nc211

Well, it's been a few years since I've kicked around these parts! Thought I'd chime in to make sure DC wasn't trying to swipe my avatar! All continues to be well for the NC family. Kids are growing up fast, son is approaching 7 in May, daughter turned 4 last November. Still at the same job that brought us here to Washington and pretty happy. Best decision I've made, coming here, no argument. Been in DC 3 years now. I do think I have an automotive sickness though, as in those 3 years, I've gone through 6 cars! The Volvo XC 90 that we bought to replace the 4Runner we came here with, was replaced in November 13' with a new Highlander Limited. We love the Highlander big time! I'm still on the GTI bandwagon and not getting off anytime soon, as I have recently replaced by beloved 2013 as shown above with a new 2015 of the same caliber and spec (loaded). I've been driving these GTI's now for 5 years, and love them as much today as I did on that day in Chicago when I decided to walk down memory lane by test driving the CPO'd 07' that I ended up buying on the spot after a 2 mile test drive, replaced my GS430. I've a had a few issues with them, none too bad and VW took care of all it. I have yet to spend a dime on any repair for any of them. The 07' was excellent. The 13' has been excellent too, although was disappointed that it needed a new water pump at 30,000 miles. Turned out to be a platform-wide problem that impacted Audi as well. You'd think VW could get that fixed correctly, but seems to be a challenge. Other than that, I've not had a single problem with my 13' and the 38,000 miles I put on this one. Only reason why I've replaced the 13', is because I could with no money out of pocket. They've created this new monster with the MKVII series and haven't raised the price at all (lowered it actually by a couple hundred). Was looking at the 40,000 miles service which incorporates the pricey DSG transmission service ($400). Just didn't make sense to spend the money (and the pending new brake rotors), when I could simply trade up for a new one at the exact same price as the 13'. I put too many miles on these cars to consider them long-term buys anyways, so to payoff the 13' didn't make sense, especially with where interest rates continue to be (practically free money). For $500, you can have the computer "flashed" or "chipped" if you will, that turns them into little screaming monsters! I did it on my 13' and went from 200hp 200 torque, to somewhere around 260hp and torque. Unlocked the car's potential big time. The install guy did screw up and they had to try again, but after that, haven't a single problem (done at 8k miles). I am told with the new 2015 series, that same process (which is now less intrusive to the computer, done strictly at the scanner port now remotely), turns the car from 210 hp 260 torque to 325hp and nearly 400 torque! I don't know if I'll do that, because the 260 torque is really an awesome number on these cars and the sweet spot, but I might. It's my understanding that on those "tuned" numbers, you're in 911 territory. Started this thread as a tracking for VW maintenance and reliability. I can now honestly say that after 5 years, I have no issues with VW cars whatsoever. I love them and would consider some of those nightmare stories we've all heard about VW's, to be history. I've put both of my GTI's through the paces. The first got beat on via Chicago roads. The second one logged 38,000 wonderful miles in DC traffic. I've loved them both, and am confident I'll love the 3rd one even more, if the industry accolades that continue to surround this little car are true. Plus, it makes it look like I've got more hair on my 41 year old head than I actually do. Because, I'm cool like that! Chic's dig car seats and Frozen blaring out!

PS: I like the front if your Jeep better too, SW. Looks clean and classy. Not like the pumpkin carving my 5 year old and I did for Halloween this year (a pirate face)!

