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Non-Road Boards => Off-Topic => Topic started by: Max Rockatansky on July 03, 2016, 03:37:44 PM

Title: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 03, 2016, 03:37:44 PM
Figured this would make a decent off-shoot of the "first car" thread. 

For me, I have two cars that I would consider mine while my wife has her old Focus.  The daily driver is this 2014 Chevy Sonic LT:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1255.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fhh630%2FMadMaxRockatansky73%2F1426295_10207047000366021_2537856451543452487_n_zpse7qi1ojp.jpg&hash=61dd5a04dc85e50fbcb8e0c85bbcb5e4993a63c1)

This would be the 1.4L Turbo four with an automatic, I have about 39,000 miles on it.  I like how comfortable the Sonic is for a basic sub-compact car and it has some nice interior features like the My Link system Chevy uses.  The horsepower rating is the same as the base 1.8L but the torque is rated at 148ftlbs which is really good for the class.  I get usually 34-35 MPG which is more than acceptable...but I was hoping for more regular runs of 38-39 MPG.  Daily driving is where the Sonic excels at but it has some issues on road trip driving.  I get a lot of body roll on mountain roads but it's handled fairly well if use the proper amount of throttle steering.  The real issue is that the automatic really struggles to find gears between 6th and 5th on downhill grades exceeding 6%.  I've often found myself using the multimatic to go to 5th because the transmission doesn't want to grab the gear on it's own.  Acceptable daily car and one for racking mileage on...but it's going in the garbage more than likely at 150,000 miles.  I'm looking at a Fiesta ST type sub-compact the next go around.

The second car or weekend car is a 2016 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lxforums.com%2Fboard%2Fgarage_attachment.php%3Fid%3D10558&hash=6b710eed7af8c257bcb80707014f50576f4438bd)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lxforums.com%2Fboard%2Fgarage_attachment.php%3Fid%3D10551&hash=f556fdb066c9137cac3588d0ea1493e4e7485911)

Basically the purple and green is in honor of my father's street stock car which was a lime green with purple stripped 1977 Camaro.  I originally wanted a Sublime Green 2015 R/T but the Scat Pack with the 6.4L/392 Hemi was such a bargin for a big 485hp engine and all the good parts of a 2014 SRT8.  Basically I went into the dealer to order a 2015 but the supply of Sublime Green was already run but they were taking orders for the 2016 with the Plum Crazy Purple.  The plus sides to the Challenger Scat Pack include the high powered engine, comfortable ride, an awesome stock exhaust note and the build quality being very high given how long the LX platform has been in production.  The really bad part to the car is the tires and wheels...but that's largely because I didn't pay for an SRT-8.  The wheels look great but they are 8 inches even on the rear wheels which means I'm running 245s instead of 275s like I should.  The tires are a crappy all-season 440 treadwear when a softer compound would make all the difference in terms of handling. 

Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Ian on July 04, 2016, 12:40:35 AM
^ That car looks absolutely gorgeous! I've always had a soft spot for Challengers. As for me, I drive a 2008 Hyundai Sonata, currently sitting at about 129K miles. It's a pretty vanilla looking car, but it's actually pretty fun to drive...

(https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7679/26760188562_9d0346d646_z.jpg)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 04, 2016, 07:36:37 AM
Quote from: Ian on July 04, 2016, 12:40:35 AM
^ That car looks absolutely gorgeous! I've always had a soft spot for Challengers. As for me, I drive a 2008 Hyundai Sonata, currently sitting at about 129K miles. It's a pretty vanilla looking car, but it's actually pretty fun to drive...

(https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7679/26760188562_9d0346d646_z.jpg)

Thanks, I ended up picking it over the 2016 Camaro since it went more modern with the redesign as opposed to the 71 Challenger look.  That's a nice backdrop picture with you car, I would love to do something like that but I'm terrible at taking night shots. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Stratuscaster on July 04, 2016, 11:02:34 AM
I have no decent pictures, but will share anyway...

2006 Chrysler Town & Country Touring WP Chrysler Signature Edition
130000 miles. Pretty well loaded with leather heated seats that are great in the winter but absolutely suck in the summer, and a DVD player that never gets used. We've always had minivans since our second kid, and we still have them now because we often help out family and friends. The usefulness of this van is beyond compare with the 2nd & 3rd row seats folding into the floor to swallow cargo. And, with the seats in place, it's one of the few vehicles my oldest son fits comfortably in (he's 6' 7" tall.) Technically it's the wife's car, but she recently developed eye trouble (cornea replacements all around!) so I've been driving it because it's a bit more comfortable than my car...

2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser
The odo says 97000 miles, service records say closer to 193000 - apparently the IP cluster was replaced but not reprogrammed. Not quite as useful as the van, but pretty useful in it's own right. Rear seats pull out and are on casters, and there's a lot of cargo space. Again, leather heated seats - the sides of the cushions can sometimes hit the heated seat switch mounted on the side and that's just lovely when it's 90+ degrees out. It's fun to drive despite being a tall wagon. The downside is that it's very thirsty - the 2.4L I4 gets the same fuel MPG as the 3.8L V6 in the van (they both average 19-20 around town) - so there's no real penalty when I take the van instead. The tall son fits in the PT as well, so that's a plus.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 04, 2016, 11:40:56 AM
Quote from: Stratuscaster on July 04, 2016, 11:02:34 AM
I have no decent pictures, but will share anyway...

