Auto Show Hunters

Discussions about other vehicles other than the Vibe & Matrix.
Caretaker

Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

I thought I'd start a new thread in case folks here attend(ed) any auto shows and can post their thoughts on any "average everyday car" at these shows. I spent my day at the Tampa Auto Show. Most manufacturers were there except Mazda and Volvo. I'm pretty POed about Mazda, but since their CX-30 would not have been there anyway, no sense in making hay.

Thoughts:

Biggest Pet Peeve: Center consoles: These auto designers need to insert REAL humans into their creative design process. These stupid center consoles get wider and wider and don't afford any east-west leg travel room. That's all well and fine for 20 minute drives to and from the store, but pinning our leg so that it can do nothing other than regulate the gas pedal is just plain stupid. We all need to flop around like a flounder after an hour or so of driving, keeping the blood flowing and cramping to a minimum.

Next biggest pet peeve: ingress/egress height. I want every manufacturer to model their sedans and crossovers off of the Chevy Trax. That should be the minimum height for all vehicles (sans the Maseratis of the world). The Trax was very comfortable in the driver's and passenger side for the most part. If GM could make it more reliable, I'd certainly consider one.

Best car for the commoner: Subaru Crosstrek. We must have sat in this thing 6 or more times, repeatedly walking from one end of the convention center to the other comparing cars with the Crosstrek. The car is a total winner, except, as the auto press says, it is painfully slow. Give it another 2 or more inches in entry height and it would be nearly perfect for me. I don't care about slow.

Next best car for the commoner: Hyundai Kona. This is a winning car. The rear window is a bit small for me, but overall, it was a delicious car through and through.

Car that blew my socks off: The Ford Escape. I would NEVER consider buying a Ford; never. This new Escape had me pouring over it from end to end and would not let me go. From driver comfort to passenger comfort to rear seat comfort and legroom, to visibility, to the hatch opening, I left with my mouth hanging open. Unlike the Forester, I did not feel like I was behind the wheel of a Mack truck. I felt totally connected while sitting inside.

Best Rumor from a guy with a nametag: The Crosstrek will be redesigned with their 2.5 liter engine instead of the pokey 2.0. I just want it to be taller. If I am able to keep my Vibe alive until 2022?.....only to find out that I don't like that newest generation of Crosstrek, I would be perfectly happy to have them dump one of their leftover slow poke versions on me at a greatly reduced price. Unfortunately it looks like next year (2021) will be a refresh year according to the official guy with a nametag. As such, I think I'll be lucky if 2022 brings the new model. My Vibe will be burning 5 quarts of oil in between oil changes by that point.

Others: Subaru has really nailed it across their line. The Legacy sedan is simply beautiful and comfy inside. I wish the roofline was a foot higher though. The Forester is also a great vehicle, but like Joatmon said, as a small car driver for decades, I feel very disconnected when even sitting in the thing. I don't know where the front or back or sides are. My test drive last year was impressive but I think it would take me a lifetime to get used to such a big car. Today was the first time I sat in an Outback. Again, great beauty and comfort, although I had more "flounder flopping" leg room in the Crosstrek and with 1950's cargo room in the back of the Outback (enough to hold 10 Jimmy Hoffas), I really don't need all that empty space behind me especially when parallel parking. The Crosstrek really is the goldilocks car for me.

Serious disappointments:

1. Any Volkswagen. I'm shocked given their relatively poor quality over time that Consumer Reports continues to put the Tiguan at the top of their SUV class. Yes I love that it is a nice boxy design with good visibility, but NO, I don't like holding on to an iron rod steering wheel that would crush my scull in an accident, nor the cheap hard plastics everywhere. I felt like I was sitting in a 1990's Passat. The Forester beats the Tiguan with two broken axles and its hands tied behind its back.
2. The Fiat 500. Are you kidding me. I think Iacocca's K car had more style inside. I'm scratching my head wondering how this car could be associated with Chrysler (the kings of venus fly traps) and still look like an Italian car from the 1980's. Awful.

