Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

imidazol97 · May 2019

stickguy said:
wife and I treated ourselves to tickets to go see book of Mormon in Philly in 2 weeks. Heard it was a great show. Living like the rich folk I guess!

Book of Mormon was good. Saw it a few years back here.

stickguy · May 2019

one (of many) advantages of swapping from the Elantra to the TLX was it sits higher and much easier to get in and out. I assume it is comparable to the prior generation Accord. The Civic definitely rides lower (like an Elantra) and I seem to recall the new Accord is the same. I know they are trying to come across as sporty, but I still don't think most people interested in a large mid-size sedan want to be clambering in and out of something really low. Less of an issue with small sedans.

I would not buy something again really low slung. so depending on what is available in a couple years we may be a sedan-free family. The wife definitely wants a CUV for herself.

fintail · May 2019

As far as I know, not a single one in WA, and only a couple in surrounding states. I've stopped at them numerous times in the south/FL. I think I didn't go there on my midwest/rust belt trip in November though, as I wanted to try different things. I remember Culver's, something else alien to these parts, had some fun stuff.

imidazol97 said:

I thought Cracker Barrel was everywhere. My Midwest experience, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, is showing.

stickguy · May 2019

we have Cracker Barrels near me in S. NJ. I think I went once.

what I really miss about no longer going down south (now that my daughter graduated college) is my special trip to the Waffle House. I loved that place.

explorerx4 · May 2019

Took the Mustang to work today, first time it had been anywhere in a while.
Drove just fine, but when I went to leave work, it wouldn't start.
Left the headlights on.
Called AAA and they came out and jumped it, back on track.
Since I had to get gas for the mower and replace a Blue Rhino propane tank, decided to fill up the car, too.
Since June 30 last year, I put in 3, then 4 gallons, plus another 9 today(279 miles).
Guess we didn't drive the car much.
After that, I went to a local body shop to see about taking a scratch out of the driver's side door on my truck.
Scraped it with the lawn mover.
They tried to take it out with some solvent, but it will need to be buffed.
They can do it Tuesday, so I'll glad when that is removed.

ruking1 · May 2019

explorerx4 said:
Took the Mustang to work today, first time it had been anywhere in a while.
Drove just fine, but when I went to leave work, it wouldn't start.
Left the headlights on.
Called AAA and they came out and jumped it, back on track.
Since I had to get gas for the mower and replace a Blue Rhino propane tank, decided to fill up the car, too.
Since June 30 last year, I put in 3, then 4 gallons, plus another 9 today(279 miles).
Guess we didn't drive the car much.
After that, I went to a local body shop to see about taking a scratch out of the driver's side door on my truck.
Scraped it with the lawn mover.
They tried to take it out with some solvent, but it will need to be buffed.
They can do it Tuesday, so I'll glad when that is removed.

A battery trickle charger would work wonders to keep the battery @ 100%. Driving less then app 30 min to 60 mins is not good for your operating systems.

explorerx4 · May 2019

Sitting for 6 hours with the lights on and the car off, it not good for your battery either.
I've learned that if it sits for a few weeks, it's good to charge up the battery before starting it, even if it will otherwise start.
The air bag sensor doesn't like a weak battery start(light flashes continuously).

snakeweasel · May 2019

thebean said:

Memorial Day Sunday is blocked out for me EVERY year- Monaco, Indy and Charlotte- flag to flag on my primary HTS. The only thing better was a few years back when my son and I watched Monte Carlo on TV, drove to Indy and watched the 500, and then came home and watched the Coca-Cola 600...
If you can get through the World 600 (old name) without falling asleep or changing the channel, you are much more of a race fan than I am. 400 laps around CMS seems like an eternity. The past 6-8 years, I have only watched the last 20 laps or so of the 600.

I agree with you on that. I really cant sit through a 5 or 600 mile race. I prefer the smaller 1/4 or 1/2 mile tracks with 20 laps, much better for watching.

snakeweasel · May 2019

qbrozen said:

I find myself scrolling past an awful lot lately in this thread...

Doesn’t anyone need a washing machine lol
That depends. What is the washing machine's political affiliation?

