Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

oldfarmer50 · January 2021

fintail said:
Can you "buff it out" so to speak? A good cut and polish can do a lot for minor marks.

I have no real scratches yet, but a few rock marks on the front - gotta love plastic. These cars should come with a clear bra standard, for what they cost.

abacomike said:
I just found my first scratch on my E450 - it's in the center of the right rear door, about 3/4 of an inch in length and not easily noticeable (not a deep scratch). Have no idea how or when it was done since I always approach my car from the left driver's side. So when I was at the dealership yesterday for a carwash, their body shop rep was there. I asked if I could have an estimate of what it would cost to repair. I just got an email with the estimate - $753. It seems they want to repaint the entire door which requires quite a bit of labor.
So I have decided to see how long I can live with the hardly noticeable scratch! It's not a leased car and so long as I have wax over it, it should not cause any problems. I think the doors are aluminum alloy anyway and won't rust. I just have to put it out of my mind!!!:

I have no real scratches on the Mustang yet because I’m afraid to let it out of the garage. The Kia has accumulated a few but that’s a knock around car so you expect them. My Sebring has what you’d expect for 21 years of use. The cargo van would probably be improved by a few good scratches.

dino001 · January 2021

qbrozen said:

snakeweasel said:

What modes does your BMW have? We have an eco mode, a comfort mode and a sport mode. I see a major difference in the shifting between the sports mode and the other modes but there is really no difference in shifting between the comfort mode and the eco mode. The big difference between the comfort and eco modes is that the eco mode does reduce power to power draining items like A/C, heated seats and steering wheel and such, as well as activating the stop/start function.
I programmed the wife's to always start up in Eco mode, at her request. If I forget to turn it up when I get in, the throttle input is painfully delayed. Push the pedal to the floor and it will still basically override Eco, but if trying to drive normal, it is like driving a 100hp compact. I hate Eco mode.

Mine has four settings: Eco-Comfort-Sport-Sport Plus. I never use Eco, as it messes with the AC (car gets steamy) and makes the car a terrible dog (laggy response across the board), Comfort is default and it's mostly alright with a slight lag in downshifting, Sport moves the upshift speeds and pretty much eliminates the the downshift lag on the accelerator push, Sport Plus makes everything quick and leaves car in low gear when let off the power to coast, so you can easily punch it back. I basically use Comfort on my daily commute, switching to Sport on occasion, when feel like needing access to quick downshifts (or go with Manual option). Don't remember last time I used Sport Plus, must have been shortly after I bought the car. I know, I should be ashamed for the waste of opportunity for fun. What can you do, seems like I'm much more pedestrian than care to admit.

oldfarmer50 · January 2021

explorerx4 said:
One possible advantage of building in Mexico is that they can export to North/South America with no/little tariff

And pay the workers $10/hr. instead of $40.

oldfarmer50 · January 2021

fintail said:
Up to 80 cents now! I recall when I was a student and went to Vancouver every weekend, it was closer to 60 cents. I also remember as the Bush era bubble was coming to a close, the loonie was above par for a brief bit. The Euro was also around $1.50 USD, made for a more expensive vacation.

Maybe too much economic basis in resource extraction - boom and bust (and do you really want people from Alberta to have so much power? )

ab348 said:

It's still worthless.

When I went beer drinking in Montreal in the early 70s the Loonie was worth $1.10. Made those 20oz. Labatts pretty expensive.

snakeweasel · January 2021

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

qbrozen said:

andres3 said:

venture said:

tjc78 said:
I’ve been leaving start/stop on lately. Combined with auto brake hold it’s not too bad. If I’m stuck in traffic it certainly goes off, but putting around town it’s not horrible.

I used to despise it, but my wife turns it back on in her car all the time (it’s probably the one setting not tied to a profile) so I decided to give it a shot.

With as much as we drive it probably saves us 25 cents a month.
I really don't get why some people don't like it. My wife doesn't like it, but when I ask her why she just said she doesn't like it. I've learned to just let that sleeping dog lie there.

Don't get me wrong. I never said I liked it. It just doesn't bother me.
I don't like the wasted delay time, or lag.... it might only be a second or less, but multiply that by thousands over a lifetime and it adds up to a lot of wasted time.
? Meaning a waste of YOUR time? Which car is this? Sounds like a REALLY bad system if it is making you wait at all. In all cars I have had it in thus far, as soon as I begin to release the brake, it restarts. I don’t have to change anything on my part. Even if I were pretending to be Vin Diesel when the green light strikes, the engine is spinning before I can apply the gas. Zero wasted time.
Let's go to a local drag strip and test your theory. Same cars, one with stop-start, the other without, and let's race. I am willing to wager big time $$$ that using the stop-start feature will result in a greater time between A and B.
I was using the stop/start feature on the BMW today as I wasn't to play with the eco mode. In the normal motion to take my foot of the brake and putting in on the gas the car was starting as I was releasing the brake and running by the time I got my foot on the gas. So I would say that the time distance would be very slight if at all. That is unless you're one of those that sit at stop lights with one foot on the brake and the other on the gas.
I just have a big fast foot. @stickguy brings up a good point, with a typical automatic transmission you expect to already be moving forward by the time your foot hits the gas pedal, not just starting to rev up the engine.