This is not an extensive list by any means given that it was Tampa and not NYC or Detroit's auto show, nor am I employed by Autoline's John McElroy.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by tpollauf »

Up here on the Ohio/Michigan border the Detroit Auto show was always the big thing to attend during January where it's cold outside, you can't do any outdoor activities, and stuck indoors. Well the marketing Gurus think they'll have better attendance numbers by holding it in the summer months. I disagree with them big time. Anyways June 13 - 20 will be the public dates for the show. I likely will be either working or spending time outdoors enjoying mother nature ...... not attending this show!
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by joatmon »

Caretaker wrote: Sun Nov 17, 2019 2:14 pm The Forester is also a great vehicle, but like Joatmon said, as a small car driver for decades, I feel very disconnected when even sitting in the thing.
Just to clarify, in another thread I said that my new Forester didn't yet quite feel like "my" car, but that was only intended in the context that after 16+ years and a third of a million miles driving a Vibe, any thing else is different, and takes some time to get used to. The forester is smoother and quieter ride than the Vibe was, but that was something I sought. I suppose a quieter smoother ride might make someone feel disconnected in the thing, but I haven't found that to be the case. But I have never been a small car driver. More of a fit limitation, a lot of the auto market doesn't have enough head room, or has the top of the windshield too close to eye level.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by zbyers »

I, too, would be okay with a Crosstrek at a discounted price should they opt to upgrade the powerplant. I do agree that the 2.0L is underwhelming for this vehicle. It should have been equipped with a turbo, or a large engine from the get-go. I have really been eyeballing the Crosstrek or some other Toyota.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Bookworm »

zbyers wrote: Mon Nov 18, 2019 6:42 am I, too, would be okay with a Crosstrek at a discounted price should they opt to upgrade the powerplant. I do agree that the 2.0L is underwhelming for this vehicle. It should have been equipped with a turbo, or a large engine from the get-go. I have really been eyeballing the Crosstrek or some other Toyota.
It sounds like the Crosstrek would be fine for me. I live in Houston, and rarely need to drive in hills. Gulf Coast is mostly flat.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by ColonelPanic »

The new Escape seems pretty nice. Seems a little more hatchback-ish now, I suppose the demise of the Focus in the US may have had a part in that. I know a lot of the Escape fans seem turned off by this, but as someone who loathes SUV's I think it's somewhat of a step in the right direction.

The Mrs. really likes her last gen Escape, which for all intents and purposes replaced the Vibe. It's been a perfectly reliable, well built vehicle. I don't care much for driving it, but that's my problem. It actually drives pretty good for what it is - I just find SUV's/crossovers/whatever one wants to call these things awkward to drive. Being in subcompacts since 2006, I'm not comfortable sitting up so high and despite being a "compact," this thing still feels like a land yacht. And don't get me started on having to drag out the step stool every time I wash the thing. :lol:

Hopefully this new gen is easier to work on, most tasks that would be mundane on other cars have been an exercise in frustration with the last gen. At least this new Escape doesn't have the battery buried underneath the cowl. :?

There's a lot that I think they've improved with this generation. Looking forward to checking them out a little closer, especially the hybrid version.

The next purchase will be replacing my Sonic, so I'll be checking out the auto shows early next year for my next cheapo commuter appliance.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Bookworm »

ColonelPanic wrote: Tue Nov 19, 2019 5:14 pm The new Escape seems pretty nice. Seems a little more hatchback-ish now, I suppose the demise of the Focus in the US may have had a part in that. I know a lot of the Escape fans seem turned off by this, but as someone who loathes SUV's I think it's somewhat of a step in the right direction.

The Mrs. really likes her last gen Escape, which for all intents and purposes replaced the Vibe. It's been a perfectly reliable, well built vehicle. I don't care much for driving it, but that's my problem. It actually drives pretty good for what it is - I just find SUV's/crossovers/whatever one wants to call these things awkward to drive. Being in subcompacts since 2006, I'm not comfortable sitting up so high and despite being a "compact," this thing still feels like a land yacht. And don't get me started on having to drag out the step stool every time I wash the thing. :lol:

Hopefully this new gen is easier to work on, most tasks that would be mundane on other cars have been an exercise in frustration with the last gen. At least this new Escape doesn't have the battery buried underneath the cowl. :?

