Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

imidazol97 · August 2017

driver100 said:

Mr S., e-books sales seem to have stalled at just under 20% of total sales. But Amazon and for used books ABEBOOKS.com have a huge percent of the market. Why go to a bookstore when you may or may not find the book you want, when you can order from home and it will be delivered to your home?

The value of Amazon is that they offer page often includes scans of the first pages along with the Library of Congress (bless their hearts) book number is there with the publication date. My son's time at OSU evolved from buying new or used books at the local non-OSU bookstore that offered them with credibility to buying new and used on Amazon by getting exactly the right 13 digit or 10 digit number.

The profs, underpaid as they are, often changed books so they could garner royalty since many of the engineering and physics books are written by profs there to bolster their paltry salaries.... Then it was a hassle to get the books in to the bookstores. Often found on Amazon then sold back for 1/2 price or so depending if Imid, Jr., didn't want it for his bookshelf reference.

AS much as I dislike Bezos' attempts to influence politics improperly, his company has been number one with me. But now I'm taking a closer look at what I buy and I compare more because of their dynamic pricing.

American Book Exchange (Abe) also sold us lots of books. Even was through them I was able to find a legitimate geneology of the Azol family having come over on the Mayflower and landed in NC. LOL I bought the book from a seller in Great Britain who wouldn't accept Euros: a foreshadowing of things to come.

abacomike · August 2017

tjc78 said:

Ugh... don't ignore a cough. I had been coughing for almost a month. Just a cough, but no other symptoms and I felt fine. I guess finally it caught up to me, because Thursday morning I felt like my head was gonna explode, trouble breathing and my ears were clogged and killing me. Went to the doc ... double ear infection, sinus infection and Bronchitis. Go me.

Minor stuff compared to what many of you have gone through, but probably could have been avoided if I went to the doc sooner.

You at least finally went to see your doctor. Lucky you didn't develop pneumonia. As soon as I feel congested or develop a sore throat, I quickly call the doctor. I've gotten pneumonia, on average, at least once every year. It's my crippled immune system from years of Hep C.

Hot tea, rest, sleep, rest, sleep, hot soup, and more rest and sleep. Dr. Mike's prescription for a more rapid recuperation. Feel better quickly.

fintail · August 2017

My fave book/prof experience was a kooky guy I had for a couple classes back in the day. He didn't write the text, but he wrote the study guide, which of course was optional (and I think around $50 back in the late 90s). No surprise, a lot of exam material was directly out of the study guide. That's a smart way to boost income, sell tips for exams. I recall his structure too, the entirety of course grading was based on 3 exams, nothing else. He knew how to play that game.

That was also before online venues for textbooks - I have fond memories of paying $150 for a text to find it worth $10 at the end of the term. Quite a racket there.

Regarding Bezos, there are far more dangerous players out there. The way I see it, WaPo did a lot to bring down one corrupt regime, why not two?

Like it or not, Amazon is here to stay for the foreseeable future, and will continue to be an enormous influence on consumerism. Another hit that started in Seattle.

imidazol97 said:

The profs, underpaid as they are, often changed books so they could garner royalty since many of the engineering and physics books are written by profs there to bolster their paltry salaries.... Then it was a hassle to get the books in to the bookstores. Often found on Amazon then sold back for 1/2 price or so depending if Imid, Jr., didn't want it for his bookshelf reference.

AS much as I dislike Bezos' attempts to influence politics improperly, his company has been number one with me. But now I'm taking a closer look at what I buy and I compare more because of their dynamic pricing.

American Book Exchange (Abe) also sold us lots of books. Even was through them I was able to find a legitimate geneology of the Azol family having come over on the Mayflower and landed in NC. LOL I bought the book from a seller in Great Britain who wouldn't accept Euros: a foreshadowing of things to come.

tjc78 · August 2017

abacomike said:

tjc78 said:

Ugh... don't ignore a cough. I had been coughing for almost a month. Just a cough, but no other symptoms and I felt fine. I guess finally it caught up to me, because Thursday morning I felt like my head was gonna explode, trouble breathing and my ears were clogged and killing me. Went to the doc ... double ear infection, sinus infection and Bronchitis. Go me.

Minor stuff compared to what many of you have gone through, but probably could have been avoided if I went to the doc sooner.

You at least finally went to see your doctor. Lucky you didn't develop pneumonia. As soon as I feel congested or develop a sore throat, I quickly call the doctor. I've gotten pneumonia, on average, at least once every year. It's my crippled immune system from years of Hep C.

Hot tea, rest, sleep, rest, sleep, hot soup, and more rest and sleep. Dr. Mike's prescription for a more rapid recuperation. Feel better quickly.

Thank You.

Mr_Shiftright · August 2017

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:
This sled is at the Volvo store next door; I can only imagine what a complete moron the previous owner was. Note the three pointed stars replacing all the Chrysler emblems.
Well it is a SLK underneath. Pretty tacky though.

I drove one earlier this Spring and it might be an SLK underneath but somehow Chrysler ironed all the fun out of it. It's very Chrysler in the cockpit, visibility is bad, and power is tepid.

