nc211

It amazes me that we can put men on the rock that shines in the night sky, but can't find a way to power life without killing ourselves. Something the size of a baseball can kill anything and everything within a 25 mile radius for thousands of years. A rock can choke a city. A liquid that amounts to about a drinking glass of water causes global warming and war.... Yet, a fan spinning in the country side can provide all the same benefits without all the drawbacks, yet we barely acknowledge it. A device can use the free and permanent purpose of the sun to energize life, yet we barely acknowledge it. The currents of the ocean, the main surface of earth, can provide free power to spin generators, yet we barely acknowledge it. All I can say... An idiot from Alabama, isn't the idiot at all... Stupid is, as stupid does, I guess.. We humans sure are the smartest idiots in the room...

Especially the hair cuts and Members Only jackets! Gotta go Wang my Chung now..I'm married with 2 kids and an iPod... Duh...winning!

We wouldn't need a "no fly zone" if Gipper were still with us and running the show..... I'm just saying.... One bad guy = one bomb, problem solved...

I'm not going to chime in on the "war" chatter. Simply because we're all entitled to our opinions (even when those entitlements come at the good grace of our finest men and women)...ok, may a tiny little chime... I can't help myself sometimes... The following article, if true (we all know the media are just saints of truth), I think is a precurser to a one-term president. He stays on this track...and he'll get beat so badly his legacy will feel it forever... http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/03/17/031711-news-hillary-2-2/ One of the best quotes in the article.... Or as the insider described Obama’s foreign policy shop: “It’s amateur night.” If there is one thing, even a Bush fan republican like myself knows to be FACT....It's that you don't want to mess with Mr. & Mrs. "Bubba" Clinton. The man is a rock star, and the two of them are simply masters of the universe when it comes to steering political influence. They know the DC dance, and I'd be hard pressed to name anyone who can do it better than these two, except for maybe the Bush family...but THAT'S just my OPINION! "RxNc i'm sure is preparing his rebutal comments"

Japan is in ruins, fear in the public of radioactive clouds above, the middle east is on the brink, Greenspan himself is saying the government is slowing the economic growth potential, gas prices are spiking again.....and the leader of the free world of "change" can only garnish headlines that are about another vacation to Rio this weekend and his NCAA bracket picks? Either the media is turning on him, or he's turning on himself....eitherway, I'd be stunned if he gets re-elected in a year, simply stunned. I think the democrat party has really blown a wonderful opportunity over the past THREE years. No matter what they have or have not accomplished, it's all about "perception", and they ain't got it!!

