Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

ab348 · April 2022

driver100 said:
Can the airbags go off if you hit a big pothole?

Depends upon whether they are Takata airbags. I hear they can go off if a butterfly flaps its wings.

snakeweasel · April 2022

@driver100 said:
Can the airbags go off if you hit a big pothole?

How big and deep is the pothole?

laurasdada · April 2022

driver100 said:

laurasdada said:
Went to a new pizza place last night, price is + 3% if you pay by card. Since I had little cash, I used my card. But, 3% cash back at restaurants, so near zero sum game for me.
Does 3% either way mean much when buying a pizza?

It's a way of life. Learn it; live it.
Helped make me the thousandaire that I am.

jmonroe1 · April 2022

@driver100 said:
Can the airbags go off if you hit a big pothole?

If they did I’d be fresh out of airbags in every car I ever owned that had them.

jmonroe

driver100 · April 2022

I saw some ads for the 2022 JEEP Grand Cherokee and I really like the look of them. The one in the commercial is white with a black roof like this one. I like the larger windows and square lines of the newest model, it looks like a Land Rover Discovery...but maybe with fewer problems.

imidazol97 · April 2022

I have a question about Costco gas purchases. I'm thinking about buying a year membership and giving the kids one of the two cards to use. Are they able to just scan the membership card and then pay with their own credit cards which have different names on them from my name?

They live close to the Costco and could benefit from the lower prices.

jmonroe1 · April 2022

@imidazol97 said:
I have a question about Costco gas purchases. I'm thinking about buying a year membership and giving the kids one of the two cards to use. Are they able to just scan the membership card and then pay with their own credit cards which have different names on them from my name?

They live close to the Costco and could benefit from the lower prices.

Mrs. j has the second card at Sam’s from DIL #1’s membership. I’ve never had a problem using my Visa CC and her ID card at a Sam’s gas station.

jmonroe

driver100 · April 2022

btw....that JEEP roofline reminds me a bit of the T-Birds with Landau rooflines;

laurasdada · April 2022

imidazol97 said:
I have a question about Costco gas purchases. I'm thinking about buying a year membership and giving the kids one of the two cards to use. Are they able to just scan the membership card and then pay with their own credit cards which have different names on them from my name?

They live close to the Costco and could benefit from the lower prices.

Hi: Yes, I did same for my son. Of course, for Costco, must be a Visa card.

driver100 · April 2022

I took the E400 in for an A service and brake line flush. It cost $607 + $80 for sales tax.
The good news is it went in at 8 a.m. and they said it would be done by noon but it was ready at 10:30.
Also, I had a perfect cup of coffee...one of the best I have ever had, there is a person who makes sandwiches and coffee in the showroom, the car was washed and cleaned immaculately inside and out, and I noticed the washrooms are really beautiful.....about as good as you would find in a luxury hotel.
$600 well spent!

qbrozen · April 2022

My MB going to the dealer on Fri. I won’t be hanging out, though.

jmonroe1 · April 2022

driver100 said:
I took the E400 in for an A service and brake line flush. It cost $607 + $80 for sales tax.
The good news is it went in at 8 a.m. and they said it would be done by noon but it was ready at 10:30.
Also, I had a perfect cup of coffee...one of the best I have ever had, there is a person who makes sandwiches and coffee in the showroom, the car was washed and cleaned immaculately inside and out, and I noticed the washrooms are really beautiful.....about as good as you would find in a luxury hotel.
$600 well spent!

————————————————-

That is a steep price for a good cup of coffee. Nice of them to throw in the service cost though.

jmonroe

Sandman6472 · April 2022

We're a BJ's family as my one daughter has one card while my wife has the other. Don't go there that often except for petrol when the lines aren't too long. Must admit that on some things, their price can't be beat!

henryn · April 2022

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:
I took the E400 in for an A service and brake line flush. It cost $607 + $80 for sales tax.
The good news is it went in at 8 a.m. and they said it would be done by noon but it was ready at 10:30.
Also, I had a perfect cup of coffee...one of the best I have ever had, there is a person who makes sandwiches and coffee in the showroom, the car was washed and cleaned immaculately inside and out, and I noticed the washrooms are really beautiful.....about as good as you would find in a luxury hotel.
$600 well spent!
————————————————-

That is a steep price for a good cup of coffee. Nice of them to throw in the service cost though.

jmonroe

I remember back around 2001 my wife bought a 3 year old Cadillac, with a year of factory warranty remaining. I had to take the car in to the dealer for something, I don't even remember what is was for now. But I do remember being absolutely amazed at how nice the service writer was, and how really really nice their facilities were. It opened my eyes, and I realized for the first time why someone would pay so much for a Cadillac or Mercedes or BMW. If you can afford it, it is money well spent.

henryn · April 2022

And speaking of money well spent, I took the Pacifica in to the local Firestone this morning for a slow leak in the left rear tire. Turned out to be a dry wall screw, no big deal. They took about 30 minutes, and charged me $27.30 for the repair. But they did an inside patch, and I'm confident the job was done right. There is a used tire shop right down the street which would do the same job for about $15, but I have more confidence in the Firestone store. And they have a nice waiting room, with coffee, instead of standing around in the heat and humidity.

