Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

sda · June 2018

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jmonroe · June 2018

abacomike said:
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.

I gather that is your 2017 S450. My '09 Genesis (first generation of that car) had a grill that looked a lot like your grill. Why do you think it took Mercedes so long to copy it?

jmonroe

driver100 · June 2018

explorerx4 said:
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.

And Florida will be like a third world country. It almost is now when the Snowbirds aren't there.

driver100 · June 2018

stickguy said:
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?

Speaking of dishwaher pods, I like the newer kind that you don't unwrap and you just put them in the little drawer in the dishwasher. They don't feel gritty like the kind in the foil package that you have to try to tear apart. Kirkland brand works well.

ab348 · June 2018

abacomike said:

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.

Thanks! I use the word "whisky" to mean scotch. It was an Aberlour A'Bunadh. Yum!

driver100 · June 2018

fintail said:
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.

They did their homework well. I bet they studied that Mercedes....and nailed it really well.

thebean · June 2018

ab348 said:

abacomike said:

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.

Thanks! I use the word "whisky" to mean scotch. It was an Aberlour A'Bunadh. Yum!

ab, is that an Islay scotch? I tend to favor Highlands more, but I really need to try more Islays.

driver100 · June 2018

Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee received overall “poor” marks in recent crash test performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

snakeweasel · June 2018

ab348 said:

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.
Thanks! I use the word "whisky" to mean scotch. It was an Aberlour A'Bunadh. Yum!

Scotch is whisky (whiskey for the Irish and Americans), but not all whiskey is Scotch.

abacomike · June 2018

jmonroe said:

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.

I gather that is your 2017 S450. My '09 Genesis (first generation of that car) had a grill that looked a lot like your grill. Why do you think it took Mercedes so long to copy it? jmonroe

Actually, it’s a 2018 S450! There was a restyling of the S Class Sedan in 2018. There was no S450 in 2017 - just an S550. Now, for 2018, there’s the S560 and the S450. Both cars are identical in terms of standard and optional equipment except for the engines.

abacomike · June 2018

driver100 said:

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.
And Florida will be like a third world country. It almost is now when the Snowbirds aren't there.

Driver, you are kidding. Maybe where your condo is it’s underpopulated, but down here, most of our unit owners are year-round residents. Traffic seems as bad as it is in the winter!

Mr_Shiftright · June 2018

"whiskey" is derived from the Gaelic meaning "water of life".

28firefighter · June 2018

Here I thought it was slang for “make college student forget weekend.”

Mr_Shiftright · June 2018

It appears often in Country Western songs just before the line "And then I rolled the pickup".

driver100 · June 2018

jmonroe said:

abacomike said:
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.

I gather that is your 2017 S450. My '09 Genesis (first generation of that car) had a grill that looked a lot like your grill. Why do you think it took Mercedes so long to copy it?

jmonroe

2005 Mercedes S Class....and it probably goes back further than that;

2009 Genesis Wanabee model;

driver100 · June 2018

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

explorerx4 said:
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.
And Florida will be like a third world country. It almost is now when the Snowbirds aren't there.

Driver, you are kidding. Maybe where your condo is it’s underpopulated, but down here, most of our unit owners are year-round residents. Traffic seems as bad as it is in the winter!

Our place loses about 1/3rd of the people in the summer. residents say it is like a ghost town. When we come back stores welcome us with open arms.....if we weren't there many of them wouldn't survive. We aren't even in a tourist area...it would probably be even quieter in St Petes or Clearwater etc.

nyccarguy · June 2018

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

explorerx4 said:
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.
And Florida will be like a third world country. It almost is now when the Snowbirds aren't there.

Driver, you are kidding. Maybe where your condo is it’s underpopulated, but down here, most of our unit owners are year-round residents. Traffic seems as bad as it is in the winter!

Our place loses about 1/3rd of the people in the summer. residents say it is like a ghost town. When we come back stores welcome us with open arms.....if we weren't there many of them wouldn't survive. We aren't even in a tourist area...it would probably be even quieter in St Petes or Clearwater etc.