Washington didn't believe in political parties.

driver100 · May 2019

snakeweasel said:

berri said:

The wife and I are heading down to the Shawnee National Forest which is in the extreme southern part of Illinois. It's an area know for its natural landscape and It's a big wine producing area of the state with 11 wineries.

Snake (ironically) isn't this the time of year that all the rattle snakes start laying out on the roads down there?

Yeah, that's about right, just dont tell the Mrs that. Plus that's where Metropolis is, I can get my picture taken by the Driver100 statue.

Don't forget to leave some money in the jar for my retirement.

oldfarmer50 · May 2019

stickguy said:
one (of many) advantages of swapping from the Elantra to the TLX was it sits higher and much easier to get in and out. I assume it is comparable to the prior generation Accord. The Civic definitely rides lower (like an Elantra) and I seem to recall the new Accord is the same. I know they are trying to come across as sporty, but I still don't think most people interested in a large mid-size sedan want to be clambering in and out of something really low. Less of an issue with small sedans.

I would not buy something again really low slung. so depending on what is available in a couple years we may be a sedan-free family. The wife definitely wants a CUV for herself.

So you’re the guy that ruined Ford.

oldfarmer50 · May 2019

ruking1 said:

explorerx4 said:
Took the Mustang to work today, first time it had been anywhere in a while.
Drove just fine, but when I went to leave work, it wouldn't start.
Left the headlights on.
Called AAA and they came out and jumped it, back on track.
Since I had to get gas for the mower and replace a Blue Rhino propane tank, decided to fill up the car, too.
Since June 30 last year, I put in 3, then 4 gallons, plus another 9 today(279 miles).
Guess we didn't drive the car much.
After that, I went to a local body shop to see about taking a scratch out of the driver's side door on my truck.
Scraped it with the lawn mover.
They tried to take it out with some solvent, but it will need to be buffed.
They can do it Tuesday, so I'll glad when that is removed.
A battery trickle charger would work wonders to keep the battery @ 100%. Driving less then app 30 min to 60 mins is not good for your operating systems.

Turning the lights off would work even better. All those nanny buzzers make you careless so when you get into old technology you forget things.

driver100 · May 2019

Do they have A&Ws in the U.S.? They have the new vegetarian Beyond Burger which is getting rave reviews for tasting like a hamburger. They even make it using beets so some red color leaks out so it looks like blood.

For the sake of humanity Mrs D went to dinner with friends so I bought a Beyond Burger....mainly as a conversation experiment.

The first few bites it took some getting used to....different texture than a real hamburger. Once you get used to it it was pretty good....but, I still prefer a real hamburger.

I couldn't help thinking it was a hamburger wannabe....JMonroe would probably love it.

Expensive too....just a burger alone was $8....a combo is $12 Cdn, probably 6 and 9 or $10 USD. I'd rather go to a real restaurant and get real food for a few dollars more.

oldfarmer50 · May 2019

explorerx4 said:
Sitting for 6 hours with the lights on and the car off, it not good for your battery either.
I've learned that if it sits for a few weeks, it's good to charge up the battery before starting it, even if it will otherwise start.
The air bag sensor doesn't like a weak battery start(light flashes continuously).

Your old Mustang has airbags? It’s like a 1990 isn’t it? My 1991 Oldsmobile didn’t have them.

driver100 · May 2019

We ordered a bunch of stuff on Sunday from amazon....stuff you would have to go to about 12 stores to get. One was a night light with a motion sensor, and it only comes on in the dark - $11, A digital clock $15, some cereal, slivered almonds, tennis dampers to put on a racket, salad dressing, and some vitamins and dog treats and dog toy. Monday was a holiday here and the stores were closed, but the package arrived the next day Monday.....Amazon is incredible!

explorerx4 · May 2019

@oldfarmer50,
It's a 1991 and it has an airbag in the steering wheel, that's it.
The airbag light flashes a code(sort of like morse code, but not audible), so I was able to find out it was the sensor mounted on the radiator cross support.
We are supposed to have some good weather for the long weekend, so I'll probably have a chance to put some miles on it.

imidazol97 · May 2019

driver100 said:
We ordered a bunch of stuff on Sunday from amazon....stuff you would have to go to about 12 stores to get. One was a night light with a motion sensor, and it only comes on in the dark - $11, A digital clock $15, some cereal, slivered almonds, tennis dampers to put on a racket, salad dressing, and some vitamins and dog treats and dog toy. Monday was a holiday here and the stores were closed, but the package arrived the next day Monday.....Amazon is incredible!

