|
Post by thedude on Sept 8, 2012 21:13:07 GMT -5
More reading yielded a liability concern for mirroring your phone to the dash where it could be a distraction. Well, yes, I'm not talking about a fully functional iPad, but some type of system where the applicable and safe apps are available, meaning the map app, music, etc. Obviously, not texting or email, or a word processor for heaven's sake.
|
|
|
Post by Holy Schist on Sept 8, 2012 22:23:37 GMT -5
More reading yielded a liability concern for mirroring your phone to the dash where it could be a distraction. Well, yes, I'm not talking about a fully functional iPad, but some type of system where the applicable and safe apps are available, meaning the map app, music, etc. Obviously, not texting or email, or a word processor for heaven's sake. What I have does a good job displaying the phone's main functions such as voice, address book, and music. It turns your iPhone's fields to large easier to touch buttons on the 8 inch or whatever size display. It will play any phone nav app audio too. I'm told it's far superior to the earlier offerings. I see it's made by Fujitsu Ten and uses Navteq maps. The phone's functions are also brought to buttons on the steering wheel. It's easier and safer to move through tracks that way looking aside and moving your hands from the wheel. I've been curious to know if any car screens have become
|
|
|
Post by thedude on Sept 9, 2012 6:45:32 GMT -5
That's sounds pretty cool. iPod integrates pretty well thru the connector, and the phone functions well via bluetooth, but the phone dialer/contact manager thing is a bit kludgy. Maybe I haven't done a very good job of importing stuff. I don't make many calls in the car, and it generally only to my wife anyway and she's on speed dial. I do like the BT integration for incoming calls.
Glad to see that there is some better integration in the future. I'll probably stick with my current car at least another few years and everything I have works well enough.
|
|
|
Post by Holy Schist on Sept 9, 2012 8:07:08 GMT -5
That's sounds pretty cool. iPod integrates pretty well thru the connector, and the phone functions well via bluetooth, but the phone dialer/contact manager thing is a bit kludgy. Maybe I haven't done a very good job of importing stuff. I don't make many calls in the car, and it generally only to my wife anyway and she's on speed dial. I do like the BT integration for incoming calls. Glad to see that there is some better integration in the future. I'll probably stick with my current car at least another few years and everything I have works well enough. You kind of bring up some of my reservations - knowing something better will come along. What I forgot to finish was wondering about a maker using a more responsive screen. I know they probably have to remain matte finish to work well. I've followed some web and DIY posts on what people do to upgrade. It's tricky stuff now with the vehicles having buttons in steering wheel tied to dash and "infotainment". Some who've upgraded their vehicles do or have the vendors do extensive work to match wiring harnesses. Reliability is a worry that remains for me. I know people with GM and VW/Audi products who have had $2000 to almost $5000 repairs to keep everything that came with carl still working. This has included no choice because they lost their HVAC in the mess. An associate with a Ford said he was lucky his car had the conventional size radio face instead of large LCD. I hope Subaru becoming a more polished product doesn't mean the fancy stuff is a check book nightmare because I would like to keep at longer ownership.
|
|
|
Post by thedude on Sept 9, 2012 9:38:15 GMT -5
Reliability is a worry that remains for me. I know people with GM and VW/Audi products who have had $2000 to almost $5000 repairs to keep everything that came with carl still working. This has included no choice because they lost their HVAC in the mess. An associate with a Ford said he was lucky his car had the conventional size radio face instead of large LCD. I hope Subaru becoming a more polished product doesn't mean the fancy stuff is a check book nightmare because I would like to keep at longer ownership. I share that concern as well. I leased my Audi, and I just purchased it and bought an extended warranty before the lease ended. I don't expect any mechanical issues with the car, but the electronics are just too much of an unknown that can get ridiculously expensive. My previous car was a 2001 Acura MDX. It was a great vehicle with no mechanical issues, but the stereo went out in about its 7th year. Replacing the OEM system would have been thousands, so I ended up getting some after market system that essentially was installed outside of the original system because the original was thoroughly integrated with the car's other systems. That meant the new one didn't work with the steering wheel controls etc. Not the end of the world and it worked fine. That was the second vehicle where the electronics gave out before the mechanicals, so now I just buy the extended warranty if I'm going to keep the car. Also, I'm not sure, but I think you can generally wait to buy an extended warranty until just before the original expires. Dealers will usually not tell you this or fudge about it or tell you it will be too expensive later on, etc. Too me, it just doesn't make sense to buy an extended warranty unless you know you'll keep the car past its warranty expires. And, even if you think you will, you might not if it gets totaled in a wreck and the insurance company isn't going to pay you for that.
