bluecoupe

So I did a whirl wind trip in the vert up the east coast and back. I set off from south FL up to CT/RI on May 2nd. Stopped at the local dealer for an oil change and a few checks before setting off.

When I left it was mid 90's and insanely hot so the top was up all the way to Greenville, NC. The next morning was mid 70's and sunny so I dropped the top and hit the road. SPF50 sunblock and good tunes and the miles were clicking off with ease. Several hours in I was cresting a hill in northern virgina when I got pulled over for 86 in a 70.... First and only ticket in the vert and while it sucks it was my own fault. Finished off the day by driving to outside Philly to see a buddy.

Next day was Sunday and I figured it would be a cakewalk since it was only a few hundred miles to go. Philly traffic was fine but once I got outside NYC it was stop and go for hours. An accident on the GW bridge followed by hours of barely moving on the Jersey turnpike. Every pot hole and expansion joint made me wish I was wearing a kidney belt. Found myself swearing every time I hit one "F$ck! Ouch!, D@m! WTf!". Cleared Jersey and was finally on smooth roads in CT and was carving up the last few miles.

So I've clicked off around 1500 miles so far. Finally get to my hotel thinking I've seen the worst of it until driving to Rhode Island the next morning. I have never experienced anything like that before and never want to again. Satan couldn't imagine roads worse.

I honestly hated driving, it was painful. Bang, crash, ouch was the order of the day on my commute. After a few days the weather was finally nice enough to go topless and I have to say what a difference that made. I could still feel ever bump but they weren't as harsh. I know the G gets knocked for being flexible but it really helped on those roads.

I left rhode island and swung through PA on my way back south. I-80 was full of cops so I kept the speed down and did "cruise mode". Spent a day at my parents house before heading south to my uncle's place. The road to his house can be best described as a rally stage, big grins all around.

I left on Monday and covered 900 miles, most of them topless. Finished off the trip Tuesday battling thunderstorms.

I now have 36k miles on my 2011 vert. She might not be the prettiest girl at the ball but she can still dance. I averaged 23.2 mpg up and 21.1 down over 4400 miles.

TL;DR I drove a lot and still love my vert.

bschurr

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for sharing. VA is notorious for speed traps!

I live 5 miles from the GWB in northern NJ and we just experienced one of the snowiest winters on record and the roads are a DISASTER. It is a shame that the major roads like 80/95 still haven't had their potholes and winter related defects corrected yet.

monytx

iTrader: (2)

The few years that I've driven across the country, I can say that I've only been pulled over in VA once. There are traps EVERYWHERE. Every half a mile, or even less you'll see cars pulled over with flashers behind them.

After moving from NYC to Houston, I can say I'm so thankful that Texas has smooth roads. NY has some of the shi**iest roads, but I think that's just a northern thing in general. Even in my uncle's 4Runner I found myself cursing left and right.

bluecoupe

Forgot to add that I got the transmission software update the day before the trip. No more hesitation and hunting for gears, and the downshifts in DS mode no longer put your head into the windshield.
If you have a 7speed auto, get the update now. It makes the car so much better. I was shocked how much of a difference it made.

monytx

iTrader: (2)

Try the grounding kit as well.. supposedly it helps with shift times in the 7AT.