2006 Chrysler Town & Country Touring WP Chrysler Signature Edition
130000 miles. Pretty well loaded with leather heated seats that are great in the winter but absolutely suck in the summer, and a DVD player that never gets used. We've always had minivans since our second kid, and we still have them now because we often help out family and friends. The usefulness of this van is beyond compare with the 2nd & 3rd row seats folding into the floor to swallow cargo. And, with the seats in place, it's one of the few vehicles my oldest son fits comfortably in (he's 6' 7" tall.) Technically it's the wife's car, but she recently developed eye trouble (cornea replacements all around!) so I've been driving it because it's a bit more comfortable than my car...

2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser
The odo says 97000 miles, service records say closer to 193000 - apparently the IP cluster was replaced but not reprogrammed. Not quite as useful as the van, but pretty useful in it's own right. Rear seats pull out and are on casters, and there's a lot of cargo space. Again, leather heated seats - the sides of the cushions can sometimes hit the heated seat switch mounted on the side and that's just lovely when it's 90+ degrees out. It's fun to drive despite being a tall wagon. The downside is that it's very thirsty - the 2.4L I4 gets the same fuel MPG as the 3.8L V6 in the van (they both average 19-20 around town) - so there's no real penalty when I take the van instead. The tall son fits in the PT as well, so that's a plus.

You know it's funny, for a car that sold 1.35 million units I really think the PT gets a bad wrap.  People absolutely loved those cars when they came out because they really offered some versatility in the compact segment.  The problem was that Chrysler never really kept up with the platform and it should have had at least one refresh given the volume it pulled.  I always kind of looked at the Chevy HHR as the evolution of the PT....which isn't surprising considering the same guy designed the styling on both cars.  It's too bad there aren't any small American wagons available...I've never been a hatch back guy as evidenced by old trusty above.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: US71 on July 04, 2016, 11:42:33 AM
2014 Dodge Ram C/V
(https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/10557209_10203623391697791_1464777292434241976_n.jpg?oh=3dbe228863ea2888d748dc8dcd1b29cc&oe=58346D0C)
Romana
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Zeffy on July 04, 2016, 12:06:30 PM
Don't have any good pictures (somehow), but I drive a white 2013 Honda Civic LX, with 35K miles (got it at 28.7K). It's a good solid car that is also quite fun to drive. It also has a normal 5-speed automatic transmission, which I believe has been largely replaced by the CVT automatics now.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: 1995hoo on July 04, 2016, 12:18:12 PM
I have a 2004 Acura TL and a 1988 Mazda RX-7 convertible. Picture was taken in May 2007 just after I'd detailed both of them, but I still have both cars. My wife has a 2003 Acura RSX Type-S. All three cars are manuals (well, DUH in the case of the RSX since the Type-S was six-speed only).

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi31.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc378%2F1995hoo%2FCardetailingMay2007013_zps12ec5af5.jpg&hash=1fc1ff2edce5006fde0fc8f7bcc9919eeb273366)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: SteveG1988 on July 04, 2016, 12:40:28 PM
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fd.facdn.net%2Fart%2Fdragonsteve%2F1457082815%2F1456962237.dragonsteve_12321642_228449874166798_7590520782861780535_n.jpg&hash=7e3e6c28f71e0c487042c6540ec166ba064b379c)

1996 thunderbird LX 4.6L V8 bought it Jan 2015 sight unseen on craigs list. She had 88k when i bought her, the factory wheels were the 15" alloys, with 2002 made michelins on it with 7/32 tread remaining. the car wasn't sitting, just was barely used. Swapped the cloth interior for leather on it, swapped the factory wheels for a 1997 LX Sport 16" set of wheels so i could get more modern performance tires. 215/70R15 is minivan tires, 225/60R16 has acual performance tires still like the goodyear eagle sport  V rated. It has a new valve body on the transmission so it shifts faster and firmer, with less slipping than the factory setup. It also has a 2005 intake manifold so it won't crack, and gets a little bit more power.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 04, 2016, 02:14:28 PM
Quote from: SteveG1988 on July 04, 2016, 12:40:28 PM
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fd.facdn.net%2Fart%2Fdragonsteve%2F1457082815%2F1456962237.dragonsteve_12321642_228449874166798_7590520782861780535_n.jpg&hash=7e3e6c28f71e0c487042c6540ec166ba064b379c)

1996 thunderbird LX 4.6L V8 bought it Jan 2015 sight unseen on craigs list. She had 88k when i bought her, the factory wheels were the 15" alloys, with 2002 made michelins on it with 7/32 tread remaining. the car wasn't sitting, just was barely used. Swapped the cloth interior for leather on it, swapped the factory wheels for a 1997 LX Sport 16" set of wheels so i could get more modern performance tires. 215/70R15 is minivan tires, 225/60R16 has acual performance tires still like the goodyear eagle sport  V rated. It has a new valve body on the transmission so it shifts faster and firmer, with less slipping than the factory setup. It also has a 2005 intake manifold so it won't crack, and gets a little bit more power.

