I had it in the last PT cruiser demo i had, but never turned it on....the interface is the same as your radio, and there is a 2" plastic bump on the roof that i assume is the antena. i dont get into the details of selling particular features on existing cars, but no one has asked to have it installed, as far as i know. the people i've talked to that have it swear by it.....how do you like it?

I turned it on in your demo one day LJ :)

It just had a message telling you to subscribe...

right, and if i had called the number on the window sticker, they would have turned it on for a free 6 months under the demonstrator program. The person that bought it got a free year if she called...... I just never bothered to do it....

oh, btw....they sold my wrangler a couple weeks ago, and i took a convertible GT Pt cruiser. it goes like a scalded dog.......but it's purple....:(

I love it (I have XM)... I spend most of my time on the three classical music channels, the broadway, and the comedy, with occasional forays to jazz, 80s, and some of the talk stations.

OK dumb question... now that I've got the new antenna in hand I actually went to scope things out. How do you suggest that I get outside to the roof? What you describe is neater than I had before (down the side of the central dash console, under the passenger seat, up the C pillar, and out). (And yes, Bruce, secured in place with duct tape!!) What I'm trying to figure out is if there's a way to take the cable out from the interior to the roof without exposing it to the rigors of having the doors slammed on it. (Actually it seemed OK--several months worth--as long as it was in the front door. It was went it got moved around and got mixed up with the sliding door that it got chopped.)

This is typical me, by the way. I can screw or snap electronic components together, but when it comes to large moving parts and/or power tools, I usually find a way to screw the pooch.

you said that the antena is magnetic, right?

what does the end of the feed cable that attaches to the antena look like? is it suposed to attach to the bare metal of the roof under where the antena sits, or what?

It feeds right into the antenna (which is about 1.5" square and 1/2" thick), and is NOT detachable.

But, don't worry about it. After doing some further reading I see that this antenna, which is newer than the one that came with the radio back in Dec. 2002, is also suggested for dash mounting. So for the time being it's sitting on the dash, and it seems to be giving reception just as good as the previous arrangement.

You could try the professional way of drilling a hole through the roof (but not the headliner) and passing the wires through the hole and lining the edges with a grommet to prevent moisture from entering and make a neat appearance. That's how I once installed the CB antenna on my Cavalier. It beat having the wire running through the door frame or the rear window and creating a water leak.

Brian "handyguy"

Well, I am now 0 for 3 on cars breaking down through old age.

I got T-boned by someone running a red light, and need to go car shopping. :mad2:

That's what you get for believing those lying bastard geen lights. :(
Sorry to hear it, HM, hope you're OK.

d'oh!

you ok?

Yeah, I'm fine. I was Achy for a bit, but I'm pretty much fine now.

so... what are you gonna get??

erma gerd!

the choices are endless!

What are your criteria?

There outa be a law. Sorry about yer wheels.

Hybrid of some sort. Either a Civic (what I already had), or maybe a Prius. Prius gets better mileage, but I hate that bar through the rear window. Prius had a better trunk, but I hate that bar through the rear window.

The Honda dealer is also much more convenient.

If you can afford the fuel, one of these should survive until old age

A friend just got a Ford CMax and loves it. It's a little big for a single guy, but it's flexible for hauling people or stuff. It's in the news for not getting as many MPG as they claim, but it's still a hybrid that does pretty well.

I did see a hybrid comparison article, that put the Ford Fusion on top, so I may be looking into Fords.

But the local Honda dealer is so convenient...

Read some news stories about MPG claims before you buy anything. CNET (or maybe it was Car and Driver) said that they got 35 MPG average instead of the advertised 47 for the Ford. Depends on your driving style. Not sure if some manufacturers are more honest than others. You can probably do some back of the envelope calculations based on vehicle weight and engine size.

You want hybrid for the gas mileage or the greenness?

The new gas powered sentra gets 35 mpg average! The Altima is 31 and thats a really nice car.

I got 40 average in real life on my Civic, and that's low for a hybrid, so I'd rather not go down from there.

glad you're ok Happy Monkey

Pete's getting 33 - 36mpg in her Subaru Impreza AWD. It seems like the hybrids need to do better...

I think the hybrids really pay off with the larger vehicles. If you can take a minivan from 20 MPG up to 35 MPG by putting a hybrid system into it, you're doing more than if you take an econobox from 35 MPG up to 50 MPG.

Over the life of a minivan that lives 200k miles, at 20 MPG, you will use 10,000 gallons. A 35 MPG hybrid minivan will use 5,714 gallons. So the hybrid minivan will save you 4,286 gallons.

Over the life of a enconobox that lives 200k miles, at 35 MPG, you will use 5,714 gallons. A 50 MPG hybrid model will use 4,000 gallons. So the hybrid econobox will save you 1,714 gallons.

The hybrid minivan's 4,286 gallons in saving is way bigger than the econobox's 1,714 gallons in savings.

They had regular old Honda CRXs in the 90s that got 50. No hybrid nuttin' no 'lectric. They just did.

We're being had.

Hybrids need city driving to excel at what they do

In minivans, the regenerative braking is perfect for panicky mom drivers jumping on the brakes to avoid running over plastic bags in the road

What is regenerative braking?

I was behind someone the other night who hit their brakes (on the interstate) every 10-20 seconds. Like, you go the speed of the car in front of you or you pass it or you let it get ahead. You don't ride their ass and have to hit the brakes every 10 seconds. And at night with all the traffic brake lights indicate to me that all traffic is slowing down...not just the asshole who can't regulate their speed.

Miles, I was behind this bozo. I hung back but saw those damn brake lights, albeit farther and farther away, for miles.

Braking charges the battery.