caddycruiser

Hah. Pouring in Philly. Thankfully I still sold a new Acura MDX as planned to my customers who originally came in on Wednesday. Open until 6. Dealership had 2 other customers, then we called it a day at 4. Very weird to see, however, was the Chevy store next door and their sister Nissan store to our other side round up rows of Nissan NV cargo vans end to end around the buildings up against their glass walls. I guess that does something. Parents in DE just lost power, by text I just got.

Now. Good to hear. Back to normal, and in a Chevy. Perfect time right before the weather.

My parents live just a block or so off the water, Indian River Bay to be exact, down a windy river road in beachy Delaware. They were ordered to evacuate today at 11:15am, must be out by 9am tomorrow. Made sense to me, given what happens there with water...and even alone just all the damn trees around their house. Bad. News. Waiting. To. Happen. Called mom at 7:30 tonight. Dad was boarding up the windows (NEVER have I seen that before, ever) and mom was joking about how they're staying inside. "Everyone else is". Bad excuse, really bad. I said come to Philly, stay in my place, north, up a hill, on the 2nd floor, away from water and trees. Yet they camp in a beach shack covered by boards. Let the house get hit or something, don't wipe out all your cars with it, my thoughts. Last few tropical storm hits, branches everywhere, etc. This time, who knows. Philly, I'm still not too concerned. Went shopping tonight. Target was mass hysteria, I had to leave. Super Fresh was calm. So I bought meat, ice cream and cereal. Like any other day.

Really, really shaky forecast to come. Started with me getting texts last night warning to store ice, get gas, get candles, etc. Didn't know why. Then the news. Now that I live in Philly city, I'm not overly concerned. But today was the day of hearing how everyone's friends, parents, etc. "down the shore" are evacuating. My parents at the beach in Delaware are trying to get ready, but not really doing anything different than usual, they can't. I'm just going with it, whatever it may be. I live up a hill, on the 2nd floor in a new building, over top my garage. So, can't do too much. I could probably shelter a few people if need be. Was watching Weather Channel & then Fox Philly news a while ago. 4x repeated, watched the director of emergency something or other in New Jersey in a press conference tell people not evacuating to put their name, SSN#, and next of kin with permanent marker in their left shoe "not a flip flop, not open toed..." so their body could be identified after hurricane. WTF...insane...watched 4x. Really? Again, one of those things you don't know...until you know. I'm glad to be in the city now. My friend & roomie is in southern Delaware in the middle of an Extreme Home Makeover build with the ABC crew...day 4, outside built, now to the inside...they rented the crew rooms at hotels 45 minutes north due to the storm. Have to finish by Saturday AM, then reveal Monday, what a mess.

Sounds nice! I like the color a lot after seeing it. Fits the lines well. Positive news and update after the last week or so

Car carrier pulled in next door today with 2 new silver 2012 Cruze's and 1 Blue Topaz...the blue rocks. I'm not a blue fan typically, but fits the car well and looks great. Will age well.

Another new Hyundai Accent, silver, on my street. Like every all new small car lately, the second they appear for sale, I suddenly see them everywhere. Looks like a smaller & plainer cheaper cousin to the Elantra/Sonata family, as intended.

Ah, the new Beetle...rocks. There's a new 2011 Candy White GTI 2-door with the 18" wheels parked outside my apartment today, looks killer. If only VW didn't scare me so much. I could handle them before, but after working at an Acura (and ex VW as of 2008) dealer, the day after day horror stories of even the latest new VW's then perturbs me...even having been in many, driven several, and knowing not every problem is every car. It's a company thing. Cruze and Focus aside, otherwise right now the Impreza and Beetle are really the only 2 new small cars yet to be out that intrigue.

Such an awesome ride. I too LOVE the color. TG, not another black, silver or otherwise Vette

Beautiful Buick, and a perfect companion to the Terrain. DI 3.6L with the driving dynamics and feel of the Lacrosse makes for a very enjoyable vehicle.

Blue Topaz. I like. Nice choice. Really glad they offer foglamps as an accessory kit for trim levels without them already--this should be the case for everything. Huge difference in look, let alone lighting. Back when you first drove & purchased your Fiesta, had you thought about or tried a Cruze?

Truckload after truckload after truckload of new black 2012 Camaro SS 45th Anniversary convertibles arriving at the Chevy dealer next door to work. Literally, so many identical 'verts, different people were asking about them. Saw one up close today, like the wheels and the 2012 dash changes. On a test drive tonight, out back behind the dealers, a holding lot FULL of new 2012 Crystal Red Tintcoat Cruze Eco's. Same car, same color, just a full lot of them. Between these and the Camaros, wondering if the Chevy dealer did a fleet of sorts for something. Commuting, 2 new Hyundai Accents and a base '11 Ford Explorer covered in police graphics, exactly as Roger's pic above. Followed a new red Fiat 500 Sport down the street to work on Wednesday. Dude driving. Cool little car.