That's a hell of find, especially since it sounds like you're good at working on your own project updates.  I'm sure it wouldn't take a great deal to get 300hp/300ftlb out of that 4.6L with a couple more upgrades.  Ford really screwed the pooch with the 02 Thunderbird, the way I see it had two problems; it was way too expensive and it was way under powered with that 3.9L V8 that it shared with the Lincoln LS.  I actually really what they tried to do with the body style on the 02 model with the retro touches, Chevy made the same mistake shortly after with the SSR....that 5.3L Vortec was a joke in that thing.  It's too bad Ford couldn't see to make a business case for the FG Falcon being released as a new age Thunderbird....seemed to work for the Zeta/Camaro/G8/SS and the Charger ultimately was brought back to life with four doors.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on July 04, 2016, 03:38:18 PM
I own three Honda Preludes, a 1993 S (which came with the bulletproof F22A1 from the 1990-93 Accord, retuned to about 140 HP), a 1991 Si ALB (http://oppositelock.kinja.com/1991-honda-prelude-si-alb-the-oppositelock-review-1772999057) that's all stock and in good condition, and a mildly modified 2001, one of the last ones ever made. All are black 5-speeds.

1991
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/h1l0i93zjhgrlrhvhism.JPG)

2001
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi42.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fe343%2Fagenthydra%2FMobile%2520Uploads%2FIMG_20160217_235917.jpg&hash=e9460100942557b66f874352cfd3466f1d054cf3)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: SteveG1988 on July 04, 2016, 03:48:40 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 04, 2016, 02:14:28 PM
Quote from: SteveG1988 on July 04, 2016, 12:40:28 PM
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fd.facdn.net%2Fart%2Fdragonsteve%2F1457082815%2F1456962237.dragonsteve_12321642_228449874166798_7590520782861780535_n.jpg&hash=7e3e6c28f71e0c487042c6540ec166ba064b379c)

1996 thunderbird LX 4.6L V8 bought it Jan 2015 sight unseen on craigs list. She had 88k when i bought her, the factory wheels were the 15" alloys, with 2002 made michelins on it with 7/32 tread remaining. the car wasn't sitting, just was barely used. Swapped the cloth interior for leather on it, swapped the factory wheels for a 1997 LX Sport 16" set of wheels so i could get more modern performance tires. 215/70R15 is minivan tires, 225/60R16 has acual performance tires still like the goodyear eagle sport  V rated. It has a new valve body on the transmission so it shifts faster and firmer, with less slipping than the factory setup. It also has a 2005 intake manifold so it won't crack, and gets a little bit more power.

That's a hell of find, especially since it sounds like you're good at working on your own project updates.  I'm sure it wouldn't take a great deal to get 300hp/300ftlb out of that 4.6L with a couple more upgrades.  Ford really screwed the pooch with the 02 Thunderbird, the way I see it had two problems; it was way too expensive and it was way under powered with that 3.9L V8 that it shared with the Lincoln LS.  I actually really what they tried to do with the body style on the 02 model with the retro touches, Chevy made the same mistake shortly after with the SSR....that 5.3L Vortec was a joke in that thing.  It's too bad Ford couldn't see to make a business case for the FG Falcon being released as a new age Thunderbird....seemed to work for the Zeta/Camaro/G8/SS and the Charger ultimately was brought back to life with four doors.

The car has enough power. Right now she needs a complete paint job. That angle is the only good one, the roof/hood/trunk/cpillar/etc are all peeling. 3,000 bucks at Maaco for it, high end job with a warranty. I need to replace the upper control arms on the front, new engine mounts, and then mechanically she will be sound. Then tax refund 2017 i will get the paint done.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: 1995hoo on July 04, 2016, 04:21:43 PM
Quote from: Takumi on July 04, 2016, 03:38:18 PM
I own three Honda Preludes, a 1993 S (which came with the bulletproof F22A1 from the 1990-93 Accord, retuned to about 140 HP), a 1991 Si ALB (http://oppositelock.kinja.com/1991-honda-prelude-si-alb-the-oppositelock-review-1772999057) that's all stock and in good condition, and a mildly modified 2001, one of the last ones ever made. All are black 5-speeds.

1991
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/h1l0i93zjhgrlrhvhism.JPG)

....

I always liked the look of that generation of Prelude and I still wish I'd had the money to afford one around the 1990 timeframe, but since I was in high school at the time, I wound up with a '77 Granada instead.  X-( X-( X-(
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Thing 342 on July 04, 2016, 05:00:32 PM
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwesj.org%2Fimg%2F2012civicEX.jpg&hash=c532efa0165e38051afb158be5ced8eabe5091be)
I currently drive a red 2012 Civic EX (pictured above at Breaks Interstate Park in February) with around 39,500 miles on it. It's somewhat small for me and a bit underpowered, but it's fun to drive and gets pretty good (~35-36 MPG) gas mileage. It's mileage is probably going to massively increase this summer, with my 86 mile round-trip commute to Great Bridge, but it's well built so I suspect it'll last well past 150K.