28firefighter · August 2017

Hang in there @tjc78. As someone who ignored a fever for 10 days, I agree with not letting things go. My new rule is if a symptom doesn't start improving in a day or two, it's time to get checked out.

oldfarmer50 · August 2017

Mr_Shiftright said:

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:
This sled is at the Volvo store next door; I can only imagine what a complete moron the previous owner was. Note the three pointed stars replacing all the Chrysler emblems.
Well it is a SLK underneath. Pretty tacky though.
I drove one earlier this Spring and it might be an SLK underneath but somehow Chrysler ironed all the fun out of it. It's very Chrysler in the cockpit, visibility is bad, and power is tepid.

The power was the fault of MB. When I drove one I was underwhelmed with the 225hp. The Eclipse had about 40 extra horses and was $10k cheaper. Tons of interior room too.
The style was what drew me to the Crossfire but the rest didn't add up.

jmonroe · August 2017

roadburner said:

tjc78 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:
For those of you that think extended oil drain intervals cause irreversible engine damage, here are a couple of pictures I took of the engine in my son's 108k mile 2009 328i while the valve cover gasket was being changed- it has been fed a steady diet of BMW 5W-30 or BMW 0W-30 synthetic oil that is changed no more frequently than every 15k miles:

I wonder how motors known to have sludgeing issues, like Chrysler's 2.7L or Honda's 3.0L, would fare under that schedule.

I think having an engine designed to run on synthetic certainly helps things. I'm sure driving habits help too. I'd be willing to bet @roadburner and family aren't afraid to wind the engines up and actually drive them.

I can't even imagine a lightly driven 2.7 with 15k services. It would be like chocolate pudding in there.

I agree; it depends on the engine, the oil used, and the operating conditions. I only run BMW synthetic or a synthetic that meets the BMW Longlife-01 (LL-01) specs. As far as driving conditions, my son's car sees mostly suburban driving with an occasional extended interstate run.
I will note a few years ago that BMW cut back to a 10k mile change interval for their turbocharged cars; my Mazdaspeed used regular 5W-30 Mobil 1 and used oil analysis indicated it could run at least 10k miles, so I'm not worried about my 2 Series.
You might run across the following picture with a caption stating that the BMW engine shown had the oil changed every 15k miles. Don't believe it. The oil had not been changed for about 60k miles- and the quality of the oil used is unknown:

Not trying to start an argument but how do you know all this?

To me, it looks like an engine test for durability when oil is not changed and the engine is run for many, many hours on a test stand.

FWIW, I've seen this photo on the internet too.

jmonroe

thebean · August 2017

Looking through some old copies of Hemmings Classic Cars today, and I really miss the days of cool car model names. Like Catalina, Bonneville, Electra 225 (deuce an' a quarta'), Polara, Fury, Imperial, Galaxie, Golden Hawk, Matador, Marquis, Monte Carlo, Park Lane, Comet Caliente, Cyclone, Torino, Caribbean, and the like. Just random letters and numbers does not do a cool car justice.

fintail · August 2017

Letters and numbers - everyone wants to be German, they just won't admit it

Centurion is another goodie. Caddy names were also good, the DeVilles, Fleetwood, etc, they were classy at a time when Caddy was still the high class brand.

roadburner · August 2017

jmonroe said:

roadburner said:

tjc78 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:
For those of you that think extended oil drain intervals cause irreversible engine damage, here are a couple of pictures I took of the engine in my son's 108k mile 2009 328i while the valve cover gasket was being changed- it has been fed a steady diet of BMW 5W-30 or BMW 0W-30 synthetic oil that is changed no more frequently than every 15k miles:

I wonder how motors known to have sludgeing issues, like Chrysler's 2.7L or Honda's 3.0L, would fare under that schedule.

I think having an engine designed to run on synthetic certainly helps things. I'm sure driving habits help too. I'd be willing to bet @roadburner and family aren't afraid to wind the engines up and actually drive them.

I can't even imagine a lightly driven 2.7 with 15k services. It would be like chocolate pudding in there.
I agree; it depends on the engine, the oil used, and the operating conditions. I only run BMW synthetic or a synthetic that meets the BMW Longlife-01 (LL-01) specs. As far as driving conditions, my son's car sees mostly suburban driving with an occasional extended interstate run.
I will note a few years ago that BMW cut back to a 10k mile change interval for their turbocharged cars; my Mazdaspeed used regular 5W-30 Mobil 1 and used oil analysis indicated it could run at least 10k miles, so I'm not worried about my 2 Series.
You might run across the following picture with a caption stating that the BMW engine shown had the oil changed every 15k miles. Don't believe it. The oil had not been changed for about 60k miles- and the quality of the oil used is unknown:

Not trying to start an argument but how do you know all this?

To me, it looks like an engine test for durability when oil is not changed and the engine is run for many, many hours on a test stand.

FWIW, I've seen this photo on the internet too.

jmonroe

The original thread can be found here. And my memory was a bit faulty, as the oil change interval was 40k miles...

jmonroe · August 2017

roadburner said:

jmonroe said:

roadburner said:

tjc78 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:
For those of you that think extended oil drain intervals cause irreversible engine damage, here are a couple of pictures I took of the engine in my son's 108k mile 2009 328i while the valve cover gasket was being changed- it has been fed a steady diet of BMW 5W-30 or BMW 0W-30 synthetic oil that is changed no more frequently than every 15k miles:

I wonder how motors known to have sludgeing issues, like Chrysler's 2.7L or Honda's 3.0L, would fare under that schedule.

