Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

explorerx4 · October 2021

Back from our week+ in Ohio, looked at quite a few houses.
Pretty much a done deal we are headed there.

@jmonroe1,
If you get water in your basement, you'll be glad she bought all those rolls of the good stuff.

boomchek · October 2021

roadburner said:

boomchek said:
I had a extended warranty on my 07 BMW 328i I bought in 2011 just as the factory warranty was about to expire. I managed to squeeze in a leaky valve cover gasket about 50 kms before factory warranty expired, and then about 2 years later another valve cover gasket under the extended warranty, so it paid for itself. When that warranty expired, I bought another warranty around 2013 at around 120,000kms (80k miles?), and surprisingly didn't have to use it at all.

Only when the car reached about 180,000kms (110k miles) did I start having minor electrical gremlins with the steering lock and another valve cover gasket leak and an oil pan gasket leak. Other than that it was actually reliable. I eventually sold it dirt cheap. At 5 years and 8 months it was the longest I owned a car.
In 140k miles I only replaced the VCG once on my son's E90 328i. I wonder if the issue in your case was improper installation or use of a "white box" gasket.

Not sure, but both times it was done at a BMW dealer.

Funny enough after the first vcg replacement, the dealer called me saying the car was ready for pickup. I arrive get the keys, start it up and check engine light was on and car was idling rough. I walk back in and tell them there's an issue. They apologize and told me to leave the car with them for another day to see what's wrong.

I got called back the next day telling me the car was ready again. They said when their technician installed the gasket, he left one of the gasket corners folded up, not sealing the valve cover properly. Pretty sloppy job coming from one of the biggest local BMW dealers here. Not even sure how it wasn't noticed, and how the vehicle was driven out of the shop with a rough idle and check engine light on (that it didn't have before) and marked as repaired lol.

jmonroe1 · October 2021

explorerx4 said:
Back from our week+ in Ohio, looked at quite a few houses.
Pretty much a done deal we are headed there.

@jmonroe1,
If you get water in your basement, you'll be glad she bought all those rolls of the good stuff.

It’s a shame they’re absorbent otherwise I’d have more little life preservers than anyone else in the county.

jmonroe

ab348 · October 2021

explorerx4 said:
Back from our week+ in Ohio, looked at quite a few houses.
Pretty much a done deal we are headed there.

I must have missed that story. What is motivating the move?

explorerx4 · October 2021

@ab348,
Daughter is having 2nd child, so they are going to need help.
I think my wife is also kind of tired of dealing with her family BS, too, although not the main motivation.

driver100 · October 2021

In case anyone lost sleep trying to think of what car I saw the other day I am pretty sure it was a 2021 KIA K5. Strange name........should be a K9. Actually I liked the look. I think it was a K5 because this color looks the same, it has flat sides with no chrome or major creases, the KIA badge on the trunk looks a bit like a Lexus badge when passing it, the rear lights go across the width at the back, though the front hood crease isn't raised it does narrow at the front which is probably what I remembered as I saw it in my rearview mirror.

The interior looks pretty nice too. A beautiful looking car considering price starts at around $30000 CDN, maybe mid to high $20s in the U.S.

sda · October 2021

I like the look of the K5. It looks contemporary and dynamic without being gaudy.

stickguy · October 2021

Classier looking than it’s twin under the skin sonata.

roadburner · October 2021

I wish it was a smaller version of the Stinger- RWD and maybe 150 more hp.

28firefighter · October 2021

roadburner said:
I wish it was a smaller version of the Stinger- RWD and maybe 150 more hp.

Elantra N has entered the chat

driver100 · October 2021

sda said:
I like the look of the K5. It looks contemporary and dynamic without being gaudy.

That's what I thought...it looks like an Asian BMW, nice in a simple classic way.

mjfloyd1 · October 2021

@28firefighter said:
Elantra N has entered the chat

I thought the Elantra N was front wheel drive??

roadburner · October 2021

28firefighter said:

roadburner said:
I wish it was a smaller version of the Stinger- RWD and maybe 150 more hp.
Elantra N has entered the chat

The K5 is too big for FWD; I would consider an i30N if Hyundai saw fit to sell it here.

28firefighter · October 2021

@roadburner said:
The K5 is too big for FWD; I would consider an i30N if Hyundai saw fit to sell it here.

Isn’t that close to the Veloster?

28firefighter · October 2021

@mjfloyd1 said:

@28firefighter said:
Elantra N has entered the chat

I thought the Elantra N was front wheel drive??