I also occasionally drive my parents' cars which include:
a 2008 Accord EX-L with around 115K miles that I took to Florida last summer,
a 2011 Pilot Touring with 70.5K that we use for camping and likewise,
and a recently-acquired 2016 Accord Touring to replace the 2008 (which will likely be going to my sister)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: SteveG1988 on July 04, 2016, 05:09:41 PM
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fd.facdn.net%2Fart%2Fdragonsteve%2F1439041212%2F1439041212.dragonsteve_p_20150807_181438.jpg&hash=85eca91501bfc48cafbb6ab084cd1780b2bcd03a)

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fd.facdn.net%2Fart%2Fdragonsteve%2F1441316062%2F1441316062.dragonsteve_editbowl.jpg&hash=4a47b37ce64ace82f174d4f530d0b92aa061b6b2)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on July 04, 2016, 05:10:18 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 04, 2016, 04:21:43 PM
I always liked the look of that generation of Prelude and I still wish I'd had the money to afford one around the 1990 timeframe, but since I was in high school at the time, I wound up with a '77 Granada instead.  X-( X-( X-(
To be fair, they weren't cheap. The Si at the time cost around $18,000, and adding either ABS or 4-wheel steering (you couldn't have both in the US) was another $750-1000. The 1991 is quite a bit slower than the 2001, but it's just as fun to drive because it's more nimble.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: slorydn1 on July 05, 2016, 12:01:15 AM
Wife's Car:


(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi703.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww34%2Fslorydn1%2FMustang%2520Pics%2FTownship8-20120622-00478.jpg&hash=fda1af9809c10f964d84bd70b78b08b66286fff9)





My Car:


(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi703.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww34%2Fslorydn1%2FMustang%2520Pics%2F20140222_120159_zps21cd4054.jpg&hash=9b8ceff814ea4a8b0fdc1656f64a967e62e2185b)

Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Stratuscaster on July 05, 2016, 12:13:15 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 04, 2016, 11:40:56 AM
You know it's funny, for a car that sold 1.35 million units I really think the PT gets a bad wrap.  People absolutely loved those cars when they came out because they really offered some versatility in the compact segment.  The problem was that Chrysler never really kept up with the platform and it should have had at least one refresh given the volume it pulled.  I always kind of looked at the Chevy HHR as the evolution of the PT....which isn't surprising considering the same guy designed the styling on both cars.  It's too bad there aren't any small American wagons available...I've never been a hatch back guy as evidenced by old trusty above.
It DID have a refresh, in 2007. But this again was in the era of Daimler control, and they really cheapened it out. They knew they had a cash cow, most of the tooling had been paid for, and did the least they could to update the car. Since it was classed as a truck they kept it around for the CAFE benefits.

(Even worse, the PT was intended to be a Plymouth from the start, and the styling was going to be applied to the rest of the lineup. It could have saved the brand. But once Daimler stepped in, the decision was made to drop Chrysler downmarket and absorb the Plymouth customers - and the Chrysler brand paid for it.)

They hadn't had a car take off like than in sales, so they simply didn't know what to do with it. Today, now that you can read and learn about the problems they have and what to expect (and EVERY car has problems, so it applies across the board), AND because they built so many, one can pick up a PT rather cheaply and have a very decent and capable car. Which is what I did.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: 8.Lug on July 05, 2016, 03:29:27 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 03, 2016, 03:37:44 PM
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lxforums.com%2Fboard%2Fgarage_attachment.php%3Fid%3D10558&hash=6b710eed7af8c257bcb80707014f50576f4438bd)

That's pretty awesome but I was definitely expecting something a bit more, well, Mad.

My current killer car. It goes by Doom 2. Its predecessor Doom Baby met a somewhat untimely fate.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fthemunicipality.us%2Fdoom2.JPG&hash=703a0e87500727b8bc7538c6d57d0db6ba30aee3)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: oscar on July 05, 2016, 06:05:30 AM
I have two cars. The one I use most day-to-day, and usually take on my road trips, is my 2008 Prius. It's over 255,000 miles, and climbing. UPDATE 8/19/16: Now over 267,000 miles. But after some major mechanical problems over the last few thousand miles, probably limited to local travel, with my other car used for my road trips.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alaskaroads.com%2Fprius-at-pikes-peak-summit_DSC6278.jpg&hash=4e63764633cf45c559e08f187950ac910458eac3)

The other one is my 2006 Nissan Titan pickup truck, with an aftermarket walk-in camper shell. Even though I've owned it longer, it has fewer miles on it (over 145,000 miles), due to its sucky gas mileage. I use it mainly for road trips in the winter or taking me off-pavement when its 4x4 might come in handy, and also for camping.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alaskaroads.com%2Ftruck.jpg&hash=72c4825f5a65d301598fada6d5e28e1ed5358daf)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: froggie on July 05, 2016, 07:36:57 AM
My current car:  a 2012 VW Tiguan SE with 4Motion.  AWD is an absolute necessary in Vermont in the winter.  101K miles.

(https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/11012030_10154023635240752_8902883826107906587_n.jpg?oh=6ad9cebfcbc5f110c555898f176f38bf&oe=57EF4842)

(if the image doesn't show) (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154023635240752&set=pcb.10154023635305752&type=3&theater)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 05, 2016, 07:41:11 AM
Quote from: 8.Lug on July 05, 2016, 03:29:27 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 03, 2016, 03:37:44 PM
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lxforums.com%2Fboard%2Fgarage_attachment.php%3Fid%3D10558&hash=6b710eed7af8c257bcb80707014f50576f4438bd)

That's pretty awesome but I was definitely expecting something a bit more, well, Mad.