I'm pretty sure the car will be running by the time I get the foot to the pedal, as soon as the brake pedal starts to get released it turns the engine over.

As for the car already moving sure that 1/2 inch and 0.0001 MPH head start really makes a difference.

snakeweasel · January 2021

andres3 said:

sda said:
While at the Audi dealership I looked at some new Q3/5s and A4s. To get a nicely equipped but not top of the line Q3 is $41k, Q5 is $50k, A4 is $45k. None had the tech package or B&O audio. The pano roof is now a $1500 option on the Q5. Call me unimpressed with those prices. I had forgotten the Q5 is now built in Mexico with the engine built in Mexico as well (2.0t). They are all nice vehicles, however.
I read a recent article that said the average transaction price in the US for a new car just crossed north of $40,000. Given that, the prices don't seem out of line, but I do think they are high.

I wonder what it would be if they eliminated very high end cars from the equation to make it more realistic. Say 10 people buy cars, one buys a $250,000 Bentley and 9 buy $18,000 Chevys the average price is north of $40K.

snakeweasel · January 2021

oldfarmer50 said:

fintail said:
Can you "buff it out" so to speak? A good cut and polish can do a lot for minor marks.

I have no real scratches yet, but a few rock marks on the front - gotta love plastic. These cars should come with a clear bra standard, for what they cost.

abacomike said:
I just found my first scratch on my E450 - it's in the center of the right rear door, about 3/4 of an inch in length and not easily noticeable (not a deep scratch). Have no idea how or when it was done since I always approach my car from the left driver's side. So when I was at the dealership yesterday for a carwash, their body shop rep was there. I asked if I could have an estimate of what it would cost to repair. I just got an email with the estimate - $753. It seems they want to repaint the entire door which requires quite a bit of labor.
So I have decided to see how long I can live with the hardly noticeable scratch! It's not a leased car and so long as I have wax over it, it should not cause any problems. I think the doors are aluminum alloy anyway and won't rust. I just have to put it out of my mind!!!:

I have no real scratches on the Mustang yet because I’m afraid to let it out of the garage. The Kia has accumulated a few but that’s a knock around car so you expect them. My Sebring has what you’d expect for 21 years of use. The cargo van would probably be improved by a few good scratches.

No "real" scratches? is that opposed to fake scratches? What are you doing to that poor pony?

dino001 · January 2021

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

sda said:
While at the Audi dealership I looked at some new Q3/5s and A4s. To get a nicely equipped but not top of the line Q3 is $41k, Q5 is $50k, A4 is $45k. None had the tech package or B&O audio. The pano roof is now a $1500 option on the Q5. Call me unimpressed with those prices. I had forgotten the Q5 is now built in Mexico with the engine built in Mexico as well (2.0t). They are all nice vehicles, however.
I read a recent article that said the average transaction price in the US for a new car just crossed north of $40,000. Given that, the prices don't seem out of line, but I do think they are high.
I wonder what it would be if they eliminated very high end cars from the equation to make it more realistic. Say 10 people buy cars, one buys a $250,000 Bentley and 9 buy $18,000 Chevys the average price is north of $40K.

That's why it's always better to look at median number. Much more representative for statistical representation of pay, or transaction, or many other items. But media insist on using average.

kyfdx · January 2021

@snakeweasel Took the X3 on an errand run, today. Just 7 miles. I think my wife's fob is programmed to always start in Comfort, because I had to choose Eco Pro, each time I started it. Had three short stops. Never got to test turning off the stop/start, because it never shut down at the few stop lights I encountered.

I'll try again, next time.

stickguy · January 2021

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

sda said:
While at the Audi dealership I looked at some new Q3/5s and A4s. To get a nicely equipped but not top of the line Q3 is $41k, Q5 is $50k, A4 is $45k. None had the tech package or B&O audio. The pano roof is now a $1500 option on the Q5. Call me unimpressed with those prices. I had forgotten the Q5 is now built in Mexico with the engine built in Mexico as well (2.0t). They are all nice vehicles, however.
I read a recent article that said the average transaction price in the US for a new car just crossed north of $40,000. Given that, the prices don't seem out of line, but I do think they are high.
I wonder what it would be if they eliminated very high end cars from the equation to make it more realistic. Say 10 people buy cars, one buys a $250,000 Bentley and 9 buy $18,000 Chevys the average price is north of $40K.

I assume there are so few ultra expensive ones relative to total sales that they don’t skew the results much. But median is probably a better figure. I wonder how close that comes out?

jmonroe1 · January 2021

driver100 said:

kyfdx said:

snakeweasel said:

kyfdx said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

qbrozen said:

andres3 said:

venture said:

tjc78 said:
I’ve been leaving start/stop on lately. Combined with auto brake hold it’s not too bad. If I’m stuck in traffic it certainly goes off, but putting around town it’s not horrible.

I used to despise it, but my wife turns it back on in her car all the time (it’s probably the one setting not tied to a profile) so I decided to give it a shot.

With as much as we drive it probably saves us 25 cents a month.
I really don't get why some people don't like it. My wife doesn't like it, but when I ask her why she just said she doesn't like it. I've learned to just let that sleeping dog lie there.

