It Ain't Easy...

[balthazar]

I heard you have to set the parking brake in order to charge a Tesla.

Edited August 28, 2017 by balthazar

[FAPTurbo]

i edited a config file in the system to disable that so i can drive around with a honda generator in the frunk to charge me while i'm on the highway. 

[oldshurst442]

1 hour ago, FAPTurbo said:

without brakes my tesla goes faster now so winner winner chicken dinner

Law of Newton #1...

wait for it...

wait for it...

 

 

 

 

 

BANG!

Edited August 28, 2017 by oldshurst442

[balthazar]

2 hours ago, FAPTurbo said:

i edited a config file in the system to disable that so i can drive around with a honda generator in the frunk to charge me while i'm on the highway. 

What's the generator running on?

[ocnblu]

Yes I had a mini-rant against my Compass a while back, posted in Random Thoughts, but now I'm back in favor of it.  It is a real nice size, and I have had no real concrete issues with it so far, with 13.6k miles on the clock.  Winter gas does suck, but that is gas, not vehicle at fault.  My right rear tire has something stuck in it, requiring air a couple times a week in frigid temps (after my service department patched it unsuccessfully) and I have a slight interior trim creak somewhere on the passenger side.  But it starts and runs and I have had no tangible hint of the electrical woes so many report with the Jeepiats (save for an intermittent bluetooth fart).  As far as power goes, I drive it like I drove my Fiesta:  keep it in a lower gear than I would be used to in a V6, let it rev, and don't shift into 6th until I hit 55 mph.  If it stays, and that prospect seems more likely now, there could be a set of Yokohama Geolander A/T tires in its future, stock size.

[G. David Felt]

9 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Yes I had a mini-rant against my Compass a while back, posted in Random Thoughts, but now I'm back in favor of it.  It is a real nice size, and I have had no real concrete issues with it so far, with 13.6k miles on the clock.  Winter gas does suck, but that is gas, not vehicle at fault.  My right rear tire has something stuck in it, requiring air a couple times a week in frigid temps (after my service department patched it unsuccessfully) and I have a slight interior trim creak somewhere on the passenger side.  But it starts and runs and I have had no tangible hint of the electrical woes so many report with the Jeepiats (save for an intermittent bluetooth fart).  As far as power goes, I drive it like I drove my Fiesta:  keep it in a lower gear than I would be used to in a V6, let it rev, and don't shift into 6th until I hit 55 mph.  If it stays, and that prospect seems more likely now, there could be a set of Yokohama Geolander A/T tires in its future, stock size.

I thought you were all the rage now on going back to a truck ZR2 Duramax Diesel or was it a ford?

[ocnblu]

A Ford F-150 will not fit in my garage.  Too tall.  A ZR2 is also too tall, and WAY out of my price range.  I wish Chevy sold the diesel in the non-ZR2 extended cab, you can get it in the ZR2 extended.  I wonder if the new Ranger will be available with diesel in an extended cab.  The 2.7 will undoubtedly be less expensive though, and will likely mop the floor with the 3.6 Colorado.  I'd love to see a regular cab Ranger too.

Edited December 31, 2017 by ocnblu

[balthazar]

How about a                  F-150?

 

                       LOWERED

[ocnblu]

Update, long time comin':

Turned over 30k miles this week.  No problems with the Jeep to report, however the tires... kept getting things (screws, a nail) stuck in the Firestone Destination LE tires that came on it... replaced them with... Yokohama Geolandar A/T in the stock size.  Seems to have robbed me of almost 2 MPG on average... last tank was a little over 28.  When does "winter gas" go full effect?  Seems like Pumpkin Spice comes in and MPG goes out. 

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, ocnblu said:

Update, long time comin':

Turned over 30k miles this week.  No problems with the Jeep to report, however the tires... kept getting things (screws, a nail) stuck in the Firestone Destination LE tires that came on it... replaced them with... Yokohama Geolandar A/T in the stock size.  Seems to have robbed me of almost 2 MPG on average... last tank was a little over 28.  When does "winter gas" go full effect?  Seems like Pumpkin Spice comes in and MPG goes out. 

Yeah I need to buy tires for the Beetle also. 