Prices on many things on Amazon are more than at local stores, Walmart, Meijer, etc.. They used to be consistently lower until a couple years ago.

berri · May 2019

So I learned today that Superman is a Canadian. How about Lois Lane

ruking1 · May 2019

oldfarmer50 said:

ruking1 said:

explorerx4 said:
Took the Mustang to work today, first time it had been anywhere in a while.
Drove just fine, but when I went to leave work, it wouldn't start.
Left the headlights on.
Called AAA and they came out and jumped it, back on track.
Since I had to get gas for the mower and replace a Blue Rhino propane tank, decided to fill up the car, too.
Since June 30 last year, I put in 3, then 4 gallons, plus another 9 today(279 miles).
Guess we didn't drive the car much.
After that, I went to a local body shop to see about taking a scratch out of the driver's side door on my truck.
Scraped it with the lawn mover.
They tried to take it out with some solvent, but it will need to be buffed.
They can do it Tuesday, so I'll glad when that is removed.
A battery trickle charger would work wonders to keep the battery @ 100%. Driving less then app 30 min to 60 mins is not good for your operating systems.
Turning the lights off would work even better. All those nanny buzzers make you careless so when you get into old technology you forget things.

Indeed, but that is water under the bridge, spilled milk, etc. Getting the battery back up to 100% is the new reality.👍

snakeweasel · May 2019

berri said:
So I learned today that Superman is a Canadian. How about Lois Lane

Well according to Goggle maps there are at least 6 towns in Illinois with a Lois Lane and at least one Lois Ann Lane.

explorerx4 · May 2019

@ruking1,
My Mustang is too old to have any buzzers/alert mechanisms.
If you were stupid, so be it.

ruking1 · May 2019

explorerx4 said:
@ruking1,
My Mustang is too old to have any buzzers/alert mechanisms.
If you were stupid, so be it.

You got me advocating buzzer/alert mechanisms, not even close. I am content that you are still stupid! Stay that way, you wear it well. It truly was not my problem. So be it 👍

oldfarmer50 · May 2019

explorerx4 said:
@oldfarmer50,
It's a 1991 and it has an airbag in the steering wheel, that's it.
The airbag light flashes a code(sort of like morse code, but not audible), so I was able to find out it was the sensor mounted on the radiator cross support.
We are supposed to have some good weather for the long weekend, so I'll probably have a chance to put some miles on it.

Me too, only I’m going to take it across the border to driver100’s neighborhood where I hear old convertibles are chick 🧲

andres3 · May 2019

henryn said:

andres3 said:

I know in CA, particularly in the San Diego area, they are starting to scrap long-promised highway improvements (additional lanes) for other pet projects, like mass transit and bike paths.

The problem is they are scrapping improvements promised like 10 years ago for money the voters approved based on those promises. So do they think Voters don't care if promises turn out to be lies? The gist of the argument seems to be that added lanes don't help because if you build it, they will come (as in more cars).
I find that argument to be a bunch of hogwash,but that's me.
Unfortunately, that isn't the case, it is not a "bunch of hogwash". Scientific studies have shown that to be true. You add more lanes to the freeway, it doesn't take long (a year or two) for the traffic to increase to the point where you have the same gridlock as before.

I say "unfortunately" because I don't like this any more than you do. But just because I don't like it does not make it "hogwash".

The real problem here is that diverting the money to mass transit has not (for the most part) been of any real help with the situation. We need better answers. I don't have those "better answers", but someone really really needs to come up with some new ideas.