Reminds me of my brother's car in college, a 1986 Dodge Shadow. Every time it rained - it would shut itself off. Lucky it was a manual and he could coast out of harms way. Nothing like going down the freeway at night and your car just goes dark, in a rain storm. They never could fix the problem, even though they knew it was moisture getting into the ecu. I'm like you SW with my VW. I know it'll have its issues, but love it too much to get rid of it. Although I've not had any major issues (knock on wood) that were related to VW directly. When it comes to cars, the Italians are artists in design, and idiots in execution. Bold statement, until you think about the histories of FIAT, Alfa, and Lambo (pre-VW ownership). All three have some of the wildest and sexiest cars ever made. All three also have the distinction of having the worst maintenance and quality controls in the business. However, none of that really matters when you can buy a FIAT 500 and have Italian models rip their clothes off and throw themselves at you because of your car! I think new cars over the past 4 years has become more of a gamble than before, with all of this change in ownership and global economic pressure. Honestly I don't think cutting corners had been avoidable for anyone in the production realm of quality control. Spend the money on design and hide the cost savings in the materials. Germany has weathered this storm better than anyone, and yet I can see this effect on my cars directly. Although my current VW is nice and well refined, I am comfortable with saying that my 07' that I replaced was better built in a few key areas. The Volvo was an 08', produced right at the tail end if the boom. My neighbor's is a 13'. Exact same car (minus the engine - 8 vs 6). We could both tell a difference in certain areas of the cabin. They looked identical in nearly every way, but the switchgear in the 13 felt cheaper in its operation. Flimsier plastics here and there, etc. Looked the same, but not the same. Even in Toyota I see some of this too. So considering the massive shakeup that happened in Detroit, especially for Chrystler, I'm not too surprised to see some of this stuff happening in the Jeep lineup. I'm sure FIAT quickly looked at the books and saw that Jeep was the healthiest of the group. Given how time is money, and the amount of pressure they were under to turn the company around to stay in the margins that Chrystler had been in when compared to GM and Ford, they probably pushed some materials through based on looks alone to keep up with the bigger guys across the street. I think the next wave of redesigns will show us how well each car company has weathered the storm. I think those who've done well will show it in increased material quality. That Cherokee looks like something you'd catch fishing at the Springfield nuke power plant retention pond with Homer and Mr. Barns!

Thanks fellas, really enjoying the new wheels. Drove it 700 miles since buying it last Monday to NC and back. It really is a nice cruising car, perfect fit for the family. Toyota really does have the smoothest mechanicals of any car I've driven. Really enjoyed the drive. Technically its my wife's car, but of the 700 miles so far, is say 675 are from me! She loves it too though. Says its much easier to drive than the Volvo was. Lighter on its feet and the electric steering makes it feel more responsive and less rubbery. The exterior styling is a tad bland, the sheet metal is a but tinny, and the plastics inside aren't exactly $40k quality - but it all comes together to deliver what it is perfectly - the SUV of minivans. Given Toyotas reputation, I'm not even remotely concerned about not liking any of it. I hear ya' SW on the Jeep, and not really surprised to hear you say that. Not a knock at Jeep, but you're a Lexus veteran, you know lasting perfection all too well. This is what kept me out of the Buick dealership for the Enclave. Like that car, but too much doubt in my mind that it would be the same car in year 5 as it was in year 1. I don't have that feeling with Toyota's, even if the Higjlander isn't as luxurious in some of its materials as the competitors who offer the second row captain chair seating arrangement, the key feature for our decision.

Wow that's a lot if typing on an iPhone. Can you tell I'm at the in-laws?