Nothing like what @driver100 was talking about up above, but still better than the used tire shop.

andres3 · April 2022

driver100 said:

laurasdada said:
Went to a new pizza place last night, price is + 3% if you pay by card. Since I had little cash, I used my card. But, 3% cash back at restaurants, so near zero sum game for me.
Does 3% either way mean much when buying a pizza?

It adds up fast if you eat out a lot.

explorerx4 · April 2022

I got a tire patched last week due to a framing spike in the tire.
Cost me $43.44. Expensive but fixed. I was sick of putting air in it every few days.

andres3 · April 2022

imidazol97 said:
I have a question about Costco gas purchases. I'm thinking about buying a year membership and giving the kids one of the two cards to use. Are they able to just scan the membership card and then pay with their own credit cards which have different names on them from my name?

They live close to the Costco and could benefit from the lower prices.

I don't see why not, the machines ask for your card to even startup, and then again to confirm payment, which is your chance to use whatever card you want to pay.

Of course, the Costco CITI card gives 4% off on fuel anywhere.

sda · April 2022

It seems I will need to shop for tires sooner than I was expecting. I did a quick tread depth measurement over the weekend and the tires were showing around 4-4.5/32. They are Bridgestone Potenzas RE97 with 27k on the Passat. They are wearing evenly.

explorerx4 · April 2022

While out for my walk this morning, I saw 6 gray vehicles consecutively, Focus, Escape, Taurus, Explorer, Rav4 and a Ram truck. Streak was broken by a blue Corolla.

Sandman6472 · April 2022

OF, have already been asked to work this coming Sunday. Was surprised but happy to do it. Don't mind a bit of extra income right now as I've been doing a little dollar cost averaging with the stock prices of some of my stocks a bit low right now. Sundays are pretty slow days around here so might as well get some extra hours.

graphicguy · April 2022

Well....this is quite a turn of events.

Have mentioned my son is kicking around the idea of replacing his 6+ year old GTI. It either needs, or will soon need, tie rod ends, CV joints, shocks, brakes and probably a battery (at least in the next 12 mos). Is that bad? No...just wear items.

But, he's also developed a hard to diagnose misfire. He had it tuned last year. Could be coil pack(s). Could be an ECM. But, it's still drivable. Probably on borrowed time before doing some work on solving that mystery, too.

He asked me to help him kick some tires. What? You want your Dad's advice? Well, of course (feeling smugly brilliant in my newly found automotive guru role).

His sites are set on an Accord Sport 2.0. We went out looking for one of those, but couldn't find any....yet! He's on hold, albeit only briefly.

But, this isn't about him. This is about me and how the rest of this transpired.

Kinda...sorta wanted a Bronco when they first hit the street. But, given Ford's foibles in getting these out the door and having issues with roofs leaking, I really didn't look at them too seriously. Fast forward to now, when they are again hitting showrooms, given dealerships are bunched together these days, it's easy to go from one dealership brand to the other. My son and I could hit 4 dealerships in a relatively short time frame while not having to drive from one part of town to the other.

Found a Bronco in a color I liked (black or grey). Advertised on the dealer's WEB site for MSRP. Called the dealership. Set up an appointment to see and test drive it. Son didn't care, so he dropped out of this portion.

Alluded to part of this already. Got to the dealership. They had the Bronco parked out front (not difficult to do given they didn't have many new vehicles I noticed in the showroom or on the lot). Drove it. Found it interesting. But, noticed some pretty blatant manufacturing defects (i.e. front speaker grills were warped and didn't fit.....grab handle on front fender was loose...etc). If they could fix the fit and manufacturing issues, I told them I'd offer them MSRP, as was advertised on their WEB site. Nope! Old bait and switch. Price on the WEB site did not include their "marketing adjustment" price of $2,500 additional. No thanks! That was pretty slimy on their part, particularly for a brand new vehicle that was sub-par in materials and assembly.

Sales guy asked if I would wait just a minute to see what "he could do" with his manager. I waited, and waited, and after about 15 minutes started heading towards the front door. Sales guy sees me bolting and takes an immediate angle to intercept me before I leave. "Manager is willing to drop $1,000 off our price.

