Locate an Auto Repair Shop in Crystal Bay, Nevada

Crystal Bay, NV Car Consumer Discussions

Re: global warming a croc [avalon02wh]

by gagrice on Tue Oct 28 06:48:02 PDT 2008

Exxon is not going to do it. I have to disagree there. The 25 years I spent in the Prudhoe Bay Oilfield there were 100s of scientists studying everything from tundra grass to ice crystals in the upper atmosphere. Many if not most of the studies were paid for by BP and the other oil companies. They came from Universities all over the World to further their knowledge of the Arctic and the impact of oil exploration and production.

Bought a 2008.5 Mazda3 5-door Grand Touring

by 2hokies2 on Fri Jun 13 19:40:12 PDT 2008

I just picked up a 2008.5 Mazda3 5-door Grand Touring in Crystal White Pearl Mica with the Air Dam, Cargo Tray, All-Weather Mats, Compass/Autodim, Moonroof/6CD/Bose, SIRIUS, Moonroof Wind Deflector and the CWP Charge of $200. Sticker was $24,798 . The internet sales manage provided a quote of $22,700 and I ended up paying about $22,250 with the 3.9% before taxes, etc. Took it off the showroom floor at Ourisman Mazda in Laurel, MD. I had talked to the internet sales manager before, but he could not locate a white one, so I waited. He contacted me the day it arrived and I drove it off the showroom floor with 5 miles on it later that evening. I couldn't be happier with the dealer. I did some research on Edmunds right after he sent the quote and I went down ready to buy. I offered him a monthly payment ($400/month), a term (60 mos.) a down payment ($2,000) and a finance rate (3.9%) and said "make it happen". We finally agreed on $403/mo. after the sales manager made an original offer of $453/mo (which would have meant paying MSRP!!! HA!). I think I also made them very disappointed when I turned down all the add-ons like undercoatings and extended warranties. But the finance guy was very nice and did not charge me extra for the Chesapeake Bay tags. Hope this helps!

New 08 RX350 AWD in SF Bay Area

by timho on Thu Jan 31 10:52:44 PST 2008

Finally purchased our car at Putnam Lexus and the transaction went smoothly. I originally wanted a Japan made unit but since wife wanted crystal white, there was only Canada made available. Car comes with AWD, Nav system, Premium Plus package, 18" 7-spoke wheels, cargo mat and wheels locks. The MSRP is $45,881 and we got it for $42k OTD, which means the selling price is around $38.4k. We got the salesperson thrown in all-weather mats and cargo net. Car is tight and sooo smooth to drive. We love it! :shades: Tim

Re: Basic Exterior Care [pattiverde]