Army - Don't sweat this stuff man, it's a fear-factoring sales pitch. Do I think what he is saying is completely off-base? No, not really. But do I think he's saying anything that isn't being said already, in wide-open converstations around the financial globe? NO. This website is nothing but a "get rich quick" scheme at play. How do I know? Because I have Sirrus Sat in my car, and in the mornings I listen to Bloomberg radio during my commute. There is an ad running now about the "end of america" that gives a website to visit "not you website". Last week, out of curiousity, I went to the website to see for myself. Practically the exact same set-up of the website you're posting here. The text is even nearly word-for-word the same. Even the part about "I have rejected calls to run for public office"....just so I could be a good american and save you all by sharing my secret with you, for free, for only $19.95 plus s&h (which we all know is where the profit is). This is all b/s. Don't sweat it amigo! Having that said - do we have a looming financial problem on the horizon in this country? Yes, and it's called the national debt. Numerous economic factor simply went of the chart in 2008-2009. The real data is frightening at first, if you don't try and take a bigger picture view. So much data out there about Treasury bond out of whack, debt ceilings, interest rate curves inverted, etc... It's been a very difficult and very frightening 36 months in not only this country, but the world. And that's just the economical side of the house. It's too early for me to go into an Iran rant... but you know I can, in true style! Are we going to face inflation in the next few years? Yes, is my very strong guess. Is that a bad thing (remember, big picture view here)? No, infact I'm of the belief that it needs to happen to finish the "resetting" of the economic engine. Key interest rates of 0% don't earn money for anyone, especially when that 0% is used to fund a government body that seems to have lost their minds at the ATM machine, also known as the US Treasury Office, in my opinion. When you have a government who continues to compete with the private sector that it says it supports...then you are on a train that will miss quite a few stops of prosperity. It is, just that simple. And inflation will be the "brakes" of the train. That being said though..one thing I think we all need to keep in mind, which is something that never gets mentioned in all the "expert" opinions.. Loss Reserves... Everyone is so focused on the losses in the banking sector, that they're simply forgetting about the Trillion or two dollars, real dollars, real cash, sitting in real vaults, used to cushion these "loss" positions. The term "loss" is not a definitive definition in the financial world. For instance, a $100,000 home loan on the books of a bank. When that loan was written, the home had a value of $110K. If the bank had held that loan for it's entire term, then that bank would be known as a "portfolio lender", which is what I am in the commercial real estate world. Portfolio lenders get to skirt a "rule" in accounting, called Mark-To-Market. This rule, in it's simplist definition, values things as the "moment". Banks and other institutions who, instead of keeping the loan on the books, decide to sell the loan into what is called a MBS (Mortgage Backed Security), which ends up on wall street, Fannie/Freddie, your retirement account, etc.. How? Because once this MBS is created (nothing but a pool of loans with monthly mortgage payments that end up in one bucket for distribution) then wall street issues these things called "securities". Securities function much in the same manner as you being a day-trader in your underwear at 2am in the morning selling stocks/bonds/options on your lap top. Securities give the general public instant and mostly unrestricted access to all things "securitized". Once this level of "power" is given, then "mark-to-market" accounting comes into play. This is the accounting rule that allows you to make, or lose, money on your trades. How does this impact the bank who technically sold the loan off it's books? Well, in that purchase & sales contract to sell the loan, the bank has to sign this little disclosure agreement that says "if you lied, you have to buy the loan back from me". Well, that language was so "general", that defining "lied" became a guessing game. When the market tanked a few years ago, mark-to-market became subjected to "perception" of value. When one home on a block had to sell at a discount, no matter reason (say maybe there was no loan on it, and the owners died, and the kids just wanted to sell it right away), that one sale ended up killing 250 "perceived" values. You can see the snowball effect of that. Remember that disclosure agreement? Well wall street came back to the bank and said "what a minute, you said this thing was worth $110k, it just sold for $80k, I want my money", and the bank had to fork it over. It snowballed, and a calculation was created during the big "test" last year that required banks to start setting aside money for instances just as I described. These loss reserves also are there to protect the "book value" of those lenders who keep the loan as well. It does not look good on the balance sheet when you have a loan outstanding with a $100k amount, on something that has a perceived value of $80k. The difference is made up with cash set aside. This little discussed fact about the banking community, represents trillions of dollars that can't be touched. They can't be touched due to two primary reasons...(1) an accounting rule, (2) a perceived value. Two things that can and will change. All congress has to do is tweak that Loss Reserve calculation just a little, and instantly free-up billions of dollars back into the economic flow. Values will also return. So, when the "doom and gloom" guys all cut n' paste the same paragraphs, just remember, there is a huge nest egg sitting on the sidelines, that can be accessed if needed. In my opinion though, we're MUCH better off with that money locked away, and not flowing through the economy. What I am hoping happens, is these funds simply get absorbed back by the Fed, and retired. Reducing the amount of dollar bills floating around the world, makes the dollar more valuable, which brings down the costs of capitalism that we all live by (bye, buy). However - one of the best times to buy real estate as an investment, is during periods of inflatoin and high interest rates. Why? simple - those times reduce the amount of buying power in the economy, which makes real estate harder to buy for more people. That kills values. You buy a house when interst rates are 10% for 100K, knowing that interest rates are more than likely to go down again (it's a cycle, they always do), and you wait for the 6% money to hit the market. When it's at 6%, you know there is a bubble starting to occur, because it makes what was once thought of un-reachable for the 98% of the general public, reachable.....aka...many buyers. More buyers...more options to sell...more you can sell it for. It is exactly what happened over the past 8 years. The problem though, is nobody was watching the shop, they were too busy drinking the KoolAide out back, and didn't realize that "Suits" from Wall Street were in their cash registers swapping dollars with funny-money. That, won't happen again for another 15 years...when memories fail to remember this period in time. IT ALWAYS HAPPENS!

Not saying he is responsible for the price of gas today, you and I both know he's not. But, what I am saying, and a spin through the media rolls will support, is that I clearly remember the price of gas a huge platform used by the democrats in the last campaign against the republicans. Since then, they've focused on just about every other issue imaginable, except this, this being the ONE and ONLY number in the massive overflow of economic news over the past three years that EVERY single person with a voting card knows about. They know what that number is, what it was, and where it's going. Its the one number that doesn't discriminate it's impact of understanding to your kitchen table budget on your level of business savy or education.

