Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

suydam · August 2018

Given what the firefighters and police have done here in Calif wildfires and debris flows the last few years, we can’t possibly compensate them enough for the dangerous jobs they do. Two firefighters lost their lives so far in the Yosemite fires, and one last year near me in the Thomas fire. They are generally fighting these fires in very hot conditions too. And the rescues in the Montecito debris flow were beyond heroic.

fintail · August 2018

Right, there's no active enforcement. It's funny that in practice, the authorities seem more than happy to tolerate crosswalk crowding, wrong lane-turning, no signal use, distracted driving, etc than tolerating someone committing the crime against humanity of going 71 in a 60. Almost like one is much easier to enforce, and that's where it stops.

abacomike said:

They get ticketed for wreckless driving, failure to yield, etc., “after the fact” when causing an accident or property damage. If a cop in a squad car is present and you pass a red light or fail to stop at a stop sign, you’ll get ticketed.

fintail · August 2018

My anecdotal experience just goes in the face of the flowery claims made of thousands of tickets issued after there's a "campaign" against any random issue (phone usage, left lane camping) but nobody ever seems to know anyone who received such a ticket. Maybe a speeding ticket is less embarrassing than a lane discipline ticket.

snakeweasel said:

I see no evidence for it either way. I am just wondering if we are letting our perceptions create a reality. I have been ticketed for non speed infractions and know of others it has happened to. traveling on rural roads does give less opportunity for non speed offenses to happen so that alone may skew figures but for actual figures I really don't think we know.

fintail · August 2018

Not to mention if American products are made to dumbed down standards, they will be even less competitive on the global market.

I am waiting for airbags and seatbelts to be removed from the list of requirements. The savings will trickle down to the consumer.

thebean said:
I see the EPA is freezing the current mileage and emissions standards. What a stupid and shortsighted decision! When your children's children are enduring 120 degree days in a December with smog heavy enough to blot out your sun, maybe people will understand what a disasterous harmful decision this was.

fintail · August 2018

And just wait for the expenses paid out once one hangs 'em up. That might be a bigger issue than salaries alone, but that one won't be touched, even as private sector workers are facing an ever-rougher road as they reach the same point in their lives. It's going to be a subject of harsh debate and protest, eventually.

ab348 said:

Other potentially arguable comments aside, I found the above interesting because yesterday our municipal govt released its "sunshine list" - an increasingly common practice up here requiring govts and public institutions to list the names and compensation of all employees making over $100K annually.

In this town about 25% of all municipal employees are on the list. By far the biggest number are police constables and firemen (not captains or the like, just regular ones). It does not seem like it is just long-serving ones either as a few have already been identified as relatively new. Apparently overtime is easy to collect and quite lucrative. So much for the days when being a cop or a firefighter was an honorable but not excessively rewarding occupation.

stickguy · August 2018

a lot of departments have moved to fewer employees but more OT. Must make sense in the long run. Save on benefits and pension costs.

and yes, for all the public unions the Pension (and retiree medical) is the 3rd rail. That must have been easy for politicians to give up in contract negotiations, but years of being overly generous is coming home to roost. I know for teachers and local police, newer hires have less generous plans. I think newbie cops now have to work 30 years instead of 20 to max out around here.

ab348 · August 2018

stickguy said:
and yes, for all the public unions the Pension (and retiree medical) is the 3rd rail. That must have been easy for politicians to give up in contract negotiations, but years of being overly generous is coming home to roost. I know for teachers and local police, newer hires have less generous plans. I think newbie cops now have to work 30 years instead of 20 to max out around here.

Here the pension is indeed very generous. Eligibility is based on the rule of 80 for non emergency personal and 75 for public safety personal (age + years of service). The annual pension amount is calculated on the average of their best (highest salary) 3 years, and then the pension amount is 2%* # years of service, for life with indexing if the plan is solvent.

thebean · August 2018

thebean said:
I see the EPA is freezing the current mileage and emissions standards. What a stupid and shortsighted decision! When your children's children are enduring 120 degree days in a December with smog heavy enough to blot out your sun, maybe people will understand what a disasterous harmful decision this was.