Looks like my original thread was ken that got lost with the reboot if the website today, so I'll try again (it's probably Blake's fault :-)) I finally got rid of that damn Volvo XC90 this week for a new Highlander Limited. At 70k miles, the Volvo was simply falling apart. In my 2 years of ownership, which covered 40k miles from a CPO purchase, it needed: New leather seats, new front axles, new wheel bearings, 4 new window switches, new glass on a mirror that for no reason just fell off the car while sitting in the driveway, new brakes that were already starting to squeal again (not 6 weeks old), countless attempts to align it but never could get the steering wheel straight, and countless lightbulbs. When I traded it in, it was likely needing; New stereo amp as the speakers would come and go for no real reason. New power lock actuators as it would sometimes unlock one door or all doors with no reason, the front end was making groaning noises again so I'm guessing the drive shafts weren't right again, the light bulb indicator light was on again, a plastic piece that houses the seat controls on the passenger side as the whole thing just broke off last weekend as my wife was exiting the car, probably a few suspension bushings up front as the likely culprit for the inability to align it correctly (even though the dealer swore it was fine, I always had the feeling they were just waiting for the CPO to expire before socking it to me for the real reason), the engine coolant was starting to disappear along with the power steering fluid, power steering pump was whining, and the tires were all scalped, even the two new ones put on last summer by the dealer due to taking nails in the sidewalls. End of the day, that car was the biggest disappointment of any I've owned. Really wanted to love it, as I think they're timeless classics in their looks. They used top shelf materials much like the older LS400's. It drove like my old 95' LS. When it was "right", it was a pleasure to cruise in. But that only lasted for the first 90 days of ownership before things started to happen and I began to notice the stabbing ride over bumps. I get the safety factor. I get the whole Volvo loyalty angle too from those who love them, as they truly are unique and quirky in their designs and executions. But I wasn't sold on them. My first and last Volvo. Now the Highlander - that's a whole different story. Took us 7 hours in the pouring down rain to make it to NC yesterday (normally takes 4 hours). Not a single complaint from any of us, which includes a 5 and 3 year old, who napped and watched movies in the back. My wife fiddled with the electronics and at one point actually had live weather radar showing on the Nav screen. I enjoyed driving it. They've got the power band of the 3.5 V6 matched perfectly to the gearing ratios of the 5 speed automatic. It does take some attention to keep it straight though. The Volvo was old school power steering with all hydraulic. It would center and track with little input. The Highlander feels like its this new electric steering that has become popular and doesn't quite center as easily. Old and floaty vs new and nimble. I'm not complaining though. It makes the car actually fun to drive and makes the driver feel a lot more comfortable and confident in how the car is doing, especially when in the heavy rain that has been on the news this wek for the east coast. We were right in the thick of it last night. At 80mph, it's turning over 2,200 rpm, and mechanically dead silent. I can tell the wind noise will be eliminated with a good claybar detail and some rainx on the glass. I can feel the tape residue on the glass and paint from when they wrapped the car for shipping from the factory. So - I'm back in the Toyota family again! This is my 4th one in 9 years - 95' LS400, 03' GS430, 05' 4Runner V8, and now a 13' Highlander! The garage just feels right again! Still have my 4 door GTI too (2013) that I bought in August of 12' to replace the 07' I bought in Chitcago. Not a single problem to report other than one user-error. Day has yet to go by for either one of my GTI's that I don't love being behind the wheel of it. My new one has the APR performance chip in it. 260hp / 300lb torque - it's simply a friggin' riot to drive!

Thanks Becki, we're blessed that it's not severe autism at this point, but something is there, no question about it. I appreciate your condolences, but please know they're not needed. One thing I've learned over the past year, is that maybe she's not the one with the problem, maybe us "normal" folks are? She's as happy as a clam, and finds joy in just about everything she gets into. I'd say she is blessed with a true gift in that regard. We're not too worried about her quality of life going forward. It is what it is, it could be A LOT worse, and we're very lucky on countless fronts. But to get back to the topic at hand.. Wow, I sure did spew a lot up there! Guess I know where 2pm went today. Blood is in the water for Obamacare, and the sharks are circling big time. I'd say it has a 25% chance of surviving at this point. When I heard that some democrats were putting down the line in the sand to make this work by Friday or else they're going to back the republican plan, that's when I figured the law is on life support. As divided as our political system has become, for your own team to threaten to walk from their own policy, you know the clock is ticking down to zero. But, Obama has a track record of going to the last minute and playing hard ball. Just depends if he has anymore political capital to spend on it. Especially given the pending budget deadline coming up soon (again). He's got himself in quite the corner these days. A byproduct of arrogance. If it does survive, I'd say it has an even slimmer chance in a few years of surviving if the Republicans take over. Seems to be a pattern in American politics as of late. 8 years of one, love him the first 4, fry him the second 4, change teams for the next 8 and repeat. On the China comment from Lenore: When you're creditors are telling you how to run your business, like was the case a few weeks ago on the government shutdown, you've got a huge problem. China showed this administration just who the puppet master really is. For all of the "anti-american" venom Obama spewed towards Bush in 08' for gas prices being $4 and so on....I'd say he's trumped that card himself now. In the short term, it's good for me because I live in DC, and own a home that has seen double-digit appreciation on an annual basis since SW and I went shopping for it two years ago. But, at some point the music is going to stop, and it'll be Obama's turn to feel the heat from the grilling. It's coming, no way around it anymore.