I hate to say it, I really do, but I think this needs to happen to get the attention of the people back on these guys. I read an article today that the oil lobbies are now starting to fuel up their politicians of choice for 2012, and don't expect Obama to be on that list. He is pushing to eliminate a $60b subsidy package that has been with big oil for years, and wants to tax them at higher revenue levels. You know what he's doing don't you? He's picking the one number in the entire global economy that every voter understands, every voter is being abused by, and starting to set the stage like he is our only hope for relief going into 2012 election season. Funny...where has he been during the past 3 years? What happened to the investigations promised in 2008? Gas prices are going to be his meal ticket for reelection, mark my words on that! I haven't made up my mind if I'll buy this stance or not, because it just seems too convenient, obvious, and a buck short / day late. Mideast turmoil these days, regulational change discussions on big oil in the media soon = all the market volatility speculators will ever need to hijack the fear factor. I'm betting $135 peak on oil in the next 12 months somewhere. But this time, we'll all know why without any doubt.

This auto correct thing on my iPod drives me nuts... Sorry for they typos!

Unions, at one time in our history, were the backbone of our nation. That time has passed. Now, their benefits to the overall health of the employment sector they are specifically focused on, is much more selective. For instance, I'm OK with unionized school teachers and nurses. Why? Because I believe they serve a very crucial and critical role in our country, and I think it needs the ability to protect itself. You listen and negotiate with them. They provide a service. But other areas, like the UAW, who provide a product, you simply tie their nuts to the bottom line of the P/L statement, and of they don't comply, then shut down the system and publically blame the union. I use to be a Teamster in a precious life. I witnessed first hand what poison pills a union can be if placed in the wrong pocket of the economy. The unions arrived on the movie sets in NC in the late 90's when the studio sold to NY based Screen Gems. A lot of promises, a lot of industry destruction delivered to the community. Sadly though, what we're seeing in WI is just the tip of the iceberg for the next several years in this country. I've been reviewing a ton of annual economic data these past few weeks, this time of year always produces the most. I can tell you, with absolute certainty, the number one issue we'll face in this recession, is starting to hit now. States and local government deficits have the very scary possibility to make the housing bust 2 years ago look pretty tame. We're not talking about values of certain areas of town taking hits, but entire towns now. Values based in declining schools, declining social services, declining infrastructure. I'm in the dead center of it all here in Illinois. In the past, counties have files 13. Orange County in CA, Jefferson County in Alabama flirting with it now "Birmingham", and a few others. We're now looking at the possibility of entire states going 13, two specifically with CA and IL. The domino effect of just one going down could be monumental to the nations credit stance on a global scale. Best move I've made during these challenging 3 years was the secisin to rent instead of buy our home here in Chitcago. We're probably going to see more of what we're seeing now in WI this year. The guy you all should be jealous over, is the guy who keeps threatening to buy an LS, but stays with the ES. He lives in the only pocket of prosperity right now in the country. In fact, his town just registered a 9% increase in home values for 2010! Only one on the country. He knows who he is!! In this same town, within the past three weeks, I have receives over $1 billion dollars in serious and worthy financing requests for trophy quality commercial real estate, more than at anytime ever. This place is building luxury high rise apartments now, next door to projects that delivered in 2009 "the teeth of the recession" that are still leasing up! That, takes balls. Mr. Mystery Man, is sittin purdy right 'bout now!

I hear what you're saying, and I understand your point of view. The fact is, the genie was let out of the bottle with guns, and she probably isn't going to go back into the bottle. Just a way of life. The differences between a bicycle and a gun, is that when a child has an accident on the bike, they have the possiblity of getting a scraped knee or elbow. An accident with a gun, is far more brutal. Falling down the stairs can break a leg, a gun shot to the leg of the child can either cause the leg to be removed or bleed to death if the main artery is hit. Fact is, comparing anything that can possibly hurt a person to a gun, just doesn't make sense to me. A car has airbags, a gun has hollowtip rounds. A bike comes with a helment, a gun comes with a safty switch (some anyway). Anything can kill a person, but most are by accident, whereas a gun has but one purpose in general - kill. I seriously doubt Columbine and VT were selected because they were gun free zones. Too much of a coincidence to the fact that the shooters were students, and those were their "worlds". If they had gone into a hospital or random library, maybe. I understand you're point about considering what the rest of the world thinks of us. Look, I'm the last guy on here to fly the Bush avatar around here, I get it. But, the world isn't that big anymore, and getting smaller and smaller as the days go by. I doubt the top ten things around you right now, have very little to do with USA. Take a look around, what do you see? I see China on my desk, belgium on my furniture, japan on my screen, and Tiawan on my phone. Trust me, thumbing our noses at the rest of the world, only hurts us these days. I did see that Top Gear, it was great! I loved the part where Jeremy was trying to talk to the kid at the tire shop, and couldn't understand a word he was saying. Made me laugh!! I don't think they were meant to be upset about the drive-by shooting part. They were simply make fun of us, as we're the country where drive-by shooting happen! That's my point about our image. There is another episode, several years old now, where they go from Miami to New Orleans. They just picked us apart over our gun laws. It was funny, and quite frankly, was pretty accurate too, in my opinion. Either way, it's all good man. You don't go do something stupid with your gun (I don't want to pay for your jail stay), and I won't ask you to hand it over. Deal?