There's a lot that I think they've improved with this generation. Looking forward to checking them out a little closer, especially the hybrid version.

The next purchase will be replacing my Sonic, so I'll be checking out the auto shows early next year for my next cheapo commuter appliance.
I really miss my 1998 Kia Sportage (manual transmission). It was a true SUV. Almost none of the vehicles produced later, the so-called 'crossover vehicles', (of which the Vibe was one of the first, even though it's really a station wagon) are 'sport', or 'utility' - unless utility includes driving a small soccer team to their game. The Ford Excessive being one of the most notorious ones. That's like calling a Surburban an SUV. That includes the later Sportage. It was a bit tall, but it didn't feel bulky.

Frankly, I think they should _stop_ making the 'crossover' vehicles. They're unsafe, from the point that you can't see out of most of the vehicle windows, because of those enormous airbag holding pillars. We might as well drive 1938 VWs. Or painter's vans.
Caretaker

Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

Just went to the Mazda dealer today, mainly to express my dismay as to why they were not at the auto show. Anyway, I saw that Mazda.com now has a "build your own CX-30" page, even though it was confirmed today that they won't be hitting the US streets until January. I sat in a CX-5 after chatting, only to find the center console the worst of the worst regarding leg space. It is enormous (width). My driver's leg didn't even have half an inch of wiggle room while on the gas pedal. Ugh. And as the CX-30 youtube videos show it will be no taller than the current CX-3, I'm crossing Mazda off my list. I need to go and check out the previous generation of the CRV (2015-2016) and work my way backwards. The current model also does nothing for me.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by ColonelPanic »

Caretaker wrote: Fri Nov 22, 2019 12:57 pm Just went to the Mazda dealer today, mainly to express my dismay as to why they were not at the auto show.
Out of curiosity, dId they have an explanation for the absence? Mazda's not at the Indianapolis or Louisville shows either.

Same goes for Kia as well. Really wanted to see the new Forte last year, but no such luck. This year, I'd love to take a look at the Mazda 3 as well. I find them to be quite stunning. 8-) A little more than what this cheapskate would like to spend on a car, but dang it's gorgeous.

The Cincinnati show has both Kia and Mazda, so perhaps I should go there next time.
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Caretaker

Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

As you know, the local sales people know as much about the auto show as they do the cars they sell......zippo. I do know from asking an auto show staff member as we were leaving that the regional Mazda office was asked (as they are asked every year) and turned down the opportunity to participate (again). The Mazda lineup is stunning, just too low to get in/out of for me. Putting aside any luxury offerings from Volvo and others, after all the gawking/sitting/researching I have done, there is just one car out there that suits my needs. At least I know it exists whenever my Vibe flames out and there will be ample used models of the current "slow" version to be had. And I can hope that my Vibe is still rolling when the next generation Crosstrek makes the scene.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

Went to a Honda dealer and checked out a 2016 CRV. Very impressive. Good flopping around room and it gets great ratings from Consumer Reports' survey takers back through 2012. I also saw this new car today. I now have 3 cars to consider: current or future model Crosstrek; previous model of the CRV; and now this, which just debuted at the LA Auto Show but has been out in India/Asia for a year now:
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by zbyers »

The Seltos is interesting. I even kinda like the yellow color they have in that article... lol
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by ColonelPanic »

Interesting color. Reminds me of the "Glowing Yellow" on the new 2020 Sonata. Love it, as bizarre as that color is. Too bad it isn't offered on the on the cheapo trim of the Sonata that I'd buy. I have no need for a large car anyway. :D

As far as that Kia goes, I haven't paid much attention to it so honestly I was thinking going to be their version of the Hyundai Venue. Didn't realize it was going to be *larger* than the Soul. How are they calling that "subcompact?" :lol:
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by GORGO »

Naturally I want the new Mid Engine Vette !
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Caretaker

Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

Just went to the local Kia dealer and confirmed the February arrival of the Seltos in the USA. Dealer said that the way the car is selling abroad, Kia will likely phase out the Soul and expect the Seltos to quickly eat into Soul sales. Given how all the Youtube videos in Australia and India are raving about how the Seltos handles their lousy roads, I'm excited to see one in the new year.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

My Kia dealer received 2 Seltos' yesterday. I went and sat in them in addition to the CX-30 over at Mazda. The CX-30 is out; way too low to get in/out of; zero rear seat legroom; cupholders forward of the gear shifter (good luck getting a medium sized cup to fit under the dash). The Seltos was nearly perfect. If my Vibe flips over, I plan on getting the lower end "S" model so I can forgo the sunroof, leather and turbo engine and simply add AWD to the 2.0 liter engine. While AWD is a waste, it is the only way to get independent rear suspension instead of the stupid torsion bar that comes with the FWD version. The seats were VERY comfortable. The front passenger's position was outstanding. The driver's "flopping around room" was OK; not awful and not as good as my Vibe. The salesperson also stated that he heard that Subaru was going to redesign the Crosstrek very soon, so I'm hoping I get a shot at that vehicle before my car dies. I did not drive the Seltos since my Vibe is doing OK for now and I don't have a real #2 to compare it to other than the current (and hopefully soon to be outgoing) Crosstrek.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

Took my HET in for another Hyundai safety recall; this time on the ABS relay assembly. Apparently power continues to flow to the ABS even when the car is not operating potentially causing a fire. The newly installed relay stops any electrical power from advancing past that point when the car is not turned on. I don't quite understand it all, but I got it done anyway. While I was there, I saw a new Hyundai called the Venue. I quickly did some research while waiting for my ET to be repaired. The auto press essentially ripped it to shreds. I don't have a clue why Hyundai would build the Venue when it is the same size as the Kona and the press loves the Kona. Anyway, after reading reviews, it seems that the Kia salesperson who told me that Kia is making moves up and away from Hyundai seems to be true afterall. No longer is Kia just stamping a different name on a Hyundai product, but are actually making quality cars and leaving Hyundai in the dust. Hyundai is also coming out with a new i30, which was to debut at the now cancelled Geneva auto show. The reviews show it to be a slightly updated version of the current GT. We'll see if it makes it to our shores given that they just came out with the Venue. A Hyundai salesperson also told me that the plants in South Korea are essentially shut down, but that his dealership had just put in a very large order before this flu hysteria began. I can only hope my local Kia and Subaru dealers made a similar mistake with the Seltos and Crosstrek as auto sales will be plummeting as the months go on. There should be some good low hanging fruit to chose from in the second half of this year.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

I wish this thread was retitled Auto Showroom Hunters as all the auto shows are cancelled for the long term. Missing my ability to go to the local library and read all the auto magazines, I've reconnected with my favorite auto journalist John McElroy of (formerly PBS') Autoline Detroit. Now Autoline.tv, John has the best pod casts and most informative news about the worldwide industry. I find his topics to be for the common buyer rather than today's auto magazines which only feature speed cars from abroad. Even Motorweek has become nothing more than motorcycles and track cars. Having missed John's TV broadcasts for the past 5 years or so, I've been binge watching lots of his daily podcasts, quickly skimming through to the time-titled-topics of interest to me. Are any of you familiar with his work or fan of his shows?
http://www.autoline.tv/daily/
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

John McElroy posted that Hertz may file for bankruptcy as soon as today. It just so happens that I called Hertz today to cancel a reservation. Hope I didn't tip the scales. You can hear the rest on his Autoline Daily podcast for May 5.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by tpollauf »

Caretaker wrote: Tue May 05, 2020 3:25 pm Hope I didn't tip the scales.
Yep. it's all your fault :lol:

