ulangca

Is it me, or does this car loves to be driven fast. Lately it seemed that I've been averaging more that the posted speed limit on the freeway. I drive in the Los Angeles area and it is sometimes even hard to keep up with that speed with all the traffic, but when there are some open segments, it just loves to spread its wings...

I better be careful though, can't really afford a ticket... Maybe, I should invest on a radar detector... Any suggestions on a nice, sleek looking one? Where would be the best place to look, other than the internet?

.... Oh, one other thing. I was driving home today in the evening and came up behind a blue Subaru WRX STI. I don't think he knows what car I'm driving. I thought to myself, hmmm... let's see if he wants to give it a go. He changed lane to pass the car in front of him and he accelerated hard (but not hard enough). I also accelerated right behind him (I have an auto and did not drop it to SS mode), and kept a consistant and safe distance (from my observation did not gain or loose any distance). My normal exit was coming up next and I thought that I'll take the next one, because I want to have more fun. But then I looked up and saw there are a lot of cars in front of us, and it will be impossible to increase our speed unless both of us will weave through all of those cars. So, I just exited. Perhaps the right thing to do (Thank God for the cars in front of us)... I knew I have no chance to go up against an STI (a car I was considering), but just curious how it would fare against it.

6spdzoomzoom

Its always fun to see what they will do...

rets

I agree this damn car is fast, depend on which car you were driving prior to 04TL.

And, whatever 5AT or 6MT, they are good enough to enjoy the ride.

partagas

It doesn't give you that immediate gratification punch off the bottom like the GS430 or the mid range rush of the 330 or the mid clobber of the G35 but it revs into a giant rubber band type of top end that says "rev me, rev me and we'll have fun."

mrtech

Most CHP will tail/follow you from the slow lane. It that case, your radar will never beep. My radar detector has been more useful on city streets. There are a lot of false alarms when you drive by stores with automatic doors since most of them use the same band as the radar detectors. After a while you do get to distinguish.

Yes, it is nice to drive fast. Cruzing at 75 - 80 feels like 65 mph.

¿GotJazz?

If they don't have photo radar in your area, I would highly recommend the Escort "Solo S2" (about $330). It's battery operated, and lasts for about a month on a set of AA batteries. I really like mine quite a bit.

However, photo radar is really tough to pick up, and the Solo S2 doesn't always catch it (though I'm not really sure if any detector picks up photo radar well - regardless of what the manufacturer says).

For extra Ka sensitivity (photo radar uses Ka-band radio waves), you should consider the Escort 8500 for about $250. The Escort 8500 is corded, though. I just read that Escort is getting ready to release a new top-line corded detector, so you may want to wait for that one to come out. The price on the 8500 will probably drop.

Check out The Escort Store, Radar Test, and Radar-Detectors for pricing info and third-party reviews. Unfortunately, nobody seems to discount the Escort radar dtectors, though.

¿GotJazz?

partagas

My more expensive than redemption V1 works. Central Cal must be heaven for radar chippies, lurking behind trucks and in slow lanes and hiding on on ramps.

Booyah

Where did you read that Escort is coming out with a new model? Have a link?

partagas

Wife's 8500 probably has as good of front warning and it's way easy to read. But arrows, must have arrows.

nickpoore

My vote is for the Valentine 1 radar detector (aka V1).

Lots of discussion on which is better; V1 or 8500.
They certainly seem to be the top two to pick from.

Cordless detectors are generally not as powerful as they have to conserve power, and so don't run at full power all the time.

-=Nick=-

blaketag

Another vote for the V1! Mine has paid for itself many times over through saving me from multiple tickets in the BMW I drove prior to picking up an 04 TL. The TL is just as effortless at speeds over 80 MPH as the 330i, so I know the V1 will continue to be an essential accessory. The directional arrows featured ONLY on the V1 are invaluable.

Tom

adam209

cops in central cali are either really nice or the biggest d*cks

vtechbrain

I vote for the escort 8500 its saved me from numerous tickets. I tried the Valentine and it is slightly more sensitive. It also never shuts up either. Even in the most filtered mode it delivers a constant cacophony you quickly learn to ignore.

ulangca

Thanks y'all for the radar suggestions...

I will definitely will look into Escort 8500 and Valentine 1.

SilverBulletCLS

Don't believe those reviews though. They are against Valentine due to a personal issue and escort paid money to them to really make theres look good. Car and Driver did a recent test and the V1 was way higher than the Escort 8500. Get the V1.

SilverBulletCLS

I had the 8500 for 1 year before I got the V1. V1 hands down is just better.