Well I guess it's time to blow the dust off this old B' around here.... I have a rule that I live by. It's pretty simple and has proven to be nearly 99% accurate every single time. Arrogance is the kiss of death, as it blinds you to the pending failures that lurk around you. To be successful at something, you need to understand where that line in the sand is that separates arrogance and confidence. This whole insurance mess, in my opinion, is born from the roots of arrogance. The idea behind it, I support. I've supported this idea since my first cup of coffee down in the bowels of Children's Mercy Hospital in downtown Chicago over 3 1/2 years ago. The idea (although not new, and not Obama's), is great. The execution however, is Obama. I'm not knocking the guy, but I've said this before many years ago around here, the guy has an arrogant approach at times that just doesn't work. He tells you want you want. I think we're seeing the results of this approach now re: this Obamacare that we've been debating for years now. In my opinion, this will likely be his crowning failure in one hand, and crowning achievement for getting healthcare reform this far along in another. I think this will crash and burn, to be resurrected at a later date by someone else, when the system (and approach) is ready and willing. As for me, it hasn't impacted me as it has others. I've not been "dropped", but our policy coverage changed last year to force us into these health savings accounts and an annual family deductible (gets paid first) of $3,000 before copay kicks in. I'm fortunate in the sense that I can handle this without rocking the family apple cart. However, my beef with the health insurance industry in general relates to the mental health policies (or lack there of) for the innocent children. Let me explain. My daughter, who just turned 3 a few weeks ago, is showing a few strong signals for autism. It's been our struggle this year to (a) absorb this reality and, ( B) get ahead of it. We've achieved (a). We're achieving ( B), with absolutely NO help from our insurance policy. In fact, our policy specifically calls out all autistic related services as not being covered. They won't even pay for a genetics test that will show us just exactly what we're looking at with her. Says it's "investigational" for autism spectrum disorder. No S#!T it's "investigational", it's a friggen "test"! Just like the test they're running on me right now on that funny looking mole they took off my left hip last week. The words go hand in hand. But, no help whatsoever. They won't even pay for a speech therapist to help her. They'll pay if someone who had speech and lost it to regain it, say for example, an idiot riding a motorcycle without a helment puts his head into a parked car at 40mph, while drunk. But they won't help an innocent child get it in the first place. I now live in Virginia. There is a new state law that says insurance companies in VA must cover this stuff. However, the insurance companies got their greedy little lobbiest involved before it passed, which essentially put in several loop holes of escape for them. Basically, if I want coverage for my daughter, I must quit my white collar job and go to work for the state, as state employees have insurance policies from state HQ insurance companies. The Aetna's and BCBS of the world, don't have to obey that law because they're not HQ'd in the state of VA. All the while doing business here. Autism is no longer a unique disease. As part of my learning curve that I've been on this year, I've learned...a lot! What used to be 1/1000 maybe 6 years ago, was 1/88 in 2012, and strongly rumored to be 1/55 this year. One out of every 55 kids....autistic. This is becoming a demographic of it's own now. However, as part of my learning curve, and as it relates to this health insurance debacle, I am wondering if this explosion in cases isn't directly related to the insurance industry in general. You see, if they can widen the definition of autism, and can exclude all coverage associated with autism.... well, you see the facts before you quite clearly now. Now, I know I'm speculating here a bit, playing the conspiracy card. But when you look at the historical data of case increases over the past decade, moreso over the past 4 years since healthcare reform came into our national conversation like it did.... well.... Regardless of me though, the NC211 family will be just fine, but there are millions who won't be. When I say millions, I mean millions of parents who can't afford to help thier kids like I can, which puts me right back into that basement cafeteria in downtown Chicago, staring at other parents drinking that cup of coffee at 3am knowing they just went bankrupt. I also mean millions of frightened, confused, frustrated and anxious children who are seeing a world in front of them they can't engage with in the way there minds are telling them too. We're all bickering about losing our health coverage for when we get sick, and we'll all get sick. As I told my doctor just last week during my annual physical (which, by the way, is totally free) when he told me I need to start doing this, start doing that, because at 40 years old my wieght was 10lbs over what his little flyer says is the ideal weight for me, that at some point in my life I'm going to want to die, and I'm not going to live my life in fear of it by denying myself some (not all) of the vices that I enjoy. You take away my nicotine (nicorette), and I'll take away one of your limbs! But what about those who are starting out their lives? Those who really need the help for reasons that have nothing to do with the choices they made years ago? We stand here and complain about a website, a dropped policy, a slicked back politician. But how can we allow an american company on american soil deny their protective services to the one thing that we fight wars over to protect, our children? And not just our children, but our sick children who have something that isn't like a cold, or flu that you get over and carry on, but have something that will impact their quality of life forever? How do we allow this system to just abandon them, kick them out of the influential circle of our society? I bet the American ghosts of WWII, if they could, would rise up from Arlington and immediately march down to Congress and wipe those F'ers out. You show me a pathway that corrects this distgusting fact about this country, and I'll show you one of the greatest leaders of humanity. And anyone who complains about the growing pains associated with that path, can take a number with any 1 out of 55 who'd probably be happy to trade places with you. PS: The cost of that genetics test to show us the correct path to take for our daughter so she'll be ok? $4,288. Denied by Aetna, as "investigational for autism spectrum disorder". Translation - "we don't care if she's dead or alive, you pay it. And that'll be $3,200 for your monthly premium, due on the 5th, loyal customer." ...and SW in 3.....2.....1.....