[Drew Dowdell]

2 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Update, long time comin':

Turned over 30k miles this week.  No problems with the Jeep to report, however the tires... kept getting things (screws, a nail) stuck in the Firestone Destination LE tires that came on it... replaced them with... Yokohama Geolandar A/T in the stock size.  Seems to have robbed me of almost 2 MPG on average... last tank was a little over 28.  When does "winter gas" go full effect?  Seems like Pumpkin Spice comes in and MPG goes out. 

interesting you say that. I've noticed a drop in MPG and I almost want to say performance on the Encore when I switched from the Continentals to Goodyear Triple Treads.  It's been a while since the switch-over, but it is still noticeable.  If I keep it long enough, I may go back to the Continentals.

Light snow traction on the Triple-Treads has been excellent for an all-season tire though. 

[Robert Hall]

I think the mileage on my GC went up when I switched from the original Goodyear Forteras to Michelins Defender ATs about 9k miles ago...

[Drew Dowdell]

I have the Defender X somethings on the CR-V. Good for 3 season but not great in snow.  I have snow tires for it.

[Robert Hall]

The Defender ATs have been good in snow for me, but then again I really haven't driven much in snow since I've been back here.  Since I work out of the house I can stay in when the weather is really bad. 

[G. David Felt]

I will stick with my Michelins. They have been awesome on my SS and Escalade. The rest of the SUV family has BF Goodrich All Terrain that i just love too.

[ocnblu]

Drew, I had Fortera Triple Treads on my '07 Sierra 2WD, and I was very pleased with their snow performance.  I was concerned, but with a little weight in the bed, those tires and G80 rear end, it went right up a snow covered, steep hill.  A steady foot on the throttle helped.  I also put them on my '09 Cobalt, and that little car was actually a polar bear in the snow... made it up the hill in my development with 8-9 inches of snow pre-plowing, just a'pushin'!

[ykX]

20 hours ago, dfelt said:

I will stick with my Michelins. They have been awesome on my SS and Escalade. The rest of the SUV family has BF Goodrich All Terrain that i just love too.

I installed Michelin Premier on my wife's MDX last year.  They are very quiet and have great handling in dry and wet, but snow traction was a little disappointing since they were rated very highly by Tire Rack.  I think the previous tires did better on the snow but were definitely not as good on the dry and wet.

Just put Michelin Pilot Sport all-season on my car, will see how they will handle the winter and some spirited driving.

[ccap41]

On 10/18/2018 at 5:20 AM, ocnblu said:

Update, long time comin':

Turned over 30k miles this week.  No problems with the Jeep to report, however the tires... kept getting things (screws, a nail) stuck in the Firestone Destination LE tires that came on it... replaced them with... Yokohama Geolandar A/T in the stock size.  Seems to have robbed me of almost 2 MPG on average... last tank was a little over 28.  When does "winter gas" go full effect?  Seems like Pumpkin Spice comes in and MPG goes out. 

I think I read somewhere that the blends start in the end of September in some places and slowly spreads from then.

On 10/18/2018 at 7:42 AM, Drew Dowdell said:

interesting you say that. I've noticed a drop in MPG and I almost want to say performance on the Encore when I switched from the Continentals to Goodyear Triple Treads.  It's been a while since the switch-over, but it is still noticeable.  If I keep it long enough, I may go back to the Continentals.

Light snow traction on the Triple-Treads has been excellent for an all-season tire though. 

I's wager the Contis were a LRR tire whereas the Triple Treads are not. 

[Drew Dowdell]

2 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I's wager the Contis were a LRR tire whereas the Triple Treads are not. 

Could be. I wanted something that would be better than a normal All-Season in the snow to avoid going full snow tires on the Buick, but that hasn't seemed to work out. 

[ccap41]

4 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Could be. I wanted something that would be better than a normal All-Season in the snow to avoid going full snow tires on the Buick, but that hasn't seemed to work out. 

The ExtremeContact DWS were fantastic in the snow on my Mercedes. I would always suggest those as an all-season that sees some snow time. They're not an LRR tire but if you're looking for good snow traction I don't think there is that combination on a good all-season.

Fantastic for an all-season*

[Drew Dowdell]

14 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Drew, I had Fortera Triple Treads on my '07 Sierra 2WD, and I was very pleased with their snow performance.  I was concerned, but with a little weight in the bed, those tires and G80 rear end, it went right up a snow covered, steep hill.  A steady foot on the throttle helped.  I also put them on my '09 Cobalt, and that little car was actually a polar bear in the snow... made it up the hill in my development with 8-9 inches of snow pre-plowing, just a'pushin'!

