trinacriabob

Isn't this the truth? Here I was, salivating at the thought of buying a new '98 Intrigue in the metallic slate blue color, sometimes even pawing them at night if I dropped by the Cadillac/Olds dealership in Bellevue! In a mere 2 years, the announcement came that Olds would be discontinued. On top of that, the Series II 3800 was the rendition of this great engine that had the cheap intake manifolds which some people caught before major damage set in. Well, I waited a long while and fared even better with the car I ultimately bought. And, yes, we should be thankful for what we have. I would have liked to have done this and that, but I really should not be complaining.

I enjoyed owning one as a second car for a while. Unfortunately, I bought it used and, even with only 34,000 miles, I think the previous owner did not break it in correctly or went the distance between oil changes. It had a problem with valve seals and a drone in the rear differential or somewhere in the rear axle. I wanted to have a mechanic look at it, but my dad was his hasty self and wanted me to just buy the car, for which he put up some of the money. The Camaro took a giant leap forward in 1974 (second generation - part B, I would guess) when they replaced the tiny circular taillamps with the wider ones that tapered as they turned into the rear fender AND brought on a slimmer canted back front grille. Then, 1975 got even nicer with the wraparound backlite. Camaro and Firebird are as Americana as it gets, and attractive, too. I have a soft spot for them in purist stock form whereas the Mustang has truthfully never done much for me.

Ok, fine, but HARD PASS on this one.

Good morning ... From New Hampshire From Virginia From Nevada, too (2 of these 3 came from reddit images!) - - - - - A little OCD humor to start the weekend ...

Keystoning is marking up on retail, and not on the wholesale price the mechanic or dealer supposedly paid for the parts they will be putting in. Get estimates up front. It can really add up if big ticket items - win for the mechanic and lose for the customer. When I had my Gabriel struts done all the way around, it was obvious he marked up on the retail cost. I grew up with this brand so I chose their Readymount for my all-in-one strut assemblies over the Monroe Qui(c)k-Strut. They seem to be working out, especially up front. That's another story. - - - - - Well, I didn't do this today, but yesterday. I had my oil changed. This small outfit went from Castrol to STP, and a lot of these oil change places are going away from Castrol and Valvoline because of the $$$. I let them put in the STP the last time, which was the first time I used them. I just changed the oil at 4,000 miles (the longest I've ever gone in between oil changes and the dipstick was only down 2 out of 5 indicator "holes," so not bad). I had gotten a good deal on Castrol full synthetic that I bought in a 6-pack from Wally World. I called this outfit to see how much it would be and they offer BYOO (bring your own oil) service at less than $30. He even threw in the oil filter. So, I've got my preferred brand of oil in the engine and it's full synthetic. I think I will do this BYOO thing the next time.

Young Austrian girl in front of an Austrian Airbus 340 in the Maldives, of all places. An aviation-loving kid posed by an airplane in 1999. Over 20 years later, she recreated the photo (msn.com) Since Lufthansa and Swiss have/had these quad jets, it would make sense that Austrian did too at some point in time.

If you go onto Google Flights and enter a city pair you are considering, it gives you that based on the type of aircraft, length of the flight, etc. It gives you the numerical amounts of CO2 it drops into the atmosphere. I guess you can even see how a different type of aircraft fares on the same trip if it's a popular route with different carriers using different aircraft.

Someone sent me this earlier today ... thought I'd share I wouldn't even want to imagine any other outcome: accent, driving on the other side of the street, a royal family, high tea, bad teeth, and did I mention the accent ...

Returning to New York Service to JFK began today, on the 4th of July Lufthansa Resumes Airbus A380 Flights To New York JFK (msn.com) Thank you for the commemorating the 4th with us, Lufthansa!

Happy holiday weekend to most of North America: Happy Canada Day (July 1) - and I drove the LaCrosse up to Toronto to visit friends - and Happy Independence Day, for which "I'll be back." Enjoy and stay safe.

Two random thoughts that occurred to me tonight ... 1 We sit there and watch squirrels scurrying around, eating what they find, and standing up on their hind legs, but if they didn't have those bushy tails, we'd find them to be pests. 2 I bought some fuel tonight and threw away a wrapper into a trash bin. I saw more than half that trash bin filled with plastic bottles. Can't they just take them home and do a recycle each weekend? Probably not. Is that too much to ask to both beautify and make the world around us more sustainable? Probably so. I'd be insulted if someone called me liberal, but, while @David is passionate about our movement toward EVs, I've got some issues with people who think it's too much trouble to recycle. There are recycling bins just about everywhere you go in Europe and even their versions of our rednecks - who definitely do not recycle - seem to do it over there.

