So while Trump is a blowhard who can suck it and the domestics are sourcing more and more components from China and Mexico, (I went to change the battery on a CTS the other day and the harness has a huge white sticker that says, “Made In China,”), don’t be quick to praise the foreign brands doing final assembly here…

After my experience with my Fiat and the lead pipe I took to the knees caps when I decided to move on, I’d say lease the Alfa, do not buy it! I got suckered into the Fiat the same way, with crazy discounts and rebates.

I wouldn’t, but people absolutely would buy GTI - whatever’s. I mean they go apeshit over the R Lines, which are nothing but appearance packages. Some of which even come with fewer amenities than similar trim non-R Lines. Also, note how many people want to buy SQ5's and 7's. It’s really only money that is holding back…

How much did Bosh know? All of it. (Hence their position that, and I’m paraphrasing here, they just made / supplied the parts and systems, but it was all on the manufacture(s) how they used those systems.)

I’m not convinced the grills are cheaper at all.

Yes. Sadly.

I work at a dealer and you are wrong about the anonymity, they absolutely know who the survays are from and everything you said in them.

Just a little head’s up guys (and I wish Steve Lehto was still around to back me on this,) any time a car is on a race track, legally that’s going to be considered racing.

NO!!! Also, now we apparatly want fake grills in the rear bumper too (even the normal Civics have these.) They are ugly, stupid and ruin the car for me. Not that I really liked the way it looked anyway, but they upset me greatly.

No people will not figure it out. They view their monthly car payment the same way as their monthly cell phone / interment / Netflix etc. bill. This charge for everything monthly has been the greatest scam on consumers that I’ve seen in my lifetime.

The deal with pleats is that when they are too close together they create a restriction so (maybe) you don’t get adequate flow, especially on cold start up. Also, because there is a restriction there, essentially that part of the filter doesn’t get used as much and other parts of the filter end up working harder,…

It usually depends on their reasons for getting it or how much thinking / work they put into it. Like if they bought something used, didn’t look at what comparable cars sold for and didn’t get it inspected I usually don’t feel bad. If they bought something like an Audi or BMW when a Honda or Toyota would have worked…

Yeah I have a Toyota Avalon with a 3.5 V6. I was googling images of the OEM (Denso I think) oil filter made in Thailand and the TRD one which bobstheoilguy says is made in the USA by Champion Labs. Now the OEM looks like any paper filter with the side note that the pleats are perhaps more evenly spaced all the way…

Cracker Barrel is a must. Pecan pancakes for breakfast! Several good lunch / dinner options, however the real secret is to go there on Sunday for the Sunday Special homemade chicken! Amazing*

And the problem with forums and often reviews is that people post up the day of or like 3 days after they get it. It’s always the best, but they never give a 6 moth or year out review to tell you how it held up.

So a couple of thoughts, (but no answers.) It’s very possible O’Riley and Ebay are selling the same or equivalently similar parts at those varying prices. Remember O’Riley has to pay for their warehouses, distribution network, leases and operation costs for their stores (salaries, electric bills etc.,) buy the part…

NYC so everyone buys AWD even though they stay home when it snows.

Exactly

I’d argue that most SUV’s are turning into mini-vans. Go have a good look at a new Pathfider. Pathetic.

I work at a VW dealer and the fact that they site only the 2WD version of the Tiguan really calls into question their statistics. There are very few 2WD Tiguans out there.