I think having an engine designed to run on synthetic certainly helps things. I'm sure driving habits help too. I'd be willing to bet @roadburner and family aren't afraid to wind the engines up and actually drive them.

I can't even imagine a lightly driven 2.7 with 15k services. It would be like chocolate pudding in there.
I agree; it depends on the engine, the oil used, and the operating conditions. I only run BMW synthetic or a synthetic that meets the BMW Longlife-01 (LL-01) specs. As far as driving conditions, my son's car sees mostly suburban driving with an occasional extended interstate run.
I will note a few years ago that BMW cut back to a 10k mile change interval for their turbocharged cars; my Mazdaspeed used regular 5W-30 Mobil 1 and used oil analysis indicated it could run at least 10k miles, so I'm not worried about my 2 Series.
You might run across the following picture with a caption stating that the BMW engine shown had the oil changed every 15k miles. Don't believe it. The oil had not been changed for about 60k miles- and the quality of the oil used is unknown:
Not trying to start an argument but how do you know all this?

To me, it looks like an engine test for durability when oil is not changed and the engine is run for many, many hours on a test stand.

FWIW, I've seen this photo on the internet too.

jmonroe

The original thread can be found here. And my memory was a bit faulty, as the oil change interval was 40k miles...

Thanks for the link.

Man , what some people will do to save a buck.

FWIW, you were right about it being 60K miles. This was in the first post;

Oh yeah...actually 60k...I had to beat the truth outta him...lol

and then:

...Toms a good guy...and is learning a valuable lesson....lol

I wouldn't say that. More like a dumb sh** that will never learn.

jmonroe

thebean · August 2017

fintail said:

Letters and numbers - everyone wants to be German, they just won't admit it Centurion is another goodie. Caddy names were also good, the DeVilles, Fleetwood, etc, they were classy at a time when Caddy was still the high class brand.

Yeah, Centurion is a great one.

isellhondas · August 2017

bwia said:
Do you agree with this Car Buying Advice from Quora?

Question: Is there a car that makes sense to buy brand new instead of used or CPO?

Answer: Yes, there actually is one. The Subaru Outback. Read on before you refute this assertion:

Virtually every car depreciates tremendously during its first two years. In most cases you’d be foolish, purely in economic terms, to buy something brand-new. Lucky thing the decision to purchase a car is rarely based on economics, or new cars simply wouldn’t be sold.

But the Outback is different. It retained an astounding percentage of its sticker price even after several years. You’d have to wait until an Outback had been on the road four or five years to see the kind of depreciation most cars get in the first two. I used to marvel. They’d have 70,000 or 80,000 miles at that point, and still they would be selling for about two-thirds of the sticker price. With that kind of mileage, most other cars would be about half, or even less.

How come? Well, they’re well-made, for one thing. Lithe on the road, with superior weight distribution and an all-wheel drive system that performed better than any car in its price class. But I think the real reason is that they lasted unlike any other car. Or at least that’s what people said. You expect most modern cars to be on their last legs somewhere between 180,000 and 200,000 miles — mostly because once cars get past 120,000 miles or so, owners become reluctant to spend on upkeep.

But the Subaru's have a rep for lasting to 300K and even beyond. The Outback is the most desirable model — especially the totally tricked-out ones with the leather seats and the whole nine yards. The Subaru salespeople attribute this to Subaru’s unique “pancake engine,” in which the cylinders lay flat rather than in a “V” configuration. They said that kept the oil from draining out when the car is not in use, so cold starts can't hurt it.

Don't know if any if that is true of a Subaru in particular but I am inclined to buy new, be damned the economics. Besides, the smell of a new car, especially the smell of the leather upholstery, is too intoxicating and addictive to do otherwise.

Sorry but I disagree on the Subaru being so long lasting. Our son's 2009 Subaru that he kept very well maintained started burning a quart of oil every 500 miles after only 30,000 miles. The local dealer was doing an "oil consumption test" on it when it decided to throw a rod on the freeway one dark rainy night. I had met the Service Manager from my days at Honda so I asked him on the sly if the had seen this very often and he gave me a wink and a nod. Unusual, perhaps and I have seen some high mileage Subies. I just don't think they are as bulletproof as you portray. I've seen 400,000 mile Hondas too but most don't last that long. As the miles pile up and the worth of the car go's downhill people tend to skimp on maintenance and oil changes which hastens the decline. As far as holding value, yes they do! Honda excels at this too. A two year old Civic or CRV especially is going to be very close in price to a new one!

isellhondas · August 2017

roadburner said:
This sled is at the Volvo store next door; I can only imagine what a complete moron the previous owner was. Note the three pointed stars replacing all the Chrysler emblems.

Only 599.00 for "Permaplate" Wow....what a bargain!

imidazol97 · August 2017

isellhondas said:
I had met the Service Manager from my days at Honda so I asked him on the sly if the had seen this very often and he gave me a wink and a nod. Unusual, perhaps and I have seen some high mileage Subies. I just don't think they are as bulletproof as you portray. I've seen 400,000 mile Hondas too but most don't last that long. As the miles pile up and the worth of the car go's downhill people tend to skimp on maintenance and oil changes which hastens the decline. As far as holding value, yes they do! Honda excels at this too. A two year old Civic or CRV especially is going to be very close in price to a new one!

