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Old 09-20-23 | 11:06 AM
  #6856  
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Wellllllp my better half left the lights on in the Merc and she was dead as a doornail.

I am literally petrified to even touch the battery, even with a trickle charge.

Waiting on a flatbed to tow to the shop down the street to have them charge it. I am not even touching this:



I see people electronically total these all the time when they start to play DIY including and especially with batteries. You couldn’t hand me a bag of $10,000 and tell me to jump this car for it.

If this sounds ridiculous, that’s how much I love this thing. I am getting nowhere near a (perfectly working) Mercedes electrical system. Battery needs to be completely disconnected from car before they even trickle it.
Old 09-20-23 | 11:39 AM
  #6857  
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Drove the LS to work to do an oil change/5k service, there is something to be said about these Lexus V8s and the noise they make at 4500-redline.

Also man it's fun driving a "slow" car so hard since you get so much high RPM time without constantly being 120-150mph. I need a slow manual V8...
Old 09-20-23 | 12:58 PM
  #6858  
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Car and Driver did a comparison of 3 row SUVs. I found the results a bit surprising and I'm not sure that I agree with all of their comments or rankings, but an interesting read nonetheless.

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...mparison-test/

2024 Three-Row SUV Throwdown

After three years of dominance, the Kia Telluride finally has some serious competition. We convene four fresh contenders—Honda Pilot, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Mazda CX-90, and Toyota Grand Highlander—aiming to upset the crossover hierarchy.

5th Place: Honda Pilot

HIGHS: Flexible seating for seven or eight, nice price, tail-happy torque-vectoring rear end.
LOWS: Powertrain just wants to chill, interior materials won't wow you, needs more steering heft.
VERDICT: A three-row SUV that's more of a mutant minivan.

4th Place: Jeep Grand Cherokee L

HIGHS: Sublime isolation and ride quality, stretch-out interior room, beefy towing ability.
LOWS: Skinny on features at this price, not quick, seats only six.
VERDICT: A slow but otherwise premium experience at a premium price.

3rd Place: Kia Telluride

HIGHS: All the goodies, magical packaging, refinement and value.
LOWS: Lacks the Mazda's showstopper interior, shorter drivers have a tough time getting comfortable, midpack acceleration.
VERDICT: As good as ever and the best value, but the competition is eroding its supremacy.

2nd Place: Toyota Grand Highlander

HIGHS: Hauls *** and families, huge cargo space, best fuel economy.
LOWS: Inhospitable third row, unrefined suspension noises, so-so interior finishes.
VERDICT: A hulking speed demon with a few foibles.

1st Place: Mazda CX-90

HIGHS: Gorgeous interior, powerful engine, refined manners.
LOWS: Tightest cargo volume, needs premium fuel to hit its rated horsepower, it costs how much?
VERDICT: A winning balance of luxury, performance, and practicality.


Old 09-20-23 | 01:01 PM
  #6859  
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$.45 oil change lol! Got this set for 5 cents a quart and a free filter from specials I used last time.




Everything still looks good after 15k ownership
Old 09-20-23 | 01:18 PM
  #6860  
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Originally Posted by Striker223
Drove the LS to work to do an oil change/5k service, there is something to be said about these Lexus V8s and the noise they make at 4500-redline.
V8...
Ripping silk. Those UZ V8s really are special. LS430 isn’t really super fast but it has a lovely engine that will respond eagerly if you prod it.
Old 09-20-23 | 01:23 PM
  #6861  
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Originally Posted by AJT123
Ripping silk. Those UZ V8s really are special. LS430 isn’t really super fast but it has a lovely engine that will respond eagerly if you prod it.
This was the UR, I technailly don't have a UZ right now lol!
Old 09-20-23 | 01:39 PM
  #6862  
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Originally Posted by JDR76
Car and Driver did a comparison of 3 row SUVs. I found the results a bit surprising and I'm not sure that I agree with all of their comments or rankings, but an interesting read nonetheless.

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...mparison-test/



Having driven all of these but the Grand Highlander, the CX-90 winning makes no sense when you consider it as a family hauler. It’s way too cramped inside.

Old 09-20-23 | 02:28 PM
  #6863  
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Originally Posted by SW17LS
Having driven all of these but the Grand Highlander, the CX-90 winning makes no sense when you consider it as a family hauler. It’s way too cramped inside.
That surprised me as well. I really like the CX-90, though I haven't had a chance to check out the interior volume yet in person. But all the reports and dimensions note that it's tight inside compared to the others.

I also thought it was odd that they labeled the Grand Highlander's third row as "inhospitable." It's quite large. They even said so in their last review of it:

The now-spacious third row is easy to enter, and our 6-foot-2-inch tester, yours truly, was able to sit there comfortably, with the second row preset to account for his own adjusted driving position.
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...hlander-drive/
Old 09-20-23 | 02:30 PM
  #6864  
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Yeah, they are out to lunch on this one
Old 09-20-23 | 02:31 PM
  #6865  
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Originally Posted by JDR76
That surprised me as well. I really like the CX-90, though I haven't had a chance to check out the interior volume yet in person. But all the reports and dimensions note that it's tight inside compared to the others.

I also thought it was odd that they labeled the Grand Highlander's third row as "inhospitable." It's quite large. They even said so in their last review of it:



https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...hlander-drive/
Agreed. All reviews have stated how the GH has such a large 3rd row with easy access, including C&D. It almost sounds as if one of their testers didn't know which vehicle they were reviewing...
Old 09-20-23 | 02:56 PM
  #6866  
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All the more reason why I don't even read car magazines anymore. YouTubers IMO are a lot more credible nowadays
Old 09-20-23 | 03:07 PM
  #6867  
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Originally Posted by SW17LS
All the more reason why I don't even read car magazines anymore.s
I can’t read the mags anymore. I used to like them. I find it painful.
Old 09-20-23 | 03:17 PM
  #6868  
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Originally Posted by LexsCTJill
I can’t read the mags anymore. I used to like them. I find it painful.
Originally Posted by SW17LS
All the more reason why I don't even read car magazines anymore. YouTubers IMO are a lot more credible nowadays
Yep, I got them as kids and as an adult used to write checks for 3 years of mags so I'd always have them...They're different now and frankly suck, old editors are spinning.

I have not picked a car magazine up in 5 years, at least. Will never renew, ever. Political garbage.

At least this Toyota hybrid is really fast. Wonder how it will perform in the Land Cruiser. My guess is the Mazda I-6 is the most refined even if not quite as quick as the GH.
Old 09-20-23 | 04:16 PM
  #6869  
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Originally Posted by LexsCTJill
I can’t read the mags anymore. I used to like them. I find it painful.
I don't read the magazines much anymore either. But I do like to read some of the comparisons, like this, even if I don't agree with all of it. A lot of the time I don't agree with the YT reviews either.

Last edited by LexBob2; 09-20-23 at 04:24 PM.
Old 09-20-23 | 04:19 PM
  #6870  
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I still like to read them, but I treat them like anything I read online - with some amount of skepticism. I wouldn't use their opinions to drive me into a particular purchase, but it's just good, light reading for me.



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