Chevrolet Malibu sales jump 51.5%; dealers pleased

dsi1 wrote:
> SMS wrote:
>
>>>> Never buy a car where you have to remove part of the bumper and the
>>>> tire
>>>> in order to change a headlight bulb. I thought changing a bulb on the
>>>> Accord was hard when I had to remove the battery to get to the left
>>>> bulb, then remove and replace three screws by feel.
>
> One would think that the replaceable bulb non-sealed headlight housing
> would mean changing a burnt-out bulb easy as pie. Not in this crazy
> world. I just replaced my son's bulb in his Nissan and it involved
> removing the headlight housing secured by 3 nuts that required undoing
> the fender liner. What a drag.
>
> OTOH, people don't buy or not buy cars based on headlights. Or do they? :-)

Well, there's a couple things that would be deal killers for me...

1) high beam DRLs (unfortunately, this excludes a LOT of GM cars)
2) headlights as simply awful as, say, those originally fitted to a
US-market Corrado

Extra consideration would be given to vehicles with

1) "harmonized" ECE/DOT approved headlights
2) standard-sized sealed beams, which are easily replaced with E-codes

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Nate Nagel wrote:
> dsi1 wrote:
>> SMS wrote:
>>
>>>>> Never buy a car where you have to remove part of the bumper and the
>>>>> tire
>>>>> in order to change a headlight bulb. I thought changing a bulb on the
>>>>> Accord was hard when I had to remove the battery to get to the left
>>>>> bulb, then remove and replace three screws by feel.
>>
>> One would think that the replaceable bulb non-sealed headlight housing
>> would mean changing a burnt-out bulb easy as pie. Not in this crazy
>> world. I just replaced my son's bulb in his Nissan and it involved
>> removing the headlight housing secured by 3 nuts that required undoing
>> the fender liner. What a drag.
>>
>> OTOH, people don't buy or not buy cars based on headlights. Or do
>> they? :-)
>
> Well, there's a couple things that would be deal killers for me...
>
> 1) high beam DRLs (unfortunately, this excludes a LOT of GM cars)
> 2) headlights as simply awful as, say, those originally fitted to a
> US-market Corrado
>
> Extra consideration would be given to vehicles with
>
> 1) "harmonized" ECE/DOT approved headlights
> 2) standard-sized sealed beams, which are easily replaced with E-codes
>
> nate
>

Forgot to mention, an acceptable alternative would be a vehicle that
might not be factory equipped with particularly good headlights but is
sold in identical form in European markets, so decent headlights could
be somewhat readily obtained (e.g. aforementioned VW Corrado...) was
reminded of this as I do have a set of Corrado E-codes and a friend just
offered to buy them

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

"HLS" > wrote in message
...
>
> "dsi1" > wrote in message
>>
>> OTOH, people don't buy or not buy cars based on headlights. Or do they?
>> :-)
>
> Some 50% of the people buy based on the cup holder ;>)

That's the way many guys pick their women--- holder size...

Nate Nagel wrote:
> dsi1 wrote:
>> SMS wrote:
>>
>>>>> Never buy a car where you have to remove part of the bumper and the
>>>>> tire
>>>>> in order to change a headlight bulb. I thought changing a bulb on the
>>>>> Accord was hard when I had to remove the battery to get to the left
>>>>> bulb, then remove and replace three screws by feel.
>>
>> One would think that the replaceable bulb non-sealed headlight housing
>> would mean changing a burnt-out bulb easy as pie. Not in this crazy
>> world. I just replaced my son's bulb in his Nissan and it involved
>> removing the headlight housing secured by 3 nuts that required undoing
>> the fender liner. What a drag.
>>
>> OTOH, people don't buy or not buy cars based on headlights. Or do
>> they? :-)
>
> Well, there's a couple things that would be deal killers for me...
>
> 1) high beam DRLs (unfortunately, this excludes a LOT of GM cars)

Yeah, those are horrible, though mostly for other drivers!

In any case, I'd disconnect DRLs on any car I bought, there are just way
too many issues with them.

