Meet Rita

I bought a 2009 Audi Q5 in 2012.  I've loved the Audi for over three years and hoped to keep loving her for many more years.  In the last year, I've incurred some expenses that I felt were unusual and excessive.  In October, I was getting an oil change and asked the dealership to check on a noise I heard when locking the doors.  A latch had to be replaced to ensure the vehicle locked.  That little repair was $750.  I had enough and decided to replace Audrey.

Enter Rita.

I can assure you this wasn't a spur of the moment decision.  I had been researching a replacement for Audrey for a few months and the Acura RDX was at the top of the list.  I wanted something reliable and not terribly expensive to repair.  I've owned Honda Accords in the past and figured Honda's luxury brand, Acura, would be as reliable.  My mother and sister both have Acuras and both are very happy.

I visited the Acura dealership (while driving the Audi loaner car) and test drove the RDX I'd had my eye on.  I went back to the dealership and talked numbers with the salesman.  The vehicle was a service loaner and was in great shape.  It had just over 7,000 miles on it and was still under the original warranty.  It was also considered a certified pre-owned vehicle, and Acura's CPO warranty is even better than the original warranty.  I decided to buy it.

This is the first vehicle I've bought completely on my own.  It felt good.

The exterior and interior are both black.  It is a very smooth ride.  The steering is also very smooth.  I'm still getting used to that since the Audi's steering is more stiff.  I kind of like the stiff steering, but I know I'll get used to the smoother steering.

The photos below are from a Google search and are not of my vehicle, but the vehicles in these photos are identical to my Rita.

I need to get Audrey cleaned up and sold since I have three vehicles in my driveway.  I refer to them as my fleet.

Meet Lucy

Meet Lucy Leaf.  She is a 2015 Nissan Leaf.  Lucy is an electric car.

 Look at those curves!

She has a nice trunk, too.



I hadn't really thought of getting a new car, but the tax credits offered by the federal government and state government were too good to ignore.  The environmental aspect of the Leaf is also enticing.  As I mentioned, the Leaf is an electric car, so it uses absolutely no gasoline.  It also has zero emissions.

I got the base model which is the S.  It has everything I need.  I also got the quick charge package.  I'll tell you about that in a minute.

The interior is pretty spacious.  It's not bulky, but it's not skimpy.  It's just right.

Both the front and back seats are heated.  Fancy, no?  The backseat is also pretty spacious.

The S model comes with a back-up camera that displays on the smallish screen in the dash.  It also comes ready for XM satellite radio and includes a three month trial.  There is an auxiliary input for the radio and a USB port where you can connect your smart phone.  Lucy also has Bluetooth connectivity so I can connect my phone and make and receive calls.

The gear shifter is also pretty interesting.  It has four options - Park, Drive, Neutral, and Reverse.  The transmission is constantly variable so it doesn't shift from first, to second, to third, and so on.  It just accelerates without shifting.

The dash is also pretty cool.  Because the battery is so important, the battery temperature indicator is pretty prominent (on the left side in the image below).  Equally important is the amount of charge remaining.  This is on the right side of the image below.  The series of circles across the top of the display tells you how much power you are using as you drive.  Electric cars are smart so they recapture lost power as you coast or use your brakes.  This is shown in the four circles across the top.  The circles on the right show power you are using.

 

The trunk area is pretty spacious.  The back seats fold down, so I can haul quite a bit of stuff back there. 

The image below shows the charging ports.  The port on the left is the quick charge port and the port on the right is the standard "trickle" charge port.  As I mentioned earlier, I got the quick charge package with my Leaf.  This allows me to go to quick charge charger locations and charge my car quickly.

The quick charge port can charge the car in about three hours.  The standard charge port takes about eighteen hours to completely charge.  That sounds like a lot, but if I plug it in right after I get home from work, it's close to being fully charged the next morning since I don't usually let it get too terribly low.

The image below shows a Leaf being charged using the trickle charger.  Note: You don't have to open the hood to charge the car.  You only have to open that small charging area door/panel.