Still incredulous, I say "no, but nice try". And, continue out to leave and drive away.

(Cont)

henryn · April 2022

explorerx4 said:
I got a tire patched last week due to a framing spike in the tire.
Cost me $43.44. Expensive but fixed. I was sick of putting air in it every few days.

And I thought $27.30 was on the high side...

henryn · April 2022

sda said:
It seems I will need to shop for tires sooner than I was expecting. I did a quick tread depth measurement over the weekend and the tires were showing around 4-4.5/32. They are Bridgestone Potenzas RE97 with 27k on the Passat. They are wearing evenly.

The 2008 Passat that I owned for five or six years was only on it's second set of tires when I sold it with around 105k miles. So average of around 50k per set of tires. I don't remember what tires were on it originally, but the second set were Michelins, not cheap but they definitely lasted. I would expect a Passat to do quite a bit better than 27k miles on a set of tires.

explorerx4 · April 2022

I was surprised it was that much. It was at a local chain. Some others, I wouldn't trust to fix it.
One time I got a tire patched and they mounted the unidirectional tire back on backwards.

andres3 · April 2022

explorerx4 said:
I was surprised it was that much. It was at a local chain. Some others, I wouldn't trust to fix it.
One time I got a tire patched and they mounted the unidirectional tire back on backwards.

Pep Boys did that too....

graphicguy · April 2022

(Cont)

Now, I've got the "car shopping" bug knowing that Carmax is offering me more than I paid for my TLX, in writing.

I have been enamored with EVs for a few years now. Already mentioned I test drove a Tesla Y. I get the appeal. Granted, the test drive was a demo model, but it didn't bode well for the build quality of their vehicles regarding the manufacturing gaffs I noticed (misaligned body panels/doors...carpet mis-installed). No disrespect to anyone here who owns a Tesla. My test drive impressions could very well be a "one off" issue. As I said, I get the appeal.

Went to the Chevy dealer to drive a Bolt. Was not expecting much, but my expectations were exceeded. If you want to get into the EV fraternity, this is the most painless way to do so. GM sometimes befuddles me in their decisions. The first Bolt was a case in point. Don't know if they could have been any more obvious in the materials they used in that version.

But, this new version? Huge....HUGE upgrade in build and materials. GM also threw all their best tech at it, too. Well laid out instruments, screen was huge, easy to use (especially for someone who hadn't used or even seen this tech before). Wireless CarPlay/Android Auto. Decent room and comfort. Plus, they're offering to install a level 2 charger at no charge. Their issue is perception. Batteries that catch fire, no matter how few actually did, is a PR nightmare. That was exacerbated by asking about a couple of Bolts I may want to buy only to be told they can't sell them because they're awaiting new batteries to be installed.

It's a small car. Easy to maneuver. Surprisingly comfortable for its size. The instant torque is something I really like (as I did in the Tesla). I liked its quietness. I know range anxiety is a thing. And, it doesn't bother me, except for when I would not be able to charge it at home with a level 2 charger. Apparently, it's glacial slow charging on the public charging stations around.

The dealership's Bolt sales person (apparently they have one guy dedicated to selling them) was knowledgeable, up to date on what's going on with the battery replacement, knew the operation and mountains of tech the car represents (including demoing "Super Cruise" on the model I test drove).

Apparently, some of the Bolts had a $500 rebate on them, not all, but some. Not sure that would have made me pony up. Thought it was worth mentioning. Not sure why some, but not all, would have the rebate either.

(Cont)

andres3 · April 2022

graphicguy said:
Well....this is quite a turn of events.

Have mentioned my son is kicking around the idea of replacing his 6+ year old GTI. It either needs, or will soon need, tie rod ends, CV joints, shocks, brakes and probably a battery (at least in the next 12 mos). Is that bad? No...just wear items.

But, he's also developed a hard to diagnose misfire. He had it tuned last year. Could be coil pack(s). Could be an ECM. But, it's still drivable. Probably on borrowed time before doing some work on solving that mystery, too.

He asked me to help him kick some tires. What? You want your Dad's advice? Well, of course (feeling smugly brilliant in my newly found automotive guru role).

His sites are set on an Accord Sport 2.0. We went out looking for one of those, but couldn't find any....yet! He's on hold, albeit only briefly.

But, this isn't about him. This is about me and how the rest of this transpired.