Holding value is a subjective item. It's like value of stocks--it's in the mind of the beholder: remember Enron?

I talked to a guy in the service waiting area at the local Chev store a year ago with his Cobalt in for service and it was over 300,000 miles. It had been serviced regularly. He had done maintenance repairs on front end parts and it had gotten a new transmission, IIRC. Regular oil changes. But I doubt he changed the oil in the trans at 40-50K which I think many people overlook.

Give a car good service and they will give it back in lifetime, usually.

I know little about Subaru service other than an Outlander was in my shadetree neighbor's garage after going to the Subie store and it had a $13000 list of things that needed to be done, including some major engine service at about 80K miles. Nice in snow in this area but it costs to maintain he said. He did most of the work cheaper and jobbed out the engine work to a mechanic knowledgeable in them.

isellhondas · August 2017

imidazol97 said:

isellhondas said:
I had met the Service Manager from my days at Honda so I asked him on the sly if the had seen this very often and he gave me a wink and a nod. Unusual, perhaps and I have seen some high mileage Subies. I just don't think they are as bulletproof as you portray. I've seen 400,000 mile Hondas too but most don't last that long. As the miles pile up and the worth of the car go's downhill people tend to skimp on maintenance and oil changes which hastens the decline. As far as holding value, yes they do! Honda excels at this too. A two year old Civic or CRV especially is going to be very close in price to a new one!
Holding value is a subjective item. It's like value of stocks--it's in the mind of the beholder: remember Enron?

I talked to a guy in the service waiting area at the local Chev store a year ago with his Cobalt in for service and it was over 300,000 miles. It had been serviced regularly. He had done maintenance repairs on front end parts and it had gotten a new transmission, IIRC. Regular oil changes. But I doubt he changed the oil in the trans at 40-50K which I think many people overlook.

Give a car good service and they will give it back in lifetime, usually.

I know little about Subaru service other than an Outlander was in my shadetree neighbor's garage after going to the Subie store and it had a $13000 list of things that needed to be done, including some major engine service at about 80K miles. Nice in snow in this area but it costs to maintain he said. He did most of the work cheaper and jobbed out the engine work to a mechanic knowledgeable in them.

Except Outlanders are made by Mitshibishi.

imidazol97 · August 2017

tjc78 said:
Ugh... don't ignore a cough. I had been coughing for almost a month. Just a cough, but no other symptoms and I felt fine. I guess finally it caught up to me, because Thursday morning I felt like my head was gonna explode, trouble breathing and my ears were clogged and killing me. Went to the doc ... double ear infection, sinus infection and Bronchitis. Go me.

Minor stuff compared to what many of you have gone through, but probably could have been avoided if I went to the doc sooner.

A few weeks back I was going to comment but felt out-of-place compared to all the major illnesses here. I have a second basal cell area on my nose at the tip that was a persistent pimple that has to have Mohs surgery in a few weeks to be sure it is all gone after the biopsy. And then some plastic surgery to smooth out the damage. About 4 months ago I had a crusty type basal cell spot farther up my nose on the top halfway to my eye level that was taken off and the pathology told dermotologist he got it all. It has healed better than he expected and is almost unnoticeable.

Watch for odd behavior bumps or crusts in area that have been sunburned a lot. Apparently my last skin peel a year ago didn't stop these from bursting out. I think I'm making my dermotologist's yacht payment this year. I don't know what kind of car he drives but nothing spectacular based on the employee parking area.

oldfarmer50 · August 2017

thebean said:
Looking through some old copies of Hemmings Classic Cars today, and I really miss the days of cool car model names. Like Catalina, Bonneville, Electra 225 (deuce an' a quarta'), Polara, Fury, Imperial, Galaxie, Golden Hawk, Matador, Marquis, Monte Carlo, Park Lane, Comet Caliente, Cyclone, Torino, Caribbean, and the like. Just random letters and numbers does not do a cool car justice.

Couldn't agree more. They can't even keep the letters straight. Why does a G become a Q? Who can keep track of that? Certainly doesn't evoke an emotional connection.

ab348 · August 2017

I think we miss the cars themselves more than the names. Lots of chrome inside and out, colorful interiors and exteriors, big V-8s, lots of glass, jet-smooth ride. We still have names like Mustang, Camaro, Malibu, Impala, and Charger but people don't tend to romanticize those models much.

imidazol97 · August 2017

ab348 said:
I think we miss the cars themselves more than the names. Lots of chrome inside and out, colorful interiors and exteriors, big V-8s, lots of glass, jet-smooth ride. We still have names like Mustang, Camaro, Malibu, Impala, and Charger but people don't tend to romanticize those models much.

I feel lost because an A4 and A7 both come from the company with an S4? and S6? Then there is the 3 numberal listings like the 126 and 123 which I don't understand nor do I associate them with specific models. Sometimes I look them up on Wiki. And the W23 and other names like that which I believe are BMW groups of models.

Michaell · August 2017

imidazol97 said:

ab348 said:
I think we miss the cars themselves more than the names. Lots of chrome inside and out, colorful interiors and exteriors, big V-8s, lots of glass, jet-smooth ride. We still have names like Mustang, Camaro, Malibu, Impala, and Charger but people don't tend to romanticize those models much.
I feel lost because an A4 and A7 both come from the company with an S4? and S6? Then there is the 3 numberal listings like the 126 and 123 which I don't understand nor do I associate them with specific models. Sometimes I look them up on Wiki. And the W23 and other names like that which I believe are BMW groups of models.

