The dimmer switch on the turn signal stalk is so easy to use and within easy reach but with auto headlight dimming, I never have to manually dim the lights anyway 
Gary
Gary
Old cars vs New cars
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Same here Gary. You still liking your MKC?
warmsecondrinse
Well-known member
Re: #159
I lasted until 6:36 when he commented that the floor-mounted dimmer switch was bizarre. That was it. Done.
Hello? Which is more likely to be occupied with another driving task when you want to hit the high beam switch, your left hand or your left foot?
It's both funny and sad that it never seems to cross his mind that there might've been an actual reason things were designed/built the way they were. I'm not saying the reason would've been a good one; my issue is that it doesn't dawn on him that there might've been one at all.
Yes, I know I'm overreacting. That mindset grates on me more and more the older I get. There's a name for it, but it escapes me at the moment. But here are two quotes I heard that represent it. One I heard live, the other on the news:
"Well, she can't be famous because *I've* never heard of her."
"Obviously it's not actually a problem because if it were *I* would have known about it."
-------------------------
Agree totally with the comments above calling "Bullshit!" regarding "women drivers". IMO, any time a woman isn't as good as a man behind the wheel it's because she hasn't had the same exposure, training, practice, etc. than the man/men she's being compared to.
I lasted until 6:36 when he commented that the floor-mounted dimmer switch was bizarre. That was it. Done.
Hello? Which is more likely to be occupied with another driving task when you want to hit the high beam switch, your left hand or your left foot?
It's both funny and sad that it never seems to cross his mind that there might've been an actual reason things were designed/built the way they were. I'm not saying the reason would've been a good one; my issue is that it doesn't dawn on him that there might've been one at all.
Yes, I know I'm overreacting. That mindset grates on me more and more the older I get. There's a name for it, but it escapes me at the moment. But here are two quotes I heard that represent it. One I heard live, the other on the news:
"Well, she can't be famous because *I've* never heard of her."
"Obviously it's not actually a problem because if it were *I* would have known about it."
-------------------------
Agree totally with the comments above calling "Bullshit!" regarding "women drivers". IMO, any time a woman isn't as good as a man behind the wheel it's because she hasn't had the same exposure, training, practice, etc. than the man/men she's being compared to.
vacerator
Well-known member
Lincoln MKC, etc.;
Friends of ours just leased an MKC. So far they like it. They had an MKX. They wanted the same payment. Retired on a budget. It's smaller of course.
We need a new(er) vehicle soon. Considering a 2016 Chevy Traverse, 2017 Colorado crew or max cab V6, etc., etc. Not opposed to other than GM. Son is Ford employee if we go new. They don't get a huge discount.
We don't drive a lot of miles anymore, so we could lease again, but insurance is higher on a brand new anything.
Friends of ours just leased an MKC. So far they like it. They had an MKX. They wanted the same payment. Retired on a budget. It's smaller of course.
We need a new(er) vehicle soon. Considering a 2016 Chevy Traverse, 2017 Colorado crew or max cab V6, etc., etc. Not opposed to other than GM. Son is Ford employee if we go new. They don't get a huge discount.
We don't drive a lot of miles anymore, so we could lease again, but insurance is higher on a brand new anything.
Greg,
I have not had any more issues with the MKC since my last round of problems in March/April. I do love the styling, comfort, conveniences and ride. I can drive for 10 hours and not have an aching lower back or thighs. I will have to bring it in shortly to have my last free oil change and service. There is another TSB for the heated seats which I will get done as well. The first TSB was supposed to improve the length of time to warm the seats but it really didn't help. Hopefully this 2nd TSB will make an improvement. I am also going to have them look at the exhaust tips which are starting to rust. I know someone else that had the same issue with the exhaust tips and his entire exhaust system had to be replaced because it is all one piece.
Gary
I have not had any more issues with the MKC since my last round of problems in March/April. I do love the styling, comfort, conveniences and ride. I can drive for 10 hours and not have an aching lower back or thighs. I will have to bring it in shortly to have my last free oil change and service. There is another TSB for the heated seats which I will get done as well. The first TSB was supposed to improve the length of time to warm the seats but it really didn't help. Hopefully this 2nd TSB will make an improvement. I am also going to have them look at the exhaust tips which are starting to rust. I know someone else that had the same issue with the exhaust tips and his entire exhaust system had to be replaced because it is all one piece.