Kinda...sorta wanted a Bronco when they first hit the street. But, given Ford's foibles in getting these out the door and having issues with roofs leaking, I really didn't look at them too seriously. Fast forward to now, when they are again hitting showrooms, given dealerships are bunched together these days, it's easy to go from one dealership brand to the other. My son and I could hit 4 dealerships in a relatively short time frame while not having to drive from one part of town to the other.

Found a Bronco in a color I liked (black or grey). Advertised on the dealer's WEB site for MSRP. Called the dealership. Set up an appointment to see and test drive it. Son didn't care, so he dropped out of this portion.

Alluded to part of this already. Got to the dealership. They had the Bronco parked out front (not difficult to do given they didn't have many new vehicles I noticed in the showroom or on the lot). Drove it. Found it interesting. But, noticed some pretty blatant manufacturing defects (i.e. front speaker grills were warped and didn't fit.....grab handle on front fender was loose...etc). If they could fix the fit and manufacturing issues, I told them I'd offer them MSRP, as was advertised on their WEB site. Nope! Old bait and switch. Price on the WEB site did not include their "marketing adjustment" price of $2,500 additional. No thanks! That was pretty slimy on their part, particularly for a brand new vehicle that was sub-par in materials and assembly.

Sales guy asked if I would wait just a minute to see what "he could do" with his manager. I waited, and waited, and after about 15 minutes started heading towards the front door. Sales guy sees me bolting and takes an immediate angle to intercept me before I leave. "Manager is willing to drop $1,000 off our price.

Still incredulous, I say "no, but nice try". And, continue out to leave and drive away.

(Cont)

In the famous words of a auto shop owner (who ended up being wrong about a Civic Speedo issue) it's 1,000% the ignition coils and spark plugs in the GTI misfire issue.

I remember the guy used this line about 1,000% certainty on the '92 Civic speedometer being "out" saying it was the speedo sensor 1,000%.

Then it wasn't and he wanted to charge us for the diagnostic time!

jmonroe1 · April 2022

explorerx4 said:
While out for my walk this morning, I saw 6 gray vehicles consecutively, Focus, Escape, Taurus, Explorer, Rav4 and a Ram truck. Streak was broken by a blue Corolla.

You’ve gotta stop walking nearby to senior villa’s.

jmonroe

graphicguy · April 2022

(cont)

There are two Honda dealerships closer to where I live than the original one my son and I visited. One, is owned (or used to be owned) by the late, great, HOF Cincinnati Red, Joe Morgan. The other, is the oldest Honda Car dealership in Cincinnati (maybe OHIO).

Stopped at the latter to see what kind of stock they had on Saturday. They had several HR-Vs (meh), a couple of Passports, a couple of Ridgeline's, a Civic Si, an Accord EX-L and an Accord Touring Hybrid.

My son, of course, was interested in the Civic Si (as was I, actually). We both test drove it, and I really liked it, as did my son. He's getting bids on his car from Vroom, Carvana and Carmax today. He's not in a hurry (which is a good thing, except Hondas these days are not sitting on the lot very long). Side note, I mentioned how I was surprised the Civic Si wasn't sold before it hit their lot. Sales person said it's a manual transmission, and that severely limits their audience. He said plenty of people have come in and want it, until they find out it's a manual transmission. They won't even let anyone test drive it if they get in and don't know how to even put it into gear.

We drove the EX-L Accord. Very nice car. Very well appointed and built. Not fast, but perky. Smooth as silk, too. I was surprised I liked it as much as I did, given I drive the higher end version of it in my TLX. The Honda does some things better, and some things worse than my TLX. It's not as fast as the TLX, but the tech is better and easier to use. It doesn't handle as well as my TLX, but is more comfortable. It gives away nothing to quality of materials or build quality to my TLX.

Had told the sales person about driving the Tesla and Bolt and my concern about charging them and my range anxiety. He offered to let me drive the Touring Hybrid. Not knowing much about it, it uses two electric motors, one to move the car, the other to run the accessories. The gasoline engine is used under hard acceleration and to charge the batteries for the elective motors. A tank of gas would go around 600 miles.

Sounded like a worthwhile test drive.

The Touring model has a different suspension than the TLX. It uses a version of the Adaptive suspension that the TLX S-Type uses. It makes a significant difference in both handling and ride over the EX-L. I

It's also faster than the EX-L (still slower than the TLX. though...but not by much).

I could go on and on. It's quite a drive compared to anything else I had driven before. It's smoother, it's quieter, it has better tech, it's quick, it steers well.....it's what Honda does.

I told them if they could beat Carmax's bid for my car, I'd trade for their car at MSRP. Long and short of it, they beat Carmax by about $700.

Done deal.

They wrote me a check for the delta of what the Accord cost and what they were giving me for the TLX.

