Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

U.S. Auto Market News and Reviews

13637394142

Comments

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,097
    I'll have to look into that. Vision zero is indeed zero vision, a pie in the sky dream concocted by people who don't live in the real world. And I'll wager many of the public sector officials who support it are unwilling to give up their own private cars. Kind of reminds me how cities here want to be pedestrian friendly, but pedestrian traffic controls are still lax at best, while all resources go to bike lanes.
    andres3 said:


    Did you see the LA Times story that some of the people that tragically died in the Paradise CA wildfire can thank their local Politicians for implementing Zero Vision (Vision Zero) policies like lane reductions (narrowing) through main street in the heart of town. That section of road became gridlocked during evacuations from the fires, no doubt in part due to the lessening and narrowing of lanes. I wonder if anyone stuck in the gridlock realized the contributory factors besides bad drivers and poor evacuation notice.

    I've long mocked Vision Zero as having zero vision, and this was a good example of unintended consequences of doing idiotic things.

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    andres3 said:

    fintail said:

    Not sure if punishing drivers of marginally longer cars will solve anything. Reminds me of the local ideals of ripping out car lanes for seldom-used bike lanes, and cities taking bribes to allow Limebikes to park all over the place after being used for fun and seldom if ever replacing cars.

    Here are the problems in cities:

    Lack of affordable housing close to employment centers

    Lack of comprehensive public transit

    Lack of general infrastructure, which makes housing, transit, and roads that much harder

    (I won't even get into the wage/socio-economic issues underlying in much of this)

    Shorter cars won't make a difference. Tax the living daylights out of offshore capital parkers/money launderers who use local real estate as a casino and residency ticket, use the proceeds to fund transit and infrastructure. Encourage upzoning to allow people to not need to live 20 miles from employment centers to find affordable rent (or if they are lucky, a mortgage). Put first world taxes on those who have benefited most from the past 35 years of moronic tax policy, use the proceeds to fund transit and infrastructure.




    But there's no incentive to buy a Spark or a Mitsubishi, because the bigger cars are not being punished enough.

    Automakers don't want to sell these little cars. They make them as awful as possible.

    Did you see the LA Times story that some of the people that tragically died in the Paradise CA wildfire can thank their local Politicians for implementing Zero Vision (Vision Zero) policies like lane reductions (narrowing) through main street in the heart of town. That section of road became gridlocked during evacuations from the fires, no doubt in part due to the lessening and narrowing of lanes. I wonder if anyone stuck in the gridlock realized the contributory factors besides bad drivers and poor evacuation notice.

    I've long mocked Vision Zero as having zero vision, and this was a good example of unintended consequences of doing idiotic things.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Well I do see your point there but in the case of the Paradise fire, it was moving, in some places, at a rate of one football field PER SECOND. Some people, depending on where they were, had no chance of survival. Evacuation orders were botched because no one could comprehend a fire moving that fast.

    There are simply too many cars. If everyone in America, every single person, hopped into all the cars in America, there would be nobody in the back seats.
  • henrynhenryn Member Posts: 4,289
    fintail said:

    I'd rather not deal with tolls as well. I don't like tags and similar on my windshield. Having the toll pass on my recent rental cars sometimes bugged me.

    That just doesn't compute, at least not in my experience. The tag is fairly small, and goes on the windshield, high up. I always place it so that it is behind the rear view mirror such that it is hard to even spot it from the driver's seat.
    2023 Chevrolet Silverado, 2019 Chrysler Pacifica
  • MichaellMichaell Moderator Posts: 240,156
    henryn said:

    fintail said:

    I'd rather not deal with tolls as well. I don't like tags and similar on my windshield. Having the toll pass on my recent rental cars sometimes bugged me.

    That just doesn't compute, at least not in my experience. The tag is fairly small, and goes on the windshield, high up. I always place it so that it is behind the rear view mirror such that it is hard to even spot it from the driver's seat.
    In CO, they want the transponder in the lower right of the windshield. It's pretty small.

