Wives and cars
 

On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 13:35:16 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/15/2016 1:12 PM, wrote:
On Friday, January 15, 2016 at 12:28:15 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 11:47:10 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/15/2016 11:21 AM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 1/15/16 11:09 AM, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 05:05:07 -0800 (PST), True North
wrote:

Yup..if she was driving a basic compact car she would probably have
had a better feel for what was going on.

The Mountaineer is basically the same vehicle as the "Roll Me Another
One" Explorer so it could get exciting.



About six months ago, we got my wife a new car, maybe one step up from
your basic compact. We shopped five or six dealers, looking at several
brands of four door sedans, including two "fancy lines." She ending up
liking the Toyota Camry best because "it's a simple car, well-made, nice
ride, and peppy." I was pretty surprised at how well it performs, since
she opted for the naturally aspirated four cylinder engine.



If this house deal goes through and I find myself in a position where I
don't need a big truck for plowing or towing, I'll probably look for a
small, economical car like the Camry. Haven't done a lot of looking or
researching yet but I wouldn't mind getting something smaller as long as
it is comfortable. The Mini Cooper I had a year or so ago was a lot
of fun to drive but it was like riding on a high performance roller
skate. I can't imagine taking a long distance trip in it.

Kinda like the looks of the Ford Fusion also but don't know much about
them. Only problem with the imports ... Toyota, Nissan, etc., is that
they all look the same to me. And most I see are grey for some reason.

===

The most comfortable car we've ever owned is my wife's M-B E320. It's
just super in every way - smooth, quiet, powerful and great seats.
Consumer Reports rated it as one of the best cars they've ever driven.

My wife had one for a company car for a while. She liked it, but I didn't. Too soft and no fun to drive. Her favorite was the Lexus LS460. I hated driving it, but it was nice to be a passenger, especially on a long trip.

She had an A6 Quattro, and that's what introduced me to them. I've had two since then, currently still driving the second one. Love them. Comfortable, sporty, quick, and sure-footed with the quattro system.



How's the service availability? That's one thing I learned about having
some of the nicer, performance orientated, foreign made cars.

For example, the BMW M5 called for special oil that was only available
at the BMW dealership.
Wasn't a big deal since oil changes were covered but if you were
traveling and needed a quart (the M5 *did* use some oil, especially
during break in) you would have to hunt for a BMW service place.

The other thing I disliked about the BMW M5 was the very specific and
long break in procedure. RPM was limited for the first 1,200 or 1,500
miles and then a gradual allowance to start "getting on it" until you
had about 3,000 miles on it. The computer in the car recorded any
violations of the procedure so, in the event of a problem, they could
point their finger at you. Biggest problem for me was I had to go
through this twice. They took back the first M5 I had due to many
computer software problems. They assured me that the second one (same
year but built 7 months later) had all the issues sorted out. They lied.


BMWs seem a bit finicky to me. There are lots of things I hear about
them that make me happy not to have one.

Wives and cars
 

On Friday, January 15, 2016 at 2:04:40 PM UTC-5, Its Me wrote:
On Friday, January 15, 2016 at 1:35:21 PM UTC-5, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 1/15/2016 1:12 PM, wrote:
On Friday, January 15, 2016 at 12:28:15 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 11:47:10 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/15/2016 11:21 AM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 1/15/16 11:09 AM, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 05:05:07 -0800 (PST), True North
wrote:

Yup..if she was driving a basic compact car she would probably have
had a better feel for what was going on.

The Mountaineer is basically the same vehicle as the "Roll Me Another
One" Explorer so it could get exciting.



About six months ago, we got my wife a new car, maybe one step up from
your basic compact. We shopped five or six dealers, looking at several
brands of four door sedans, including two "fancy lines." She ending up
liking the Toyota Camry best because "it's a simple car, well-made, nice
ride, and peppy." I was pretty surprised at how well it performs, since
she opted for the naturally aspirated four cylinder engine.



If this house deal goes through and I find myself in a position where I
don't need a big truck for plowing or towing, I'll probably look for a
small, economical car like the Camry. Haven't done a lot of looking or
researching yet but I wouldn't mind getting something smaller as long as
it is comfortable. The Mini Cooper I had a year or so ago was a lot
of fun to drive but it was like riding on a high performance roller
skate. I can't imagine taking a long distance trip in it.

