Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

snakeweasel · June 2018

driver100 said:

driver100 said:

Unfortunately, your friendly local farmers are competing with the subsidized corporations. I am not sure if Canadian farmers should have to compete with that, or if they are the real issue. Funny thing, over here, Canadians have headed south on shopping trips for decades, and one thing they stock up on is milk. I wonder if that will continue, more than a few hurt feelings lately.
Not a fan of corporate farms either but there aren't many of those in upstate NY. Usually farms with less than 500 head who get less for their milk that it costs to produce. Overproduction has been an issues since the 1930s, maybe longer.

There are Canadians who say they don't want to vacation in the U.S. anymore! Some will try not to buy things made in the U.S.

Is there a Condo for sale in the Tampa area on the horizon, driver?

All kidding aside, it’s important that we realize that Canada and the US are like Siamese Twins joined at the hip. We need each other to survive in a free democratic society and economically as well. I love Canada and consider Canadians as members of our immediate family.

Things will settle down - all families have spats now and then
!

We will keep our place in Florida for the foreseeable future, and hoping this whole thing will blow over. All families do have spats and this could be just that....however, it is totally uncalled for and it makes no sense. Tariffs will cost millions of jobs....in both countries. The auto industry is interwoven, sometimes parts cross the border 8 times before they are finally used in a finished product. Another big question is....who is going to invest in factories....not knowing what the rules will be from one year to the next? Chaos is not good for business or for the nations security....this is bizarre.

I was going to stay out of the political discussions but I want to say this. Everything is interconnected, what Trump does in one area will effect other areas. Right now Trump is having face to face talks with Kim Jong Un in a historic meeting that can have far reaching consequences. Trump needs to show strength here and cannot afford to show weakness in any aspect. My gut feeling is that once this summit is finished and things are worked out we will see a softening of his stance on tariffs. it's all smoke and mirrors.

snakeweasel · June 2018

iluvmysephia1 said:

2016 Scion iA And, not ta leave this baby out, the Scion iA, aka now the Toyota Yaris iA, front end.

It looks like a creature with it's mouth open waiting to gobble up any unfortunate woodland animal that strays into it's path.

berri · June 2018

Between Lexus and Toyota, it seems that those front ends are less sturdy in a collision than other manufacturer’s cars.

They just released some latest front end test results and it was Jeep and Ford that failed miserably. Toyota was mid pack. But I have to think those busy front ends are expensive in an accident.

iluvmysephia1 · June 2018

And I prefer the 2012 Lexus RX as well. Looks pretty sharp!

graphicguy · June 2018

abacomike said:

graphicguy said:

abacomike said:
We need to start concentrating on more important issues facing humanity - like what did Toyota do to the front end of the 2019 Avalon? Good grief - Toyota must have a thing for grillework and front end styling lately. Between Lexus and Toyota, it seems that those front ends are less sturdy in a collision than other manufacturer’s cars. Even Ford has gone the root of huge grilles.

These new front ends are threatening the evolution of human “taste” and “vision - two important senses.
Mike.....I seem to be the one in this group who likes “big front ends”. I liked the “beak” on the Acura TL. I like the grill on the Avalon. I realize I’m alone in my front end fascination, however.

There are leg lovers, rear end lovers, hip lovers and front end lovers. It takes all kinds. So we now know your anatomical preferences, GG!

Mike....guilty as charged!

Admittedly, I like the grills on the new Acuras better than the “beak” versions. But, every time I see a “big beak” TL, I get a twinge of nostalgia.

I do like me some “big frontage” a lot more than big “backage”. I prefer more compact rear ends.

PF_Flyer · June 2018

ab348 said:
Back to the medical file... apparently a lot of the issues cleared up overnight and they are again hinting I might go home today w/o need of a pacemaker. But until those discharge papers are in hand I'm not getting too excited.

Just to gently nudge/remind us about cars...LOL

ab... if the GM exec who was driving the pace car in Detroit shows up as your ride home... consider another Uber

ab348 · June 2018

@dino001 - Canada is big on supply management for agricultural commodities like milk and maple syrup. That exists for many reasons, among them a desire to allow relatively small producers on the global scale to continue to exist and make a profit, while preventing overproduction that would depress prices and drive out small producers, and ensure a stable source of supply. Whether or not it is a good thing depends on your point of view. Consumers here might like cheap subsidized US dairy products on the shelves as long as retailers passed along the savings. But then the local farms would shut down, people would be out of work and rural family businesses wiped out.

