Locate an Auto Repair Shop in Berthoud, Colorado

Berthoud, CO Car Consumer Discussions

we got paxed

by dietrich on Thu Apr 03 22:14:33 PDT 2008

3 days after selling our '05 touring, in need of its 2nd set of tires at 50k miles (yes, well maintained, rotated, etc.) got notification of class action lawsuit originated in California against Michelin and Honda. After many discussions with Honda customer no-service, trying to drill into their heads I don't want the tires warranted through them, only an alternative wheel solution had no option but to sell. In Denver only 4 places to get tires changed, takes 6-8 hours and a second mortgage, realized this is a short lived black eye on Honda that will be swept under rug as they phase it out. Hondas lack of customer support for their misguided venture has lost them a customer (was on our 4th Odyssey). '05 Odyssey also left my family stranded, out of cell range, on Berthoud Pass in winter due to fuel pump malfunction at 18k (slipping reliability as well?)

Re: Different Strokes []

by podedwards on Wed Oct 11 15:28:18 PDT 2006

Well it has been interesting. We have a home in Hattiesburg,Mississippi which is (hopefully always-we are 80 miles from the Gulf) about 200 feet above sea level. We have a second home in Grandlake, Colorado at 8,500 feet above sea level. Matter off fact I am heading out with just my Border Collie- Ms. Kate- to Grandlake next tuesday to get in a little late fishing. Will probably drive straight through (23 hours) because the Grand Cherokee is really comfortable. I have made this trip five times in my 2006 5.7 GC. I have to go over Berthoud Pass (11000 feet and change)on Hy. 40 (off I-70) to get to Grand Lake and there are plenty of other such passes that starting right now can be very tough in fall,winter and spring and sometimes summer. I fish all over the place and some "roads" that are tough-through streams-rock-steep inclines & such. I have pulled my boat and other folks over the passes several times. I use the tow-haul switch for this-works great-very stable. I have always used premium gas in all my cars & trucks so it was not easy for me to give it up for the GC. Used mid-grade(89) at first then went to lower (87) at altitudes above 3000. Runs fine. Now I use 87 all the time and have yet to hear a ping or rattle. The 5.7 Hemi is just a wonderful engine. On the road, on the long flat stretches of Interstate in north Texas or Oklahoma I will get 23+ if I keep it between 65-70 in that it allows the engine to shut down to 4 cyl most of the time. If I drive between 75 and 80 on same road it drops to 18+. I consider this outstanding. In the mountains I average about 17-19 depending if I am towing. I only use gas going up-downs pretty much free. If I behave myself arouind town, I'll get 18 and if I don't it'll fall to 14. Never got less than 14 on a tank. I am 57 but I did put one of those little sewing machine pocket rockets cars to shame yesterday at a traffic light-know better-just counld't help it. Now I am one of those nuts (don't work for an oil copmnay or own stock in one)that does not think gas has been over priced. I saw no one driving less just bitching more on their way to buy fast food or make a trip to the store for one item. I'd like to see gas stay around $3.50 at least to promote more refinning and exploration of petroleum and other sources not to mention to saying adios to the mid-east. The United States has enormous petroleum reserves-our plan has been to use other oil sources before using ours which is a good idea except that mid-east oil is not "sweet" and has a very high sulfur content which is why diesel has gone up with the new regs on emmissions. The U.S. is very likely to become an oil exporting nation within 20 years but those facts are hard to know without really looking at the facts independently. Fact is, mid-east countries will either have to free their women to develop their economies or develop nuclear energy cause they got nothing else-squandered all their wealth. Tough.Doo Doo. ButI have digressed off. Hope my figures encourage you. For what I use my GC for,I am happy as a dog chasing chickens. By the way, we have a 2004 Ford Mustang GT convertible with the 4.6 V8. We get 26+ on the road. But I can't drive it west without a chiropractor on board.

Re: Hill climbing ability of Outback 2.5i [jeffw330]

by raybear on Thu Apr 13 04:24:57 PDT 2006

I rented a 2.5i last summer in Colorado, no problems getting over Trail Ridge Road or Berthoud Pass. We even took it up a Jeep trail to fish a lake at 11,000 feet.