Kinda like the looks of the Ford Fusion also but don't know much about
them. Only problem with the imports ... Toyota, Nissan, etc., is that
they all look the same to me. And most I see are grey for some reason.

===

The most comfortable car we've ever owned is my wife's M-B E320. It's
just super in every way - smooth, quiet, powerful and great seats.
Consumer Reports rated it as one of the best cars they've ever driven.

Wives and cars
 

On 1/15/16 2:19 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 13:35:16 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/15/2016 1:12 PM, wrote:
On Friday, January 15, 2016 at 12:28:15 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 11:47:10 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/15/2016 11:21 AM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 1/15/16 11:09 AM, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 05:05:07 -0800 (PST), True North
wrote:

Yup..if she was driving a basic compact car she would probably have
had a better feel for what was going on.

The Mountaineer is basically the same vehicle as the "Roll Me Another
One" Explorer so it could get exciting.



About six months ago, we got my wife a new car, maybe one step up from
your basic compact. We shopped five or six dealers, looking at several
brands of four door sedans, including two "fancy lines." She ending up
liking the Toyota Camry best because "it's a simple car, well-made, nice
ride, and peppy." I was pretty surprised at how well it performs, since
she opted for the naturally aspirated four cylinder engine.



If this house deal goes through and I find myself in a position where I
don't need a big truck for plowing or towing, I'll probably look for a
small, economical car like the Camry. Haven't done a lot of looking or
researching yet but I wouldn't mind getting something smaller as long as
it is comfortable. The Mini Cooper I had a year or so ago was a lot
of fun to drive but it was like riding on a high performance roller
skate. I can't imagine taking a long distance trip in it.

Kinda like the looks of the Ford Fusion also but don't know much about
them. Only problem with the imports ... Toyota, Nissan, etc., is that
they all look the same to me. And most I see are grey for some reason.

===

The most comfortable car we've ever owned is my wife's M-B E320. It's
just super in every way - smooth, quiet, powerful and great seats.
Consumer Reports rated it as one of the best cars they've ever driven.

My wife had one for a company car for a while. She liked it, but I didn't. Too soft and no fun to drive. Her favorite was the Lexus LS460. I hated driving it, but it was nice to be a passenger, especially on a long trip.

She had an A6 Quattro, and that's what introduced me to them. I've had two since then, currently still driving the second one. Love them. Comfortable, sporty, quick, and sure-footed with the quattro system.



How's the service availability? That's one thing I learned about having
some of the nicer, performance orientated, foreign made cars.

For example, the BMW M5 called for special oil that was only available
at the BMW dealership.
Wasn't a big deal since oil changes were covered but if you were
traveling and needed a quart (the M5 *did* use some oil, especially
during break in) you would have to hunt for a BMW service place.

The other thing I disliked about the BMW M5 was the very specific and
long break in procedure. RPM was limited for the first 1,200 or 1,500
miles and then a gradual allowance to start "getting on it" until you
had about 3,000 miles on it. The computer in the car recorded any
violations of the procedure so, in the event of a problem, they could
point their finger at you. Biggest problem for me was I had to go
through this twice. They took back the first M5 I had due to many
computer software problems. They assured me that the second one (same
year but built 7 months later) had all the issues sorted out. They lied.


BMWs seem a bit finicky to me. There are lots of things I hear about
them that make me happy not to have one.



I had a new BMW, a 2002ti, back in the good old days before these German
cars became over-engineered and overly complicated. I wouldn't touch a
new BMW or Audi these days because of their complexity and the price of
service and spare parts. They're just too clever. The Porsches seem less
gimmicky.

Wives and cars
 

On 1/15/2016 3:27 PM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 1/15/16 2:19 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 13:35:16 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/15/2016 1:12 PM, wrote:
On Friday, January 15, 2016 at 12:28:15 PM UTC-5,
wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 11:47:10 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/15/2016 11:21 AM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 1/15/16 11:09 AM, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 05:05:07 -0800 (PST), True North
wrote:

Yup..if she was driving a basic compact car she would probably
have
had a better feel for what was going on.

The Mountaineer is basically the same vehicle as the "Roll Me
Another
One" Explorer so it could get exciting.