Sorry I missed this one, EB! I certainly hope the sun starts shining brighter in your world! Maybe a cat? I've got three if you'd like one (or two, or three)? They're really nice and sweet, when they're not shredding your ankle for treats, screaming at 3am to go out side and fight the racoon, finding the only strip of white carpet in the house to puke on, and doing their best impersonations of Hannibal Lector on the front steps with the local field mice.... Let me know - free shipping - great with kids (assuming proper body armor)

Man, I love the title of this thread. Too bad IS400 had to get her walking papers... :cries:

Wait, I'm confused here.... First - VERY nice ride! Second - who got kicked to the curb? The BMW? The Honda? Both? Alex? Ooops...did I say that out loud? It was easier keeping up with you when you were Mr. I love her, No wait just kidding, wait, yes I do, ooops who's that dude, no I don't, you ever been to the Phillipines, yes, wait, maybe? What hell does maybe mean??? And you thought we weren't paying attention!

Sorry SWO, you know the rules - it's either gas, grass, or a$$ if you want a ride. The first one, I'm ok with. The second one, I haven't touched since the whole "they know, they know, oh God, they know...quick, hide in the bat-mobile" incident 20 years ago. And the third one...well, um, I prefer blondes...sorry!

TX, no worries on my end. Listen, I know guns, and have been around far too many of them in my life already. A little back ground on me and guns - I'm the son of a retired USAF Colnel. I use to be a member of the most violent division of the Teamster's union (movie business), I am from the gun happy south, and I am married to the daughter of one of the most hightly decorated SBI agents in North Carolina's history - so much so - he still has a standing invitation to join the FBI and Secret Service if he likes, at the rip ol' age of 57. Instead, he busts crooked lawyers and politicians now for a much quieter division of justice. He nailed so many high ranking drug runners off the coast of NC via assistance from the Camp Lejune Marine boys in Jacksonville NC, mob guys, and the like, that they live in the country side with all records of his location completely erased from the general public - including names on deeds and mortgages. Guns? I know guns. When 9/11 happened, I was sitting on the 25th floor of what was then the South Trust Banking Tower in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, a state that loves their guns, and about as far away from any terrorist's target that you could get (not that they fear Alabama, but that they could probably care less about Alabama). I clearly remember walking through the grocery story for several days thereafter, seeing people buying their groceries with their guns strapped to their sides like the wild wild west, waiting to shoot a "terrorist". It wasn't a "self defense" decision, it was an excuse to show off your gun. Who in their right mind would ever think a terrorist was going to bust into the Piggly Wiggly in the wealthy B'ham subdivision of Mountain Brook, Alabama, one of the top 10 concentrations of wealth in this country? Realtors showing houses with guns on their side, buyers looking at houses with guns on their sides (my best friend was a realtor at the time, had a Glock on his side). You think that couple shopping for a $800k house are terrorists? I couldn't help myself from coming to the conclusion that "these people have lost their minds down here". A few months later, I was back in NC. The economy chased me to Chicago two years ago, exactly to this day. I don't think I need to say anything to support my feelings about guns and the city of Chicago. A simple google search will say more than I could. Can I see the need for guns for hunting? Yeah, I can see that, and I certainly understand that. I haven't a problem with that. Can I see the need to protect your family? Yeah, I can. I am a father of two precious little children, and we live in the murder capital of the country (Chicago). Do I have a gun? Nope. Will I allow a gun in my house? Not without a badge. How do I defend us against these elements? I study, I bust my butt, I make certain sacrificies, I see the easy way and the hard way, and choose the hard way....so I can make sure my wife and kids can live in the best and safest part of town. I pay the highest taxes in the region, to make sure my little pocket of Chicago PD has more than they could ever possibly need to protect the neighborhood. We have the fastest cars, the newest guns, the quickest response times, and two of every toy imaginable. Give you an example of those taxes - our house has a current market value of about $550k (down from $800k two years ago - why I rent). The real estate taxes alone are north of $1,600 a month - that's right close to my ALL-in mortgage payment on my NC house two years ago. I pay the premium to ADT for top level security in our house (oddly enough, we've