Overall, I really like the Leaf.  It's a fun car to drive.  It's little and scoots around quickly.  It has 100% torque.  The video below explains the 100% torque thing:

I still have my Audi since Lucy is practical to drive around the city, but isn't practical on longer trips.  I head home to visit family several times per year and it would take me three days to get home.  I would be a nervous wreck trying to get to the next charging port!

I'll wrap up this post with the video below.  It's a Tesla Model S (another electric car) and a Dodge Challenger drag racing.  The Tesla is a luxury, power car.  It's the blue/black car in the video in case you were wondering.  =)

Audrey Gets Sick

At the end of January, my car notified me that the engine coolant was low.  I shared that with Justin and he and I looked at it once I got home.  The coolant level was very low, so we added some coolant and I contacted the dealership.

I requested a loaner, but one wasn't available, so I used their shuttle service.  The service specialist at the dealership said the shuttle doesn't run in the afternoon, so I was hoping my car would be repaired before noon so the shuttle could pick me up from my office.  At 11:20 a.m., they called and said my car was ready.  They had to order a part, but I could pick it up and drive it until the part was installed.  I asked if the shuttle could pick me up, but they said it stops at 10:00 a.m.  Well, 10:00 a.m. is different than after noon.  I was not happy.  I had to get a ride with Uber which cost me $14.00.  That's not a lot, but it's $14.00 I shouldn't have had to pay.  I got my car and told them to call me when the part arrived.

The next day, snow hit and paralyzed Atlanta for a few days.  The part managed to arrive and I made an appointment to drop off my car for the final repairs.  I got a loaner this time.  It was a white Audi Q5.  It was a slightly newer version of my car with a smaller engine.  No complaints from me!

I got my car back a day later and though all was well.  Wrong.

A few days later, my car tells me the engine coolant is low.  I am not pleased.  Justin and I were leaving the flip house, so we contacted the dealership to confirm they were open.  They quickly took my car and got me a loaner.  It was a white Audi Q5.  The woman checked and said this one was not the same one as I had a few days before.

The dealership called on Monday and said the part they replaced was defective, so they ordered a new one and installed it.  I got my car back on Tuesday and thought all was well.  Wrong ,again.

About a month later, my car told me the engine coolant level was low, again.  I was leaving the office one evening, so I stopped in the parking lot, opened my hood, and saw the coolant reservoir was nearly empty.  Katherine was not happy.  I called the dealership and let loose on the woman who answered the phone.  I felt bad afterward.  I wasn't mean, but it wasn't her fault and I feel like I took out my frustration with my vehicle on her.

The lady said they didn't have a loaner available until Friday.  It was Monday, so I would have to drive my car for three days with the engine coolant low.  I expressed my displeasure to the service representative on the phone, but said I understood she couldn't make a loaner appear.  She said she would call if they had a cancellation.  She called on Tuesday afternoon and said she could get me in on Wednesday morning.  I was happy!

I dropped off my car and the provided me with a loaner.  I figured I would get another Q5, but I was pleasantly surprised to get an Audi A6.  It had about 300 miles when I got it, so it was literally brand new.  It still smelled new, which I love!

The service representative said to be prepared to leave mine with them for several days.  I ended up keeping the loaner for a week.  The wanted to make sure they fixed the problem this time.  They replaced a part and test drove mine several times.  Once they were confident they had the problem fixed, they called and I headed to the dealership and retrieved my car.  The A6 was fun to drive and was incredibly nice, but I really missed mine.  It was nice driving a new car for a few days, but I really missed Audrey.

So far, mine has been good.  No leaks, yet.  Justin and I check the engine coolant level periodically and all seems good.

January Snow Day

I'm sure you've heard about the day two inches of snow pretty much brought Atlanta to a halt.  Some referred to this day as Snowmageddon 2014.  Atlanta provided late night shows with quite a bit of material for days.  We even made SNL!

For me, the day started like any other day.  I headed to work after running through McDonald's to get my Egg White Delight.  I knew they were predicting snow, but honestly didn't think it would happen since it feels like snow is part of Atlanta's weather forecast every winter day and it happens about 0.1% of the time.