About six months ago, we got my wife a new car, maybe one step up
from
your basic compact. We shopped five or six dealers, looking at
several
brands of four door sedans, including two "fancy lines." She
ending up
liking the Toyota Camry best because "it's a simple car,
well-made, nice
ride, and peppy." I was pretty surprised at how well it performs,
since
she opted for the naturally aspirated four cylinder engine.



If this house deal goes through and I find myself in a position
where I
don't need a big truck for plowing or towing, I'll probably look
for a
small, economical car like the Camry. Haven't done a lot of
looking or
researching yet but I wouldn't mind getting something smaller as
long as
it is comfortable. The Mini Cooper I had a year or so ago was a lot
of fun to drive but it was like riding on a high performance roller
skate. I can't imagine taking a long distance trip in it.

Kinda like the looks of the Ford Fusion also but don't know much
about
them. Only problem with the imports ... Toyota, Nissan, etc., is
that
they all look the same to me. And most I see are grey for some
reason.

===

The most comfortable car we've ever owned is my wife's M-B E320. It's
just super in every way - smooth, quiet, powerful and great seats.
Consumer Reports rated it as one of the best cars they've ever driven.

My wife had one for a company car for a while. She liked it, but I
didn't. Too soft and no fun to drive. Her favorite was the Lexus
LS460. I hated driving it, but it was nice to be a passenger,
especially on a long trip.

She had an A6 Quattro, and that's what introduced me to them. I've
had two since then, currently still driving the second one. Love
them. Comfortable, sporty, quick, and sure-footed with the quattro
system.



How's the service availability? That's one thing I learned about having
some of the nicer, performance orientated, foreign made cars.

For example, the BMW M5 called for special oil that was only available
at the BMW dealership.
Wasn't a big deal since oil changes were covered but if you were
traveling and needed a quart (the M5 *did* use some oil, especially
during break in) you would have to hunt for a BMW service place.

The other thing I disliked about the BMW M5 was the very specific and
long break in procedure. RPM was limited for the first 1,200 or 1,500
miles and then a gradual allowance to start "getting on it" until you
had about 3,000 miles on it. The computer in the car recorded any
violations of the procedure so, in the event of a problem, they could
point their finger at you. Biggest problem for me was I had to go
through this twice. They took back the first M5 I had due to many
computer software problems. They assured me that the second one (same
year but built 7 months later) had all the issues sorted out. They
lied.


BMWs seem a bit finicky to me. There are lots of things I hear about
them that make me happy not to have one.



I had a new BMW, a 2002ti, back in the good old days before these German
cars became over-engineered and overly complicated. I wouldn't touch a
new BMW or Audi these days because of their complexity and the price of
service and spare parts. They're just too clever. The Porsches seem less
gimmicky.


Unless things have changed (and hopefully they have not) Porsche has
seemed to continue the spirit and heritage of a true, high performance
sports car. Even with modern changes like a water cooled engine and all
wheel drive the one I had was still a blast to drive and handled like no
other car I've ever driven. Still felt like a sports car even at 30
mph. The BMW's are refined and nice but, as you say, have become way
too complex and software dependent.

Wives and cars
 

On 1/15/2016 2:04 PM, wrote:
On Friday, January 15, 2016 at 1:35:21 PM UTC-5, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 1/15/2016 1:12 PM, wrote:
On Friday, January 15, 2016 at 12:28:15 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 11:47:10 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/15/2016 11:21 AM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 1/15/16 11:09 AM, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 05:05:07 -0800 (PST), True North
wrote:

Yup..if she was driving a basic compact car she would probably have
had a better feel for what was going on.

The Mountaineer is basically the same vehicle as the "Roll Me Another
One" Explorer so it could get exciting.



About six months ago, we got my wife a new car, maybe one step up from
your basic compact. We shopped five or six dealers, looking at several
brands of four door sedans, including two "fancy lines." She ending up
liking the Toyota Camry best because "it's a simple car, well-made, nice
ride, and peppy." I was pretty surprised at how well it performs, since
she opted for the naturally aspirated four cylinder engine.



