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The lady who owns the tax firm I work at has a fantastic memory for clients. Even clients she saw once and she remembers even the most mundane details about them. Yet she often forgets things like where she put her keys that morning.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
"If you can read this surface for air"
"My other boat is a Porsche"
"Dont honk I'm paddling as fast as I can"
"My fingerling is an honor student"
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I wondered if the rear signs were advertisements. A few folks put advertisements
on their rear windows for vitamins, lotions, pictures, etc.. A youngster in this
area used to have something to the effect of "For a good time contact Rich" and gave a website
on the windows or his Mercury equivalent of a Ford SUV.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I feel sorry for her husband, if he ever does something wrong she will never let him forget it!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2021 Genesis G90
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Yesterday made up for my puny pay. We were sent to Plattsburgh to pick up cars which meant 2+ hours of napping and drinking coffee. We then spent the day cruising Lake Champlain on the ferry as we went back and forth to Burlington VT. It was like a paid vacation.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
“This car was in a flood but it was fresh water so there won’t be any issues with it”
“Car has a flood title but water only came up to the bottom of the dash so there’s no significant damage.”
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport 2020 C43 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Dorian along the SC coast was truly a strictly coastal storm. Once it got up to Myrtle Beach and then up along the NC coast, the spin-off tornadoes became a problem.
Hurricanes and tropical storms are a multi-faceted and complex beast, and people get too caught up in the category instead of what impacts are actually likely. And it doesn't help when people tweet outdated and misleading information and then throw a week-long tantrum when they're called out for it.
Drove to take a look at it, and it looked good from the outside. Took it for a test drive and realized I couldn’t adjust the seat. Owner said it was the seat motor, which he would replace for free if I bought it. Also noticed that “musty” smell in the car, mixed with the Lysol smell coming out of the HVAC vents. It ran fine. But, I quizzed him on the smell. He said it was from leaving one of the windows open when it rained.
By this time, I knew to look a little harder. Sure enough, there were damp areas in the back seat carpet, under the bottom of the front seat backs, and actually a little puddle of water under the driver’s seat (which explained the seat motor being inoperative). I also noticed one of the drain plugs was missing.
I asked him if the car was a flood car. He said he had no idea. Digging a little deeper, he said he bought it because it needed “a little work” which he could do himself, and give it to his wife, but she didn’t want the car. You’re giving her a $45K car and she said “no”? Strange indeed!
Finally, I asked for the VIN, which he insisted he’d give me (he did, but it was one digit off). I finally got the VIN from the plate in the front window, and it ended up being a flood car from the east coast.
I asked him if the title was clean. He said the work he had to do caused the car to have a rebuilt title, but everything was fixed. I punted.
He was obviously trying to hide the truth from me. And, while it was priced under market, it wasn’t priced nearly to where it should have been with a rebuilt title.
He called me every day for a week lowering the price. I finally told him I knew he wasn’t being straight with me and I wouldn’t buy the car from him for $1. He cussed me out and hung up on me.
I bet the next buyer didn’t have your street smarts and got taken.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Now, here is the question. I have seen views of Germany and there are tons of Mercs serving as taxis. Taxicab companies use their vehicles at least 16 hours/day. They don’t want to have even moderate downtime with their vehicles. So, the Mercs they use must be pretty robust. What’s the difference between those cars and the Mercs we get here in the States? Are they “strippers” with none of the electronic “gee-gaws” on the US cars. Are they diesel cars and does that make a difference?
Any thoughts would be appreciated. I hope this doesn’t qualify as a @jmonroe1 length post.
Ouch. Bimmer 4 series concept. Where is Bangle when you need him?
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2014 MINI Countryman S ALL4
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
To be fair, MBs of the past decade or so are insanely less troublesome than those ~20 years ago. There are numerous turn of the century MBs I wouldn't take for free - that was likely the nadir of MB quality/reliability.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
My Kia had a dual clutch performance version trim with a turbo 1.6L. I opted not to consider that because of horror stories I’d heard about other brands.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I would trust a Mercedes to go as far as most cars with similar repair record, just if tricky electronics and 9 speed transmissions start to go....things could add up.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
In each new car they add a chip that has your picture and background information. When you drive in to get service or look at new cars your image comes up right away with all the background information the salesman needs....picture, wife's name, dogs name, work you do....etc.
Mike didn't want to give away this secret information that he signed he would never divulge.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Short term I don't think so. They have a positive cash position. The downgrade was based more on unclear future performance that could degrade their revenue and cash flow down the road. The big risk is that should the economy go into a moderate or worse recession, it could cost Ford as it's cash position may erode and they would then face a higher interest rate for any additional interim financing they may require in that event. That could put them at a competitive disadvantage to their competitors both financially, and because any dilution of cash may impact product development in a period where so much potential change is going on in their industry.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport 2020 C43 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
As for Ford, while I’m not familiar with the advantages of the wet clutch over the dry clutch system I have a feeling that the bean counters were behind that fiasco. I wonder if any of them had to pay the price for saving a few pennies upfront and costing the company millions later.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Japanese CVTs are mostly made by Jatco. I had an Aisin conventional 6-speed autobox in my 2011 Regal and it's programming was wonky in that it took forever to grab the right gear when you slowed to a near but not full stop and then wanted to accelerate again. Otherwise it was fine.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
https://youtu.be/nqZseFMPooA
One weak point of a CVT (there are more):
The mechanical structure of CVT is yet not perfect and sophisticated because it’s a relatively new technology. It has a steel chain about an inch wide that is the main route for transferring power from the engine to the rest of the car. If this chain breaks down for some reasons, the transmission will stop functioning. When the chain fails, it shatters into pieces with shrapnel everywhere.
