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Thanks. The film also protects against idiots scratching the doors if they open their door too much but not enough to dent? My main concern runs along the lines of accidental scratches. I'm not sure what Merc paint is like these days. The dealer didn't like the idea of me using my paint meter on anything but their loaner cars, which have already been polished several times and would give bad results.

Some of their paints get painted on less than others, and some have a special clear coat which can throw you a curveball when it comes to home detailing. I think BMW and Audi do something similar nowadays. And I've heard you can order a Lexus with a dual clear coat. Actually, heard is the wrong word. I got through a 10 page debate on clear coats a couple of years ago and that's the conclusion I came away with.
 
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If someone manages to hit your car with your door, the scratch or marks that would be prevented from the film would be the least of your problems! When it comes to those accidents, you can't do much to prevent them other than parking far away from other cars (which is what I always do). The film stuff only protects from small debris that might fly at your car but won't do much in terms of careless people allowing their doors or shopping carts to hit your car.
 
Great choice! I got my Tesla in August of last year and already put almost 10k miles on it and i cant see ever going back to gas. The acceleration is unmatched and paying only $20-$30 a month in electricity over the $700-$800 in gas was the tipping point.

I moved the numbers around, worked the $7500 tax credit and got an insane interest rate that I am not paying much more than my previous SUV.

We love it so much for our family we pre-ordered the 3 for my wife.

Did you look at the Bolt at all?

Here are pics of mine:
img_0793-jpg.685608

img_0792-jpg.685607
The Bolt won't be available in my area for another few months. And looks a bit too small for my tastes, TBH.
I strongly suspect my next car will be a fully electric vehicle without a gas extender. Either a Model 3 or something else.
 
The Bolt won't be available in my area for another few months. And looks a bit too small for my tastes, TBH.
I strongly suspect my next car will be a fully electric vehicle without a gas extender. Either a Model 3 or something else.

Excellent. Enjoy and post some pics.
 
My S3 is in the body shop because some jerk wasn't paying attention in a parking garage. I have a rental Sonata but it's just sitting in the garage. This weekend I was driving my girlfriend's 2017 GTI. Forgot how fun manual is; strange since it was only a few months ago that I sold my Golf R (also a manual). The GTI feels much lighter on its feet than my Golf R, but after having 2 cars with nearly 400hp I certainly miss the extra power.

Holy crap $4100 of damage. Hooray for insurance.
 
Does anyone have any advice on leasing? I'm sure in the last 226 pages we have talked about it, but I was wondering if any minds have changed or if any new experiences have been had. I'm kind of digging some newer models but I get bored after a couple of years.
 
Just don't put money down on a lease. If the car gets wrecked, you've lost that down payment. Not many of the manufacturers do the refundable security deposits though. BMW still does it I think, and you can do European delivery. A few years ago I was looking at the 3-series Active Hybrid via European delivery for a daily because it leased so well. There used to be some good lease sites out there, but I can't remember. They'd post all the figures so you could determine the deal.
 
Does anyone have any advice on leasing? I'm sure in the last 226 pages we have talked about it, but I was wondering if any minds have changed or if any new experiences have been had. I'm kind of digging some newer models but I get bored after a couple of years.
I'm not for it, but it can work. You just need to see all the figures before hand, be really confident about your annual mileage and make sure you have explored all hidden costs.

I keep my cars a little longer, so cash works cheaper for me.
 
I'm a little surprised you can web browse while the car is in motion. Not sure if this applies to anyone in the thread, but I recently got some emails from MB and Toyo/Lexus about further Takata recalls. They were blanket emails but I managed to dig these up.

http://blog.caranddriver.com/massiv...now-including-full-list-of-affected-vehicles/


UPDATE 1/11/2017, 1:00 p.m.: Honda added 772,000 more cars in a new round of recalls for non-desiccated front-passenger airbags. A total of 1.29 million Honda and Acura models plus 882 Gold Wing motorcycles are included; many were previously recalled for driver’s-side airbags. Besides the 2012 Gold Wing, no new models or model years are included. Honda has the most U.S. vehicles of any automaker affected by the Takata recalls, now standing at 11.4 million cars and motorcycles.