Don't get me wrong. I never said I liked it. It just doesn't bother me.
I don't like the wasted delay time, or lag.... it might only be a second or less, but multiply that by thousands over a lifetime and it adds up to a lot of wasted time.
? Meaning a waste of YOUR time? Which car is this? Sounds like a REALLY bad system if it is making you wait at all. In all cars I have had it in thus far, as soon as I begin to release the brake, it restarts. I don’t have to change anything on my part. Even if I were pretending to be Vin Diesel when the green light strikes, the engine is spinning before I can apply the gas. Zero wasted time.
Let's go to a local drag strip and test your theory. Same cars, one with stop-start, the other without, and let's race. I am willing to wager big time $$$ that using the stop-start feature will result in a greater time between A and B.
I was using the stop/start feature on the BMW today as I wasn't to play with the eco mode. In the normal motion to take my foot of the brake and putting in on the gas the car was starting as I was releasing the brake and running by the time I got my foot on the gas. So I would say that the time distance would be very slight if at all. That is unless you're one of those that sit at stop lights with one foot on the brake and the other on the gas.
After a little experience, I rarely think about the stop/start on my wife's BMW. We leave it active, unless we are in a traffic jam. Fairly unobtrusive. (4 cyl turbo). Easily defeatable, and holds your selection for the next time you start it. (IOW, you can leave it off all of the time)
One question I now have, and I will test it out next time I'm driving the BMW, can the start/stop be deactivated in eco mode? I've never tried it but I know if it's off in another mode and you put it in eco mode it automatically goes on. Yesterday I drove it to work and on the way home i put it in eco mode and drove it home very conservatively, The cars computer stated that I added 1.5 miles onto the range of the car, not bad considering it was only a 10.5 mile trip.
Haven't tried Eco mode. Next time, I'll report back (we've only had it for 3+ years.. lol)
I have used Eco mode about 3 times over the last 8 years, for a total of about 6 minutes. If I buy a car with 300+ horsepower why would I want to drive something that feels like a Chevy Spark?

Ah man, I have a feeling something bad is gonna happen...I actually agree with you.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50 · January 2021

driver100 said:

kyfdx said:

snakeweasel said:

kyfdx said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

qbrozen said:

andres3 said:

venture said:

tjc78 said:
I’ve been leaving start/stop on lately. Combined with auto brake hold it’s not too bad. If I’m stuck in traffic it certainly goes off, but putting around town it’s not horrible.

I used to despise it, but my wife turns it back on in her car all the time (it’s probably the one setting not tied to a profile) so I decided to give it a shot.

With as much as we drive it probably saves us 25 cents a month.
I really don't get why some people don't like it. My wife doesn't like it, but when I ask her why she just said she doesn't like it. I've learned to just let that sleeping dog lie there.

Don't get me wrong. I never said I liked it. It just doesn't bother me.
I don't like the wasted delay time, or lag.... it might only be a second or less, but multiply that by thousands over a lifetime and it adds up to a lot of wasted time.
? Meaning a waste of YOUR time? Which car is this? Sounds like a REALLY bad system if it is making you wait at all. In all cars I have had it in thus far, as soon as I begin to release the brake, it restarts. I don’t have to change anything on my part. Even if I were pretending to be Vin Diesel when the green light strikes, the engine is spinning before I can apply the gas. Zero wasted time.
Let's go to a local drag strip and test your theory. Same cars, one with stop-start, the other without, and let's race. I am willing to wager big time $$$ that using the stop-start feature will result in a greater time between A and B.
I was using the stop/start feature on the BMW today as I wasn't to play with the eco mode. In the normal motion to take my foot of the brake and putting in on the gas the car was starting as I was releasing the brake and running by the time I got my foot on the gas. So I would say that the time distance would be very slight if at all. That is unless you're one of those that sit at stop lights with one foot on the brake and the other on the gas.
After a little experience, I rarely think about the stop/start on my wife's BMW. We leave it active, unless we are in a traffic jam. Fairly unobtrusive. (4 cyl turbo). Easily defeatable, and holds your selection for the next time you start it. (IOW, you can leave it off all of the time)
One question I now have, and I will test it out next time I'm driving the BMW, can the start/stop be deactivated in eco mode? I've never tried it but I know if it's off in another mode and you put it in eco mode it automatically goes on. Yesterday I drove it to work and on the way home i put it in eco mode and drove it home very conservatively, The cars computer stated that I added 1.5 miles onto the range of the car, not bad considering it was only a 10.5 mile trip.
Haven't tried Eco mode. Next time, I'll report back (we've only had it for 3+ years.. lol)
I have used Eco mode about 3 times over the last 8 years, for a total of about 6 minutes. If I buy a car with 300+ horsepower why would I want to drive something that feels like a Chevy Spark?

I’ve driven those and they are surprisingly roomy for a tiny car. Ok if you drive mainly in the city.

venture · January 2021

The rhino is ready for Valentines Day.

oldfarmer50 · January 2021

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

fintail said:
Can you "buff it out" so to speak? A good cut and polish can do a lot for minor marks.