never even turned it on - but it's there if we need it, wired directly into the PD). I defend us by making choices, making sacrificies to move when we don't want to, buy what "fits" not what "wants". I understand this doesn't work for everyone, but it works for me. Will the PD get there in time? I don't know. I do know they had me and my wife surrounded within 30 minutes of arriving to our house two years ago for the first time, to make sure we were supposed to be there. But, will I allow that question of "will they get there in time?" allow the fear of that idea to place a gun in my home? No way in hell. In the sea of statistics out there about guns, the constitutional arguments of defining certain amendments, how about the one that everyone reading this post has read in the media time and time again - a gun in the house raises the probably of a gun related incident dramatically. Sorry, there's enough stress in this world that I don't need that statistic in my living room. I'd rather pay the boys out front with their shinny new guns, proper training, proper back-ground checks, proper evaluations, that I helped buy to keep the wrong element off my street and out of my home. When I say "guns suck" and "if I were President, I'd get the guns", I say that with two key examples (in a sea of thousands) in the back of my mind where a "gun" did exactly as it was designed to do..... Virginia Tech and Columbine. I know the argument of "well, these wouldn't of happened if someone had a gun on campus to defend themselves". But, I refuse to believe that my children need to learn english and math by Smith and Wesson. I'm of the opinion that if you find yourself with a knife in a gun fight....your mistake isn't the knife...it's being in the situation in the first place, and that mistake was probably made long before the fight at hand. I understand your point of view, and I'm glad you appear to be one of the responsible citizens with a gun. But, I don't need to read a civics text book, or have a lawyer guide me on what branches of government can do what, to know how the second amendment impacts this country. All I need to see to know that, is to watch the first 5 minutes of ANY city local news broadcast to know. Fergie is spot-on correct. As someone who has travelled internationally quite a bit over the past few years myself, I can tell you the #1 most embarrassing component of United States of America on the global stage......the Second Amendment. You watch Top Gear? You ever seen one of the episodes where the boys come to America? Count how many jokes they make about being "murdered" in America. Top Gear is one of the top TV programs in the world. It doesn't matter if you agree or disagree with their jokes. Their perception of us isn't wrong. But don't worry TX, I won't be running for President. As you said, he can't make those kinds of decisions. If there is one thing I know to be fact in the business and political world - it's that power isn't "seen", it's "felt". Things get done when nobody is watching.

Outer control arms on your steering rack. You replaced the lower ball joints and the noise went away for a while. YOu have to mess with the outer control arms to remove the ball joints, which probably reset them a little. Now, they've settled back down from the work, and you're getting the noise. Or, the upper strut bushings. Does the pop noise sound like it's coming from the front of the car, or from under the car. If you haven't replaced your lower strut rod bushings yet, I'd be willing to bet they're toast, no matter what they "look" like. At your age, no way they're not showing significant wear. Look under the car in the front. See the control arm that reaches to the front corner of the car? That's your strut rod. See the bushing at the front? That's usually the first of all bushings to wear out. Another possiblity is when the control arms you replaced were all pieced back together in the system, the bolts along the lower control arm where everything comes together weren't tigntened enough, causing control arm to control arm contact movement, but this is rare. Top three causes in my book, in order - outer steering control arms, front strut rod bushings, upper strut mount bushings (open the hood and look where the shocks bolt to the car).

I've never heard of a "sealed" brake fluid and power steering system before, this is new to me. What I do on the power steering fluid, is every 10k miles, I take a turkey baster, open the steering fluid container, pull some old fluid out (just to the top of the feeder line hose - not below it, don't want air in the system), and replace it with fresh fluid of equal amount. Start the car, turn the wheel a couple of times to circulate the new fluid through, then do it once more. Keeps it all at a certain level of freshness. Those of us who've owned a 90's LS400 series before, know the importance of fresh power steering fluid pretty well!

Who da' man? YOU da' man, DC!