Gary
"Which is more likely to be occupied with another driving task when you want to hit the high beam switch, your left hand or your left foot?"
That made me laugh out loud.
The first wave of cars had *no* headlights. The second wave had, I'm not even sure of the name anymore, carbide lamp or acetylene lamps, perhaps? The second and half wave had as an *option* an electric headlight -- if memory serves me right, the control was on the dashboard.
The third wave of cars came with headlights. Electric. That is more or less when the "standard" transmission showed up -- that referred to how the gears were arranged, so people who knew how to drive one could drive a similar one in another car. They were all manual transmissions.
So, for good or bad, until automatic transmissions showed up, your left hand was busy with the steering wheel, your right hand was busy with the gearshift and your feet were *all* busy with the accelerator, brake and clutch. Using a foot switch at night to signal other cars was not as easy or as safe as some here are making it to be, it was just that foot switches were cheap and easy to install. I've driven cars with high-beam foot switches and manual transmissions and it's a big pain in the ass at night. (Incidentally, professional drivers that race automatic transmission cars say that you use your right foot for the accelerator and left foot for the brake, making the use of floor switches complicated during emergencies -- when driving an automatic my left foot is "idle"/"available" for foot switches because I learned to drive a manual transmission *first* and the professional racers tell me I am wrong not to do what they do. For what's worth.)
Putting the high-beam switch in the steering wheel cluster is hard and expensive, but it was the right thing to do, given that the vast majority of the world uses manual transmissions and are used to signaling trouble with blinking the high-beams on momentarily.
For people who did not bother to watch the whole video, he also bitterly complains that the mirrors are too small and the view from inside the car is abysmally bad, he can't see much to be able to back up the car safely. He also complained about the car being too heavy for the engine (lack of) power, apparently the engine is less than 200 HP for a car that is several times longer and heavier than current cars. He also complained about the car being about as responsive to steering as a boat, he had to move the steering wheel about a foot or so before the car even began steering in that direction.
The *only* thing he liked about the car was how comfortable the seats were.
There are *lots* of things to agree with and disagree with in that video. But that guy is really annoying and grated on my nerves even when I agreed with him.
Incidentally, I can't remember when adjustable steering wheels showed up on the scene and/or became affordable enough, but I would have thought that by 1977 they were available and should be a standard thing with a Cadillac, given the air of luxury they were expected to have. So, *I* was surprised when he complained that his legs were banging against the dashboard, I would have thought he could have put the seat a little further from the dash and adjust the steering wheel accordingly.
Just the same, my impression of such cars has not changed at all: except for the fact that "full-size cars" back then were expected to have a bit more space for the rear passengers and the smaller cars used to make passengers legs cramped, my impression is that you had a 20+ feet long car which is hard to find space to park for in places like NYC and Boston, but room for passengers and drivers was not much better than any new car. Maybe people who traveled all the time were enjoying the noticeable larger trunk.
Again, let me reaffirm here what I've said many times before: it's more than fine to have a preference for old cars or new cars etc. No one has to justify preferring cake to pies or vice-versa, it's what you like.
My problem starts when people start trying to justify their preferences on why cake is healthier than pie or pie is better than cake on some made up reason that is easily disproven.
To put it another way, imagine if I started telling you folks how much better purple cars were than any other cars. It wouldn't take long for you to realize how ludicrous that reason is. People should be free to like, love or hate purple cars without the need for any reason whatsoever.
Cheers,
-- Paulo.
That made me laugh out loud.
The first wave of cars had *no* headlights. The second wave had, I'm not even sure of the name anymore, carbide lamp or acetylene lamps, perhaps? The second and half wave had as an *option* an electric headlight -- if memory serves me right, the control was on the dashboard.
The third wave of cars came with headlights. Electric. That is more or less when the "standard" transmission showed up -- that referred to how the gears were arranged, so people who knew how to drive one could drive a similar one in another car. They were all manual transmissions.