I have a window in my office, so I was watching the weather happen.  Around noon, the flurries started, the state sent home their employees, schools closed, and then the chaos started.  After about an hour, it was snowing pretty heavily.

 

After a couple of hours, snow was accumulating near the building, but not out in the parking lot.  I can see GA-400 and I-285 from my office.  Both were parking lots by early afternoon.

 

About four hours after the snow started, it was accumulating in my office's parking lot.

 

 

That's my little black car second from the left.

 

There were still a handful of us in the office at this point.  I knew I needed to get home, but I knew traffic was bad and I didn't want to sit on the road forever.  I did what most people on the roads wanted to do.  I had a cocktail.

 

 

I didn't drink the whole bottle.  There was just enough left for one beverage.  Yes, please.

 

I continued working for another hour and then decided it was time to call it a day.  I packed up and walked to my car.  The parking lot was pretty much a sheet of ice, so I walked very carefully.

 

Once I exited our office's parking lot, I knew I was in for a wild ride home.  There were cars everywhere.  Apparently the rules of the road do not apply when it's snowing.  People were ignoring traffic lights, intersections, and lanes.

 

After sitting for about thirty minutes, I was about fifty feet from my office's entrance.  I hadn't made a lot of progress.  I thought about turning back, but it was wall-to-wall traffic in that direction, too.  I finally made it through one intersection.  After about thirty more minutes, I had made a little more progress and made it to another intersection.

 

I was going in the opposite direction of most other people, so I was actually moving.  I felt horrible for the other people, but I kept driving.  My vehicle is all-wheel-drive and sits a little higher since it's an SUV.  It handled the snow and ice much better than a lot of the vehicles on the road.  I didn't slide and I never lost traction.

 

After two hours, I made it to the Kroger near our house.  Justin and I don't cook frequently, so we didn't have a lot of food and I knew we would be stuck at home for a few days.  I grabbed some food and headed home.  I felt very lucky and blessed since a lot of people had to spend the night in their vehicles or in a home with strangers.

 

I kept waiting for Justin to get home.  He finally called me and said he didn't think he would be able to make it driving.  The roads were too full with stranded vehicles.  His car wasn't having any trouble, but there were vehicles stuck in intersections and they weren't moving anytime soon.  He parked his car in a parking lot off Piedmont Road and called me to tell me where he was.  I suggested he walk to the nearby MARTA station.  The trains were still running and I felt confident I could pick him up from the station near our house.

 

He called me when he made it to the station and I headed to get him.  The roads were still pretty full, but not nearly as bad as when I was driving home from work.  Justin started walking home when he made it to the MARTA station near our house.  I found him jogging down the side of the road, so I retrieved him and headed home.

 

I don't think I've ever been so happy to be at home with my husband.  I was hearing horror stories about people stranded, so the fact that we were both home, safe, was a win.

 

The next day, our front yard was pretty much a winter wonderland.

 

 

We worked from home for the next two days.  We headed out to get Justin's car on day three.  The roads were pretty much clear by then, so we had no trouble getting to his car and getting home.

 

I went into the office on the fourth day.  I couldn't take being cooped up at home any longer!  Justin prefers to work from home, so he worked from home that fourth day, too.

 

By the weekend, most snow and ice were melted and we were back to our typical winter weather.

 

Prior to January 2014, the last time this happened in Atlanta was January 2011.  Clearly, this doesn't happen a lot in the South!

 

It happened AGAIN two weeks later.



2009 Audi Q5

I've had my 2007 Honda Accord for five years and enjoyed it the entire time.  For several months, I've talked with Justin about getting an SUV.  Prior to the 2007 Honda Accord, I had a 2004 Ford Explorer and really liked sitting higher off the ground.  I also liked the power the six cylinder engine provided.  The Honda was paid for and I said I wouldn't get a new vehicle until I had to.

I changed my mind last weekend.