Kind of reminds me of that summer 10-15 years ago or so where the entire east coast lost power due to power stations NOT isolating circuit breakers or whatever safeties were needed when one power station feeds another. Anyways I was up on a roof finishing a large compressor repair for a good size AC unit and when I went to finally turn it on ... out went the lights! I mean the exact moment that I turned the disconnect to the "on" position, everything went dark! What were the odds of that happening. So as people on the ground were yelling up at me "Tim what the H E L L did you do" I jokingly took full responsibility that "whatever just happened" was related to the repair I just made. It wasn't until 15-30 minutes later did we learn that 1/3 of the USA was out of power and it was NOT anything that I did. Was sweating there for a while.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by KingKrab65 »

Caretaker wrote: Sat Apr 25, 2020 10:19 am I wish this thread was retitled Auto Showroom Hunters as all the auto shows are cancelled for the long term. Missing my ability to go to the local library and read all the auto magazines, I've reconnected with my favorite auto journalist John McElroy of (formerly PBS') Autoline Detroit. Now Autoline.tv, John has the best pod casts and most informative news about the worldwide industry. I find his topics to be for the common buyer rather than today's auto magazines which only feature speed cars from abroad. Even Motorweek has become nothing more than motorcycles and track cars. Having missed John's TV broadcasts for the past 5 years or so, I've been binge watching lots of his daily podcasts, quickly skimming through to the time-titled-topics of interest to me. Are any of you familiar with his work or fan of his shows?
http://www.autoline.tv/daily/
CMS has the Auto Fair the first weekend in April every year (and one in the fall too). It is along the lines of Carlisle but not quite as big. The event is at the track and takes up the whole infield and most of the parking areas around the track. It has been postponed until June 12th and I am starting to doubt that it will happen then. I am super bummed that it may not happen. Also, Cars & Coffee has been cancelled for the fore see able future too.

TEN publishing stopped publishing 19 magazines at the beginning of the year. Three of those, Automobile, Car Craft & Classic Truck; were titles that I subscribed to. I am now down to Road & Track and Hot Rod and I am having to ration the articles in those to make them last the month. I used to go on Jalopnik a lot. I think the ownership changed there recently as a bunch of their writers are leaving or have left since the beginning of the year. David Tracy and Rob Emslie are still there, so I will probably stick around until they are go.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

That is sad. John McElroy has been asking viewers to send in donations to keep Autoline on the air. I would be devastated if that program went away. I find the auto magazines (out of necessity no doubt) to be 75% adds and the rest about cars I will never own nor care about. My long time favorite program, Motorweek, has gotten more and more about super cars and again, cars I'll never own nor care about. I'm finding it more interesting to watch Barnfind Hunter and restoration programs. Mercedes, reportedly, is debating not to participate in any more auto shows as they find it more cost effective to host their own Mercedes only shows. Kinda makes sense actually. Mazda didn't even show up at the Tampa show this year.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by KingKrab65 »

Ironically most magazines, not just car magazines, try to push the readers over to the online content (see more at www.) Automobile had just changed their format last summer to be less ads and a wider format magazine. I would rather have the magazines than go to the websites for the content. It is easier to haul around to read, it is bigger than the kindle, and I don't have to worry about battery life of a magazine either.

I LOVE Barnfind Hunter. It is a fun show. Tom Cotter does a great job with it and you can tell that he is passionate about doing the show. Motortrend has pretty much ruined all of the shows that I enjoyed on Velocity. They just switched up the duo on Car Fix. The new guys just act stupidly even though they both own award winning custom car shops.
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Caretaker

Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

yeah, I don't get Velocity/Motortrend with my current cable package. I do miss watching All Girls Garage. RIP Jessi Combs.
Caretaker

Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

Well, if today's Autoline podcast doesn't grab your interest, then I'll shut up. Today, you get everything from the NHL, to Onstar in Hondas, to a history of steering wheels, to testing bird poop. Oh, and if you do watch, pay close attention to the 30 second mark (the China piece). Notice what a wonderful country it is to live in as the visibility in the highway video can't be more than 1/8th of a mile. Lovely.
http://www.autoline.tv/daily/
Caretaker

Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

Not original thoughts, as I stole this from the Autoline guests. COVID is changing a lot of realities going forward. In the auto industry:
1. I may finally get my wish that dealers may be done once and for all as consumers going forward are going buy their cars on line without going through the horrific experience of car buying at a dealer in a public setting. For the masses who have not been using the internet to buy things over the past 10 years, many of them are forced to during this crisis and coming to the conclusion that "hey, it's not so bad working from home or being stuck at home." People may also see that it is a lot more fun to buy your car on line and get it delivered without all the nonsense we've endured for too many decades at the dealership.
2. Lyft and Uber may be done as people become weary about jumping into a vehicle that who knows how many other people have sat in that same vehicle today, with no realistic ability to sanitize the owner's vehicle
3. Cabbies may be in trouble for the same reason. The plastic security screen separating the driver from the passenger may not be enough as people jump in and out of cabs every minute of the day
4. Motor sports industry will be in trouble without fans buying beer and stuff at the track.

Comments or other ones that I have not listed?
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

Well that attempt at banter went over like a lead balloon. Moving on.........today, John showed me the first glimpses, inside and out, of the new Venza Hybrid. Looks yummy. He also educated me on Subaru's aerospace division that I know nothing about.
http://www.autoline.tv/daily/
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by joatmon »

Caretaker wrote: Fri May 08, 2020 1:29 pm Not original thoughts, ...
1. Not sure I would ever buy a new car based only on what I could see online. My last search for a new car involved sitting in and test driving a variety of vehicles. Some things are too hard to evaluate online, such as how easy it is to get in and out, how comfortable are the seats, what's visibility like, are the ergonomics of the controls reasonable, how rough or loud is the ride, etc. My last time, I was able to rule out a number of prospects just by sitting in the thing. On line is great for finding a car to check out, looking at specs, searching inventory for cars with the desired options, color, etc.

2&3 I think there will always be a need for people to pay for a personal ride, so I don't think those things will go away. Being covid paranoid, if I ever had to ride in a strangers car, I'd make sure to have an open window. I've only ever taken a cab one time, many years ago. so if I'm reluctant to do so in the future, a decline in the industry won't be because of me.

4. I've never been much of a fan of the big motor sports, but where I live, the folks that are also tend to be the same folks going to rallies to support what I think is premature opening, so i think if they started having large public motor sports events, the fans are the type who will show up.

5. Currently with fewer people on the road auto repair shops are probably seeing a marked drop in business. That may change when things open up more. Before, there are folks and place I'd fly to see, but now I'll be more likely to take a multi-day road trip than to fly.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by joatmon »

didn't think this warranted a new thread, so I picked this one
Caretaker wrote: Fri May 08, 2020 1:29 pm 1. I may finally get my wish that dealers may be done once and for all as consumers going forward are going buy their cars on line without going through the horrific experience of car buying at a dealer in a public setting.
Saw a commercial today for a car buying service called Vroom. The commercial is currently on line at
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/dmzJ/vroom-com- ... d-a-finger

Four cars come off the ramp, the SUV is fine, but the other three you can either hear or see the nose scrape on the bottom of the ramp as they come off. That alone would keep me from using their service, don't need a brand new car with damage from handling before I ever touch it.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

I know what you mean. After the harrowing experience of having a certified GM Mr. Goodwrench mechanic try to kill me by not torquing down my axle bolts, I had the wonderful GM experience of taking delivery of my brand new (current) Vibe, only to witness another Mr. Goodwrench genius back the car into a floor jack, causing me to wait another 3 days as they sent it to the body shop for repair.
Caretaker

Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

Dang-it. Rumors are that Hyundai won't bring the wagon version of the i30 to the US. I'm going to head over there in the next week to see if they can give me any updates on either this or the new Tucson.

https://www.motor1.com/news/400683/2021 ... -revealed/
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by tpollauf »

Too bad the organizers of the North American Auto Show, in Detroit, didn't take my advice after all and hold the show in January like it's been for 25 some years. At least there WOULD have been a show this year :o Instead today as I type, the show would have been going on BUT thanks to Covid-19, it got cancelled. There's always next summer
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ColonelPanic
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by ColonelPanic »

Caretaker wrote: Sun Jun 14, 2020 2:30 pm Dang-it. Rumors are that Hyundai won't bring the wagon version of the i30 to the US. I'm going to head over there in the next week to see if they can give me any updates on either this or the new Tucson.

https://www.motor1.com/news/400683/2021 ... -revealed/
Rats. A modern Elantra Touring equivalent would be nice. I do like the current gen Elantra GT quite a bit more than the last - personally I'd take one of those before one of their cute-ute options. The Mrs. likes the Kona, if we had to replace the Ford I'd probably try to talk her into one of those.