If this house deal goes through and I find myself in a position where I
don't need a big truck for plowing or towing, I'll probably look for a
small, economical car like the Camry. Haven't done a lot of looking or
researching yet but I wouldn't mind getting something smaller as long as
it is comfortable. The Mini Cooper I had a year or so ago was a lot
of fun to drive but it was like riding on a high performance roller
skate. I can't imagine taking a long distance trip in it.

Kinda like the looks of the Ford Fusion also but don't know much about
them. Only problem with the imports ... Toyota, Nissan, etc., is that
they all look the same to me. And most I see are grey for some reason.

===

The most comfortable car we've ever owned is my wife's M-B E320. It's
just super in every way - smooth, quiet, powerful and great seats.
Consumer Reports rated it as one of the best cars they've ever driven.

My wife had one for a company car for a while. She liked it, but I didn't. Too soft and no fun to drive. Her favorite was the Lexus LS460. I hated driving it, but it was nice to be a passenger, especially on a long trip.

She had an A6 Quattro, and that's what introduced me to them. I've had two since then, currently still driving the second one. Love them. Comfortable, sporty, quick, and sure-footed with the quattro system.



How's the service availability? That's one thing I learned about having
some of the nicer, performance orientated, foreign made cars.

For example, the BMW M5 called for special oil that was only available
at the BMW dealership.
Wasn't a big deal since oil changes were covered but if you were
traveling and needed a quart (the M5 *did* use some oil, especially
during break in) you would have to hunt for a BMW service place.

The other thing I disliked about the BMW M5 was the very specific and
long break in procedure. RPM was limited for the first 1,200 or 1,500
miles and then a gradual allowance to start "getting on it" until you
had about 3,000 miles on it. The computer in the car recorded any
violations of the procedure so, in the event of a problem, they could
point their finger at you. Biggest problem for me was I had to go
through this twice. They took back the first M5 I had due to many
computer software problems. They assured me that the second one (same
year but built 7 months later) had all the issues sorted out. They lied.

There's a dealership 20 minutes away so I'm good in that respect, and there's an independent shop that specializes in German cars 5 minutes from my work. The A6 uses Mobile 1 synthetic which is readily available. I took a quick look, and while it's true that BMW sells a private brand "BMW" oil, the manual for an M5 (or somewhere in the documentation) has an extensive list of oils that are approved to be used in the M5. It even says at the bottom that "BMW recommends Castrol".

http://f10.m5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=765520



Perhaps things have changed but I recall that mine called for a weird
weight that you couldn't find anywhere other than a BMW dealer. I think
it was 10w-60w. No one other than BMW carried it or even heard of it.

Wives and cars
 

On 1/15/2016 2:54 PM, Its Me wrote:
On Friday, January 15, 2016 at 2:04:40 PM UTC-5, Its Me wrote:
On Friday, January 15, 2016 at 1:35:21 PM UTC-5, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 1/15/2016 1:12 PM, wrote:
On Friday, January 15, 2016 at 12:28:15 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 11:47:10 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/15/2016 11:21 AM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 1/15/16 11:09 AM, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 05:05:07 -0800 (PST), True North
wrote:

Yup..if she was driving a basic compact car she would probably have
had a better feel for what was going on.

The Mountaineer is basically the same vehicle as the "Roll Me Another
One" Explorer so it could get exciting.



About six months ago, we got my wife a new car, maybe one step up from
your basic compact. We shopped five or six dealers, looking at several
brands of four door sedans, including two "fancy lines." She ending up
liking the Toyota Camry best because "it's a simple car, well-made, nice
ride, and peppy." I was pretty surprised at how well it performs, since
she opted for the naturally aspirated four cylinder engine.



If this house deal goes through and I find myself in a position where I
don't need a big truck for plowing or towing, I'll probably look for a
small, economical car like the Camry. Haven't done a lot of looking or
researching yet but I wouldn't mind getting something smaller as long as
it is comfortable. The Mini Cooper I had a year or so ago was a lot
of fun to drive but it was like riding on a high performance roller
skate. I can't imagine taking a long distance trip in it.

Kinda like the looks of the Ford Fusion also but don't know much about
them. Only problem with the imports ... Toyota, Nissan, etc., is that
they all look the same to me. And most I see are grey for some reason.

===

The most comfortable car we've ever owned is my wife's M-B E320. It's
just super in every way - smooth, quiet, powerful and great seats.
Consumer Reports rated it as one of the best cars they've ever driven.