    Edmunds Price Checker
    Edmunds Lease Calculator
    Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and let us know! Post a pic of your new purchase or lease!


    MODERATOR

    2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2014 MINI Countryman S ALL4

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I have one on my license plate frame--works great, pretty inconspicuous.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,097
    Too many cars in some areas, in many others, the population of cars isn't an issue. The areas with congestion need to work on accessible comprehensive public transit - hint: trickle down gift tax policy or poorly designed bike lanes won't make it happen.



    There are simply too many cars. If everyone in America, every single person, hopped into all the cars in America, there would be nobody in the back seats.

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,097
    I don't want to see it at all. It's unsightly and old tech-looking, to me anyway. I like the idea of a plate-mounted transponder a lot more.
    henryn said:


    That just doesn't compute, at least not in my experience. The tag is fairly small, and goes on the windshield, high up. I always place it so that it is behind the rear view mirror such that it is hard to even spot it from the driver's seat.

  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    IL does it either internal mounted (roughly the size of a D battery), roof mounted for commercial vehicles, or mounted in the front license plate frame. My Infiniti dealer's service loaners use the plate frame (they cover tolls for their loaner fleet); I have the internal model. I mount it above the rearview mirror to aid in covering one of the gap areas where the sun will try to hit my eyes at certain times of day. It's often good enough that I don't need to use the visor extension.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729

    andres3 said:

    fintail said:

    Not sure if punishing drivers of marginally longer cars will solve anything. Reminds me of the local ideals of ripping out car lanes for seldom-used bike lanes, and cities taking bribes to allow Limebikes to park all over the place after being used for fun and seldom if ever replacing cars.

    Here are the problems in cities:

    Lack of affordable housing close to employment centers

    Lack of comprehensive public transit

    Lack of general infrastructure, which makes housing, transit, and roads that much harder

    (I won't even get into the wage/socio-economic issues underlying in much of this)

    Shorter cars won't make a difference. Tax the living daylights out of offshore capital parkers/money launderers who use local real estate as a casino and residency ticket, use the proceeds to fund transit and infrastructure. Encourage upzoning to allow people to not need to live 20 miles from employment centers to find affordable rent (or if they are lucky, a mortgage). Put first world taxes on those who have benefited most from the past 35 years of moronic tax policy, use the proceeds to fund transit and infrastructure.




    But there's no incentive to buy a Spark or a Mitsubishi, because the bigger cars are not being punished enough.

    Automakers don't want to sell these little cars. They make them as awful as possible.

    Did you see the LA Times story that some of the people that tragically died in the Paradise CA wildfire can thank their local Politicians for implementing Zero Vision (Vision Zero) policies like lane reductions (narrowing) through main street in the heart of town. That section of road became gridlocked during evacuations from the fires, no doubt in part due to the lessening and narrowing of lanes. I wonder if anyone stuck in the gridlock realized the contributory factors besides bad drivers and poor evacuation notice.

    I've long mocked Vision Zero as having zero vision, and this was a good example of unintended consequences of doing idiotic things.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Well I do see your point there but in the case of the Paradise fire, it was moving, in some places, at a rate of one football field PER SECOND. Some people, depending on where they were, had no chance of survival. Evacuation orders were botched because no one could comprehend a fire moving that fast.

    There are simply too many cars. If everyone in America, every single person, hopped into all the cars in America, there would be nobody in the back seats.
    On the flip side of that coin, there are numerous stories of people that decided the gridlock was fatal, and made the correct decision to huff it on foot and hightail it out of there literally "running for their lives!" It turned out to be the right decision for all those that lived to tell the tale. Lots of abandoned vehicles left on the side of the road/highway.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • tlongtlong Member Posts: 5,194
    I know Paradise as my mother lived there for over 20 years. The main highway through town (and down to Chico), Skyway, was narrowed a few years back from 2 to 1 lane for about a mile. They added diagonal side parking. It was to a) provide more parking for merchants to help the economy; and b) there had been some pedestrian fatalities crossing the street, so it was felt that the new setup would slow cars down and reduce ped risk. Of course since they're in a fire zone and there is no other way out, it was also a choke point for the evacuation. Probably not a good idea, in retrospect. If there had been transit, or many other ways out, it might not have been so bad.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,057
    edited December 2018
    RE.: tolls--I pay them only every so often. I pay for gas all the time. In Ohio, the only toll road is the Ohio Turnpike. I'm not aware of PA toll roads other than their turnpike either. Give me cheap gas anytime.

