Drove a 2008 LUX lll All Last Week

[Texas Jim]

I drove a 2008 DTS LUX lll all last week.

It was a rental from Enterprise with 22,000 miles on it.

It was a pretty car...

Solid Black...

Shale Interior...

Chrome Wheels.

I had took mine to the dealer for some little minor things, and some paint work.

There was a small place on the passengers rear door where the paint was fading.

The 2008 DTS LUX lll IS somewhat quieter when driving it, then my Performance Sedan, but nowhere near as quite as it SHOULD be.

It has Michelin Energy 235x60x17 tires on it vs my 245x50x18 Brudgestone Turanza's.

That has been one of my pet peeves about the new Cadillacs. They are not QUITE inside like the old ones were. My old Fleetwood Broughams were REALLY, REALLY, QUITE inside.

I would love to have my present car as quite as my old Fleetwood Broughams, but that ain't gonna happen. I remember those cars as being SO QUITE on the road.

I have put almost 1500 miles on the rental 2008 DTS. I have had it seven days.

Took it back this morning and got mine back. HOORAY...

On the highway, the 2008 DTS never got below 23.5 mpg, and a few tanks were around 25.5 mpg with one tank a hair over 26.

And remember, thats with ME driving it , so it did get consistently better mileage than my car does.

I ran a couple of tanks of premium in it, then switched to regular.

Unlike MY CAR, where the difference is VERY pronounced, on THIS CAR, I could JUST BARELY tell the difference between premium and regular and almost no difference in gas mileage.

I now understand better what some people have talked about .... saying there was no difference in their cars running regular and premium. (Kinda wish MY CAR was that way)

I drove it 450 miles Tuesday, from Ft. Worth to Amarillo Tx.

Didn't get in any hurry, for a change, and drove the back roads.

The ride is very BUSY... constant body motions.

Drove it 450 miles back home Wednesday, part back roads, and part interstate.

I was actually TIRED from driving it when I got home.

I proceeded to lay myself down and took about an hours nap.

That NEVER HAPPENS with my Performance Sedan.

The Performance Sedan is the best high speed, highway car, "I" have ever owned.

And I have owned a BUNCH of cars in my 63 years. (Laughing Out Loud)

If you all remember, I was on vacation a couple of weeks ago.

We covered over 5500 miles in 9 days.

Thats a lot of driving.

Drove nonstop from Ft. Worth TX to Billings Montana... about 1500 miles in about 20 hours with several stops to eat and look at things , and I wasn't any more tired driving MINE 20 hours, than driving the LUX lll for eight hours.

On the way back home from vacation, I drove MY CAR from Winnamucca NV to Denver in one day.

Thats about 900 miles and I was less tired than driving the LUX lll 450 miles.

I don't really understand that, but... I know I won't be buying another one without the MAG RIDE.

Maybe it is just my old bones, but it is unbelieveable the difference it makes in the ride comfort.

At least for ME. As usual...YMMV.

I sometimes drive my car very BRISKLY, and the Performance Sedan handles much better than a 2.5 ton Cadillac has any right to.

The Magnetic Ride Control on the Performance Sedan. in conjugation with the Four Channel Stabilitrac and Four Channel ABS, makes for some excellent handling. (and a superior ride)

If you ever push it too hard or accidentally get in a bad situation, it can save you from yourself.

On summary , I am VERY sorry to say, I didn't really like the 2008 DTS LUX lll very much.

(Never though I would EVER say THAT... not liking a new Cadillac.)

It had way too much fore and aft and side to side body motion at highway speeds on secondary roads.

Heck, even on interstates, at 80 mph, it has way too much body motion for my taste.

It was NEVER, really, STILL AND SMOOTH, like a Cadillac should be. (unless you were stopped)

I sure hope all of them are not that way.

The tires were noisy also.

It was actually tiring (to me) to drive it long distances.

I drove a 2007 DTS a while back for a few days, and don't remember the constant body motion like this one had.

Maybe it was just an abused rental... I sure hope so.

Sorry to get so long winded....

Anyone have any question, I will try to answer them.