My wife had one for a company car for a while. She liked it, but I didn't. Too soft and no fun to drive. Her favorite was the Lexus LS460. I hated driving it, but it was nice to be a passenger, especially on a long trip.

She had an A6 Quattro, and that's what introduced me to them. I've had two since then, currently still driving the second one. Love them. Comfortable, sporty, quick, and sure-footed with the quattro system.



How's the service availability? That's one thing I learned about having
some of the nicer, performance orientated, foreign made cars.

For example, the BMW M5 called for special oil that was only available
at the BMW dealership.
Wasn't a big deal since oil changes were covered but if you were
traveling and needed a quart (the M5 *did* use some oil, especially
during break in) you would have to hunt for a BMW service place.

The other thing I disliked about the BMW M5 was the very specific and
long break in procedure. RPM was limited for the first 1,200 or 1,500
miles and then a gradual allowance to start "getting on it" until you
had about 3,000 miles on it. The computer in the car recorded any
violations of the procedure so, in the event of a problem, they could
point their finger at you. Biggest problem for me was I had to go
through this twice. They took back the first M5 I had due to many
computer software problems. They assured me that the second one (same
year but built 7 months later) had all the issues sorted out. They lied.

There's a dealership 20 minutes away so I'm good in that respect, and there's an independent shop that specializes in German cars 5 minutes from my work. The A6 uses Mobile 1 synthetic which is readily available. I took a quick look, and while it's true that BMW sells a private brand "BMW" oil, the manual for an M5 (or somewhere in the documentation) has an extensive list of oils that are approved to be used in the M5. It even says at the bottom that "BMW recommends Castrol".

http://f10.m5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=765520

I got curious and did a little more digging. While the above is true for the latest models, the one you had required 10w-60 full synthetic, and there are only a few suppliers of that. Castrol and Redline have it, and BMW, of course. The BMW oil is probably just Castrol in a different bottle.



That was it. 10-60 synthetic. At the time (2006) nobody other than BMW
carried it. I remember that using oil was another thing I couldn't
quite get used to in a brand new car. I'd start it up and it would
blow blue smoke for a sec or two. BMW said it was "normal" due to the
high performance nature of the engine. In 2006 they were rated at
500hp. Don't know what they are rated at now.

Wives and cars
 

On Friday, January 15, 2016 at 4:09:41 PM UTC-5, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 1/15/2016 3:27 PM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 1/15/16 2:19 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 13:35:16 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/15/2016 1:12 PM, wrote:
On Friday, January 15, 2016 at 12:28:15 PM UTC-5,
wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 11:47:10 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/15/2016 11:21 AM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 1/15/16 11:09 AM, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 05:05:07 -0800 (PST), True North
wrote:

Yup..if she was driving a basic compact car she would probably
have
had a better feel for what was going on.

The Mountaineer is basically the same vehicle as the "Roll Me
Another
One" Explorer so it could get exciting.



About six months ago, we got my wife a new car, maybe one step up
from
your basic compact. We shopped five or six dealers, looking at
several
brands of four door sedans, including two "fancy lines." She
ending up
liking the Toyota Camry best because "it's a simple car,
well-made, nice
ride, and peppy." I was pretty surprised at how well it performs,
since
she opted for the naturally aspirated four cylinder engine.



If this house deal goes through and I find myself in a position
where I
don't need a big truck for plowing or towing, I'll probably look
for a
small, economical car like the Camry. Haven't done a lot of
looking or
researching yet but I wouldn't mind getting something smaller as
long as
it is comfortable. The Mini Cooper I had a year or so ago was a lot
of fun to drive but it was like riding on a high performance roller
skate. I can't imagine taking a long distance trip in it.

Kinda like the looks of the Ford Fusion also but don't know much
about
them. Only problem with the imports ... Toyota, Nissan, etc., is
that
they all look the same to me. And most I see are grey for some
reason.

===

The most comfortable car we've ever owned is my wife's M-B E320. It's
just super in every way - smooth, quiet, powerful and great seats.
Consumer Reports rated it as one of the best cars they've ever driven.

My wife had one for a company car for a while. She liked it, but I
didn't. Too soft and no fun to drive. Her favorite was the Lexus
LS460. I hated driving it, but it was nice to be a passenger,
especially on a long trip.