by horsysce on Sat Nov 03 08:35:29 PDT 2007

Hi Patti, I'm glad you asked! Congratulations on your new mazda3. I have an '06 hatch with a nice shiny coat. 1. I would not recommend going through automatic car washes that touch your car as I've seen them leave scratches behind. If you have a 'touch-free' one that just sprays it down with high pressure water, then those are great. But, if you do have to do it yourself, you can use the self service bays at the car wash and the soap/water they provide. They use soaps made for car finishes which won't harm them. If you do it yourself at home, just be sure to purchase a type of soap that is made for cars - Turtle Wax, Meguiars and Mothers are all trusted brands and available at Walmart of one of those chain auto parts places. While you're at the store, also buy any 'wands' 'mits' or 'sponges' that you'd like to use - but be sure they are made for cars. You'll at least want a good soft 'mit' and some microfiber towels to dry it. I usually grab the 10 packs of microfiber towels (they'll say 'mircrofiber' right on the packaging) at Target and just throw them away after a 3-5 uses. 2. Yes, you should wax it about twice a year. If you're into the 'wax on, wax off' deal, just purchase the meguiars or turtle 'paste' wax. It should come with an applicator sponge and you'll use a couple of very soft clothes to wipe it off. The most common mistake in using paste waxes is wiping on too much, which, when dry, is quite a pain to wipe off. Just spread it out lightly, wait for it to dry, then wipe off, turning your cloth frequently. If you would rather use a liquid wax, those are fine too, just follow the instructions on the bottle. I personally like Meguiar's products for everything. One thing to know - Use a 'Paint Cleaner' right before you wax (it'll say right on the bottle that it's a paint cleaner. Paint cleaner removes your old wax as well as any other gross stuff on your finish. It's a wipe on, wipe off product that's easy to use. Whenever you're using different products, just be sure to use different clothes and applicators for each. Otherwise, you'll just smear on some paint cleaner, when you're trying to wax it, for example. 3. Paint chips are difficult. If the chip actually goes through the clear coat AND the paint surface, then you'll want to use a bit of touch up paint on it (available from mazda) to prevent any rusting. In my experience, (not sure if I'm doing it wrong or what) touched up spots never look perfect, but they do fill in the paint. I've heard the best way to apply it is to just drop the tiniest paint drop into the center of the chip, let it spread and dry, then reapply until the surface of the chip comes up to meet the surface of the paint. This is not my area of expertise, but its worked for me. So, if you're wandering over to Walmart or a Consumer Auto Parts (or similar auto parts chain) and just want a brief list of 'what to buy' here is a list of what I keep in my house/garage to maintain a shiny car (keep in mind I use an automatic touch free car wash, so I have no washing supplies.) - Meguiars Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner (The bottle says 'step 1') -Meguiars Gold Class Clear Coat Paste Wax -Meguiars Quik Detailer (for bird poo and rain stains) -Armor All Extreme Tire Shine (Aerosol Can) -Microfiber cloths (5 of one color, 5 of another) And here is my maintenance schedule: - Wash and dry car and wheels/hubcaps every two weeks (one week in salt/snow.) Use one cloth to dry the car from the roof to halfway down the doors. Use a separate cloth to dry the car from the lower door to the bottom. (The bottom is still a bit dirty after you wash. I like to use different color clothes, to keep it straight.) Definately use a different cloth to wipe they wheels or hubcaps - they will dirty for sure! - In the spring and fall, wash & dry car, then use Paint Cleaner (instructions on bottle.) Next apply and remove wax. One coat is enough - you want to protect it, but not 'hide' the shiny finish. - In between washes, use Quik Detailer (spray on, wipe off) to remove bird poo or rain 'streaks' or anything else that you want to wipe off. The product is only for use on waxed cars. If you spray it on a car that hasn't been waxed in a year, it won't work well at all. Is there more you could do? Yes, but then you'd be like me and overdoing it ;-). There are also 'polishes' and 'clay bars' to make it into a show room car. Truthfully, it doesn't make a big difference unless you REALLY stare at your car a lot. If you become obsessive, you would add in the polish and wax steps like this: Wash, Dry, Clay Bar, Paint Cleaner, Polish, Wax. (You see what I mean about all this work!) It will still look great without all this though. Random things you may already know: Don’t wash a car when it’s below 35 degrees – it will freeze right on your paint job. Also, brake dust seriously harms wheels and hubcaps. I wipe mine off with a cloth once or twice a week to keep them looking good. And, that’s that. Feel free to ask any questions you’d like. I love detailing my car. Meguiars also has a very helpful phone number where they actually pick up the phone and answer questions - better than credit card companies. Their number is 1-800-347-5700 in the US. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy your car. If the work involved in keeping it clean will make it less enjoyable for you, either pay someone to do it for you or skip it - It will still look good for a while. I happen to enjoy it. -Nicole Auburn, Mass

Re: 2008 'Crystal White Pearl Mica' [dashbb]

by maverick8 on Sun Sep 16 23:45:27 PDT 2007

Have any of you really' driven an Outlook / Acadia AWD? preferably the 275 hp model.