Agreed - the generic alpha-numeric combinations can be confusing.

But, the point of it is to promote the make, not the model.

Acura started out with model names (Integra, Legend, Vigor), then they, too, switched to a generic model name designation.

When you spend as much time with all of this as I do - answering dozens upon dozens of questions each day about leasing - it does start to make sense.

But, if you aren't a follower of that brand, it can get confusing.

Audi
Ax - sedans or hatchbacks
Qx - SUVs
Sx or SQx - sporty versions of the above
RSx - really sporty versions

Infiniti
Qxx - sedans
QXxx - SUVs

BMW
Cars start with numbers, SUVs start with the letter "X"

MB
CLA, C, E, S, SL, SLC - cars
GLx - SUVs

Volvo
Sxx - sedans
Vxx - wagons
XCxx - SUVs

Acura, Jaguar
No rhyme or reason to their naming

Have I missed anything?

oldfarmer50 · August 2017

isellhondas said:

imidazol97 said:

isellhondas said:
I had met the Service Manager from my days at Honda so I asked him on the sly if the had seen this very often and he gave me a wink and a nod. Unusual, perhaps and I have seen some high mileage Subies. I just don't think they are as bulletproof as you portray. I've seen 400,000 mile Hondas too but most don't last that long. As the miles pile up and the worth of the car go's downhill people tend to skimp on maintenance and oil changes which hastens the decline. As far as holding value, yes they do! Honda excels at this too. A two year old Civic or CRV especially is going to be very close in price to a new one!
Holding value is a subjective item. It's like value of stocks--it's in the mind of the beholder: remember Enron?

I talked to a guy in the service waiting area at the local Chev store a year ago with his Cobalt in for service and it was over 300,000 miles. It had been serviced regularly. He had done maintenance repairs on front end parts and it had gotten a new transmission, IIRC. Regular oil changes. But I doubt he changed the oil in the trans at 40-50K which I think many people overlook.

Give a car good service and they will give it back in lifetime, usually.

I know little about Subaru service other than an Outlander was in my shadetree neighbor's garage after going to the Subie store and it had a $13000 list of things that needed to be done, including some major engine service at about 80K miles. Nice in snow in this area but it costs to maintain he said. He did most of the work cheaper and jobbed out the engine work to a mechanic knowledgeable in them.

Except Outlanders are made by Mitshibishi.

Did he mean Outback?

oldfarmer50 · August 2017

The ad in my sidebar is now touting Chrysler Pacifica leases for $249 for 36 months with "ultra low" milage. $3k down. (Why bother leasing if you got $3k to throw away?) nowhere do they say what constitutes ultra low milage.

Clicked on the site and now the deal is $319 a month with $3500 down. Still no clarification on milage. Real turn off if I was in the market.

Why even bother to toss these offers out there on a site where the reader might be a little sharper than average in wanting actual information? I would think that business 101 would tell you that POing customers is not a good idea.

qbrozen · August 2017

oldfarmer50 said:

The ad in my sidebar is now touting Chrysler Pacifica leases for $249 for 36 months with "ultra low" milage. $3k down. (Why bother leasing if you got $3k to throw away?) nowhere do they say what constitutes ultra low milage. Clicked on the site and now the deal is $319 a month with $3500 down. Still no clarification on milage. Real turn off if I was in the market. Why even bother to toss these offers out there on a site where the reader might be a little sharper than average in wanting actual information? I would think that business 101 would tell you that POing customers is not a good idea.

I see that happen quite a bit. I don't know why exactly. But, for example, the first ad I saw for an F150 lease was the best offer. When I went back to find it again, I kept coming up with more expensive leases. Took a good bit of digging but I eventually stumbled upon the right one again.

oldfarmer50 · August 2017

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

The ad in my sidebar is now touting Chrysler Pacifica leases for $249 for 36 months with "ultra low" milage. $3k down. (Why bother leasing if you got $3k to throw away?) nowhere do they say what constitutes ultra low milage.

Clicked on the site and now the deal is $319 a month with $3500 down. Still no clarification on milage. Real turn off if I was in the market.

Why even bother to toss these offers out there on a site where the reader might be a little sharper than average in wanting actual information? I would think that business 101 would tell you that POing customers is not a good idea.

I see that happen quite a bit. I don't know why exactly. But, for example, the first ad I saw for an F150 lease was the best offer. When I went back to find it again, I kept coming up with more expensive leases. Took a good bit of digging but I eventually stumbled upon the right one again.

While not in the market for a Chrysler I've toyed with the idea of leasing the 18 Mustang, the logic being that they keep upgrading them every few years so why get stuck paying off the old model. I thought that since I'm currently driving the 15 less than 5000 mikes a year an "ultra low mile" lease could work.

As to leases price variations I believe that thanks to the tort lawyers running the NY Legislature leases in this state are higher. So a higher price in my zip code might be correct.

I don't know why after all these years I'm suprised by car ads whose purpose is to get you in the door not to impart information.

imidazol97 · August 2017

oldfarmer50 said:
Did he mean Outback?

