[govigov]

To all experts,

I am scheduled to travel to California for about a months visit. I will be travelling on B1/B2 visa. I have a question and I would appreciate it if you could help me with this. Can i rent a car there for visiting purposes / tourism? Are there any prerequisites for the same?

[vasoo]

Originally Posted by govigov

To all experts,

I am scheduled to travel to California for about a months visit. I will be travelling on B1/B2 visa. I have a question and I would appreciate it if you could help me with this. Can i rent a car there for visiting purposes / tourism? Are there any prerequisites for the same?

Yes. I have been renting cars right from the airport in all my trips to US on business. Prerequisite is to have a valid Indian DL in English language.

Originally Posted by Technocrat

True, actually I am surprised why they discontinued the 3.7 Motor which my MDX has, its super grunty & pulls the Heavy SUV effortlessly, now I wonder what fun it would be in the TL SH-AWD where it had 5 more horses.

The only reason I can think of is mileage, it seems to be performance oriented engine as it has no VCM tech, no eco button or light(which my Accord had).

G...

The main reason why most manufacturers are "downgrading" their engines in favor of more fuel efficient versions is because of the Obama government strict guidelines imposed on car manufacturers. See the CAFE standard link for cars made between 2011 and 2025.

[josejoseph]

Originally Posted by govigov

To all experts,

I am scheduled to travel to California for about a months visit. I will be travelling on B1/B2 visa. I have a question and I would appreciate it if you could help me with this. Can i rent a car there for visiting purposes / tourism? Are there any prerequisites for the same?

Hi govigov,

You just need your original Indian license to rent a car in California. No need for International Driving License. However I'd suggest you go through the CA Driver's handbook before driving here.

I'd suggest taking a full insurance coverage during rental. For this check with your company's rental policy. They might have some agreement with the rental company and hence you won't buy additional insurance.

BTW, where are you put up in CA?

--Jose

[ToroRosso]

Recently a colleague of mine wanted advice on SUV. He has 2 kids both play soccer and Football in school and he wanted a 3rd car for the family. (Currently has a TSX and a T&C).
His main priorities
- Seats 4 in Comfort
- Ability to carry his Kids's sporting stuff
- Fantastic resale value (Most important).

I suggested a 2014 F150 Lariat SCREW with lockable bed cover. He balked at my suggestion called me insane and promptly bought a MDX.

I havent yet come across any other vehicle that holds its value as good as a Truck, and these days the trucks are pretty much loaded and have phenomenal reliability.

It actually makes perfect sense to go for a Truck against an SUV right?

[mohit]

Originally Posted by ToroRosso

Recently a colleague of mine wanted advice on SUV. He has 2 kids both play soccer and Football in school and he wanted a 3rd car for the family. (Currently has a TSX and a T&C).
His main priorities
- Seats 4 in Comfort
- Ability to carry his Kids's sporting stuff
- Fantastic resale value (Most important).

I suggested a 2014 F150 Lariat SCREW with lockable bed cover. He balked at my suggestion called me insane and promptly bought a MDX.

I havent yet come across any other vehicle that holds its value as good as a Truck, and these days the trucks are pretty much loaded and have phenomenal reliability.

It actually makes perfect sense to go for a Truck against an SUV right?

Comfy ride - No
Passenger space - No
Image - No (Unless you are in Texas)

The only winning parameter is utility but that too is limited as SUVs provide a more useable area for groceries and such.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by mohit

Comfy ride - No
Passenger space - No
Image - No (Unless you are in Texas)

The only winning parameter is utility but that too is limited as SUVs provide a more useable area for groceries and such.

Not sure about ride comfort, but trucks do seat 5 people quite comfortably. As far as image goes, it is only among the desis that it suffers. To please the desi crowd, yeah you are better off getting an Acura/Lexus SUV.

But having said all that, a truck is not a practical option for those who are going to use it primarily as a grocery getter.

But then again, i dont see how a 5 seater SUV is a more practical option than a 5 seater sedan, when neither are ever going to leave the tarmac.

[VLOCT]

Originally Posted by ToroRosso

Recently a colleague of mine wanted advice on SUV. He has 2 kids both play soccer and Football in school and he wanted a 3rd car for the family. (Currently has a TSX and a T&C).
His main priorities
- Seats 4 in Comfort
- Ability to carry his Kids's sporting stuff
- Fantastic resale value (Most important).

I suggested a 2014 F150 Lariat SCREW with lockable bed cover. He balked at my suggestion called me insane and promptly bought a MDX.

So he has a minivan and still bought an SUV for Kid's sporting stuff!

[ToroRosso]

Originally Posted by VLOCT

So he has a minivan and still bought an SUV for Kid's sporting stuff!

Minivan - wife's DD. He wanted an equally Kids' compatible DD.

Originally Posted by mohit

Comfy ride - No
Passenger space - No
Image - No (Unless you are in Texas)
.

