hertz ended up with the CRV as part of some sort of anomalie.

Anyway, not a bad little compact CUV. Engine is willing (although not very fast). Steering has good feel and is precise. Typical FWD understeer, though. Was surprised how well it road.

Brakes did well.

Transmission shifts smoothly and quickly up or down the range. Surprising amount of room in such a small package. Plenty of cubbies around and in the dash.

Base model, so not much in the way of equipment. But, it has power windows and locks. Lots and lots of hard plastics throughout. Nice padding on the center console and door arm rests.

Pretty comfortable. I can see the appeal.
A lot of appeal. Just a car that does most things right. We are on our 4th one now.

I've been gone seven years now so it's possible Honda has started selling cars direct to the rental companies but I doubt it. In the past I know some rental companies would buy cars through dealers but not often. Anything is possible.

I have seen C. R.V. s offered by rental compnies, and other cars not seen before. My guess is since the usual rental cars, like Impala and most Chrysler are backing out of the rental market the rental companies are forced to buy other brands.

driver100 · June 2017

cdnpinhead said:
Debadging flies in the face of flaunting what you drive; people who wear their cars as opposed to actually driving them get the vapours and head for the fainting couch when such things are discussed.

I noticed this for the past 15 or so years in Europe. Social climbing may be done differently there, or maybe not at all.

We need Fin tail (see what the tablet does to his name) to explain the European attitude to debadging. We are staying in a pretty standard hotel in Hamburg but there are Porshes, 740s, Audio parked all over the place, I am surprised the cars don't have model names on them.

Maybe North Americans find it more important to state what model they are driving. Driving a Mercedes here doesn't mean too much, since most of the taxis are cream colored Mercedes. All cabs are supposed to be cream colored.

oldfarmer50 · June 2017

driver100 said:

isellhondas said:

graphicguy said:
Just finished up some meetings in Milwaukee. Weather is really pleasant here....high '70s and sunny.

Something that's a first for me, Hertz put me in a Honda CRV as a rental. I don't know that I've ever seen a Honda "anything" as a rental. I know Craig has said many times that Honda doesn't do fleet sales to rental car agencies. I'll assume Hertz ended up with the CRV as part of some sort of anomalie.

Anyway, not a bad little compact CUV. Engine is willing (although not very fast). Steering has good feel and is precise. Typical FWD understeer, though. Was surprised how well it road.

Brakes did well.

Transmission shifts smoothly and quickly up or down the range. Surprising amount of room in such a small package. Plenty of cubbies around and in the dash.

Base model, so not much in the way of equipment. But, it has power windows and locks. Lots and lots of hard plastics throughout. Nice padding on the center console and door arm rests.

Pretty comfortable. I can see the appeal.
A lot of appeal. Just a car that does most things right. We are on our 4th one now.

I've been gone seven years now so it's possible Honda has started selling cars direct to the rental companies but I doubt it. In the past I know some rental companies would buy cars through dealers but not often. Anything is possible.
I have seen C. R.V. s offered by rental compnies, and other cars not seen before. My guess is since the usual rental cars, like Impala and most Chrysler are backing out of the rental market the rental companies are forced to buy other brands.

Didn't the domestic companies sell to rental car companies because they had to produce more than they could sell due to union contracts?

Maybe Honda is in the same boat these days...or are they still non union? I know that Mitsubishi out in Indiana is a UAW shop.

oldfarmer50 · June 2017

Driver100 said:

"GG, I've come to the conclusion that most people don't like to work but they do like a pay check though."

As of next week that's me.

fintail · June 2017

It's pretty simple - hide the fact that you are driving a small engine model. Especially lately, trim packages can be quite similar, with the engine-related badge being a key determinant about the car. Remove it, and people don't know what it is. Like you say, in Europe, the badge doesn't mean a lot, as premium badges are a lot more ordinary. So the model receives the focus. Debadging is definitely better than rebadging (something I see primarily on BMWs) - no enthusiast will believe that 528i is an M5,. but the random person on the street might. I also see more than a couple late model 3ers without badging. 320i anyone?