Few Canadians outside of Quebec understand how things work there. They have a different set of rules for almost everything there.

oldfarmer50 · June 2018

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Not a fan of tariffs but free trade can't be a one way street. The Canadian tariff on dairy products for example is over 250%. Lot of hard pressed farmers in my area could use a level playing field.
Canadian dairy farmers will tell you that is because of the massive US federal subsidies paid to prop up the dairy industry there. True or not? I do not know.
True!
, U.S. subsidies to dairy producers represent about 40% of American dairy farmer incomes, when it reaches them. These subsidies come directly from taxpayers' pockets. Without that hidden support American dairy products would be much more costly for consumers, and much more expensive than the equivalent Canadian product.

Agricultural price supports as I understand them (not sure since I never got a penny) are meant to stabilize the boom and bust cycle which lead to supply fluctuations.

oldfarmer50 · June 2018

driver100 said:
The front on the new Acura's look pretty good.

Having a big medallion in the middle always helps (of course Mercedes started it )

I like that one much better than the Camry's. That car's grill is just hideous.

driver100 · June 2018

graphicguy said:

abacomike said:

graphicguy said:

abacomike said:
We need to start concentrating on more important issues facing humanity - like what did Toyota do to the front end of the 2019 Avalon? Good grief - Toyota must have a thing for grillework and front end styling lately. Between Lexus and Toyota, it seems that those front ends are less sturdy in a collision than other manufacturer’s cars. Even Ford has gone the root of huge grilles.

These new front ends are threatening the evolution of human “taste” and “vision - two important senses.
Mike.....I seem to be the one in this group who likes “big front ends”. I liked the “beak” on the Acura TL. I like the grill on the Avalon. I realize I’m alone in my front end fascination, however.

There are leg lovers, rear end lovers, hip lovers and front end lovers. It takes all kinds. So we now know your anatomical preferences, GG!

Mike....guilty as charged!

I do like me some “big frontage” a lot more than big “backage”. I prefer more compact rear ends.

Are we talking cars?

driver100 · June 2018

snakeweasel
Right now Trump is having face to face talks with Kim Jong Un in a historic meeting that can have far reaching consequences. Trump needs to show strength here and cannot afford to show weakness in any aspect. My gut feeling is that once this summit is finished and things are worked out we will see a softening of his stance on tariffs. it's all smoke and mirrors.

If I was Kim it would have the opposite effect on me. I would want to load up with more nukes!

houdini1 · June 2018

graphicguy said:
Dino.....I’m sure we all agree, we’re glad you’re here. I go to Markham a lot as we have a large office there. I truly don’t feel there’s much of a difference between Canada and the U.S. (aside from Quebec, where I sometimes don’t understand the French speakers).

My view on the trade war? I have two issues......

-the first is we (and no one else) can’t believe this President. The untruths that have been spoken, and the smearing of the truth, is mind boggling....even by politician standards. So, if I can’t believe him, as a citizen, how else can anyone from another country believe him? Kinda like trying to buy (or sell) a car. Dealer says you have a deal, or the buyer agrees to the deal, only to find out they were lying and no one has a deal. Instead, there are a lot of hurt feelings.

That brings me to the 2nd point, if this administration is willing to stab our friends in the back (Germany, Canada, etc), why would they ever trust us?

Tariffs on steel, cars, or anything else for that matter, will not be good for us. Prices will rise on those goods, and we’ll be stuck paying it, which in turn will lead to rampant inflation. Plus, we lose the trust and friendship of other countries.

Seems someone likes being in bed with despots from Russia and North Korea instead of treating our friends well.

None of this is good, for the U.S. or any of our other friends.

Back to cars, while I don’t know if there’s a BMW, Audi or Mercedes in my future, but I sure would like to have the opportunity to buy one without paying someone’s “ego tax” when the tariffs are applied.

Trump is no saint, and never claimed to be, but he is an order of magnitude better than Hillary. The U.S. voters got it right and elected President Trump. I trust their decision.

pensfan83 · June 2018

Off topic from politics but late last week we took a trip to Hersheypark and Chocolate World with my inlaws, which is why I've been mostly absent. We had a great time; it's really a nice amusement park and Chocolate World was a lot of fun. On Friday my wife and myself left for our own separate retreat at a resort not too far from Deep Creek while my in-laws and the kids went to Gettysburg before returning home.