Will I keep it? If I can keep flipping and putting Benjamins in my pocket, probably not. But, I will keep it for a while as I obviously like it.

Next up, my son's car shopping.

stickguy · April 2022

good job GG. I love those colors. If I needed/wanted another big sedan the Accord hybrid would probably be the one I would get.

sda · April 2022

graphicguy said:
(cont)

There's are two Honda dealerships closer to where I live than the original one my son and I visited. One, is owned (or used to be owned) by the late, great, HOF Cincinnati Red, Joe Morgan. The other, is the oldest Honda Car dealership in Cincinnati (maybe OHIO).

Stopped at the latter to see what kind of stock they had on Saturday. They had several HR-Vs (meh), a couple of Passports, a couple of Ridgeline's, a Civic Si, an Accord EX-L and an Accord Touring Hybrid.

My son, of course, was interested in the Civic Si (as was I, actually). We both test drove it, and I really liked it, as did my son. He's getting bids on his car from Vroom, Carvana and Carmax today. He's not in a hurry (which is a good thing, except Hondas these days are not sitting on the lot very long). Side note, I mentioned how I was surprised the Civic Si wasn't sold before it hit their lot. Sales person said it's a manual transmission, and that severely limits their audience. He said plenty of people have come in and want it, until they find out it's a manual transmission. They won't even let anyone test drive it if they get in and don't know how to even put it into gear.

We drove the EX-L Accord. Very nice car. Very well appointed and built. Not fast, but perky. Smooth as silk, too. I was surprised I liked it as much as I did, given I drive the higher end version of it in my TLX. The Honda does some things better, and some things worse than my TLX. It's not as fast as the TLX, but the tech is better and easier to use. It doesn't handle as well as my TLX, but is more comfortable. It gives away nothing to quality of materials or build quality to my TLX.

Had told the sales person about driving the Tesla and Bolt and my concern about charging them and my range anxiety. He offered to let me drive the Touring Hybrid. Not knowing much about it, it uses two electric motors, one to move the car, the other to run the accessories. The gasoline engine is used under hard acceleration and to charge the batteries for the elective motors. A tank of gas would go around 600 miles.

Sounded like a worthwhile test drive.

The Touring model has a different suspension than the TLX. It uses a version of the Adaptive suspension that the TLX S-Type uses. It makes a significant difference in both handling and ride over the EX-L. I

It's also faster than the EX-L (still slower than the TLX. though...but not by much).

I could go on and on. It's quite a drive compared to anything else I had driven before. It's smoother, it's quieter, it has better tech, it's quick, it steers well.....it's what Honda does.

I told them if they could beat Carmax's bid for my car, I'd trade for their car at MSRP. Long and short of it, they beat Carmax by about $700.

Done deal.

They wrote me a check for the delta of what the Accord cost and what they were giving me for the TLX.

Will I keep it? If I can keep flipping and putting Benjamins in my pocket, probably not. But, I will keep it for a while as I obviously like it.

Next up, my son's car shopping.

Very nice I know you will enjoy. And it's RED!

driver100 · April 2022

@graphicguy
Great looking car GG....I like the red with the white or light beige or gray interior.
It sounds like a great deal....it was an offer no sane person could refuse.
Seems odd that they would do that when cars are selling for premium prices.
My MB dealer usually has about 100 cars sitting around for sale....today they had less than 10.
I hope you enjoy it.....and those wheels are beautiful. The garage could use some sprucing up.

mjfloyd1 · April 2022

@graphicguy said:
(cont)

There's are two Honda dealerships closer to where I live than the original one my son and I visited. One, is owned (or used to be owned) by the late, great, HOF Cincinnati Red, Joe Morgan. The other, is the oldest Honda Car dealership in Cincinnati (maybe OHIO).

Stopped at the latter to see what kind of stock they had on Saturday. They had several HR-Vs (meh), a couple of Passports, a couple of Ridgeline's, a Civic Si, an Accord EX-L and an Accord Touring Hybrid.

My son, of course, was interested in the Civic Si (as was I, actually). We both test drove it, and I really liked it, as did my son. He's getting bids on his car from Vroom, Carvana and Carmax today. He's not in a hurry (which is a good thing, except Hondas these days are not sitting on the lot very long). Side note, I mentioned how I was surprised the Civic Si wasn't sold before it hit their lot. Sales person said it's a manual transmission, and that severely limits their audience. He said plenty of people have come in and want it, until they find out it's a manual transmission. They won't even let anyone test drive it if they get in and don't know how to even put it into gear.