Debadging has been a thing in Europe for at least 40 years. I have even seen debadged fintails.

Nearly 25 years ago, BBC made this fascinating little documentary about rep car culture, and badging is a key part of it - notice that virtually everyone is concerned with the badge, and the W124 E-class (a very basic E200, I think) driver at around 13:00 admits to debadging his car. There's definitely social climbing in Europe too, but brand perception and cachet are a little different, and IMO it is more of an egalitarian society, this is what happens/

re: Honda rentals - I am pretty sure National had some Accords in the fleet a few years ago, too. Basic LX models that people complained about because they were classified as "premium" cars - the classifications apparently based on cost more than features.

driver100 said:

We need Fin tail (see what the tablet does to his name) to explain the European attitude to debadging. We are staying in a pretty standard hotel in Hamburg but there are Porshes, 740s, Audio parked all over the place, I am surprised the cars don't have model names on them.

Maybe North Americans find it more important to state what model they are driving. Driving a Mercedes here doesn't mean too much, since most of the taxis are cream colored Mercedes. All cabs are supposed to be cream colored.

suydam · June 2017

For many Europeans flaunting your wealth is in bad taste.

driver100 · June 2017

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

isellhondas said:

graphicguy said:
Just finished up some meetings in Milwaukee. Weather is really pleasant here....high '70s and sunny.

Something that's a first for me, Hertz put me in a Honda CRV as a rental. I don't know that I've ever seen a Honda "anything" as a rental. I know Craig has said many times that Honda doesn't do fleet sales to rental car agencies. I'll assume Hertz ended up with the CRV as part of some sort of anomalie.

Anyway, not a bad little compact CUV. Engine is willing (although not very fast). Steering has good feel and is precise. Typical FWD understeer, though. Was surprised how well it road.

Brakes did well.

Transmission shifts smoothly and quickly up or down the range. Surprising amount of room in such a small package. Plenty of cubbies around and in the dash.

Base model, so not much in the way of equipment. But, it has power windows and locks. Lots and lots of hard plastics throughout. Nice padding on the center console and door arm rests.

Pretty comfortable. I can see the appeal.
A lot of appeal. Just a car that does most things right. We are on our 4th one now.

I've been gone seven years now so it's possible Honda has started selling cars direct to the rental companies but I doubt it. In the past I know some rental companies would buy cars through dealers but not often. Anything is possible.
I have seen C. R.V. s offered by rental compnies, and other cars not seen before. My guess is since the usual rental cars, like Impala and most Chrysler are backing out of the rental market the rental companies are forced to buy other brands.
Didn't the domestic companies sell to rental car companies because they had to produce more than they could sell due to union contracts?

Maybe Honda is in the same boat these days...or are they still non union? I know that Mitsubishi out in Indiana is a UAW shop.

Just a guess but I think producing rental cars was a way to keep workers working, but, it hurt in the long run. People rented stopped down models and got turned off that make. Also, it flooded the market and brought down used car prickes. Those companies found it is better to cut back production.....As with many items better to make fewer but make a larger profit on the ones you do sell. If the rental companies have to pay more for impala and Chrysler they may as well buy Hondas and cars people seem to prefer. Head Office probably arranges deals for franchisors.

Honda I products seem to be rental company favorites these days.

driver100 · June 2017

"Quote" rel="oldfarmer50">Driver100 said:

"GG, I've come to the conclusion that most people don't like to work but they do like a pay check though."

As of next week that's me.

And that is me now.................but we both worked hard to get here. Some people think it is their right.

ab348 · June 2017

driver100 said:
"Quote" rel="oldfarmer50">Driver100 said:

"GG, I've come to the conclusion that most people don't like to work but they do like a pay check though."

As of next week that's me.

And that is me now.................but we both worked hard to get here. Some people think it is their right.

