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My "Dear John" Letter to HondaSUV members, or how I love my new MO! (Long post!)
Hey guys and Gals, here is my Dear John letter I posted over on the CR-V website.
I figured if some is looks for some reason to get an MO, well I captured
most of them here in my list...
Hey guys and Gals, here is my Dear John letter I posted over on the CR-V website.
I figured if some is looks for some reason to get an MO, well I captured
most of them here in my list...
from my posting on www.hondasuv.com
Well Guys and Gals another one bites the dust, or at least changes his boots.
It all started like this, My daughter is going off to college next year,
(Yes, it’s UA) ROLL-TIDE-ROLL… I guess I can say it now, since my
money will be going there. And I wanted her to have a reliable vehicle
to go to school, well the more I thought about it I was asking myself why
do I need to buy her a used vehicle while I have an excellent one right in
my own driveway, with a good 35K miles left on the 100K extended
warranty. So Dad decides he’s going to get some new wheel… Ye Ha!
Well, I started out looking at Honda first (what would you think, I’m
stupid?) and I fell in love with the Ridgeline. I liked the Pilot (especially
since it’s made right here in Alabama) but it just wasn’t the same as the
Ridgeline. So being a good consumer, and a half way wise one, I decided
that I would look at the Toyota’s line of vehicles. Plus it did not hurt that
Toyota sent me a flyer that if I came and test drove a Toyota, I would get
a $50 MasterCard… First it was the Highlander, my comments, pricey
and it ain’t that much bigger that the CR-V. I took a look at the 2006
RAV4, no big winner to me… Then I looked at the 4runner, it has some
nice features, but for less money the Pilot just seemed like a better deal.
All the while I am taking my wife for the test drive, and she almost always
agreed with me. Overall, we both really liked the Ridgeline the best, then
the Pilot. Ah, I think, a Ridgeline was in my sights, BUT then comes,
“BUTtttt, I am not riding to church in a PICK-UP” ARRRRGGG. “Oh, it
would be fine for a second vehicle, just not the first”, she says. (Man with
frustration level going up). So the saga continues, OK, so you don’t want
the Ridgeline, then maybe the Pilot. But I have one Big Problem with the
Pilot, “my lower half”, I’m a big guy and there just wasn’t that much room
for my legs when driving. Matter of fact, there ain’t a whole lot more than
the CR-V…. Sooooo
The next week in the mail I get the annual Consumer Reports car report.
OK, so I guess I should be a smart consumer and see what it says. First it
confirmed that I ain’t buying an American brand.
Sorry, GM/Ford/Chrysler, All the rebates put the resale of your vehicles
down the tubes, and I for one was sure not ever going to look at those
vehicles. So, I start down the list of SUV,…. Hummm. Highlander, been
there done that…. Pilot, ditto…. Nissan, hey their a Japanese car maker.
So I make a trip down to the Nissan dealer here in town. So, I’m thinking
let’s try out a Pathfinder, it’s about the size of a Pilot. Not bad, but it did
not turn me on.. Plus it was rated 13th in the list of SUV ($30k-40k), but it
had the “recommended check” so it could not be all bad. So the dealer
said, but we have $2500 back on the Armada… Hummmm… Pricey, but
maybe with discounts… So I took it for a test drive… Jumpin Jehosephat
that think is a TANK, it’s HUGE… No way, no How… Hummmm… What’s this
little sporty SUV down in the corner of the lot… A Murano ….
Double Hummmmm…. Ranked 4th right after regular highlander….. So I
got in and when for a test drive…. Holy Cow Batman… This thing drives
like a dream, smooth, powerful, sleek…. (My heart skips a beat)…. So
this one I tried was a “S” version, the basic model. But in the show room
was a “SL” the next step up. This thing has bells and whistles that I never
even thought about… But I did go back and drive the Pilot and Ridgeline
one more time just to be sure. Well the rest is history.
After a week of looking and dealing with DEALERS… (Arggg) …
We find a Brilliant Silver SE Murano almost fully decked out.
AWD, NAV, leather, and a bunch of more features. And here is what
really sealed the deal… For a long time I have seen all the guys and gals
around here at hondasuv customizing there rides. Lots of neat features I
would think. I kept telling myself one of these days I am going to get
around to doing that …… (You fill in the blank)… Then as I look more at
the Murano, it had those features… OK… Yes I know I am talking to a
bunch of SERIOUS Honda fans, and I am still one too. But I just was just
absolutely amazed at the fit and finish of the vehicle. Then it hit me,
It’s made in Japan. Matter of fact, I think it’s the only Nissan in the US
that is still made in Japan.
So IF you haven’t stopped reading by now, I just want to show you some
of the features of the Murano that I think are pretty neat for this price
range of SUV. You can spend more and get some of the feature.
This is NOT a sales pitch, I haven’t been around here for
almost 4 years if I did not consider you part of an extended network of
friends. And I just wanted to share with you.
My new Ride
Note: click on the image for a larger version
OK, to start the feature list of the Murano it does not have gears!, it’s a
CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) Here’s a page I found on
google that explains it a little http://cvt.com.sapo.pt/toc_en.htm
It’s pretty neat, and yes I know it isn’t standard and the early version had
a few problem, but the concept has been around for years. And it helps
improve the gas mileage. I got 25 miles per gallon on my way home from
the dealer. And that’s with a 3.5L V6, not too shabby… It’s pretty neat how
it drives, it very smooth acceleration.
Yes it and AUTOMATIC, DON’T GO THERE. Some time if you get a
chance to test drive one you should give it try. And with my SE version I
have a method of manual ranges, you might call the “gears” that I can
shift thru.
So here is a list of things that I was looking at for my CR-V.
1) Leather… Nuff said nothing unusual.
2) Better sound system… How about a Bose 6CD mp3 unit with subwoofer.
3) HID headlights… The neat thing is you can tilt them down so they don’t blind the on coming traffic. Not to forget the auto on and off feature.
4) How about LED tail lights?
5) Vehicle stability control… Nissan calls it VDC
6) How bout bigger tires, how bout P235/65R18 ….
7) How bout variable wipers… How about speed dependant wipers, got them….
8) Built in NAV, got it, but is it worth there price, maybe, but it sure does look clean.
9) Outside thermometer… all on the built LCD…
10) How bout heated seat, don’t need them much down south, but I sure can us them when I head up north to visit relatives.
11) What about a switch to force the AWD stay engaged… got that…
12) And did I mention Compass and a “Homelink” (Oh whose that ugly mug in the picture )
13) And what about the tire sensor on the ridgeland, got it, I can even go to a screen and see the actual amount of pressure per tire.
14) And can’t I forget the roof rails…
15) Let’s not forget a rear view camera when backing?