Getting going is fine on the Goodyear Triple Treads plus the excellent AWD in the Encore.... stopping in snow hasn't always been as confident.  The Dunlop WinterSports on the CR-V definitely do better. 

[ccap41]

My OE continentals(ContiProContacts) on my Escape and also Focus aren't the best in the snow. Starting from a stop isn't terrible but braking is a little sketchy and I feel them give away a little quicker than I feel confident in when turning as well. They're "adequate" at best. It scares me knowing how many people have those on their car in the snow as they're an OE tire. 

[frogger]

My Conti DSW's were pretty good in the snow for one year, but second year in I went back to having a winter set.  No more $700+ CAD Michelin or Bridgestone winter sets for me, $250 Chinese Sailun tire set I had put on have been more than adequate, about to go into fourth winter with them.

 

 

Edited October 19, 2018 by frogger

[ykX]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Could be. I wanted something that would be better than a normal All-Season in the snow to avoid going full snow tires on the Buick, but that hasn't seemed to work out. 

 

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

The ExtremeContact DWS were fantastic in the snow on my Mercedes. I would always suggest those as an all-season that sees some snow time. They're not an LRR tire but if you're looking for good snow traction I don't think there is that combination on a good all-season.

Fantastic for an all-season*

Michelin Premier LTX  I got for my wife's car were rated even better than Continentals for snow traction on Tire Rack but I was somewhat disappointed last winter. 

I guess hard to beat real winter tire.  I guess it is just a matter of how much snow you really getting to make it getting winter tires worth it.

[G. David Felt]

5 hours ago, ykX said:

I installed Michelin Premier on my wife's MDX last year.  They are very quiet and have great handling in dry and wet, but snow traction was a little disappointing since they were rated very highly by Tire Rack.  I think the previous tires did better on the snow but were definitely not as good on the dry and wet.

Just put Michelin Pilot Sport all-season on my car, will see how they will handle the winter and some spirited driving.

I put on both my SS and Escalade the LTX tires and they handle the dry, wet and snow really well. Course both are also awd.

4 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Getting going is fine on the Goodyear Triple Treads plus the excellent AWD in the Encore.... stopping in snow hasn't always been as confident.  The Dunlop WinterSports on the CR-V definitely do better. 

Michellin LTX have been awesome dry, wet and snow starting and stopping.

[ykX]

7 minutes ago, dfelt said:

I put on both my SS and Escalade the LTX tires and they handle the dry, wet and snow really well. Course both are also awd.

Michellin LTX have been awesome dry, wet and snow starting and stopping.

That's what I have on my wife's car Premier LTX, good tire but winter traction is just ok, not great.

Edited October 19, 2018 by ykX

[G. David Felt]

2 hours ago, ykX said:

That's what I have on my wife's car Premier LTX, good tire but winter traction is just ok, not great.

Is your snow lite and fluffy or wet and heavy? We have wet and heavy snow here in the PNW and I have not had any problem at all in lite snowfall or thick, it just goes through it with traction.

[ykX]

On 10/19/2018 at 4:21 PM, dfelt said:

Is your snow lite and fluffy or wet and heavy? We have wet and heavy snow here in the PNW and I have not had any problem at all in lite snowfall or thick, it just goes through it with traction.

I live in NJ, most of the time it is either wet and heavy or icy around here.

[G. David Felt]

2 hours ago, ykX said:

I live in NJ, most of the time it is either wet and heavy or icy around here.

Weird, but interesting how a tire can behave on different auto's.

[ykX]

On 10/22/2018 at 10:33 AM, dfelt said:

Weird, but interesting how a tire can behave on different auto's.

I think I know why we have different experiences with the tires.  My colleague just got Michelin LTX truck tire for his Tundra, it is a truck tire and it looks nobby, looks like tire that will do well in the winter.  The tire I got for wife's MDX is Premier LTX crossover tire and the thread is pretty shallow.  It handles beautifully on dry and wet and but not so great in the snow or ice.  It also pretty quiet.  From my experience it is hard to beat a dedicated winter tire really, if you look at Tire Rack testing results even the best all-season tires are not nearly as good as average winter tires for snow and ice traction.