    It's all what you're used to, but I'll take low cost of living and green, rolling hills. I'd move back to my old hometown but just too small for my wife. I enjoy walking in the hardware store there and being called by my first name, and going into one restaurant there and getting hugged by the owner (who was a few years behind me in school). Nothing like that ever happens where I live now, LOL.
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • tlongtlong Member Posts: 5,194
    edited December 2018
    Re: tolls. I guess I'm tainted by my own experiences; I never pay tolls to go anywhere here in CA, 100s of thousands of miles driven. When my kids were little we went to Orlando and there was a shuttle launch the next morning at like 6am. Nobody else was interested so I got up early and drove my rental car to Titusville. They scrubbed that morning and rescheduled the following morning. So I drove the rt again the next morning and saw the launch.
    I paid somwhere between $20-$40 in tolls (I forget the exact amount) for those two round trips. That was galling when I drive those distances all the time and never pay anything. If nothing else, it's easier to pay more at the pump than stopping at booths. Nowadays you would instead need an invading device on your windshield and to pay another bill each month.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,057
    Back to that photo of the white Camry--what on Earth prompted Toyota to make the drooping black lines from the taillights? Looks like the gasket broke and is drooping. In person it's no better.

    For a company that folks claim is so Americanized, the local dealer here had his 50th anniversary a few years ago. The newspaper photo had two execs from Japan presenting him a Samurai sword. Not criticizing, just commenting.
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    edited December 2018
    I think Toyota is too influenced by the car buff magazines. They get too concerned about comments like boring. They are fortunate that their reliability reputation has many loyal followers or I think their sales would be taking a hit from some of this extreme anime stuff. Personally, even though I know Lexus is a very well built car, I wouldn't buy one because I find the styling just too butt ugly. The Camry looks are OK to me, but not attractive. However, it costs much less than a Lexus. It shares the same problem for me as the Accord, too low to the ground and very tight headroom with the sunroof.
  • henrynhenryn Member Posts: 4,289
    berri said:

    I think Toyota is too influenced by the car buff magazines. They get too concerned about comments like boring. They are fortunate that their reliability reputation has many loyal followers or I think their sales would be taking a hit from some of this extreme anime stuff. Personally, even though I know Lexus is a very well built car, I wouldn't buy one because I find the styling just too butt ugly. The Camry looks are OK to me, but not attractive. However, it costs much less than a Lexus. It shares the same problem for me as the Accord, too low to the ground and very tight headroom with the sunroof.

    I have to agree with you on that one (Accord -- very tight headroom with the sunroof). And the really bad part, you can't get a nicely equipped Accord (or CR-V) without the sunroof being a part of the deal. One reason that I haven't owned a Honda in recent decades.

    2023 Chevrolet Silverado, 2019 Chrysler Pacifica
  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    I find sunroofs kind of useless (go convertible or don't bother), but many disagree with me on that. I will say the CRV has better headroom to accommodate a sunroof though than an Accord or Camry. Those sedans, if you are tall, you've got to recline the driver seatback to a gangbanger position in order to fit.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    My enthusiasm for sunroofs has waned over the years with different cars, especially as I worked through things like clogged sunroof drains, rattles, and blinding sun at midday, to say nothing of decreased headroom and electrical glitches. Perhaps if your car was garaged and you used the roof sparingly, these annoyances would matter much to you.
  • suydamsuydam Member Posts: 4,676
    I love sunroofs. Especially if you in a climate with a lot of grey skies, that little bit of extra light really helps. I’ve never had a problem with leaks, except in my son’s old Mazda 626 when he parked it under a tree in Eugene, Oregon, where the falling wet leaves plus continual rain did a number on the roof and clogged the drains. Had he only cleaned it every now and then . . .
    '14 Buick Encore Convenience
    '17 Chevy Volt Premiere
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yes, that's true. If you have a confined cockpit, or a dark interior, a sunroof (or moonroof) can brighten things up. Generally, I've driven cars with an ample greenhouse, so this hasn't been a necessity. Sure might come in handy in a Camaro, though.
  • henrynhenryn Member Posts: 4,289