My current killer car. It goes by Doom 2. Its predecessor Doom Baby met a somewhat untimely fate.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fthemunicipality.us%2Fdoom2.JPG&hash=703a0e87500727b8bc7538c6d57d0db6ba30aee3)

Yeah 1973 Falcon XB/GTs don't exactly grow on trees stateside much less all the modifications it would take.  When you think about it, 600hp at the rear wheels even out a 351 Cleveland with a giant blower is a tall order with money.  I still can't get my mind around how a belt driven blower would have a shut-off switch or a 100 gallon gas tank hanging where the rear hatch was.  :-D  There is actually a huge MFP logo in the rear window which you can't see since I picked pics that didn't show my pre-vintage California plate.  I can't help but think that's a play on the old PC games with the name?

Quote from: oscar on July 05, 2016, 06:05:30 AM
I have two cars. The one I use most day-to-day, and usually take on my road trips, is my 2008 Prius. It's over 255,000 miles, and climbing.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alaskaroads.com%2Fprius-at-pikes-peak-summit_DSC6278.jpg&hash=4e63764633cf45c559e08f187950ac910458eac3)

The other one is my 2006 Nissan Titan pickup truck, with an aftermarket walk-in camper shell. Even though I've owned it longer, it has fewer miles on it (over 140,000 miles), due to its sucky gas mileage. I use it mainly for road trips in the winter or taking me off-pavement when its 4x4 might come in handy, and also for camping.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alaskaroads.com%2Ftruck.jpg&hash=72c4825f5a65d301598fada6d5e28e1ed5358daf)

Okay now you got me curious as to what year that Prius is on Pikes Peak?...was it before it was all paved?   That must have been interesting trying to descend with all the regenerative braking.

Quote from: Stratuscaster on July 05, 2016, 12:13:15 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 04, 2016, 11:40:56 AM
You know it's funny, for a car that sold 1.35 million units I really think the PT gets a bad wrap.  People absolutely loved those cars when they came out because they really offered some versatility in the compact segment.  The problem was that Chrysler never really kept up with the platform and it should have had at least one refresh given the volume it pulled.  I always kind of looked at the Chevy HHR as the evolution of the PT....which isn't surprising considering the same guy designed the styling on both cars.  It's too bad there aren't any small American wagons available...I've never been a hatch back guy as evidenced by old trusty above.
It DID have a refresh, in 2007. But this again was in the era of Daimler control, and they really cheapened it out. They knew they had a cash cow, most of the tooling had been paid for, and did the least they could to update the car. Since it was classed as a truck they kept it around for the CAFE benefits.

(Even worse, the PT was intended to be a Plymouth from the start, and the styling was going to be applied to the rest of the lineup. It could have saved the brand. But once Daimler stepped in, the decision was made to drop Chrysler downmarket and absorb the Plymouth customers - and the Chrysler brand paid for it.)

They hadn't had a car take off like than in sales, so they simply didn't know what to do with it. Today, now that you can read and learn about the problems they have and what to expect (and EVERY car has problems, so it applies across the board), AND because they built so many, one can pick up a PT rather cheaply and have a very decent and capable car. Which is what I did.

That's right...it was so subtle that it was hard to even notice now that you mention it.  That whole merger with Diamler was pretty much a disaster from the word go, it's still kind of amusing that the LX platform was the best thing that came out of it.  Chrysler went ahead and screwed things even more when they replaced the Neon with the Caliber the same year as that PT refresh and now they can't even get a wiff of a solid footing with the small car market.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: oscar on July 05, 2016, 09:25:08 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 05, 2016, 07:41:11 AM
Okay now you got me curious as to what year that Prius is on Pikes Peak?...was it before it was all paved?   That must have been interesting trying to descend with all the regenerative braking.

In June 2015, after the road to the summit was completely paved. The regenerative braking, together with the Prius' "low gear" (engine braking mode), were not enough to keep me out of the "penalty box" at the brake check station halfway down the mountain, where my car and several others had to wait for their brakes to cool down before continuing their descent.

On earlier trips to the Pikes Peak summit (all before the road was completely paved), my truck (four-speed automatic), my former BMW 3-series (five-speed manual), and possibly my former 1982 Honda Accord (ditto -- I know it did Mt. Evans, not sure it did Pikes Peak), went down in first gear with no brake overheating.  But my 1986 Honda Prelude (four-speed automatic) could only be downshifted to second gear, and it too had to cool its heels in the "penalty box".
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 05, 2016, 10:46:29 AM
Quote from: oscar on July 05, 2016, 09:25:08 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 05, 2016, 07:41:11 AM
Okay now you got me curious as to what year that Prius is on Pikes Peak?...was it before it was all paved?   That must have been interesting trying to descend with all the regenerative braking.

In June 2015, after the road to the summit was completely paved. The regenerative braking, together with the Prius' "low gear" (engine braking mode), were not enough to keep me out of the "penalty box" at the brake check station halfway down the mountain, where my car and several others had to wait for their brakes to cool down before continuing their descent.

On earlier trips to the Pikes Peak summit (all before the road was completely paved), my truck (four-speed automatic), my former BMW 3-series (five-speed manual), and possibly my former 1982 Honda Accord (ditto -- I know it did Mt. Evans, not sure it did Pikes Peak), went down in first gear with no brake overheating.  But my 1986 Honda Prelude (four-speed automatic) could only be downshifted to second gear, and it too had to cool its heels in the "penalty box".