This was the longest trip my car has been on since it was purchased. We averaged around 29/30 MPG which was split between Hershey to Maryland and then Maryland home. Made good use of the adaptive cruise and that's a feature I find myself liking more and more. The others (lane keep or lane departure) I could live without.

berri · June 2018

I do like me some “big frontage” a lot more than big “backage”. I prefer more compact rear ends.
So T&A trumps a big booty

cdnpinhead · June 2018

Sir Mix-a-Lot lives, more with some than others.

graphicguy · June 2018

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

abacomike said:

graphicguy said:

abacomike said:
We need to start concentrating on more important issues facing humanity - like what did Toyota do to the front end of the 2019 Avalon? Good grief - Toyota must have a thing for grillework and front end styling lately. Between Lexus and Toyota, it seems that those front ends are less sturdy in a collision than other manufacturer’s cars. Even Ford has gone the root of huge grilles.

These new front ends are threatening the evolution of human “taste” and “vision - two important senses.
Mike.....I seem to be the one in this group who likes “big front ends”. I liked the “beak” on the Acura TL. I like the grill on the Avalon. I realize I’m alone in my front end fascination, however.

There are leg lovers, rear end lovers, hip lovers and front end lovers. It takes all kinds. So we now know your anatomical preferences, GG!

Mike....guilty as charged!

I do like me some “big frontage” a lot more than big “backage”. I prefer more compact rear ends.

Are we talking cars?

Open ended conversation.

graphicguy · June 2018

houdini1 said:

graphicguy said:
Dino.....I’m sure we all agree, we’re glad you’re here. I go to Markham a lot as we have a large office there. I truly don’t feel there’s much of a difference between Canada and the U.S. (aside from Quebec, where I sometimes don’t understand the French speakers).

My view on the trade war? I have two issues......

-the first is we (and no one else) can’t believe this President. The untruths that have been spoken, and the smearing of the truth, is mind boggling....even by politician standards. So, if I can’t believe him, as a citizen, how else can anyone from another country believe him? Kinda like trying to buy (or sell) a car. Dealer says you have a deal, or the buyer agrees to the deal, only to find out they were lying and no one has a deal. Instead, there are a lot of hurt feelings.

That brings me to the 2nd point, if this administration is willing to stab our friends in the back (Germany, Canada, etc), why would they ever trust us?

Tariffs on steel, cars, or anything else for that matter, will not be good for us. Prices will rise on those goods, and we’ll be stuck paying it, which in turn will lead to rampant inflation. Plus, we lose the trust and friendship of other countries.

Seems someone likes being in bed with despots from Russia and North Korea instead of treating our friends well.

None of this is good, for the U.S. or any of our other friends.

Back to cars, while I don’t know if there’s a BMW, Audi or Mercedes in my future, but I sure would like to have the opportunity to buy one without paying someone’s “ego tax” when the tariffs are applied.
Trump is no saint, and never claimed to be, but he is an order of magnitude better than Hillary. The U.S. voters got it right and elected President Trump. I trust their decision.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/12/opinion/trump-kim-summit-north-korea.html

imidazol97 · June 2018

driver100 said:
The front on the new Acura's look pretty good.

Having a big medallion in the middle always helps (of course Mercedes started it )

Does it light up?

houdini1 · June 2018

Wow, what a surprise NYT editorial (opinion) doesn't like President Trump! NYT said Trump was crazy to pull out of Climate Accord. Now it was a good thing. NYT said he was crazy to cancel the Iran deal. Now, not so much. NYT said he was paranoid for saying he was spied on, UH OH. They even said he would never be elected President. OOPS. Now they are hoping to undermine the NK talks. Typical.

