caddycruiser

My mother is nearing 1 year (in about a month) with her 2011 Terrain SLT-1 AWD with the 3.0L as her only option, and loves it. Fits everything, comfortable, quiet, and continue to be pleased with the 3.0L/6-spd/AWD combo. Better mileage than her 2010 Camaro 3.6L before, highway and around town, since day one according to my father. Having read reviews but never driven, I wasn't sure they'd like the 3.0L, especially after a 3.6L Camaro. A year later and almost 15k miles with a lot of long trips, neither has anything but great things to say about it. Dad, who usually complains of powertrains (thinking back to the years with a 300M, etc.) that need revved for power, thought I was nuts telling him about reviews of the 3.0L elsewhere. Great ride. Never have had a chance to test the AWD in bad weather yet, but glad she has it. After my CX-9 that's larger, I was still impressed with how large and silent the smaller Terrain felt inside. 3.0L is simply smoother, quieter and quicker, even if it doesn't seem overly torquey. I know from driving also at Main Street the track difference of FWD vs. FWD model was small, but noticeable.

Funny. Depends on the powerplant, their smaller ones more so. Now that I've been in them for a year, I enjoy hearing that VTEC howl...

Fully loaded looking...and first I've seen...new Chevy-Saturn Captiva cruising 76 through Philly this morning. Took me a few to figure out the emblem.

Antique special in a Philly parking garage Saturday night:

A vintage Mini Cooper with factory but not factory cool looking also small wheels, cruising I-76 in the pouring rain tonight through Philly, with New Jersey Antique plates. Such a cool look. From behind, small. Once passed, I looked in the mirror and seeing it behind the Camry in front of it...insanely tiny.

Cyber Gray Volt beside me from light to light in Philly on Sunday. Greyhound in the back seat hanging out the window. Love seeing these things up close, dirty, and humming around, seem high end and too cool at the same time.

Late 90's Suburban around the corner from my house...with full Escalade conversion (the '02+ style, made to fit) on the front, emblems on the rear, along with dually rear wheel conversion. Interesting. I stopped in the street to snap.

Out on a test drive tonight in the pouring rain, I saw a new Buick nose...differently shaped front grille...thought Lacrosse then "ohhh". Very stylish new black 2012 Buick Verano splashing through puddles, on a back street in southwest Philly. Really like the rear treatment and profile in person, in real traffic. No temp tag, just PA...must have had it a few weeks already.

Drove around with my brother Christmas afternoon, spotted this Fury for sale, outside a tattoo shop. 383.

Black WB4 (wood delete) '95/96 Buick Roadmaster LTD wagon down the street from my house in East Falls, Philly. What a great background. Today...a new red 2012 Kia Rio hatch on the road. Not bad. Doesn't look as good as photos, at least not in red and in mid-level trim, but not bad.

Happy Birthday!

A mid 2000's Acura MDX cruising through the city...stock, except for the "A" emblem on the hatch was flanked by stick on chrome emblems "P-E" then "C-E". Peace by Acura. What a look.

Light weight driveshaft optimized for weight/performance/fuel economy with a speed limit max...that's why the factory issues a top speed for a warning. This has happened a few times with the Mustang, especially now that the V6 is a higher winding and hugely more powerful 3.7L, but top speed is there for a reason. If you're going to do more, and don't care about the 31mpg rating or how they achieved that, you need to upgrade more than just re-flashing your engine/trans software to get rid of the limiter. Boom.

Driving through Princeton, NJ today delivering a car, a shipment of new Range Rover Evoques at the Land Rover dealer, on ground and truck. Extremely cool looking. Across the street, sort of, then also my 1st in person sight of 2012 Beetle in silver with the retro chrome dish wheels.

