FanaticFan

What we really need is a benefactor, to get me a TL as reward for taking care of my family's needs over my own all these years, and an Avalon for her because she's kept it all together for the same period. Oh well.

She'll say all she needs is a utility vehicle, but I bet you the minute I went woo-ha all out for the TL, one grump and I'd be feeling guilty as hell for being so selfish. <g>

We'll figure it all out, no worries; thanks for all your support and next lifetime, I'm marryin' the hot chick who drives and mods her own 911, I tell ya! Would make life a lot simpler.

Later,
FF

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

lol...you shouldn't feel guilty. you deserve it. and there is NOTHING worng with being selfish every once and a while (in particular your well being). you have to do what makes you happy within reason (esp if the wifey might get a bit resentful). if she gets what she wants, then why not get what you want? keep us updated.

cp3117

As others have mentioned, I would personally go with the TL if I had to choose between the two, but we all know in situations like yours we have to compromise. It sounds like the new Avalon will be sportier than before and even have more cargo space, so it maybe beneficial to wait a few months untill you hear more about the new model, if thats what your better half prefers.

When you mentioned 16 cu ft trunk and 3 inches more rear leg space. The first vehicle that popped into my mind for you two would be the new Taurus SHO. There was a comparo thread here a few months ago. Your wife would have all the luxury features that even an RL doesnt offer, a ton of cargo space, room, comparable fit/finish and straight line performance thats equal to a TL 6MT. Thats pretty impressive for a vehicle that size. The areas you would give up on would be the SH-AWD feature that is technically better and that the TL would technically handle better on a track.

Im not sure if your stuck just on Japanese brands and i know you have written off any European models, but even if you dont like North American brands, You should at least both go and give it a look as I think the both of you would be very impressed with the SHO as it basically fits both of your needs/wants.

FanaticFan

Thanks CP; I wrote off American cars years ago because of the way the companies treated their employees. That hasn't changed.

Edward'TLS

FanaticFan, have you decided ?

DannyZRC

I think FanaticFan is just laying groundwork, doing his due dilligence, cajoling the wife etc.

The_Tripzter

Well FanaticFan, whatever you and the misses decide, good luck! Lucky for me, my wife always drove sports cars and SUV's. She has no issues coming from a Ford Expedition to a TL SH-AWD. This is her first sports sedan and loves it. She is not ready for the rolling recliner yet! Me either.

jjsC5

Buy yourself a new TL now, and if you feel the need, spring for a new Avalon for your wife next year.

FanaticFan

Ok, update: well, unless the stars destine things otherwise, we've agreed on the TL SH-AWD. Yay! My wife sounds content with the decision as well, and I've given her plenty of opportunity to nix it without any guilt-tripping. Let's hope we're comfortable enough on the long trips. My kid nixed the need for the limo treatment, so that's good, too. I don't know how I lucked into such a sensible family. Even the teenager, wow, scary.

This is why we've been married a long time.

Now I'll just have to get over the grief at parting with my Prelude SH (yes.... so sad).

I'm very lucky to have this chance, after suffering for years now fighting through global economic collapse. I hope my compadres out there won't now turn on me ' cause I'm driving a new shiny; I've been beaten down with all of you, and hope for better times ahead (it's going to be a long road).

Seriously, in the back of my mind has been, which car would be the most comfortable to live in, if it came to that?! ...... Suburban, I know.....

Anyways time for some fun and hope and taking a few chances. Life is short and I can't just wait out the decade until things get better all around, the clock continues to tick.

Thanks again all, you've been wonderful, warm and funny, it's really been a delightful conversation. I wish there were more of that, everywhere. DannyZRC, your gf convo was priceless. And all power to the women on this forum who are driving enthusiasts and modders; you are the future.

I'll let you know how the first few weeks go, and be safe and have some fun out there!

Edward'TLS

Good choice. You won't be disappointed with the car.

What color have you decided on ?

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

too bad about the prelude though...you couldn't keep that as a toy?

FanaticFan

Afraid not, now that would be greedy.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

hope you find a good home for the prelude. maybe a member here would buy her form you?? enjoy the soon to be new TL!

FanaticFan

Oh, and Edward, sorry: Graphite Luster Metallic, also known to people here on Earth as Dark Gray. . It's a practical color, won't show the inevitable dings, chips and bird poops as vividly as black or white. I love great car photography, but I'll leave that to the mags.

I do wish all cars were more colorful; it's like always driving to a funeral out there these days. I want bright orange! Peppermint! Cabbage Leaf Green! Surely this is possible?

