03 June 2009
fell asleep on tuesday woke up monday afternoon
So when the dealership said they would contact me when they found a Mirabeau Blue 3.8 Track A/T, what they really meant was Lackey 1 would call me every other day to try to sell me their Acqua Minerale 3.8 Grand Touring M/T. I am letting them continue to see how long it takes for them to get bored. I am actually waiting for the navigation system to come out which will probably be another couple months...just hope there will still be some summer left to enjoy the summer tires.
09 May 2009
it felt good to be out of the rain
I saw that one of the dealers has a car like the one I want, just a different color. So I decided to test drive it because it's mechanically the same. I am concerned about finding a workable driving position, and how hard the suspension is on the Track model. I know it's a hot car and they may not let just anyone drive it so I dressed up a little nice and even shaved so I look respectable.
Car was at the Hyundai dealer that has been stalking me anyway. As soon as I get out of the car a lackey comes over. I told him I was looking at the Genesis Coupe among other cars like it. He goes off to fetch a Genesis specialist. The car is fortunately out in their drive and not on the showroom floor. I took the opportunity to take some pictures. The lackey comes back some time later and says their Genesis guys are busy but he has the key. He goes to open the door and it won't open. He has the wrong key. He goes back inside, and after some more waiting he comes out with the right one. He opens up the car and starts rambling again and mentions a test drive so I stopped him there and said yes, I'd like a test drive. So we went inside to do paperwork.Now I have read some car buying books so I am ready to scan the test drive form for any tiny print that will say they can pull a credit check on me. I am feeling savvy.
Lackey brings a stack of forms and the top one says CREDIT APPLICATION.
I told him no, I'm not filling that out.
Lackey says that's how he was told they do things and I tell him I'm still not going to fill it out. Lackey scurries off.
Lackey comes back with a Level 2 Lackey, who sits down and explains that they get a lot of inquiries about the Genesis Coupe, and they only have the one car, and if they let just anyone drive it then their new car would have 500 miles on it. Even the lackies haven't driven in it. So their stance is to "run the numbers, and see if it would work" before they allow test drives. Level 1 Lackey also comes back and I can see he's got a 'four-square' worksheet started.
However, the whole time I am saying nothing and giving Level 2 Lackey my patented condescending blank stare. Level 2 Lackey keeps going on but it's not looking good, and I'm getting ready to walk.
From out of nowhere a third salesman walks up, grabs the keyfob out of Level 2 Lackey's hand and says "C'mon, let's go for a spin."
We go outside again and he asks what car I am interested in. I told him I am looking at one like theirs but in the blue, but since the mechanicals are the same I'd like to drive it to compare it with the 370Z and the RX-8 since I haven't decided which car of this type to get. [Lie] He is OK with this and just asks for my driver's license. I pull it out of my wallet and present it between my fingers. He goes to grab it but I have a firm grip on it and I tell him "I do not authorize you to do a credit check on me." He is kind of offended, says he needs my SSN for that and tells me to "take a deep breathhh, we're going to have some fun!"
He goes and presumably copies the license. I haven't signed anything. Lackies are jealous. Guy comes back, we get in the car and fire it up (push-button start) to get the A/C going...it was about 70 and sunny today. A/C is not bad...saw several reports from people online that the A/C was not as cold as they want but didn't notice that.
I try and adjust the seat, but I am still at the roof. Did you put the seat down? Yes it's down, it won't go anymore. I have to recline the seat back instead of sitting bolt upright. It's not going to drive like the Malibu, but I think I could get used to it.
Put it in gear and...off we go!
Pull out of the dealership and drive away...then car hangs and won't go faster. I am not used to gated automatic shifters and I have put it in sport (flappy paddle) mode. I put it in normal auto and it starts behaving properly.
Track model has stiffer suspension. I haven't driven normal so I don't know if it's any worse, but the car is a little bumpy on the road in front of dealer. Maybe just more communicative. Also not like the Malibu.