I had this wrong. It is only the CAFE mpg standards that are being frozen, and they are being frozen after 2020. Still, it's damaging, IMO.

roadburner · August 2018

My local Ford dealer has a Mustang GT with the Performance Package Level 2. It was very nice looking, but pricey- over $50k, with rebates knocking it down to under $44k. So, this month's Road & Track had an article on a Mustang GT equipped with the PP2- and it turns out that after a "handful of laps" of a road course the rear axle temperature warning starts flashing. The Ford engineers know that, shrug their shoulders and say in essence, "Buy a GT350 if you want a track toy." Easy for them to say- the GT350 is $16k more.
Yet another reason I'll probably eventually end up with an M2 or-better yet-an M2 Competition...

tbirdmarco · August 2018

So still around everyone. Went on a job interview last Friday haven’t heard back. But have to keep at it. Went to a job fair on Tuesday. Not too crazy about those and then out my resume to some places and inquired about what the company did but a lot of them want you to go on wine. In my head I’m like what’s the point of this job fair then. Ha ha prefer using indeed or any other job board site. Has everyone been in here don’t get to come in here every day

tbirdmarco · August 2018

Hi no hi no excuses everyone I should just come in here at least once a day like I used to ha ha. Tomorrow’s Friday again everyone weather‘s been pretty good over here locally.

explorerx4 · August 2018

@thebean,
With electrification becoming more mainstream in the near future, CAFE starts to become less relevant.
Of course, a fair amount of electricity is still produced from coal.

tbirdmarco · August 2018

Have been enjoying reading the beds I’ve been reading in here from everyone like always.

explorerx4 · August 2018

@tbirmarco,
Are you staying in a Hostel?

tbirdmarco · August 2018

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

tbirdmarco · August 2018

Explore for not staying in a hotel was a local job fair.

explorerx4 · August 2018

@tbirdmarco,
What did you think of the job fair?

oldfarmer50 · August 2018

28firefighter said:
I’m letting this go. No sense engaging.

I don't see this ending well.

oldfarmer50 · August 2018

abacomike said:
Most of us do not have any direct contact with traffic law inforcement activities because we obey or are in compliance with all traffic laws. We don’t travel more than 3-5 mph over the speed limit; we stop at red lights and stop signs; we yield the right of way; we come to a complete stop at right-turn-on-red intersections; we travel at 15 mph in school zones; we don’t drive recklessly; we use our directional signals when changing lanes or making turns; and we abide by all traffic laws and signs.

One or two posters here try to defend bending or violating some traffic ordinances or laws as they drive and condemn law enforcement for strictly enforcing laws and regulations. Why? Because they find the traffic laws too restricting for their driving preferences. Tough, isn’t it!

If everyone obeyed the traffic laws, we would all be safer on the roads when we drive. It’s because of those who violate traffic laws that accidents are on the rise.

We normally cruise at 70-71 in 65 zones but today the police (to steal a phrase from the song Convoy) "were as thick as bugs on a bumper".

I was doing my normal cruise speed on I-87 when I passed a trooper in the u-turn. He immediately pulled out and came up on me. I switched to the right to give him passage but he pulled over two cars back. "This is it" I thought, first ticket since Reagan was president. He flipped his lights on and..........

....pulled over the Jeep right behind me.

oldfarmer50 · August 2018

thebean said:
Brookstone filed for bankruptcy and will close all its mall stores. Has anyone here even gone into a Brookstone in the past few years? Will any of you miss them? I can't recall ever buying anything from them. All I ever saw in there were freeloaders lounging in the massage chairs.

Never heard of them. What did they sell?

explorerx4 · August 2018

@oldfarmer50.
They could have been pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt.
I saw something like that coming home on vacation.
3 vehicles speeding, but had to stop at a traffic light. The 2nd one got to have a face to face with the trooper.

oldfarmer50 · August 2018

roadburner said:
My local Ford dealer has a Mustang GT with the Performance Package Level 2. It was very nice looking, but pricey- over $50k, with rebates knocking it down to under $44k. So, this month's Road & Track had an article on a Mustang GT equipped with the PP2- and it turns out that after a "handful of laps" of a road course the rear axle temperature warning starts flashing. The Ford engineers know that, shrug their shoulders and say in essence, "Buy a GT350 if you want a track toy." Easy for them to say- the GT350 is $16k more.
Yet another reason I'll probably eventually end up with an M2 or-better yet-an M2 Competition...

Sounds like you'd need a trip to American Muscle for some performance axles. Didn't the 350Z have similar troubles with the brakes?

The price of the GT configured the way I'd want it gave me sticker shock too so I'll stick with my bland one and occasionally toss some mods at it as cash becomes available.

explorerx4 · August 2018

An M2 Comp STARTS at 59k.

ab348 · August 2018

roadburner said:
My local Ford dealer has a Mustang GT with the Performance Package Level 2. It was very nice looking, but pricey- over $50k, with rebates knocking it down to under $44k. So, this month's Road & Track had an article on a Mustang GT equipped with the PP2- and it turns out that after a "handful of laps" of a road course the rear axle temperature warning starts flashing. The Ford engineers know that, shrug their shoulders and say in essence, "Buy a GT350 if you want a track toy." Easy for them to say- the GT350 is $16k more.
Yet another reason I'll probably eventually end up with an M2 or-better yet-an M2 Competition...