The birthday board at the right side of the forum page indicates/d: Happy birthday to @Robert Hall Happy birthday to @bobo Edit: Happy birthday to @loki , too! There's a little bit of slush in the time zones, but close enough. Enjoy your b-days ... and many more. - - - - - I was up for 25 hours yesterday flying back to the states with delays. Thankfully, I changed planes in Chicago. Those changing planes in New York and thereabouts most likely misconnected and may have even been stranded. A friend who was coincidentally coming back from Europe on the same day was in fact stranded at New York - JFK. She just got home within the last few hours. It feels good to be home even if feeling like a wet noodle. Lots of interesting sightings ... and even some interesting car rentals.

What I had meant to say is Happy Father's Day to our members, in any which way this can be construed, including being a parent to our four legged friends, and also to the dads that might be your parents, your relatives, and your friends. So, greetings from Lusitania, which is a real place, even though the name has been changed.

Yes. That's what I was referring to when I said he got his "present" the day before.

June 14, when I posted, is Flag Day. Ironically, it is also Trump's birthday. That's what the serenade comment referred to. I tend to remember a lot of useless information, especially if numerical. I don't try. It just sticks. It made getting educated easier, but may be seen as weird! Such is life. It ran on my mom's side, and most of her siblings also remembered dates, addresses, etc. without trying.

I was just wondering if there's a 2023 rendition of "Happy Birthday Mr President" and if someone has been serenaded with it ... or maybe they got their gift yesterday.

BONUS PHOTO Throwing a small dose of OCD type humor your way via the infotainment center screen - - - - - END OF PHOTOS

MECHANICAL PHOTOS A full view of the engine bay and this car has a prop rod to keep the hood up; my guess would be that the orange harnesses are a way to easily identify elements critical to the hybrid/electric system In front of the engine and behind the radiator and fan shroud, that appears to possibly be an emission control component - is it an O2 sensor and is that a catalytic converter or related component? They often have metallic shields like that around them. Left side of the engine bay with the pulley area Right side of the engine bay with air intake and easy to access battery

INTERIOR PHOTOS Overall view of dash, center stack, and console from passenger door Bucket seat ergonomics (cloth); very comfortable Sensible main instrument pod: the left is not a tachometer, but battery charge status. This cluster has it all: digital speed readout (my selection), clock, temperature (ouch), gear selected, driving mode (econ), and odometer. Songs via Bluetooth would show up above the digital clock readout. Easy to use climate control Console to center stack transition; clock shows up again on infotainment center as does the date Metal accents on the pedals and wheel well footrest This diagonal or diamond pattern is not to my liking and I've not liked it on any automotive application The car has generous trunk space

EXTERIOR PHOTOS Side view Angled front view Angled rear view Aerial view (from the room); note the sunroof This "entry" price model is a the Sport Hybrid; the top end ($) is anchored by Touring Hybrid and there are 2 hybrid models with price points between these two