In the last few months, I jumped around from wanting an SUV, to wanting a car, to wanting an SUV, to wanting a car.  Saturday, I asked Justin if he wanted to test drive a BMW 5 Series since that's one of the vehicles I have been eyeing.  We visited a used car dealership in Gwinnett County and drive a BMW.  I liked it, but wasn't sure if I wanted to pull the trigger.  Justin asked me to drive an Infiniti G37s.  I drove it and like it a lot.  I was looking for something a little sporty, but still kind of luxurious.

Before we left, Justin asked me to drive a Porsche Cayenne.  I drove it and really liked it.  It had a lot of power and was really fun to drive.  The only thing that made me question that vehicle was the cost of maintenance.

As we were about to leave, I asked the salesman if I could drive one more.  I had spotted an Audi Q5 and was curious how it handled.  I had looked at them before, but really thought I wanted the Porsche Cayenne or another SUV.

I had also strongly considered an Acura MDX or an Acura RDX.  My mother has an MDX and really likes it.  I've driven it several times and like it, too.  I was considering the the RDX for the gas mileage.

I ultimately decided I really liked the Audi Q5, so I went home and began the search.  I knew there weren't a plethora of Q5s around, but I really did not realize how few there are.  I would search for them at Audi dealerships and each one might have one or two.  I was looking for a 2009 or 2010 with relatively low mileage.  The 2009 and 2010 models were in my price range, but I kind of wanted the bells and whistles.

I found what I wanted at Gwinnett Audi, so we headed to the dealership on Sunday afternoon to drive it.  We drove it and I let Justin know how much I really liked the vehicle.  The salesman went inside so we could discuss specifics.  We came up with a number we were both happy with, so we went inside to haggle.  To make a long story short, we decided on a price and signed the papers.

Note:  I got these photos from the dealership's website.

The interior is very clean and there are no odors, which is incredibly important to me.  I keep my car very clean and get annoyed by people who don't.  I understand car cleanliness isn't as important to everyone as it is me, but I absolutely will not buy a vehicle that isn't clean and has odors like smoke, pet odors, or fragrances.  I really do not want my car to smell like a strawberry or cherry.

Before I bought the Honda, I looked at used Volkswagen Passats.  I questioned the cleanliness of some vehicles I looked at in Valdosta.  The salesman told me it was basically impossible to keep vehicles with a tan interior clean.  I begged to differ with him and showed him my Explorer.  It was spotless inside.  He told me no one keeps their vehicle that clean and I was the exception to the rule.

I really don't know what most of these buttons and knobs do.

I have nothing against children, but I asked the salesman if the previous owner had children and he confirmed she didn't.  He actually sold her the vehicle and also assisted her when she traded it in on her next Audi Q5.  I think my lack of children has a lot to do with me keeping my vehicles so clean.

I love driving this vehicle!  It's such a smooth ride and so easy to drive.  I still have my trusty Honda and plan to drive it on occasion.

The Honda's Key

Recently, I've noticed that the battery in my car key seems to be nearing the end of it's life. Justin noticed the same thing about his key about that time, too. We both made sure our spare keys worked in the event something went wrong with the battery replacement. Justin carefully opened his key and found out the battery type. He attempted to open mine. After working for a while, all he managed to accomplish was stripping the tiny screw that held the key together.

He researched the Honda keys online and found out that Honda sometimes uses thread stripping glue to keep you from opening the key on your own. Whenever you need to have the battery replaced, you are encouraged to take the key to a Honda dealership where they break the cover off the key and replace the battery and cover when they're finished. I have no idea why they do this. It doesn't make a bit of sense.

Justin found a company online that sells uncut replacement keys for my car. He ordered one and it arrived yesterday.

My current key on the left and the uncut replacement on the right:

Justin is prying into the cover:

This is what the guts of a Honda key fob look like. The center piece (with the buttons) is the working mechanism and everything else is the cover. When he reassembled the key, Justin had to use the existing half of the cover that contained the actual key to the car (the piece on the left side of the photo below) since the key was attached to that piece of the cover.

Finished. We still need to get a replacement battery for the key fob but at least we can get into the cover to easily replace it now. We're also hoping to have the new key cut so the entire key and key fob will be new.