What actually happened is that Trump made some qualified promises for some economic help to NK, and NK made some qualified promises to denuke. I think the possibility of a safer world is a much bigger win than offering a little economic help. I'll take a positive start over what we had before, which was nothing after 8 years of Obama.

dino001 · June 2018

We've seen this movie couple of times. Kims have played everybody for fools repeatedly and everybody will fall prey, cause we all want it to be true. No different this time, except now he gets legitimacy and praise, unlike that "dishonest backstabber" from the well known enemy nation north of Michigan. One more insult Justin - watch out... All you needed to say he's awesome, manly, good looking and wisest ever. You don't need to mean it, you just say it. Repeat after me: YOU ARE AWESOME. I LOVE YOU. YOUR HAIR IS REAL. Peace forever.

houdini1 · June 2018

Trudeau: "Your hair is real, unlike my eyebrows".

explorerx4 · June 2018

I've always thought this was the best looking Lexus.

fintail · June 2018

From what I've seen, Ivanka approves of Trudeau, funny eyebrows or not.

For attractive Lexus, I like these late run OG LS - it's like a parallel universe W126 that kept updating:

graphicguy · June 2018

Acura took a while to move to a different design language given how the last design was received. Then, they seemed to get tangled in their own feet. They seem to be back on track. MDX (the first Acura out of the shoot once the new direction was set) was well received. TLX is a joy to drive. Looks like the RDX will be a hit. Still, the ILX and RLX still make me scratch my head.....expecially the RLX.

I can't for the life of me figure out which target Acura is trying to hit with the RLX. If it's the competitor to the 5 Series or the E Class, they've missed by a mile. It does have an innovative hybrid drivetrain. I'm hoping it will trickle down to a TLX Type-S. Acura has a big investment in their V6. It's a sweet motor...smooth as silk. At least slap a super/turbo charger on it for a Type-S.

fintail · June 2018

Someone's daughter seems to swoon over Justin more than she does over her husband son of a conman son in law of a conman (who can supposedly broker mideast peace, hilarious). I think there's some jealousy for the one who is relatively young, fit, and attractive, from the one with a crazy hairpiece who is none of those (yet seems to grow in height and lose weight with every new medical claim).

Kim played this well indeed - he gets both legitimacy and flattery, while having no actual demands to do anything. Putin, Kim, Jinping, Duterte, who loves them all?

dino001 said:
We've seen this movie couple of times. Kims have played everybody for fools repeatedly and everybody will fall prey, cause we all want it to be true. No different this time, except now he gets legitimacy and praise, unlike that "dishonest backstabber" from the well known enemy nation north of Michigan. One more insult Justin - watch out... All you needed to say he's awesome, manly, good looking and wisest ever. You don't need to mean it, you just say it. Repeat after me: YOU ARE AWESOME. I LOVE YOU. YOUR HAIR IS REAL. Peace forever.

tbirdmarco · June 2018

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=n1bCScUfJ7w

driver100 · June 2018

fintail said:
From what I've seen, Ivanka approves of Trudeau, funny eyebrows or not.

For attractive Lexus, I like these late run OG LS - it's like a parallel universe W126 that kept updating:

I like those and it seems there are still a fair number around, considering the original sales couldn't have been that high. That was the model that really looked like a Mercedes rip off design.

graphicguy · June 2018

houdini...I don't listen to TV news, where it seems your opinions are formed (which we all have a right to form). So, I doubt very seriously we're going to agree.

I do take exception to what you've stated....

-Trump pulled out of the Climate Accord as a way to show himself as some sort of negotiator. He offered no alternative, except some sort of allusion that it was somehow unfair. How he got global warming and climate change as something that's unfair befuddles me. One thing's for certain, nothing good will come out of the him pulling the U.S. out of the accord.

-Iran now has carte blanche to develop whatever nuclear capability they want as Trump proved once again that any agreement the U.S. signs isn't worth the paper it's written on as we'll back out of it. Talk about being a laughing stock. Iran must be giddy with that development. We don't even have any inspection or oversight power since scuttling that agreement.

-Paranoia strikes deep with Trump. He feels he's being spied on. He feels his phone is being tapped. He believes (or Hannity told him) that there are people "out to get him". Well, I suppose we could only hope. But, I think it's his life long paranoia striking at him.