[Bruce Nunnally]

All DTS' except the Performance Sedan have the FE1 'soft' suspension tuning; the Performance sedan has the FE3 performance suspension tuning and F55 Magnetic Ride Control. But the Lux II has the rear lighted vanity mirrors, which are not available on other selections. So it just depends on what you want...

[Texas Jim]

All DTS' except the Performance Sedan have the FE1 'soft' suspension tuning; the Performance sedan has the FE3 performance suspension tuning and F55 Magnetic Ride Control. But the Lux II has the rear lighted vanity mirrors, which are not available on other selections. So it just depends on what you want...

When I get the next one.... I am not sure what I DO want, but now I know what I DON'T want.

It amazed me how BUSY the ride was.

I drove a 2007 DTS a few months back, and don't remember the ride being that way at all. It was, of course, a lot softer than my Performance Sedan, but I remember kinda liking THAT one. It was making me rethink getting another Performance Sedan.... but now... after driving this one... if the new ones are like THIS one that I just drove.... I wouldn't have it on a bet.

Here are a couple of comments from when I had the 2007..... Evidently I liked THAT one...

First day I had it, I had to make a 600 mile trip. Darling wife went with me. She remarked that it had a smoother ride then our '06 Performance Sedan. (it did) The '07 had 31 psi in all tires. I keep 34 front and 32 rear in my '06 Performance model.

What "I" noticed was a lot softer / smoother ride and a little bit of float out on the highway with the '07. It was comfortable to drive and seemed to like about 80/85 MPH.

Considering that probably 95 percent of buyers of the Luxury model of the 2007 DTS have no desire to go fast or corner hard, it is a VERY VERY good automobile. Very smooth, quite and comfortable, just as a Cadillac should be. But for the other 5 percent, that want a nice luxury automobile but with a tad more capability, there is the Performance Model.

[Bruce Nunnally]

I have long been of the opinion that a TOURING car should not have a soft suspension. Sure, you don't want a racing suspension for touring, but you do want a car that is fairly responsive and communicates the road well. Also I find that the more fun a car is to drive, the longer I would want to drive in a sitting.

I am still pretty open on what would be a good next car. Certainly the current CTS is terrific, but the 06+ STS-V would be interesting, as well as a 2004+ XLR. Also a 06+ CTS-V would be an interesting car, and of course the 09+ but they won't be around what I want to spend for a long time.

[Texas Jim]

If I was looking for a V... I would probably look at the STS V.

That would be a GREAT street sleeper. 469 supercharged HP. Along with a lot of nice bells and whistles.

I would be a lot more afraid of a CTS-V being abused by the previous owner than I would of an STS-V.

I could be WAY off base on that one, but the price differential between the two, when new, would appeal to two entirely different demographic groups, and I would ONLY buy a one owner car, CERTIFIED from a Cadillac dealer.

Now, if I was buying new.... NO QUESTION.... 2009 CTS-V.

[Bruce Nunnally]

Yes, I think that the STS-V is a very appealing and under-appreciated vehicle. That the Performance Team already had been through the CTS-V development and release I think made the STS-V that much more of a better product than it would have been otherwise. The STS-V only comes in 3 fairly muted colors, and no wood steering wheel -- turned out to be too slick for good track use. But with those two exceptions it has a lot of what I want in a performance sedan. I think it will be a heavy competitor when I am ready to replace my CTS.

Of course it may just depend on what great deal happens along first and fits my range, or that kid/college costs eat my car fund lol.

As much as I am ready for a 2 seater most days, it is nice to be able to seat 4 when you need to and still take the Cadillac. So that may keep me out of a used XLR next, but those are really growing on me.

[Ed Hall]

That has been one of my pet peeves about the new Cadillacs. They are not QUITE inside like the old ones were. My old Fleetwood Broughams were REALLY, REALLY, QUITE inside.

Road noice isolation is one of the advantages of body on frame cars over unibody construction. I notice that my 82 Suburban has better road noise isolation than even my Cadillacs. Also, low profile tires put on cars doesn't isolate road noise (and bumps) as well as the older style (high profile) 75 series tires.

[JohnnyG]

The 2008 DTS LUX lll IS somewhat quieter when driving it, then my Performance Sedan, but nowhere near as quite as it SHOULD be.