Just did Pikes Peak about a week and a half ago on the back end of a road trip through the Rockies.  I had a 2016 Corolla S as my rental car and it actually handled the uphill climb no issues at all.  I had a really tough time keeping the car in 1st gear though coming down and had to stop for the cool down at the midway station.  Thankfully the food was pretty decent and it was interesting watching people from the race control setting things up...would have loved to try it in my Challenger.  I skipped Mount Evans this go around since it really doesn't have the same I don't...omph that Pikes Peak does:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1255.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fhh630%2FMadMaxRockatansky73%2FIMG_7321_zpsf98z0udn.jpg&hash=119a74df2dcdce81e5f3cef5c6fbe91ebb2fd812)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1255.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fhh630%2FMadMaxRockatansky73%2F1_zpsnqqwlvfz.jpg&hash=37648bb103fc6f9baac078faccf0c9a05be77936)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1255.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fhh630%2FMadMaxRockatansky73%2F2_zps8u4x5d6b.jpg&hash=4cb1522eeea84c706c2483bb4d80a93df9917e12)

The last time I tried Pikes Peak was back in 2002/2003 with a 97 Chevy Silverado 4x4.  That was a much easier day given that the road was still mostly dirt which deterred a lot of the vacation crowd back then coupled with the greater ease of engine braking given I could just throw the shifter into a low gear.  I had to use the multimatic on the rental Corolla to keep it in first or second since there was no selector for low gears on the shifter.  The pavement makes you pick up more speed than you would have on dirt for sure.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Henry on July 05, 2016, 10:50:43 AM
Sure, my 1998 Tahoe may be a gas-guzzler SUV, but it has served me well as a daily driver and a roadtrip companion.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: PHLBOS on July 05, 2016, 11:17:14 AM
Current 2 vehicles:

2007 Ford Mustang (Pony Package) convertible:
Redfire Metallic w/black roof.  This one has appeared at 2 or 3 road meets.  Owned since August 2007.

2011 Ford Crown Victoria LX:
Black.  Purchased this past March.  Such replaced my dark green '97 Crown Vic. (which also made a few road meet appearances) that was totaled this past February; those on FB saw the aftermath photos.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: noelbotevera on July 05, 2016, 12:36:48 PM
I am such a disgrace on this forum with the pessimistic opinion that everyone has at least two cars or cars reserved to themselves. "My" current car is shared with my older brother, sister, and father being able to drive it (and yes, I do have a mother). It's a 2013 Toyota Corolla purchased March of 2015. It had 33K miles when we bought it, and currently is at 64K miles. We use it for everything - trips, commutes, driving for pleasure, etc. Not sure what the MPG is. Also, this thing is really good at not wasting gas - it went from here to Richmond in a full tank, and went four days into the vacation before needing to refuel. Kicker is that there's something up with it. I'm not sure what, but it's negligible (for now).
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: ZLoth on July 05, 2016, 02:27:55 PM
I have a 2013 Buick Verano that I purchased on April 1st, 2014 with only 15,000 miles on it. It is fully paid for, and I made sure it had air conditioning and Bluetooth integration (remember, Android Audio/Apple Carplay had not been "released" until March 2015 and 2014 respectively).
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: cpzilliacus on July 05, 2016, 03:28:52 PM
2001 Ford F-250 pickup, 7.3L TurboDiesel V-8, 6-speed stick, 4x4, with (so far) 406,000 original miles on the meter.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 05, 2016, 04:10:20 PM
2015 Golf TDI S: 2.0L 4-cylinder BlueMotion with the 6-speed manual. Apparently, it produces 148 hp, and 236 lb-ft of torque. Right now, I average around 50-55 mpg on the freeway, and 38 in the city, but I suspect these numbers will change when my car is modified by VW following this whole dieselgate scandal.

My only planned changes are to eventually tint the windows a little, and swap the headlights and tailights out to match the European models (technically, the taillights from Europe are legal in the US, but the headlights are not, because they're missing the amber reflector; I see many, many vehicles without this orange reflector, so I'm not particularly worried about being ticketed).

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FMntlYlj.jpg&hash=8544dc80890be8bc3976a927bcdef5a92f4f3129)

P.S. this photo was taken outside the Hooters in Tacoma, WA. If you're ever in the area, and it's Football Sunday, you'll find me there.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: dvferyance on July 05, 2016, 05:10:30 PM
I have a 2011 Ford Fusion bought September 13, 2015 a couple of months after my 2005 Ford Taurus hit the dust.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 05, 2016, 11:27:54 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 05, 2016, 04:10:20 PM
2015 Golf TDI S: 2.0L 4-cylinder BlueMotion with the 6-speed manual. Apparently, it produces 148 hp, and 236 lb-ft of torque. Right now, I average around 50-55 mpg on the freeway, and 38 in the city, but I suspect these numbers will change when my car is modified by VW following this whole dieselgate scandal.

My only planned changes are to eventually tint the windows a little, and swap the headlights and tailights out to match the European models (technically, the taillights from Europe are legal in the US, but the headlights are not, because they're missing the amber reflector; I see many, many vehicles without this orange reflector, so I'm not particularly worried about being ticketed).

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FMntlYlj.jpg&hash=8544dc80890be8bc3976a927bcdef5a92f4f3129)

P.S. this photo was taken outside the Hooters in Tacoma, WA. If you're ever in the area, and it's Football Sunday, you'll find me there.