Last minute here. My usual. No decor, then I decided it was time to hit Walmart last week and I came out with a tree, lights, bows, Santa hats and did it up. Gifts. If something doesn't hit me as "that'd be perfect...too cool...for them", I don't get anything. Did cards Thursday, both to a few customers and family/friends. Spent yesterday in Philly & south Jersey with a friend shopping. Antique store found cool old 1930's circus/Pontiac photo for my brother and framed it, and 2 old brochures. PetSmart, the dogs got gifts. Mom and dad...working on it. If you have to think too much, it's a waste. Gift cards, I'm thinking, and will do that on Christmas eve on my way to Delaware, I think. Ho ho ho.

Captiva...interesting. Good way to build out the work put into making the Vue, and keep it going...new grille, new wheel center caps, new emblems and the DI 3.0L, and you're good to go. Fleet perfect. I've still never seen one in Philly.

Another while cruising on 76 siting...GTO. Stealthy. Tonight in the dark coming home, the first new 2012 Passat I've seen in person, on 76. Navy blue, mid level. Was driving beside it and kept thinking...that Jetta looks long...ah, temp tag, it's new...wait, it's a Passat...plain...and long. Oh well.

Brand new white BMW M1 on the corner. Lives on my street. Tiny car, huge fender flares and huger wheels. Cool regardless. Met owner at the gas station last night and video'd, instead of getting a shot. Burbly startup but also pretty quiet.

No thanks. Bitter cold and dry works for me enough as "winter". Now living in Philly hills, don't feel like sliding up or down any of them. Toot toot. Keep it cold. And then we'll talk about spring in a few

Got rid of it. Loved it dearly. Just couldn't bare to let it sit and not be driveable in winter, with the summer 20" summer treads, or the ability to carry stuff, people and dogs. She went nuts around last January and almost bought anything from a Hyundai Tucson to a Mazda CX-7 from me. Paused. I said if anything go check out a Lacrosse and Equinox. She did, she liked, she disliked the 2.4L Theta's but ended up with 3.0L AWD Terrain SLT-1. Dad enjoys it mucho. She loves it. Misses her Camaro, but after trading said it would be her dream 2nd car not main vehicle. Mazda. I got in it the other day to move around the lot...I miss driving it. Have enjoyed it more than any vehicle I've owned aside from my G8, and it by far has the best driving dynamics/quality of anything I've had. Even driving Acura's daily, it impresses me. It gets talked down by Acura folks & otherwise, but as I showed and sold to a customer I had looking at used MDX's last month..."drive this"...and she went home with a used 2008 CX-9 we had. Debating. It is currently the lowest priced 2011 fully decked out model in the nation on Cars/Autotrader/etc. Have a loan to payoff, just want to minimize my cost output to do so. I was already thinking a Mazda 3 hatch or something after, if and when I do need to own a car again...the Zoom got me. Must drive and own to understand.

Black on black 2012 Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-spec in center city. The wheels and updated lighting/grilles make a big difference, decently aggressive looking and had V8 burble poking along.

Ha. I'll just out slalom you, at full throttle. Rocks and ditches...

...and as of a few weeks back now, Zoomy is for sale by me at work. When a free car to drive is part of your job, having a high car payment and living in the city just isn't intelligent. I've been driving a new Acura TSX Tech demo since last month, and other things from time to time. It's interesting. I work for Acura now, nearing a year pretty soon. I've seen and driven everything. Still, in the class, I've never found a vehicle that has the same qualities from build to finish to power to ESPECIALLY driving dynamics and refinement the CX-9 does. MDX is awesome, but still softer in comparison, and not as roomy, lighter steering, etc. Driving a 110% loaded 2010 Acadia SLT-2 AWD this weekend and wow, it scares me to drive it's such a huge boat. I'll miss it. When it sells, that is. Hopefully soon, to a good home.

Friend I sold my Avalanche too wanted to buy one of these before, back in the first model year. This from an Expedition, Explorer, truck, etc. guy. CVT and all, he really really liked driving it, CVT included. Always seemed to be a well done little ute, even vs. the weird Compass it shares guts with.

I really liked this gen of LH cars, especially the rarer/unique Eagle versions...unique, nice trim, and cool name.