Kind of stop and go traffic on this street - brakes are firm but not jerky. I like.
Turn the corner - steering feels pretty nice.
Onto the main drag. Trying to behave and watch speed, which is hard since gauges are reversed from Malibu. I figure guy is going to just have me drive it around the block but we keep going straight.
Salesman asks what I am driving right now. Well, a Malibu, but now that I am settled into work I can get something new.
I ask about the nav system. Guy is very condescending - nav systems don't belong in sports cars, the nav system is a vicious lie by bloggers and it won't be available until 2010, it's just another thing to go wrong. I ask him if that means he thinks there is a quality problem with the Hyundai nav systems. (After all they use them in other models.) He says oh no, we use LG, they are great. Whatever. He is not going to give useful information about that.
Guy talks about how the Genesis Coupe is better than the 370Z, cheaper than the Infiniti G37. I say, what about Mazda? "What ABOUT Mazda." Well, the RX-8. "Oh well that only has 250 HP in it and Mazda is making it the female car for when they bring out the RX-7 in about three years, THAT will have a manly engine in it." So he's continuing to be condescending.
We get to the end of main drag and hop onto highway. Unfortunately other cars in the way so I can't really open it up, but car has been manageable so far for being in excess of 300 HP. Get some practice with visibility. I comment on how it's not bad, to throw the salesman a bone, but he doesn't bite. The dip in the rear quarter window doesn't help much though and I do kind of have to put my whole body into checking blind spot. Salesman goes on about how he feels the Track trim level is a waste of money because of all the aftermarket stuff - I think the aftermarket people are still just prototyping their components, and I don't want to meddle in that anyway.
Merge onto other freeway. We get off at the second exit and the salesman starts going off again. He says everyone around us is looking at the car. I did see one guy in a truck that looked pretty stunned but I don't know about the others. Not why I'm getting a new car anyway. Salesman continues - car has stability control so it's difficult to crash. He knows because he's tried! (??!?) He mentions the button to turn it off, "but that only reduces the traction control about 20%". You can COMPLETELY disable the traction control, "I can show you what fuse to pull, I have to do it after work though." What a pal.
Salesman keeps going - the Genesis Coupe is obviously better than any of the other cars, just nobody knows what to make of it, and any LOGICAL person would choose it, and if they don't then they shouldn't waste his time.
Turn back on to dealer's street. Ride gets a little bumpy again. Traffic is backed up and moving slow, so of course salesman tells me to put the car in sport mode. What good would that possibly do? Whatever. I put it in sport mode. As salesman points out, sport mode acts like a manual transmission and the car suddenly has a noticeable drag when coasting - apparently like a stick does? Anyway I can't do much besides blip it between first and second, and the drag is making life more difficult, but at least the paddles are intuitive. Some last minute drama - I have to cut a short yellow light close, and this is in Beaverton where they have red light cameras, and a motorcycle turns onto my street right in front of me so I can't speed up to clear the yellow faster. No idea if I triggered it or not. Not my car anyway.
Salesman starts telling me a sob story about how he had to downgrade his car and make lifestyle adjustments because of economy and asks what I do. Well. I do feel like rubbing it in so I tell him I'm in implantable medical and we are still expanding, and then talk a little about pacemakers and the implantable defibrillators, which he doesn't believe me about. He is condescending again and says if someone needs a defibrillator what is their quality of life, and maybe they should just hang it up. Never mind the point is to IMPROVE quality of life. Maybe he will change his tone in 40 years.
Shut the car down with push button start and get out. Salesman is not optimistic - "I can't sell you this car today, can I." I tell him no, but I also didn't see any dealbreakers and it's still on my list. Salesman is now motivated to find one like this in Mirabeau Blue. He is OK with letting me add some miles to this car because apparently not many people are interested in the Track A/T model, seems like the Grand Touring trim is more popular.