So, for good or bad, until automatic transmissions showed up, your left hand was busy with the steering wheel, your right hand was busy with the gearshift and your feet were *all* busy with the accelerator, brake and clutch. Using a foot switch at night to signal other cars was not as easy or as safe as some here are making it to be, it was just that foot switches were cheap and easy to install. I've driven cars with high-beam foot switches and manual transmissions and it's a big pain in the ass at night. (Incidentally, professional drivers that race automatic transmission cars say that you use your right foot for the accelerator and left foot for the brake, making the use of floor switches complicated during emergencies -- when driving an automatic my left foot is "idle"/"available" for foot switches because I learned to drive a manual transmission *first* and the professional racers tell me I am wrong not to do what they do. For what's worth.)
Putting the high-beam switch in the steering wheel cluster is hard and expensive, but it was the right thing to do, given that the vast majority of the world uses manual transmissions and are used to signaling trouble with blinking the high-beams on momentarily.
For people who did not bother to watch the whole video, he also bitterly complains that the mirrors are too small and the view from inside the car is abysmally bad, he can't see much to be able to back up the car safely. He also complained about the car being too heavy for the engine (lack of) power, apparently the engine is less than 200 HP for a car that is several times longer and heavier than current cars. He also complained about the car being about as responsive to steering as a boat, he had to move the steering wheel about a foot or so before the car even began steering in that direction.
The *only* thing he liked about the car was how comfortable the seats were.
There are *lots* of things to agree with and disagree with in that video. But that guy is really annoying and grated on my nerves even when I agreed with him.
Incidentally, I can't remember when adjustable steering wheels showed up on the scene and/or became affordable enough, but I would have thought that by 1977 they were available and should be a standard thing with a Cadillac, given the air of luxury they were expected to have. So, *I* was surprised when he complained that his legs were banging against the dashboard, I would have thought he could have put the seat a little further from the dash and adjust the steering wheel accordingly.
Just the same, my impression of such cars has not changed at all: except for the fact that "full-size cars" back then were expected to have a bit more space for the rear passengers and the smaller cars used to make passengers legs cramped, my impression is that you had a 20+ feet long car which is hard to find space to park for in places like NYC and Boston, but room for passengers and drivers was not much better than any new car. Maybe people who traveled all the time were enjoying the noticeable larger trunk.
Again, let me reaffirm here what I've said many times before: it's more than fine to have a preference for old cars or new cars etc. No one has to justify preferring cake to pies or vice-versa, it's what you like.
My problem starts when people start trying to justify their preferences on why cake is healthier than pie or pie is better than cake on some made up reason that is easily disproven.
To put it another way, imagine if I started telling you folks how much better purple cars were than any other cars. It wouldn't take long for you to realize how ludicrous that reason is. People should be free to like, love or hate purple cars without the need for any reason whatsoever.
Cheers,
-- Paulo.
I learned to drive on the Northern California coast backroads and US HWY 1. They are winding, mountainous roads that require a lot of shifing if you are driving a stick and at night requiring frequent headlight dimming due to oncoming traffic on two lane roads. I never found that the floor dimmer switch was difficult to use because a shift was required at the same time I needed to dim the lights. This is a situation that comes up not that often, you can see the oncoming car before you need to shift, so dim, then shift, no problem, or visa versa. As I recall it was second nature to use my left foot to activate the dimmer switch, its' all about what you get used to.
Maybe if I were to go back to the floor dimmer switch I wouldn't like it as much as I remember, but from what I recall it just seemed more natural to use my foot, and it took a while to adjust to the dimmer on the turn signal. To me it just made more sense because your hands are better occupied being on the wheel, especially on windy roads. But what do I know? I've only been driving for over 50 years now. And I've driven lots of old cars, and they had their strengths and weaknesses, just like the new cars.
Nothing is perfect.
My two cents worth.
Eddie
Maybe if I were to go back to the floor dimmer switch I wouldn't like it as much as I remember, but from what I recall it just seemed more natural to use my foot, and it took a while to adjust to the dimmer on the turn signal. To me it just made more sense because your hands are better occupied being on the wheel, especially on windy roads. But what do I know? I've only been driving for over 50 years now. And I've driven lots of old cars, and they had their strengths and weaknesses, just like the new cars.
Nothing is perfect.
My two cents worth.