I've been trying to track down a "gently used" '19+ Veloster for my next car. At the Indy show, surprisingly I found that to be one of the more comfortable options in the Hyundai display (for me, at least. :lol:) I have no need for anything practical - no need to haul people around, all the pups have long passed away, and if I need to haul "stuff" the Vibe can still do the job. Sadly, 2 good ones came up locally for fantastic prices and I missed out on both by not acting quickly enough.

Or I could do the correct thing for my tree-hugging sensibilities and pick up a lower end Ioniq. A little more than I'd like to spend, but with gas as cheap as it is, there's some really good prices on those right now...
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

Just my opinion as one who is a constant bane for dealership salespeople as I show up monthly and waste their time, but if you like the Kona, which indeed is a great offering, the Seltos is even better. Also, I had the Ioniq in Costa Rica for 10 days. It is a bit too small and too low to be functional as a daily driver, or be more than a slender grocery getter. Watching John McElroy daily and other auto enthusiast blogs, sedan like cars will soon be gone. All manufacturers are going to keep their focus on producing taller seating utilities. Governments at this point know that the CAFE standards won't be met with internal combustion engines, so governments longer have a viable threat to fine companies if they don't meet fuel standards, and they know that GM and other companies are "all in" on EVs. I am not a fan of EVs simply because the distribution of plug stations isn't there now and won't be there for decades. I so wish that these companies would focus on hydrogen fuel cells that don't rely on a plug. You may not remember the fist fights in the 70's as people jockeyed for position to get gas that wasn't available. Can you imagine how 7.7 billion hateful people will react when they have to compete for an "electric cord" to recharge their car's battery in places like China, India and the greatest example of cooperation and love, the US?
Caretaker

Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

So I stopped in at the Hyundai dealer to confirm what I surmised: Hyundai is NOT bringing the larger wagon version of the new Elantra GT to the U.S. I also read a leak from the South Korean auto blogs that the 2021 Tucson may simply be a carry-over and due to production and part supplier delays over these past months, we may not see the new Tucson until next year. Time to go buy another 5 quart bottle of engine oil to get me through another year of topping off.
Caretaker

Your Next Car

Post by Caretaker »

This is getting very interesting. Toyota just announced the Corolla Cross. It is headed to Thailand first, but with luck we'll have it here as a 2022 model. It has the same dimensions as a Subaru Crosstrek and likely will be offered with/without the Prius' hybrid system as well. Sweet. Just search 2021 Toyota Cross for the pictures and additional information.
Caretaker

Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

I've been reading about some stalling issues with the newly designed 2.5 liter engines in the Sonata. That is the same engine going into the new Tucson. I had a similar thing happen to me in the new Forte driving on the highway between Orlando and Sarasota. The engine starts stuttering and takes your speed down to about 30 mph, possibly something to do with a temperature sensor. If I continue to read about more of these issues, I'll have to wipe one of my future cars off my list. I know buying a first year model is always risky but it is just hard to ignore Hyundai/Kia's 5 year bumper to bumper and now their first three years of routine maintenance free. However, if I'm driving a Kia Rio as a loaner car because of continual visits to the dealer, the bad negates the good. I'll keep checking the NHTSA boards to see if it shows up as a common issue.
Caretaker

Cars and Car Parts

Post by Caretaker »

I love Conicelli in Philly. I just go to their website, get a great price on my Hyundai parts and then print off their price and bring it to my local Hyundai parts department where they are all too happy to match the price. A new OEM wiper and cheaper than it would be through Walmart and without the angst of wondering if the part is an exact fit
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by ColonelPanic »