Anything 10 years old, I don't care how low the miles = bushings. If one lesson I've learned with Lexus, is those soft rubber bushings in the control arms, carrier arms, mounts and struts, last about 6 years before they start to compress and lose their original composure. Not saying they've failed, but they degrade over time moreso than miles. My 4runner (05' w/ 88k miles), is starting to transmit more engine noise and vibration into the cabin.... engine mounts starting to compress..

You guys crack me up! How in the world did this thread go from me barking about shoveling snow in my Chitcago driveway in January, to Al Gore, glow-ball warming, to nuke strikes on the north pole? Anybody seen the movie PCU? This world today reminds me of that movie - always a protest, always being "wronged" by someone! Lenore, I'm glad you're dad was there too, working on those 52's! My dad use to fly 52's over the northern atlantic with 6 nukes in the belly on a 24/7 rotation, waiting for the orders to hit russia. Mission was called Chrome Dome. He tells stories about N. Dakota in the winters, as he now sits in Naples, FL as a retiree.

LEXI - I wouldn't worry about that idiot in the Ford Ranger pick-up truck. He probably went home, parked in the garage, and then watched as his truck caught fire and burned down his house.... Guns, simply put, suck. They are designed to offer nothing, produce nothing, generate nothing, make nothing....but death, misery, and tragedy. Worst day in the history of the NRA would be me being elected as President, because the first thing I would do is outlaw ALL guns to everyone except the military - which by the way, some believe the Right to Bear Arms is meant to be enforced - allow this country to form an army and give them the tools to defend the land. Not walk through the candy isle of your local Piggly Wiggly with a friggin' Glock in your purse, and expect me to think you're responsible enough to not use it in a wrongful manner.

This is one of the reasons why I hate this damn town! So much snow, it actually made a small crack in the windshield of the 4runner turn into an entire break from side to side. Took me over 6 hours to dig out, with a snow blower! It was snowing so hard, snow went up our roof vents and down into our attic. How did we find this out? When one of the three pizza sized piles of snow in the attic (3 inches deep each) began to melt today, it dripped into one of the fire alarms and shorted out our fire and security system. I had to shovel snow in my friggin' attic!! You know you're screwed when Jim Cantore shows up in your town....

Army, I got rid of the Lexus last August at 62k miles +/-. I only drove the thing maybe 8k in the 17 months I had it. I got rid of it for a couple of reasons - I had a second child on the way and wanted something that could haul bulky stuff to take the pressure off the 4runner, and I wanted something fun to drive. The GS was (is) a very nice car, but I absolutely grew to hate it. I tried to get all excited about it, but never could. So, after the longest and most frustrating car shopping experience of my life, the GTI popped up on the radar, I drove one, fell in love, and hunted for a 4-door version with all the toys. Took me a couple of weeks, but got lucky when mine fell into my lap. The only pictures I have are from when I brought it home in August (pictures via link at the bottom). Only thing I've done to it was a full claybar detail, which it apparently needed. The claybar was the filthiest I have ever seen one to be after the process. It was literally dark yellow with black streaks in it. Made a huge difference. Hard to believe it was just a few months ago when I took these pictures, as I write this now while under a blizzard warning for the next two days... 24-36 inches of snow heading our way.... GTI gets garage duty for the rest of the week....4runner gets buggy duty. May have to actually engage the real 4x4 for once (instead of perm awd). http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=62923&st=90 I certainly agree with you SWO! That's why I would never buy one w/o a oem warranty. But, honestly, what would be fun at $1k a pop! Well, maybe if you're Charlie Sheen....but that's a whole different story!