UPDATE 1/12/2017, 11:00 a.m.: Ford is recalling 654,695 cars in the U.S. and 161,174 vehicles in Canada to replace non-desiccated front-passenger airbags. No new models or model years are included, although Ford has added more of these same cars in other regions of the country that were not under previous recalls. Ford, including Mercury and Lincoln, now has recalled about 3 million cars in the U.S. The affected models in this particular regional expansion are the 2005–2009 and 2012 Mustang; 2005–2006 GT; 2006–2009 and 2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, and Lincoln MKZ; 2006–2009 Mercury Milan; and the 2007–2009 Ranger, Edge, and Lincoln MKX.

UPDATE 1/13/2017, 11:00 a.m.: As with Honda and Ford, Toyota is recalling 543,000 cars in the U.S. to replace non-desiccated front-passenger airbags. No new models or model years have been added, although Toyota has included an unknown number of cars not previously under recall. Toyota, including Lexus and Scion and not including the Toyota-built Pontiac Vibe, now has about 6 million cars in the U.S. under the Takata recalls. Affected models under this latest recall are the 2006–2009 and 2012 Lexus IS (including IS F); 2007–2009 and 2012 Yaris and Lexus ES; 2008–2009 and 2012 Scion xB; 2009 and 2012 Corolla and Matrix; and the 2012 4Runner, Sienna, Lexus IS C, Lexus GX, and Lexus LFA.

has fined Takata Corp. $1 billion as part of the Japanese supplier’s agreement to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud; the fine is broken down as a $25 million criminal fine, $125 million for victim compensation, and $850 million for compensating automakers. Also, a federal grand jury separately charged three Takata executives on six counts each of wire fraud and conspiracy.

UPDATE 1/23/2017, 7:00 p.m.: A total of 16 brands recalled 652,541 cars in the U.S. to replace non-desiccated front-passenger airbags. Some or most of these cars may have been previously recalled to replace other Takata airbags. Replacement parts may be available as soon as March or “Q1,” depending on the automaker. Only cars ever registered in specific states are under these recalls. Model-year 2008 and 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG—as well as model-year 2009 Audi A4 and S4—were previously unaccounted for in our master list below. The cars recalled in this latest round are as follows:

Audi is recalling 33,421 cars. They include the 2005–2009 A4, S4, and A6; 2007–2008 RS4; and the 2007–2009 S6.

BMW is recalling 48,380 cars. Included are the 2007–2009 and 2012 X5 and the 2008–2009 and 2012 X6.

Daimler, in conjunction with Fiat Chrysler, is recalling 11,279 Sprinter vans. The 2009 Dodge and Freightliner Sprinter 2500/3500 and 2012 Freightliner and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500/3500 are included.

Ferrari is recalling 825 cars from 2012. The FF, California, 458 Italia, and 458 Spider are all included.

Jaguar is recalling 8191 XF sedans from 2009 and 2012.

Karma Automotive is recalling 811 Fisker Karma models from 2012.

Land Rover is recalling 8769 Range Rover models from 2007–2009 and 2012.

Mazda is recalling 93,812 vehicles. Included are the 2005–2006 MPV; 2005–2009 RX-8; 2007–2009 B-series pickup trucks; the 2007–2009 and 2012 CX-7 and CX-9; and the 2009 and 2012 Mazda 6.

McLaren is recalling 359 MP4-12C models from 2012.

Mercedes-Benz is recalling 103,406 cars. Included are the 2012 C-class sedan and coupe, E-class coupe and convertible, GLK, and SLS AMG, as well as the 2008–2009 C-class sedan and coupe, plus the 2008–2012 C63 sedan and coupe.

Mitsubishi is recalling 1964 i-MiEV models from 2012 and 2014.

Nissan is recalling 152,554 cars. Included are the 2005–2008 Infiniti FX; 2006–2010 Infiniti M; 2007–2009 Versa sedan and hatchback; and the 2012 Versa hatchback.

Subaru is recalling 185,773 cars. Included models are the 2005–2006 Baja; 2006–2009 Impreza; 2006–2009 and 2012 Tribeca, WRX, and STI; and the 2009 and 2012 Legacy, Outback, and Forester. The 2006 Saab 9-2X, built by Subaru, is also included.

Tesla is recalling 2997 Model S sedans from 2012.