Or buy this and save $14,000.

https://lmr.com/item/M4000M8S/mustang-ford-differential-oil-cooler-kit-gt350-15-18

henryn · August 2018

ab348 said:

Or buy this and save $14,000.

https://lmr.com/item/M4000M8S/mustang-ford-differential-oil-cooler-kit-gt350-15-18

$2,000 for an oil cooler??? Really ???? Who do they think they are, BMW or MB or ???

fintail · August 2018

I'm seeing so many Model 3s around here now, the 6000/week claim might almost be believable.

driver100 · August 2018

oldfarmer50 said:

thebean said:
Brookstone filed for bankruptcy and will close all its mall stores. Has anyone here even gone into a Brookstone in the past few years? Will any of you miss them? I can't recall ever buying anything from them. All I ever saw in there were freeloaders lounging in the massage chairs.
Never heard of them. What did they sell?

Brookstone had unusual items...often gift things. Like it might be a clock that also makes your toast in the morning....or say a scale with music when you stand on it, or maybe a bird feeder that will throw squirrels off into the bushes, or something you put on a chair and it will message your back. Some things are pretty cool, but, how much of that stuff does anyone need. Easier to buy online these days.

tbirdmarco · August 2018

Explore job fair was OK glad I went had nothing to lose.

Michaell · August 2018

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

thebean said:
Brookstone filed for bankruptcy and will close all its mall stores. Has anyone here even gone into a Brookstone in the past few years? Will any of you miss them? I can't recall ever buying anything from them. All I ever saw in there were freeloaders lounging in the massage chairs.
Never heard of them. What did they sell?
Brookstone had unusual items...often gift things. Like it might be a clock that also makes your toast in the morning....or say a scale with music when you stand on it, or maybe a bird feeder that will throw squirrels off into the bushes, or something you put on a chair and it will message your back. Some things are pretty cool, but, how much of that stuff does anyone need. Easier to buy online these days.

Kind of a poor mans Sharper Image.

thebean · August 2018

Michaell said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

thebean said:
Brookstone filed for bankruptcy and will close all its mall stores. Has anyone here even gone into a Brookstone in the past few years? Will any of you miss them? I can't recall ever buying anything from them. All I ever saw in there were freeloaders lounging in the massage chairs.
Never heard of them. What did they sell?
Brookstone had unusual items...often gift things. Like it might be a clock that also makes your toast in the morning....or say a scale with music when you stand on it, or maybe a bird feeder that will throw squirrels off into the bushes, or something you put on a chair and it will message your back. Some things are pretty cool, but, how much of that stuff does anyone need. Easier to buy online these days.
Kind of a poor mans Sharper Image.

Exactly. Crap nobody needs, but things someone that doesn't know you might buy you for a gift.

Michaell · August 2018

thebean said:

Michaell said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

thebean said:
Brookstone filed for bankruptcy and will close all its mall stores. Has anyone here even gone into a Brookstone in the past few years? Will any of you miss them? I can't recall ever buying anything from them. All I ever saw in there were freeloaders lounging in the massage chairs.
Never heard of them. What did they sell?
Brookstone had unusual items...often gift things. Like it might be a clock that also makes your toast in the morning....or say a scale with music when you stand on it, or maybe a bird feeder that will throw squirrels off into the bushes, or something you put on a chair and it will message your back. Some things are pretty cool, but, how much of that stuff does anyone need. Easier to buy online these days.
Kind of a poor mans Sharper Image.
Exactly. Crap nobody needs, but things someone that doesn't know you might buy you for a gift.

I still get the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog each year at the holidays....

dino001 · August 2018

Michaell said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

thebean said:
Brookstone filed for bankruptcy and will close all its mall stores. Has anyone here even gone into a Brookstone in the past few years? Will any of you miss them? I can't recall ever buying anything from them. All I ever saw in there were freeloaders lounging in the massage chairs.
Never heard of them. What did they sell?
Brookstone had unusual items...often gift things. Like it might be a clock that also makes your toast in the morning....or say a scale with music when you stand on it, or maybe a bird feeder that will throw squirrels off into the bushes, or something you put on a chair and it will message your back. Some things are pretty cool, but, how much of that stuff does anyone need. Easier to buy online these days.
Kind of a poor mans Sharper Image.

Really? To me they were both the same, equally overpriced and useless.