Eddie
lordkenmore
Well-known member
Lord Kenmore....You know I was just kidding of course
Yes, of course!
Yes, of course!
lordkenmore
Well-known member
IMO, any time a woman isn't as good as a man behind the wheel it's because she hasn't had the same exposure, training, practice, etc. than the man/men she's being compared to.
It's not just women who get attacked for their driving--I've noticed the same thing (although perhaps to a lesser degree) about other groups. There was some very ugly commentary on YouTube car videos about one the people involved in making the video, who had Asian ancestry.
I have to wonder if commentary about driving skills isn't largely about a white man trying to sell himself on the idea that he's somehow superior.
I ride the bus--I don't have a running car at the moment--and I've actually found that all--and I repeat all--the women who have driven a bus I've been have been quite competent. I don't think this next point is particularly valid past being my limited experience with one transit agency, but the bus drivers who have made me nervous have all been men. (Although there have been thankfully very few of those.) One regular driver a while back even had slightly aggressive tendencies behind the wheel. Another passenger and I agreed we were both happier not paying attention to the details of what was going on--like left turns where he probably should have yielded.
It's not just women who get attacked for their driving--I've noticed the same thing (although perhaps to a lesser degree) about other groups. There was some very ugly commentary on YouTube car videos about one the people involved in making the video, who had Asian ancestry.
I have to wonder if commentary about driving skills isn't largely about a white man trying to sell himself on the idea that he's somehow superior.
I ride the bus--I don't have a running car at the moment--and I've actually found that all--and I repeat all--the women who have driven a bus I've been have been quite competent. I don't think this next point is particularly valid past being my limited experience with one transit agency, but the bus drivers who have made me nervous have all been men. (Although there have been thankfully very few of those.) One regular driver a while back even had slightly aggressive tendencies behind the wheel. Another passenger and I agreed we were both happier not paying attention to the details of what was going on--like left turns where he probably should have yielded.
Eddie:
Yes, as usual, you are right. It's not that hard, particularly if that's what you learned *first* and used it for some time. Just like it's easy and second nature in SF to just hold the clutch with your left foot, the brake with your right foot and slowly release the clutch, then the brake while at the same time using your right foot heel to tap the accelerator when you are stopped and about to move going up a steep hill. Some people consider using the handbrake in that situation "cheating" but I gather it depends on when you learned how to drive and who was the officer during your driving test.
Or, when I learned how to drive, you had to stop with the tires in a certain direction if you were parked uphill or downhill in SF.
But I can assure you, just like modern cars benefit from the tires in a certain direction when parked uphill or downhill, but it's not absolutely necessary anymore, once you drive for years with switches around the steering wheel, you will be annoyed with dash and floor switches, particularly during emergency maneuvers. It's not impossible, it's just a skill that's not taught anymore (just like many people do not know anymore how to set the distributor advance while driving, all cars do that for you now) and the times I've driven relatives' cars with manual transmissions and floor switches, I found them annoying. Luckily, I haven't had to downshift suddenly while blinking the high beams to alert people in front of me with those cars. When one is driving what we in America think of a "normal, modern" car, all we have to do is step on the brake, try to steer away from the trouble and blink the high beams, fast and easy. Not gonna list the lots of situations when having a manual transmission might be better or cheaper etc.
My point is that mostly now in my age I have a much higher appreciation for the absence of floor switches, and the amount of automation that driving is getting, including automatic transmissions, auto chokes, auto distributor advance, ABS, traction control, stability control, and even little things like intermittent wipers, rain sensors, cruise control and associated things (adaptive cruise control, automatic braking etc).
On of my brothers used to poke fun at those (he's younger than I am) -- he loves driving, he gets *miffed* when we go somewhere and he's not driving, he'll point out old cars didn't have those and people liked them etc. In fact, from the sounds of it, you'd think his dick would fall off if he couldn't drive a complicated car. He stopped poking fun one day when he drove one of the many 1940's cars one of my uncles had, he got sick pretty quickly of having to press the clutch, put the car in neutral, press the clutch again and change to the gear he wanted (no synchromesh on 1st or 2nd), not to say anything about having to crank the windshield wiper yourself. That's when he realized we *all* are used to some level of assistance from the cars, it's just what we grew up with is "normal" and the rest of the new stuff is for people who don't know how to drive properly.