As one (name forgotten now) comedian put it: "I don't get people who say they love their work. If work is so great, how come they have to pay you to do it?"

driver100 · June 2017

fintail said:
It's pretty simple - hide the fact that you are driving a small engine model. Especially lately, trim packages can be quite similar, with the engine-related badge being a key determinant about the car. Remove it, and people don't know what it is. Like you say, in Europe, the badge doesn't mean a lot, as premium badges are a lot more ordinary. So the model receives the focus. Debadging is definitely better than rebadging (something I see primarily on BMWs) - no enthusiast will believe that 528i is an M5,. but the random person on the street might. I also see more than a couple late model 3ers without badging. 320i anyone?

Debadging has been a thing in Europe for at least 40 years. I have even seen debadged fintails.

Nearly 25 years ago, BBC made this fascinating little documentary about rep car culture, and badging is a key part of it - notice that virtually everyone is concerned with the badge, and the W124 E-class (a very basic E200, I think) driver at around 13:00 admits to debadging his car. There's definitely social climbing in Europe too, but brand perception and cachet are a little different, and IMO it is more of an egalitarian society, this is what happens/

re: Honda rentals - I am pretty sure National had some Accords in the fleet a few years ago, too. Basic LX models that people complained about because they were classified as "premium" cars - the classifications apparently based on cost more than features.

driver100 said:

We need Fin tail (see what the tablet does to his name) to explain the European attitude to debadging. We are staying in a pretty standard hotel in Hamburg but there are Porshes, 740s, Audio parked all over the place, I am surprised the cars don't have model names on them.

Maybe North Americans find it more important to state what model they are driving. Driving a Mercedes here doesn't mean too much, since most of the taxis are cream colored Mercedes. All cabs are supposed to be cream colored.

Maybe the badge thing has even gone to the extreme where not only does the model name not matter....but the model size and price don't matter as C.L.A. looks like a C. Series, looks like an E. Series, looks like an S. Series. Same with 3, 5 and 7 Series. Maybe it has becoming politically incorrect to flaunt you badge model!

driver100 · June 2017

suydam said:
For many Europeans flaunting your wealth is in bad taste.

That is a good point......you should do it discreetly like you are trying not to do it.

ab348 · June 2017

fintail said:
It's pretty simple - hide the fact that you are driving a small engine model. Especially lately, trim packages can be quite similar, with the engine-related badge being a key determinant about the car. Remove it, and people don't know what it is. [snip]

Debadging has been a thing in Europe for at least 40 years. I have even seen debadged fintails.

So I get that - you buy the cheapest-level C-class or whatever and want people to think it is something more expensive. But if I buy a C450 or whatever, why would I do that?

I see guys over in the Cadillac groups with ATS-Vs that cost $60K debadging and plasti-dipping parts. It makes them look just awful IMO.

driver100 · June 2017

Went to the Chocolate Museum today. Not nearly as good as Miniature Wonderland but a nice way to fill out a day and learn about the steps needed to make chocolate. Pods grow in only a few tropical locations, they are opened, beans removed, left in sun for weeks to dry out, beans are roasted, ground up and mixed with sugar-the less the better, ground up really fine, melted, moulded, wrapped and Bob's your uncle.

What I want to know and she couldn't answer is who in the world figured out all these steps for making chocolate out of these little bitter tasting beans that taste nothing like chocolate in the beginning?

nyccarguy · June 2017

ab348 said:

fintail said:
It's pretty simple - hide the fact that you are driving a small engine model. Especially lately, trim packages can be quite similar, with the engine-related badge being a key determinant about the car. Remove it, and people don't know what it is. [snip]

Debadging has been a thing in Europe for at least 40 years. I have even seen debadged fintails.
So I get that - you buy the cheapest-level C-class or whatever and want people to think it is something more expensive. But if I buy a C450 or whatever, why would I do that?

I see guys over in the Cadillac groups with ATS-Vs that cost $60K debadging and plasti-dipping parts. It makes them look just awful IMO.