    Yes, that's true. If you have a confined cockpit, or a dark interior, a sunroof (or moonroof) can brighten things up. Generally, I've driven cars with an ample greenhouse, so this hasn't been a necessity. Sure might come in handy in a Camaro, though.

    I think the only thing that would help in a Camaro would be to have a convertible, and just leave the top down.
    2023 Chevrolet Silverado, 2019 Chrysler Pacifica
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,057
    As much as I want to, I just don't like the Camaro. I do like the C7 in base form but with glass top, which will still sticker under $60K. Nothing else really like it IMHO.

    But I'm convinced I'll never get around to owning one.
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    If I won that car in a contest, I'd sell it without even sitting in it.
  • tlongtlong Member Posts: 5,194
    I don't like sunroofs. More things to go wrong. I'm fair-skinned and avoid sun when possible. Even with the cover open and the smoked glass closed, there's too much sun coming in.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,057
    The only sunroof vehicle I've ever owned is a Studebaker.

    For the extra cost, I don't think they're worth it, and in the past negatively affected headroom.

    In a current Corvette, which I like, the removable hardtop is standard equipment but the basic car is appealing enough to me that probably the only option I'd pick is the glass top instead of the solid-colored roof.
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,097
    I like having a sunroof in a modern car, lets some light in, which can be nice in a gloomy climate. Thick pillars and the fixation on dark interiors make modern cars a bit somber inside. Older cars with thin pillars and/or wraparound glass can be a lot more airy and might not need a roof so much.
  • tlongtlong Member Posts: 5,194
    fintail said:

    I like having a sunroof in a modern car, lets some light in, which can be nice in a gloomy climate. Thick pillars and the fixation on dark interiors make modern cars a bit somber inside. Older cars with thin pillars and/or wraparound glass can be a lot more airy and might not need a roof so much.

    If I lived in the PNW I might feel that way, too.
    Why are all interiors black these days? I miss beige or blue interiors.
  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    Black interiors show every piece of lint, dust, dirt. I don't get their appeal really. But they seem to sell well. I'm not interested in black interior.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,097
    I blame German brands, who really got into it. I guess it shows less wear or stains, but also shows dust and other particulates, as berri mentioned.

    I don't know of any mass market cars that have a blue interior option now. I think it can be ordered in some pricier vehicles.
    tlong said:


    If I lived in the PNW I might feel that way, too.
    Why are all interiors black these days? I miss beige or blue interiors.

  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,057
    Funny, it's gray interiors that I dislike the most. I'll pick solid black over gray. Chevys used to offer beiges but I haven't seen that in awhile either. Upper Impalas have a dark butterscotch, almost pumpkin-like leather color which I don't really like either.

    I miss red/maroon interiors myself.
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • suydamsuydam Member Posts: 4,676
    I hate black. On our two vehicles we have light gray and on the other one cognac trimmed in black, which is really nice.
    '14 Buick Encore Convenience
    '17 Chevy Volt Premiere
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,057
    edited December 2018
    For me, when I used to weekly get rental cars (starting in the '80's) when I travelled with work, they were invariably gray inside. I think that's what has stuck with me all these years.
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • tlongtlong Member Posts: 5,194
    berri said:

    Black interiors show every piece of lint, dust, dirt. I don't get their appeal really. But they seem to sell well. I'm not interested in black interior.