Yeah, I can see that some people think that having all the "safety equipment" will save them from themselves and they can do all the wrong things -- I usually see them a few miles further down the road, in the middle of a ditch. Safety equipment does not relieve anyone from paying attention.
But the vast majority of cars leaving the assembly line this year will make it possible for people to brake the car and steer away from the problem, when 25 years ago that was not common and it was expensive, and a bit before then, you might not have been able to do it at all, skidding was a much more common situation back then.
I, for one, welcome all of that. Even self-driving cars.
Cheers,
-- Paulo.
Yes, as usual, you are right. It's not that hard, particularly if that's what you learned *first* and used it for some time. Just like it's easy and second nature in SF to just hold the clutch with your left foot, the brake with your right foot and slowly release the clutch, then the brake while at the same time using your right foot heel to tap the accelerator when you are stopped and about to move going up a steep hill. Some people consider using the handbrake in that situation "cheating" but I gather it depends on when you learned how to drive and who was the officer during your driving test.
Or, when I learned how to drive, you had to stop with the tires in a certain direction if you were parked uphill or downhill in SF.
But I can assure you, just like modern cars benefit from the tires in a certain direction when parked uphill or downhill, but it's not absolutely necessary anymore, once you drive for years with switches around the steering wheel, you will be annoyed with dash and floor switches, particularly during emergency maneuvers. It's not impossible, it's just a skill that's not taught anymore (just like many people do not know anymore how to set the distributor advance while driving, all cars do that for you now) and the times I've driven relatives' cars with manual transmissions and floor switches, I found them annoying. Luckily, I haven't had to downshift suddenly while blinking the high beams to alert people in front of me with those cars. When one is driving what we in America think of a "normal, modern" car, all we have to do is step on the brake, try to steer away from the trouble and blink the high beams, fast and easy. Not gonna list the lots of situations when having a manual transmission might be better or cheaper etc.
My point is that mostly now in my age I have a much higher appreciation for the absence of floor switches, and the amount of automation that driving is getting, including automatic transmissions, auto chokes, auto distributor advance, ABS, traction control, stability control, and even little things like intermittent wipers, rain sensors, cruise control and associated things (adaptive cruise control, automatic braking etc).
On of my brothers used to poke fun at those (he's younger than I am) -- he loves driving, he gets *miffed* when we go somewhere and he's not driving, he'll point out old cars didn't have those and people liked them etc. In fact, from the sounds of it, you'd think his dick would fall off if he couldn't drive a complicated car. He stopped poking fun one day when he drove one of the many 1940's cars one of my uncles had, he got sick pretty quickly of having to press the clutch, put the car in neutral, press the clutch again and change to the gear he wanted (no synchromesh on 1st or 2nd), not to say anything about having to crank the windshield wiper yourself. That's when he realized we *all* are used to some level of assistance from the cars, it's just what we grew up with is "normal" and the rest of the new stuff is for people who don't know how to drive properly.
Yeah, I can see that some people think that having all the "safety equipment" will save them from themselves and they can do all the wrong things -- I usually see them a few miles further down the road, in the middle of a ditch. Safety equipment does not relieve anyone from paying attention.
But the vast majority of cars leaving the assembly line this year will make it possible for people to brake the car and steer away from the problem, when 25 years ago that was not common and it was expensive, and a bit before then, you might not have been able to do it at all, skidding was a much more common situation back then.
I, for one, welcome all of that. Even self-driving cars.
Cheers,
-- Paulo.
lordkenmore
Well-known member
Another late 1970s US luxury car video. This video demonstrates being able to steer with one finger, and also makes the comment that at least cars back then had a "style" unlike today.
Paulo,
thanks for the compliment! But no one knows better than I that I'm not always right, and I sure hope that I can always admit it when I'm wrong.
Your description of starting off on a steep hill without using the E-brake is how I was taught too, but I haven't owned a manual trans car for 20 years, so it might be a challenge, but I wouldn't be afraid to attempt it. Using a clutch is like riding a bike, once you learn, you never forget.