Prius Dealers Are Not Having a Clearance Sale on 2007 Prius as advertised

by echoparkgirl on Fri Aug 10 22:15:55 PDT 2007

Did you pick up the car in the BAy Area? There are quite a few of them in California. Is the Mercury New in San Jose? Here are some of the quotes I received yesterday from various dealers within 2-3 hours of Johnson City, Tennessee. :shades: A dealer from Chattenooga, Tennessee: In about 5 days, I will have an unsold white 2007 Package #2 with carpet and cargo mats for $24,608. Everything else is pre-sold. Easely, SC dealer: Thank you for considering us for your purchase of a Toyota Prius. We pride ourselves in being the only Toyota dealer in the upstate of South Carolina to earn the Prestigious President’s Award last year. We have made that achievement 16 of the last 17 years. You’ll always get a fair price, a friendly staff, and great service after the sale at Toyota / Scion of Easley. Here is your price quote on the vehicle you have requested: Year: 2007 Model: Prius Body Style: 4 Door Hybrid Sedan, CVT Included Options / Accessories: Package #1 Includes: Backup Monitor, Smart Key System, MP3/WMA Playback Capability, And Auxiliary Audio Input Miniplug Your e*Price: $23,272.50 E*Price Includes a Processing Fee of $299.50 The price increased when I asked for package 5 to the following: $26,800 Thanks in advance This is from a dealer in Cincinnatti: Thanks for the email! I would have to order The Prius you'd want(package #5).Retail is $26,379 and we are not discounting the Prius at this time.I'm not sure if you're familiar with Kings Toyota but we are the largest dealer in the Cincinnati region(Ohio,Kentucky,Michigan and Tennessse) so we can get this Prius sooner than a smaller dealership.We sell a high volume of Prius'. Thanks,I'll attach an invoice of a Prius with the package you'd like. 18186 VEHICLE INQUIRY REPORT DATE: 08/09/07 DCV920 TIME: 07:3 :confuse: 2 Model Number: 1224C SERIAL # :73290214 Check Code: 5 Model Description: 4-DR GAS/ELEC Category ..........: F Year ............: 2007 Current Dealer ....: 220-34085 Interior Color ..: FE11 FE11 Wholesale Dealer ..: 34085 Exterior Color ..: 0040 WHITE Previous Dealer ...: 00220 Body ............: HYBRID GAS/ELEC SEDN Invoice Date ......: Number of Cyl ...: 4 Ship Date .........: 08/03/07 Allocation Number: 073 Retail Date .......: Engine Number ...: 4681070 Date of First Use .: Vessel Number ...: 056 TRAC ..............: NO Vessel Name .....: HEIJIN V059 Damage ...........: NO DAMAGE PDI ...............: NO Fleet .............: NON-FLEET Port PDS Complete .: NO VIN .............: JTDKB20U573290214 Ignition Key.....: 68200 Factory Installed Accessories: FE NL Port Installed Accessories ..: CF EF Retail Vehicle Base Model ...................: $ 22175.00 Total Accessories .....................: $ 3544.00 MECHANICAL & PERFORMANCE Hybrid Synergy Drive System 1.5L 4Cyl DOHC 16 Valve w/VVT-i Engine Elctrnic Cntinusly Variable Trans (ECVT) Electronic Power Steering System MacPherson Strut Front Suspension Torsion Beam Rear Suspension 15" Alloy Wheels w/P185/65R15 Tires Front Disc and Rear Drum Brakes SAFETY Dr & Fr Pass Advanced Front Airbag (SRS) Dr & Fr Pass Side & Curtain Airbags Traction Control (TRAC) ABS w/Elec Brake Force Dist & Brk Assist 3 Point Seatbelts w/ALR/ELR Pass Belts Side-Impact Door Beams Rr-Seat Child Restraint Sys (CRS) Lower Anchors and Top Tether Brackets (LATCH) Direct Tire Pressure Monitoring System EXTERIOR Multi-Reflectr Halogn Auto-Off Headlamps Dual Clr-Keyd Pwr Heated Outside Mirrors Chrome-Type Finish on Front Grille Rear Spoiler COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE Auto Climate Control w/Air Filtration AM/FM CD with 6 Speakers Push Button Start Remote Keyless Entry, Engine Immobilizer Cruise Control Liquid-Crystal Multi-Info Display Panel w/Energy Monitor, Fuel Consumption, Climate Control, O/S Temp & Audio Status Tilt Steer Wheel w/Climate & Audio Cntrl 60/40 Split Fold-Flat Rear Seat Variable Frnt & Intermittent Rr Wipers Heavy-Duty Rr Window Defogger w/Timer Pwr Door Locks & Wndws w/Dr Auto Up/Down Cntr Console & Dual-Compartmnt Glove Box 2 Auxiliary 12V Power Outlets Cargo Tonneau Cover & Undr-Floor Storage Overhead Console with Map Lights Fabric Cloth Seats Retail Total Vehicle Base Model .........................:$ 22175.00 $ 22175.00 50 State Emissions ........................ Package #5 Includes: Voice-Activated DVD ... 3280.00 GPS Navigation System; JBL AM/FM 6-Disc CD . Changer with 9 Speakers, Aux Audio Input ... Miniplug, MP3/WMA Playback Capability, .... Satellite Radio Capability, and Hands-Free . Phone Capability via Bluetooth; Vehicle .... Stability Control; Backup Camera; Smart .... Key System; Anti-Theft System; ............ Auto-Dimming Rearview Mirror with ......... HomeLink; High Intensity Discharge (HID) .. Headlamps; Integrated Fog Lamps ............ Carpet Floor Mats & Cargo Mat .............. 199.00 Rear Bumper Applique ...................... 65.00 --------- --------- Total Accessories ..........................: $ 3544.00 $ 3544.00 Destination Charge ..........................: $ 660.00 TDA ........................................: Gasoline ...................................: Dealer Holdback ............................: Whsl. Financial Reserve ....................: --------- Total ......................................: $ 26379.00 Residual Value ...: 24 36 48 60 ------- ------- ------- ------- STD 14,527 12,753 10,335 7,453 LOW 13,196 10,779 7,896 I have talked to people on the phone as well. The prices have been uniformly high, Does anyone have any suggestions? I am usually very good at buying cars on the lot--the internet divisions are not dealing! Echoparkgirl