It has Michelin Energy 235x60x17 tires on it vs my 245x50x18 Brudgestone Turanza's.

That has been one of my pet peeves about the new Cadillacs. They are not QUITE inside like the old ones were.

This was EXACTLY my first comment to the salesman when I test drove my LUX III, I felt it should be a lot quieter.

HOWEVER, for 2008, according to Consumer Reports, only 3 cars get an EXCELLENT rating for a quiet ride, the DTS (any model, not III specific) 1 BMW costing about twice as much (7 series?), and maybe a Lexus costing about twice as much, so for the money and for the year we are living in, not too bad.

No, I'm not totally happy with the noise levels, but it's about as good as it get these days. A car like this that gets even 26 mpg (the others above won't do that) is quite an engineering feat. This car is the SLS platform and drive train of 98 - 03, let's face it......it is about as quiet as my 99 STS, but a softer ride.

Now for the ride. I'm glad you made these observations, because I have been feeling a little bit of the same thing in my '08, but just couldn't put my finger on it. Don't get me wrong, it's about the same as driving your living room sofa across the state, but could be better. Magnaride seems to be the big difference here. I swore that my NEW DTS would have it, but alas.....there were none to be found. This rating was expressed in my evaluation of the dealership, which REALLY didn't like the fact that they didn't get a high score from me!!! REALLY!

I've been thinking of ways to make my car quieter, like maybe some spray on sound deadener under the rear body pan, or more insulation under the rear seat (the source of most of the noise, not unlike my '99 STS), but really hate to mess with it right now. I've gotten used to the ride characteristics, but having a '99 STS probably helped that situation. I DO renember how much the shock tower brace improved the ride of mt STS (does your performance sedan have one of those?) and REALLY wish I could put one on my 08 DTS, I think it would help the "busy" (sorta) ride.

How much difference do you think different tires would make? We should swap sometime!

As I've said before (about other subjects) "It's all in what you are comparing it to"! Never having owned a Fleetwood Brogham, this is a darn good car for the money.

[Texas Jim]

Now for the ride. I'm glad you made these observations, because I have been feeling a little bit of the same thing in my '08, but just couldn't put my finger on it. Don't get me wrong, it's about the same as driving your living room sofa across the state, but could be better. Magnaride seems to be the big difference here. I swore that my NEW DTS would have it, but alas.....there were none to be found. This rating was expressed in my evaluation of the dealership, which REALLY didn't like the fact that they didn't get a high score from me!!! REALLY!

I've been thinking of ways to make my car quieter, like maybe some spray on sound deadener under the rear body pan, or more insulation under the rear seat (the source of most of the noise

How much difference do you think different tires would make? We should swap sometime!

As I've said before (about other subjects) "It's all in what you are comparing it to"! Never having owned a Fleetwood Brogham, this is a darn good car for the money.

JohnnyG,

The problem I had with the ride was, the body of the car was NEVER STILL when moving down the road. There was constant side to side and fore and aft pitching of the body. Not HUGE movements and not dangerous... just annoying and extremely tiring after several hours behind the wheel.

When I got home after only a little 400 mile drive, I was so tired.

I didn't even unload the car.

I came in the house and took a NAP.

You have read some of my threads on my trips. You know 400 miles is normally not a big deal for me. Some days, (well, MOST days) 400 miles is just a hop, skip and a jump.

I am going to blame all of this on it being an abused Enterprise rental until I drive another one.

Maybe the shocks were already wore out. That IS possible I reckon.

I just don't know.... but I refuse to believe that they are all like that.

I drove a 2007 a few months ago.... it WAS NOT like that.

I actually LIKED the 2007 DTS and was rethinking my passion for the Performance Sedan... till last week.

I think you are right about the MAG RIDE. It is fantastic.

The longer I have it and the more I drive cars without it.... it is hard to even find words to describe and compare the two, that would be believeable.... there is THAT MUCH difference between them.

At least for MY TYPE driving, there is that much difference.

As for the noise, I have been exploring products like DYNA MAT. http://www.dynamat.com/

There are several products like this out there.