Makes it somewhat of a sleeper. People at the light next to you think you are in a run of the mill C300 4 matic. You are 3/4 of the way into the next town by the time they realize what just happened.

driver100 · June 2017

ab348 said:

fintail said:
It's pretty simple - hide the fact that you are driving a small engine model. Especially lately, trim packages can be quite similar, with the engine-related badge being a key determinant about the car. Remove it, and people don't know what it is. [snip]

Debadging has been a thing in Europe for at least 40 years. I have even seen debadged fintails.
So I get that - you buy the cheapest-level C-class or whatever and want people to think it is something more expensive. But if I buy a C450 or whatever, why would I do that?

I see guys over in the Cadillac groups with ATS-Vs that cost $60K debadging and plasti-dipping parts. It makes them look just awful IMO.

It's cool to act like you aren't class conscience.

driver100 · June 2017

ab348 said:

driver100 said:
"Quote" rel="oldfarmer50">Driver100 said:

"GG, I've come to the conclusion that most people don't like to work but they do like a pay check though."

As of next week that's me.
And that is me now.................but we both worked hard to get here. Some people think it is their right.

As one (name forgotten now) comedian put it: "I don't get people who say they love their work. If work is so great, how come they have to pay you to do it?"

Or as my father said when I came home the first day from a job I hated, "If you liked it they wouldn't have to pay you."

suydam · June 2017

driver100 said:
Went to the Chocolate Museum today. Not nearly as good as Miniature Wonderland but a nice way to fill out a day and learn about the steps needed to make chocolate. Pods grow in only a few tropical locations, they are opened, beans removed, left in sun for weeks to dry out, beans are roasted, ground up and mixed with sugar-the less the better, ground up really fine, melted, moulded, wrapped and Bob's your uncle.

What I want to know and she couldn't answer is who in the world figured out all these steps for making chocolate out of these little bitter tasting beans that taste nothing like chocolate in the beginning?

--- Nuns in Mexico in the post-Cortez era.
Which I learned from the Chocolate Museum in Barcelona (also a great place to visit!). There was a great chocolate exhibit explaining the history at the Franklin Institute in Philly a few years back. You may correctly assume I am a chocolate lover.

fintail · June 2017

Yep, like bradd said, sleeper effect . I have seen numerous debadged AMGs over the years, esp C63.

I agree about the plasti-dip, I don't see the appeal. Screams dbag, kind of like a matte wrap.

ab348 said:

So I get that - you buy the cheapest-level C-class or whatever and want people to think it is something more expensive. But if I buy a C450 or whatever, why would I do that?

I see guys over in the Cadillac groups with ATS-Vs that cost $60K debadging and plasti-dipping parts. It makes them look just awful IMO.

murphydog · June 2017

nyccarguy said:

ab348 said:

fintail said:
It's pretty simple - hide the fact that you are driving a small engine model. Especially lately, trim packages can be quite similar, with the engine-related badge being a key determinant about the car. Remove it, and people don't know what it is. [snip]

Debadging has been a thing in Europe for at least 40 years. I have even seen debadged fintails.
So I get that - you buy the cheapest-level C-class or whatever and want people to think it is something more expensive. But if I buy a C450 or whatever, why would I do that?

I see guys over in the Cadillac groups with ATS-Vs that cost $60K debadging and plasti-dipping parts. It makes them look just awful IMO.
Makes it somewhat of a sleeper. People at the light next to you think you are in a run of the mill C300 4 matic. You are 3/4 of the way into the next town by the time they realize what just happened.

Agreed - if I am ever able to acquire a full blown AMG Benz I would "down" badge it to the smallest motor available. People may think it is a small 4 cylinder motor, but truthfully it would be the fire breathing twin turbo V8.

Side note - the Ram badging on my truck is not too bad, yes it says HEMI in orange letters, and the Ram logos are pretty good size, but I don't mind them. I did however remove the extra badge that the dealer added. It was more of a raised decal and on the first really warm day we had it pealed cleanly off.

imidazol97 · June 2017

suydam said:

Went to the Chocolate Museum today. Not nearly as good as Miniature Wonderland but a nice way to fill out a day and learn about the steps needed to make chocolate. Pods grow in only a few tropical locations, they are opened, beans removed, left in sun for weeks to dry out, beans are roasted, ground up and mixed with sugar-the less the better, ground up really fine, melted, moulded, wrapped and Bob's your uncle.