Edited November 2, 2018 by ykX

[G. David Felt]

22 minutes ago, ykX said:

I think I know why we have different experiences with the tires.  My colleague just got Michelin LTX truck tire for his Tundra, it is a truck tire and it looks nobby, looks like tire that will do well in the winter.  The tire I got for wife's MDX is Premier LTX crossover tire and the thread is pretty shallow.  It handles beautifully on dry and wet and but not so great in the snow or ice.  It also pretty quiet.  From my experience it is hard to beat a dedicated winter tire really, if you look at Tire Rack testing results even the best all-season tires are not nearly as good as average winter tires for snow and ice traction.

Agree with that on the dedicated winter tire. I do think the auto, sensors on that auto and driving characteristics play a part in how an auto handles in various types of driving.

Just looked at my tires again and they are the Michelin Defender LTX M/S rated. That would explain the difference. Not the Premier. They are the quietest tire I have had on the Escalade for dry and rain driving. Stable and just solid. Snow gets eatin up as well when I go up the pass for Skiing.

[ccap41]

1 hour ago, ykX said:

I think I know why we have different experiences with the tires.  My colleague just got Michelin LTX truck tire for his Tundra, it is a truck tire and it looks nobby, looks like tire that will do well in the winter.  The tire I got for wife's MDX is Premier LTX crossover tire and the thread is pretty shallow.  It handles beautifully on dry and wet and but not so great in the snow or ice.  It also pretty quiet.  From my experience it is hard to beat a dedicated winter tire really, if you look at Tire Rack testing results even the best all-season tires are not nearly as good as average winter tires for snow and ice traction.

To the best of my knowledge, knobby tires aren't really that good in snow. They're designed for off-road traction(mud, dirt, climbing) and not snow traction, which is very different. 

https://simpletire.com/blog/view/how-do-mud-tires-perform-in-snow

[ykX]

2 hours ago, ccap41 said:

To the best of my knowledge, knobby tires aren't really that good in snow. They're designed for off-road traction(mud, dirt, climbing) and not snow traction, which is very different. 

https://simpletire.com/blog/view/how-do-mud-tires-perform-in-snow

As far as I know the winter tires get good snow and ice traction using two functions: rubber that doesn't become hard with cold temperatures and deeper groves where snow gets packed since snow on snow creates the best traction and deeper groves allow better penetration of tire into the snow (good analogy is look at the winter boots sole and you summer sneakers).  The Michelin all-terrain he got is not super nobby but more than a regular road tire.  On Tire rack seems people have positive reviews on snow traction of these.

Michelin LTX A/T 

Even Blizzaks recommended for crossovers or car have deep groves

Edited November 2, 2018 by ykX

[ccap41]

It actually isn't the deep grooves that give traction but the temperature thing is accurate.

Here's a short video that gives a little idea of how a winter tire can get better bite or grip on snow. In short, added sipes and flexibility. 

You can skip ahead to about 20 seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLMwF5WR-us

 

[ykX]

2 hours ago, ccap41 said:

To the best of my knowledge, knobby tires aren't really that good in snow. They're designed for off-road traction(mud, dirt, climbing) and not snow traction, which is very different. 

https://simpletire.com/blog/view/how-do-mud-tires-perform-in-snow

I can't watch the video you posted but quote from this article:

"The upshot is that mud tires traditionally don’t do well on snow and winter road conditions. A winter tire, all-season tire or all-terrain tire is almost always a better choice for winter condition"

And that LTX is all-terrain tire, or in case of dfelt Defenders they are rated for mud and snow.  My wife's car Premier tires are all-seasons.

The sipes you mentioned are basically same as grooves but designed not to distort the tire profile.

"Sipes are used in place of smaller, individual tread blocks for several reasons. While smaller, individual tread blocks would increase traction, they would increase the risk of tread block distortion, which would reduce fuel efficiency, handling performance, and tread life. Sipes are a more effective feature for increasing traction and surface area without negatively affecting fuel efficiency, handling performance, or tread life."

 

[ocnblu]

The "imaginary list of reasons" to get rid of my Jeep so soon, which has been an impelling force in the past with my rate of vehicle turnover, just has not manifested itself in any sort of clear and focused way.  Still rather content with it.  34k miles and counting on my FIAT-Chrysler product, and no problems to report.

[Drew Dowdell]

4 hours ago, ocnblu said:

The "imaginary list of reasons" to get rid of my Jeep so soon, which has been an impelling force in the past with my rate of vehicle turnover, just has not manifested itself in any sort of clear and focused way.  Still rather content with it.  34k miles and counting on my FIAT-Chrysler product, and no problems to report.

you haven't found something that you'd rather have.