She had an A6 Quattro, and that's what introduced me to them. I've
had two since then, currently still driving the second one. Love
them. Comfortable, sporty, quick, and sure-footed with the quattro
system.



How's the service availability? That's one thing I learned about having
some of the nicer, performance orientated, foreign made cars.

For example, the BMW M5 called for special oil that was only available
at the BMW dealership.
Wasn't a big deal since oil changes were covered but if you were
traveling and needed a quart (the M5 *did* use some oil, especially
during break in) you would have to hunt for a BMW service place.

The other thing I disliked about the BMW M5 was the very specific and
long break in procedure. RPM was limited for the first 1,200 or 1,500
miles and then a gradual allowance to start "getting on it" until you
had about 3,000 miles on it. The computer in the car recorded any
violations of the procedure so, in the event of a problem, they could
point their finger at you. Biggest problem for me was I had to go
through this twice. They took back the first M5 I had due to many
computer software problems. They assured me that the second one (same
year but built 7 months later) had all the issues sorted out. They
lied.


BMWs seem a bit finicky to me. There are lots of things I hear about
them that make me happy not to have one.



I had a new BMW, a 2002ti, back in the good old days before these German
cars became over-engineered and overly complicated. I wouldn't touch a
new BMW or Audi these days because of their complexity and the price of
service and spare parts. They're just too clever. The Porsches seem less
gimmicky.


Unless things have changed (and hopefully they have not) Porsche has
seemed to continue the spirit and heritage of a true, high performance
sports car. Even with modern changes like a water cooled engine and all
wheel drive the one I had was still a blast to drive and handled like no
other car I've ever driven. Still felt like a sports car even at 30
mph. The BMW's are refined and nice but, as you say, have become way
too complex and software dependent.

I loved my Boxster. Great car. I guy I know just bought a Cayman GT4. Serious bad-assed car. He also bought a Ferrari 308... the Magnum PI car. It has 24k miles on it. He tried to hand me they keys, but I declined. Between the gated shifter and getting in/out of it (it's tiny and LOW), I knew better. Cool car, though. This guy bought a bunch of Microsoft IPO, and I suspect he's cashing it in now. Good for him!

Wives and cars
 

On 1/15/2016 4:36 PM, Its Me wrote:
On Friday, January 15, 2016 at 4:09:41 PM UTC-5, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 1/15/2016 3:27 PM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 1/15/16 2:19 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 13:35:16 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/15/2016 1:12 PM, wrote:
On Friday, January 15, 2016 at 12:28:15 PM UTC-5,
wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 11:47:10 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/15/2016 11:21 AM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 1/15/16 11:09 AM, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 05:05:07 -0800 (PST), True North
wrote:

Yup..if she was driving a basic compact car she would probably
have
had a better feel for what was going on.

The Mountaineer is basically the same vehicle as the "Roll Me
Another
One" Explorer so it could get exciting.



About six months ago, we got my wife a new car, maybe one step up
from
your basic compact. We shopped five or six dealers, looking at
several
brands of four door sedans, including two "fancy lines." She
ending up
liking the Toyota Camry best because "it's a simple car,
well-made, nice
ride, and peppy." I was pretty surprised at how well it performs,
since
she opted for the naturally aspirated four cylinder engine.



If this house deal goes through and I find myself in a position
where I
don't need a big truck for plowing or towing, I'll probably look
for a
small, economical car like the Camry. Haven't done a lot of
looking or
researching yet but I wouldn't mind getting something smaller as
long as
it is comfortable. The Mini Cooper I had a year or so ago was a lot
of fun to drive but it was like riding on a high performance roller
skate. I can't imagine taking a long distance trip in it.

Kinda like the looks of the Ford Fusion also but don't know much
about
them. Only problem with the imports ... Toyota, Nissan, etc., is
that
they all look the same to me. And most I see are grey for some
reason.

===

The most comfortable car we've ever owned is my wife's M-B E320. It's
just super in every way - smooth, quiet, powerful and great seats.
Consumer Reports rated it as one of the best cars they've ever driven.