We have good friends that live in Naples. It is a beautiful town with gorgeous beaches. They say when "snowbird season" begins, so does the traffic (5-10 minute drives become 45 minute - 1 hour) and the "reservations only or long waits" at restaurants that you can otherwise "walk right into." That being said, they love "life in paradise" compared to where they lived before (Framingham, MA). Besides the weather, they tell us how wonderful the people are. Everyplace has its positives and negatives.

PF_Flyer · June 2018

OK... let's veer back to the cars and hospital stays and the like. I've taken down a couple of posts that threatened to take us on... GASP... the internet.

There are PLENTY of other places online if you really want to get into a knock-down-drag-out "discussion"

Don't fall into the trap!

Perhaps a distraction...

WHY would someone do THIS? Because it's there is NOT an answer...LOL

PF_Flyer · June 2018

And what would that FEEL like when you tried to turn it??

dino001 · June 2018

You can't cure stupid.

driver100 · June 2018

PF_Flyer said:
OK... let's veer back to the cars and hospital stays and the like. I've taken down a couple of posts that threatened to take us on... GASP... the internet.

There are PLENTY of other places online if you really want to get into a knock-down-drag-out "discussion"

Don't fall into the trap!

Perhaps a distraction...

WHY would someone do THIS? Because it's there is NOT an answer...LOL

Talk about "feel of the road"!

graphicguy · June 2018

My apologies to the forum. Didn’t mean to go off on a diatribe. I just feel the U.S., my country, is in grave danger as things stand today.

Anyway, I’ll cease and desist.

Was talking to my son on the phone last night. I asked him if he’s still in love with his GTI given it’s now on its 3rd year. He does. Says he has a few nitpicks, but overall it’s a great car.

I asked him if he’d buy another. He said probably not. Curious, I asked why.

“Well, I think I’d rather have a Golf R”.

I’ve raised him well.

ab348 · June 2018

PF_Flyer said:
And what would that FEEL like when you tried to turn it??

Itdoesn't turn. It drifts.

Drifting is just another item on the long list of things that makes me feel old because I do not get it at all.

graphicguy · June 2018

driver100 said:

PF_Flyer said:
OK... let's veer back to the cars and hospital stays and the like. I've taken down a couple of posts that threatened to take us on... GASP... the internet.

There are PLENTY of other places online if you really want to get into a knock-down-drag-out "discussion"

Don't fall into the trap!

Perhaps a distraction...

WHY would someone do THIS? Because it's there is NOT an answer...LOL

Talk about "feel of the road"!

I saw a Civic Type R that had the same stance with the wheels tilted out like that. For the life of me, I couldn’t understand why someone would take one of the top performing cars on the planet, and ruin it’s handling, it’s ride, etc to do that.

As Dino says....”can’t fix stupid”.

ab348 · June 2018

thebean said:

ab, is that an Islay scotch? I tend to favor Highlands more, but I really need to try more Islays.

It says Highland on the label, but the website says they are in Speyside. I am easily confused, but this is seriously good stuff.

https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/aberlour/aberlour-a-bunadh-batch-55-whisky/

https://www.aberlour.com/en-EN

stickguy · June 2018

GG, our sons would get along. Mine emailed a link to a car yesterday (2017 bmw m240 convertible). Snazzy looking. Quite expensive and impractical. But he is working OT to think of excuses to flip his 1.5 YO A3 for it. I told him to lease that car. He wouldnt listen.

abacomike · June 2018

nyccarguy said:

driver100 said:

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.
And Florida will be like a third world country. It almost is now when the Snowbirds aren't there.

