Texsox

I was thinking about the "why was it traded" question. If it was traded that soon, and there were problems, it would have been under warranty, and it would be reported. Dealers are one of the better CarFax reporters.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 05:32 PM) The only power he has is having people notice them. It just makes me sick to think that anyone has changed their opinion and agreed with this moron.

Hated to hear that.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 03:07 PM) Really? I've never been there, but I had the impression that it was a broken down oil town that never really came back to life. reborn. SS is right, great coastal city.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 02:28 PM) Well, I'm sure you're right. How could Audi develop an engine that go 10k miles between oil changes that uses oil that does not exist? Why would they do so? I'm sure you're right, and I'm pretty sure it's the oil manufacturers/oil change people that are probably lying... It is an interesting topic. You have two totally different industries working together with potentially different agendas. I never really thought about how the consumer's needs would fit into this equation.

QUOTE(sox4lifeinPA @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 03:30 PM) It was only a matter of time... I hate these people. I wish we could just ignore them and have them go away, far away.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 02:22 PM) My response was "No, there isn't." Not at the moment. I keep wondering if after Clinton and Obama finish each other off that maybe he backs in. It seems to be slipping away, but this still could be very interesting.

QUOTE(almagest @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 01:51 PM) Yeah, I think I was figuring that *all* cars have issues, but they are probably more serious in a new/restructured model than they are in something that's been around a while. I'll likely stay away from anything new or redesigned for 2008. Less true today than in the days of hand built models. Many of today's cars are reshuffling standard compenents, not new inventions. Still a lot of truth, but technology and better engineering and design reviews, via computer, is quickly narrowing the gap.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 01:19 PM) I have no idea. I guess I believed they were saying that the engine can run efficiently and without problems (I guess the word we are looking for is "normally") with oil changes only necessary every 10k miles. I think I finally figured out how to write what I was thinking. Logically the statement that Audi developed an engine that can go 10,000 ("A") but the oil manufactures do not have a 10,000 mile oil ("B" can not be true and has to be crap. For Audi's statement to be true, the oil has to last. So if A is true (that Audi developed a 10,000 mile engine), then B (the oil can't last) has to be false. There has to be an oil that lasts 10,000 miles. If B is true, (there is no such oil), then A has to be false. Audi has not developed an engine unless it runs on sludged up oil. So their statement is busted, from a formal logic point of view. I see no way that both A and B can be true, this the statement is always false. Anyone with more logic study comment?

QUOTE(iamshack @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 01:10 PM) Well, Audi makes that claim all the time, as does BMW, Mercedes, and plenty of other auto manufacturers. I'm sure it's a basic guideline, but from what I have heard, the engines in these particular vehicles can more than back up the claim. When an engine manufacturer claims their vehicle can go 10,000 miles between changes, what exactly are they saying happens? Are they saying that the oil will sludge up and their engine will keep going or their engine will cause the oil to last longer?

QUOTE(iamshack @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 12:44 PM) Could you elaborate a bit more? Who is "they"? The car manufacturer or the oil manufacturer? Both, but more on the oil change guys. Audi can not recommend a maintenance program that would result in an engine failure. They would have a massive recall on their hands and ruin themselves in the marketplace. They have to have some data to back that up. In part, what they are measuring is how fast oil breaks down in their engine. So Audi would not make an outlandish claim, and if they did, two guys in an oil change place will not be the guys that figure it out. Now I will also argue a bit on the other side. 10,000 in perfect driving conditions, with a perfectly running engine, with perfect oil, and a great filter, may be possible. But I would never take that chance.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 11:27 AM) They brought out a "certified" Audi tech to explain this catch-22 to me: The Audi engines are built to sustain 10k without an oil change- hell, you could probably even go more than that without problems. But there are no oils manufactured that can sustain 10k miles without getting thick and sludgy and clogging things up. So the car can handle it, but no current oil can. There are a couple problems with this statement. What their engine needs is proper lubrication at a minimum specification. The change interval is based, in part, on how fast the oil falls out of spec. There can't be two independent variables. They can't accurately say X miles without factoring in the oil breakdown.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 11:41 AM) Its the difference between campaigning for someone, or against someone. No, they completed a fast kill on McCain via his "illegitimate" black baby. After that there wasn't much to do but coast in.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 11:38 AM) That's the big issue with buying used - you are taking a chance (a significant one if the car is only a year old) that the car is problematic. That certainly is a possibility. Then again, the previous owner probably tried to avoid that problem by buying a new car, it didn't work for them in your example. Like anything you have to do some research, but over all, the quality of cars today makes buying most low mileage, newer cars, a safe bet. Plus many times you have the manufactures warranty still in effect. And how much could you spend after saving thousands to take care of those little things? And why does anyone ever trade in a car instead of driving it until it is used up and ready for the crusher?