Details details.

driver100 · October 2021

28firefighter said:

@roadburner said:

The K5 is too big for FWD; I would consider an i30N if Hyundai saw fit to sell it here.

Isn’t that close to the Veloster?

You mean, a car that is like a Volster but nicer looking?

qbrozen · October 2021

@driver100 said:
You mean, a car that is like a Volster but nicer looking?

And has 5 real doors?

roadburner · October 2021

28firefighter said:

@roadburner said:

The K5 is too big for FWD; I would consider an i30N if Hyundai saw fit to sell it here.

Isn’t that close to the Veloster?

Yes, the problem with the Veloster from my standpoint is the lack of a few features that the US version doesn't get.

driver100 · October 2021

roadburner said:

28firefighter said:

@roadburner said:

The K5 is too big for FWD; I would consider an i30N if Hyundai saw fit to sell it here.

Isn’t that close to the Veloster?

Yes, the problem with the Veloster from my standpoint is the lack of a few features that the US version doesn't get.

Respectfully, with these sales numbers the last thing Hyundai needs to do is to bring more Velosters to America:
Hyundai sold 1,740 Veloster in 2021. (From Jan - Sep 2021)

Hyundai sold 93 Veloster in September 2021.

Hyundai sold 7,591 Veloster in 2020. In 2019, Hyundai sold 12,849 Veloster. They sold 5,258 more units in year 2019 compared to 2020 with a percent loss of 40.92% YoY.

driver100 · October 2021

The new GLE in front of me today had this sticker on the back;

qbrozen · October 2021

@driver100 said:
The new GLE in front of me today had this sticker on the back;

I don’t get it. On whose route? That driver’s route? In which case, that driver needs to worry about safety, not me, so why am I the target of the message? Certainly the driver of that car doesn’t know my route, so how does she know there is a princess on my route? And, even if so, what does my driving have to do with her safety? I mean, she sits in her castle and I make my delivery to her. I guess maybe I have to be safe and not drive through the castle gate and into her tower with reckless abandon. It is a very odd request that I would imagine applies to approximately nobody who would see that sign.

Maybe they mean “en route.” But I expect royalty to know proper grammar, so that can’t be it.

snakeweasel · October 2021

Driving home I saw a MB SL 550 that had nothing stating it was an AMG except the license plate, so I guess it's legit.

qbrozen · October 2021

I bet the driver had an AMG hat or polo

explorerx4 · October 2021

AMG sunglasses

snakeweasel · October 2021

Maybe, hey would getting a BMW M hat or polo turn my car into an M series? That would be neat.

qbrozen · October 2021

@snakeweasel said:
Maybe, hey would getting a BMW M hat or polo turn my car into an M series? That would be neat.

I have an M backpack. It is very fast.

abacomike · October 2021

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

@driver100 said:

Man of few words, at least you get credit for one post. There should be at least a 10 word requirement to get credit for a post.

Driver, one of these days you are going to learn how to make friends rather than barking up the wrong tree and aggravating an already tense situation. In other words - be nice rather than digging a deeper hole for yourself. 🤪😜🤓

Thanks Mike....don't worry about me, I don't need friends who make negative comments. I have enough friends and I choose people who are positive and show respect for everyone.

I'm not worried about you, driver. Just a little concerned is all. I enjoy your contributions to this forum - especially when you post images and sources for all of us to learn from. You are skilled at that, and for this I am most thankful. You also post humorous anecdotes which always amuse me - thanks for those as well.

All I am trying to accomplish is modification of some behaviors here in our beloved forum. When I read or see something I take exception with, I try not to respond to it (not always successful at that, but at least I tried). I tend to use my "scroll" thingamajig on my mouse a bit more frequently. FWIW, I have many medical issues that cause me grief every day of my life and I have a son who is dying of cancer. I don't want to waste any more time that has been granted to me in the way of a life on things that don't really matter in the grand scheme of things.

In conclusion, thanks for "usually" adding a bit of enjoyment to my life - and do try "scrolling" more often.

abacomike · October 2021

I have noticed more and more Lincoln SUV's on the road in the past 3-4 months. They are extremely good looking vehicles due to excellent styling and a grand array of medium and large vehicles to choose from. I have never sat in or driven one, but my neighbor who just leased one from our local Lincoln dealership hasn't stopped praising the ride, handling and comfort of her new 2021 Nautilus. She has the 2.7 L twin turbo V6. The exterior color is gorgeous - "Chroma Elite Copper Premium Metallic" (had to look up the exact name of the color she has) - it really stands out in the parking lot.