Yeah. He meant Outback. LOL

isellhondas · August 2017

oldfarmer50 said:

isellhondas said:

imidazol97 said:

isellhondas said:
I had met the Service Manager from my days at Honda so I asked him on the sly if the had seen this very often and he gave me a wink and a nod. Unusual, perhaps and I have seen some high mileage Subies. I just don't think they are as bulletproof as you portray. I've seen 400,000 mile Hondas too but most don't last that long. As the miles pile up and the worth of the car go's downhill people tend to skimp on maintenance and oil changes which hastens the decline. As far as holding value, yes they do! Honda excels at this too. A two year old Civic or CRV especially is going to be very close in price to a new one!
Holding value is a subjective item. It's like value of stocks--it's in the mind of the beholder: remember Enron?

I talked to a guy in the service waiting area at the local Chev store a year ago with his Cobalt in for service and it was over 300,000 miles. It had been serviced regularly. He had done maintenance repairs on front end parts and it had gotten a new transmission, IIRC. Regular oil changes. But I doubt he changed the oil in the trans at 40-50K which I think many people overlook.

Give a car good service and they will give it back in lifetime, usually.

I know little about Subaru service other than an Outlander was in my shadetree neighbor's garage after going to the Subie store and it had a $13000 list of things that needed to be done, including some major engine service at about 80K miles. Nice in snow in this area but it costs to maintain he said. He did most of the work cheaper and jobbed out the engine work to a mechanic knowledgeable in them.

Except Outlanders are made by Mitshibishi.
Did he mean Outback?

Probably since we were talking about Subaru's.

fintail · August 2017

The MB "W" nomenclature doesn't describe specific models, but platforms of a specific timeframe. For instance, the current C is a W205, E is a W213, S is a W222. There's not much rhyme or reason to the numbers, some of them appear to be random. It can be quite illogical, and probably alien to someone who isn't a devotee. It's along the same idea of a "G body" etc, but more specific.

BMW does the same, first it was Exx (example - E30 = 80s 3er, E65 = Bangle butt 7er), then Fxx , now for some reason on to Gxx.

Audi has a really weird system with numbers and letters as either prefix or suffix, earlier cars were just numbers. I have memorized very few of those.

Examples of fun with MB nomenclature:

W108 - premium 6cyl and 8cyl cars that replaced higher model fintails, 65-72
W109 - LWB air suspended variant of W108
W110 - 4cyl, diesel, and one 6cyl fintails, 61-67/68
W111 - 6cyl fintails (sedan and coupe) - 59-67/68
W112 - fancier air suspended 6cyl fintails (sedan and coupe) - 61-65
W113 - SL 63-71
W114 - "squareline" 6cyl cars (sedan and coupe) 68-76
W115 - "squareline" 4cyl and diesel cars (sedan and coupe) 68-76
W116 - S-class 73-79/80

Not much of a pattern even though the numbers are sequential. Recently, the numbers have been more sequential - for example, E-class since 1996 is W210, W211 W212, W213.

Since the 70s and slowly evolving, instead of "W", roadsters have an "R" prefix, coupes have a "C" prefix, wagons have a "S" prefix.

imidazol97 said:

I feel lost because an A4 and A7 both come from the company with an S4? and S6? Then there is the 3 numberal listings like the 126 and 123 which I don't understand nor do I associate them with specific models. Sometimes I look them up on Wiki. And the W23 and other names like that which I believe are BMW groups of models.

oldfarmer50 · August 2017

fintail said:
The MB "W" nomenclature doesn't describe specific models, but platforms of a specific timeframe. For instance, the current C is a W205, E is a W213, S is a W222. There's not much rhyme or reason to the numbers, some of them appear to be random. It can be quite illogical, and probably alien to someone who isn't a devotee. It's along the same idea of a "G body" etc, but more specific.

BMW does the same, first it was Exx (example - E30 = 80s 3er, E65 = Bangle butt 7er), then Fxx , now for some reason on to Gxx.

Audi has a really weird system with numbers and letters as either prefix or suffix, earlier cars were just numbers. I have memorized very few of those.

Examples of fun with MB nomenclature:

W108 - premium 6cyl and 8cyl cars that replaced higher model fintails, 65-72
W109 - LWB air suspended variant of W108
W110 - 4cyl, diesel, and one 6cyl fintails, 61-67/68
W111 - 6cyl fintails (sedan and coupe) - 59-67/68
W112 - fancier air suspended 6cyl fintails (sedan and coupe) - 61-65
W113 - SL 63-71
W114 - "squareline" 6cyl cars (sedan and coupe) 68-76
W115 - "squareline" 4cyl and diesel cars (sedan and coupe) 68-76
W116 - S-class 73-79/80

Not much of a pattern even though the numbers are sequential. Recently, the numbers have been more sequential - for example, E-class since 1996 is W210, W211 W212, W213.

Since the 70s and slowly evolving, instead of "W", roadsters have an "R" prefix, coupes have a "C" prefix, wagons have a "S" prefix.

imidazol97 said:

I feel lost because an A4 and A7 both come from the company with an S4? and S6? Then there is the 3 numberal listings like the 126 and 123 which I don't understand nor do I associate them with specific models. Sometimes I look them up on Wiki. And the W23 and other names like that which I believe are BMW groups of models.