28firefighter · August 2018

dino001 said:

Brookstone filed for bankruptcy and will close all its mall stores. Has anyone here even gone into a Brookstone in the past few years? Will any of you miss them? I can't recall ever buying anything from them. All I ever saw in there were freeloaders lounging in the massage chairs.
Never heard of them. What did they sell?
Brookstone had unusual items...often gift things. Like it might be a clock that also makes your toast in the morning....or say a scale with music when you stand on it, or maybe a bird feeder that will throw squirrels off into the bushes, or something you put on a chair and it will message your back. Some things are pretty cool, but, how much of that stuff does anyone need. Easier to buy online these days.
Kind of a poor mans Sharper Image.
Really? To me they were both the same, equally overpriced and useless.

Agree. Used to love the Sharper Image catalog, though.

roadburner · August 2018

explorerx4 said:
An M2 Comp STARTS at 59k.

Which is still cheaper than a GT350; and I suspect putting a limited slip, a mild tune, and Sport Cup 2 tires on my quasi-///M 2 Series would let me stay close to a GT PP2. Ditto for a "Base" M2 with a tune and more aggressive rubber.

abacomike · August 2018

oldfarmer50 said:

Brookstone filed for bankruptcy and will close all its mall stores. Has anyone here even gone into a Brookstone in the past few years? Will any of you miss them? I can't recall ever buying anything from them. All I ever saw in there were freeloaders lounging in the massage chairs.
Never heard of them. What did they sell?

Not much!

dino001 · August 2018

oldfarmer50 said:

thebean said:
Brookstone filed for bankruptcy and will close all its mall stores. Has anyone here even gone into a Brookstone in the past few years? Will any of you miss them? I can't recall ever buying anything from them. All I ever saw in there were freeloaders lounging in the massage chairs.
Never heard of them. What did they sell?

Similar stuff at similar prices to Skymall - the catalouge on the plane that makes you either roll eyes, thinking who would buy it, or thinking “that’s clever, I could buy that, but not at this price” and forget all about it the moment the plane lands.

driver100 · August 2018

dino001 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

thebean said:
Brookstone filed for bankruptcy and will close all its mall stores. Has anyone here even gone into a Brookstone in the past few years? Will any of you miss them? I can't recall ever buying anything from them. All I ever saw in there were freeloaders lounging in the massage chairs.
Never heard of them. What did they sell?

Similar stuff at similar prices to Skymall - the catalouge on the plane that makes you either roll eyes, thinking who would buy it, or thinking “that’s clever, I could buy that, but not at this price” and forget all about it the moment the plane lands.

Yeh.....who actually buys that stuff?

oldfarmer50 · August 2018

roadburner said:

explorerx4 said:
An M2 Comp STARTS at 59k.
Which is still cheaper than a GT350; and I suspect putting a limited slip, a mild tune, and Sport Cup 2 tires on my quasi-///M 2 Series would let me stay close to a GT PP2. Ditto for a "Base" M2 with a tune and more aggressive rubber.

Price really doesn't matter though, does it? You're a BMW fan and as such you can use comparisons with other cars to cement your preferences. You want what you want and that's ok.

I got to drive an Audi A6 yesterday and I can see why those German brands have devoted fans.

tbirdmarco · August 2018

Good morning all happy Friday

oldfarmer50 · August 2018

My wife told me that she wants a VW Jetta. Why? She saw the commercial where the car was dancing to the beats. She said she would like owning a dancing car.

I hope she was kidding.

She doesn't even know what a Jetta is.

graphicguy · August 2018

thebean said:
Brookstone filed for bankruptcy and will close all its mall stores. Has anyone here even gone into a Brookstone in the past few years? Will any of you miss them? I can't recall ever buying anything from them. All I ever saw in there were freeloaders lounging in the massage chairs.

As much as I travel, I spend a lot of time in the airport Brookstones. Trying to remember, but I think I ended up buying a piece of carryon rollaboard luggage there to replace one that had just busted its wheels and handle. That was probably about 3 years ago and I still use their luggage. Matter of fact, I quite like it.

Sometimes I would stop in for a connector that I either lost or broke. I think I have one of their airline pillows.

That’s about it.

Not surprising they’re going out of business. With the amount of stores, expecially in airports, that sell the same stuff they did, they long gave up the category they had almost entirely to themselves.

For awhile there, they even were the only place to buy Temperpedic mastresses (now those matresses can be bought everywhere). And, the massage chairs can be had elsewhere, too. Just saw a display for those at Costco.