I fear that we have lost what love of the pursuit of peace feels like, with the scars of our blood lust of revenge that prevents us from stop hunting against the latest "threat" against what we're supposed to be honoring. We are consumed by the kiss of death, which is arrogance, and is fueled by ignorance of abstinence of our own sense of humanity towards the smelly victim to your left/right. Hate to say it, but we've forgotten what 9/12 feels like.

Lets us hope we don't have too many oak trees here in the VA burbs of DC, as I took my GTI in this afternoon to have the ecu "flashed". From the salesman, service tech, and even the mechanic at two VW dealerships have suggested to me for my GTI's to "unlock" them, I decided it was time. Now, I can't figure out why I waited for so long. The difference is simply amazing, a night and day difference in the car. With just a simple remapping of the computer, the engine went from 200HP/207lb to 255HP/300lb torque. The program introduces the turbo earlier, and alters the air/fuel mixture. This all translates into a buttery smooth engine that you can no longer hear or feel when sitting at idle, and a 0-60 time of about 5 seconds (stock is about 6.8 seconds). Not that I drive in a manner that 0-60 times make a difference, but the ability to have the car in 5th gear at 40mph, put 1/2 throttle down, and be put into my seat and to 80mph in the blink of an eye, is memorizing! The 2.0t engine now feels like that 4.3 V8 I had in that GS430 a few years ago. Cruising at 70mph, the slightest input on the throttle, and 100mph comes at you with a kick in the pants without downshifting from its cruising gear (6th). I now know why VW down tunes these cars. If they delivered them like this, they'd present a better car across the board than its more expensive Audi sister. Hands down, by a country mile, this MKVI GTI is my all time #1 top uber favorite car that I have ever owned!

Let me know when you get to Volkswagen... Until then, I'll be busy replacing the ole ball n' chain's !Removed! cruiser with a Tora-Tora Highlander... If this offends anyone - I refer you to my avatar for a reason.. Mit freundlichen Grüßen, der Dorftrottel

I'd like to start a thread in Honor of SW03ES. There is not a more dedicated member of this forum than SW03ES. I've been kicking these tires around here for at least 8 years. I've seen mods come and go, mods of true distinction. There have been many of us who have used this website to spew our venom, from gas prices, to political points of view, to vibration issues of a 1995 LS400 (that's me). Through it all, SW03ES, has been there. Not enough pats on the back these days. I'd like to change that. NC211: tips his hat to the great one: SW03ES