Well, it's been a few months, and about 3,400 miles, since I replaced my GS with the GTI. Thought I would offer some feedback and personal ownership opinions... First - I will openly acknowledge that it's no Lexus. Knew that when I bought it though. It's not as quiet, it's not as smooth, and it doesn't feel as well built. However, those aren't all bad things for the type of car that it is. The ride is tight and stiff (I have the fancy 18' wheels), but NOT punishing. Some roads around here, are just punishing no matter what you're driving. It takes the hits pretty well, and doesn't feel like it's about to fall apart. It takes the hits in the suspension, whereas my GS would take the hits throught the entire car. The hits were more muffled in the GS, obviously, but the GTI isn't nearly as bad as one would think. You feel the bumps, but you don't hear them very often. The seats and driving position, in my opinion, are a lot better in the VW. The seat itself is framed with more of an arch towards the back, which makes you slide "into" the seat. You sit "in" the seat, versus "on" the seat. The leather is really top notch like the lexus, but not as soft (it's german afterall). When you're behind the wheel, you slide the armrest up and out to where you like it, and you find your hands resting in all the right spots. For me, it's my left on window frame and wheel, my right on the arm rest and gear knob. Nothing is a "reach" to get to. It is somewhat "snug", but not "tight". I have no problems when I'm in my ChiTcago winter attire, of slacks, shirt, sweater, knee length coat, scarf and gloves. Very comfy. The stereo, after a software update, is actually quite good. VW's ability to manipulate the software inside the head unit is really pretty cool. I have a 6 disc changer, Sirrus, and I-pod connector. The leg room is more than plenty. In fact, due to higher seating positions throughout the car, rear passengers are more comfortable in the VW than in the GS. Plenty of legroom, shoulder room, for four grown adults. The cargo capacity is much larger than the exterior of the car lets on. I'll just put it like this: 3 adults and a 2 year with forward facing car seat were able to load up about $1,000 worth of supplies from Costco and Target last November with ease. The "hatchback" ability really defines the usefulness of the car for us, which was the #1 requirement I needed when shopping for a replacement of the GS. It's not that the GS couldn't carry stuff, it's that the trunk opening was so narrow at times, and the floor was so high, that it couldn't carry bulky stuff. RELIABILITY: I know, this is the part you're waiting for.... Yes, I have been to the shop with it, and it's heading back next weekend while I'm out of town for business. I had to have the stereo software updated to correct a random bass hitting problem. I had to have a sensor replaced on the leveling hid lights. And as a preventive fatal shot to the engine, had to have a cam follower associated with a high-pressure fuel pump replaced. 200hp out of just 2 liters of engine, is a lot of pressure! All of this was free, and took maybe 45 minutes. I am having some serious work done on it next week, that includes a recall for a new module on the ubber snappy fast DSG transmission to smooth it out (can get a little jerky in manual mode), new connectors for two side airbags (recall), a squeeking noise in my serpintine belt area, and a loose bolt in my seat. Again, all free of charge with a free loaner car. Is it a Toyota? Nope. But, I knew that going in. Is it a piece of junk? Nope, not even close. It is just a very highly tuned machine that requires some attention every now and then. I would say it's on par with the other german cars around. Clearly below par against the asian cars though, but again, nobody should be surprised, I'm not. The Drive: This is where it all comes together perfectly. This car, in all honesty, is by far my most favorite car to drive that I have ever owned, hands down, no contest. The little marvel 2.0 turbo engine dumps it's 200lb's of torque right at 1,800 rpm, making it just a rocket in normal daily driving. Honestly, I don't know how the Mazda Speed3 with it's 260 hp is able to use all that power. If the GTI had any more power, it would have to be RWD to be useful. The turbo is almost instant, and makes passing traffic a breeze. It will rocket from about 10mph to 70mph in a blink of the eye. The DSG transmission, which is really a manual that can mimic an automatic instead of an automatic that can mimic a manual, shifts so unbelievably quick when you're in manual mode. When I want to scoot, using about 75% of the power, I'm in each gear for maybe a second before I'm at the top of the stack, 6. The car anticipates your next gear you're going to ask for, and spools up it's second clutch to hoover over that gear, waiting for you to call it up. When you shift, say from 2 to 3, in a millisecond, one clutch lets 2nd go, while at the same time, the other clutch is grabbing 3rd, and the engine is matching the revs. It really is an amazing feeling. When you're in automatic mode and taking it easy, you can't feel the shifting at all, it's as smooth as my GS was. Except for one issue (part of the recall to fix) - when you come to a stop, the down shift to 1st is jerky and uses too much engine braking. This where the "manual acting like automatic" comes into play. The transmission doesn't "coast" at all. You are always in a gear. The recall fixes this. The other issue, is when the system hasn't been at operating temp for a while, using manual mode, the shifts are too strong and if you're hot-dogging, 1-2-3-4 shifts hit pretty hard. Again, the recall fixes this. Something to do with the valve body being replaced, allowing a pressure release of the