caddycruiser

Our first newly refreshed 2013 ZDX arrived tonight. New grille, front & rear sonar sensors and power folding mirrors. The grille is interesting, I forgot what the previous one was like. Small change but noticeable back to back.

Happy Thanksgiving. Good food and relaxing time, sick family dog aside. Now, off to Black Friday car sales, the only part of today I care about.

New 2013 dark brown Enclave cruising along yesterday, looked to be on a deal swap. The LED "spears" on the headlights look incredible from in front on the highway. Still a great looking ute. Then another new White Diamond 2013 one 10 miles later, with NY tags.

Very interesting. All the shorties of this gen do all have black side trim regardless. I like oddball combo's, and in the 1996-1997 generation, always spot the rare 3-door (no driver's side slider option, was still the case when my mother had a '97 Grand Voyager, also with an optional cassette at the time). So many configurations in these years, they could be very unique.

A light powder pink 2013 Chevy Spark LT with temp tags inching slowly down the street, little old lady behind the wheel. She looked cool in it!

Great looking shots, and nice to see real world up close images of the Encore, which should be around soon.

Donked white Caprice, parked in front of the doors at Target, of course. With "MILKY" on the front plate. Sure.

First Dart I've ever seen driving, with Florida tags. Interesting they did decide to make the "ring" taillights a separate option. This was a mid/higher model and didn't have them.

Yes, no issue. In Delaware, you do everything for driver's ed in high school as a semester class. Depending on your birthdate, you drive in staged sessions on more than one occasion. Passed perfectly doing this, including parallel parking. At the time we had a new 2000/2001 Mercury Sable LS new car, in addition to a Plymouth Breeze. The written test is also taken in school. Then once done after the test passed & driving checked off, you get a card from school, take that to the DMV and they give you your license. Glad I got to do it in Delaware and not elsewhere. Easy process.

Very cool. Social media and marketing at real work is a great thing, as above. Keeps owners interested and enthusiastic, and that hat is cool!

Very strange... Everyone has different beliefs. But when it gets to this level, you can only hope someone or something can intervene. If you have diabetes (I do, I know, and I have parents who on the reverse noticed signs and got me to the hospital immediately), a burst appendix, or are barely alive...it is for a reason, and doing nothing but praying will not fix it. Almost to an old age where medicine barely existed...but even then, hopefully someone would acknowledge you were sick, even if they physically didn't have tools to help. There is no fix for crazy, sadly. When you are, you are and it's scary.

Too true, in many ways....or for car ads in general, from private sellers.

You know I have it scheduled tomorrow. Vogue 19" tires. Chrome stick on trim and trunk luggage rack. NOT.

The revised and integrated dual bumper outlets and more body color trim than chrome REALLY set it apart nicely, vs. the other bling models. Just enough, in a more sinister way. Also saw a mint green 2013 Ford CMax on the highway today. First one in person, still just as odd tall easter egg as I thought from photos. Interesting car.

but why do they put that stuff on Lincolns and Cadillacs but (mostly) Not Benz and BMW? I think it is partially an educational thing. Most baby boomers who graduated highschool went to work for a company and retired out seems to like the fake convertible tops and cushy floaty ride. This in comparison to the baby boomers who went to college, backpacked Europe and decided early on in comparison to the rest of the US, that they wanted a real driving machine. I say the rest of the US is finally catching up. Excellent observation, and very true demographically. That said, regarding my Regal, I was in Delaware twice today and the second time to register it. Oogling eyes both in the inspection lane from the tech calling another over to see it, camera phone shots on the highway from a guy in a Jeep Patriot, and more later from 2 guys in a new 2013 MB GL550 suv. I drove mostly in GS mode today, and enjoying more and more. 1450 miles so far, 750 of which are mine. The attention this car gets at times due to the styling, GS touches and color are fun You know what? I never have seen a new Regal with a cloth top or other Vogue style mods. Ever. I'm glad, because I already have seen a decked out XTS, actually 2 different ones with stuff on them.

A new 2012/2013 Escalade ESV with the special trim, while I was in Wilmington for lunch. These GMT-900 SUV's just have aged so well. Designers did a great job: Then a new 2013 Ford Explorer Sport with the Ecoboost and dark wheels cruising along closer to home:

Sometimes, not always. Usually the people who would request or do a cloth top, Vogue tires, etc. are not leasing people. Tends to be 2 different groups. The vinyl top, pinstripe, chrome rack, Vogue tire, etc. people are those that buy a Lincoln, drive x few miles, and 2-4 years later, trade for another one and request the same stuff. Or they have it for 10 years and then do the same. Higher end vehicles do get leased more often, yes, but I think the buyers themselves are different along with the dealers. Even Betty & Joe with a cloth top LeSabre aren't going to go buy a 545i and ask for a topper. That reminds me, I have a client still looking for a professional pin-striper...a rare request anymore, and that isn't seen often.