We went and looked at a few cars today. It's going to be between the Highlander and the Enclave. The Enclave is soooo nice and luxurious inside, especially the new ones. The Highlander is also quite nice, but not "Cadillac" kind've nice. While we weren't able to test drive them (dealerships were closed today), we actually found one of each that were unlocked! Two things will probably dictate how this turns out. One, how they indeed drive. I have a feeling the Highlander will be easier to drive for my wife, with a "lighter on its feet" feel. The Enclave is cushy, but also a good bit bigger to handle. I have a feeling its probably more like this Volvo, with a lumbersome and rubbery feel to it. One of the drawbacks that they say when conspiring the two is the amount of cargo space behind the third row. Enclave has a lot, Higlander does not. That being said, I have a feeling the Enclave is going to be more "minivan" in feel than the Highlander, which is a no-no for the wife. Only have two kids, and rarely need the rear seats. When we do use the rear seats, its not in situations where cargo is needed, just people. However, the Enclave is just so nice inside, really world class now in terms of materials and comfort. I have no doubt which one would be best for the family cruises back to NC, in terms of comfort. But I also think, in the comfort category, both would be just fine for us. The Highlander wasn't exactly "slumin'" it either. The second factor will be revealed in about 10 weeks. Bonus season! Considering I produced over half of this years production for the office on my own, and this office had its best year ever, I believe I made a good showing for my first year with this team, and am expecting a nice reward for my efforts. Not sure what that will be exactly, but the figures I've been told are, well, to be honest, right about what I was making annually back in Chicago. So, we'll see. 2011 goal was to get out of Chicago. 2012 was to get in to DC. 2013 will be to replenish the bucket used to get in to DC, fund up some future obligations, and start to get settled in with the house. What's left, will be what avenue we take between the two cars, assuming the test drive still leaves this as an open question between the two. I can tell you this though, after making another run to NC for New Years in the Volvo, this car has got to go! I haven't got this angry with a car since wasting all that time chasing the "wobble incident" of my former LS400. For those of you who've been on here long enough to remember....we don't want NC211 to go down that path again... I hate this friggin' Volvo! It really irritates me for one simple reason - it has the potential to be fantastic, and it teases me with it. For about 20 minutes on each drive, it's perfect. It's not pulling to the left or right, the brakes are squealing, the irritating humming noise of the V8 somehow goes away, and my lower back stops aching because I can't seem to get the stupid manually adjusted lumbar knob to work just right, and its perfect. Just as I'm cruising down the road, the 300 HP right under my toe and thinking "maybe this isn't so bad", the pavement changes and I'm back to fighting the slight pull of the wheel, tap the brakes to slow down for traffic and hear the fronts screaming, sit up to adjust the lumbar again and can feel my shirt sticking to the paint the dealership used to try and fix the crappy leather with...and then realize "nope, this damn thing sucks". Opening the center arm rest is like opening up a 200 year old wooden door. Put more than 4lbs of pressure on any of its interior trim pieces on the doors or center consol, and you're greeted with that annoying hard plastic on hard plastic crunching noise. I really fail to see how this car has stayed in the market for this long. It has to be the safety thing of having a boron steel frame/cage that sells these SUV's, because in my opinion, everything else about them is just tired and quite frankly, feeling pretty cheap to me. Safety is what got me to buy it, but probably failed to realize that all cars have made great strides in safety. Oh yeah, forget the second tire valve stem now going bad too. Having to put air in the tire every day to keep the warning light off until I can get the time to have it fixed ($50). That is, when I notice the warning light beyond the "required maintenance needed" light being kn for the past 6 months which not even the Volvo dealer can seem to figure out how to turn it off for more than 3 weeks. It's the "change your oil" reminder message. Just irritating beyond belief!