What I want to know and she couldn't answer is who in the world figured out all these steps for making chocolate out of these little bitter tasting beans that taste nothing like chocolate in the beginning?

--- Nuns in Mexico in the post-Cortez era.
Which I learned from the Chocolate Museum in Barcelona (also a great place to visit!). There was a great chocolate exhibit explaining the history at the Franklin Institute in Philly a few years back. You may correctly assume I am a chocolate lover.

All this talk about chocolate and I'm trying to eat less to lose weight... Now I'm thinking about going to Jungle Jim's for some Russian chocolate bars. Instead we'll hav lunch at chick fill a. Any errors on this post are the fault of my lg phone, lol.

28firefighter · June 2017

murphydog said:
Side note - the Ram badging on my truck is not too bad, yes it says HEMI in orange letters, and the Ram logos are pretty good size, but I don't mind them. I did however remove the extra badge that the dealer added. It was more of a raised decal and on the first really warm day we had it pealed cleanly off.

I pulled the raised CJDR Seattle sticker off my SIL's car the day I first saw it in-person. I don't mind license plate frames so much, but putting something on the paint really really irks me.

murphydog · June 2017

28firefighter said:

murphydog said:
Side note - the Ram badging on my truck is not too bad, yes it says HEMI in orange letters, and the Ram logos are pretty good size, but I don't mind them. I did however remove the extra badge that the dealer added. It was more of a raised decal and on the first really warm day we had it pealed cleanly off.
I pulled the raised CJDR Seattle sticker off my SIL's car the day I first saw it in-person. I don't mind license plate frames so much, but putting something on the paint really really irks me.

Funny - that was the same one I pulled off, a raised star sticker that said CJDR Seattle. I ditched the license plate frames too. Oh, and with the new light rail taxes my tabs were...wait for it...$688!

imidazol97 · June 2017

For book and history lovers: I'm in Dayton, OH.
I'm sitting in the Wright Building (medical offices) reading McCullough's book The Wright Brothers. I'm less than a mile from the Wright's workshop. One half mile from where secret enigma machine work was done by NCR folks during wwii. And

28firefighter · June 2017

murphydog said:

28firefighter said:

murphydog said:
Side note - the Ram badging on my truck is not too bad, yes it says HEMI in orange letters, and the Ram logos are pretty good size, but I don't mind them. I did however remove the extra badge that the dealer added. It was more of a raised decal and on the first really warm day we had it pealed cleanly off.
I pulled the raised CJDR Seattle sticker off my SIL's car the day I first saw it in-person. I don't mind license plate frames so much, but putting something on the paint really really irks me.
Funny - that was the same one I pulled off, a raised star sticker that said CJDR Seattle. I ditched the license plate frames too. Oh, and with the new light rail taxes my tabs were...wait for it...$688!

We missed the ST3 tax for the first year of registration on the BMW by about 2 weeks. I'm absolutely dreading renewal in January.

fintail · June 2017

The "same sausage different lengths" school of design probably adds something to the mix.

Usually, premium car buyers aren't too worried about being PC. Europeans might generally not be as into flaunting as people in NA, but there's still a bit of it.

driver100 said:

Maybe the badge thing has even gone to the extreme where not only does the model name not matter....but the model size and price don't matter as C.L.A. looks like a C. Series, looks like an E. Series, looks like an S. Series. Same with 3, 5 and 7 Series. Maybe it has becoming politically incorrect to flaunt you badge model!

fintail · June 2017

That's a bit more than my E250 - truck must have a weight penalty. It's painful, lots of voters remorse out there.

murphydog said:

Funny - that was the same one I pulled off, a raised star sticker that said CJDR Seattle. I ditched the license plate frames too. Oh, and with the new light rail taxes my tabs were...wait for it...$688!

suydam · June 2017

I'm not sure what PC in this case means -- I meant good manners.

tjc78 · June 2017

RE: Badges
Buick did away with trim levels a few years back. I remember when I went shopping for the 2012 Lacrosse. I asked for a "CXS" to test drive as I knew that was the highest trim level.

