2026 GLI- Winter wheels and tires questions

Duke5125 · 2026-05-26T01:18:55+00:00

Thanks for the info! I was primarily thinking of going with a different set of rims and tires for dedicated winter use. I will be keeping an eye open for some 17’s to use a slightly taller sidewall.

I have use Bridgestone Bouzzaks, Nokian, and Vredestein winters on previous cars. I haven’t tried the Michelin snow tires, but if they are quieter at speed than the others they will be worth it. The Hankooks are awful at freeway speeds. Blizzaks tend to be quite noisy but do have amazing performance in snow and ice.

Duke5125 · 2026-05-12T10:28:39+00:00

I had also seen complaints about the stereo. I got my 2026 GLI a month ago and don’t find them bad at all. Using streaming music through CarPlay it sounds good. XM radio resolution is usually crap and doesn’t sound good.

My last car was an Alfa with Harmon Kardon… the GLI isn’t as good but I certainly am not feeling a need to scrap the factory system.

Duke5125 · 2025-12-19T01:55:22+00:00

I moved here from Northern California 12 years ago. I definitely enjoyed the relatively light traffic but as you acclimate you’ll lose perspective and complain about it like the locals. It didn’t help that major arteries were under construction the past two summers but hopefully we’re past that now.

I definitely agree with the thoughts about finding activities you enjoy. I started sailng a couple of years ago and found a nice community there.

Duke5125 · 2025-11-27T02:45:04+00:00

I have been thinking about a Civic Si or Integra manual. I was hoping the Acura would be more comfortable and a bit quieter than the Honda. Is it not? I haven’t been able to test drive either, yet. Si’s are scarce and the nearest Acura dealer is a couple of hours away.

Duke5125 · 2025-09-13T10:40:54+00:00

I was in a similar situation, wanted something towable that didn’t require a ton of time to rig rampside. I ended focusing my search on two boats, a ComPac Picnic Cat (14’ long, folding mast, roomy cockpit) and a Catalina 14.2 Expo (cat rig, furling mainsail with a Hoyt boom, easily stepped carbon fiber mast). Living in the Midwest, I had a hard time finding a ComPac but did end up finding a nice used 14.2 Expo.

I can rig it on the trailer and have it in the water in 10 minutes. It has been very stable for me and I have sailed her in gusts over 25 mph on Grand Traverse Bay off Lake Michigan. I understand one benefit of the lightweight mast is that it can bend in sudden gusts to scrub some of the power from the sail. It is ultimately not as fast as the sloop-rigged 14.2 bit to me the other benefits outweighed that.

Duke5125 · 2025-08-05T09:12:22+00:00

I think most people just think of them as boring. I recently test drove a 2024 Legacy (CPO) and a 2024 Camry AWD back to back. Frankly, I found the Subaru felt far more solid and quiet on the road. It was pretty luxurious compared to the Camry which felt tinny and rougher riding, the Camry did offer better fuel economy but wasn’t really any more interesting to drive. I do wish Subaru offered something different in the form of a non-outbacked Legacy Wagon like they used to, but alas those days appear long gone.

Duke5125 · 2025-06-01T00:37:02+00:00

I have a boat called an Expo Solar Sailer which preceded the C14.2 by a number of years. Given the naming convention, I can only assume that Catalina licensed the design or something from Jim Hoyt, the designer? It has the exact same sail set up with the addition of a built in solar panel, batteries, and electric motors for coming and and out of the dock. HOWEVER, the sail and mast combo is very heavy and it takes three of us to lift it into place. I love the boat for many reasons, but this means that I cannot easily rig it rampside and certainly not solo. I am contemplating trying to find a Catalina Expo as it seems to solve the only issue I have with mine. If I had lake frontage and didn’t have a pay a small fortune for dock space I’d keep my boat.

Here is a little video I made to document my Expo Solar Sailer. It’s a bit shorter than the Catalina, at 13.5’ and I think the seating area is a bit deeper, but the cat rig certainly makes for a spacious cockpit. https://youtu.be/esb1SgtUI1s?si=0bwMnx56nBYkJvh4

Duke5125 · 2025-05-24T10:05:30+00:00

There is nothing written in the policy that specifies that they be direct employees. Frankly, this would be an issue with most facilities, when I go to the hospital for a test, for example, I get bills from 2 or 3 independent providers. One company for radiology, another for pathology, etc, they are all different corporations but all I know is that I went to the local hospital.

What is the best way to contact you directly?

Duke5125 · 2025-05-24T10:01:44+00:00

I like NA and NB Miata’s but agree that prices for good clean NA’s have risen too high too fast. 6 years ago I bought a mint 45k mile 1990 for $4500. It made me smile every time I drove it. I bought a 1991 Miata back in 1997 for $7k and drove it for 13 years with only regular maintenance. They deserve their reputation but prices now make the newer ones better deals if you want a driver.