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

dark gray is a good color (anthracite metallic, sterling gray metallic...) what about the color of the interior?

cp3117

Congrats on the decision and nice color choice.

Im not sure where you are form but you should be able to get a good deal on it too. Up here in Canada they are trying hard to move them and the last I heard there was $4000 cash rebates and I believe very low finance/lease rates along with free maintenance for 2 years. I am not sure if its change recently though with the free maintenece.

FanaticFan

Inside is.... _light_ gray. If I go color blind I'll still be able to see the car.

I suspect it will show 15 years of wear worse than the tan cloth seats in our old cars (I'm from a different era, where cloth is preferable to leather because it doesn't peel and crack!), but oh well. Guess I have to regularly oil the leather like you'd do with gloves and boots, eh?

Sounds like we'll get a good deal on it, will let you know.

I prefer to remain mysterious as to who/where I am. The Internet Sees All and is getting smarter and more predictive every day.

nj2pa2nc

Back in the day I owned a bright Orange vw super beetle. I am a fan of bright colors. I owned a gray civic, volvo, Hyundai and mercedes. Prefer red.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

so true. BTW....some dealers do lurk around on the forums...

nj2pa2nc

I know many from my dealer look at acurazine.

FanaticFan

I had my first car painted by Maaco Fire Engine Green (it was a used dark purple...Aubergine I guess designers would say... Opel Manta, born in 1973. Only 5 years old when I got it, for $1,400 US. THOSE were the days!).

Was really easy to find in parking lots, and since the inside was still Aubergine, nobody ever wanted to steal it, or go near it even.

Was a fun car, drove it cross country and all over California for the rest of its life until it blew a head gasket.

nj2pa2nc

Gremlin, pacer colors.

FanaticFan

So yes, have the TL SH-AWD now, only a few hundred miles on it and it certainly was the right choice.

Thank you all for listening in on our hemming and hawing.

Absolutely love the car, and hope with luck we can get many years of great driving and traveling pleasure out of it.

Sold the Prelude locally; have all the maintenance paperwork and the car was maintained with above-and-beyond diligence, so I'm sure the new owner will be delighted with it. I only wish the Pirelli P-Zero Neros I had on it hadn't suffered tread separation and had to be replaced with Turanzas a year ago; oh well, safer, less spirited-driving-encouraging tire. Will help the car last longer in new hands.

The Bridgestone S-03s were my favorite tire on that car; when the Goodyear Eagle RS-As on the new car wear out, I'll consider replacing them with S-04s, or more likely, the Michelin Pilot PS2s or whatever variant is out a few years from now. Starting with inflation on the RS-As at 37 back, 39 front, is that okay? Nice, firm ride, I don't mind the tire noise and prefer the performance aspect.

Oh! One amusing thing, since this is the first time we've had TPMS: wondered one morning why the dealer had inflated one side higher than the other.....?!?! WTH were they thinking?!?! then realized: aha -- sun shining on that side of the car. One of many things I will learn to adapt to.

Any tips/cautions/things to test out welcome! Babying the car until it makes its 600 mile break-in (with mild spirited accelerations, keep the rings from forming a band at a specific RPM range... maybe mythology? but what the heck). Using all the systems.

Amazing what little things matter: I really love that the NavAudio voice control system lowers volume on audio when using voice control. A small, but definitely distinctive touch. Nice, professional fade-out/fade-in. Obvious, but not everyone does this.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

nice get. glad you found a new home for the prelude. hopefully the new owner will give it the same love you did.

...enjoy the new ride!!

JM2010 SH-AWD

Congrats on the pick up. You'll really enjoy the car.

As far as tips, you can do a fair amount of customizing, including your displays, door locking, sounds, etc. Spend some time with the manual and explore the MID and Tech features. You can make some small changes that will enhance your enjoyment of the car. For example, the default option for the door lock is that only the driver's side door unlocks when you park. I frequently throw my suit jacket and bag in the back seat. So I programmed the locks to open all doors when parked. Just one small thing to make life easier.

Good luck with the new wheels and keeping those Rs in check until 600 miles.

FanaticFan

Thanks!

Yes I'm an avid reader of manuals, for me, it's entertainment. The bigger, the better.

I'm also a fan, though, of adapting my choices to the interface at hand; I enjoy learning the logic of _why_ those choices have been made, instead of trying to force everything down the comparatively narrow corridor of how _I_ think it should be. Broadens my horizons and perspective over time, and sometimes it turns out the default choices are good ones, for a reason.