My wife had one for a company car for a while. She liked it, but I
didn't. Too soft and no fun to drive. Her favorite was the Lexus
LS460. I hated driving it, but it was nice to be a passenger,
especially on a long trip.

She had an A6 Quattro, and that's what introduced me to them. I've
had two since then, currently still driving the second one. Love
them. Comfortable, sporty, quick, and sure-footed with the quattro
system.



How's the service availability? That's one thing I learned about having
some of the nicer, performance orientated, foreign made cars.

For example, the BMW M5 called for special oil that was only available
at the BMW dealership.
Wasn't a big deal since oil changes were covered but if you were
traveling and needed a quart (the M5 *did* use some oil, especially
during break in) you would have to hunt for a BMW service place.

The other thing I disliked about the BMW M5 was the very specific and
long break in procedure. RPM was limited for the first 1,200 or 1,500
miles and then a gradual allowance to start "getting on it" until you
had about 3,000 miles on it. The computer in the car recorded any
violations of the procedure so, in the event of a problem, they could
point their finger at you. Biggest problem for me was I had to go
through this twice. They took back the first M5 I had due to many
computer software problems. They assured me that the second one (same
year but built 7 months later) had all the issues sorted out. They
lied.


BMWs seem a bit finicky to me. There are lots of things I hear about
them that make me happy not to have one.



I had a new BMW, a 2002ti, back in the good old days before these German
cars became over-engineered and overly complicated. I wouldn't touch a
new BMW or Audi these days because of their complexity and the price of
service and spare parts. They're just too clever. The Porsches seem less
gimmicky.


Unless things have changed (and hopefully they have not) Porsche has
seemed to continue the spirit and heritage of a true, high performance
sports car. Even with modern changes like a water cooled engine and all
wheel drive the one I had was still a blast to drive and handled like no
other car I've ever driven. Still felt like a sports car even at 30
mph. The BMW's are refined and nice but, as you say, have become way
too complex and software dependent.

I loved my Boxster. Great car. I guy I know just bought a Cayman GT4. Serious bad-assed car. He also bought a Ferrari 308... the Magnum PI car. It has 24k miles on it. He tried to hand me they keys, but I declined. Between the gated shifter and getting in/out of it (it's tiny and LOW), I knew better. Cool car, though. This guy bought a bunch of Microsoft IPO, and I suspect he's cashing it in now. Good for him!



That's another problem with the low slung sports cars. I am not quite
as flexible as I was 20 or 30 years ago. :-)

Wives and cars
 

On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 12:30:44 -0500, "Mr. Luddite" wrote:

On 1/15/2016 12:22 PM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 1/15/16 12:19 PM, True North wrote:
Keyser Söze
- show quoted text -
"About six months ago, we got my wife a new car, maybe one step up from
your basic compact. We shopped five or six dealers, looking at several
brands of four door sedans, including two "fancy lines." She ending up
liking the Toyota Camry best because "it's a simple car, well-made, nice
ride, and peppy." I was pretty surprised at how well it performs, since
she opted for the naturally aspirated four cylinder engine."

Too bad Toyota discontinued the V6 when they redesigned the Camry four
or five years ago. It's a nice engine...plenty for my Highlander, the
way I drive. Not sure if Camry has gone to the CVT type transmission
yet. That seems to be the future but I'm not convinced the slightly
better gas mileage is worth any negative traits...such as when towing
etc.


I think you can get a V6 in the Camry but once my wife test drove the
Camry with the 4, she was "decided." On a recent long drive on I-95, she
was able to average 38 and 40 mpg at 70 mph.


Assuming they have a history of being reliable, I think the best
combination is a small 4 banger with a turbo. The turbo adds plenty of
pep when you need it but you don't have to get on it when you are just
driving normally. Some of the turbo 4 cylinders can challenge the
performance of a V8 in some cars.

My driving habits have changed a great deal in the past few years.
I don't drive fast ... I don't accelerate any faster than necessary ...
and I am not in a big hurry to get anywhere anymore. Had my fun with
the M5, Porsche and big old American muscle cars but I am over them.


Like my wife's VW Jetta. 1.4L Turbo-diesel. Quick little bugger.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!