    Yes, we have a car with black carpet and everything shows. It's a royal pain.
    I've heard people think black exteriors are high maintenance, but having had a black car before, I find the black interior worse than the black exterior.
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    I'm quite happy to have the 'wheat' interior on my QX60. Absolutely did not want black. Even though I live in the snow belt there are still too many opportunities for the summer sun to create a blisteringly hot interior.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    As for exteriors, I remember we had a navy blue and a white GM car up north. In the winter the dark one usually looked worse for winter wear. That surprised me a bit really, but then salt and a lot of winter muck is lighter in color I suppose.
  • mrgrtt123mrgrtt123 Member Posts: 7
    https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/10/business/nissan-carlos-ghosn-indicted.html

    Any thoughts about this controversy that Nissan is into?
    A web designer at PetStreetMall, a place to find quality and affordable pet supplies.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I think Japan is doing a power grab.
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    Well there aren't any numbers to show how much it was misreported so it's difficult to know the scale of how 'bad' it was. And yeah, in the US it would prob be some form of an SEC violation. But I'm not really seeing how it affects consumers.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • tlongtlong Member Posts: 5,194
    Interesting posts on YT regarding Elon Musk. Ten years ago Tesla was a tiny startup and GM announced the Volt. It was to be a critical car and even Bob Lutz said he'd stake his reputation on it.

    Ten years later the Volt seems to have been a technical success but a market failure. GM has just killed it, and meanwhile Tesla is 100x larger and selling more electric cars than anybody ever has.
  • suydamsuydam Member Posts: 4,676
    edited December 2018
    Actually the Volt sold pretty well considering that GM never marketed it. Can you think of a single TV ad for the Volt? And they never trained their sales crew very well on selling it. In spite of that they sold nearly 150,000 of them.
    '14 Buick Encore Convenience
    '17 Chevy Volt Premiere
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I'd call Volt a hit rather than a miss. Tesla is by no means out of the woods. They are the type of company that can pop like a balloon if things go wrong quickly. You can factor in recalls that might occur, future poor reliability, fierce competition, new technological breakthroughs, rising electrical costs, and even a company that grew so fast it killed itself.

    All this has happened before in the auto biz.
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    Also, bits & pieces of the tech developed for the Volt has almost certainly been applied to numerous other, more mass-market, vehicles. So even if the car itself was relatively short-lived (10 years ain't that bad of a run), the concepts and R&D investments weren't wasted.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Also keep in mind that the sedan market is dying fast. So whoever can field a diverse array of EV products will do best, I think.

  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,057
    edited December 2018
    Ghosn was known a few years back as "Le Cost Cutter".
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,057
    Back to gas prices--after being around $2.10 for a week or so, top tier brands where I live now are $1.97. I am loving that.
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,686
    $2.56 for PUG at Costco yesterday.

    I'm not a fan of black exterior or interior. My XF is black inside, however brightened a bit by the wide swath of aluminum (and smaller wood swath) on the dash and lighter headliner. Next car, I hope to get a brown/tan or gray interior. We'll see, when I bought the XF new year's eve '13, I was a bargain shopper (beggar) so a limited chooser, colors-wise.

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    My preference in interior color went from dark to light. I just bought a 2016 CX-5 for my daughter (currently serving in the Army in Korea) for her return to Fort Hood which has a parchment (light tan) . The contrast strikes me as more upscale vs. the monochrome in many combinations.









  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    Wonder if that will carry into the next gen version? Auto design always has been influenced by aviation. The current trend in cockpits is glass. I see it already in many cars, but maybe Tesla goes the furthest with it right now.
  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,686
    My 85 yo father just leased a white on tan CX-5 in LA. Replacing his '15 Mazda 6 with ~7k miles. Wonder what he'll lease to take him into his 90s?

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    My friend's dad is 95 and drives a Prius. Seems to suit him. He's still a pretty good driver although I wouldn't call him quick on the draw. He is starting to back into garbage cans though. :p
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,057
    I do admit that I laugh when I see guys on various car forums online refer to the Prius as the "Pious". :)
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
Sign In or Register to comment.