We drove the EX-L Accord. Very nice car. Very well appointed and built. Not fast, but perky. Smooth as silk, too. I was surprised I liked it as much as I did, given I drive the higher end version of it in my TLX. The Honda does some things better, and some things worse than my TLX. It's not as fast as the TLX, but the tech is better and easier to use. It doesn't handle as well as my TLX, but is more comfortable. It gives away nothing to quality of materials or build quality to my TLX.

Had told the sales person about driving the Tesla and Bolt and my concern about charging them and my range anxiety. He offered to let me drive the Touring Hybrid. Not knowing much about it, it uses two electric motors, one to move the car, the other to run the accessories. The gasoline engine is used under hard acceleration and to charge the batteries for the elective motors. A tank of gas would go around 600 miles.

Sounded like a worthwhile test drive.

The Touring model has a different suspension than the TLX. It uses a version of the Adaptive suspension that the TLX S-Type uses. It makes a significant difference in both handling and ride over the EX-L. I

It's also faster than the EX-L (still slower than the TLX. though...but not by much).

I could go on and on. It's quite a drive compared to anything else I had driven before. It's smoother, it's quieter, it has better tech, it's quick, it steers well.....it's what Honda does.

I told them if they could beat Carmax's bid for my car, I'd trade for their car at MSRP. Long and short of it, they beat Carmax by about $700.

Done deal.

They wrote me a check for the delta of what the Accord cost and what they were giving me for the TLX.

Will I keep it? If I can keep flipping and putting Benjamins in my pocket, probably not. But, I will keep it for a while as I obviously like it.

Next up, my son's car shopping.

Looks good. Enjoy.

Looks like that dog is planning on peeing on your tire so keep mindful of that.

But…does it have a spare tire….😂

graphicguy · April 2022

mjfloyd1 said:

@graphicguy said:

(cont)

There's are two Honda dealerships closer to where I live than the original one my son and I visited. One, is owned (or used to be owned) by the late, great, HOF Cincinnati Red, Joe Morgan. The other, is the oldest Honda Car dealership in Cincinnati (maybe OHIO).

Stopped at the latter to see what kind of stock they had on Saturday. They had several HR-Vs (meh), a couple of Passports, a couple of Ridgeline's, a Civic Si, an Accord EX-L and an Accord Touring Hybrid.

My son, of course, was interested in the Civic Si (as was I, actually). We both test drove it, and I really liked it, as did my son. He's getting bids on his car from Vroom, Carvana and Carmax today. He's not in a hurry (which is a good thing, except Hondas these days are not sitting on the lot very long). Side note, I mentioned how I was surprised the Civic Si wasn't sold before it hit their lot. Sales person said it's a manual transmission, and that severely limits their audience. He said plenty of people have come in and want it, until they find out it's a manual transmission. They won't even let anyone test drive it if they get in and don't know how to even put it into gear.

We drove the EX-L Accord. Very nice car. Very well appointed and built. Not fast, but perky. Smooth as silk, too. I was surprised I liked it as much as I did, given I drive the higher end version of it in my TLX. The Honda does some things better, and some things worse than my TLX. It's not as fast as the TLX, but the tech is better and easier to use. It doesn't handle as well as my TLX, but is more comfortable. It gives away nothing to quality of materials or build quality to my TLX.

Had told the sales person about driving the Tesla and Bolt and my concern about charging them and my range anxiety. He offered to let me drive the Touring Hybrid. Not knowing much about it, it uses two electric motors, one to move the car, the other to run the accessories. The gasoline engine is used under hard acceleration and to charge the batteries for the elective motors. A tank of gas would go around 600 miles.

Sounded like a worthwhile test drive.

The Touring model has a different suspension than the TLX. It uses a version of the Adaptive suspension that the TLX S-Type uses. It makes a significant difference in both handling and ride over the EX-L. I

It's also faster than the EX-L (still slower than the TLX. though...but not by much).

I could go on and on. It's quite a drive compared to anything else I had driven before. It's smoother, it's quieter, it has better tech, it's quick, it steers well.....it's what Honda does.

I told them if they could beat Carmax's bid for my car, I'd trade for their car at MSRP. Long and short of it, they beat Carmax by about $700.

Done deal.

They wrote me a check for the delta of what the Accord cost and what they were giving me for the TLX.

Will I keep it? If I can keep flipping and putting Benjamins in my pocket, probably not. But, I will keep it for a while as I obviously like it.

Next up, my son's car shopping.

Looks good. Enjoy.

Looks like that dog is planning on peeing on your tire so keep mindful of that.

But…does it have a spare tire….😂

He was contemplating lifting a leg until I scared him by saying "boo". Now, he walks all the war around the other side of the garage thinking the car is a ghost.