[G. David Felt]

6 hours ago, ocnblu said:

The "imaginary list of reasons" to get rid of my Jeep so soon, which has been an impelling force in the past with my rate of vehicle turnover, just has not manifested itself in any sort of clear and focused way.  Still rather content with it.  34k miles and counting on my FIAT-Chrysler product, and no problems to report.

 

2 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

you haven't found something that you'd rather have.

I am positive He has found other auto's he would love to own, but as he has stated in other threads, price is not gonna happen.  Crazy Price Inflation on auto's is just out of control along with some OEMs offering terrible feature packaging like GM.  

[A Horse With No Name]

10 hours ago, ocnblu said:

The "imaginary list of reasons" to get rid of my Jeep so soon, which has been an impelling force in the past with my rate of vehicle turnover, just has not manifested itself in any sort of clear and focused way.  Still rather content with it.  34k miles and counting on my FIAT-Chrysler product, and no problems to report.

Excellent...I really like the Jeep lineup and am ecstatic that you have had a positive experience. 

[regfootball]

FCA is serving the needs of some customers for basic stuff like nice size interior, good features, and good option packaging.  Some things GM doesn't get these days.

Edited January 20, 2019 by regfootball

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, regfootball said:

FCA is serving the needs of some customers for basic stuff like nice size interior, good features, and good option packaging.  Some things GM doesn't get these days.

Quoted for Truth.

[ocnblu]

Was braving the quickly dropping temps and high winds to look at an LT Cloth AWD Blazer today.  Black over black, $39k with an option package that has things I would like to have (auto kick liftgate, roof rails, auto start) coupled with a bunch of other stuff that I definitely don't want (blind spot detection, etc.).  The safety nannies are a reality as standard equipment on just about every competitive make except GM (with a price competitive with Blazer's base MSRP) but to get a few useful items, one has to pay a gazillion dollars to get the full-boat package with a GM vehicle.  Not good!

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, ocnblu said:

Was braving the quickly dropping temps and high winds to look at an LT Cloth AWD Blazer today.  Black over black, $39k with an option package that has things I would like to have (auto kick liftgate, roof rails, auto start) coupled with a bunch of other stuff that I definitely don't want (blind spot detection, etc.).  The safety nannies are a reality as standard equipment on just about every competitive make except GM (with a price competitive with Blazer's base MSRP) but to get a few useful items, one has to pay a gazillion dollars to get the full-boat package with a GM vehicle.  Not good!

39 Grand would buy a very nicely equipped Grand Cherokee and also something very nice from Ford. Or CPO from any European brand.

GM has lost their effing mind.

[ocnblu]

1 hour ago, A Horse With No Name said:

GM has lost their effing mind.

It's like they're building the need for giant rebates into the MSRP... structurally.  How can this be good for resale value?

[A Horse With No Name]

Just now, ocnblu said:

It's like they're building the need for giant rebates into the MSRP... structurally.  How can this be good for resale value?

Its like everyone is doing it.

Went into a Jeep showroom yesterday and big cash on the hood.

[Robert Hall]

22 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Its like everyone is doing it.

Went into a Jeep showroom yesterday and big cash on the hood.

Just saw a GMC ad during the NFC Championship game, where they were touting 'celebrate the New Year' now with 19% off MSRP.  So is the unstated message is they are overpriced by 19% ?

Edited January 20, 2019 by Robert Hall

[regfootball]

Lots of big incentives on Acadia right now since the corporate twin / blazer came out. I even got an email from a dealer for a 199 a month lease for an Acadia SLE FWD. 

[balthazar]

40 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Just saw a GMC ad during the NFC Championship game, where they were touting 'celebrate the New Year' now with 19% off MSRP.  So is the unstated message is they are overpriced by 19% ?

You don't assume every other brand sells at sticker price, do you? Incentives, special cash, bonus cash, etc is the norm.
New '19 Ram in my area is averaging 16% off sticker. S-Class is averaging 7% off sticker (which is actually the same dollar amount- around $7000). EVERYTHING is overpriced.

[daves87rs]

Thinking the Jeep will hang around for a while....  ? 

I do like them, but one would kill me here in MI...

Happy with my Nox, thinking it might hang around after the lease is up.....

Next up will be replacing the wide’s faithful but rusty cavalier, with something pre owned......

[ocnblu]

One of our painters just leased a 2019 Terrain SLT AWD 2.0T, he got it CHEAP.  Black over black, panoramic roof, etc. etc.