Just out of curiosity, are you required to get the updates or will VW pull the warranty if you don't?  I would image that a lot of DOTs might get pushy with emissions regulations for owners who tried to refuse a fix.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: HTM Duke on July 06, 2016, 12:03:48 AM
I currently have a 2007 Ford Focus, black, ~155,000 miles (~95,000 when purchased about 3½ years ago).
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 06, 2016, 12:15:40 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 05, 2016, 11:27:54 PM
Just out of curiosity, are you required to get the updates or will VW pull the warranty if you don't?  I would image that a lot of DOTs might get pushy with emissions regulations for owners who tried to refuse a fix.

Some of the legal proceedings I read seemed to indicate that the fix is not required, but some states (like those who use CARB standards, such as Washington) will place a block on registrations, such that the car will not be allowed to be re-registered until there is proof that the fix has been performed.

I thought about not getting the fix, based on the assumption that unfixed VW's will, in time, prove to be worth more. But I don't think I'll be able to do so.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Otto Yamamoto on July 06, 2016, 02:36:59 AM
Depends. Usually a R142 or R143 car.

XT1585

Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 06, 2016, 11:00:44 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 06, 2016, 12:15:40 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 05, 2016, 11:27:54 PM
Just out of curiosity, are you required to get the updates or will VW pull the warranty if you don't?  I would image that a lot of DOTs might get pushy with emissions regulations for owners who tried to refuse a fix.

Some of the legal proceedings I read seemed to indicate that the fix is not required, but some states (like those who use CARB standards, such as Washington) will place a block on registrations, such that the car will not be allowed to be re-registered until there is proof that the fix has been performed.

I thought about not getting the fix, based on the assumption that unfixed VW's will, in time, prove to be worth more. But I don't think I'll be able to do so.

Yeah on the east coast a lot of the states still don't have very strict emissions rules.  A buddy of mine picked up one of the diesels on the cheap out in Florida when that scandal hit.  He's not moving anywhere and he basically ended up with a brand new car that's hyper fuel efficient.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: andrewkbrown on July 06, 2016, 04:09:56 PM
My current car, a 1999 Toyota Camry. I got it in 2007 with around 153,000 miles on it. It now has 299,200 miles on it. I plan to hit 300,000 miles, take a photo for prosperity, then seriously begin looking for another car. I imagine I'll get to 300,000 very soon, I have another trip from Alexandria, VA back home to Ohio planned for early August. Each round-trip adds about 800-900 miles.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: 7/8 on July 07, 2016, 12:46:37 PM
My current car is a 2010 Dodge Caliber, though my family and I have nicknamed it the "Calibre" (ka-LEE-bray).

I technically don't own it (my parents do), but I drive it everyday to work, so it's pretty much my car  :)

Right now it's at exactly 65 000 km :sombrero:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fyh05Lmg.jpg&hash=62cdc93c6a72af8f9c8630d863037a9f71b9a0a3)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: corco on July 07, 2016, 09:22:07 PM
Here are my motorcars - a 2015 VW Golf and a 2002 Jeep Liberty. I use the Golf mostly these days - saving the Liberty for when I need four doors, go off pavement, am dealing with deep snow, or am towing something. I'll also drive the Liberty to work once a week or so just to get it up to speed. I don't really need it, but it's perfectly reliable and very cheap to keep - so the $3,000 or so I'd get for it on the open market isn't worth its value as a car, especially since it's pretty much done depreciating.

I love the Golf. It has a stick, which makes it super fun to drive. The Golf has about 15,000 miles on it and the Liberty has about 120,000. The Liberty was my uncle's car - he barely drove so I got it in 2007 after he passed away and it only had 16,000 miles on it, and it's been relegated to second car duty for about three years now, which is why the miles are so low.

The Liberty's claim to fame is getting stolen and rallied through the Arizona desert in March 2011 when I lived in Tucson. They found it south of Sierra Vista and it took two tow trucks to get it out of where it was. It cost about $3000 to get it back up to speed, and the body is still not in great shape - it looks good from eight feet away but has dozens of small scratches all over the body from being driven through cacti when it was stolen.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.corcohighways.org%2FP1040078.JPG&hash=a0d8b7d3aadf722b791de240a3f837201a923c17)

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.corcohighways.org%2FP1040079.JPG&hash=ff51bcd47d566a085cafc9277df8239c7684a048)

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.corcohighways.org%2FP1040080.JPG&hash=1f562c0ee76195b8d251c1935a50a831a412992f)

Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: route56 on July 08, 2016, 08:11:52 PM
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7390/27568517126_63c8fcccbe_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/J18REN)53567 (https://flic.kr/p/J18REN) by Richie Kennedy (https://www.flickr.com/photos/richiekennedy56/), on Flickr

I just started making payments on this 2013 Sentra. When I bought it, it was 3 years old with 9250 miles. I've nearly doubled that in three *months* :)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 08, 2016, 10:22:25 PM
Quote from: route56 on July 08, 2016, 08:11:52 PM
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7390/27568517126_63c8fcccbe_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/J18REN)53567 (https://flic.kr/p/J18REN) by Richie Kennedy (https://www.flickr.com/photos/richiekennedy56/), on Flickr

I just started making payments on this 2013 Sentra. When I bought it, it was 3 years old with 9250 miles. I've nearly doubled that in three *months* :)

I'm surprised Route 56 was available for the vanity plate.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: route56 on July 08, 2016, 10:33:51 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 08, 2016, 10:22:25 PM
I'm surprised Route 56 was available for the vanity plate.