Driver, you are kidding. Maybe where your condo is it’s underpopulated, but down here, most of our unit owners are year-round residents. Traffic seems as bad as it is in the winter!
Our place loses about 1/3rd of the people in the summer. residents say it is like a ghost town. When we come back stores welcome us with open arms.....if we weren't there many of them wouldn't survive. We aren't even in a tourist area...it would probably be even quieter in St Petes or Clearwater etc.
We have good friends that live in Naples. It is a beautiful town with gorgeous beaches. They say when "snowbird season" begins, so does the traffic (5-10 minute drives become 45 minute - 1 hour) and the "reservations only or long waits" at restaurants that you can otherwise "walk right into." That being said, they love "life in paradise" compared to where they lived before (Framingham, MA). Besides the weather, they tell us how wonderful the people are. Everyplace has its positives and negatives.

Naples is a very small city - picturesque and “comfy”. Many east coast Floridians vacation over in Naples. I’d love to live there but the road and street network is not able to handle the tourist traffic in winter.

abacomike · June 2018

We’ve had so much rain in the last 3 weeks that we are experiencing a kind of invasion of wildlife from the Everglades. Late last week, an Asian American woman was walking her two dogs not 3 miles from where I live along the banks of a canal. In a flash, people heard the dogs barking, but no woman around. They discovered a 15 foot alligator nearby and captured it. Once dead, they found some fresh human remains in its belly.

People just don’t learn. You don’t walk along the banks of fresh water canals or retention ponds here in south Florida - with or without dogs or children. Between iguanas and gators inland and sharks in shallow ocean water, Florida is a dangerous place to live if you don’t know your environment. We lose more dogs and young children along canals because people let their guard down to walk in the beautiful sub-tropical paradise. Remember, even paradise had serpents!

snakeweasel · June 2018

PF_Flyer said:

OK... let's veer back to the cars and hospital stays and the like. I've taken down a couple of posts that threatened to take us on... GASP... the internet. There are PLENTY of other places online if you really want to get into a knock-down-drag-out "discussion" Don't fall into the trap! Perhaps a distraction... WHY would someone do THIS? Because it's there is NOT an answer...LOL

Because once you run out of tread on the one side of the tire you will still have a full tread on the other side of the tire so all you have to do is rotate the tires to the other side of the car and you're good to go.

snakeweasel · June 2018

abacomike said:

Between iguanas and gators inland and sharks in shallow ocean water, Florida is a dangerous place to live if you don’t know your environment.

You forgot sinkholes, hurricanes, elderly drivers who shouldn't be driving and the like.

fintail · June 2018

And that model actually entered production in late 1998 - 2005 was the final run.

driver100 said:

2005 Mercedes S Class....and it probably goes back further than that;

fintail · June 2018

Kids and dumb trends? Horribly stanced things often with stretched tires have been a movement for several years now. I am sure we mostly think the same way about them that old fuddy duddy types thought about hopped up hot rods in 1955

And you missed a sore winner post or two

PF_Flyer said:

WHY would someone do THIS? Because it's there is NOT an answer...LOL

driver100 · June 2018

Deleted

snakeweasel · June 2018

fintail said:

Kids and dumb trends? Horribly stanced things often with stretched tires have been a movement for several years now. I am sure we mostly think the same way about them that old fuddy duddy types thought about hopped up hot rods in 1955 And you missed a sore winner post or two
WHY would someone do THIS? Because it's there is NOT an answer...LOL

I believe it's called Cambering, and will increase traction on a turn but decrease traction on a straightaway. because of that you have to be careful of how much lean you give the tires. If you look carefully at race cars you will see that their tires have some lean in them, but nowhere near the extent you see in that picture.

fintail · June 2018

Yep, I know what camber is, my old car had it pretty good when the kingpins were worn

This new stuff is all for looks, however, there's a good chance the clapped out 15 year old WRX the wheels are attached to doesn't/can't really drive in a manner where camber is a concern.

snakeweasel said:

I believe it's called Cambering, and will increase traction on a turn but decrease traction on a straightaway. because of that you have to be careful of how much lean you give the tires. If you look carefully at race cars you will see that their tires have some lean in them, but nowhere near the extent you see in that picture.

dino001 · June 2018

I guess Civic R and STI are just one step away from Formula 1. BTW, those tires last them for about 50-100 miles. If we adjust for torque outputs, we probably get 1000-5000 mile lifespan.

graphicguy · June 2018

stickguy said:
GG, our sons would get along. Mine emailed a link to a car yesterday (2017 bmw m240 convertible). Snazzy looking. Quite expensive and impractical. But he is working OT to think of excuses to flip his 1.5 YO A3 for it. I told him to lease that car. He wouldnt listen.