I was also taught to curb the wheels when parking on hill, just like you were, parking downhill, wheels turned towards the curb manual trans in reverse gear, parking uphill, wheels turned to the left and allow the right tire to gently touch the curb, with gearshift 1st. And in heavy traffic I was taught to also use my hand and arm signals, to be sure other drivers knew your intent. I don't use the arm turn signals anymore, but if I'm stuck in stop and go traffic on the highway I'll still sometimes use my hand signal for stop, left arm down palm facing back. Old habits die hard.
But you are correct about all the great safety features too. In 2000 I hit another car in the rear when he pulled suddenly in front of me. I was driving a 98' Honda Accord. I jammed both feet on the brake and literally had my ass out of the seat standing on the brake when the airbag deployed and slapped me in the face. It kind of even burned my face, but I had no injuries other than being stunned. That experience made me a believer in airbags.
I feel the same way about ABS, great safety feature. And anyone that thinks you are any safer in a huge 55' Cadillac, without seat belts, think again. I vividly remember seeing these old tanks in terrible accidents in the 50's and 60's in the Bay Area before my family moved to the country. It was common to see lots of blood from occupants that hit the windshield, or were impaled by the steering column.
Even so, I still love old cars and I realize that if I were ever lucky enough to acquire one, driving it would be different than what I've become used to and not as safe.
One thing about new cars that is not safer are the ubiquitous power windows. Go into the drink and unless you're able to break or kick out a window, say your prayers, cause you're probably gonna drown. And you would be hard pressed to find any new car now with windup windows. I love the convenience of the power windows, but I sure hope that I'll have the presence of mind to roll the window down if I ever find my car heading into the water.
Eddie[this post was last edited: 9/10/2017-20:26]
thanks for the compliment! But no one knows better than I that I'm not always right, and I sure hope that I can always admit it when I'm wrong.
Your description of starting off on a steep hill without using the E-brake is how I was taught too, but I haven't owned a manual trans car for 20 years, so it might be a challenge, but I wouldn't be afraid to attempt it. Using a clutch is like riding a bike, once you learn, you never forget.
I was also taught to curb the wheels when parking on hill, just like you were, parking downhill, wheels turned towards the curb manual trans in reverse gear, parking uphill, wheels turned to the left and allow the right tire to gently touch the curb, with gearshift 1st. And in heavy traffic I was taught to also use my hand and arm signals, to be sure other drivers knew your intent. I don't use the arm turn signals anymore, but if I'm stuck in stop and go traffic on the highway I'll still sometimes use my hand signal for stop, left arm down palm facing back. Old habits die hard.
But you are correct about all the great safety features too. In 2000 I hit another car in the rear when he pulled suddenly in front of me. I was driving a 98' Honda Accord. I jammed both feet on the brake and literally had my ass out of the seat standing on the brake when the airbag deployed and slapped me in the face. It kind of even burned my face, but I had no injuries other than being stunned. That experience made me a believer in airbags.
I feel the same way about ABS, great safety feature. And anyone that thinks you are any safer in a huge 55' Cadillac, without seat belts, think again. I vividly remember seeing these old tanks in terrible accidents in the 50's and 60's in the Bay Area before my family moved to the country. It was common to see lots of blood from occupants that hit the windshield, or were impaled by the steering column.
Even so, I still love old cars and I realize that if I were ever lucky enough to acquire one, driving it would be different than what I've become used to and not as safe.
One thing about new cars that is not safer are the ubiquitous power windows. Go into the drink and unless you're able to break or kick out a window, say your prayers, cause you're probably gonna drown. And you would be hard pressed to find any new car now with windup windows. I love the convenience of the power windows, but I sure hope that I'll have the presence of mind to roll the window down if I ever find my car heading into the water.
Eddie[this post was last edited: 9/10/2017-20:26]
My '81 Subaru had a hill holder clutch that was supposedly patented by Studebaker. Stop on a steep grade and it locked and it let go as you went forward, no e/brake necessary. Nobody around here has a manual Subaru now. Even though I have a 36 year old Corvette, I prefer my newer Silverado I have now for the ease and safety things. Vette is for sale, want it? Sorry, no air bags in it.
I just could _not_ get through that video. I actually own a '76 Eldo (restored it in high school and still have it) and know these cars inside and out. Somehow the most unique things about the design escape him and the usual tropes make their appearance.