More info:
The Honda models with the CVT are the most reliable among all the lineups and CVT transmission life expectancy is the longest. However, the automakers have been working relentlessly to improve the technology. Almost all the newer models of the brands are better than their predecessors.
*This is from some guys website
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class 3.0L Sport
Stock # 9F230943, 3.0L V6 CYL, A, 14578 mi., 18/26 MPG
Mercedes-Benz of Sarasota
Selling Price $9,897
Red exterior and almond interior....like ours!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
An immaculate low mileage example of one of those old diesels, especially in wagon form, has good value today, too.
Those German taxis are also all 4cyl cars, we only had a 4cyl diesel for MY 2014-16, it's the one to get.
Hardly new technology.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2014 MINI Countryman S ALL4
2021 Toyota Venza Limited Hybrid, 2022 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.4 Hemi, 2007 Mazda MX-5 Miata PRHT
I did look up the (correct) VIN. It was a flood car from the East Coast. IIRC it was a car that was caught in a flooded area on the Eastern Seaboard.
Never saw the title, but the seller did his level best to hide the fact that it was a salvage title that had to be rebuilt. Not exactly what he (or someone else) had to do to it to get the Rebuilt Title. But, I wanted nothing to do with it.
It was black with tan leather interior. If it had black interior, I may not have noticed some of the tell-tale signs. The smell made me leary, though.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
That’s a prelude into what I did last night. I was watching her performance this past weekend and saw someone who does a lot of Hyundai commercials in the audience (small venue...we were sitting at tables next to each other). He is the GM of one of the local Hyundai/Genesis/Acura dealerships in the area and come to find out, he’s the singer’s brother. The venue was a fairly nice restaurant, and the singer was performing with her jazz trio outside on their patio. You can see the parking lot from this patio.
So, when I pulled up, people can see you approach. I sat down with my friends next to this signer’s brother’s group. He saw me pull up my TLX with his competitor’s license frame on the car.
When I sat down, the singer was performing but waived at me. During her break, she introduced me to her brother. Making small talk he asked how I liked my car. I recognized him, but couldn’t place him until he told me he was the GM of the competing dealership.
Cut to the chase, I asked him about the Genesis and why there were no dealerships in the area. He corrected me and said his Hyundai Dealership did indeed sell Genesis. Matter of fact, he said his store was the highest volume Genesis store in the country (maybe they didn’t have to sell many of them to make that claim). We went on for a while talking about how the whole Genesis brand and having separate dealerships really didn’t seem to be working. He agreed. He said Hyundai wasn’t offering much in the way of incentives for the dealerships to build new facilities like Acura did when they first offered dealerships.
Plus, he said Genesis has been caught in another sales trend moving more towards SUVs. His number one seller is now the RDX followed closely by the MDX in all the stores he manages.
We talked about the upcoming TLX Type-S and said I should give him a call when they’re released and he’d get me one of the first test drives (yay!). I also mentioned I thought the Kia Stinger was quite a car. He laughed and said he agreed except for one problem.....they’re being sold by Kia dealerships. He invited me to take a test drive in a G70, which I did last night.
Can’t believe I’m saying this, but it feels like a much different car than the Stinger. It feels lighter and more balanced. It certainly is much nicer, inside and out. The two Stingers I’ve driven all had some squeaks. The G70 was as solid as could be. Plus, the MSRP is the same as a Stinger only with a better warranty and a nicer car all the way around.
Told him I wasn’t in the market, yet. But, he did say he’d offer me any G70 at invoice and that he’d a apply a $3,500 conquest cash credit too since Genesis considers Acura a competitor. Pretty compelling!
While I was in the area, I test drove an ES350 and a Camry XSE V6 back to back. In all honesty, I thought the Camry drove better and was more fun, by a pretty big margin. Plus, there was about a $17K delta between the price of the ES350 and the Camry. I’d choose the Camry. Toyota always made high quality cars, but they’ve really upped their game with the new Camry.....very refined....good steering heft (understeers a bit, though)...quiet and felt about as quick as my TLX.
REally a good time to compare the segment leaders in the Accord and Camry. Both, extremely nice cars for the money.
Before I knew it, what started out as casual tire kicking at 6:00 p.m. lasted until it was dark, and me taking myself out to dinner after test driving. Fun night.
Hopefully genesis comes out with a compact CUV soon to compare to the RDX.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.