I have no real scratches yet, but a few rock marks on the front - gotta love plastic. These cars should come with a clear bra standard, for what they cost.

abacomike said:
I just found my first scratch on my E450 - it's in the center of the right rear door, about 3/4 of an inch in length and not easily noticeable (not a deep scratch). Have no idea how or when it was done since I always approach my car from the left driver's side. So when I was at the dealership yesterday for a carwash, their body shop rep was there. I asked if I could have an estimate of what it would cost to repair. I just got an email with the estimate - $753. It seems they want to repaint the entire door which requires quite a bit of labor.
So I have decided to see how long I can live with the hardly noticeable scratch! It's not a leased car and so long as I have wax over it, it should not cause any problems. I think the doors are aluminum alloy anyway and won't rust. I just have to put it out of my mind!!!:

I have no real scratches on the Mustang yet because I’m afraid to let it out of the garage. The Kia has accumulated a few but that’s a knock around car so you expect them. My Sebring has what you’d expect for 21 years of use. The cargo van would probably be improved by a few good scratches.
No "real" scratches? is that opposed to fake scratches? What are you doing to that poor pony?

If you look close enough you’ll find imperfections in any car that is driven. I might have a tiny stone chip on the nose but nothing to set me to weeping on my knees in the parking lot.

When the Kia was 3 months old some idiot with a spiked license plate bracket gouged the back bumper. I was busy so I let it go. If it was the Mustang I’d be posting from jail.

snakeweasel · January 2021

dino001 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

sda said:
While at the Audi dealership I looked at some new Q3/5s and A4s. To get a nicely equipped but not top of the line Q3 is $41k, Q5 is $50k, A4 is $45k. None had the tech package or B&O audio. The pano roof is now a $1500 option on the Q5. Call me unimpressed with those prices. I had forgotten the Q5 is now built in Mexico with the engine built in Mexico as well (2.0t). They are all nice vehicles, however.
I read a recent article that said the average transaction price in the US for a new car just crossed north of $40,000. Given that, the prices don't seem out of line, but I do think they are high.
I wonder what it would be if they eliminated very high end cars from the equation to make it more realistic. Say 10 people buy cars, one buys a $250,000 Bentley and 9 buy $18,000 Chevys the average price is north of $40K.
That's why it's always better to look at median number. Much more representative for statistical representation of pay, or transaction, or many other items. But media insist on using average.

No not at all as Median can have it's own issues depending on how the numbers are spread. It's always better to look at the mean (along with standard deviation) median and the mode to get the better picture.

snakeweasel · January 2021

stickguy said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

sda said:
While at the Audi dealership I looked at some new Q3/5s and A4s. To get a nicely equipped but not top of the line Q3 is $41k, Q5 is $50k, A4 is $45k. None had the tech package or B&O audio. The pano roof is now a $1500 option on the Q5. Call me unimpressed with those prices. I had forgotten the Q5 is now built in Mexico with the engine built in Mexico as well (2.0t). They are all nice vehicles, however.
I read a recent article that said the average transaction price in the US for a new car just crossed north of $40,000. Given that, the prices don't seem out of line, but I do think they are high.
I wonder what it would be if they eliminated very high end cars from the equation to make it more realistic. Say 10 people buy cars, one buys a $250,000 Bentley and 9 buy $18,000 Chevys the average price is north of $40K.
I assume there are so few ultra expensive ones relative to total sales that they don’t skew the results much. But median is probably a better figure. I wonder how close that comes out?

It's just not the ultra expensive ones but also more reasonable but expensive cars. For every $75K Benz sold how many $20K Fords are sold?

Michaell · January 2021

snakeweasel said:

stickguy said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

sda said:
While at the Audi dealership I looked at some new Q3/5s and A4s. To get a nicely equipped but not top of the line Q3 is $41k, Q5 is $50k, A4 is $45k. None had the tech package or B&O audio. The pano roof is now a $1500 option on the Q5. Call me unimpressed with those prices. I had forgotten the Q5 is now built in Mexico with the engine built in Mexico as well (2.0t). They are all nice vehicles, however.
I read a recent article that said the average transaction price in the US for a new car just crossed north of $40,000. Given that, the prices don't seem out of line, but I do think they are high.
I wonder what it would be if they eliminated very high end cars from the equation to make it more realistic. Say 10 people buy cars, one buys a $250,000 Bentley and 9 buy $18,000 Chevys the average price is north of $40K.
I assume there are so few ultra expensive ones relative to total sales that they don’t skew the results much. But median is probably a better figure. I wonder how close that comes out?
It's just not the ultra expensive ones but also more reasonable but expensive cars. For every $75K Benz sold how many $20K Fords are sold?

The delta between the two is probably not as big as you might think.

omarman · January 2021

A big gob.

explorerx4 · January 2021

@oldfarmer50,
I was trying to go beyond the well known wage differential.

dino001 · January 2021

snakeweasel said:

dino001 said:

I wonder what it would be if they eliminated very high end cars from the equation to make it more realistic. Say 10 people buy cars, one buys a $250,000 Bentley and 9 buy $18,000 Chevys the average price is north of $40K.
That's why it's always better to look at median number. Much more representative for statistical representation of pay, or transaction, or many other items. But media insist on using average.

No not at all as Median can have it's own issues depending on how the numbers are spread. It's always better to look at the mean (along with standard deviation) median and the mode to get the better picture.