The salesman said, oh that's a PIII (or whatever) option package. He then went on an explanation that Buick buyers don't want trim levels, extra badging etc etc. I have no idea if it was true or not, but if you think about it Lexus, Infiniti, etc don't do trim levels.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2017

driver100 said:

houdini1 said:
Driver, I just heard a good joke about Canada. Seems this good 'ol boy from Saskatchewan won a new fishing boat in a raffle. His wife asked him what he was going to do with a fishing boat when there was not a good lake within 50 miles, etc.. He said well, he won it and he was going to keep it.

A few days later his brother came to visit. His wife told him his brother was out back in his fishing boat. He walks out and sure enough, his brother in sitting in his boat right in the middle of a big field of flax. He yelled and asked him what he was doing. His brother yelled back, what does it look like, I'm fishing. His brother yelled back and said, you know, you're the reason people think that people from Saskatchewan are not very smart. You make me so mad, if I could swim, I would come out there and kick your butt !
Houdini.....cute, I laughed out loud. I have a good friend who lives in Saskatchewan so I will send it to him.

Somebody told me a "Canadian Joke" and I didn't get it. Can you explain to me why (or if) this is funny?

"If a Canadian tripped and fell in the forest and there was no one to hear it, would he still have to say he was sorry?"

driver100 · June 2017

It is actually kind of cute. It is saying that Canadians are so polite we would say we are sorry if we fell in the forest even if no one was there to hear it.

It is better than why aren't Canadians like canoes? Because canoes tip. I find that may have been true at one time as tipping wasn't as generous back home.....but, these days I would hope Canadians tip fairly. I have relied on tips so I tend to tip about 20% and higher to round off for exceptional service. If I am in Florida for 5 months the generous tips might amount to $60 or $70 extra but will help make someone's life a bit better, especially if others do the same.

graphicguy · June 2017

Honda's main U.S. plant is not far from me. They are non-union! Really cool to take a plant tour if you're in the area. They are fastidious in their manufacturing process and in their desire to get EVERYTHING right. That might explain why their vehicles have such top notch quality and build.

Drove the CRV from Milwaukee to Chicago early this a.m. It's a good highway vehicle, too. Seats are comfy, engine is perky, trans does what you want it to. Again, I see the appeal.

abacomike · June 2017

suydam said:

For many Europeans flaunting your wealth is in bad taste.

Hmmm, and here I thought that European food was quite delicious! Go figure!

jmonroe · June 2017

ab348 said:

driver100 said:
"Quote" rel="oldfarmer50">Driver100 said:

"GG, I've come to the conclusion that most people don't like to work but they do like a pay check though."

As of next week that's me.
And that is me now.................but we both worked hard to get here. Some people think it is their right.

As one (name forgotten now) comedian put it: "I don't get people who say they love their work. If work is so great, how come they have to pay you to do it?"

Yep, and that's me too. It is my "right" but I don't feel guilty about being retired because I know I've earned it.

I've had quite a few people ask me what I do all day since they know I worked for a long time. My answer is, "I do whatever I want to do and I only do that when I want to".

It's working out great for me.

@oldfarmer50, you'll probably like it too.

jmonroe

houdini1 · June 2017

abacomike said:

suydam said:

For many Europeans flaunting your wealth is in bad taste.

Hmmm, and here I thought that European food was quite delicious! Go figure!

People who flaunt their wealth are usually not that wealthy.

jmonroe · June 2017

driver100 said:

suydam said:
For many Europeans flaunting your wealth is in bad taste.
That is a good point......you should do it discreetly like you are trying not to do it.