When I researched the Nautilus, it is not an inexpensive vehicle - MSRP is $66,000+. She claims she got a great deal on the lease, but I did not press her for any information - after all, she is a neighbor.

imidazol97 · October 2021

Returning home to SW Ohio from Pigeon Forge TN tomorrow. Hope the drive is as smooth as the one coming down.

My Malibu didn't blow an engine or alternator or anything untoward on the way down. My Goodyear Eagle tires are superb for almost 8- year old tires. The GM Mark of Excellence is showing. Quiet as a Mercedes E class at 75 mph.

The huge number of people here this 3rd week of October has the roads all clogged up in this tourist area. The road leading into the Great Smokey Mountain National Park was backed up heavily this morning. I've never seen it this bad. We typically came here at slightly off times from the heavy tourist times. I wanted to come down first week of November, which would have been more scenic for the leaves changing on the mountainsides, later than most people think.

Had planned our typical short stay, and we are glad to be leaving. It's frustrating trying to get around. The parking area for the sprawling shopping center across the street is most dangerous with lots of distaff folks driving carelessly not seeming to understand the size of their large SUVs or pickups or Tellurides. Almost all parking spaces filled through the day. LOL

But so many of the people here are old folks is my first observation compared to other times of year we visited in the past. We fit right in!

There are a lot of Tellurides, Palisades, and other large SUVs.

andres3 · October 2021

So someone was posting on Facebook (the accurate authority on all matters

) about the Stinger comparing well against a B8.5 S4.

I found it odd they said they drove both back to back on the track and the Audi was 3 seconds faster per lap according to them. (Those in the know recognize 3 seconds as a HUUUUGEEE difference).

Anyway, in the same post he's saying the Kia has better performance, and says the Audi only won on the track because quattro is better, DSG is better, and the Audi is smaller (which I assume means lighter).

Now.....I'm not the world's smartest man, but wouldn't you put the drive train components of AWD (vs. AWD), transmission, and weight/size all into the "performance" category?

And I'm not as biased towards the S4 anymore, as I would have been a week ago, but just saying!

snakeweasel · October 2021

andres3 said:
So someone was posting on Facebook (the accurate authority on all matters ) about the Stinger comparing well against a B8.5 S4.

I found it odd they said they drove both back to back on the track and the Audi was 3 seconds faster per lap according to them. (Those in the know recognize 3 seconds as a HUUUUGEEE difference).

Anyway, in the same post he's saying the Kia has better performance, and says the Audi only won on the track because quattro is better, DSG is better, and the Audi is smaller (which I assume means lighter).

Now.....I'm not the world's smartest man, but wouldn't you put the drive train components of AWD (vs. AWD), transmission, and weight/size all into the "performance" category?

And I'm not as biased towards the S4 anymore, as I would have been a week ago, but just saying!

I do know that all other things being equal a DSG transmission will beat the exact same car with an automatic transmission every time. Dual clutches shift almost instantaneously with almost no loss of power from the engine while an automatic transmission might take up to 10 times longer to shift. This means faster accelerations which on a track can add up. That alone would give the S4 an advantage.

driver100 · October 2021

qbrozen said:

@driver100 said:

The new GLE in front of me today had this sticker on the back;

I don’t get it. On whose route? That driver’s route? In which case, that driver needs to worry about safety, not me, so why am I the target of the message?

Maybe they mean “en route.” But I expect royalty to know proper grammar, so that can’t be it.

I thought it was pretty good that she thought of herself as a Princess and didn't mind letting the world know. I was stopped behind her so maybe I am the rare person who actually bothers to read the sign.
Since I was behind her, I didn't get to actually see her or observe if she was wearing a tiara or a crown.

driver100 · October 2021

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

@driver100 said:

Man of few words, at least you get credit for one post. There should be at least a 10 word requirement to get credit for a post.

Driver, one of these days you are going to learn how to make friends rather than barking up the wrong tree and aggravating an already tense situation. In other words - be nice rather than digging a deeper hole for yourself. 🤪😜🤓

Thanks Mike....don't worry about me, I don't need friends who make negative comments. I have enough friends and I choose people who are positive and show respect for everyone.

All I am trying to accomplish is modification of some behaviors here in our beloved forum. When I read or see something I take exception with, I try not to respond to it (not always successful at that, but at least I tried). I tend to use my "scroll" thingamajig on my mouse a bit more frequently.

In conclusion, thanks for "usually" adding a bit of enjoyment to my life - and do try "scrolling" more often.

Good points Mike. You are 100% correct, the best thing to do is to ignore any negative comments. Comments like that say more about the one making the comments than they do about the target. They don't rate a reply. I also want to make it clear that a vast majority of posters are nice people, we are very fortunate to have such a nice friendly and informative group on C&C.