In addition, 13 automakers last week expanded the Takata recalls in Canada by almost 900,000 vehicles. According to Automotive News Canada, roughly 5.2 million Takata airbags have so far been recalled in Canada. A full list of affected Canada-market vehicles can be found at the Transport Canada website.

AFFECTED VEHICLES (total U.S.-market number in parentheses, if known):

Acura: 2002–2003 3.2TL; 2003 3.2CL; 2003–2006 MDX; 2005–2012 RL; 2007–2016 RDX; 2009–2014 TL and TSX; 2010–2013 ZDX; 2013–2016 ILX (including hybrid)

Audi (more than 387,000): 2004–2009 A4; 2005–2009 S4; 2003–2011 A6; 2006–2013 A3; 2006–2009 A4 cabriolet; 2007–2008 RS4; 2007–2009 S4 cabriolet; 2007–2011 S6; 2008 RS4 cabriolet; 2009–2012, 2015 Q5; 2010–2011 A5 cabriolet; 2010–2012 S5 cabriolet; 2016–2017 TT; 2017 R8

BMW (more than 1.97 million): 2000–2011 3-series sedan; 2000–2012 3-series wagon; 2002–2013 3-series coupe and convertible; 2001–2013 M3 coupe and convertible; 2002–2003 5-series and M5; 2003–2013 X5; 2007–2010 X3; 2008–2013 1-series coupe and convertible; 2008–2011 M3 sedan; 2008–2014 X6 (including hybrid); 2011–2015 X1

Buick: 2015 LaCrosse

Cadillac: 2007–2014 Escalade, Escalade ESV; 2007–2013 Escalade EXT; 2015 XTS

Chevrolet (more than 1.91 million, including Buick, Cadillac, GMC, Saab, and Saturn): 2007–2014 Silverado HD, Suburban, and Tahoe; 2007–2013 Avalanche and Silverado 1500; 2015 Camaro, Equinox, and Malibu

Chrysler: 2005–2015 300; 2006–2008 Crossfire; 2007–2009 Aspen

Daimler: 2006–2009 Dodge Sprinter 2500 and 3500; 2007–2017 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500; 2008–2009 Sterling Bullet 4500 and 5500

Dodge/Ram (more than 5.64 million, including Chrysler, not including Daimler-built Sprinter): 2003–2008 Ram 1500; 2003–2009 Ram 2500; 2003–2010 Ram 3500; 2004–2009 Durango; 2005–2008 Magnum; 2005–2011 Dakota; 2006–2015 Charger; 2008–2014 Challenger; 2008–2010 Ram 4500 and Ram 5500

Ferrari (more than 2820): 2009–2014 California; 2010–2015 458 Italia; 2012–2016 Ferrari FF; 2012–2015 458 Spider; 2013–2017 Ferrari F12berlinetta; 2014–2015 458 Speciale; 2015 458 Speciale A; 2015–2017 California T; 2016–2017 Ferrari F12tdf, 488GTB, and 488 Spider; 2016 Ferrari F60; 2017 Ferrari GTC4Lusso

Fisker: 2012 Karma

Ford (3 million, including Lincoln and Mercury): 2004–2011 Ranger; 2005–2006 GT; 2005–2014 Mustang; 2006–2012 Fusion; 2007–2010 Edge

GMC: 2007–2014 Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL; 2007–2013 Sierra 1500; 2015 Terrain

Honda (11.4 million, including Acura): 2001–2012 Accord; 2001–2011 Civic (including hybrid and NGV); 2002–2011, 2016 CR-V; 2002–2004 Odyssey; 2003–2015 Pilot; 2003–2011 Element; 2006–2014 Ridgeline; 2006–2010, 2012 Gold Wing motorcycle; 2007–2013 Fit; 2010–2015 Accord Crosstour; 2010–2014 Insight and FCX Clarity; 2011–2015 CR-Z; 2013–2014 Fit EV

Infiniti: 2001–2004 I30/I35; 2002–2003 QX4; 2003–2008 FX35/FX45; 2006–2010 M35/M45

Jaguar: 2009–2015 XF

Jeep: 2007–2016 Wrangler

Land Rover (more than 68,000): 2007–2012 Range Rover

Lexus: 2002–2010 SC430; 2006–2013 IS; 2007–2012 ES; 2008–2014 IS F; 2010–2015 IS C; 2010–2017 GX; 2010–2015 IS convertible; 2012 LFA