I do get tired of the 'huge car, puny HP' comment from people who have always had 200HP 4-cylinders available. Apparently knowing about torque curves or gearing isn't a requirement to be 'a car guy' these days. Mine has been souped up a bit, but in factory trim and tuned correctly, these 5000 pound cars get up and boogy!
Edit: Did this guy bury the lede or just miss the obvious? Not only are these Eldos FWD, but this one happens to have a rare '77 option- Electronic Multiport Fuel Injection (making more HP than he claims, sure, but drastically improving drivability).
[this post was last edited: 9/10/2017-20:09]
I do get tired of the 'huge car, puny HP' comment from people who have always had 200HP 4-cylinders available. Apparently knowing about torque curves or gearing isn't a requirement to be 'a car guy' these days. Mine has been souped up a bit, but in factory trim and tuned correctly, these 5000 pound cars get up and boogy!
Edit: Did this guy bury the lede or just miss the obvious? Not only are these Eldos FWD, but this one happens to have a rare '77 option- Electronic Multiport Fuel Injection (making more HP than he claims, sure, but drastically improving drivability).
[this post was last edited: 9/10/2017-20:09]
My Mom and Stepdad had one of those large,long, Licolin Towncars.They liked it- I HATED it-the thing was just too big-clumsy to me to drive-felt like I was driving their pickup.The LON----GGGG Hood is just WASTED space.The back seat was not habitable by an adult person.Glad they went back to a four door model-was better.and I liked the 4 door Lincolin better than the Cadillac they bought later.For motors-My Toyota Highland Hybrid gas motor-a 6 has 264 HP.The hybrid motors can add 125 extra HP.Yes,my car has all of the new fangled stuff-but like it.You just have to get used to it.And my car handles better than those HUGE rolling sofas of the past.
re: "Lexus & Mercedes don't build a perfect car!"
A case-in-point is a 1980's Mercedes that I used to frequently see as often as from when it was new up to a-few-years-ago that I no longer do...
It had those new-fangled headlights & even the wipers (and washers) fading & showing their age--to where the cleaning apparatuses probably no longer worked...
-- Dave
A case-in-point is a 1980's Mercedes that I used to frequently see as often as from when it was new up to a-few-years-ago that I no longer do...
It had those new-fangled headlights & even the wipers (and washers) fading & showing their age--to where the cleaning apparatuses probably no longer worked...
-- Dave
Toyota
Our family owns all Toyotas now. We have a 98 Prizm (Corolla), 99 Camry, and a 14.5 Camry. The older ones have well over 100K and drive like new. Also, my 99 Camry has the most comfortable back seat I have ever sat in. People tell me this all the time and I agree. They easily are some of the best cars on the road. Yes, Toyotas are recalled frequently, however they do recall them when they know something is wrong.
Our family owns all Toyotas now. We have a 98 Prizm (Corolla), 99 Camry, and a 14.5 Camry. The older ones have well over 100K and drive like new. Also, my 99 Camry has the most comfortable back seat I have ever sat in. People tell me this all the time and I agree. They easily are some of the best cars on the road. Yes, Toyotas are recalled frequently, however they do recall them when they know something is wrong.
norgeway
Well-known member
Believe it or not
I can parallel park my Grand Marquis or a Town Car MUCH easier than I ever could either of the Hyundais or the Accord I had, And speaking of floor switches, My 63 Olds Starfire had TWO switches on the floor, the dimmer and a radio selector switch,But still...You have never really driven until you drive a mid 60s big Chrysler product, now THAT is what power steering is supposed to feel like and that is how a automatic is supposed to work!
I can parallel park my Grand Marquis or a Town Car MUCH easier than I ever could either of the Hyundais or the Accord I had, And speaking of floor switches, My 63 Olds Starfire had TWO switches on the floor, the dimmer and a radio selector switch,But still...You have never really driven until you drive a mid 60s big Chrysler product, now THAT is what power steering is supposed to feel like and that is how a automatic is supposed to work!
I must say the electric steering on our new MKS is pretty sweet. It is effortless when sitting still or going slow and has more feel when at highway speeds. I'm impressed so far.