Heck, I may even take it and get an old fashined UNDER COATING. There is one place here in town where I had one done a few years ago. Made a pretty big difference in the noise level in it.

I think MOST of my noise comes from the tires.

They are low profile 245x50x18.

Sidewall to sidewall they are over 10 inches wide.

I may try to get something to put in the wheel wells and maybe on the floor of the trunk and under the back seat.

I have a limit of what I will tolerate, and the road noise thing is just about at my limit.

Oh, and I agree, it IS a darn good car for the money.

There is really nothing in it's price range that is anywhere near as good.

And maybe with a little help, it could be just a little bit better.

[JohnnyG]

The problem I had with the ride was, the body of the car was NEVER STILL when moving down the road. There was constant side to side and fore and aft pitching of the body. Not HUGE movements and not dangerous... just annoying and extremely tiring after several hours behind the wheel.

This has come to be known as that "Great GM Feeling", somewhat like a boat, but not really.

I don't think that GM has really gotten it yet. They sometimes do, and they mostly don't.

For example, the CTS has a good firm ride, but not quiet at all. This car reminds me of my '86 Merkur! This one is the European ride, meant to compete with the BMW crowd..sporty. The Performance DTS has a great ride, but not that quiet either (apparently). The '08 LUX III has a good ride, but too much movement, and not that quiet either since it is the same platform as the 98 - 03 Seville.

Never having driven a RWD new version STS (after 2004) I can't compare that to anything. However, the high beltline, reduced visibility to the rear, weird tire sizes, lack of an optimized V8, and unremarkable fuel economy make it a non player for me.

So you firm up the ride of the LUX III with a set of (specifically tuned) magnaride shocks, make it quieter in the rear to reduce the road noise, and you have the perfect luxury car! How hard can this be? Is this the RUMORED Platinum Edition, that we've heard about but have never seen? Probably not.

You must admit though, the rear sunscreen has to be the coolest feature of the LUX III! All you have to do is pass someone, hit the button to pop up the sunscreen, and it's like the ultimate flip off!

[Texas Jim]

So you firm up the ride of the LUX III with a set of (specifically tuned) magnaride shocks, make it quieter in the rear to reduce the road noise, and you have the perfect luxury car! How hard can this be? Is this the RUMORED Platinum Edition, that we've heard about but have never seen? Probably not.

You must admit though, the rear sunscreen has to be the coolest feature of the LUX III! All you have to do is pass someone, hit the button to pop up the sunscreen, and it's like the ultimate flip off!

The road noise on mine seems to come from all four corners. I believe it is MOSTLY the tires.

The Platinum Edition is listed on Cadillac.com.

It "IS" available with the Performance Package, (like mine) which includes the Mag Ride Suspension, more HP and a different shifting transmission. All at a slight extra cost ... of course.

I just priced one out.... a little over $60,000.

Using the sunscreen like that is A GREAT IDEA. I never thought of using it like THAT.

I will remember that. Thanks.

I will have Darling Wife put it up and down tomorrow, and see if it is noticeable thru the dark tint I have on all the windows.

[JohnnyG]

$60K huh, no wonder they didn't have any on the lot. They did have a few V's of both versions (STS/CTS), but no platinum editions. I wonder if the Platinum has extra sound deadening? If not, it would be just a larger (costlier) dissapointment. I'd shed the NAV and the lane departure warning (Sheesh), and maybe take it down to an acceptable price level. Same with adaptive cruise.........give me a break. Anyway, who needs NAV when for just $300 a year you can have OnStar Turn by Turn plus everything else that comes with it?

Just kidding on the sunscreen of course, but I didn't realize that the Performance had that too. Or are you still driving the III?

The road noise on mine seems to come from all four corners. I believe it is MOSTLY the tires.

SOoo, what's the quietest tire we can try? I'm sure the Green Michelin MXV4 Plus's on there now contribute to my excellent fuel economy on the highway, but are they worth the trade-off if they are noisy?