For large sets of data with relatively "normal" distribution of majority of the items within the set (e.g. wages, prices) , the median will get you much better feel for experience of an "average person", whatever that means, because it is not sensitive to small number of large outliers, like Bentleys or billionaires. For scientific inquiry, sure mean plus std. deviation is the way to go, but explain it to an average reader. Making up some numbers say you have said "average price of car of $40,000 and std. deviation is say $15,000. This means if the pricing follows normal distribution, 99.7% of the cars would cost $40K+3*$15K = $85K or less, but about 68% of the cars are $40K-$15K = $25K or more. Too many words for an article. But if you say that 50 percent of the people pay less than say $35K and the other 50% paid more, this gives you a decent tie-in point, in my opinion, better than "average" $40K, from which some small number of Bugattis and Bentleys pulled the number up so much. The wages would feel even more skewed, as how many people would have to be included to overcome the proverbial 1%, especially if you're not one of them... Median can have some weird values when you have large clusters of closely packed data that are significantly separated from each other, but that's not the case for things like wages or prices, they tend to have a continuous spectrum. BTW, it would likely quickly converge with the mean if you discard fringe values, like said Bentleys, or proverbial top 1% in the wage pool.

fintail · January 2021

My fintail is almost 60 years old - chips aplenty and some scratches too. I filled a bunch of them in some time ago - touch up paint was insanely close to the actual aged color. But for that car, it is now "patina", and cool, so I don't overdo it. Seeing as bodywork and quality paint would probably cost 15K, good enough is good enough.

oldfarmer50 said:

I have no real scratches on the Mustang yet because I’m afraid to let it out of the garage. The Kia has accumulated a few but that’s a knock around car so you expect them. My Sebring has what you’d expect for 21 years of use. The cargo van would probably be improved by a few good scratches.

fintail · January 2021

I think it was the same around 2007/08. I remember being in Germany when the greenback was weak, made filling up a thirsty-ish 6cyl BMW a painful experience.

oldfarmer50 said:

When I went beer drinking in Montreal in the early 70s the Loonie was worth $1.10. Made those 20oz. Labatts pretty expensive.

fintail · January 2021

I use Eco mode on the highway, otherwise just 'comfort', I think I have only tried a sport mode once, I don't have use for it. I think Eco just makes it upshift sooner, but the car has so much torque and hp that the difference doesn't feel severe.

driver100 said:

I have used Eco mode about 3 times over the last 8 years, for a total of about 6 minutes. If I buy a car with 300+ horsepower why would I want to drive something that feels like a Chevy Spark?

stickguy · January 2021

I don't think the RDX has eco. Comfort is the lowest. we normally leave it in that. Also has sport and sport+ but not much use to us so far. Though I will check tomorrow to see if there is something below comfort, or above sport+.

venture · January 2021

fintail said:
My fintail is almost 60 years old - chips aplenty and some scratches too. I filled a bunch of them in some time ago - touch up paint was insanely close to the actual aged color. But for that car, it is now "patina", and cool, so I don't overdo it. Seeing as bodywork and quality paint would probably cost 15K, good enough is good enough.

oldfarmer50 said:

I have no real scratches on the Mustang yet because I’m afraid to let it out of the garage. The Kia has accumulated a few but that’s a knock around car so you expect them. My Sebring has what you’d expect for 21 years of use. The cargo van would probably be improved by a few good scratches.

...and it is probably worth more as it is.

driver100 · January 2021

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

kyfdx said:

snakeweasel said:

kyfdx said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

qbrozen said:

andres3 said:

venture said:

tjc78 said:
I’ve been leaving start/stop on lately. Combined with auto brake hold it’s not too bad. If I’m stuck in traffic it certainly goes off, but putting around town it’s not horrible.

I used to despise it, but my wife turns it back on in her car all the time (it’s probably the one setting not tied to a profile) so I decided to give it a shot.

With as much as we drive it probably saves us 25 cents a month.
I really don't get why some people don't like it. My wife doesn't like it, but when I ask her why she just said she doesn't like it. I've learned to just let that sleeping dog lie there.

Don't get me wrong. I never said I liked it. It just doesn't bother me.
I don't like the wasted delay time, or lag.... it might only be a second or less, but multiply that by thousands over a lifetime and it adds up to a lot of wasted time.
? Meaning a waste of YOUR time? Which car is this? Sounds like a REALLY bad system if it is making you wait at all. In all cars I have had it in thus far, as soon as I begin to release the brake, it restarts. I don’t have to change anything on my part. Even if I were pretending to be Vin Diesel when the green light strikes, the engine is spinning before I can apply the gas. Zero wasted time.
Let's go to a local drag strip and test your theory. Same cars, one with stop-start, the other without, and let's race. I am willing to wager big time $$$ that using the stop-start feature will result in a greater time between A and B.
I was using the stop/start feature on the BMW today as I wasn't to play with the eco mode. In the normal motion to take my foot of the brake and putting in on the gas the car was starting as I was releasing the brake and running by the time I got my foot on the gas. So I would say that the time distance would be very slight if at all. That is unless you're one of those that sit at stop lights with one foot on the brake and the other on the gas.
After a little experience, I rarely think about the stop/start on my wife's BMW. We leave it active, unless we are in a traffic jam. Fairly unobtrusive. (4 cyl turbo). Easily defeatable, and holds your selection for the next time you start it. (IOW, you can leave it off all of the time)
One question I now have, and I will test it out next time I'm driving the BMW, can the start/stop be deactivated in eco mode? I've never tried it but I know if it's off in another mode and you put it in eco mode it automatically goes on. Yesterday I drove it to work and on the way home i put it in eco mode and drove it home very conservatively, The cars computer stated that I added 1.5 miles onto the range of the car, not bad considering it was only a 10.5 mile trip.
Haven't tried Eco mode. Next time, I'll report back (we've only had it for 3+ years.. lol)
I have used Eco mode about 3 times over the last 8 years, for a total of about 6 minutes. If I buy a car with 300+ horsepower why would I want to drive something that feels like a Chevy Spark?