As others have stated, those "scientific studies" have fundamental logical failings and flaws. Ask anyone stuck in 6-lane bumper to bumper traffic, what is worse, being stuck in 6-lane or 2-lane traffic gridlock. Inevitably, they'll say it's better to have 6 lanes, because it opens up the gridlock faster, better, easier, and it lubricates the gridlock to not be quite as slow, and/or it doesn't stop as long or as frequently as lesser lane highways.

I have the option of 2-lane gridlock on my commute, and I'll take the multi-lane freeways every-time all other things being equal.

The water pipe example is a good one. More capacity is better. If all the lanes are full as soon as they are opened it means they didn't plan for and build enough lanes to begin with.

I remember new neighborhoods in South Sacramento that had wide open empty brand new arterial roads with 6-lanes (3-lanes each direction). I'm sure they are full now, 25 years later, but those first few years definitely showed they "planned ahead" with how empty the 6 lanes felt. My neighborhood had to settle with the old 4-lane arterial roads.

pensfan83 · May 2019

@jmonroe1 any relation?!

https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/heinz-rewards-yinzer-aghast-that-kennywood-is-using-hunts-ketchup/

andres3 · May 2019

I've heard the cities trying the soda or sugary drink taxes are being backfired upon. People are buying their drinks in adjacent Cities, and tax revenue, despite the rate being SPIKED, is way way down!

Why does government always think it can outsmart everyone?

I'm very sad to report that apparently due to a recent major Court Case, CA gets to make everyone in the world charge sales tax for people in CA. My electronics from VA, my tires from IN or NV, and more now charges sales tax for the first time in History.

I blame Amazon for this. They caved in too easily a while back, and now everyone else is falling like dominoes.

driver100 · May 2019

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:
We ordered a bunch of stuff on Sunday from amazon....stuff you would have to go to about 12 stores to get. One was a night light with a motion sensor, and it only comes on in the dark - $11, A digital clock $15, some cereal, slivered almonds, tennis dampers to put on a racket, salad dressing, and some vitamins and dog treats and dog toy. Monday was a holiday here and the stores were closed, but the package arrived the next day Monday.....Amazon is incredible!
Prices on many things on Amazon are more than at local stores, Walmart, Meijer, etc.. They used to be consistently lower until a couple years ago.

By the time I count gas, wear and tear on the car and on me, possible fender bender, my time, I don't mind paying a bit more.

driver100 · May 2019

berri said:
So I learned today that Superman is a Canadian. How about Lois Lane

Margaret Ruth Kidder (October 17, 1948 – May 13, 2018), professionally known as Margot Kidder, was a Canadian-American actress.

jmonroe1 · May 2019

pensfan83 said:
@jmonroe1 any relation?!

https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/heinz-rewards-yinzer-aghast-that-kennywood-is-using-hunts-ketchup/

Nope, no relation. That guy is a wannabe pure and simple. He has to be a lurker in here which is the only way I can account for this. However, he is right about the switch to Hunts ketchup being a bad idea in these parts. In fact not using Heinz ketchup around here is outright blasphemy. Even worser than putting ketchup (any brand) on a hot dog, anywhere, especially in Chicago.

I have no idea nor does anyone else about what Kennywood is doing at their Potato Patch. Some things you just don't screw around with. First the cheese now the ketchup. Maybe they'll water down the vinegar next. I don't know who the owners of Kennywood are now but something tells me it's not a group from the Burgh.

jmonroe

tjc78 · May 2019

stickguy said:

gorgeous day. Took advantage to mow the lawn since work was dead. Tomorrow at the shore should be nice. I get to work the street fair in Collingswood. at least weather will be good.

Just came from over that way. Had dinner at the Pour House after the movie.

FWIW we saw Avengers Endgame. The hype is real. What a movie. I’m not really into the comic book thing overall but very entertaining none the less.

@graphicguy and @roadburner I can’t wait to get this one fired up on the home system. Tons of great sound effects.

tjc78 · May 2019

RE: Cracker Barrel. Good breakfast IMO but that’s where it ends for me. I’d rather go to a NJ Diner.

fintail · May 2019

That's all I've had at Cracker Barrel, breakfasts. Excellent pancakes.