Lincoln: 2006–2012 Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ; 2007–2010 Lincoln MKX

Mazda (more than 733,000): 2003–2011 Mazda 6; 2006–2007 Mazdaspeed 6; 2004–2011 RX-8; 2004–2006 MPV; 2004–2009 B-series; 2007–2012 CX-7; 2007–2015 CX-9

McLaren: 2011–2015 P1; 2012–2014 MP4-12C; 2015–2016 650S; 2016–2017 570; 2016 675LT

Mercedes-Benz (1,044,602, including Daimler): 2005–2014 C-class (excluding C55 AMG but including 2008–2012 C63 AMG); 2007–2008 SLK-class; 2007–2017 Sprinter; 2009–2012 GL-class; 2009–2011 M-class; 2009–2012 R-class; 2010–2011 E-class sedan and wagon; 2010–2017 E-class coupe; 2011–2017 E-class convertible; 2010–2015 GLK-class; 2011–2015 SLS AMG coupe and roadster

Mercury: 2006–2011 Milan

Mitsubishi (more than 105,000): 2004 Lancer Sportback; 2004–2007 Lancer; 2004–2006 Lancer Evolution; 2006–2009 Raider; 2012–2017 iMiEV

Nissan (more than 1,091,000, including Infiniti): 2001–2003 Maxima; 2002–2004 Pathfinder; 2002–2006 Sentra; 2007–2012 Versa

Pontiac (more than 300,000): 2003–2010 Vibe

Saab: 2003–2011 9-3; 2005–2006 9-2X; 2006–2009 9-5

Saturn: 2008–2009 Astra

Scion: 2008–2015 xB

Subaru (more than 380,000): 2003–2014 Legacy and Outback; 2003–2006 Baja; 2004–2011 Impreza; 2006–2014 Tribeca; 2009–2013 Forester; 2012–2014 WRX and WRX STI

Tesla: 2012–2016 Tesla Model S

Toyota (6 million, including Lexus and Scion): 2002–2007 Sequoia; 2003–2013 Corolla and Corolla Matrix; 2003–2006 Tundra; 2004–2005 RAV4; 2006–2012 Yaris; 2010–2016 4Runner; 2011–2014 Sienna

Volkswagen (more than 680,000): 2006–2010, 2012–2014 Passat sedan and wagon; 2009–2017 CC; 2009–2013 GTI; 2010–2014 Jetta SportWagen and Golf; 2010–2014 Eos; 2013 Golf R; 2015 Tiguan
 
I'm so annoyed that Acura hasn't informed me about the 2013 TSX recall.
A lot of manufacturers didn't. I'm almost certain I was contacted only because I gave my email when we purchased our vehicles. I'm trying hard to remember, but I don't believe I got a letter about it. I only found out about the recalls through a post online on another forum.
 
There has to be a ceiling for that anyway. Didn't road deaths peak and stay level for a few years thanks to smartphones?
 
I dont use the browser unless truly in stop and go and auto pilot is engaged. Even then not acceptable I know but it still happens if I am being transparent.

I do feel better with knowing the Tesla is one of the safest cars on the road.
 
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Do you mean crash ratings? Yes, it's good in that department. The autonomous driving is a bit strange. I wouldn't be able to trust it. Or the autopilots from the Germans. Then again, it makes me uneasy to be in the passenger seat of a car.

I did come across a funny Youtube video of people eating and sleeping in their Model S a week ago. It was amusing. How's the fit and finish of yours? The Model Ss I've encountered vary widely when it comes to panel gaps and paint finish. It and the mediocre interior apart from the 'space age' system are rather disappointing compared to ICE cars of a similar nature.
 
Do you mean crash ratings? Yes, it's good in that department. The autonomous driving is a bit strange. I wouldn't be able to trust it. Or the autopilots from the Germans. Then again, it makes me uneasy to be in the passenger seat of a car.

I did come across a funny Youtube video of people eating and sleeping in their Model S a week ago. It was amusing. How's the fit and finish of yours? The Model Ss I've encountered vary widely when it comes to panel gaps and paint finish. It and the mediocre interior apart from the 'space age' system are rather disappointing compared to ICE cars of a similar nature.