Congrats. The 6-spd stick Cruze 1.4T seems like a sweet ride by every review, owner and professional, I've ever seen. Eco, especially, but now that you can get the other trims with the 6-spd even if the mileage is rated differently, is a great thing. Little bit larger, great choice. Hopefully just as fun.

Separate but related question, which insurance company are you insured by? How long of a process now?

So sorry to hear this, but glad you're okay and beat up but not broken. The little Ford did well, as much as it took the beating to a pulp. Accidents happen, they just are what they are.

I need someone like this...first to scream at getting me up in the morning, then to work out. Working so much, I can't get myself wrapped around a daily fitness routine. Kill me. Hardcore out of shape, skinny here. You'll adjust...in time. Live the pain. Well, and take it easier, at the same time. Watch out for where that Ben Gay ends up too. Uh oh.

A dirty white 2011 Nissan NV full size cargo van in use, with materials hanging out the back door, strapped with a bungie cord. I've seen these for so long on dealer lots, first time I've ever seen one with an owner and doing work. Looked good.

All new 2012 Hyundai Accent sedan, cruising by. Not an eye catcher, but looked like some kind of new old Korean tiny car...then it clicked. Last night, a new Hyundai Sonata Hybrid with the big fish mouth front end, with fresh Jersey temp tags and a young guy driving.

Black Audi A7, cruising beside me on the way to work. Filthy, red brake dust covered wheels. Nice shape.

Me too. People LOVE these things...I used to sell lots of them, including and especially the Mazda grilled version. Old style, but refined enough now, proven, solid and an easy sell.

Awesome choice--congrats! V6 with stick is not the most common, as you found--but the 2LT is a nice upgrade with heated leather, HUD, etc.

Says 96 here. I was out getting my car serviced, walked the dealer lot and woof. Steam. Supposed to be 102 tomorrow in Philly, we'll see. Feel worst for our service department at work, big huge Acura garage but open doors and all heat. Hard to work in the stifling stuff.

I was trying to figure out the wrist band thing...I got there about an hour & half after opening and said Buick. Blue plastic wrist band. Then I started seeing brown ones, etc. that looked like temps...wasn't sure. In the afternoon, as I left right around 2, it was kind of cool how dead it was in spots, from Buick/GMC to the Chevy trucks. Great for me, as I just wanted to cycle through every single thing at Buick/GMC again, and there were no lines. Why so many people wanted to drive that stupid Lexus...or take their pictures with it...was beyond me. Name still means a lot, apparently, in a weird way. Drive that then a Lacrosse and it was dead clear. If only the Lacrosse center console didn't bug my arm...but I could get used to it. If buying a sedan today, it'd be between Regal, Lacrosse and...TL. The latter I'm now familiar with and really enjoy. Terrain, good point. Mom has one, but this was my first drive. 4-cyl is spunky, but the 3.0L does just make it smoother, quieter and more refined feeling--very impressive and solid/silent ute, even tossed hard around corners. All interesting and fun. I just wished for longer courses, even though I realize it would throw the show schedule out of wack, and location.