Regarding Amazon, I am far from a lover of Bezos, but I have had nothing but amazing service. The convenience outweighs the negatives, and that will make his firm a hard one to fight. Last week I needed a few things, and I noticed next day shipping was free if I ordered $35. So I bought the odd mix of a couple large containers of peanuts, some Meguiars microfiber towels (the best I've found so far), and a hockey skate accessory I'm not even sure can be sourced locally, at least not conveniently. I had some doubts all would arrive so soon, especially in the same package. Lo and behold, the next afternoon, my items arrived, and I didn't have to drive for an hour to get them myself.

snakeweasel · May 2019

driver100 said:

berri said:
So I learned today that Superman is a Canadian. How about Lois Lane
Margaret Ruth Kidder (October 17, 1948 – May 13, 2018), professionally known as Margot Kidder, was a Canadian-American actress.

But Noel Neill, who first played Lois Lane, was from Minnesota.

snakeweasel · May 2019

andres3 said:
I've heard the cities trying the soda or sugary drink taxes are being backfired upon. People are buying their drinks in adjacent Cities, and tax revenue, despite the rate being SPIKED, is way way down!

Why does government always think it can outsmart everyone?

I'm very sad to report that apparently due to a recent major Court Case, CA gets to make everyone in the world charge sales tax for people in CA. My electronics from VA, my tires from IN or NV, and more now charges sales tax for the first time in History.

I blame Amazon for this. They caved in too easily a while back, and now everyone else is falling like dominoes.

States were pushing for this for many years and rightfully so.

snakeweasel · May 2019

fintail said:
That's all I've had at Cracker Barrel, breakfasts. Excellent pancakes.

Regarding Amazon, I am far from a lover of Bezos, but I have had nothing but amazing service. The convenience outweighs the negatives, and that will make his firm a hard one to fight. Last week I needed a few things, and I noticed next day shipping was free if I ordered $35. So I bought the odd mix of a couple large containers of peanuts, some Meguiars microfiber towels (the best I've found so far), and a hockey skate accessory I'm not even sure can be sourced locally, at least not conveniently. I had some doubts all would arrive so soon, especially in the same package. Lo and behold, the next afternoon, my items arrived, and I didn't have to drive for an hour to get them myself.

Of all the times I've had breakfast at Cracker Barrel I've never had their pancakes. But we do buy their pancake mix to make at home, it's rather good.

stickguy · May 2019

Minnesota is basically part of Canada anyway, so you can count her.

TJC, we love the pourhouse. Go there at least once a month on our Friday evening rounds. even though it is a real pain to get over there at rush hour, it is worth the trip.

tjc78 · May 2019

First time my wife and I were there together. I’ve been quite a few times with colleagues since we have a location right up the street on Cuthbert. We wanted to go somewhere different that the in town places.

graphicguy · May 2019

PF_Flyer said:

snakeweasel said:
Well the big holiday weekend is almost here with it the start of the summer season.

Anyone with big plans? The wife and I are heading down to the Shawnee National Forest which is in the extreme southern part of Illinois. It's an area know for its natural landscape and It's a big wine producing area of the state with 11 wineries.

Funny thing is I was planning the route last night using Google maps. Google maps gave me the quickest route but it wasn't the route I was going to take. The route they gave me took me down a toll road. When i chose the option to avoid toll roads it gave me the route i was planning on taking. According to Google the quickest route was only a minute faster yet it was 18 miles longer and had tolls. I figure that I would drive a minute longer and save over $4.00 in gas and tolls.
Indy 500 is our now-annual kickoff to summer (or is it the end of spring?) Doing the National Museum of the Air Force on the way out.

Used to go to the 500 every year, given I was either living in Indianapolis, or close enough to make it a day trip. Haven’t been in quite some time...at least since it quit being the rambunctious free for all in the infield.

Now, it’s all corporate.

That said, my son is going. I told him to spend the night. He’ll thank me for it later.

abacomike · May 2019

I read with interest the posts about Cracker Barrel and the fairly good recommendations. I have not heard of that chain so I searched the web for local Cracker Barrel restaurants.