6spdzoomzoom

You all need to live on the wild side.... Who needs a radar dector.
Its a game, sometime you win and sometime you lose...


BTW- a couple of years ago there was a study done on folks with radar dectors and folks without. They discoverd people with radar dectors actually drive slower.

guia x

Yeah this car is pretty fun to drive fast. Interesting story about the WRX. I've always wanted to see how fast they were, but most of the time the ones I've came across seem to just sit back as if they are just there admiring the TL. Anyway, I have a story of my own this past weekend coming home from Sacramento. I was zipping through the uphill portion of the 5 freeway around Gormon and this car was just slicin' and dicin' through the turns and all the other cars were just disappearing really fast at the back. Well, I slowed down and cars were starting to catch up and I was approaching some cars in the front. I came up on this truck and saw another car coming on my rear. I was going to switch lanes but he switched first. It was a new Altima. So I followed him. He starts accelerating, so I did the same. Wasn't even trying to race him, just following his speed so I could go home faster. So he just kept going faster and faster. So I said, okay we'll see how fast this baby can really go. At that moment I decided to go for it, we were already going around 90mph. We reached over a hundred and at this point more and more cars are approaching and we were weaving in and out of lanes. I was still behind him as there was really no chance to over take. I decided to just chill out as it was getting way too dangerous. So I slowed down and let him go his merry way. Anyway, minutes later, I see him just not too far ahead, so I speed up to try to go again. I'm sure he saw me because he starts speeding up. I was able to catch up to him, but this pickup decided to join in on the fun and blocked me from overtaking him and the Altima overtook the car on the next lane and I was stuck so I just let him go again. Man, now that guy must be having a ball thinking he just beat a 04 TL. I couldn't stop thinking about it the whole night. Oh well, I knew he would have fallen had there been a more open road as everytime he accelerated, I was right there without the TL breaking a sweat and I wasn't even in SS mode. The funny part was because I was with my fiance and she had the seat down and was sleeping. Usually she would get up everytime she hears the car accelerating as asks me who I'm playing tag with. For some reason, she doesn't do that with the 04 TL.

Anyway, sorry for the long post. Just had to get that out of my system.

rets

Well, guia x,

I believe your story will spread out fast in their website... That will be their #1 thread for this month.

Anyway, I think you've done the right thing, to slow down and save yourself. We only speed up when it's necessary and safe, it's not good especially your 04TL carries the one you love.

You might kick your pedal too conservatively because just trying to follow him. It would be a little hard to catch him if we have something holding us back.


Be happy.

Lore

My friend was driving me back from Tahoe this weekend along the 80 (coming down from Sacramento also, actually).

He has a black TL (VIN is in the 23xx range) without Navi. Everything else is stock.

We had several open patches of road so he'd accelerate in and out of traffic to get ahead of the more congested patches before it got any worse. At one time he was at 120 -- I didn't believe him, of course -- but when I looked over at the speedo he wasn't kidding. I was sitting in the front passenger seat and the noticed how well the car handled.

I will probably not take my car to such speeds, but it was good to know that if I had to (maybe if some mob members were chasing me!) I could, and with comfort.

vtechbrain

Guia X.
SHAME, SHAME, SHAME. Those challenges must be rewarded by utter humiliations. If people follow your example we'll be wasting our time teaching punk kids that their altimas are for the merry-go-round!

guia x

hey rets... got a link to that website? :lol2: Yeah sometimes it's hard to be sensible, but I am getting better at avoiding racing around on the streets. I guess old habits are hard to break. It's fun, until someone gets hurt. So I only do it when I feel it's safe. Open roads are pretty hard to come by though when you want to show someone what you've got.

Lore, we were going around 115mph and it didn't even seem like it. This car handles the speed pretty well.

guia x

vtechbrain, yeah yeah, I know. That's why I couldn't get it out of my head even until now. Everytime I see an Altima, I'm waiting for them to start something so I could redeem myself. So far no one has stepped up to the plate. Sorry for letting you guys down. I promise I'll make it up to you.

vtechbrain

ATA BOY!!!!!!

timnguyen9

Lore,

I got a good chuckle from your mob chasing your TL reference. The scene was very vivid in my imagination

Lore

If it's anything like the Sopranos, they'll either be driving a big maroon SUV or a Lexus luxury boat. They won't even come close to the TL's speed.

I just got my baby back this afternoon from the service dept (had to fix a rattle) and I'm eagerly awaiting the day I hit 600+ miles. At 330 right now!