Really? Do you know anyone in here like that?

jmonroe

cdnpinhead · June 2017

We'd need data, but I have my suspicions.

oldfarmer50 · June 2017

ab348 said:

fintail said:
It's pretty simple - hide the fact that you are driving a small engine model. Especially lately, trim packages can be quite similar, with the engine-related badge being a key determinant about the car. Remove it, and people don't know what it is. [snip]

Debadging has been a thing in Europe for at least 40 years. I have even seen debadged fintails.
So I get that - you buy the cheapest-level C-class or whatever and want people to think it is something more expensive. But if I buy a C450 or whatever, why would I do that?

I see guys over in the Cadillac groups with ATS-Vs that cost $60K debadging and plasti-dipping parts. It makes them look just awful IMO.

I think plasti-dipping anything makes it look awful. Not only is it unattractive in it's own right but it makes you wonder what awful stuff it's covering up.

andres3 · June 2017

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

isellhondas said:

graphicguy said:
Just finished up some meetings in Milwaukee. Weather is really pleasant here....high '70s and sunny.

Something that's a first for me, Hertz put me in a Honda CRV as a rental. I don't know that I've ever seen a Honda "anything" as a rental. I know Craig has said many times that Honda doesn't do fleet sales to rental car agencies. I'll assume Hertz ended up with the CRV as part of some sort of anomalie.

Anyway, not a bad little compact CUV. Engine is willing (although not very fast). Steering has good feel and is precise. Typical FWD understeer, though. Was surprised how well it road.

Brakes did well.

Transmission shifts smoothly and quickly up or down the range. Surprising amount of room in such a small package. Plenty of cubbies around and in the dash.

Base model, so not much in the way of equipment. But, it has power windows and locks. Lots and lots of hard plastics throughout. Nice padding on the center console and door arm rests.

Pretty comfortable. I can see the appeal.
A lot of appeal. Just a car that does most things right. We are on our 4th one now.

I've been gone seven years now so it's possible Honda has started selling cars direct to the rental companies but I doubt it. In the past I know some rental companies would buy cars through dealers but not often. Anything is possible.
I have seen C. R.V. s offered by rental compnies, and other cars not seen before. My guess is since the usual rental cars, like Impala and most Chrysler are backing out of the rental market the rental companies are forced to buy other brands.
Didn't the domestic companies sell to rental car companies because they had to produce more than they could sell due to union contracts?

Maybe Honda is in the same boat these days...or are they still non union? I know that Mitsubishi out in Indiana is a UAW shop.

you just took Mitsubishi out of consideration for me! We're the Evo MR's built with UAW labor?

oldfarmer50 · June 2017

tjc78 said:
RE: Badges
Buick did away with trim levels a few years back. I remember when I went shopping for the 2012 Lacrosse. I asked for a "CXS" to test drive as I knew that was the highest trim level.

The salesman said, oh that's a PIII (or whatever) option package. He then went on an explanation that Buick buyers don't want trim levels, extra badging etc etc. I have no idea if it was true or not, but if you think about it Lexus, Infiniti, etc don't do trim levels.

My Ford is a GT base trim but there is no badging to differentiate it from the premium level. There is some difference behind the rear bumper but most people wouldn't know one GT from another.

tbirdmarco · June 2017

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-3dslFuNie8

tbirdmarco · June 2017

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

tbirdmarco · June 2017

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eG43_zWL2Og

qbrozen · June 2017

oldfarmer50 said:

It's pretty simple - hide the fact that you are driving a small engine model. Especially lately, trim packages can be quite similar, with the engine-related badge being a key determinant about the car. Remove it, and people don't know what it is. [snip]

Debadging has been a thing in Europe for at least 40 years. I have even seen debadged fintails.

So I get that - you buy the cheapest-level C-class or whatever and want people to think it is something more expensive. But if I buy a C450 or whatever, why would I do that?

I see guys over in the Cadillac groups with ATS-Vs that cost $60K debadging and plasti-dipping parts. It makes them look just awful IMO.

I think plasti-dipping anything makes it look awful. Not only is it unattractive in it's own right but it makes you wonder what awful stuff it's covering up.

I plastidipped my Fit's plastic hubcaps. Granted, it is not exactly tragic to cover up cheap wheel covers.

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