I had never driven any Honda vehicle until this year and, after being assigned a 2022 Accord as my rental car in March, I was again assigned an Accord in May. However, this time it was a hybrid. I had never driven any hybrid vehicle until recently, either. First, all Honda Accord sedan models were refreshed for this model year and the minor changes took this car in the right direction. The front grille and rear fascia, together with their lights, are simpler, cleaner, and, somehow, pack an even better punch. It has become a more attractive vehicle. Inside, things are much the same except that the cloth seating surfaces have also been changed for the better compared to last year. The only thing I didn’t like is the updated dashboard. It’s not as pleasing as last year’s largely because I don’t like the diagonal cross hatch or egg crate pattern in the applique running at about the middle of the dashboard and from the driver door to the passenger door. There is also a bigger(wider) infotainment center than last year. I prefer that those be integrated into the dashboard rather than stand up, but most of them are not. As one pulls away, the stance is a placid one and the car is mostly quiet. That’s because, at low speeds, the electric power is doing the work. The engine is a 2.0 L 4 cylinder in this version of the Hybrid, and it has 2 electric motors which assist. The transmission is a CVT (continuously variable) but it behaves well and is hushed, not spooling up too much in rpms unless really pushed. The engagement of the hybrid motor, or motors, is almost seamless. It comes into play at low speeds, when maintaining speed or coasting at, say, 35 to 45 mph, and even when the cruise control is engaged on the interstate. The latter was a little strange at times because it would kick in along with cruise control which seemed to adapt to the driving conditions. (Maybe I didn’t understand how it worked.) So, in these very rare instances, I tapped the brake pedal to disengage the cruise control and used my foot to drive the car on the interstate. The Accord Hybrid’s instrument pod is attractive. It doesn’t take too long to get used to it. One of the key gauges alongside the speedometer is the extent to which the battery is charged. There is other useful information, such as drive mode (sport, eco, etc.) and even what song Bluetooth is sending through. The dash graphics and illumination are pleasing and soothing. With hybrids, the logic is inverted. Highway driving isn’t its most economical mode. City driving is, whereby braking and slowing down charge the battery. Either way, I could tell that the fuel needle was not moving much. I put about 500 miles on the car over these 6 days, and it consisted of fast moving interstate, clogged up interstate, major surface streets with speeds of about 40 to 45mph, and stop and go city driving. The mileage obtained was almost 44 mpg, which is what the EPA rating for the car shows. The leather trimmed steering wheel, with its remote commands, is nicely finished and feels good … and the Accord Hybrid rides along and handles with confidence. Again, the hybrid set up seems to make things a little quieter, even when the gasoline engine is working. The ride is controlled and, while smooth, the suspension and steering still communicate the interaction between the tires and the road. This Accord had a sunroof. I tried it a few times, with and without air conditioning, but preferred to have it closed and the retractable shade in place beneath it. In the Sunshine State, I preferred a sealed cabin environment with the quiet and powerful enough air conditioning working, which seemingly didn’t affect fuel economy much, if at all. Depending on how it is equipped, the MSRP appears to come in the low- to mid-$30K range. Of course, that doesn’t take into account dealer mark-ups, something that supply chain hiccups and strange supply and demand situations of recent times have created. People are interested in this car. In a few instances, a few folks asked me about it as I exited from the vehicle at a few different businesses. I was surprised that I liked the first Honda Accord (with a gasoline engine) I have ever driven, which was several months ago. I liked this Accord Hybrid sedan even more, and it wasn’t just its fuel economy, but the level of refinement and build quality seemed to be slightly better than in the 2022 model. Moreover, it made for a quiet motoring experience, which is something I really appreciate. The price difference between the gasoline version and the Hybrid isn’t prohibitive, and, for those expecting a longer holding period, it could pencil out and justify itself. I think that, as someone who has habitually driven domestic cars as daily drivers, I could be quite happy with this latest competent Accord Hybrid sedan. - - - - - Photos forthcoming

I'm with you on this. Those seats you show above look great. It's easy to see they are substantial and comfortable. In that tight span of years, seating was more comfortable. In another Cadillac of that time - the DTS - the seats were excellent. I test sat in one on Pensacola Blvd. and, being on vacation, the salesman knew I wouldn't be buying and was still laid back and friendly. Like the car above, the DTS I sat in also had a console, so these seats were similar to 40-40 buckets. The last refresh of the 2006-2007 Monte Carlo also had big, comfortable bucket seats - for a car of that price point. Along the same lines, when the Pontiac Bonneville got reformulated the very last time for 2000, the bucket seats also became a lot nicer, and bigger, and moved in the right direction from those of the upside-down boat/jelly bean Bonneville model (1992-1999 +/-) that preceded it. More recently, many automakers are going for high design and flash more so than aiming for comfort. And charging way more for their cars!

I am not a fan of firm seats in cars. They cite support. When I had the Cutlass Brougham, I could drive for 10 hours in one day and feel pretty good when the day was over. As for the Impala, I drove one for a day. It was new and it rode and handled well, but I hadn't driven a car with such hindered visibility ... yet. I took it back the following day and got that mid-2010s Malibu, which I had for a week in Reno/Tahoe, the Bay Area, and NorCal. I was much more at ease driving that.

Very much so. I believe it is, or is almost, the same. So, the Equinox also has a nice dash. Besides the fact that the Equiox is a CUV/SU and the Malibu is a sedan, I believe they have the same engine, but the Equinox keeps a 6-speed automatic transmission ... a plus. My opinion may not be popular, but, of the last 10 years of Malibu, I liked the one with the Camaro-esque rear lamps and taller trunk ... possibly a 2015 or thereabouts. I see so many on the road. It has a 2.5 L Ecotec 4, which was base power for very the last Impala.

PHOTOS: Side view of the Malibu Front angled side view of the Malibu Rear angled side view of the Malibu; here you can see the attractive sweep of the rear fascia and the taillamps, but also the relationship of the greenhouse and the trunk that I think could have been handled a little better. You can't argue with the beauty of the beaches on Florida's Panhandle The main instrument pod is really sensible and has good graphics: symmetrical big tach and speedo, symmetrical but smaller main gauges (fuel and temp) at the top, and center information square area with digital speed (my selection), compass, odometer, and gear. For temperature and time, you need to check the infotainment center screen. The dashboard has a good feel about it, is nicely shaped, and things are sensibly clustered together Photo # 7, not 7-7-7, but still a bonus! (Or maybe not.) - - - - - End of photos