[Texas Jim]

$60K huh, no wonder they didn't have any on the lot. They did have a few V's of both versions (STS/CTS), but no platinum editions. I wonder if the Platinum has extra sound deadening? If not, it would be just a larger (costlier) dissapointment. I'd shed the NAV and the lane departure warning (Sheesh), and maybe take it down to an acceptable price level. Same with adaptive cruise.........give me a break. Anyway, who needs NAV when for just $300 a year you can have OnStar Turn by Turn plus everything else that comes with it?

Just kidding on the sunscreen of course, but I didn't realize that the Performance had that too. Or are you still driving the III?

The road noise on mine seems to come from all four corners. I believe it is MOSTLY the tires.

SOoo, what's the quietest tire we can try? I'm sure the Green Michelin MXV4 Plus's on there now contribute to my excellent fuel economy on the highway, but are they worth the trade-off if they are noisy?

I would sure HOPE that the Platinum would have extra insulation... but I wouldn't bet on it.

About NAV....

When I got my first 2006, it did not have NAV.

I kinda wanted it just for the GADGET FACTOR. But I never really missed not having it.

This one DOES have nav.

I absolutely will NEVER buy another one without NAV as long as I can afford it.

It has helped me too many times to count. We go driving around the country every once in a while. We drive along and see a road and just take off down it just to see where it goes. After doing that all day... you can then look at the nav screen, see where a town is that will have motels... touch the screen and it takes you right to it... talking to you all the way.

As you get close to the strange town, you call OnStar and they tell you how to find the hotel you want.

Saves a whole lot of time and aggravation when traveling.

If you didn't notice... I really like the nav system.

AND I renewed my Turn by Turn for another three years.

When Darling Wife is getting hungry, it is nice to just push the OnStar button and they tell you what exit the next Cracker Barrel is on the interstate you are driving down. Then she is happy... and you know the rest...

The Sunscreen was an option on the 2006 Performance Sedan.

Just looked at my window sticker...it was a $350 option.

I had forgot it cost THAT much.

The sunroof was another $1,200.

The NAV was another $1,795.

The White Lightning Tri Coat paint was another $995.

The 18 inch 9 spoke Chrome Wheels was another $795.

As far as I know... the ONLY option it don't have is the BODY COLORED GRILLE.

The first one had that... I really liked the looks of it vs the chrome one this one has.

I think from 2008 on.... the sunshade is standard on the LUX lll and the Performance Sedan.

As far as the quietest tire... I have been doing some research on that... you have many more options than I do. My choice is really limited because of my low profile 18 inch tires mine uses.

I would sacrifice a little mileage for QUITENESS when I am driving.

I too would do without the lane departure and adaptive cruise. I see no real reason for them.

[JohnnyG]

When I got my first 2006, it did not have NAV.

I kinda wanted it just for the GADGET FACTOR. But I never really missed not having it.

This one DOES have nav.

I absolutely will NEVER buy another one without NAV as long as I can afford it.

It has helped me too many times to count. We go driving around the country every once in a while. We drive along and see a road and just take off down it just to see where it goes. After doing that all day... you can then look at the nav screen, see where a town is that will have motels... touch the screen and it takes you right to it... talking to you all the way.

As you get close to the strange town, you call OnStar and they tell you how to find the hotel you want.

Saves a whole lot of time and aggravation when traveling.

If you didn't notice... I really like the nav system.

AND I renewed my Turn by Turn for another three years.

My experiences with most NAV products is somewhat less spectacular. I'd have to say here that you are using it mostly for amusement, and that's fine, if you really don't need to be somewhere at the right time.

Using a handheld Garmin in my truck recently (total cost <$300.00) took me about 20 minutes LONGER on DIRT ROADS to get to a destination than I could have driven using a map. Yes, it was a direct route, shorter by computer as one might say, but TERRIBLE for driving.

And you are the same guy that ended up on a dirt road going the wrong direction on Skyline Drive as I recall. What happened there?

Anyway, I think the Turn by Turn is worth the money and the Nav isn't. Nav is NOT OnStar. I'll most likely renew my Turn by Turn at the end of the year, even though I feel it is OVERPRICED.

[Texas Jim]

My experiences with most NAV products is somewhat less spectacular. I'd have to say here that you are using it mostly for amusement, and that's fine, if you really don't need to be somewhere at the right time.