Re: LTZ Wind Noise [mhowells]

by zr2 on Fri Dec 09 15:00:51 PST 2005

I agree, I have '03 EXT with V8, love it except for wind noise, V8 is great (power and sound). Dealer replaced all the rubber around doors. Didn't help. This is our good car so only have 18,000 on it since Aug 03. Drive '05 ZR2 Blazer daily and it's got 18,000 on it since Feb. It's our 3rd ZR2 and 1st with auto (don't like). Looking at selling it and getting H3 Hummer (5 sp). I've also had the starting problem and would not go over 15 mph. It was bad wiring in ing switch. (replaced battery and DriveByWire unit twice before they found bug in switch). I run AMSOIL and its due a change (1 year). Added a trans cooler as I pull a trailor (3 tons of gravel) and want trans to last longer. But wind noise is the killer (might make me get rid of this before ZR2 :o( ). Glenn (in front range of Col.)

CR-V vs. Highlander

by tamaraster on Mon Jul 25 13:53:47 PDT 2005

The CR-V for 2005 comes standard with ABS, traction control, stability control, plus all of the airbags - that seems like a lot of safety features to me. (I just bought mine two weeks ago.) At safercar.gov, they list the Highlander and CR-V as having the same star ratings for all the types of crashes and rollovers, but they say the CR-V has a 19% chance of rollover in a single-car accident, versus 17% for the Highlander, if that's a big concern. I live in Colorado tpp, and probably half of my first 1000 miles of driving was in the mountains. We took four people and a day's worth of stuff up through Rocky Mt Natl Park and over Berthoud Pass a couple of times and I didn't find the car underpowered for those trips at all. (It seems very similar in power to my turbo Passat, with perhaps a bit more pick-up at low speeds and a bit less when cruising on the highway.)

2003 Disco SE Update

by lightcahill on Sun Jul 10 21:35:11 PDT 2005

We just returned from 2,700 mile fishing trip from Denver to Southwestern Montana. Do this just about every year. This time we towed our new 19 foot Trail-Lite Cruiser. It weighs about 4,000 lbs. running weight, and has a pretty normal RV trailer frontal cross-section, as far as wind resistance goes. Mileage while trailing was from 10.5 to 11.5 mpg, depending on wind, and whether or not we were going over mountain passes. Under favorable conditions (no strong headwind and no significant upward grade), we could reach 70 mph. We traveled mostly at 55-60, however. When climbing grades, or going into headwinds, the Disco usually wanted to be in 3rd gear. At about 55 mph I think the engine was running at about 3,000 rpm. When climbing the big "hill" coming into Yellowstone from the north entrance, the Disco had to go down to 2nd gear, at about 35 mph, and that was around 3,500 to 4,000 rpm. I think that "hill" is something over 10,000 feet high. Same thing coming through the pass on Route 14 going into the Poudre River valley from Walden down to Fort Collins. The Continental Divide is well over 10,000 feet here, and we made it with no problems, albeit having to downshift to 2nd gear near the top of the hill. Some time back I asked the forum if anyone had experience pulling trailers with the Disco. I can now answer that question by saying, "Keep your load under the limit for the Disco (5,500 lbs. in high gear), and it should be able to do it. Because we live and drive at higher altitudes, trailer dealers recommend that we reduce stated towing capacity by 20%. This reduces the Disco tow capacity in high gear to a nominal 4,400 lbs. We were about 400 lbs. under that. I also had no problems with sway from the trailer, a concern for such a short wheelbase tow vehicle, even in the very strong winds that are a constant in Wyoming. If worse had come to worse, I could have shifted into low, and then I think there would be no question that I could have gone over Berthoud Pass or Independence Pass, should I have been crazy enough to want to do so. They are up around 12,000 feet. Did I mention that I am afraid of heights? We also had our first glitch with the Disco. A week or so before our trip the Service Engine Soon light came on. Land Rover Denver East quickly diagnosed the problem as having to do with a vacuum hose, which they replaced in about 15 minutes. No problems since. You just can't do better than Land Rover Denver East. Super sales people and super service people. While we were puffing up some of the steep grades, we would watch the F250's and Silverado 2500's pass us with ease, towing 5th wheel trailers easily two to three times the size and weight of ours. Were we envious? I guess so, but we have a Disco, and they don't! Additionally, we took both back seats out before the trip. Easy to do with a #55 torx. Gave us much more room back there, and lightened the load. Those high quality back seats are heavy. These are the second row seats, not the third row jump seats, which we do not have. Anyone looking for a used Land Rover Disco would be hard pressed to find a better truck than the '03 or '04, with the bigger engine. They are one tough truck. Pete.