We go inside again and salesman tells me how he is rebadging all the Geneses that come in because he hates the Hyundai H - well I like it. Wrapping things up - salesman gives me a brochure about suspension upgrades for some reason, and turns me back over to Level 1 Lackey, who gives me his card. I like the guy who helped last time better but I don't know if he's still there - who knows what their turnover is. Level 1 Lackey takes my phone number, which I'm pretty sure they have anyway, and says they will get in touch if they track down a Mirabeau Blue 3.8 Track A/T. And I am free!
Car was at the Hyundai dealer that has been stalking me anyway. As soon as I get out of the car a lackey comes over. I told him I was looking at the Genesis Coupe among other cars like it. He goes off to fetch a Genesis specialist. The car is fortunately out in their drive and not on the showroom floor. I took the opportunity to take some pictures. The lackey comes back some time later and says their Genesis guys are busy but he has the key. He goes to open the door and it won't open. He has the wrong key. He goes back inside, and after some more waiting he comes out with the right one. He opens up the car and starts rambling again and mentions a test drive so I stopped him there and said yes, I'd like a test drive. So we went inside to do paperwork.Now I have read some car buying books so I am ready to scan the test drive form for any tiny print that will say they can pull a credit check on me. I am feeling savvy.
Lackey brings a stack of forms and the top one says CREDIT APPLICATION.
I told him no, I'm not filling that out.
Lackey says that's how he was told they do things and I tell him I'm still not going to fill it out. Lackey scurries off.
Lackey comes back with a Level 2 Lackey, who sits down and explains that they get a lot of inquiries about the Genesis Coupe, and they only have the one car, and if they let just anyone drive it then their new car would have 500 miles on it. Even the lackies haven't driven in it. So their stance is to "run the numbers, and see if it would work" before they allow test drives. Level 1 Lackey also comes back and I can see he's got a 'four-square' worksheet started.
However, the whole time I am saying nothing and giving Level 2 Lackey my patented condescending blank stare. Level 2 Lackey keeps going on but it's not looking good, and I'm getting ready to walk.
From out of nowhere a third salesman walks up, grabs the keyfob out of Level 2 Lackey's hand and says "C'mon, let's go for a spin."
We go outside again and he asks what car I am interested in. I told him I am looking at one like theirs but in the blue, but since the mechanicals are the same I'd like to drive it to compare it with the 370Z and the RX-8 since I haven't decided which car of this type to get. [Lie] He is OK with this and just asks for my driver's license. I pull it out of my wallet and present it between my fingers. He goes to grab it but I have a firm grip on it and I tell him "I do not authorize you to do a credit check on me." He is kind of offended, says he needs my SSN for that and tells me to "take a deep breathhh, we're going to have some fun!"
He goes and presumably copies the license. I haven't signed anything. Lackies are jealous. Guy comes back, we get in the car and fire it up (push-button start) to get the A/C going...it was about 70 and sunny today. A/C is not bad...saw several reports from people online that the A/C was not as cold as they want but didn't notice that.
I try and adjust the seat, but I am still at the roof. Did you put the seat down? Yes it's down, it won't go anymore. I have to recline the seat back instead of sitting bolt upright. It's not going to drive like the Malibu, but I think I could get used to it.
Put it in gear and...off we go!
Pull out of the dealership and drive away...then car hangs and won't go faster. I am not used to gated automatic shifters and I have put it in sport (flappy paddle) mode. I put it in normal auto and it starts behaving properly.
Track model has stiffer suspension. I haven't driven normal so I don't know if it's any worse, but the car is a little bumpy on the road in front of dealer. Maybe just more communicative. Also not like the Malibu.
Kind of stop and go traffic on this street - brakes are firm but not jerky. I like.
Turn the corner - steering feels pretty nice.
Onto the main drag. Trying to behave and watch speed, which is hard since gauges are reversed from Malibu. I figure guy is going to just have me drive it around the block but we keep going straight.
Salesman asks what I am driving right now. Well, a Malibu, but now that I am settled into work I can get something new.