Using a handheld Garmin in my truck recently (total cost <$300.00) took me about 20 minutes LONGER on DIRT ROADS to get to a destination than I could have driven using a map. Yes, it was a direct route, shorter by computer as one might say, but TERRIBLE for driving.

And you are the same guy that ended up on a dirt road going the wrong direction on Skyline Drive as I recall. What happened there?

Anyway, I think the Turn by Turn is worth the money and the Nav isn't. Nav is NOT OnStar. I'll most likely renew my Turn by Turn at the end of the year, even though I feel it is OVERPRICED.

JohnnyG,

Yep, I understand the NAV is not OnStar. I like (and use) both of them.

I use the two of them in conjunction to make my trips easier (and more enjoyable) for me.

Remember I have almost 48,000 miles on the DTS in only 20 months and it often sits in the garage for a week at a time and never even gets started up. Then we take off somewhere and just GO.

I renewed my Turn by Turn for an additional three years when my first year was almost up. I agree that it is expensive, but I got a little better deal that way. It was still expensive, but I really wouldn't want to be without the OnStar Turn by Turn. It has made my life so much easier, numerous times. They are really helpful when you need something. I like OnStar... a lot.

Got a notice from OnStar yesterday... I have to buy more minutes for the phone because the phone minutes are only good for one year from date of purchase. If you don't buy more, the ones you already have expire and you lose them. I have almost 700 minutes now, and don't want to lose them, so I reckon I will be calling OnStar shortly and getting the smallest minutes package they have, to add to it so that I don't lose what I already have. I don't use the phone in the car very much, but I want it available if I DO need it.

On the NAV system... (at least on mine)... when you choose a route... you have several options on how to get there. Your Garmin probably has that option also.

FASTEST...SHORTEST and OTHER.

FASTEST will typically keep you on the Interstates and major highways.

SHORTEST will sometimes put you on secondary roads.

OTHER will take you a third way. I very seldom use OTHER.

Another useful feature is... it shows you what services are available at each exit you come to as you are running down the Interstate. Such as FUEL..FOOD...etc etc. You can scroll thru the exits you are coming to, several exits ahead of you, and plan your stops where what you NEED at that time is actually AT that exit.

In the east, that is not a big deal as most services are available at ALL exits, but out west, it is VERY USEFUL. The exits are sometimes 15 or 20 miles apart and some exits have absolutly NOTHING there. They are just exits to a cross road and thats IT.

I don't recall a SKYLINE DRIVE going the wrong way, but I suppose it is very possible. Sounds like something I might do, but my memory is not what it used to be. Just ask my wife.

Last year in W. Virginia, I took off down what I thought was a "SCENIC DRIVE". The road got to be so bad I had to back up a long ways to find a place to turn around. That may be what you are thinking of.

That was caused entirely by ME ... looking at MS Streets and Trips on my laptop the night before and not reading the little tourist brochure correctly. As I exited the freeway, I should have turned LEFT... instead I went RIGHT.

Anyway, I have it and use it... A LOT, (along with maps and OnStar) ... and agree TOTALLY with you that it is a WAY OVERPRICED gadget, but I do find it very useful. (Usually) With that being said, I also agree, it is not a 100% substitute for a good map.

My Rand McNally atlas is ALMOST ALWAYS laying in the back seat within easy reach.

"Don't leave home without it."

I also stop at the Welcome Centers at each state line and pick up a map of that state. I find the maps to be very useful. Sometimes more so than the NAV.

[JohnnyG]

All perfectly understandable, and I agree on one item for sure; ALWAYS HAVE A MAP HANDY!

I tried out my Onstar Turn-by-Turn yesterday through the streets of downtown (Oakland) in Pittsburgh. They couldn't locate the VA hospital, where my brother was recovering from an operation.

I finally asked them to get me to Children's Hospital, which was nearby. That worked OK, except it was the same "search engine" as the Garmin uses. Telling me to turn when all I needed to do was bear left or right....or just go straight. Most of the time the instructions were several streets premature, so I made a few wrong turns. I suppose I'll get used to it eventually, but Darling Wife (sorry to steal your wife's title) has other opinions of the whole thing!!! Let's just say I had to turn off the Onstar, put the Garmin in my doorpocket so she wouldn't throw it out the window, stop at an EXXON station, buy a map for $2.95, and get an extra $10.00 worth of fuel!!!