Here's one small thing: my wife is an obsessive about locking doors at gas stations, when I'm outside pumping the gas and she's inside waiting. Too many stories about carjackings in the '90's? Whatever the reason. With our key fobs.... is that possible? Won't her fob in the car and mine nearby while I'm pumping the gas prevent lock-out, and thus prevent the doors from being locked while she's inside and I'm outside? Or, how does that work?

HeartTLs

iTrader: (5)

Can lock the car with the fob while the fob is outside the car and the car is on. Why are you guys riding around with two fobs anyway? Keep one home in safe storage.

DannyZRC

she probably keeps her key bundle on her at all times, aka doing it correctly.

StHalcyon

Nice decision! You'll love it as much as I have been for the last week and a half! =)

FanaticFan

I'm afraid I'm not "keeping up the side" as, since I have to stay within reasonable revs, had three _extremely_ lean years recently to put it euphemistically and thus have practiced shall we call it low-cost, low maintenance driving... I'm reveling more in seeing how well I can max out mileage at the moment instead of performance. This is leaving drivers around me shall we say, slightly impatient. But the good news is I invariably catch up with them at the next light, and have the road more to myself, more of the time. Not going dangerously under speed limits but on a hill I might be 1-2mph under rather than the 12-15mph over everyone else seems happy with. The good news, though, is I'm getting avg 26mpg city/hwy with 70/30%! Better than my Prelude even driven quietly, and a lot heavier.

I'll get over it eventually as I grow more familiar and past the 600mi. mark. just fun for now to prove it's possible.

StHalcyon

Wow... I've been babying my car with no revs past 4,500, and with a little over 300 miles, I'm averaging under 18 mpg!

So far it has been 70/30 city/highway. =)

I'd be afraid to see what happens after the 600 mile mark. In the 3.5 years I've owned my Spec.B, I have never gone past 20 mpg on average.

FanaticFan

I'm sure all sorts of terrain and environment conditions are a factor, of course. Plus I'm definitely great at this point at featherlight acceleration, after much practice. The instant mpg bar is a helpful guide. I shudder when it shows 2mpg if I accelerate a little harder from stop going uphill. <g> Might as well be driving a Ferrari, or alternately, a fully-loaded big-rig, at that rate! (I have endless sympathy these days for truck drivers dealing with high fuel prices; give them all your consideration on the road!).

Exaggerating my driving style slightly, of course; it's always best to stay with the speed of surrounding traffic.

StHalcyon

^^^ LOL Chicago is as flat as they come. I live downtown, and I work downtown. =)

FanaticFan

Yes, I remember Chicago.

Also remember, the engine as it settles in is probably going to vary for awhile on fuel and oil consumption, etc. - not worth worrying about unless something is really wrong.

Plus as I recall I think fuel in the Midwest has a higher ethanol content? Again, not a big difference but can mildly affect mileage.

Plus Chicago, yeah.... I actually used to love driving in that city, a real test of your reflexes and peripheral vision! As well as awareness of the edges of your vehicle. I liked to think that over the years I earned the respect of the cabbies in that town.... But mainly, lots more stop and go and need for braking and acceleration in traffic, especially during rush hour.

Edward'TLS

Congrats, and even better is to hear that you made the right choice picking the TL.

By the way, the Michelin PS2 is already dated. The newer model is the Pilot Super Sport, which has been widely reviewed to be superior than PS2 in all ways.

FanaticFan

Even better! I'll live happily with the limitations of the RS-As until they're ready to go. Those limitations will only inspire me to pick up great replacements when the time comes.

I learned years ago how profoundly the tires influence the overall feel and performance of a car. One area never worth compromising in, once you have the choice.

Edward'TLS

Exactly, this is what I've been keep telling everyone.

No matter how good the suspension tuning and how advanced the torque-vectoring AWD are on the TL, it all comes down to the 4 small patches of rubber that come in contact with the roads.

Never skimp on tires. Always buy the best and settle for nothing less.

SebringSilver

If you're looking for a high performance tire that isn't going to cost an arm and a leg, which also has ridiculously good tread life, consider the Continental ExtremeContact DW.

The sidewall design is particularly good if anyone is planning to go to a wider wheel/tire set up but wanting to minimize the chances of tire rub should you also lower the car.

FanaticFan

I suspect I'll stick with the stock suspension geometry, but will give the Contis a look when the time comes.

Funny how tire brand quality oscillates over time; I can remember when it was a shame to get a new car with Continental or even Michelin OEMs, as they were widely known to be unreliable and low tread-life choices. Now, Bridgestone and Goodyear are in the doghouse, even though both were great years back. All depends on which tire line within each brand, too, though.

StHalcyon

I already know what I'm replacing my stock tires with. The Bridgestone RE970AS Pole Position. =)