Nordic Skiing Automobile

Gene-

I agree with you 100% on the Lemonaide site- it is a very helpfull
accurate site.

I am not sure I agree with your other point. I guess the biggest
factor is WHO do you trust. You do not know me as a skier or an auto
repair professional -so you have nothing to base my opinions on. I was
just trying to offer good helpfull information to my fellow RSN
members because I KNOW my abilities, knowledge,honesty and experiences
are far superior to anyone else in this group. I guess you will have
to ask some of my customers about that. I do have to differ with your
opinion on the average auto consumer- I get to see them in action
everyday. I gree the SMART consumer will use many sources of info, but
MOST of them are controlled my marketing and media hype. By the way- I
was very leery about comparing auto repair people and doctors because
of the poor reputation both groups have. We just have to remmeber that
there are MANY good people in both groups but we all get lumped
together as bad. I guess I'll just go back to helping by customers who
already know they can trust the information I give them.

Joe


Gene Goldenfeld wrote in message ...
Joe Ricci wrote:

The size of any test group is not as important as the quality of the
test group. Consumer Reports relies on feedback from consumers who are
very often NOT an unbiased group. They are also NOT a knowledgeable
group. The AVERAGE automotive consumer does not have the proper
knowledge to make good decisions.
Many people also have a hard time admitting that they made a bad
purchase. I prefer to rely on automotive professionals for
information. I am not the ONLY auto repair shop owner who thinks this.
I think doctors are a good source of
medical information, auto repair professionals are probably a good
source for automotive information. Auto sales people are not in the
same group as auto repair people.

I'm glad you made this latter point, Joe, because throughout this thread
I've been thinking..."This guy really wants me to hold in high esteem a
sample of opinions that includes all those auto repair guys and chains that
have been trying to rip me and everyone else off forever, whether through
willful dishonesty or just plain incompetence." Likewise, one can speak of
a sizable proportion of doctors...well, I'll stick to the topic. The irony
is, Joe, that the biases of tens of thousands of CR's respondents you are
criticizing are in good part shaped by the auto repair professionals they
come in contact with, the ones that provide them the explanations of what's
wrong with their cars; i.e., people like you. Nonetheless, if the
long-term trend in U.S. and Canadian sales figures for Toyota, Honda,
Nissan, Mazda, Subaru and a very few others are good indicators, I'd say
that consumers are a lot better at making car decisions than you give them
credit for.

I think the smart consumer, and perhaps most, take a look at a variety of
sources and try to make the best of them in the context of their needs and
desires. To that end, thanks to Peter Hoffman for mentioning Lemon-Aid,
which I'd never heard of. Phil Edmonston's site is probably the most
intelligent (and modest) discussion of auto recommendations, problems and
fixes for the consumer that I've ever come across.

Gene Goldenfeld

On Mon, 4 Aug 2003, GR wrote:

4) I agree it is good to get info from both sources if you can, I have not
had good luck with the skill level at auto shops, so I don't trust them. I
have been happy with my local Honda dealer, but that is at some extra cost
of course.

Going way, way, off-topic here, I'll just say that my experience has
been that repair shops are like just about anything else in life. There
are poor ones, reasonably good ones, and even some great ones. It pays
to talk to your friends and find out what shops they like, then give
them a try. I have a few shops I patronize regularly and a few more
that I patronize occasionally. I like small shops where I can get to
know the mechanics and owners (sometimes the same person) personally
and learn over time what they are good at, what they aren't so good at,
and what jobs they don't like to do. I rarely patronize the dealer
repair shops, and for the most part find them the most frustrating to
deal with. But again some are better than others.

-Mitch

No votes for the Volvo Cross-Country?

Bob
-----Original Message-----
From: Mitch Collinsworth
To: Multiple recipients of list NORDIC-SKI
Date: Monday, August 04, 2003 10:11 PM
Subject: Nordic Skiing Automobile



On Mon, 4 Aug 2003, GR wrote:

4) I agree it is good to get info from both sources if you can, I have
not
had good luck with the skill level at auto shops, so I don't trust them.
I
have been happy with my local Honda dealer, but that is at some extra
cost
of course.

Going way, way, off-topic here, I'll just say that my experience has
been that repair shops are like just about anything else in life. There
are poor ones, reasonably good ones, and even some great ones. It pays
to talk to your friends and find out what shops they like, then give
them a try. I have a few shops I patronize regularly and a few more
that I patronize occasionally. I like small shops where I can get to
know the mechanics and owners (sometimes the same person) personally
and learn over time what they are good at, what they aren't so good at,
and what jobs they don't like to do. I rarely patronize the dealer
repair shops, and for the most part find them the most frustrating to
deal with. But again some are better than others.

-Mitch

Volvo XC Rules! Got a 99. Will drive it until about...oh...2019.


Eric "Shmo" Chandler
Duluth, MN

I prefer rear wheel drive for a more "spirited" drive out to the trails.

I have a BMW 318i Wagon that has plenty of room for boots and junk in
the back but is small enough to be bags of fun on snow-packed/frosty
roads.

Doubt mine'll make it to 2019 though...

Joseph

PS: If you ever drive past me spun into a snow bank on the side of the
road, will you stop and pull me out ;-)

In Eric W. Chandler wrote:
Volvo XC Rules! Got a 99. Will drive it until about...oh...2019.


Eric "Shmo" Chandler
Duluth, MN

(Matt Morency) wrote in message . com...
What would be the ultimate nordic skiing automobile? The Volvo Wagon
is popular among skiers and a recent thread discussed Subarus.
--Matt
here's mine 8-) Nissan Xterra , a true 4WD shod with Bridgestone
Winter Duelers. Great vehicle winter or summer!
http://home.cogeco.ca/~aschuh/SubDir/Snow%20005.jpg