The other 50% take the advice of Consumer Reports, like they do when they
buy a TV or leaf blower


"HLS" > wrote in message
...
>
> "dsi1" > wrote in message
>>
>> OTOH, people don't buy or not buy cars based on headlights. Or do they?
>> :-)
>
> Some 50% of the people buy based on the cup holder ;>)

On Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:50:44 -0400, Mike Hunter <mikehunt2@lycos/com> wrote:
>The other 50% take the advice of Consumer Reports, like they do when they
>buy a TV or leaf blower

posters top by posted statistics up made about care don't 50% other
the and



>"HLS" > wrote in message
.. .
>>
>> "dsi1" > wrote in message
>>>
>>> OTOH, people don't buy or not buy cars based on headlights. Or do they?
>>> :-)
>>
>> Some 50% of the people buy based on the cup holder ;>)

HLS wrote:
>
> "dsi1" > wrote in message
>>
>> OTOH, people don't buy or not buy cars based on headlights. Or do
>> they? :-)
>
> Some 50% of the people buy based on the cup holder ;>)

That's nutty as hell but cup holders probably has swayed a few folks to
buy one car over another. I'm not picky at all and any car is just fine
with me - just as long as they have spring loaded change compartments
under the dash on the driver's side...

Nate Nagel wrote:
> dsi1 wrote:
>> SMS wrote:
>>
>>>>> Never buy a car where you have to remove part of the bumper and the
>>>>> tire
>>>>> in order to change a headlight bulb. I thought changing a bulb on the
>>>>> Accord was hard when I had to remove the battery to get to the left
>>>>> bulb, then remove and replace three screws by feel.
>>
>> One would think that the replaceable bulb non-sealed headlight housing
>> would mean changing a burnt-out bulb easy as pie. Not in this crazy
>> world. I just replaced my son's bulb in his Nissan and it involved
>> removing the headlight housing secured by 3 nuts that required undoing
>> the fender liner. What a drag.
>>
>> OTOH, people don't buy or not buy cars based on headlights. Or do
>> they? :-)
>
> Well, there's a couple things that would be deal killers for me...
>
> 1) high beam DRLs (unfortunately, this excludes a LOT of GM cars)
> 2) headlights as simply awful as, say, those originally fitted to a
> US-market Corrado
>
> Extra consideration would be given to vehicles with
>
> 1) "harmonized" ECE/DOT approved headlights
> 2) standard-sized sealed beams, which are easily replaced with E-codes
>

OK, so some folks will not buy a car based on headlights. I'm feeling
kind of dumb now cause the only thing I understand is that you don't
like daytime running lights. This is ok - just as long as you know what
you know what you're talking about.


> nate
>

dsi1 wrote:
> HLS wrote:
>>
>> "dsi1" > wrote in message
>>>
>>> OTOH, people don't buy or not buy cars based on headlights. Or do
>>> they? :-)
>>
>> Some 50% of the people buy based on the cup holder ;>)
>
> That's nutty as hell but cup holders probably has swayed a few folks to
> buy one car over another.

I recall when cup holders first started to appear and the Camry lacked
them and the Accord had them, or vice-versa. It apparently _was_ the
deciding factor between two vehicles, very similar in other regards.

On Mar 20, 11:20*pm, SMS > wrote:
> dsi1 wrote:
> > HLS wrote:
>
> >> "dsi1" > wrote in message
>
> >>> OTOH, people don't buy or not buy cars based on headlights. Or do
> >>> they? :-)
>
> >> Some 50% of the people buy based on the cup holder ;>)
>
> > That's nutty as hell but cup holders probably has swayed a few folks to
> > buy one car over another.
>
> I recall when cup holders first started to appear and the Camry lacked
> them and the Accord had them, or vice-versa. It apparently _was_ the
> deciding factor between two vehicles, very similar in other regards.


One has to wonder how many accidents have been caused because of the
presence of cup holders. I don't recall having a bottle of water or
coffee in the car all that often 20 years ago.