|
|
|
Post by donalgdon on Oct 26, 2012 19:40:22 GMT -5
My wife's cousin bought a brand new Hyundai Elantra sedan off the lot around December of last year. She tried to start it last week, and it wouldn't start. Come to find out she hadn't done ANY regular maintenance to it since the day she bought it. No oil changes, nothing. Just gas and go! I'm amazed it lasted as long as it did! She's still making payments on it, of course.
|
|
|
Post by thedude on Oct 26, 2012 20:28:08 GMT -5
That's less than a year. How much mileage?
|
|
|
Post by Holy Schist on Oct 26, 2012 20:52:15 GMT -5
My wife's cousin bought a brand new Hyundai Elantra sedan off the lot around December of last year. She tried to start it last week, and it wouldn't start. Come to find out she hadn't done ANY regular maintenance to it since the day she bought it. No oil changes, nothing. Just gas and go! I'm amazed it lasted as long as it did! She's still making payments on it, of course. Just didn't start or burnt toast? A big difference.
|
|
|
Post by donalgdon on Oct 27, 2012 1:50:20 GMT -5
I don't know more details yet. I'll post an update on the situation when I can find out what's actually happened. It does seem to me that here cars tend to be harder on oil due to the high temperature and hills, etc. and that my car maintenance is a bit different than the Midwestern driving conditions to which I was accustomed. I find myself having to fop fluids much more often, etc.
|
|
|
Post by Holy Schist on Oct 27, 2012 6:53:12 GMT -5
I don't know more details yet. I'll post an update on the situation when I can find out what's actually happened. It does seem to me that here cars tend to be harder on oil due to the high temperature and hills, etc. and that my car maintenance is a bit different than the Midwestern driving conditions to which I was accustomed. I find myself having to fop fluids much more often, etc. You might need to qualify what systems have more problems. The engine is running pretty much the same temperature all the time and typically better if it doesn't have to start in cold weather. Some environments have rougher roads that affect components, salinity, dust etc..... If this person never changed the oil at all the filter could bypass. Many misunderstand or don't know about oil in their cars. I think Bob The Oil Guy site is the closest to the know all, end all for the common person. www.bobistheoilguy.com/motor-oil-101/
|
|
|
Post by donalgdon on Oct 28, 2012 11:32:48 GMT -5
Seems that the spark plugs were dirty and all the filters were clogged.
|
|
|
Post by Holy Schist on Nov 22, 2012 11:33:09 GMT -5
I said goodbye to a friend yesterday. I sold my classic gen 3 4Runner. It was an incredible ride. Reliability, value, capability, I'm sure the list could go on. I finished year end trail work with it last weekend. My new car can't travel the whole ski area or pull as much but I will use the 4x4 tractor and rent pickups when needed. I haven't been a licensed guide for 10 years nor split considerable time between WY and WI when it was an ultimate guide rig. Sad to go because of to the good memories but it got hard to rationalize a vehicle only getting about 2800 - 3500 miles a year. My new car will be good for the bad weather service calls I have to make. I've already carried the gasoline generator, tools, and used it on service roads and am confident it will work with a nice boost in comfort and economy.
|
|