Stick....maybe it's best we don't let our sons meet. They could become............US......and that's not fair to the rest of the car buying public.

I toyed with the idea of the Golf R when my son was buying his GTI. His dealer had them in stock at the time and was discounting (especially given the prospect of selling two cars at the same time).

Did a brief test drive (surface streets around the dealer area) They're fun cars. But, given most of my driving these days is back and forth to the airport and interstate runs, I don't know how much of a chance I would have had to really appreciate the "R". I liked it, though.....a lot.

M240 'vert? I like that car, a lot...too! What are they running these days? $60K+? But, now it's a 2 model year old car. Still, I'd have to think it would still run mid-high $40s, at least, right?

Lots of really nice new cars at that price, especially for a "young'un"!

Given how many cars I test drove before I bought the TLX, there's not a whole lot out there I don't have an impression of. C/E class...very nice (except for the CLA, which was dismal)...very Mercedes. 2/3/4 Series.....nice (at least in 28i/40i guise....not so much the 320i, which felt particularly cheap).

Accord (previous gen).....you know how you kind of like how a certain manufacturer does things? That's me and Honda/Acura. They're built well. They all handle well. They perform well. Generally, they don't break. My Acura dealer treats me well. The vehicles are usually on the cutting edge. They're generally well thought out and their features work (which is a big deal, considering some of the cars I've driven). They are fuel efficient for their segment. I've probably owned more Honda products than any other brand....from Civics, to Accords, to Acuras.

Haven't driven the new Camry, but had rented a lot of the previous gen. Those really soured me, as it was cheap feeling, squeak ridden and felt underpowered. Not something you want in your bread and butter car. From what I gather, the new Camry solves all of that. Corollas are perfect rental cars. Unobtrusive, appliance like, easy to drive, easy to park....just about everything I need in a rental. They also have an excuse to feel cheap. They actually are. I've made me thoughts known on the Avalon. I like it. For $38K (discounted), I don't know if I could make a case to buy something like a Lexus.

I rent a lot of Nissans, Toyotas, Hyundais, Kias and just about all the American brands. With all due respect to @iluvmysephia1, I do not like the Nissans. Granted, I only get the Sentras, Versas and Jukes, but I always try to switch out of Nissans when Hertz puts me in them.

I actually love getting Elantras, Sonatas, Optimas, Fortes....they're all well built, good driving, comfortable cars.

The rest? Focus, Cruze (which is one of my favorite small cars), Sonic (barf), are all pretty standard fare. Not bad, not great!

I do love it when Hertz upgrades me....usually to their "Prestige" selection. I get to drive some pretty well thought of cars. Last one was a Jag XE. Nice car. Not sure what they sell for, but I like my TLX better. C Class are still compelling....CLA not even close.

Rambling here, but I just realize I've driven a lot of different cars. The ones I'm really anxious to see/drive are the Alphas (although not sure I can overcome the stigma of lack of reliability for any of them) and the long rumored TLX Type-S.

jmonroe · June 2018

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

abacomike said:
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.

I gather that is your 2017 S450. My '09 Genesis (first generation of that car) had a grill that looked a lot like your grill. Why do you think it took Mercedes so long to copy it?

jmonroe
2005 Mercedes S Class....and it probably goes back further than that;

2009 Genesis Wanabee model;

The way I understand it is the first generation Genesis was in the design stage when Mercedes did their typical industrial espionage and stole the Genesis grill design but they still screwed it up. Mercedes isn't even good at copying when the design is right in front of them. They probably thought their 3 pointed star would save them but it clearly didn't.

jmonroe

stickguy · June 2018

GG, I posted a link on RRTIV yesterday. 2017 CPI, about 11k miles, exactly 1 year in service. Asking$41k.