QUOTE(Soxy @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 11:35 AM) The only cities on my list I would consider living in are Chicago and Glasgow. I'd consider Toronto, when they start drafting 46 year old fat guys with bad eye sight

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 11:15 AM) The civic, for example, also includes some sort of calculator that actually figures out based on your driving habits how long you should go before changing most of those fluids, including the oil. There are a few factors that come into the automakers suggested fluid changes. Waaaaaay back in the 80s the "cost of ownership" marketing battle was waged. One way to prop up retail prices was "my car can go longer without scheduled maintenance than their car". So the marketing and sales types had/have a vested interest in longer recommended intervals. Engineers don't win these battles very often. Not their required skill set. Sales and marketing guys are required to have that skill set. And there really are too many variables. All oils and filters are designed and built to a minimum standard. Some exceed the standard, some by a larger margin. Some people drive differently than others. There are too many variables to predict the optimum time to change *the specific* oil that is in *your specific* car right now. So it becomes a most oil in most cars using most filters should change at this time. My recommendation, 3,000 on dino oil, 5,000 to 6,000 with synthetics. And use a quality filter, not the crap that Jiffy Lube will recommend. And do not let Jiffy touch your transmission. The fluid they use is an "all purpose" that they add additives in to match your vehicle. Oil is the cheapest insurance for long life in your car.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 11:12 AM) This election cycle has more good candidates than any I've seen in a few cycles. Unfortunately, everyone seems to be forgetting that, because Clinton and Romney (the current front-runners) are among the worst of each bunch. But the overall field is an improvement. That, and the nature of the debate has been in the gutter. I had my hopes set much, much, higher. We have some articulate, smart, people running from a great diversity of backgrounds. And we get crap for anything meaningful coming out of any of their mouths.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 10:33 AM) The delegate leaders are Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton, neither of those are screaming "classy" to me. I did not mean to imply that. It may take two or three more elections. It all runs in cycles. Kind of the same old stuff, more of the same, a little more of the same, damn I'm tired of that and go 180 the other way.

QUOTE(sox4lifeinPA @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 09:19 AM) Intercourse, PA What are "places PA has never visited?" Correct! Choose another category.

You would be surprised by how many people stretch that oil change to 10,000 miles, never look at Trans fluid, check their coolent unless the heater doesn't blow, etc. Even the fuel level. Not many people realize that the fuel pump in most cars is cooled by the gas in the tank. When you dip below 1/4 tank in many cars, the pump runs hotter. It's a little thing that may never cause a problem, but why risk it on a routine basis?

Of course these recommendations are meaningless because we do not know what the primary purpose of the vehicle is. We're all assuming just basic transportation for one or two adults. No car pools, car seats, no trips with lots of luggage. We also do not know your knowledge level with cars and how well you maintain them. What I am currently driving is a disaster for anyone who does not maintain vehicles perfectly. It is also the biggest bargain among the 2004s. I'm planning on giving it to my son this summer. I picked something for him that was bigger, so he had plenty of trunk space getting back and forth from school. I wanted some steel around him to win any fender to fenders with Civics. Five passenger comfort for college road trip, even if it is just and hour away to Austin. I also wanted him to be a slave to maintenance, so he developed some good habits. All of which would be about the opposite of the direction you are leading.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 08:39 AM) I think GWB will totally be an afterthought after he leaves office. He's not going to be a stump for anyone again, IMO. Jeb '12

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 08:36 AM) I see no honor in the Presidency anymore. That has been said before. And once the American public truly believes it, we'll elect a "classy" candidate or two. I've said it before, of all the things that Reagan did, persona was #1 exactly when we needed it.

Chicago - nuff said Greater Los Angeles Area - I miss the business trips. Monterrey Mexico. Jumping off place for "real" Mexico. Great country clubs. Great people. Austin, Texas. Great music, state capital, gateway to hill country, Texans who think like me. All this pales to the South Rim campsites in the Chisos Mountains. The southern tip of South Padre Island. The Springs at Lost Maples State Park. The blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

QUOTE(StrangeSox @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 07:54 AM) New vs. used is really going to depend on what sort of deals the dealerships are offering (0% financing, cash back, etc.). With the depreciation hit that new cars take, you really should consider buying a car that's a year or two old At least consider it. Take a look at some of those same cars with 25,000 miles or so and the prices. You can negotiate a lot harder on used cars, so that comes into play. For most of twenty years I was in a position where I had to buy new cars. Once that was over and I could really analyze cost of ownership, I've been buying used. Even if you buy new, you will be driving a used car in a month or two.