I found 1 location in Deerfield Beach (about 3 miles from me) but the ratings were quite dismal - 3 out of 5 stars was the average. There are 3 other locations (Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach and Pembroke Pines) all of which are 10-40 miles away. Those other locations were rated an average of 3 out of 5 stars also. Those are not very good ratings and would not tempt me to try one of the locations.

When I read 25-30 ratings comments in all four locations, many complained about poor service but had better things to say about the chain rather than the location they were rating.

Since each store is managed and owned by different people, it is probably the location rather than the food quality that is of concern. I did see many 5-star and 4-star ratings for each, but the average was about 3-stars.

imidazol97 · May 2019

Check locations around Nashville. Their ratings are better, likely because CB is headquartered in Lebanon TN.

https://www.google.com/search?q=cracker+barrel+lebanon+tn&oq=cracker+barrel+lebanon+tn&aqs=chrome.0.0l6.4639j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I've found chains tend to have their best behavior nearer the headquarters. This is what happened with Bob Evans before it was bought by a Texas company. Now it has become poor as a restaurant. Its headquarters is in a very wealthy suburb of Columbus now.

suydam · May 2019

I found Cracker Barrel very mediocre, but I don’t tend to go to chain restaurants. In the Midwest there often isn’t much else out on the road, so I’d look for a Bob Evans in a pinch. I could usually find something decent to eat.

berri · May 2019

Chicken and Dumplings are good if you want a little retro carb loading.

cdnpinhead · May 2019

abacomike said:
I read with interest the posts about Cracker Barrel and the fairly good recommendations. I have not heard of that chain.

Your urban carriage trade roots are showing.

thebean · May 2019

The best Cracker Barrel I have ever patronized was in Branson. This was probably 20 years ago and it was right by our motel. We ate there several times and is was very good. Since then, I have found other CB’s to be just OK. We have one in my town and the only time I venture in one is to buy a gift certificate for Christmas for the couple that delivers my daily paper. They love CB and this yearly gift insures that my paper will always be on time and double wrapped if there is even a chance of rain.

snakeweasel · May 2019

just stopped for breakfast, here is a picture of the parking lot.

imidazol97 · May 2019

snakeweasel said:
just stopped for breakfast, here is a picture of the parking lot.

That's a great sign. The Amish and Old Order folks know good food!

It's just like in the 60s/70s, when traveling stop where the trucks were stopping.

dino001 · May 2019

abacomike said:
I read with interest the posts about Cracker Barrel and the fairly good recommendations. I have not heard of that chain so I searched the web for local Cracker Barrel restaurants.

I found 1 location in Deerfield Beach (about 3 miles from me) but the ratings were quite dismal - 3 out of 5 stars was the average. There are 3 other locations (Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach and Pembroke Pines) all of which are 10-40 miles away. Those other locations were rated an average of 3 out of 5 stars also. Those are not very good ratings and would not tempt me to try one of the locations.

When I read 25-30 ratings comments in all four locations, many complained about poor service but had better things to say about the chain rather than the location they were rating.

Since each store is managed and owned by different people, it is probably the location rather than the food quality that is of concern. I did see many 5-star and 4-star ratings for each, but the average was about 3-stars.

Cracker Barrel is nothing special in my mind, but I've never been particularly impressed by fake rustic places serving overly greasy stuff. It's basically Denny's or Ihop with food served on a wooden bench with a gift shop selling stupid trinkets.

imidazol97 · May 2019

Does Consumer Reports have an evaluation on Cracker Barrel?

dino001 · May 2019

imidazol97 said:

dino001 said:

Cracker Barrel is nothing special in my mind, but I've never been particularly impressed by fake rustic places serving overly greasy stuff. It's basically Denny's or Ihop with food served on a wooden bench with a gift show selling stupid trinkets.
Does Consumer Reports have an evaluation on them?

Don't know, but if they're negative, I'm sure we can somehow spin it as a part of pro-Honda anti-GM bias, if you really like

suydam · May 2019

imidazol97 said:

snakeweasel said:
just stopped for breakfast, here is a picture of the parking lot.

That's a great sign. The Amish and Old Order folks know good food!

It's just like in the 60s/70s, when traveling stop where the trucks were stopping.

As long as you like your food made with plenty of lard in it!

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