-Clinton botched the election. It started with her "deplorable" comment regarding the far right base. Anyone in the middle, who's just leaning to the right, don't like to be lectured to. She did just that. Still, she won the popular vote by 3M citizens, the ones Trump claims are fraudulent (hint....they weren't fraudulent....he lost the popular vote). There's a move a foot to amend vote counts to focus with more emphasis on the popular vote. Comey didn't help her. You should read his book. It's fascinating and made me wonder how much he didn't tell, as the stuff he did tell won't give you the "warm and fuzzies" about Trump. I believe Comey (and Mueller) have bombshells. Mueller is trying to keep what he knows as close to the vest as possible. The fallout will be massive. That's where this talk of "pardoning myself" Trump keeps talking about comes from. By the way, I didn't vote for Clinton or Trump. I did a write-in for McCain (who is an American Hero that Trump's been despicable towards).

Nothing substantive was done with North Korea. Obama wanted to do the same thing in engaging with N Korea but was crucified for his effort. He wanted something with teeth as an agreement that could be discussed. Where we're at now, we've seen this movie before. U.S. gives money. N Korea smiles and takes it. And, with no inspections, nukes continue to be developed. Trump was played.

Same for Trump's debt to Russia. Putin certainly loves manipulating the U.S. Why? Because he can as the election fell the way he influenced it. Now, he has someone who's deeply indebted to Russia sitting in the Oval Office.

I've said too much already. I didn't mean to get into this but I feel the U.S. is in real danger with Trump sitting where he is.

driver100 · June 2018

"fintail">
Kim played this well indeed - he gets both legitimacy and flattery, while having no actual demands to do anything. Putin, Kim, Jinping, Duterte, who loves them all?

Canada needs to get nuclear missiles, become obnoxious on the world stage, and start abusing human rights to get on the good side of the Pres.

dino001 · June 2018

fintail said:
Someone's daughter seems to swoon over Justin more than she does over her husband son of a conman son in law of a conman (who can supposedly broker mideast peace, hilarious). I think there's some jealousy for the one who is relatively young, fit, and attractive, from the one with a crazy hairpiece who is none of those (yet seems to grow in height and lose weight with every new medical claim).

Kim played this well indeed - he gets both legitimacy and flattery, while having no actual demands to do anything. Putin, Kim, Jinping, Duterte, who loves them all?

These are tremendous people, beLIEEVE me, tremendous people. We had a great conversation, they were all nice to me. They all said I'm the best American president they ever dealt with. By the way, I have the greatest winery in Charlotesville, it the biggest in the state and Ivanka is starting a new clothing line. It's going to be tremendous.

driver100 · June 2018

I don't want to copy GG.....but, well said.

Dino.....great imitation.....so true!

dino001 · June 2018

graphicguy said:

Still, she won the popular vote by 3M citizens, the ones Trump claims are fraudulent (hint....they weren't fraudulent....he lost the popular vote).

It wouldn't have mattered, if she had won by 10M or 20M. The rules were clear, she couldn't be bothered to go to Michigan, or couldn't stop herself from telling all the village people they're not worth anything. Nobody knows what the popular vote would have been if that was what elected the president. Who knows how many Trump supporters lived in New York and California, who didn't bother to go?

But that's not enough for the Orange Man. As we all know (he told us, obviously must be true), this was the greatest victory in the history of the country, so those three million had to be fraudulent. Just like those crowds on the inauguration, biggest ever. Sean Spicer can't be wrong. Just like his wineries in Virginia. He is also the smartest - he told us. Doesn't claim to be the richest, but there is still time. Certainly the healthiest, best looking. Largest hands, too.

explorerx4 · June 2018

Can't wait until all those Canadians get their knickers in a twist and decide to sell their US real estate.
I can get some Florida properties for a bargain price and flip it to some real 'mericans.

abacomike · June 2018

A REQUEST TO ALL

We can all agree that the Edmunds Hosts have been MORE THAN tolerant of many of the posters who have stated their political views regarding the G7 and Trudeau, the NK Summit, and those pesky tariffs. I am calling for a truce - a cease fire - in other words, enough is enough! If this doesn’t stop, the potential for hurt feelings and all out hostilities here on this board are inevitable. We’ve seen this happen before.

Please, let’s agree to limit our posts to any topic that is “unpolitical” in nature like washers and dryers, lawn mowers, and maybe even cars. PLEASE?

dino001 · June 2018

OK. I'm done. Everybody know what I think.

houdini1 · June 2018

graphicguy said:
houdini...I don't listen to TV news, where it seems your opinions are formed (which we all have a right to form). So, I doubt very seriously we're going to agree.