Sad to seen them go. I guess that lifetime warranty on the luggage is now null and void, too.

abacomike · August 2018

I bought an air purifier for my bedroom at Brookstone about 4 years ago. I don’t think it does much to remove dust and airborne particles from the air because my furniture is always dusty and when I finally clean the metal and plastic filter, not much is trapped. For $350, I got nothin’!

qbrozen · August 2018

oldfarmer50 said:

My wife told me that she wants a VW Jetta. Why? She saw the commercial where the car was dancing to the beats. She said she would like owning a dancing car. I hope she was kidding. She doesn't even know what a Jetta is.

I hope you set her straight! Everyone knows that the only important factors are if it looks cute and comes in a pretty color.

driver100 · August 2018

How about getting a VW because it has trailer assist;

https://youtu.be/mxr83Vkrh00

oldfarmer50 · August 2018

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

My wife told me that she wants a VW Jetta. Why? She saw the commercial where the car was dancing to the beats. She said she would like owning a dancing car.

I hope she was kidding.

She doesn't even know what a Jetta is.

I hope you set her straight! Everyone knows that the only important factors are if it looks cute and comes in a pretty color.

So true. I think it was the blue color that attracted her attention.

graphicguy · August 2018

I know some of you are enamored with the new Acura RDX. Here’s a mostly positive review, with some actual “gushing” about its goodness.

http://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/22545/2019-acura-rdx-advance-sh-awd-review-a-tech-laden-compact-crossover-thats-already-winning-americans-over

abacomike · August 2018

It is unfortunate that The EPA is no longer going to continue to require fuel economy and emission mandates for vehicles after 2020 - in other words, leave those mandates at the 2020 levels.

I have become convinced that increased levels of CO2 and other pollutants in our atmosphere have contributed to worldwide changes in climate. Pollution of the oceans has also affected the populations of fish and other living organisms. I am also aware that climate change is cyclical over long periods of time.

My point is this:

We know that air and water pollution negatively affect animal, plant, sealife and human life - to a greater or lesser degree - still to be determined. So why not at least “continue” to reduce carbon emissions and pollution of our planet that are controllable? In Beijing, they wear face masks because the air pollution is so intense. India is also a major contributor to pollution.

Why take the chance that the earth is merely going through a cyclical weather change? I am not an “Al Gore” supporter but we need to take care of this planet if we want this planet to take care of us!

snakeweasel · August 2018

thebean said:

I see the EPA is freezing the current mileage and emissions standards. What a stupid and shortsighted decision! When your children's children are enduring 120 degree days in a December with smog heavy enough to blot out your sun, maybe people will understand what a disasterous harmful decision this was.

Actually they are just rolling back Obama's mandates, the 2020 mandates are still in effect. Seriously auto emissions are so clean compared to the past that Obama's mandates wouldnt do much. Plus every increase in mileage and or emissions comes at an even greater cost than the previous. There is only so much power in a gallon of gas and only so clean it will burn. Obama's mandates would have been hard to achieve and would have increased car prices.

As for global warming this will have little if any affect. Climate change is a natural occurrence and in the past it has been hotter than it is now and in the future it will be cooler than it is now. And yes there is plenty of evidence that that natural climate change ca occurs rapidly. As for how much is man made is open for debate. However cars account for a small percentage of greenhouse gases being emitted, This rollback will have very little effect.

Also when its 120 in December it's going to be a few billion years from now when the sun is about to explode.

snakeweasel · August 2018

thebean said:

Brookstone filed for bankruptcy and will close all its mall stores. Has anyone here even gone into a Brookstone in the past few years? Will any of you miss them? I can't recall ever buying anything from them. All I ever saw in there were freeloaders lounging in the massage chairs.

I have, just a few weeks ago. I like to look at their gadgets but have never bought anything from them. I'll think I'll stop by one soon to see if I can get a cheap toy.

snakeweasel · August 2018

ab348 said:

and yes, for all the public unions the Pension (and retiree medical) is the 3rd rail. That must have been easy for politicians to give up in contract negotiations, but years of being overly generous is coming home to roost. I know for teachers and local police, newer hires have less generous plans. I think newbie cops now have to work 30 years instead of 20 to max out around here.
Here the pension is indeed very generous. Eligibility is based on the rule of 80 for non emergency personal and 75 for public safety personal (age + years of service). The annual pension amount is calculated on the average of their best (highest salary) 3 years, and then the pension amount is 2%* # years of service, for life with indexing if the plan is solvent.

Here the rule is 85 (age plus years of service) or if you reach the age of 60 and are vested in the pension (8 years for older employees 10 for newer hires). Its 1.667% for each year served and based on the average salary over the last 5 years of employment.

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