Ride comfort - debatable but IMO newer F150s ride quite nicely and seats 5 in comfort. What image are you talking about?

Originally Posted by amitoj

But having said all that, a truck is not a practical option for ..
primarily as a grocery getter.

I use mine for all our grocery/Patel shop runs. Its an issue when its raining/snowing - but thats taken care by the lockable covers.

Stellar reliability/Phenomenal resale Value.

[mohit]

Originally Posted by ToroRosso

Ride comfort - debatable but IMO newer F150s rides quite nicely and seats 5 in comfort. What image are you talking about?

I use mine for all our grocery/Patel shop runs. Its an issue when its raining/snowing - but thats taken care by the lockable covers.

Originally Posted by amitoj

Not sure about ride comfort, but trucks do seat 5 people quite comfortably. As far as image goes, it is only among the desis that it suffers. To please the desi crowd, yeah you are better off getting an Acura/Lexus SUV.

There's no way a truck is going to ride as nice as a crossover.

Image as it how the person perceives it - most still associate trucks with work vehicles.

Grocery getter - Of course you can fit tons of grocery in the back but how practical is a huge bed without nets etc to stop the stuff from rolling all over the place?

I know both of you are truck lovers but practically speaking, I see a better bang for the buck buying a large SUV which has marginally better fuel economy and more usable interior space.

[Jomz]

Handling?? The trucks have a ton of body sway. MDX is one of the better handling SUV's, Like a car. And 28mpg HWY. And 7 seater.

[ToroRosso]

Originally Posted by mohit

most still associate trucks with work vehicles.

Couldn't agree more , especially among desis! My wife hates going to Temple/Parties in our truck.

Putting the image bit aside, I still think a decently spec'd truck makes a compelling case.

Compare the resale value of a similarly priced Truck and Cross over.

I recently did a 1000 mile trip in a F150 FX4 and I loved it to bits. It could also be that I am convincing my self its a sensible choice

Originally Posted by Jomz

Handling??

Come on Geomy, Modern trucks are not bad! We are not talking about Track days right.
Even my rust ol F150 handles "quite" well

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by ToroRosso

I use mine for all our grocery/Patel shop runs. Its an issue when its raining/snowing - but thats taken care by the lockable covers.

Well I was just imagining loading the back of the truck with that 20 pound bag of atta or rice or that 12 pack of juice boxes from Costco. The bed is at a higher height than for an SUV or car, which means you do marginally more lifting

Originally Posted by mohit

Grocery getter - Of course you can fit tons of grocery in the back but how practical is a huge bed without nets etc to stop the stuff from rolling all over the place?

I know both of you are truck lovers but practically speaking, I see a better bang for the buck buying a large SUV which has marginally better fuel economy and more usable interior space.

You get really good partitions etc for truck beds to stop things from rolling around. But if an SUV is a bigger bang for the buck compared to a truck, then a sedan is even bigger bang for the buck compared to an SUV, unless you have a need to ferry more than 5 people on a regular basis.

I dont know about handling but i am yet to see a truck run off the road with snow on the ground. So there is definitely that in favor of a truck.

But all said and done, at the end of the day, people will buy what ticks their boxes the most. And they will have absolutely no doubt that they did the right thing and others that do something different are a little loose in the head Like buy a truck or a V8 Hemi. Right Torro?

[kraft.wagen]

Trucks definitely hold a great re-sale value. I was browsing around for one and couldn't get a decent one with less mile for less than $20k. Research was for Tacoma, F150, Silverado 1500.

That being said, not sure if it will ever fit for regular shopping runs unless you run a restaurant or something

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by kraft.wagen

That being said, not sure if it will ever fit for regular shopping runs unless you run a restaurant or something

Look at it this way. Why wont it fit? It has the ability to take you to the said shop, it has enough room to store whatever you buy from that shop, and it has the ability to bring you back home from the shop!

And, although you dont see snow, for those less fortunate ones who have to live through it every year, the truck has the added benefit of letting you not give two hoots about the snow!

Anyway, on a different topic now. I am in a dilemma (once again) I really liked Mazdaspeed3 when I test drove and I find myself thinking about it a lot. I had the car for a weekend and enjoyed it a lot, although I did have this nagging feeling in my head questioning whether I am doing the right thing. Also, people around me keep telling me that the Charger suits my "personality" and I should not let it go. And that Mazdaspeed3 will look like my 5 year old daughter's car after the Charger

So, will I have buyer's remorse if i do the switch? Or will I forget all about the Charger once i get into that go kart of a rocket? Damned if I do, damned if I dont.

[ToroRosso]

Originally Posted by kraft.wagen

Research was for Tacoma, F150, Silverado 1500.

Track days eh . Are you getting any track time these days?

Originally Posted by amitoj

Damned if I do, damned if I dont.

Between rock and .. Charger R/T is such a bad ass car. You should keep her. How much is your hp after all the tuning now (close to 400?)