I ask about the nav system. Guy is very condescending - nav systems don't belong in sports cars, the nav system is a vicious lie by bloggers and it won't be available until 2010, it's just another thing to go wrong. I ask him if that means he thinks there is a quality problem with the Hyundai nav systems. (After all they use them in other models.) He says oh no, we use LG, they are great. Whatever. He is not going to give useful information about that.
Guy talks about how the Genesis Coupe is better than the 370Z, cheaper than the Infiniti G37. I say, what about Mazda? "What ABOUT Mazda." Well, the RX-8. "Oh well that only has 250 HP in it and Mazda is making it the female car for when they bring out the RX-7 in about three years, THAT will have a manly engine in it." So he's continuing to be condescending.
We get to the end of main drag and hop onto highway. Unfortunately other cars in the way so I can't really open it up, but car has been manageable so far for being in excess of 300 HP. Get some practice with visibility. I comment on how it's not bad, to throw the salesman a bone, but he doesn't bite. The dip in the rear quarter window doesn't help much though and I do kind of have to put my whole body into checking blind spot. Salesman goes on about how he feels the Track trim level is a waste of money because of all the aftermarket stuff - I think the aftermarket people are still just prototyping their components, and I don't want to meddle in that anyway.
Merge onto other freeway. We get off at the second exit and the salesman starts going off again. He says everyone around us is looking at the car. I did see one guy in a truck that looked pretty stunned but I don't know about the others. Not why I'm getting a new car anyway. Salesman continues - car has stability control so it's difficult to crash. He knows because he's tried! (??!?) He mentions the button to turn it off, "but that only reduces the traction control about 20%". You can COMPLETELY disable the traction control, "I can show you what fuse to pull, I have to do it after work though." What a pal.
Salesman keeps going - the Genesis Coupe is obviously better than any of the other cars, just nobody knows what to make of it, and any LOGICAL person would choose it, and if they don't then they shouldn't waste his time.
Turn back on to dealer's street. Ride gets a little bumpy again. Traffic is backed up and moving slow, so of course salesman tells me to put the car in sport mode. What good would that possibly do? Whatever. I put it in sport mode. As salesman points out, sport mode acts like a manual transmission and the car suddenly has a noticeable drag when coasting - apparently like a stick does? Anyway I can't do much besides blip it between first and second, and the drag is making life more difficult, but at least the paddles are intuitive. Some last minute drama - I have to cut a short yellow light close, and this is in Beaverton where they have red light cameras, and a motorcycle turns onto my street right in front of me so I can't speed up to clear the yellow faster. No idea if I triggered it or not. Not my car anyway.
Salesman starts telling me a sob story about how he had to downgrade his car and make lifestyle adjustments because of economy and asks what I do. Well. I do feel like rubbing it in so I tell him I'm in implantable medical and we are still expanding, and then talk a little about pacemakers and the implantable defibrillators, which he doesn't believe me about. He is condescending again and says if someone needs a defibrillator what is their quality of life, and maybe they should just hang it up. Never mind the point is to IMPROVE quality of life. Maybe he will change his tone in 40 years.
Shut the car down with push button start and get out. Salesman is not optimistic - "I can't sell you this car today, can I." I tell him no, but I also didn't see any dealbreakers and it's still on my list. Salesman is now motivated to find one like this in Mirabeau Blue. He is OK with letting me add some miles to this car because apparently not many people are interested in the Track A/T model, seems like the Grand Touring trim is more popular.
We go inside again and salesman tells me how he is rebadging all the Geneses that come in because he hates the Hyundai H - well I like it. Wrapping things up - salesman gives me a brochure about suspension upgrades for some reason, and turns me back over to Level 1 Lackey, who gives me his card. I like the guy who helped last time better but I don't know if he's still there - who knows what their turnover is. Level 1 Lackey takes my phone number, which I'm pretty sure they have anyway, and says they will get in touch if they track down a Mirabeau Blue 3.8 Track A/T. And I am free!