I do take exception to what you've stated....

-Trump pulled out of the Climate Accord as a way to show himself as some sort of negotiator. He offered no alternative, except some sort of allusion that it was somehow unfair. How he got global warming and climate change as something that's unfair befuddles me. One thing's for certain, nothing good will come out of the him pulling the U.S. out of the accord.

-Iran now has carte blanche to develop whatever nuclear capability they want as Trump proved once again that any agreement the U.S. signs isn't worth the paper it's written on as we'll back out of it. Talk about being a laughing stock. Iran must be giddy with that development. We don't even have any inspection or oversight power since scuttling that agreement.

-Paranoia strikes deep with Trump. He feels he's being spied on. He feels his phone is being tapped. He believes (or Hannity told him) that there are people "out to get him". Well, I suppose we could only hope. But, I think it's his life long paranoia striking at him.

-Clinton botched the election. It started with her "deplorable" comment regarding the far right base. Anyone in the middle, who's just leaning to the right, don't like to be lectured to. She did just that. Still, she won the popular vote by 3M citizens, the ones Trump claims are fraudulent (hint....they weren't fraudulent....he lost the popular vote). There's a move a foot to amend vote counts to focus with more emphasis on the popular vote. Comey didn't help her. You should read his book. It's fascinating and made me wonder how much he didn't tell, as the stuff he did tell won't give you the "warm and fuzzies" about Trump. I believe Comey (and Mueller) have bombshells. Mueller is trying to keep what he knows as close to the vest as possible. The fallout will be massive. That's where this talk of "pardoning myself" Trump keeps talking about comes from. By the way, I didn't vote for Clinton or Trump. I did a write-in for McCain (who is an American Hero that Trump's been despicable towards).

Nothing substantive was done with North Korea. Obama wanted to do the same thing in engaging with N Korea but was crucified for his effort. He wanted something with teeth as an agreement that could be discussed. Where we're at now, we've seen this movie before. U.S. gives money. N Korea smiles and takes it. And, with no inspections, nukes continue to be developed. Trump was played.

Same for Trump's debt to Russia. Putin certainly loves manipulating the U.S. Why? Because he can as the election fell the way he influenced it. Now, he has someone who's deeply indebted to Russia sitting in the Oval Office.

I've said too much already. I didn't mean to get into this but I feel the U.S. is in real danger with Trump sitting where he is.

I'm afraid we will just have to agree to disagree. You are welcome to your opinions, but you are wrong on all counts. Many people have been suffering from TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) since Hillary lost the election. They want to see an end of the U.S. as I know it, join the "Global Community" and turn over the governing to an outside authority like the EU has done. Maybe some entity like the U.N. No Thanks.

If Hillary had won, there is no doubt this would have happened. President Trump, while not perfect, loves the U.S. just the way it has been for the past couple of hundred years. The most successful Nation ever, and so do I. Maybe our differences of opinion is due to generational differences, not sure, and I guess it doesn't matter, the differences are there.

There is a reason that the top 5 FBI officials have either been fired or reassigned in the past few months. It is because they lied, cheated, and conspired to oust President Trump. Instead they were expose and lost their jobs. Many more dishonest gov. officials will be gone soon, and I am looking forward to that happening. I guess we will have to wait to see what happens. No hard feelings.

berri · June 2018

Personally, I think the bigger issue is how these two candidates became our choices. Didn't give me a warm and happy either way. I'm not into politics, but I do follow economics and also would like to see professional behavior in our leadership on both sides. My concerns aren't liberal v conservative, or democrat v republican, it is more about the future of our children and grandchildren. Business, politics, whatever; you don't make enemies out of your closest allies if you are looking for long term success. We are a great country, but we are not omnipotent. Going solo and threatening anyone who disagrees does not a good future make in my opinion. Certainly not how Reagan succeeded. Long term, synergy generally beats division. Reagan was a republican, but he worked both sides of the aisle realizing this is how you make effective changes that hold long after you leave office. He is still generally respected by many throughout the world of different political leanings. Many other leaders are long forgotten. Think about it...

28firefighter · June 2018

What concerns me, on both sides of the aisle, is that our government and many of our fellow citizens seem to have lost both their moral compass and common sense. Political differences and debate will always exist.