It took some time getting used to and trusting the autopilot system but it is dependent upon the driver being smart and understanding what it is and it isn't fully autonomous...yet.
You learn the capabilities of the system and always keep aware of what is going on and hand near the wheel even when activated and it works flawlessly for me. Stop and go traffic is no longer a stress as it handles it beautifully.

The fit and finish is perfect. I think earlier iterations of the S were very suspect with creaks, gaps, and panel misalignment. I think they are honing their craft and getting better each and every release.

Mine came perfect, no fit or finish issues and has been issue free for almost 10k miles and drives so quietly and smoothly better than any other car on the road IMHO and I test drive a bucketload of high quality vehicles before deciding on the S.
 
Yep, but I'll be holding off on my order or picking one up when dealers begin to allocate them. I've been following the W213 platform closely and there's plenty of niggles to annoy me that I'll wait until others are a guinea pig. I'm very disappointed in the upcoming E400's motor for that variant of the car. It was rumored to get a 377 HP engine to deal with the extra weight load, but it appears it's getting the same engine in the sedan and upcoming coupe. Still, not bad. The E400 sedan in Euro spec has good performance and comes with optional or standard active valve exhaust.

I've been watching comparison videos of the W213 and the G30. W213 wins on aesthetics alone, but the G30 has that classic sweeping windshield that gives you an airy look outside. Both care suffer from some road noise pickup on the mics in videos, so that's amplified NVH but that's mostly due to runflats being used. Awful things. Anyway, The W213 comes with a new color I don't think was available on the W212 and one I haven't seen Merc use in a very long time. PGM - a lovely green. It was either PGM or one very similar to it during the W124 or W201 era.

Good to see you around, AU. I figured you died when a lone Takata in your X decided to explode.
It took some time getting used to and trusting the autopilot system but it is dependent upon the driver being smart and understanding what it is and it isn't fully autonomous...yet.
You learn the capabilities of the system and always keep aware of what is going on and hand near the wheel even when activated and it works flawlessly for me. Stop and go traffic is no longer a stress as it handles it beautifully.

The fit and finish is perfect. I think earlier iterations of the S were very suspect with creaks, gaps, and panel misalignment. I think they are honing their craft and getting better each and every release.

Mine came perfect, no fit or finish issues and has been issue free for almost 10k miles and drives so quietly and smoothly better than any other car on the road IMHO and I test drive a bucketload of high quality vehicles before deciding on the S.
Interesting. Especially the stress of stop and go. Are you east coast? Stop and go traffic is the least stressful for me. Infuriating, yes. How does it work in four way stops. There's always that fidgety drive or the slow poke who never understood right of way.


Anyway, learned something cool about the new LS a few hours ago. It's going to have the biggest HUD ever. 24 inches to be exact.
 
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Interesting. Especially the stress of stop and go. Are you east coast? Stop and go traffic is the least stressful for me. Infuriating, yes. How does it work in four way stops. There's always that fidgety drive or the slow poke who never understood right of way.


Anyway, learned something cool about the new LS a few hours ago. It's going to have the biggest HUD ever. 24 inches to be exact.

I live in Dallas and it has some of the worst traffic in the nation and it keeps growing. It does not do stop signs and I was referring to the highway driving. I rarely if ever use Autopilot in the city as there is no need for it and not until we are truly autonomous will we see benefits of stop signs, light recognition, and self parking/serve capabilities.
 
Any opinions on the 2017 Charger? I'm thinking about possibly picking up a SXT AWD with the AWD Premium Group to replace my 2000 Chrysler 300m. I believe it just blew a head gasket (199,500 miles), and I'm not sure it is worth fixing it if that is the problem. I mostly use it to drive back and forth to work (20 miles each way), but if I get a new Charger we will probably drive it more often if we don't have to take the dog (family of 4 with 2 kids in car seats and a large dog).
 
I live in Dallas and it has some of the worst traffic in the nation and it keeps growing. It does not do stop signs and I was referring to the highway driving. I rarely if ever use Autopilot in the city as there is no need for it and not until we are truly autonomous will we see benefits of stop signs, light recognition, and self parking/serve capabilities.

I live in Dallas too, using auto pilot here will have you wrecked in less than 5 minutes.
 
I live in Dallas too, using auto pilot here will have you wrecked in less than 5 minutes.

I dont think you fully understand how autopilot works and I've had it for 6 months in Dallas and lasted longer than said 5 minutes :)
 
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