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Pasadena, TX Car Consumer Discussions

Advice for new 03 owner?

by mysonscar1 on Fri Nov 14 12:41:18 PST 2008

After lots of research on a sturdy vehicle for my high school senior's first car, we purchased a used 03 with 64K on it. Stupid me, the ONLY thing I didn't research was repair record. It's got 70K on it now and we honestly haven't had any problems (except rear window just died) but I know it needs a new serpentine belt... Problem is, I'm in Bakersfield CA and there are no dealers here. Could anyone recommend a dealer in Valencia or Pasadena CA? From everything I've read, we should consider trading this in and buying something else..but in the meantime, I know I need to do the required maintenance. Any advice is welcomed. thank you! My son's car (my checkbook)

Cutlass Supreme

by plekto on Sat Nov 08 09:00:58 PST 2008

The largest engine that was offered in the 70s in it was a 350 V8. Which was a vast improvement over the little V6s. It wasn't until my father bought his Park Avenue(same one pictured) with the supercharger in it that he had a car that was as fast around town. I still see that old Cutlass around Pasadena every so often. You can't miss it - it was repainted wrongly and came out bright bird egg blue.

paid over MSRP

by noa1 on Wed Oct 08 13:52:25 PDT 2008

Just got the new 2009 TDI for my wife. Ended up paying about $800.00 over MSRP i'm not very pleased with the fact that i paid over MSRP but i'm guessing this cars are going to be out in limited numbers till God knows when + we got the 6 speed manual. According the the sales person it was already reserved but willing to make an extra buck on it. they had at least four others but with auto trany. My wife and I agreed that if we're purchasing it's got to be a manual, you pay premium on a diesel at this point in time. by the way this took place in Pasadena, Ca. previously we went to Santa Monica VW asked the sales person if we could test drive the TDI we were told they were not allowing test drives on the TDI till probably February 2009 unless we're willing to put a deposit, all the TDI's they're getting sell before arrival. so i probably got the shaft but sometimes you got to take it and be happy that at least got got it. I don't know if we got the Loyal edition but it's kind of fully equipped. Sun roof, leatheratte, premium sound, electronic driver side seat, steering wheel controls, ipod hookup, heated outside mirrors, premium wheels + a host of other features and for those who have not tested they're a blast to drive.

Don't expect the L.A. area to get cooler

by larsb on Mon Sep 29 07:39:54 PDT 2008

Los Angeles expected to be warmer in coming years. Summer 2008 in Southern California goes down in the books as cooler than normal. The thermometer in downtown Los Angeles topped 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 degrees Celsius) just once in July, August and the first two-thirds of September. But don't expect this summer's respite from the usual blistering heat to continue in the years to come, cautions a group of NASA and university scientists: The long-term forecast calls for increased numbers of scorching days and longer, more frequent heat waves. One hundred years of daily temperature data in Los Angeles were analyzed by scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.; the University of California, Berkeley; and California State University, Los Angeles. They found that the number of extreme heat days (above 90 degrees Fahrenheit or 32.2 degrees Celsius in downtown Los Angeles) has increased sharply over the past century. A century ago, the region averaged about two such days a year; today the average is more than 25. In addition, the duration of heat waves (two or more extreme heat days in a row) has also soared, from two-day events a century ago to one- to two-week events today. "We found an astonishing trend – a dramatic increase in the number of heat waves per year," says Arbi Tamrazian, lead author of the study, and a senior at the University of California, Berkeley. Tamrazian and his colleagues analyzed data from Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in downtown Los Angeles. They tracked the number of extreme heat days and heat waves from 1906 to 2006. The team found that the average annual maximum daytime temperature in Los Angeles has risen by 5 degrees Fahrenheit (2.8 degrees Celsius) over the past century, and the minimum nighttime temperature has increased nearly as much. They also found that heat waves lasting six or more days have been occurring regularly since the 1970s. More recently, two-week heat waves have become more common. The team forecasts that in coming decades, we can expect 10- to 14-day heat waves to become the norm. And because these will be hotter heat waves, they will be more threatening to public health. Must be all those cars.

Re: [m4d_cow]

by circlew on Sat Sep 27 07:48:31 PDT 2008

I've never bought a car for image....you are not what you drive. When I tested the 3-series, the drive sold me. I already am familiar with the typical US car that is good going straight, has vague steering feedback and floats along. Emergency maneuvers be damned! The 335, 135, G35 and IS350 are the top of the class in road worthy steel and watch out for Audi next year. Merc is still more luxo but is getting it. When you appreciate a good tool you start to understand why there is a market for lower delivery product. Most people want reliable transportation and could care less about proper driving dynamics. But more and more people are signing on to appreciate the drive-ability vs. living-room-ability. Hence, Caddy woke up and finally produced a good road car. Now they need to smooth out the A&S. I see a great deal of q-tips driving a CTS in NJ. Is there a Pasadena, NJ?? The previous CTS-V is a great example of the old philosophy of drag racing technique, only the professional drag guys and now gals do it much better after market. The new V is a top class road sedan contender just like the current generation 'vette is for sports coupes. Only now, has GM returned to competitive metal, IMHO. But halo cars are not the answer. Great cars are the answer, like in the past. CTS, Malibu, G8...that's it for now. Took long enough. So slow, it hurts! Problem is, no more money, HONEY! Where do we go from here? Regards, OW

2009 Toyota Avalon

by hanscua on Thu Sep 18 20:39:38 PDT 2008

I requested the 2009 Toyota Avalon to offer a power tilt and telescopic steering column on the top-of-the-line Limited model. I feel very, very disappointed that the 2009 Toyota Avalon did not offer a power tilt and telescopic steering column. But I do request the Toyota Avalon to offer a power tilt and telescopic steering column for the late availability 2009 model year being made available at the Toyota dealers by October, November, or December of this year 2008. I really like to buy, own, or lease a 2009 Toyota Avalon Limited fully loaded. The only feature that the Toyota Avalon don't have right now that other vehicles competing with Toyota Avalon like Nissan Maxima, Hyundai Azera, Buick Lucerne, and Chrysler 300 have was a power tilt and telescopic steering column. One of the salesperson who works at Toyota of Pasadena told me that the Toyota shareholder or the Toyota Kentucky factory plant is currently doing a prototype and working on trying to have the power tilt and telescopic steering column to be offered on this current design Toyota Avalon for the late availability 2009 model year to see if it works or if there is a demand, but I'm hopeful that it works and there is a demand for this current design Toyota Avalon to offer a power tilt and telescopic steering column for the late availability 2009 model year available by October, November, or December of this year 2008 rather than wait until the 2010 model year Toyota Avalon comes out, so I'll be able to buy or lease the 2009 Toyota Avalon Limited by October, November, or December of this year with a power tilt and telescopic steering column. If the 2009 Toyota Avalon does offer a power tilt and telescopic steering column on the top-of-the-line Limited for the late availabilty 2009 model year available at the Toyota dealers by October, November, or December of this year 2008, the power tilt and telescopic steering column should be tied to the 2-way driver's memory systems which will control the power driver's side, power outside mirrors, and power tilt and telescopic steering column.