For the longest time when I would hear their name on 103.5, I thought it was two names, like Paul Hanka. Thought "poor guy probably got beat up a lot in high school with that kind've last name". We looked at the Pilot a few weeks ago. It's boxy style didn't really do much for us, and didn't particularly care for the dash layout. Although had the dealership actually been open (Sunday), I'd of probably bought one out of frustration with the Volvo. Our son literally handed me his power window switch as my wife and I were standing outside of the car looking at the Honda..... If she would just own up to the reality (which ain't that bad) that she is a suburban house wife with two small kids in tow, she would realize that a minivan answers all questions, and we'd have this thing wrapped up by sundown. But noooooo.... That beach babe still exists and the minivan isn't allowed on the property. So the next best thing is probably an SUV with minivan seating in the back, for 30% more in cost. Not sure if we'll go new or used at this point. Given what will ultimately happen to the car, spending the silver dime on brand new is hard for me to digest. My kids are hard on cars man! I had to take a flat head screwdriver the other day just to vacuum out certain parts of the Volvo. You don't want to know what the screwdriver was for....trust me.. My favorite pick though is still a Tahoe. But again, the Carolina country girl has somehow associated Chevy with every hayseed in a camouflage hat at Taledega and won't even look at one. I mean seriously, do you know how easy it is to get through DC in a black Tahoe? It's a piece of cake!

With the VW, the most popular is to have the ecu modified to increase the turbo's boost, jumping the HP from 200 to around 245ish. But, with this latest series of GTI's, the ecu is sealed and required physical manipulation of its seal to do it. I'm not a fan of that idea. On my old one, it was a computer into the obd port and upload software. Tried on the old one with a free 24 hour "test drive" from APR while living in Chicago. Loved it, but decided that it would probably introduce me to the local Oak Tree population at a high rate of speed.....

Yep, you guessed it SW, Pohanka! Yeah, the Highlander might be Camry based, but some of it certainly feels more Corolla than Camry to me too. The problem though is that we really like the split captain chair option for the rear seats. That really just leaves us with the Buick and Highlander. I like the Traverse myself over the Buick, but my wife doesn't like it. The Highlander is one of those cars that I think has to grow on you with actual use. We both aren't exactly blown away by its styling, but can't argue against all of its features that we like. The 7 seater when needed, tech toys if convenience, safety factor (albeit no Volvo), and bullet proof reliability. I really wasn't a fan of the 4Runner when we got it, but grew to love it after a couple of months. Too top heavy though for any real sense of safety control. Who knows. We're both on the fence with the Volvo. It is really hard to argue against the safety factor of it. It really is a solid tank that I have no doubt would be the deciding factor in a worst case scenario. I feel like I'm missing something here with it. Folks just seem to love their Volvo's, and rack up hundreds of thousands of miles on them.

I jumped the gun early this year for my christmas present (August), with the new GTI. I'm hooked on the balance of the 2.0t engine to the DSG transmission in these cars. The VW does everything I could ever want from a car. Haul bulky items, or 4 adults, gets 34mpg's on the highway, automatic when needed, manual when wanted, easy going on Sundays, and light your tail feathers fast and fun on the monday commutes. When purchased fully loaded, there is just enough luxury appointments to push them out of the "econobox" segment and into the middle/upper altitudes of the german cars. I like these little pocket rocket cars that actually have a useful purpose in everyday life. Cruises very nicely too, although nowhere near a Lexus (or any other main badge asian build car) for that matter, even at $30k. Neighbor just replaced his 2010 IS with a brand new BMW 328xi last week. Nice car! Love that smell of a BMW. But those run-flat tires are just deal killers for me. Turns out when he went to trade the IS, the dealer pulled the carfax, and it had been in two serious accidents in Florida prior to his purchase, as a CPO Lexus from a local dealer. He blew his top, took it to the dealership where he had bought it, and they bought it back from him on the spot. The wife will probably be getting a new car in March to replace our Volvo, which has been a real dissappointment for us in terms of quality. Will most likely be back to the Toyota SUV family for her. Thinking a Highlander Limited might be the pick.