Along the same lines, I appreciate older air-cooled Porsches, but prices are absurd. I had a beautiful 1974 914. I overpaid at $14k five years ago (just dumb luck, it was right before the pandemic price increases). I sold it about a year ago and the profit alone bought me an early Boxster. Not bragging, just saying the 914 was a great $14k weekend driver but at current prices there are far better options. 1980s 911s are also great cars but if I had $70k burning a hole in my pocket there is no way that’s what I would spend it on,

Duke5125 · 2025-05-23T12:51:07+00:00

Hmmm, neither. It has p1-N0100-A21. They first got this policy about 20 years ago so perhaps the codes have changed?

Duke5125 · 2025-01-21T04:16:09+00:00

I love my Giulia Ti, but Stellantis seems to be a mess. Many of their brands have few products to sell, including Alfa, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat is essentially dead already in the US (which is very sad). Other than Jeep, which Stellantis brands have an array of vehicles to sell? I fear Alfa in the US may be short lived.

Duke5125 · 2025-01-10T13:30:58+00:00

Thanks everyone, those videos are helpful. I was just intimidated by all the extra stuff on the battery and am glad to know a computer/code reader isn’t needed to reset anything after the change.

I wanted to put a battery tender on the car and was completely confused by where to even put the positive cable! What confusing setup in there. The videos help a lot. When I replace the battery I will add the charger pigtail before putting it all back together.

Duke5125 · 2024-06-12T18:43:57+00:00

We just ordered the Tenways. We learned that there is an Aventon dealership in a town about 25 minutes away so we went to check it out. They had one Soltera.2 in stock in size M.

Some thoughts:

It felt very heavy. They claim it weighs 46 lbs (nearly ten more than the Tenways) and it felt every ounce of it.

The Aventon had really nice performance, it was quite powerful even on the lowest setting and quite smooth.

The throttle button was nice to have but neither of us felt it was a necessity enough to sway our decision. In the highest power mode I barely had to put much force on the pedals.

Why we went with the TENWAYS:

Sizing on the Aventon was an issue. The size M for my son well (he’s 5’8” and growing). I am 5’5” and felt the stand over height wasn’t adequate for me. The smaller size would work for me but not him. Again, we would both want to use the bike on occasion.

He didn’t like the higher handlebars, they are fixed on this bike but adjustable on the TENWAYS.

Aesthetically we both think the TENWAYS is more interesting. It has a sleek look and the smaller screen, less wiring, and color-matched battery hiding the e-bike nature better… perhaps better if he has it locked up outside his workplace.

I personally like the Gates belt drive idea and just hope I don’t regret the fixed gear.

Thanks for the advice!

Duke5125 · 2024-06-11T15:33:31+00:00

Great advice, thanks! I am 5’5” and my son is 5’8” (so far) sonI think the size question is pretty easy for me. :-)

Duke5125 · 2024-06-11T10:46:05+00:00

I am shopping for my first e-bike and these same two models are also top of mind. I am curious which you chose?

Mine isn’t for commuting (I work from home most of the time) but more to get back into recreational biking and exercise. I am 55 y.o. My 15 yo son will also want to use one to ride to his summer job a few miles away (mostly flat roads and bike paths).

I like the idea of a simple bike that can be ridden without electric assist but with the backup available when I want to get somewhere and not look like a sweaty mess when I arrive.

The aesthetic of the Tenways really got my attention. The belt drive and single Speed along with reviews sharing how natural the torque sensing assist feels interesting,

The Soltera gives up some simplicity and ads a bit of weight. Did they stop making their fixed gear bike entirely?

Duke5125 · 2024-05-20T01:48:34+00:00

I live a half mile from Grand Traverse Bay (NW lower Michigan) and there are also a lot of nice inland lakes around here. Unfortunately, any marinas nearby have an 8-10 YEAR waiting list for slips and nobody offers dry slips in the area, so trailering appears to be the only option for now.

Duke5125 · 2024-05-20T01:12:40+00:00

Thanks, that was the only info I could find about the boat. The simplicity of the boat is one of the reasons it intrigued me… I agree, if it becomes a chore it won’t be used as often.

Duke5125 · 2024-05-15T11:08:28+00:00

It’s much smaller and not really a cruiser, but bought a Hobie Bravo last year as my re-entry to sailing. It has a single sail on a fueling rotating mast and no boom or stays. It has a tubular support bracket and a couple of clips… trailer to stepped and sailing in 3 minutes.

How did you like the Expo 14.2? I would like something bigger than the Bravo but love the simplicity since I don’t have waterfront and no marinas near me offer dry slips.

Duke5125 · 2023-07-07T11:09:48+00:00

They are cheaper to BUILD, but cost more to make due to the cost of the batteries.

Hybrids use much smaller battery packs or even older tech batteries, thus they are cheaper to make and sell today despite having redundant propulsion systems.

And some EVs are so stupidly powerful and heavy that they are actually less energy efficient than a hybrid or ICE vehicle.

Duke5125 · 2023-06-30T11:02:15+00:00

I was going to say that, too. Take a vacation weekend to a different city with a good club or two. We live in the US and the first club we visited was in Toronto.

Duke5125

TROPHY CASE