28firefighter · April 2022

Update that signature - congrats!

Also - I thought for sure you were going to acquire a bronco.

carnaught · April 2022

@graphicguy, sharp Accord. I had the last generation Accord Hybrid Limited and got great use out of it and never gave us a lick of trouble. Well done and congrats!

snakeweasel · April 2022

qbrozen said:
My MB going to the dealer on Fri. I won’t be hanging out, though.

I took the Honda to the dealership last weekend to get a new chain and sprockets put on. I bet you guys never expected that to be posted here.

abacomike · April 2022

@imidazol97 said:
I have a question about Costco gas purchases. I'm thinking about buying a year membership and giving the kids one of the two cards to use. Are they able to just scan the membership card and then pay with their own credit cards which have different names on them from my name?

They live close to the Costco and could benefit from the lower prices.

Yes! My daughter has one of my cards and uses her own credit cards to pay at the pump.

You can also put one of the Costco membership cards in your daughter or son’s name so long as the last name is the same as yours.

abacomike · April 2022

GG

I love the color. Styling is great. Best of luck and enjoyment with the new car.

Michaell · April 2022

abacomike said:

@imidazol97 said:

I have a question about Costco gas purchases. I'm thinking about buying a year membership and giving the kids one of the two cards to use. Are they able to just scan the membership card and then pay with their own credit cards which have different names on them from my name?

They live close to the Costco and could benefit from the lower prices.

Yes! My daughter has one of my cards and uses her own credit cards to pay at the pump.

You can also put one of the Costco membership cards in your daughter or son’s name so long as the last name is the same as yours.

My sister filled up her husband's Q50 at Costco in San Diego a couple of weeks ago.

$94!

jmonroe1 · April 2022

@graphicguy, congrats. Looks good from here. Enjoy and give us a 1000 mile update if not sooner. Yeah, and that color would go great with a burgundy suit.

jmonroe

snakeweasel · April 2022

graphicguy said:
(Cont)

Now, I've got the "car shopping" bug knowing that Carmax is offering me more than I paid for my TLX, in writing.

I have been enamored with EVs for a few years now. Already mentioned I test drove a Tesla Y. I get the appeal. Granted, the test drive was a demo model, but it didn't bode well for the build quality of their vehicles regarding the manufacturing gaffs I noticed (misaligned body panels/doors...carpet mis-installed). No disrespect to anyone here who owns a Tesla. My test drive impressions could very well be a "one off" issue. As I said, I get the appeal.

Went to the Chevy dealer to drive a Bolt. Was not expecting much, but my expectations were exceeded. If you want to get into the EV fraternity, this is the most painless way to do so. GM sometimes befuddles me in their decisions. The first Bolt was a case in point. Don't know if they could have been any more obvious in the materials they used in that version.

But, this new version? Huge....HUGE upgrade in build and materials. GM also threw all their best tech at it, too. Well laid out instruments, screen was huge, easy to use (especially for someone who hadn't used or even seen this tech before). Wireless CarPlay/Android Auto. Decent room and comfort. Plus, they're offering to install a level 2 charger at no charge. Their issue is perception. Batteries that catch fire, no matter how few actually did, is a PR nightmare. That was exacerbated by asking about a couple of Bolts I may want to buy only to be told they can't sell them because they're awaiting new batteries to be installed.

It's a small car. Easy to maneuver. Surprisingly comfortable for its size. The instant torque is something I really like (as I did in the Tesla). I liked its quietness. I know range anxiety is a thing. And, it doesn't bother me, except for when I would not be able to charge it at home with a level 2 charger. Apparently, it's glacial slow charging on the public charging stations around.

The dealership's Bolt sales person (apparently they have one guy dedicated to selling them) was knowledgeable, up to date on what's going on with the battery replacement, knew the operation and mountains of tech the car represents (including demoing "Super Cruise" on the model I test drove).

Apparently, some of the Bolts had a $500 rebate on them, not all, but some. Not sure that would have made me pony up. Thought it was worth mentioning. Not sure why some, but not all, would have the rebate either.

(Cont)

The first EV I drove was the Ford focus EV maybe about 10 years ago. If memory serves I was somewhat impressed with it as it accelerated smoothly and the interior was pretty nice. Now this was a car that Ford had out for special demo purposes so they may have paid special attention to all the finishes on the car but it look pretty good. Only wish I could have driven it more.

qbrozen · April 2022

snakeweasel said:

I took the Honda to the dealership last weekend to get a new chain and sprockets put on. I bet you guys never expected that to be posted here.