I hear ya on the Acura’s. Really liked the new RDX I drove. All the Acura goodness, taken to a higher level. Pretty sure if I told the wife to go shop midsize CUVs in the 40-50k MSRP range, she would pick that over Volvo, Lexus and BMW. Though the XC60 is really nice!

pensfan83 · June 2018

I'm holding out hope there is a TLX Type-S on the market by the time the lease expires in September 2020. By that time the current gen TLX will be on year 6 (?) and the facelifted version will be out at least 3 years. I've seen a few people on AcuraZine speculate a new model will be brought to market in 2019 as a 2020 model, which would be good timing since the hype would likely die down once I'm back in the market.

thebean · June 2018

ab348 said:

thebean said:

ab, is that an Islay scotch? I tend to favor Highlands more, but I really need to try more Islays.
It says Highland on the label, but the website says they are in Speyside. I am easily confused, but this is seriously good stuff.

https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/aberlour/aberlour-a-bunadh-batch-55-whisky/

https://www.aberlour.com/en-EN

Ooohh, that sounds really good. Thanks for posting. I need to give that a try. I've been drinking mostly bourbon lately, but need to get some scotch for a change of pace.

snakeweasel · June 2018

carnaught said:

So glad this board went over the line with political diatribe. Thanks to all that participated in taking the “fun” out of this board. It had been a politics free board for some time and was more enjoyable. The last administration pioneered, and allowed the present one to continue to bring politics into more and more aspects of our life, in Hollywood, movies, award shows, lack of impartial news reporting, promoting racial tension and political correctness gone awry. It seems we cannot escape it. Thank you @abacomike, and a couple others for calling this out and saying enough already here. I was beginning to think that debating religion was coming next here. Geez guys.

Religion debate? OK I'll start one;

Zeus or Odin, who is better?

nyccarguy · June 2018

snakeweasel said:

carnaught said:

So glad this board went over the line with political diatribe. Thanks to all that participated in taking the “fun” out of this board. It had been a politics free board for some time and was more enjoyable. The last administration pioneered, and allowed the present one to continue to bring politics into more and more aspects of our life, in Hollywood, movies, award shows, lack of impartial news reporting, promoting racial tension and political correctness gone awry. It seems we cannot escape it.

Thank you @abacomike, and a couple others for calling this out and saying enough already here. I was beginning to think that debating religion was coming next here.

Geez guys.

Religion debate? OK I'll start one;

Zeus or Odin, who is better?

One is the father of Wonder Woman, the other is the father of Thor, Loki, & Hella... Hmm, let me think about this for a sec...

thebean · June 2018

Interesting argument - on Modern Family, Gloria or Claire? Shades of Ginger or Mary Ann. I'll take Claire (as well as Mary Ann).

nyccarguy · June 2018

Speaking of, has anybody seen SOLO yet? I'm going to see it regardless, but just want some of your thoughts.

I've been trying to bring "balance" to the force this week. I've been switching off between my Prelude (The Jedi of my fleet) and my Infiniti (The Sith Lord of my fleet). Tomorrow it will be back to the Prelude.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2018

Since some members were late to take up another Host's plea for cessation of political posts, I've deleted a few lingering ones--we don't want the doused campfire to flare up again. Sorry to do this but we went over the brink, despite some noble efforts for self-control.

qbrozen · June 2018

jmonroe said:
The way I understand it ....

Ah, well, that right there's your problem: Letting your "understanding" confuse your reality. ;b

qbrozen · June 2018

I never discuss politics anywhere anytime. Helps my stress level immensely.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2018

Time and place for everything. You can often find quite intelligent discussion on politics on Quora.

PF_Flyer · June 2018

I would be curious to see the suspension/axles on the thing

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