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Went to the Chicago Auto Show over the weekend. I was pretty disappointed to realize both BMW and Mercedes-Benz did not display at the show. Mercedes did display their commercial van line though... I asked an employee and she said that they just decided to use the budget elsewhere. Not at the nation's largest auto show? It is also very disappointing since not everyone can get up close and personal and even sit inside the cars of these luxury brands. I was hoping to check out a 3 series or M3 for consideration.
Ford is completely different with not having cars any longer. Pretty much only the Mustang of course. Mach-E was cool, and so was the full carbon fiber GT. But it was crossover and pickups everywhere.
VW only had two GTIs on display. I asked an employee why the Golf R wasn't there and she said since the next model year is 2021 and the 2019 inventory is going to be depleted, they decided not to display one. But I requested more information anyway. She also mentioned the reason why they moved away from the 6yr/72k mile warranty is they found most buyers that come in the door end up leasing instead of purchasing. Hmm.
Subaru had a nice display and the STI was getting a ton of attention as usual. I have to say it was nice to sit in one... I can't wait until they release a new engine. The new Outback was getting mobbed by people and I sat in one and WOW they now have a huge infotainment screen like Tesla's. The interior was very nice. Here's a generic image.
The 2020 Civic Type R with the new Boosted Blue color was on display. I really like this color! The subtle model year upgrades look nice.
Acura had the Type S concept on display and it looked nice! It was getting a lot of attention. I heard one guy say to his wife "that's the new TL" and I wanted to laugh. Keep dreaming buddy!
I felt there were so many interactive test tracks, car demos, video games/augmented reality, etc., that it's just more than about looking at cars on the floor and talking with reps, but more of a family experience and entertainment. And the number of options to test drive a car has grown substantially too. Overall it was still fun to go and see, but the lack of all brands and the increasing emphasis on entertainment takes some away from the pure enthusiasts.
Last edited by RPhilMan1; Feb 18, 2020 at 12:42 PM.
I agree too that I hate those cuck mobiles. But damn they're handy when it fucking floods because you work in a beach area with incompetent local government. However I'll stick with my sedan that is less likely to tip over and maneuver through traffic a lot better. Shit I put 2 babies into a tiny Jetta and Accord coupe. Lazy Americans.
Subaru had a nice display and the STI was getting a ton of attention as usual. I have to say it was nice to sit in one... I can't wait until they release a new engine. The new Outback was getting mobbed by people and I sat in one and WOW they now have a huge infotainment screen like Tesla's. The interior was very nice. Here's a generic image
Subaru has stepped up their game, and I think with the Ascent, they are trying to capture more SUV audience. The trickle down has been to the Outback, and hopefully it hits other cars as well.
I swear Tokyo (especially Ginza) has the highest concentration of G-Wagens. Especially LHD because why not, I guess.
Yeah, stayed in Akasaka. Saw tons of G Wagons, but was more amazed at the amount of Rolls Royces around. Saw a lot more exotics than I did iconic 90's Japanese sports cars. Few R34s, only 1 was a GT-R, couple 1st gen NSXs & FD RX-7s, no Supras. A couple locals told me though, that Japan pushes its population to buy newer cars by enacting a higher annual tax on cars past 10-15 years of age, so those cars have gotten rarer & more expensive to keep.
Didn't realize til' the 4th day or so I was down the road from Bingo Sports, so popped in there to see their small, but ungodly rare examples.
Last edited by Rick_TL-S; Feb 26, 2020 at 12:10 PM.
Yeah, stayed in Akasaka. Saw tons of G Wagons, but was more amazed at the amount of Rolls Royces around. Saw a lot more exotics than I did iconic 90's Japanese sports cars. Few R34s, only 1 was a GT-R, couple 1st gen NSXs & FD RX-7s, no Supras. A couple locals told me though, that Japan pushes its population to buy newer cars by enacting a higher annual tax on cars past 10-15 years of age, so those cars have gotten rarer & more expensive to keep.
Didn't realize til' the 4th day or so I was down the road from Bingo Sports, so popped in there to see their small, but ungodly rare examples.
So when you buy a new car, you get an inspection exemption for the first two or three years. Then after that is an inspection every two years. Once you hit 10 years old it's every year (that's what it was when I lived there). So yes, they do push people to new cars every 3-5 years. That is where the sweet spot of the auction community is. When I picked up my Subaru, it was 3 years old, 18K km (12K miles), and half of the new price.