About the Lincoln SUVs, I think they are some of the nicest looking cars on the road. They also seem to be a pretty good value.....a nice looking and beautifully appointed luxury car for a reasonable price. I am curious how they drive, maybe I would try one next time around. I have two friends with Lincoln MKZs, they are nice, but miss the mark in some ways.....the seating position, the fit and finish around the dash, the feel from the passenger seat is.....ah, OK, not special though.

driver100 · October 2021

explorerx4 said:
AMG sunglasses

I like those sunglasses, am I allowed to wear them if I only have an E400?
I have a MB jacket, baseball cap, and an Audi baseball cap.

dino001 · October 2021

driver100 said:

explorerx4 said:
AMG sunglasses

I like those sunglasses, am I allowed to wear them if I only have an E400?

Wannabe...

driver100 · October 2021

dino001 said:

driver100 said:

explorerx4 said:
AMG sunglasses

I like those sunglasses, am I allowed to wear them if I only have an E400?
Wannabe...

lol....they don't seem to say AMG on them. When I googled them it took me to sites in Germany, so I may have to fly there to pick up a pair.

oldfarmer50 · October 2021

I just got a flyer from the local Mitsubishi store advertising a lease on an Eclipse Cross for $209/mo. Sounded good but then I noticed a list of conditions in such fine print I needed a magnifying glass to read them.

Among the conditions were a $3500 down payment, additional charges for features shown and a bunch of other stuff that would leave $209/mo. in the rear view mirror.

Does this kind of hocum really work? Do people see a low monthly and run right out before reading the fine print? And what happens when they get there and their $209 suddenly balloons to $400? What kind of sales skill does it take to convert an outraged customer into a sale?

sda · October 2021

oldfarmer50 said:
I just got a flyer from the local Mitsubishi store advertising a lease on an Eclipse Cross for $209/mo. Sounded good but then I noticed a list of conditions in such fine print I needed a magnifying glass to read them.

Among the conditions were a $3500 down payment, additional charges for features shown and a bunch of other stuff that would leave $209/mo. in the rear view mirror.

Does this kind of hocum really work? Do people see a low monthly and run right out before reading the fine print? And what happens when they get there and their $209 suddenly balloons to $400? What kind of sales skill does it take to convert an outraged customer into a sale?

Good question as I am seeing more and more of these type ads. As the saying goes ‘Buyer beware!’

driver100 · October 2021

And I noticed lately online....if I look at say a shirt or pants online I start getting ads for these items constantly, usually from the same retailers.
Sometimes the ads start at full MSRP and slowly the discount gets greater the longer you ignore it.
One clothing chain, does that, and then when I do look at an item I would actually buy, it isn't available in my size or a decent color. So I just ignore their ads....they were a waste of time.
The Mitsu false advertising is just aggravating...it turns me off. But, I bet it works for them, people focus on the price and once they see themselves buying it they can be hooked into paying more.

ab348 · October 2021

Just pulled the trigger on getting a new roof installed on my house. I'm sure this will be fodder for lots of conversations here as it progresses!

One thing this highlighted for me already was something that goes back a dozen or so years to when I was still working. My then-boss was a big believer in the Kolbe personality index, which gives each person a score in 4 different areas. Now, I always found it and others like it a bit voodoo-ish and never put a whole lot of stock in them. But when I did the questionnaire, it pegged me as a "fact finder" at the high end of that scale. This actually seemed to make sense as I was always good at doing research and gathering information before making a decision. I realized that carried forward into my personal life as well when it came to making buying decisions and the like.

That tendency kicked in during this process when I was reviewing the estimates I received. The various companies I got estimates from had already been pre-screened by me by looking at a variety of sources for reviews online and only getting estimates from ones that had good reputations there. Then when the estimates came in they proposed different types of shingles, so I had to research those. That was a bit of an eye-opener. I was most familiar with the Iko brand as that is what seems to be most popular around here, but online they are most definitely a mixed bag of reviews and are not particularly well thought of. One of the better quotes I got was for CertainTeed shingles, which seem to generally be considered superior. So for a $200 price difference from a company that gave me a good feeling about their estimating process, I went with those. One of the other things I liked about these guys was that they use 6 nails per shingle whereas all the others used the standard 4 nails.

driver100 · October 2021

When we had our deck built I chose one company over the other because the one we chose included everything in their estimate.
Both companies had good reputations and reviews, but the one we didn't choose made stainless steel nuts and bolts etc an option, the company we chose included it....knowing 99% of the people who build an $8000 deck are going to go with stainless steel.

jmonroe1 · October 2021

@driver100 said:
lol....they don't seem to say AMG on them. When I googled them it took me to sites in Germany, so I may have to fly there to pick up a pair.