Nuf said!

BTW, I got back home 150 miles later with over 1/2 tank of gas left, so it's still a great car!

[Bruce Nunnally]

Some things it helps to talk to a person with some insight. I was all set to go to the Knights of Columbus hall in Texarkana for a family event. Printed out the mapquest, and set my GPS nav system for the address. Luckily I noted that the phone number on the website did not match the email invitation I got. Turned out there are 2 different Knights of Columbus halls there in the area. Go figure. Without some human intervention I would have been stuck.

In this case I ended up as previously mentioned pulling up the map on my PDA cell phone and figuring it out from that after the road I was supposed to turn off the main highway onto never appeared. Don't know if the names changed or the exits or what; I was just glad I left extra time for getting lost.

[Texas Jim]

I am sorry to hear about your brother's surgery. I hope he is doing well.

I just tried to locate the VA Hospital using MS Streets and Trips.

It is not listed.

I found....

UPMC Presbyterian Hospital

Childrens Hospital of Pittsburg

Magee Womens Hospital.... all right there in the same general area, but no VA hospital.

VA web page says it is on University Drive...just N of the UPMC Presbyterian Hospital and Childrens Hospital, but it does NOT show up on any of my maps. Kinda strange.

Even MORE STRANGE... the link to Yahoo maps... on the Home Page of the Oakland VA Hospital itself... does not show the hospital. It just shows the street.

We may have to cut both Garmin and OnStar some slack on this one. Tell your Darling Wife, (that title can be shared, by the way ), that it wasn't their fault... it is just NOT LISTED on any of the commonly available maps.

Went to the garage to play with the NAV system. I thought I might be able to show you how GREAT the nav system is ... but...no luck.

It takes me to the ADDRESS of the hospital... but it does not actually SHOW the hospital on the map. It shows about 10 different hospitals / treatment centers around the main UPMC Presbyterian Hospital and Childrens Hospital, (by name) but it DOES NOT SHOW the VA Hospital.

Maybe they were part of the PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT back in the 50's and are still invisible. They sure don't show up on any map I can find.

Anyway... best wishes to your brother and I hope he is doing well.

I agree with you about our cars. We do have great cars... I hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip.

[JohnnyG]

Thank you for your concern, he is doing much better today after a couple of pints.....

Maybe they were part of the PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT back in the 50's and are still invisible. They sure don't show up on any map I can find.

Considering my brother, this should not be unexpected. However, I think it is part of the UPMC medical training center, so the name may not be readily published to the search engines we commonly rely on. Hence my point.

Try another one. 655 river lane, marietta Ohio.

If it takes you to the banks of the Muskingum river, it is incorrect! It's on the Ohio.

[Texas Jim]

Try another one. 655 river lane, marietta Ohio.

If it takes you to the banks of the Muskingum river, it is incorrect! It's on the Ohio.

I can't find it with MS Streets and Trips....

And this is probably wrong... BUT...

The NAV system shows 655 River Lane to cross RT 7 and to run parallel to Sanjubar and Shangri La and Santa Claus Lane. It is on the banks of the OHIO River and right across the river is the Waverly-Williamstown Road (highway 1) which runs parallel to a railroad track.

I am not sure, but it actually looks like it should be classified as RENO not Marietta.

By the way... it shows to be 1006 miles from my house to River Lane.

[JohnnyG]

The NAV system shows 655 River Lane to cross RT 7 and to run parallel to Sanjubar and Shangri La and Santa Claus Lane. It is on the banks of the OHIO River and right across the river is the Waverly-Williamstown Road (highway 1) which runs parallel to a railroad track.

I am not sure, but it actually looks like it should be classified as RENO not Marietta.

Well I must say that is actually a bit further away than most people end up. It's about 16 miles from the correct spot (new 911 addressing system). Most people end up only about about 8 miles away at 655 River ROAD.

However, until now, I didn't realize I lived that NEAR to Shangri La!

Thanks for looking that up!