fluids which smooths it out. But all-in-all, one of the most engaging and entertaining transmissions I've ever seen before. Apparently, assuming you change the fluid like instructed every 40k miles, they're extremely reliable too. But, you don't change that fluid, they can fail, and cost a friggin boat load to fix. Fluids are key. For those of us under the recall campaign (07-09), VW is extending the full warranty on the transmission to 100k/10 years. That says something to me about its toughness. Again, it's not a 500k miles Toyota, and I don't expect it to be. It's a highly strung German sports car, that in 4-door fashion, offers true family utility. One thing I have noticed over the Lexus, which I personally like, is that lack of total noise insolation. You hear and feel just enough of the tuning of the engine and exhaust to be drawn into the driving experience. There is an actual pipe that runs from the front of the engine to the firewall, that serves but only one purpose - transmit a tuned engine noise into the car. You can remove this pipe, and it quiets down the car considerably. But, I like it. What I could never really achieve with any of my Toyota cars (LS, GS, 4Runner) is the sense of being "connected" to what the car is doing, and capable of doing/not doing. It's a double edged sword. You get that super luxurious and quality feeling with Lexus, at the cost of a sense of connectivity to the car. You get that connectivity with the GTI, but at the cost of the super luxurious feel. However, that said, a fully loaded GTI offers enough of a balance to put it at the entry level of "luxury", say a baby bmw. The engine - I can easily see why has been used to support not only VW, but Audi as well. You wouldn't think much of a 2.0 turbo engine, until you've seen this one. I am amazed at how balanced it is. The only time you "hear" the engine, is under load. Example: drive a honda 4 cylinder engine at a constant speed at 4,000 rpms (say 50mph in 3rd gear), you hear it, you feel it. You know the engine is high revving. Do the same thing with the VW 2.0 turbo engine, you don't hear it, you don't feel it, until you push it. There's no vibration in the cabin, no sense of straining the engine. It will rev all the way to it's redline effortlessly, and not transmit any feeling like it's being pushed too hard. First time I've ever come across an engine like that. However, it does come at a cost. They all seem to burn oil, no matter what. I burn about 3/4 of a quart every 1,800 miles, all heavy city driving. The turbo simply burns it up. There is no way to keep your exhaust tips clean on these cars. Just a fact you have to accept if you want one. For me, I'm ok with it and actually see the positive side of it. Every so often, a bit of fresh oil introduced to the existing. The oil though, is very specific, and expensive. You can't just toss some 5w30 in there. It has to meet a specific VW code, fully synthetic. Castrol and M1 have some, with Castrol being the recommended brand. About 8 bucks a quart. The manual says oil change every 10k miles. Almost nobody believes it, or does it. 5k most is the norm. The vast majority of GTI owner's I've come across that seem to really complain about their car, are the ones who have tinkered with it. Putting chips in it, upgraded turbos, screwed around with the suspension, etc. My take on the GTI is like a name-brand computer. You buy a Compaq computer from the store, and then install an updated graphics card, you'll probably run into problems. The motherboard and other components, built and designed by Compaq, aren't tolerant of additional tweeks. You take it as it is, or run the risk of !Removed! it up. The CPO warranty - covers everything, outside of your brake pads/rotors, rims, and tires. Everything else, is an easy fix. It has been my experience so far, that I don't have to "prove" anything. I call them, I say I've got this problem, and they say either "we've got the new part in stock, come on down and we'll replace it", or "we'll order the new part now, call you when it's in". They do this BEFORE they actually inspect the car! I really love that kind of service. I haven't been charged a penny for anything. Overall, after a few months of ownership and a few thousand miles, I am able to put the "new car" excitement behind me and the bias. I personally think a fully loaded 4-door GTI is a tremendous vehicle! I think they're extremely usefull, I think they're one of the most attractive cars on the road to look at, I think they're an absolute sh*ts and giggles joy to drive, and I think well built with great materials and craftsmanship. Lexus quality? No, not really, but honestly, what is for under $25k? Would I own one outside of warranty? Probably not. Not because I anticipate a lot of problems, but because they're german, and expensive as hell in the shop! A used GTI with a CPO warranty is even better! If this one holds up like it is today (43k miles) for another 32k miles and/or to 2014 (warranty expiration - 75k or 2014), which I don't see why it wouldn't, then I'll probably trade it for another under the CPO program. Hard to argue with such amenities like heated head light washers and exterior mirrors, leather, sat/nav, auto windows, auto hvac, bluetooth, bumper-bumper warranty for several years, and everything else you can think of, for $17,500. The "fun factor" is just a bonus! My son, who is approaching 3 in May, LOVES IT! When I take him to his pre-school in the mornings, he gets all excited. He gets in his seat, pulls his hat down over his eyes, and says "go fast daddy, go fast daddy", and just giggles for the entire 5 minute ride. I can honestly say, that if I haven't driven it for a couple of days, I start to miss it. It has made my Monday mornings a bit brighter!