I’ve driven those and they are surprisingly roomy for a tiny car. Ok if you drive mainly in the city.

Roomy isn't the problem, I can get by with less room.....I just hate a car that doesn't have much power. I lived with a 63 Comet that was as fast as a turtle.

driver100 · January 2021

kyfdx said:
@snakeweasel Took the X3 on an errand run, today. Just 7 miles. I think my wife's fob is programmed to always start in Comfort, because I had to choose Eco Pro, each time I started it. Had three short stops. Never got to test turning off the stop/start, because it never shut down at the few stop lights I encountered.

I'll try again, next time.

Doesn't the car learn your habits - if you always disarm Start/Stop it will learn that? I always turn mine off as I bring my hand back from the gear shift...next step is turn off Stop/Start. If I forget, usually the engine won't go off unless I actually stay stopped for a few seconds.

driver100 · January 2021

fintail said:
I use Eco mode on the highway, otherwise just 'comfort', I think I have only tried a sport mode once, I don't have use for it. I think Eco just makes it upshift sooner, but the car has so much torque and hp that the difference doesn't feel severe.

driver100 said:

I have used Eco mode about 3 times over the last 8 years, for a total of about 6 minutes. If I buy a car with 300+ horsepower why would I want to drive something that feels like a Chevy Spark?

I like SPORT if I have to enter a fast moving crowded highway......gives me the option to move ahead or fall back and find a space I can merge into. I don't have need for SPORT+, and when I do that the car only has RWD.

driver100 · January 2021

omarman said:
A big gob.

Is that a standard equipment grill or is it an add-on? Why is it too wide?
I like the name spelt out in large letters, good thing it isn't a Plymouth or something...it would fill the whole width of the car.

fintail · January 2021

Definitely won't get the money back, as a good paint/body restoration is more than the value of the car.

And then you open Pandora's Box - new paint makes the chrome look bad, then you have to make the interior look equally good, then the powertrain will need to be similarly nice, might as well do the suspension while you're there - then you end up with 60K in bills for a car worth 20-25K on a good day.

Barring a lottery win, my longterm plans/goals with the car are to keep it presentable and roadworthy.

venture said:

...and it is probably worth more as it is.

fintail · January 2021

Must be a FL thing, we don't have fast moving crowded highways in the PNW

Even the wide open roads don't move too fast.

I don't think I've ever used sport+.

driver100 said:

I like SPORT if I have to enter a fast moving crowded highway......gives me the option to move ahead or fall back and find a space I can merge into. I don't have need for SPORT+, and when I do that the car only has RWD.

stickguy · January 2021

another plus to driving a manual. No auto stop/start!

Michaell · January 2021

driver100 said:
I like the name spelt out in large letters, good thing it isn't a Plymouth or something...it would fill the whole width of the car.

Just use the down arrow to shrink the font size to make it fit.

omarman · January 2021

Michaell said:

driver100 said:
I like the name spelt out in large letters, good thing it isn't a Plymouth or something...it would fill the whole width of the car.
Just use the down arrow to shrink the font size to make it fit.

Custom/personal logo grille for the Ranger. Yep they can fit about anything in that space.

roadburner · January 2021

kyfdx said:

snakeweasel said:

kyfdx said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

qbrozen said:

andres3 said:

venture said:

tjc78 said:
I’ve been leaving start/stop on lately. Combined with auto brake hold it’s not too bad. If I’m stuck in traffic it certainly goes off, but putting around town it’s not horrible.

I used to despise it, but my wife turns it back on in her car all the time (it’s probably the one setting not tied to a profile) so I decided to give it a shot.

With as much as we drive it probably saves us 25 cents a month.
I really don't get why some people don't like it. My wife doesn't like it, but when I ask her why she just said she doesn't like it. I've learned to just let that sleeping dog lie there.