Go ahead and take your time coming back. We deserve it.

jmonroe

jmonroe1 · October 2021

@ab348 said:
Just pulled the trigger on getting a new roof installed on my house. I'm sure this will be fodder for lots of conversations here as it progresses!

One thing this highlighted for me already was something that goes back a dozen or so years to when I was still working. My then-boss was a big believer in the Kolbe personality index, which gives each person a score in 4 different areas. Now, I always found it and others like it a bit voodoo-ish and never put a whole lot of stock in them. But when I did the questionnaire, it pegged me as a "fact finder" at the high end of that scale. This actually seemed to make sense as I was always good at doing research and gathering information before making a decision. I realized that carried forward into my personal life as well when it came to making buying decisions and the like.

That tendency kicked in during this process when I was reviewing the estimates I received. The various companies I got estimates from had already been pre-screened by me by looking at a variety of sources for reviews online and only getting estimates from ones that had good reputations there. Then when the estimates came in they proposed different types of shingles, so I had to research those. That was a bit of an eye-opener. I was most familiar with the Iko brand as that is what seems to be most popular around here, but online they are most definitely a mixed bag of reviews and are not particularly well thought of. One of the better quotes I got was for CertainTeed shingles, which seem to generally be considered superior. So for a $200 price difference from a company that gave me a good feeling about their estimating process, I went with those. One of the other things I liked about these guys was that they use 6 nails per shingle whereas all the others used the standard 4 nails.

In my neck of the woods Owens Corning is the most favorite shingles. I never heard of the IKO brand. Maybe they’re Canadian so that explains it. I have heard of Certain Teed but as I said Owens Corning is the big guy around here.

However, you left out the major consideration when choosing a roofer. That is, are the nails hand hammered or pneumatic gun driven? Something tells me the guys that are using 6 nails per shingle ain’t hand hammering them.

jmonroe

ab348 · October 2021

I knew you would bite on the nails bait.

Nobody does hand hammering here, so it is a moot point. I am not concerned.

stickguy · October 2021

I purposely avoided stirring that hornets nest again.

explorerx4 · October 2021

Here, Just about every re roof job uses GAF Timberline.

jmonroe1 · October 2021

@ab348 said:
I knew you would bite on the nails bait.

Nobody does hand hammering here, so it is a moot point. I am not concerned.

Am I really that transparent?

However, we both know someone who is an expert about how to install shingles so maybe you should reconsider this before you jump.

jmonroe

qbrozen · October 2021

oldfarmer50 said:
Do people see a low monthly and run right out before reading the fine print?

Numbering in the 10s of thousands a day, I'm sure.

oldfarmer50 said:
And what happens when they get there and their $209 suddenly balloons to $400? What kind of sales skill does it take to convert an outraged customer into a sale?

The approach has always baffled me. I've even had an instance where a dealer (Nissan) was trying to use the "dealer fees" in the fine print to pack profit. I knew everything involved, or at least thought I did, and still saw it as a decent deal. SM kept insisting it came to a much higher number. It wasn't until I made him break it all out did I find he was adding something like $1500 that applied ONLY to that deal. His dealer fee was normally $399, but not if you wanted THAT car with THAT deal. Talk about peeving off customers. Wow.

Michaell · October 2021

House maintenance question - I know there are opinions out there.

My mom's house needs a couple of exterior doors:

1. Service door from the garage to the side yard
2. The "guest" bathroom also has a door that leads out to the side yard on the other side of the house; the current door, and whatever we get to replace it, will have a small window in it

Both are the original doors, now 50+ years old. My sister got a quote for them - materials and labor (including new door frames) was just shy of $6K. We think this quote includes a "lifetime warranty", which we don't care about, as we'll likely sell the house in the next few years.

These are, according to the vendor, the top of the line doors.

My sister will be getting quotes for some lower priced items, just to see what the spread is.

Fair deal? Too much? Any other thoughts?

ab348 · October 2021

A basic prehung (i.e. in a wooden frame) steel exterior door is about $300 worthless Canadian dollars here, so somewhat less where you are. Add glass and you are looking at another couple of hundred bucks on top of that.

Installation of these things isn't hard - level it with shim shingles if needed, screw the door frame to the opening in the building, foam the gaps, and trim the inside. I can see wanting to pay someone to do that, but really it is probably a morning's work for a decent carpenter to do both.

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