Ongoing General Automotive Thread 2.0

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by GGG

Won’t once the next gen of kids start buying vehicles they will start buying vans and wagons instead of SUVs. No one wants their parents car

That is what I am assuming will happen. Once gen z and the next gen start buying cars I think they will shun the SUVs and crossovers. I expect that they will stay away from trucks as well. But who knows?

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by timun

The idea that if Mercedes-Benz made something that more readily embraced a "minivan" identity or conventionality it would sell better is... reaching.

Better than other minivans or better than the R-class did? Because if the latter, I think the real downfall of the R-class was not just committing to an identity. If they didn't want to make a minivan because they thought it was beneath the Mercedes-Benz brand, then don't make one. But if you go half measures and make something that is sort of like a minivan but isn't actually one, potential customers just don't know what to make of it and that confusion does not yield sales. I think had they just gone all out and actually made a full-on minivan it would have been considerably more successful, which, admittedly, is a low bar to clear.

That said, is there actually a real, significant-to-the-point-of-being-worthwhile market opportunity for a Benz-style luxury minivan at a Benz price point? I don't know. Unfortunately the reality is that it probably makes more sense to just keep pumping out SUVs.

[powderjunkie]

Speaking of minivans, anybody seen a Kia Carnival? Apparently they're in quite high demand. Canadian trim options suck though...the only way to get memory seats is on the SX, which has the non-removable mid row captain seats that don't actually seem that great.

Memory seats are kind of a deal breaker for us with our height differential, so I guess I'm back to Odyssey vs. Sienna (but non-removable mid row seems limiting).


Thoughts on Unhaggle? Any other services worth considering?

[Erick Estrada]

I like what Hyundai/Kia have been doing of late but what were they smoking naming any vehicle the Carnival? What's next, the Kia Jamboree?

[Regulator75]

Originally Posted by browna

Off topic, but what an absolute hideous design of the 2022 Outlander's front end.
It's as if they designed the sheet metal of the hood and front end snout to be aggressive and cutting edge, and then realized that the headlight design and size they wanted wasn't going to fit in the sheet metal kinks. Thus, comically small headlights, jammed in, sitting recessed way too far back of the actual front end, with painted body metal between it and the grill. Then, the area and the headlights themselvrs jewelled and chromed up to try and make it look elegant.

It reminds me of a coupe things, seeing a first year model barebones GMC Canyon they had the sealed beam headlight option, not the halogen one, and the square headlights jammed awkwardly into the space where, on the other models, the headlight until flowed a bit into the hood.

Which is why I bought a new 2020, the 2022 was very odd looking.

[bagofpucks]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Speaking of minivans, anybody seen a Kia Carnival? Apparently they're in quite high demand. Canadian trim options suck though...the only way to get memory seats is on the SX, which has the non-removable mid row captain seats that don't actually seem that great.

Memory seats are kind of a deal breaker for us with our height differential, so I guess I'm back to Odyssey vs. Sienna (but non-removable mid row seems limiting).


Thoughts on Unhaggle? Any other services worth considering?

I’ve pulled the carcostcanada report of the last few vehicles we’ve purchased new. It’s definitely not a flawless strategy, but I like that I can at least get an idea of how much wiggle room there might be and most of the time it gives you a good idea of what deals are on for specific models. I also found it useful to understand which trim levels are a better bang for buck in general and specifically for what we’re looking for. Most dealers like to play the “confuse the numbers” game, so my strategy has been to use the report to come up with my number in the same silly language they’ll use (before tax, after tax, finance on x term, etc) and then at least I have something to compare to.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I like what Hyundai/Kia have been doing of late but what were they smoking naming any vehicle the Carnival? What's next, the Kia Jamboree?

Apparently it was the international badge for their minivan all along (instead of Sedona).

It's kinda like sports team names...new ones always sound hokey and less 'legit'. I don't mind 'carnival' for a big family vehicle.

[Northendzone]

Hi’d imagine this has been discussed in this thread before; however, what is everyone’s take on some of the various types of system flushes availible.

I was in a rush and went to mr. lube to get my oil changed and they recommended a coolant flush and a transmission fluid service, fuel system flush etc. I went in hoping for a $100 bill and walked out $400 later.

They also told me my battery was getting questionable - so it was off to CT for a $200 battery.

Vehicle in question is a 2015 explorer with 61,000kms.

Seemed to me it was time to change some of these fluids and generally tend to keep my vehicles for a while.