Don't get me wrong. I never said I liked it. It just doesn't bother me.
I don't like the wasted delay time, or lag.... it might only be a second or less, but multiply that by thousands over a lifetime and it adds up to a lot of wasted time.
? Meaning a waste of YOUR time? Which car is this? Sounds like a REALLY bad system if it is making you wait at all. In all cars I have had it in thus far, as soon as I begin to release the brake, it restarts. I don’t have to change anything on my part. Even if I were pretending to be Vin Diesel when the green light strikes, the engine is spinning before I can apply the gas. Zero wasted time.
Let's go to a local drag strip and test your theory. Same cars, one with stop-start, the other without, and let's race. I am willing to wager big time $$$ that using the stop-start feature will result in a greater time between A and B.
I was using the stop/start feature on the BMW today as I wasn't to play with the eco mode. In the normal motion to take my foot of the brake and putting in on the gas the car was starting as I was releasing the brake and running by the time I got my foot on the gas. So I would say that the time distance would be very slight if at all. That is unless you're one of those that sit at stop lights with one foot on the brake and the other on the gas.
After a little experience, I rarely think about the stop/start on my wife's BMW. We leave it active, unless we are in a traffic jam. Fairly unobtrusive. (4 cyl turbo). Easily defeatable, and holds your selection for the next time you start it. (IOW, you can leave it off all of the time)
One question I now have, and I will test it out next time I'm driving the BMW, can the start/stop be deactivated in eco mode? I've never tried it but I know if it's off in another mode and you put it in eco mode it automatically goes on. Yesterday I drove it to work and on the way home i put it in eco mode and drove it home very conservatively, The cars computer stated that I added 1.5 miles onto the range of the car, not bad considering it was only a 10.5 mile trip.
Haven't tried Eco mode. Next time, I'll report back (we've only had it for 3+ years.. lol)

I don't know if all BMWs have the feature, but in my 2er Eco Pro decouples the engine from the transmission when you are off the throttle above 20 mph or so- it lets the car coast for what seems like forever on a downhill stretch.

cdnpinhead · January 2021

stickguy said:
another plus to driving a manual. No auto stop/start!

I've rented cars in Europe with manual transmissions that had the stop/start thing. When the clutch was depressed, the engine started. I didn't mind it.

roadburner · January 2021

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:
"@Michaell"
. While I don’t disagree with a HyunKia for the warranty, he may not keep it long enough to get full use out of it.

If he gets a HyunKia and he takes it in for service, put a big sign inside..NO DRINKS OR FOOD ALLOWED.

I’d put in a hidden dash cam too.

https://youtu.be/aril0QjNYks

I wouldn't be happy either. but what cracks me up is the owner- a young Mister Rogers driving a V6 Mustang. In any case, that's relatively small potatoes- a BMW dealer in Texas seriously damaged an M5.

When I worked at BMW we took in an E60 M5 on a trade. The next morning there was a very long set of black marks over on the CPO lot. Everyone accused me of hooning the M5, but it turned out the culprit was the UCM...

roadburner · January 2021

kyfdx said:
@snakeweasel Took the X3 on an errand run, today. Just 7 miles. I think my wife's fob is programmed to always start in Comfort, because I had to choose Eco Pro, each time I started it. Had three short stops. Never got to test turning off the stop/start, because it never shut down at the few stop lights I encountered.

I'll try again, next time.

I think the car will ALWAYS default to Comfort.

roadburner · January 2021

I might have mentioned that a couple of banks have hired me to appraise a few classic and special interest vehicles. I got called this week to maybe do another- a vintage Ferrari. Today an attorney called about an upcoming case. That conversation took all of two minutes- we spent the next ten discussing cars. His brother wants a sporty sedan under $60k- I suggested the Stinger GT2 and the G70, or possibly a Giulia Ti Sport if he leases it.

qbrozen · January 2021

roadburner said:
I might have mentioned that a couple of banks have hired me to appraise a few classic and special interest vehicles. I got called this week to maybe do another- a vintage Ferrari. Today an attorney called about an upcoming case. That conversation took all of two minutes- we spent the next ten discussing cars. His brother wants a sporty sedan under $60k- I suggested the Stinger GT2 and the G70, or possibly a Giulia Ti Sport if he leases it.

Whoa... you didn’t suggest a bimmer? I’m shocked.

driver100 · January 2021

Michaell said:

driver100 said:
I like the name spelt out in large letters, good thing it isn't a Plymouth or something...it would fill the whole width of the car.
Just use the down arrow to shrink the font size to make it fit.

Oh yeh, why didn't I think of that?
If I had a Chryco 300 - which I would never have, but if I did I would definitely love to put this grill on it;

kyfdx · January 2021

driver100 said:

kyfdx said:
@snakeweasel Took the X3 on an errand run, today. Just 7 miles. I think my wife's fob is programmed to always start in Comfort, because I had to choose Eco Pro, each time I started it. Had three short stops. Never got to test turning off the stop/start, because it never shut down at the few stop lights I encountered.

I'll try again, next time.
Doesn't the car learn your habits - if you always disarm Start/Stop it will learn that? I always turn mine off as I bring my hand back from the gear shift...next step is turn off Stop/Start. If I forget, usually the engine won't go off unless I actually stay stopped for a few seconds.

You can set up your preferences with the key fob. Since it's my wife's car, I've never set a fob up to my preferences.

oldfarmer50 · January 2021

driver100 said:

omarman said:
A big gob.

Is that a standard equipment grill or is it an add-on? Why is it too wide?
I like the name spelt out in large letters, good thing it isn't a Plymouth or something...it would fill the whole width of the car.

If you want to be that ostentatious with the grill why not paint the letters to stand out?

oldfarmer50 · January 2021

fintail said:
Definitely won't get the money back, as a good paint/body restoration is more than the value of the car.

And then you open Pandora's Box - new paint makes the chrome look bad, then you have to make the interior look equally good, then the powertrain will need to be similarly nice, might as well do the suspension while you're there - then you end up with 60K in bills for a car worth 20-25K on a good day.