What also concerns me is that a 25% tariff on German imports would swiftly end my lease hacking of BMW, Audi, and Mercedes...

abacomike · June 2018

@ab348:

How’s it going, ab? Things are slowly getting back to normal, I pray. Let me know when you start sipping your scotch - i’ll Join you for one!

ab348 · June 2018

Doing well, Mike. I feel pretty good except there is still a bit of instability with the heart rate sometimes. I see the doc on Monday and maybe there will be a change of medications. But I feel much improved. And I had a celebratory whisky with my sister last night.

stickguy · June 2018

I think 28FF summed it up perfectly. The system is horribly broken at this point.

And I second Mike's request. I enjoyed the history and economics discussions. But once it wandered into the personal aspect can not end well, so best to table it all and get back to important topics. Like dishwasher detergent pods?

28firefighter · June 2018

stickguy said:
Like dishwasher detergent pods?

Had to get rid of them. And laundry detergent pods. Apparently toddlers think they're candy/toys and teenagers like to eat them and put videos on youtube.

berri · June 2018

You guys impress me; how much you've been through, but you keep moving positively. As a cancer survivor myself, I know there is always this fear in the background that it will reoccur, but you guys know the importance of focusing on what you can control, while living life to its fullest.

berri · June 2018

28 - not too concerned about any long term penalties on those German luxury vehicles. They are too popular with many large political donors.

abacomike · June 2018

ab348 said:

Doing well, Mike. I feel pretty good except there is still a bit of instability with the heart rate sometimes. I see the doc on Monday and maybe there will be a change of medications. But I feel much improved. And I had a celebratory whisky with my sister last night.

Good to hear. When you get to scotch, let me know. Hope the heart rate stabilizes and you have an uneventful week. Stay well.

abacomike · June 2018

I just realized why grilles on the new model cars are widening and expanding - it’s to provide unrestricted access to accident avoidance systems, parking assist systems, camera systems, radar systems, etc. Notice the square clear plastic looking sensor in the center of my grille and the front parking sensors. Enlarge the photo so you can see the other sensors in the lower grillework.

andres3 · June 2018

dino001 said:

driver100 said:

btw, the US has high tariffs on many goods...., such as 350 percent on smoking tobacco, 130 percent on peanuts and 99 percent on prepared groundnuts
Don't forget about 25% on light trucks, aka "chicken tax". US is also using any excuse in the book not to allow certain agricultural products under guise of sanitary or health concerns. One example I remember there was a Polish "Buffalo" vodka (with a picture of European buffalo on its label) with a single long grass straw inserted. It was banned because the grass "caused cancer". At the end they removed the grass straw from those bottles going to America.

That just sounds like typical government regulation and over-regulation.

andres3 · June 2018

dino001 said:

driver100 said:

btw, the US has high tariffs on many goods...., such as 350 percent on smoking tobacco, 130 percent on peanuts and 99 percent on prepared groundnuts
Don't forget about 25% on light trucks, aka "chicken tax". US is also using any excuse in the book not to allow certain agricultural products under guise of sanitary or health concerns. One example I remember there was a Polish "Buffalo" vodka (with a picture of European buffalo on its label) with a single long grass straw inserted. It was banned because the grass "caused cancer". At the end they removed the grass straw from those bottles going to America.

That just sounds like typical government regulation and over-regulation.

dino001 · June 2018

andres3 said:

dino001 said:

driver100 said:

btw, the US has high tariffs on many goods...., such as 350 percent on smoking tobacco, 130 percent on peanuts and 99 percent on prepared groundnuts
Don't forget about 25% on light trucks, aka "chicken tax". US is also using any excuse in the book not to allow certain agricultural products under guise of sanitary or health concerns. One example I remember there was a Polish "Buffalo" vodka (with a picture of European buffalo on its label) with a single long grass straw inserted. It was banned because the grass "caused cancer". At the end they removed the grass straw from those bottles going to America.
That just sounds like typical government regulation and over-regulation.

More like “sponsored” play, just like that private import ban.

fintail · June 2018

They were good cars, can rack up a huge amount of miles.

The best Lexus/MB is the 2001+ LS430 - also a good car:

About a decade earlier, this hit the road, coincidence?

driver100 said:

I like those and it seems there are still a fair number around, considering the original sales couldn't have been that high. That was the model that really looked like a Mercedes rip off design.

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