05 April 2009
liquid metal through my veins
The first Genesis Coupes are starting to trickle into the area but I haven't seen any on the road yet. I've hit up the five main dealers in the Portland area and only one seemed decent. One of the other dealers did have a 3.8 Track in Interlagos (School Bus / Banana) Yellow. The spoiler doesn't impact rear visibility like I thought it would but I still wish the seats went further down and back.
24 February 2009
the list
Just to make sure I'm not overlooking anything I went to Edmunds.com and put in some high-level filters on all new cars, then crossed off things I know won't work. The resulting list:
Hyundai Genesis Coupe (3.8 Track)
Mazda RX-8 (Grand Touring)
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (MR)
Subaru Impreza (2.5GT)
Hyundai Genesis Coupe (3.8 Track)
Mazda RX-8 (Grand Touring)
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (MR)
Subaru Impreza (2.5GT)
14 February 2009
no one's jamming their transmission
Auto show has come and gone. Of the stuff I tried, I still like the Genesis Coupe the best, but there are some annoyances. It looks like the sunroof is standard on the V6 and the spoiler is standard on the Track trim level that has all the go faster bits. The trunk also has kind of a small opening so I'll be giving up more practicality than I thought.
Things have been going pretty well at work. I have subtly caused a ton of trouble as my reports and data analysis get mailed around. I heard one thing I found is now a bonus goal for upper management to fix in 2009. I have been using unstructured time to develop new reports to cause further trouble. And here boss squared thought systems work was a dead end.
Things have been going pretty well at work. I have subtly caused a ton of trouble as my reports and data analysis get mailed around. I heard one thing I found is now a bonus goal for upper management to fix in 2009. I have been using unstructured time to develop new reports to cause further trouble. And here boss squared thought systems work was a dead end.
03 January 2009
knowing everything could come undone
I found my grad school acceptance letters for Purdue and UCSD. I pitched them. It's stupid to play what if.
14 December 2008
but all i hear are low sounds
It snowed last night. Apparently it all got dumped around 5AM because it definitely wasn't looking that way when I was out last night. So the first thing I did was drop everything, get around and go driving. I needed groceries at some point and I don't patronize the hippie mart because they don't carry things like pasteurized processed grape food. I also hurried to catch the heathen window when the few brave souls that were out would be at church. The roads were pretty treacherous - it just came down as light puffy snow but it just got mashed into the ground because Portland has almost no anti-snow infrastructure. I did make it to the grocery store in town and back in one piece. I had to drive quite slow but somehow was still passing Land Rovers. It's been a while since I drove on snow. It reminds me of home.
12 December 2008
waiting for the light to come back
My new camera showed up earlier this week. Unfortunately it's always dark after I get back from work so I haven't been able to get out and play with it yet. I have tried it out a little though. It feels cheaper than I thought, which is pretty lame for the king of the A-series. Also I'm used to my old camera's manual flash open so I have to get used to autoflash again. It also has face detection, and was smart enough to work on an episode of Top Gear.
09 November 2008
of another place and time
I finally stopped playing Spore and have been playing Fallout 3 instead. I picked it up just because everyone else was raving about it, but I was really more interested in Red Alert 3. However the night I got the games my internet was down, which means I couldn't activate RA3 (thanks, brave new world of PC copy protection) so I got a jump on Fallout. And I have to say I'm impressed.
I beat the main storyline fairly handily but that's not really the point of the game. It's an open-world RPG and they want you to explore so much that the secondary quests have the same achievement scores as the primary ones. I never played the first two games so I'm having a hard time getting a feel for the game. I keep expecting it to have scary things jump out everywhere, like any other game or movie. (Particularly window scares) Of course you have to fight baddies, but it's not like that. A lot of the horror is not that something horrible is going on wherever you're at, but that something horrible happened long ago. It doesn't even come out and say what happened but you can pick up pieces of evidence to put it together. I guess if they took cheap shots like window scares, people would be less inclined to explore and try to learn about this world. This game is a master of immersion. Part of that is just the stillness. If you stand still and listen there is almost nothing - the Capital Wasteland is very tranquil. So any unusual noise at all means you'll be on edge. Even if it's just you tripping over empty bottles on the ground.