I've wanted to go to one of these events for the longest time...and finally this year I caught it 5 months ahead of time and had it on my calendar ever since. This weekend at Citizens Bank Park in Philly, the GM Main Street in Motion test drive event. Hot, sunny and breezy day today, PERFECT timing. Got there around 10am, to the site of Chevy Volt after Volt driving down the street and on a loop--the Volt was the one vehicle they had a large number of, and had preset a test route out of the track and onto the local streets for every test. Registration quick & easy, I hit the GMC truck & comparo tent first, right past the entry. Yukon Denali Hybrid, Sierra 2500HD Denali Duramax, etc. Very short drive loop here, but some nice curves and rough patches. The Hybrid Denali was great, and really does stay in electric mode until really pushed, and the transition is seemless. Drove everything in the lineup here except for the Tundra (meh), Seqouia (already have), and the Ram 2500/3500 HD crew--just missed that one. Next up, the Buick car and GMC/Buick crossover tents. My favorite spot all day, and I came back twice to drive everything again. Buick Regals of every variety, from standard 2.4L to loaded 2.0T with all options. Lacrosse CXL in FWD & AWD, and Lacrosse CXS with Touring suspension & 19" wheels. Competitors available to test were a new 2011 Acura TSX, 2012 Acura TL FWD Advance, and a 2011 Lexus ES350. When I first got there, it was an even mix of people waiting for Buicks as for the competitors. Later in the day, the Buick lines were empty...and a ton of people were lined up waiting for the TL & ES350. Of every car, and I can't figure out why, the ES350 was most popular...bizarre. I felt dead on in the Regal T07 Turbo. Perfect size, the interior fit & layout for me, and the 2.0T was spunky--not 3.6L power I like more, but fitting of the car size/feel. Better yet, the handling/ride/quiet/hardcore cornering ability were just a hoot. Even the base model was nearly as fun, just with less power verve when pressed--but really not a huge difference. One FWD Lacrosse CXL I drove didn't impress me at first with power, but it seemed like the V6...until I drove others after, I started to think it may have been a 2.4L car. Favorites were the Lacrosse CXS with 19" and Magneride, just silent and SOLID with a big feel but awesome handling and ride. More so, the Lacrosse CXL AWD really had noticeably extra grip and put the power down through slalom noticeably better. My biggest complaint with the Lacrosse remained the center console. I can get comfortable, not like in the Regal, but enough...and then the Lacrosse center console is just so high up and far back, it's awkward to rest on and bugged me. I wanted to push it down 4", just like the first time I tried one. Regal...big yes. Lacrosse CXS/CXL AWD...also big yes, just cut 4" out of the center console height. The Acura TL FWD I'm familiar with in every way from selling them daily, and on test track and in general performance, a knockout. More flickable, more secure position in the cockpit for hard corners...but the interior just isn't as posh as the Buicks, for instance. Otherwise, wowza of a car. The Lexus ES350 still has very impressive power from the Toyota 3.5L and buttery interior, but a soft car in every way from acceleration to overall feel. Bleh. Meh. And looks ancient. Skipped the TSX, I like them enough already, and drive daily...but now after driving the Regal, much prefer the Regal package and feel. In crossover time, mom has a Terrain, but I've never driven one. Very impressed with the layout and feel even on curves. The 2.4L sounds like a 4-cyl but is spunky and confirmed why it's most popular. The 3.0L was smoother and moved nicely when floored, but otherwise felt soft--exactly what I expected. Jumping into an Enclave and then Acadia Denali, even bigger and heavier, right away they step off with more authority with the 3.6L. Acura MDX & Murano also available. As known, the MDX with SH-AWD was a down right impressive performer thrown with hard throttle into tight corners, and the sound of VTEC kicking in on the 3.7L is great. The Murano has some juice, and CVT not too odd, but a weird look and in between size. Next over to Chevy cars. Rule at the entry was "You must drive a Cruze before you can drive a Volt." One you drove a Cruze, they had both Eco and LTZ RS models, you'd get a "Volt" hand stamp--very interesting rule there, by GM. I think so people would be forced to compare. Cruze LTZ RS moved nicely with the 1.4T, more so than I expected, and feels just as substantial and refined as everyone says. Skipped the Traverse. Skipped the Elantra, Civic & Accord--all had lines, and I didn't care one bit about any of them. Drove the new Explorer. Solid, quiet, moves strongly with the 3.5L, but even I got in and with the radio blaring...got frazzled for 10 seconds trying to figure out where the heck a volume control was. MyFordTouch, woof. It looks nice. Explorer is big, but has small seats and the doors feel far away...strange, but not too bothersome. Chevy truck event was low key and quietest of all. Drove a new Tahoe, a Silverado 2500HD LTZ Duramax, and a new Avalanche LTZ--brought back nice memories of mine. All felt huge, but still very refined. Closed this one out driving a Ridgeline. Ugly as could be, but unibody, AWD and with the screamer Honda V6...damn thing was fun on the track, and felt trucky at the same time. Last...Volt, Camaro and Corvette. Volt was very cool. SMOOTH and instant power. As reviews now point out, one weird aspect is a loaded leather lined interior...but then cheezy manual seat controls up front. If it saved weight, okay. Felt solid, smooth, and driving around I could see owning one as a daily vehicle, if my uses were a little different. Camaro and Vette. Camaro coupes in both LT RS and SS RS form, and Camaro convertibles in SS form. Vettes all GS models. These you had to go with a rep in the passenger's seat, but they encouraged going hard, full throttle in every way. First up a Camaro 2SS RS in Synergy Green. Felt just like I remembered of mom's, and silent inside at idle, then small block roar. Convertible next was my favorite, interior feels so much larger and the overall experience WHOA with the top down. Corvette, crap interior aside, was fun, but didn't leave me drooling. I'd still have one just to have one, but the interior foibles are noteworthy. Weirdest = Corvette's manual tilt wheel on the left side with a scratchy plastic lever...then a power telescope button on the right. Just bizarre to use. Oh...and the number of people waiting to drive the Lexus ES350. Strange. Favorite vehicles = Regal 2.0T, Lacrosse CXS/CXL AWD, Acura TL, Volt Fix please = Lacrosse center console height...almost perfect, visibility aside...but I don't wanna sit with one arm up on a hard small perch. And the whole Corvette inside. I went to the Buick lineup to start and to finish, and was totally impressed by the Regal and Lacrosse. I wish the course was longer for every vehicle, as as soon as you start, you're done...but it was a blast, and I could keep going again and again. Pictures. Long review, sorry, but I wanted to get it out...best free event ever. 5 hours later, made my day, then I hit the casino and won a little too. What would I buy? Definitely liking the cars noted above...give me a Regal GS.

The green interior! That's what I liked most about the '70 too...it was custom mix '77 Vette yellow (according to dad, that as a base with a custom drop of another shade in it)...but the original factory and damn flawless vinyl/cloth green factory interior. Yellow & green. Ultimately he wanted to make it black, but the green interior was perfect and never got changed.