If it's a common item shared between Hyundai and Kia (oil filters, ATF, etc,) I found some success with threatening to go to down the street to the Kia dealer to get the same item cheaper. :lol:
03 Vibe base. Born 10/14/2002 06:07 AM
Auto, Moon & Tunes, power package. 143k
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'21 Elantra Limited - 2.0L/IVT
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Caretaker

A day at the dealer

Post by Caretaker »

I did that too, but only because at the time, the Kia dealer was a lot closer to my home. The Sonata's oil filter was the exact same as my HET. I used to blow the Kia parts jockey's mind when I told him my car was a 2010 HET. Today, I got some crusty old guy at the Hyundai parts window. When I handed him the Conicelli printout, he told me that his rear window wiper was $5 higher. I said, "you will match their price as always, right?" He mumbled that he didn't think he could go that low ($10.50, vice $15). I ignored his objections and waited for him to rethink his sales strategy. Just now, I looked up Hyundai's new 3 year, 36,000 mile complimentary service on all new vehicles. What a joke. In short, you get oil and oil filter changes, and tire rotations. So I believe most if not all Hyundai cars run on a 7,500 mile oil change interval which comes to just 5 free oil changes. When they rotate your garbage OEM Hankook tires which won't last 36,000 miles, I'm sure they try to upsell you to pay for balancing. They also do their "find something wrong with the car" complimentary multi-point inspection. All in all, 5 oil changes and rotating garbage OEM Hankooks is not something to proudly advertise. Quite a gimmick.
Caretaker

Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

If you don't watch these daily podcasts from Autoline Daily, you at least need to begin watching today's (8/17/2020) podcast starting at the 6:44 mark. Do we have a Nick Hernandez on our boards?
http://www.autoline.tv/daily/
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by tpollauf »

O M G .... What an interesting find within that podcast. Good ears! I love the ending where the young man asks "what's the deal with the die cast Pontiac Vibe". Great to see a young engineer (Kettering grad, former General Motors institute in Flint) like Nick getting this attention.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by zbyers »

Caretaker wrote: Mon Aug 17, 2020 12:33 pm by Caretaker » Mon Aug 17, 2020 4:33 pm
Nick is KITT222 on here. I will send to him on the Book of Faces.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by KITT222 »

Caretaker wrote: Mon Aug 17, 2020 12:33 pm If you don't watch these daily podcasts from Autoline Daily, you at least need to begin watching today's (8/17/2020) podcast starting at the 6:44 mark. Do we have a Nick Hernandez on our boards?
http://www.autoline.tv/daily/
Hey, look at that! I watch Autoline Daily, and figured I'd send in my scavenger hunt finds. Little Vibe is my team mascot for the hunt. What a nice, unexpected surprise!
Caretaker

Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

Congrats Nick. I'm so glad someone else watches the best auto journalism show in the business. I've been watching John McElroy for decades when his Autoline Detroit was on PBS. I'm so glad his son is continuing the family tradition. Since Sean did ask "what's up with the Pontiac Vibe," he does expect an answer so you'll have to contact him so he can share your story on an upcoming show.
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by KITT222 »

I just shot him an email about the little diecast Vibe, along with the following picture. It's a great show. The Weekly shows are also great. Well worth the watch if you're into the auto industry at large.
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big vibe and little vibe.jpg
big vibe and little vibe.jpg (371.15 KiB) Viewed 16374 times
Caretaker

Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

As Monty Burns would say: "Excellent"
Caretaker

Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by Caretaker »

Salivating....................in case you missed the premier on Monday night..........

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/20 ... uxbndlbing
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by joatmon »

Caretaker wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 7:55 am Salivating....................in case you missed the premier on Monday night..........

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/20 ... uxbndlbing
Hopefully they will have fixed the spontaneous combustion issue by then :P
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Re: Auto Show Hunters

Post by zbyers »

'74 Thing, '79 El Camino, '83 VW DoKa '91 Vanagon, '03 Base, 04 GT
'06 CRV, '06 AWD, '07 Base, '12 Highlander Limited, '17 Frontier CCLB

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