So really it's a devotee thing where you and your fellow knowledgeable buddies can roll your eyes at the clueless newbie?

driver100 · August 2017

Please don't use those names like W.1.1.2. to describe a car, I have enough trouble with something like Q50.

stickguy · August 2017

tjc78 said:
Ugh... don't ignore a cough. I had been coughing for almost a month. Just a cough, but no other symptoms and I felt fine. I guess finally it caught up to me, because Thursday morning I felt like my head was gonna explode, trouble breathing and my ears were clogged and killing me. Went to the doc ... double ear infection, sinus infection and Bronchitis. Go me.

Minor stuff compared to what many of you have gone through, but probably could have been avoided if I went to the doc sooner.

I ignored a persistent cough for a while about 10 years ago. Ended up needing chemo for that. I get things checked early now.

oldfarmer50 · August 2017

stickguy said:

tjc78 said:
Ugh... don't ignore a cough. I had been coughing for almost a month. Just a cough, but no other symptoms and I felt fine. I guess finally it caught up to me, because Thursday morning I felt like my head was gonna explode, trouble breathing and my ears were clogged and killing me. Went to the doc ... double ear infection, sinus infection and Bronchitis. Go me.

Minor stuff compared to what many of you have gone through, but probably could have been avoided if I went to the doc sooner.

I ignored a persistent cough for a while about 10 years ago. Ended up needing chemo for that. I get things checked early now.

I ignored a hernia for maybe 30 years. Got it taken care of last week. Barely slowed me down but pulled a muscle in my back loading the truck Friday and now I'm thinking about using that good dope they gave when I left the hospital.

Nah, not really but it's amazing what they throw at you post op. Are people really that adverse to a little pain?

oldfarmer50 · August 2017

I'm watching one of those Powerblock shows and they're doing a custom rebuild of a model A pick up. Instead of restoring it they're putting a new frame and complete running gear. That I can understand since it makes the vehicle much safer to drive.

What I don't understand is the need to chop the roof 3 inches. Turns the thing into a cramped, dark, hard to fit in thing that the taller guy can't even drive.

What's the logic? Does a chop really enhance value?

explorerx4 · August 2017

@driver100,
Just make a little 'cheat sheet' and keep in net to your monitor.

suydam · August 2017

Here's an interesting article on an aspect of Buick's future plans.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1111816_all-electric-buick-small-suv-to-be-based-on-bolt-ev-report

iluvmysephia1 · August 2017

I have just recently developed a sort of a hankering for the 2017 Ford Fiesta ST. In the copper orange base model with the 6-speed stick. Would run just north of $22,000 plus T&L. I just wonder if the Mrs. and I would be smashing elbows into each other in that cabin.

This one is probably not the base model because it has fog lights - wouldn't want ta throw in fog lights without additional cash charged, would we?

Michaell · August 2017

iluvmysephia1 said:

I have just recently developed a sort of a hankering for the 2017 Ford Fiesta ST. In the copper orange base model with the 6-speed stick. Would run just north of $22,000 plus T&L. I just wonder if the Mrs. and I would be smashing elbows into each other in that cabin.

This one is probably not the base model because it has fog lights - wouldn't want ta throw in fog lights without additional cash charged, would we?

Better move quick - Ford will not be offering the Fiesta in the US much longer.

iluvmysephia1 · August 2017

Better move quick - Ford will not be offering the Fiesta in the US much longer.

Really? Is Ford also punting the Focus in America?

Mr_Shiftright · August 2017

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

tjc78 said:
Ugh... don't ignore a cough. I had been coughing for almost a month. Just a cough, but no other symptoms and I felt fine. I guess finally it caught up to me, because Thursday morning I felt like my head was gonna explode, trouble breathing and my ears were clogged and killing me. Went to the doc ... double ear infection, sinus infection and Bronchitis. Go me.

Minor stuff compared to what many of you have gone through, but probably could have been avoided if I went to the doc sooner.

I ignored a persistent cough for a while about 10 years ago. Ended up needing chemo for that. I get things checked early now.
I ignored a hernia for maybe 30 years. Got it taken care of last week. Barely slowed me down but pulled a muscle in my back loading the truck Friday and now I'm thinking about using that good dope they gave when I left the hospital.

Nah, not really but it's amazing what they throw at you post op. Are people really that adverse to a little pain?

Apparently. The opiod epidemic is ravaging some towns. I was reading about one town of 50,000 in West Virginia where the Fire Department's calls are 15 percent fires and over 50% overdoses.

so they are rollin' those big trucks out to rest rooms in department stores and trailer parks all the day long.

abacomike · August 2017

As I mentioned a few days ago, my old microwave oven bit the dust (touch pad panel inoperative). It was a 1200 watt 2 cu ft appliance and worked great for 10 years. Since I don't use the range and oven very much, my microwave oven is a pure necessity to keep me from starving to death.

I also mentioned that I bought an LG 1200 watt 2.0 cu ft microwave oven at Home Depot on sale from $199.99 to $159.99. Now that I've had a few days to evaluate the new LG microwave, here are some of the most notable differences: If I remember correctly, I paid $99.00 at BrandsMart for the Frigidaire.