Incidentally I did finally get RA3 up after Qwest fixed my damn internet, and shall we say I'm less than impressed.
In other news, Top Gear just did another America show. It started off kind of slow, and since their visas were only for producing factual shows and not entertainment shows they couldn't do any interesting side challenges (lest Bruce Willis show up in a Dept. of State helicopter gunship). It finally started picking up when they got to Bonneville as they pursued speed targets at Speed Week. Top Gear Top Tip: when driving on salt, pump up your tires until they almost explode. It was interesting to see them look at a new aspect of car culture and it makes me more excited about the Genesis Coupe, though I'm still wondering which loadout would be better - Grand Touring or Track.
I beat the main storyline fairly handily but that's not really the point of the game. It's an open-world RPG and they want you to explore so much that the secondary quests have the same achievement scores as the primary ones. I never played the first two games so I'm having a hard time getting a feel for the game. I keep expecting it to have scary things jump out everywhere, like any other game or movie. (Particularly window scares) Of course you have to fight baddies, but it's not like that. A lot of the horror is not that something horrible is going on wherever you're at, but that something horrible happened long ago. It doesn't even come out and say what happened but you can pick up pieces of evidence to put it together. I guess if they took cheap shots like window scares, people would be less inclined to explore and try to learn about this world. This game is a master of immersion. Part of that is just the stillness. If you stand still and listen there is almost nothing - the Capital Wasteland is very tranquil. So any unusual noise at all means you'll be on edge. Even if it's just you tripping over empty bottles on the ground.
Incidentally I did finally get RA3 up after Qwest fixed my damn internet, and shall we say I'm less than impressed.
In other news, Top Gear just did another America show. It started off kind of slow, and since their visas were only for producing factual shows and not entertainment shows they couldn't do any interesting side challenges (lest Bruce Willis show up in a Dept. of State helicopter gunship). It finally started picking up when they got to Bonneville as they pursued speed targets at Speed Week. Top Gear Top Tip: when driving on salt, pump up your tires until they almost explode. It was interesting to see them look at a new aspect of car culture and it makes me more excited about the Genesis Coupe, though I'm still wondering which loadout would be better - Grand Touring or Track.
01 November 2008
failing to recall what i was missing
Well that was a bust. I went to go look at a Firebird from Craigslist. It sounded pretty good online. The engine and transmission had been rebuilt which I'm not big on but I figured this meant the owner took car of the car like the rebuilt Camaro I had seen.
This was not the case.
Just walking up to it was pretty bad. The guy had put a bunch of go-faster decals on it so it was covered in fake bullet holes. Getting closer it was appallingly filthy, with leaves and stuff inside the car. And then he started walking me through the car. The driver's side door handle doesn't work. Speedometer doesn't work. Stereo was stolen. Hood won't stay up so he has a big stick. The shift stick is just a bare metal bar. And the battery won't hold a charge. This combined with the fact it had been sitting there for two months meant it was particularly start-resistant.
Mind you the Craigslist listing doesn't mention any of this.
So it's back to square one. And I guess I need to screen these cars more thoroughly. For now it's back to creepy Fallout 3. Also: daylight savings tonight!
This was not the case.
Just walking up to it was pretty bad. The guy had put a bunch of go-faster decals on it so it was covered in fake bullet holes. Getting closer it was appallingly filthy, with leaves and stuff inside the car. And then he started walking me through the car. The driver's side door handle doesn't work. Speedometer doesn't work. Stereo was stolen. Hood won't stay up so he has a big stick. The shift stick is just a bare metal bar. And the battery won't hold a charge. This combined with the fact it had been sitting there for two months meant it was particularly start-resistant.
Mind you the Craigslist listing doesn't mention any of this.
So it's back to square one. And I guess I need to screen these cars more thoroughly. For now it's back to creepy Fallout 3. Also: daylight savings tonight!
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