[HockeyIlliterate]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

Hi’d imagine this has been discussed in this thread before; however, what is everyone’s take on some of the various types of system flushes availible.

I was in a rush and went to mr. lube to get my oil changed and they recommended a coolant flush and a transmission fluid service, fuel system flush etc. I went in hoping for a $100 bill and walked out $400 later.

They also told me my battery was getting questionable - so it was off to CT for a $200 battery.

Vehicle in question is a 2015 explorer with 61,000kms.

Seemed to me it was time to change some of these fluids and generally tend to keep my vehicles for a while.

Well, what does the owner’s manual say that the service interval is for these items?

Not sure what a fuel system flush is, but my Honda says that the coolant gets changed at 10 years/110k miles (I think) and the transmission is every 30k miles I think.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

Hi’d imagine this has been discussed in this thread before; however, what is everyone’s take on some of the various types of system flushes availible.

I was in a rush and went to mr. lube to get my oil changed and they recommended a coolant flush and a transmission fluid service, fuel system flush etc. I went in hoping for a $100 bill and walked out $400 later.

They also told me my battery was getting questionable - so it was off to CT for a $200 battery.

Vehicle in question is a 2015 explorer with 61,000kms.

Seemed to me it was time to change some of these fluids and generally tend to keep my vehicles for a while.

All a good idea but not at a lube shop. Well coolant maybe, that just needs a drain and fill so no biggie there.

For a transmission they wouldn't have actually done a flush, they just did a drain and fill so it only replaced maybe 20% of the total fluid in your tranny. A full flush requires a machine to cycle the old fluid out. You can get similar results with a drain and fill but you'll have to do it about 4 or 5 times with driving between each time to actually get the state of the fluid in your transmission to be nice and new. That's something I'd get an actual mechanic to do so they replace the transmission filter while they're at it, a lube shop isn't going to do that (and I wouldn't trust them to even if they were willing)

The fuel flush I guarantee was just a bottle of 'fuel system cleaner' dumped in your tank that they then charged $50+ for. Not worth it at all since our fuel has so many cleaners in it here, but if you do want peace of mind you can get a bottle of the stuff for $15 at any auto parts store and add it yourself

[DownInFlames]

Lube shops are the worst for upselling. You're not anywhere close to needing a coolant or transmission service. Did they change the transmission and fuel filters?

[81MC]

Don’t get a tranny flush. A lot of OEs specifically recommend against it. The service intervals and specs are intended to be a drain, filter and refill. I don’t know a single OE that recommends a flush service, for a few reasons. They’re a waste of money at best, and can do damage at worst.

Same applies to any fluid flush service. Oil, Coolant, fuel etc. It voids all OE warranty for a reason. If it’s not precisely the fluid that you would be running in the system regularly, there’s no need to add it.

[Northendzone]

i should have been thinking more when i was in the lube shop.......i guess my issue is time versus mileage as the fluids were getting to be 6 yrs old; however, the mileage was low - i assume in those cass that the determining factor should still be mileage.

lesson learned to just book an appointment at a full service shop, or just stick with the oil change.

[InglewoodFan]

Originally Posted by DownInFlames

Lube shops are the worst for upselling. You're not anywhere close to needing a coolant or transmission service. Did they change the transmission and fuel filters?

Sent my 20 yr old to get the oil changed on the car of ours that he is driving, came home with a larger than expected bill for all the things they upsold him on. I think there was an expectation I would pay the difference but life is full of lessons.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by InglewoodFan

Sent my 20 yr old to get the oil changed on the car of ours that he is driving, came home with a larger than expected bill for all the things they upsold him on. I think there was an expectation I would pay the difference but life is full of lessons.

Seems like before you sent him to the shop would have been a better time to give that lesson.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by DownInFlames

Lube shops are the worst for upselling. You're not anywhere close to needing a coolant or transmission service. Did they change the transmission and fuel filters?

Upselling is a nice way to describe these absolute scam artists.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by InglewoodFan

Sent my 20 yr old to get the oil changed on the car of ours that he is driving, came home with a larger than expected bill for all the things they upsold him on. I think there was an expectation I would pay the difference but life is full of lessons.

That's a ####ty lube shop. The one I go to will tell me stuff is unnecessary.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by habernac

That's a ####ty lube shop. The one I go to will tell me stuff is unnecessary.

Can you share the shop with us?

[bossy22]

Habernac's Beaucoup de Lube

[Calgary14]

Car dealers do that too. “Free oil changes for life” but you need to buy a cabin filter each time for $60 that has a cost of $3