I dunno. Don't all Hondas have those parts?

snakeweasel · April 2022

qbrozen said:

snakeweasel said:

I took the Honda to the dealership last weekend to get a new chain and sprockets put on. I bet you guys never expected that to be posted here.
I dunno. Don't all Hondas have those parts?

No, while some have chain drives, some have belt drives and some have shaft drives.

roadburner · April 2022

graphicguy said:
(cont)

There are two Honda dealerships closer to where I live than the original one my son and I visited. One, is owned (or used to be owned) by the late, great, HOF Cincinnati Red, Joe Morgan. The other, is the oldest Honda Car dealership in Cincinnati (maybe OHIO).

Stopped at the latter to see what kind of stock they had on Saturday. They had several HR-Vs (meh), a couple of Passports, a couple of Ridgeline's, a Civic Si, an Accord EX-L and an Accord Touring Hybrid.

My son, of course, was interested in the Civic Si (as was I, actually). We both test drove it, and I really liked it, as did my son. He's getting bids on his car from Vroom, Carvana and Carmax today. He's not in a hurry (which is a good thing, except Hondas these days are not sitting on the lot very long). Side note, I mentioned how I was surprised the Civic Si wasn't sold before it hit their lot. Sales person said it's a manual transmission, and that severely limits their audience. He said plenty of people have come in and want it, until they find out it's a manual transmission. They won't even let anyone test drive it if they get in and don't know how to even put it into gear.

We drove the EX-L Accord. Very nice car. Very well appointed and built. Not fast, but perky. Smooth as silk, too. I was surprised I liked it as much as I did, given I drive the higher end version of it in my TLX. The Honda does some things better, and some things worse than my TLX. It's not as fast as the TLX, but the tech is better and easier to use. It doesn't handle as well as my TLX, but is more comfortable. It gives away nothing to quality of materials or build quality to my TLX.

Had told the sales person about driving the Tesla and Bolt and my concern about charging them and my range anxiety. He offered to let me drive the Touring Hybrid. Not knowing much about it, it uses two electric motors, one to move the car, the other to run the accessories. The gasoline engine is used under hard acceleration and to charge the batteries for the elective motors. A tank of gas would go around 600 miles.

Sounded like a worthwhile test drive.

The Touring model has a different suspension than the TLX. It uses a version of the Adaptive suspension that the TLX S-Type uses. It makes a significant difference in both handling and ride over the EX-L. I

It's also faster than the EX-L (still slower than the TLX. though...but not by much).

I could go on and on. It's quite a drive compared to anything else I had driven before. It's smoother, it's quieter, it has better tech, it's quick, it steers well.....it's what Honda does.

I told them if they could beat Carmax's bid for my car, I'd trade for their car at MSRP. Long and short of it, they beat Carmax by about $700.

Done deal.

They wrote me a check for the delta of what the Accord cost and what they were giving me for the TLX.

Will I keep it? If I can keep flipping and putting Benjamins in my pocket, probably not. But, I will keep it for a while as I obviously like it.

Next up, my son's car shopping.

Congrats!

oldfarmer50 · April 2022

snakeweasel said:

qbrozen said:

snakeweasel said:

I took the Honda to the dealership last weekend to get a new chain and sprockets put on. I bet you guys never expected that to be posted here.
I dunno. Don't all Hondas have those parts?
No, while some have chain drives, some have belt drives and some have shaft drives.

I though you were talking about one of these.

graphicguy · April 2022

28firefighter said:
Update that signature - congrats!

Also - I thought for sure you were going to acquire a bronco.

Me too! If the dealership wouldn’t have pulled a pricing bait and switch, I would have gone with the bronco.

Probably.enjoy the Accord more given I don’t do much off-reading!…two different vehicles.

ronsteve · April 2022

@jmonroe1 said:
You’ve gotta stop walking nearby to senior villa’s.

In a senior community, wouldn’t they all be white?

In other news yesterday’s haul from Louisville to NW Indiana and back means I’ll at least trip the MM on the RDX before the end of May, which puts me right on the timeline for a timing belt. Granted it’s only about 93k miles instead of 105k. Will there be an Integra to look at while it’s in?

Before that the Jetta is already due, based on time and nowhere near mileage, but at least that’s not a super pricey service. Will I go next door to Subaru to look at an Outback XT?

jmonroe1 · April 2022

snakeweasel said:

qbrozen said:

snakeweasel said:

I took the Honda to the dealership last weekend to get a new chain and sprockets put on. I bet you guys never expected that to be posted here.
I dunno. Don't all Hondas have those parts?
No, while some have chain drives, some have belt drives and some have shaft drives.

————————————————

And some get the shaft before they drive.

jmonroe

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