Ongoing General Automotive Thread 2.0

[InglewoodFan]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Cosmos Collision is an authorized Porsche shop. They are along the same lines as Maranello for quality and won't be cheap but chances are they will do the best work. Screamin Paintworks is hit and miss. I went to them with my old Mustang GT because of word of mouth and they did substandard work for me. They didn't even attach the rear bumper cover correctly which should be elementary (I removed it and re-attached it myself) and I had to go over all their paint myself to correct the swirls they left in it. They are nice guys but it's a small shop so if they are busy they will just pump your car out.

+1 for Cosmos. They painted my S4, which was downright low end compared to what they had in the shop. Loc was super friendly and helpful. Took a while, but worth it.

Sent from my IN2025 using Tapatalk

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Aarons13

Afternoon all!

My partner and I picked up a 2021 CX5 turbo (highly recommend, especially in Soul Red) last year new, and we optioned the ceramic coating due to a reduced price. In retrospect, we paid too much for the coating, but here we are.... We've had the car recoated twice now, and sure enough, the water no longer beads. Today on a service appointment, their staff told my GF that the coat was still intact.

I do have some experience with detailing my own vehicle (beyond your standard Cdn Tire product offering ), however I'm not super familiar with ceramic products. I do have two questions here.

1. Does anyone here know what type of ceramic coat products a dealer would use?
2. Besides water beading, what other indicators would I have to show that the coat would still be present?

I'm trying to get a sense for the quality of product that might be used to then assess if Mazda is potentially just telling her its good cause they are lazy/not prepared to back up their lifetime recoat statement, or if maybe I'm just expecting too much from said product.

Thanks!

Bumping your question so it hopefully gets answered. You have me curious, too. I just did two of our cars over the past month or so and would like to know thoughts on your situation.

[calgarygeologist]

I love the muted colours that Honda has been using the last couple of years. I've seen a few of the blue-grey and green-grey vehicles and they look stunning.

[81MC]

#### is crazy right now out there man. Dealers are really grasping into this last thread of unchecked profits, and I feel for any fool who gets into a loan agreement on a car for 10-20% over ‘value’. People are ####ing nuts.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Reddit had a good story about how Heninger is advertising RAV4 Hybrids at MSRP. Except it's actually a pre-order and it requires a $7,000+ "package" that includes extended warranty, undercoating, and some sort of unobtanium....

Hopefully this chip shortage eases, but I'm sure the manufacturers are loving moving vehicles without incentives. After this shortage ends, I suspect they will try and keep prices high by carefully managing production. But I'm sure we can count on FCA/Stelllantis to do something Kevin Lowe-ish to win marketshare and wreck that collusion....

[Sliver]

Column shifters. There's nothing better. I can't believe all the fataing around car manufacturers do to complicate a feature that was basically great since the 40s? 50s? For sure 60s. They're just so out of the way, don't take up any centre console space, and are easy AF to use. Down for drive. Up for reverse. Done.

My 2012 Mercedes still has one. Looks like this:


It looks like new Benz models still have this.

Are they the only manufacturer still using column shifters? Maybe base model trucks still do (the ones with the jump seat between the two front captain's seats)? I'm sure there are others, but man alive, it's nuts how many fataed up gear shifters are out there and worse is how many destroy any hope of a reasonable centre console layout for other things.

Column shifters forever (unless you're going manual, of course).

[Fuzz]

My old truck has one, and it feels so positive to shift. KerTHUNK ya, in gear. Let's roll. Plus you don't have to move your hand far off the wheel.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

My old truck has one, and it feels so positive to shift. KerTHUNK ya, in gear. Let's roll. Plus you don't have to move your hand far off the wheel.

Yeah, and then when you put it in reverse you just kind of flick it up with your fingers with your hand basically still on the wheel.

[chedder]

My 2022 f150 xlt with buckets and middle console has column shift. Thought I was missing out on console shifter but I like it better as there's another nice storage area where console shifter would be.

[81MC]

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

Reddit had a good story about how Heninger is advertising RAV4 Hybrids at MSRP. Except it's actually a pre-order and it requires a $7,000+ "package" that includes extended warranty, undercoating, and some sort of unobtanium....

Hopefully this chip shortage eases, but I'm sure the manufacturers are loving moving vehicles without incentives. After this shortage ends, I suspect they will try and keep prices high by carefully managing production. But I'm sure we can count on FCA/Stelllantis to do something Kevin Lowe-ish to win marketshare and wreck that collusion....

Nah, I don’t see any artificial supply constraints lasting. Massive vehicle port investments in UK, where Mazda will be shipping direct for first time. Mobile and Jacksonville terminals both have large investments.

The entire vehicle to customer process involves so much more to an the dealership selling the car. Most OEMs have hundreds of suppliers, all which work in volume. Shipping, manufacturing, and after sale service is profitable via volume, and OEMs need market share to secure brand loyalty and lifecycle service.

I see know realistic desire for OEMs to restrict supply just to pad dealer profits. They sell a car to a dealer for a certain price, and incentivize sales quantity. Excessive profits for a dealer at the risk of brand growth and sustainability? Not a chance, regardless of what a salesman says.

[burn_this_city]

2022 Sierra HD still has the same column shifter as my 2007.

[photon]

One of the things I like about the Hyundai Ioniq 5 was that it has a column shifter:



The reviews I saw of the car almost all said how weird it was and they didn't like it, they're all crazy.

[TorqueDog]

Column shifters remind me of my parents' old Buick LeSabre.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

Column shifters remind me of my parents' old Buick LeSabre.

I think that's the reason they aren't in more cars. They're the best system, but some people can't get past that they're old tech/design. It was just today that it dawned on me how much better they are than every other system and I've been driving this car since 2016. When I first started using it I do recall thinking it was a bit "old man" so I know what you're talking about.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I think that's the reason they aren't in more cars. They're the best system, but some people can't get past that they're old tech/design. It was just today that it dawned on me how much better they are than every other system and I've been driving this car since 2016. When I first started using it I do recall thinking it was a bit "old man" so I know what you're talking about.

My 2014 Mercedes E550 had it too. The center console space was better utilized for storage and cupholders and so on, plus I used to drive mostly with the paddles anyway.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

My 2014 Mercedes E550 had it too. The center console space was better utilized for storage and cupholders and so on, plus I used to drive mostly with the paddles anyway.

Did you have the dual clutch in your E550? Mine isn't a dual clutch (that's only on the AMG CLS) so I find the paddles a bit unsatisfying unless I specifically put it in manual mode. Like if I'm just in drive and go to shift with the paddles, I find them to be a bit lazy/slow. Usually use them just for gearing down versus tapping the brakes.

[timun]

Originally Posted by photon

One of the things I like about the Hyundai Ioniq 5 was that it has a column shifter:



The reviews I saw of the car almost all said how weird it was and they didn't like it, they're all crazy.

The weird part about it appears to be that 'up' is Drive and 'down' is Reverse. That's backwards from how anyone else do it.

[photon]

The stalk doesn't move afaik, the end rotates and I believe there's a P button on the end to engage park. In that case rotating "up" does make more sense as drive.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by timun

The weird part about it appears to be that 'up' is Drive and 'down' is Reverse. That's backwards from how anyone else do it.

Kind of makes sense in that I think you twist that chrome part. Like, twist forward for drive and twist backwards for reverse. There's a reasonable logic to it.

[timun]

Oh, I didn't realize the stalk stays stationary and you twist to engage gear. I just presumed the knob on the end of the stalk was for something else.

Still weird.