...and 5 1/2 years later...sadly here we are again. Places of teaching, learning, experiencing, from Engineering 401 to Show & Tell, have become becons of sadness in the most horrific manner possible. I dug up this thread to remind folks that Newtown isn't just a random episode. I dug up this thread to show that it has happened before, and unless if we really do something big about our love for guns in this country....it'll happen again, and again, and again. Many of those who posted on here, aren't around this board anymore. But some of us are. I remember making a statement back then, from my room over the garage in our NC home, that when I had found out that Bush was the one who allowed the assault gun ban to expire in 2004, that I had finally given up as a supporter of his. I really hope Obama takes the same kind of energy and focus that he has shown in the past on such issues as health care, to this gun situation. If he does, then there will be absolutley no doubt in my mind whatsoever that he truly is the right man for this job. If he and the democrats can put something together that is really meaningful and can "stick" to get as many guns off the streets, then I'm in their corner for a long long time going forward. I can adjust to the democrats platform for business, and would consider it an honor, if it meant my vote would continue to support such a cause as gun control. Since this original thread back in 2007, I have welcomed two of the most beautiful children I have ever seen in my life to this world. My son, who is 4 1/2, and my daughter who is now 2. I would gladly lay my own life down at a moment's notice if it meant that they, and all of the other beautiful children in this country and in this world, could grow up in a world void of guns. My heart aches.... :cries: PS: Mods - it's been so long on this thread, that it appears in the wrong section now. Should be in the General Discussion section I believe.

Now that you've got a "flabby paddle gear box", as they say on Top Gear UK, you'll never want a car without them. They're addictive, and one of the reasons why I couldn't walk away from the VW brand, specifically the GTI. I thought I wanted a Passat to replace my old gti, but couldn't find one with a realistic price tag that had the paddles. Everytime I drove a car to consider as a replacement for the old gti, I couldn't get used to not having the paddles. I drive my car in "manual" mode 99% of the time. Only time it's in automatic is if my hands are busy crafting emails as I'm mowing down mailboxes and running over kittens... I go up the gears with the lever in my right hand, down the gears with the wheel paddle in my left hand. 'Course, a GTI isn't exactly in the same league in terms of purposeful execution in smoothness overall as a Lexus in general. But having the ability to have complete control of the car via the transmission, without having to wear your left foot out with a clutch, is a fantastic invention for old farts like...um...well I'm not that old...But Steve is! Really old! Like, I need a GS350 to keep my pacemaker going kind've old!

Only 3 things that I can think of that would make a difference. First - octane and not realizing that "premium" might be different for different stations "92 vs 93 octane". Here in VA, they've got Premium and Super Premium at some other places. I honestly can't recall the span between the two in octane, I think it's 91 to 93? SW, you remember? I do know that my VW seems to like the definition of Premium from Costco vs the Premium at the SunCo across the street. I think it's the octane default level, and: Two, the age of the underground tank. I've found that newer stations seem to give both my current and former, high-strung 4banger engines better performance. In a V6 an especially a V8, I couldn't tell the difference between the two. But in a little turbo 4, I can tell and hear it in the roughness of the engine. I've financed a few CRE projects that required the removal of in-use underground gas tanks before. While operational, there condition was to the point that in my opinion, had to have negatively impacted the cleanliness of the gas they served up. Three - Kentucky. Don't ask, just know that over my 20 years of having to drive through the beautiful state of Kentucky, far more times than not, if I needed to fill up, I'd somehow always need a bottle of HEET to combat the water in my tank. Strange, I know, but absolutely true! From my drives from NC to KC in the 90's, to those drives from IL to NC during my Chicago days. Almost a certain that it would happen.

Well, you're buying next, to update the photo! Thought you were going for the coupe though....

I like the last line the best - "they're the best cars you're not driving." If it can win over the euros, then I'd say Lexus has finally dialed up the fun factor of the GS series! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-2233336/Lexus-GS-450h-Premier-review-Can-hybrid-really-rival-Mercedes-status-symbol.html

Excellent!!! Finally out of the ES series. I give it 3 weeks for the first speeding ticket!

Haha! You go dawg!

Well..... I have a feeling someone else is going to be posting on this thread (not me) in about....3.....2....1....