The cooking/heating time I used to use for the old Frigidaire microwave have to be decreased by 1/3 for the LG microwave because it cooks and heats much faster. I wonder why? Both appliances were the same size and had the same wattage. One would assume the cooking times would be fairly similar.

The LG microwave oven has a lot more features and options.

It is also much quieter when in use than the old microwave.

This is my very first LG product and, if it continues to operate and function as well over the next few years, it won't be my last.

ab348 · August 2017

Odds are very good, Mike, that your old Frigidaire was actually made by LG and just had a Frigidaire logo on it.

I have a Frigidaire microwave bought in 2001 and I'm pretty sure it is an LG under the skin.

I suspect that the improvements you are seeing are just related to advancements in the field.

abacomike · August 2017

I was reading an article in the local newspaper that GM is recalling over 800,000 Silverado and GMC trucks because of a computer glitch that may cause the electric power steering to stop working. I believe the trucks being recalled go back to the 2014 model year. From what GM says, it only requires a software update which will not take very long. The more the computer chips and processors control on a car or truck, the more glitches that seem to be materializing.

thebean · August 2017

iluvmysephia1 said:
Better move quick - Ford will not be offering the Fiesta in the US much longer.

Really? Is Ford also punting the Focus in America?

No, just the Fiesta. It's likely too small to ever be a big seller here in the States.

thebean · August 2017

Mr_Shiftright said:

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

tjc78 said:
Ugh... don't ignore a cough. I had been coughing for almost a month. Just a cough, but no other symptoms and I felt fine. I guess finally it caught up to me, because Thursday morning I felt like my head was gonna explode, trouble breathing and my ears were clogged and killing me. Went to the doc ... double ear infection, sinus infection and Bronchitis. Go me.

Minor stuff compared to what many of you have gone through, but probably could have been avoided if I went to the doc sooner.

I ignored a persistent cough for a while about 10 years ago. Ended up needing chemo for that. I get things checked early now.
I ignored a hernia for maybe 30 years. Got it taken care of last week. Barely slowed me down but pulled a muscle in my back loading the truck Friday and now I'm thinking about using that good dope they gave when I left the hospital.

Nah, not really but it's amazing what they throw at you post op. Are people really that adverse to a little pain?

Apparently. The opiod epidemic is ravaging some towns. I was reading about one town of 50,000 in West Virginia where the Fire Department's calls are 15 percent fires and over 50% overdoses.

so they are rollin' those big trucks out to rest rooms in department stores and trailer parks all the day long.

Don't forget WalMart and the dollar stores.

Michaell · August 2017

iluvmysephia1 said:
Better move quick - Ford will not be offering the Fiesta in the US much longer.

Really? Is Ford also punting the Focus in America?

I don't think so, but thought I'd read somewhere about production being suspended while Ford does a strategic review.

thebean · August 2017

We had an Amana Radarange microwave that was bought in 1984 that we finally replaced in 2015. It still worked, but started taking longer and longer to cook stuff. The new one (Kenmore) is a lot faster, but I bet it won't even last 10 years, much less 30 years. Of course, the Amana cost $400 in 1984 and the Kenmore cost $80.

suydam · August 2017

abacomike said:
As I mentioned a few days ago, my old microwave oven bit the dust (touch pad panel inoperative). It was a 1200 watt 2 cu ft appliance and worked great for 10 years. Since I don't use the range and oven very much, my microwave oven is a pure necessity to keep me from starving to death.

I also mentioned that I bought an LG 1200 watt 2.0 cu ft microwave oven at Home Depot on sale from $199.99 to $159.99. Now that I've had a few days to evaluate the new LG microwave, here are some of the most notable differences: If I remember correctly, I paid $99.00 at BrandsMart for the Frigidaire.

The cooking/heating time I used to use for the old Frigidaire microwave have to be decreased by 1/3 for the LG microwave because it cooks and heats much faster. I wonder why? Both appliances were the same size and had the same wattage. One would assume the cooking times would be fairly similar.

The LG microwave oven has a lot more features and options.

It is also much quieter when in use than the old microwave.

This is my very first LG product and, if it continues to operate and function as well over the next few years, it won't be my last.

Microwaves become less efficient over time. Yours was probably slowly wearing out. We also got an LG microwave about 6 months ago. I really like it. Mine is an over the range type and is very efficient.

explorerx4 · August 2017

We got an LG combo a couple of years ago.
I found the microwave to be very noisy, compared to the GE it replaced.
I even kept the microwave box figuring it was going to break , but so far, so good.
Guess I will get rid of the box, at this point.

My mom had a 2011 Fiesta. Great looking little car(extra cost Candy Red paint) and got great gas mileage.
I drove it on several 400+ mile round trips on about 9 gallons of gas.
Hated that dual clutch transmission, though.

fintail · August 2017

Maybe for fun, but it is mostly used to describe a car of unknown model or year ("I saw a W123 parked on the street this afternoon") or to differentiate a model. For example, a "200D" could be a W110, W115, W123, or W124. A "300SE" could be a W112, W126, or W140. When adding the "W" designator to the model ("wow, those W112 300SEs are worth a lot in Germany"), it helps to distinguish exactly what car is being mentioned, as very few MBs have year-by-year differentiation.

oldfarmer50 said:

So really it's a devotee thing where you and your fellow knowledgeable buddies can roll your eyes at the clueless newbie?

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