Barring a lottery win, my longterm plans/goals with the car are to keep it presentable and roadworthy.

venture said:

...and it is probably worth more as it is.

The auto auctions are full of cars which have $50k worth of work that sell for $40k.

oldfarmer50 · January 2021

roadburner said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:
"@Michaell"
. While I don’t disagree with a HyunKia for the warranty, he may not keep it long enough to get full use out of it.

If he gets a HyunKia and he takes it in for service, put a big sign inside..NO DRINKS OR FOOD ALLOWED.

I’d put in a hidden dash cam too.

https://youtu.be/aril0QjNYks
I wouldn't be happy either. but what cracks me up is the owner- a young Mister Rogers driving a V6 Mustang. In any case, that's relatively small potatoes- a BMW dealer in Texas seriously damaged an M5.

When I worked at BMW we took in an E60 M5 on a trade. The next morning there was a very long set of black marks over on the CPO lot. Everyone accused me of hooning the M5, but it turned out the culprit was the UCM...

There are tons of dealer joy ride videos out there. I chose that one because it was the shortest.

That’s why my go to joke about problems after a dealer visit is to blame it on a lot boy joy ride.

oldfarmer50 · January 2021

driver100 said:

Michaell said:

driver100 said:
I like the name spelt out in large letters, good thing it isn't a Plymouth or something...it would fill the whole width of the car.
Just use the down arrow to shrink the font size to make it fit.

Oh yeh, why didn't I think of that?
If I had a Chryco 300 - which I would never have, but if I did I would definitely love to put this grill on it;

I’ve been a sucker for waterfall grills as long as I can remember.

ab348 · January 2021

Tire pressure monitoring systems have always struck me as something in need of further development to make them less finicky and easier to use, so that they don't need "relearning" after changing wheels and tires, etc. This week the Rockauto newsletter arrived and there was a piece on TPMS that told me some things I did not know:

Keep reading owners manuals because even new things like tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) that you thought you understood, may change significantly year to year and between vehicle models.

RockAuto.com has TPMS sensors for 2012 Honda Accords (found under in the "Wheel" category) but not for 2013 Accords because that car and some other brands' models no longer have valve stem style air pressure sensors on their wheels. Their "indirect" TPMS systems rely on the ABS Wheel Speed Sensors used for anti-lock brakes and traction control (found under the "Brake & Wheel Hub" category).

A change in a wheel's speed could mean a change in the tire's circumference which could mean the tire has low air pressure, so the computer will turn on the TPMS warning light on the dash. However, there might also be unusual changes in wheel speed if the driver does a smoky burnout, sharply turns the steering wheel, puts some bags of gravel in the trunk or installs snow chains.

Most car manufacturers have made it relatively easy to reset their indirect TPMS and turn off the warning light after a driver hauls home those bags of gravel. There may be a dedicated TPMS reset button on the dash or infotainment system. Read the owners manual to find the car's TPMS light reset procedure.

Reading the TPMS section of the owners manual may prevent misunderstandings and even save money at the tire store too. The driver who did the massive smoky burnout should not be surprised when the tire store tells him his (indirect) TPMS warning light will not turn off unless they replace his tires so that the tread depths and tire circumferences all match once again. (Or, maybe they will suggest moving wheels/tires and doing more smoky burnouts to wear down the other tires' tread!)

A driver of a vehicle with "direct" TPMS with air pressure sensors in the wheels will also benefit from knowing system basics and the age of his/her TPMS sensors. Sensor batteries wear out, and it is a good idea to replace TPMS sensors if they have been operating for more than a few years whenever new tires are installed. Bringing a set of new TPMS sensors from RockAuto.com and an understanding of your car's TPMS and its reset procedure to the tire store may save you significant money and/or help the tire store move your car through their service bay faster.

My experience has been that tire stores typically charge more than double what RockAuto does for TPMS sensors partly because they are trying to defray the potential costs of time spent having an employee track down the correct new sensors, performing a TPMS reset procedure and/or explaining a TPMS reset procedure to the vehicle owner.

graphicguy · January 2021

@abacomike ....I usually do my own “scratch” repair.

If it’s not down to the color (clear coat only), first try a clay bar to clean out any dirt from the scratch, and then use some “Perfect it” by 3M to smooth out the scratch. Then, just wax the affected area. It doesn’t sound like it’s a big scratch and would take all of maybe 10-15 mins to complete.

If it’s a scratch down to the metal, then painting is the only way to go.

For $100, I’m thinking the airbrush method does not include anyone doing any prep work, which is critical. If they don’t do the prep work, the airbrushed paint is going to be obvious (orange peel) and might look worse than the scratch.

imidazol97 · January 2021

oldfarmer50 said:
I’ve been a sucker for waterfall grills as long as I can remember.

Those are beautiful cars. I've always like those Continental Mark ???--Oh wait, this is the Chrysler. Still loved that car. Both these whispered in my ear. If only I'd had the money at the time. LOL

kyfdx · January 2021

imidazol97 said:

oldfarmer50 said:
I’ve been a sucker for waterfall grills as long as I can remember.

Those are beautiful cars. I've always like those Continental Mark ???--Oh wait, this is the Chrysler. Still loved that car. Both these whispered in my ear. If only I'd had the money at the time. LOL

That's a Mark V. I liked the Mark IV better

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