I'm going to say no. They likely use the "other" version, with Brembo equipment and a quieter, less dusty pad meant for luxury. Depends on which type of Track your going to run your XTS. Wish I'd had the time to shoot a pic..saw an XTS 'senior style' today--pearl white, cream padded top, gold trim, wide whitewall tires, chrome wheels... I will never understand that fake padded top. Why destroy the looks of a great car that way. What a shame. Reminds me of when I sold a 2012 Acura RL with every accessory to a customer earlier in the year...she asked several times if they could do a canvas top like her Continental. No, so I compromised and we did large chrome Acura emblems on the C-pillars instead which actually looked great. Cloth tops. The weirdest ones I see around Philly are Altima's and Camry's with them. I'm assuming because George & Betty went to trade in the cloth top Century and the only cars they liked were the squishy Camry, etc. So cloth top again it was.

First time on the road...a new 2013 Dart higher trim model, in silver. Nice car, I noted part by the side profile and then the big ring of a taillight as it passed by in the night. Otherwise, been a while.

This company - http://www.trifectap....com/dynos.aspx They claim to also have put an additional 36hp and 54 lb-ft of torque at the wheels in a Cruze turbo. Correct. "Chips" are the wrong word, but completely new engine/transmission calibration custom done and loaded by laptop is the more common. My Buick salesperson was on his 2nd Regal lease, going from a 2011 to a 2012 Turbo, and both his and a service advisors GS are Trifecta tuned. So no concerns with warranty with them. I believe as on my G8 & Avalanche done by another company, it's a matter of a "ghost tune" so that even when plugged in and analyzed by GM, all code numbers, etc. appear factory. I am pleased with the GS performance as it is, just a bit soft off the line then wild with the turbo. Not sure I care to change it, although I tuned both my G8 GT and the Avalanche and the results were awesome. GS with even a little stronger feel and maybe an extra mpg or so on the highway might be cool. Front wheels will always be Brembo black dusted regardless, and are waxed now. Just nature of the pads. Buick issued a TSB for owners that complain of black dust or squeaking to replace the pads with another non high performance quieter/less dust pad, with the addendum the originals must be re-installed if the car will be used on track. Interesting. I like the bit of the Brembo set, so big deal. Wash the wheels when necessary.

Mission accomplished. I called a detailer we used to use when our dealership was located in the city until last month, and he was always the best. Came right over today and on the spot power sprayed & hand washed the once again dirty Regal, and then cleaned and sealed the paint and treated the interior top to bottom. Great work, and all I had to do was pay and proceed about my day. Oh to those days where I would spend an entire Sunday doing it myself, before I became a city inhabitant. Gray day aside, back to looking as it should. Now if I could just find a way to keep the front wheels from "instant black" as the Brembo's cause. Gray day outside. I was still debating a 3M clear bra wrap for the front, as on my last 3 cars. Seemed dumb as I never keep any long enough to see the full benefit, but it makes the front so much easier to clean and 100% chip and nick free. If only it were free.

Verano is a great car. Months back I pondered the lease deals on them and was very impressed at a ride & drive vs. our ILX, back in May. Great car with a feeling of substance. A bit more sport and a bit firmer seating, and I could see it. I love my Regal but the Verano is impressive in its own way, in a smaller package. The overall stance is nice but not in the same league as the Regal for me, but to be expected given the smaller size and Opel->Buick swap. The Turbo should be fun. Sign me up for the Coccachino interior. So nice.

That always does suck.

Such a cool photo. Seeing my grandparent's old black & white shots, with their variety of old cars always in the background, and similar poses to above are always fun.

While I was at the Buick dealer yesterday picking up paperwork for my Regal, my fellow salesman showed me their first new 2013 Enclave in the new Mocha Bronze dark chocolate color (richer and deeper than the Cocoa) with the new also dark brown Cocoa interior. Looked great, with the updated styling and large machined wheels. The new chrome wheels look a bit old and gawdy, the guy who ordered this one picked well. Still odd to see the old GM truck steering wheel in it, and as the sales guy said, "the old GM keys with key and separate remote...just weird". First one ordered...guy is trading a 2009 CTS-V...interesting. Also earlier in the day, a new blue 2013 Chevy Traverse LT with 10" wheels fresh from PDI getting gassed up. These 2013 Lambda's look just as before, but with new noses and nicer details especially inside.