The inspections can be from $400-1000. And they don't fix anything. They just tell you it's broken, then the charges to fix it add up to more $$$. So people know that when the warranty runs out get a new car. Very strange.
Still hanging in there. Living in the USA with a mortgage, kid in HS, gets busy. But I'll probably be back overseas within the next 1-2 years. When that happens, I'll get a real car (as opposed to my Volvo, which is still serving me well).
The inspections can be from $400-1000. And they don't fix anything. They just tell you it's broken, then the charges to fix it add up to more $$$. So people know that when the warranty runs out get a new car. Very strange.
They go to auction. Mostly to used car dealers, but private citizens can buy from them. You just have to do a lot of paperwork. Or in my case, befriend a car dealer. My buddy in Okinawa can get me any car. Next time back I'm thinking S402 wagon like below.
TLDR: Brought Subaru in for a service, had a shift lock problem. Pointed out the TSB to the tech and Subaru fixed it for free outside of warranty.
So today I had a scheduled service for my wife's 2017 Outback. Just an oil change/tire rotation/air and cabin filter change plus a recall for the trip computer. Not a big deal, but then my wife told me that the key was sometimes getting getting stuck after arriving somewhere. She would put the car in park, and the key wouldn't come out. So happening once, meh. But it happened a few times, so I did a bit of research and found out Subaru has a TSB for this problem. Apparently, debris gets into the shift lock mechanism in the shifter, and this leads to a problem. The bulletin states that the whole shifter has to be replaced. Subaru forums listed mixed results for the issue if your car was out of warranty, but generally, those cars with relatively low mileage were done for very low or no cost.
I took a chance and went to the dealer I bought the car from with the TSB in hand (Heuberger, Subaru#1 volume dealer in the country), and I told the service manager that I thought it was odd for Subaru to have a known issue, but not a recall. He said they would call Subaru corporate and ask them. So they called me about 3 hours later and said the cost was 0. Subaru was doing this as a "Goodwill" gesture, even though my car was out of warranty (8 months), but I only have 21,200 miles on the car (bought August 2016). So all told, $158 for the service and a real problem solved. They even gave me a lift from the dealer and to the dealer. 20 miles away.
Good experience with this dealer and with the brand. I just wish they did something more exciting to the Legacy.
TLDR: Brought Subaru in for a service, had a shift lock problem. Pointed out the TSB to the tech and Subaru fixed it for free outside of warranty.
So today I had a scheduled service for my wife's 2017 Outback. Just an oil change/tire rotation/air and cabin filter change plus a recall for the trip computer. Not a big deal, but then my wife told me that the key was sometimes getting getting stuck after arriving somewhere. She would put the car in park, and the key wouldn't come out. So happening once, meh. But it happened a few times, so I did a bit of research and found out Subaru has a TSB for this problem. Apparently, debris gets into the shift lock mechanism in the shifter, and this leads to a problem. The bulletin states that the whole shifter has to be replaced. Subaru forums listed mixed results for the issue if your car was out of warranty, but generally, those cars with relatively low mileage were done for very low or no cost.
I took a chance and went to the dealer I bought the car from with the TSB in hand (Heuberger, Subaru#1 volume dealer in the country), and I told the service manager that I thought it was odd for Subaru to have a known issue, but not a recall. He said they would call Subaru corporate and ask them. So they called me about 3 hours later and said the cost was 0. Subaru was doing this as a "Goodwill" gesture, even though my car was out of warranty (8 months), but I only have 21,200 miles on the car (bought August 2016). So all told, $158 for the service and a real problem solved. They even gave me a lift from the dealer and to the dealer. 20 miles away.
Good experience with this dealer and with the brand. I just wish they did something more exciting to the Legacy.
The video of that crash was bonkers. Dude crashed into the back of a Toyota Sienna, then proceeded to drive off. Cops caught up and while talking to the cop, tried to drive off
The video of that crash was bonkers. Dude crashed into the back of a Toyota Sienna, then proceeded to drive off. Cops caught up and while talking to the cop, tried to drive off
EDIT - Didn't realize those vids were in that article too
BC has always had douchebag tendencies, this just cements it. DUI before 8 in the morning. Hope the asshole sees serious time, that Sienna got seriously fucked. Thankfully no one in it.
BC has always had douchebag tendencies, this just cements it. DUI before 8 in the morning. Hope the asshole sees serious time, that Sienna got seriously fucked. Thankfully no one in it.
If memory serves me correctly, this dumb@$$ has wrecked a Gallardo, 458, Ghost, SLR, MP4-12C...?
were you in Tokyo?