Wives and cars
 

On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 13:36:05 -0800 (PST), Its Me wrote:

On Friday, January 15, 2016 at 4:09:41 PM UTC-5, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 1/15/2016 3:27 PM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 1/15/16 2:19 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 13:35:16 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/15/2016 1:12 PM, wrote:
On Friday, January 15, 2016 at 12:28:15 PM UTC-5,
wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 11:47:10 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/15/2016 11:21 AM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 1/15/16 11:09 AM, wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 05:05:07 -0800 (PST), True North
wrote:

Yup..if she was driving a basic compact car she would probably
have
had a better feel for what was going on.

The Mountaineer is basically the same vehicle as the "Roll Me
Another
One" Explorer so it could get exciting.



About six months ago, we got my wife a new car, maybe one step up
from
your basic compact. We shopped five or six dealers, looking at
several
brands of four door sedans, including two "fancy lines." She
ending up
liking the Toyota Camry best because "it's a simple car,
well-made, nice
ride, and peppy." I was pretty surprised at how well it performs,
since
she opted for the naturally aspirated four cylinder engine.



If this house deal goes through and I find myself in a position
where I
don't need a big truck for plowing or towing, I'll probably look
for a
small, economical car like the Camry. Haven't done a lot of
looking or
researching yet but I wouldn't mind getting something smaller as
long as
it is comfortable. The Mini Cooper I had a year or so ago was a lot
of fun to drive but it was like riding on a high performance roller
skate. I can't imagine taking a long distance trip in it.

Kinda like the looks of the Ford Fusion also but don't know much
about
them. Only problem with the imports ... Toyota, Nissan, etc., is
that
they all look the same to me. And most I see are grey for some
reason.

===

The most comfortable car we've ever owned is my wife's M-B E320. It's
just super in every way - smooth, quiet, powerful and great seats.
Consumer Reports rated it as one of the best cars they've ever driven.

My wife had one for a company car for a while. She liked it, but I
didn't. Too soft and no fun to drive. Her favorite was the Lexus
LS460. I hated driving it, but it was nice to be a passenger,
especially on a long trip.

She had an A6 Quattro, and that's what introduced me to them. I've
had two since then, currently still driving the second one. Love
them. Comfortable, sporty, quick, and sure-footed with the quattro
system.



How's the service availability? That's one thing I learned about having
some of the nicer, performance orientated, foreign made cars.

For example, the BMW M5 called for special oil that was only available
at the BMW dealership.
Wasn't a big deal since oil changes were covered but if you were
traveling and needed a quart (the M5 *did* use some oil, especially
during break in) you would have to hunt for a BMW service place.

The other thing I disliked about the BMW M5 was the very specific and
long break in procedure. RPM was limited for the first 1,200 or 1,500
miles and then a gradual allowance to start "getting on it" until you
had about 3,000 miles on it. The computer in the car recorded any
violations of the procedure so, in the event of a problem, they could
point their finger at you. Biggest problem for me was I had to go
through this twice. They took back the first M5 I had due to many
computer software problems. They assured me that the second one (same
year but built 7 months later) had all the issues sorted out. They
lied.


BMWs seem a bit finicky to me. There are lots of things I hear about
them that make me happy not to have one.



I had a new BMW, a 2002ti, back in the good old days before these German
cars became over-engineered and overly complicated. I wouldn't touch a
new BMW or Audi these days because of their complexity and the price of
service and spare parts. They're just too clever. The Porsches seem less
gimmicky.


Unless things have changed (and hopefully they have not) Porsche has
seemed to continue the spirit and heritage of a true, high performance
sports car. Even with modern changes like a water cooled engine and all
wheel drive the one I had was still a blast to drive and handled like no
other car I've ever driven. Still felt like a sports car even at 30
mph. The BMW's are refined and nice but, as you say, have become way
too complex and software dependent.

I loved my Boxster. Great car. I guy I know just bought a Cayman GT4. Serious bad-assed car. He also bought a Ferrari 308... the Magnum PI car. It has 24k miles on it. He tried to hand me they keys, but I declined. Between the gated shifter and getting in/out of it (it's tiny and LOW), I knew better. Cool car, though. This guy bought a bunch of Microsoft IPO, and I suspect he's cashing it in now. Good for him!

I'd buy a Cayman in a heartbeat if it had more leg room. Like every mid-engined car
I've tried, the seat needs to go back about 4-5 more inches.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!