I wasn't


iPhone
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 08, 2016, 11:12:12 PM
Quote from: route56 on July 08, 2016, 10:33:51 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 08, 2016, 10:22:25 PM
I'm surprised Route 56 was available for the vanity plate.

I wasn't


iPhone

Maybe that's because I was trying some like US 66 or 1?...and anything that would add up to a combination of them? 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: paulthemapguy on July 08, 2016, 11:44:28 PM
I want to play a game.  (Hidden Pictures)
Bill Burmaster had a page on his site that's kind of a game like this.
If you feel like going through some road sign pictures, I'll tell you that my car appears 2 1/2 times in my Indiana Originals album, and it appears 4 1/2 times in my Ohio Originals album.  Figure out which car I drive!  For almost every photo, I pull my car over to the side of the road to get the shot, and it ends up being in the shot sometimes.  There's a couple photos in the Ohio folder that make it really obvious...

Indiana folder:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/138603251@N02/albums/72157669156486922
Ohio folder:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/138603251@N02/albums/72157664680142309/

Find my car and tell me the route numbers the picture is for.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 08, 2016, 11:48:41 PM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on July 08, 2016, 11:44:28 PM
I want to play a game.  (Hidden Pictures)
Bill Burmaster had a page on his site that's kind of a game like this.
If you feel like going through some road sign pictures, I'll tell you that my car appears 2 1/2 times in my Indiana Originals album, and it appears 4 1/2 times in my Ohio Originals album.  Figure out which car I drive!  For almost every photo, I pull my car over to the side of the road to get the shot, and it ends up being in the shot sometimes.  There's a couple photos in the Ohio folder that make it really obvious...

Indiana folder:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/138603251@N02/albums/72157669156486922
Ohio folder:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/138603251@N02/albums/72157664680142309/

Find my car and tell me the route numbers the picture is for.

Should have headed off that statement with this:



Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: freebrickproductions on July 12, 2016, 01:41:45 AM
My current car is a 2004 Toyota Sienna LE.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: AlexandriaVA on July 12, 2016, 11:27:43 AM
2009 Hyundai Elantra...bought it in 2011 with about 10K on it, now at about 55K.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Zeffy on July 12, 2016, 11:04:57 PM
Got a picture of my Civic. Not that anyone doesn't know what one looks like.  :-D

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimage.prntscr.com%2Fimage%2Fce00904057474187a8e5c698724f8090.png&hash=534c53229abf847bb147b7c70933d8d138e85f75)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Rothman on July 20, 2016, 02:58:05 PM
Just bought a 2013 Hyundai Elantra Limited.  Hey, it was cheap.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: paulthemapguy on July 21, 2016, 04:42:57 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 20, 2016, 02:58:05 PM
Just bought a 2013 Hyundai Elantra Limited.  Hey, it was cheap.

This is also my car.  lololololol  Very reliable, though, I'd recommend it to anyone...though they did have to switch out a faulty engine at 62,000 miles.  But it was covered under the phenomenal 100,000 powertrain warranty so meh lol
How many miles are on it?
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 21, 2016, 04:52:26 PM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on July 21, 2016, 04:42:57 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 20, 2016, 02:58:05 PM
Just bought a 2013 Hyundai Elantra Limited.  Hey, it was cheap.

This is also my car.  lololololol  Very reliable, though, I'd recommend it to anyone...though they did have to switch out a faulty engine at 62,000 miles.  But it was covered under the phenomenal 100,000 powertrain warranty so meh lol

The thing about the Elantra Limited, that I don't like, is the low profile tires. The road noise is obnoxious, even at low speeds. There are other contributing factors to road noise, of course, but I've noticed the road noise from the higher-profile tires to be slightly less intolerable.

These are the rims I'm thinking of:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fst.motortrend.com%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F5%2F2013%2F02%2F2012-Hyundai-Elantra-Limited-wheels.jpg&hash=d886df819f484dab2aa5fcf31944d7c775779a50)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: 8.Lug on July 21, 2016, 10:49:19 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 21, 2016, 04:52:26 PM
The thing about the Elantra Limited, that I don't like, is the low profile tires. The road noise is obnoxious, even at low speeds. There are other contributing factors to road noise, of course, but I've noticed the road noise from the higher-profile tires to be slightly less intolerable.

These are the rims I'm thinking of:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fst.motortrend.com%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F5%2F2013%2F02%2F2012-Hyundai-Elantra-Limited-wheels.jpg&hash=d886df819f484dab2aa5fcf31944d7c775779a50)
Actually, taller-sidewall tires create more road noise due to extra sidewall flex. If your current low-profile tires have more road noise than your old taller ones, that's because the tires are made of a different compound or have a different tread pattern that's creating the extra noise.

Typically the "Eco" tires and most All-Season tires are pretty loud because they're made of a harder compound with a knobbier pattern. The quietest tires are the high-performance summer tires with their soft rubber and unbroken "continuous" tread patterns.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: paulthemapguy on July 21, 2016, 10:54:23 PM
Quote from: 8.Lug on July 21, 2016, 10:49:19 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 21, 2016, 04:52:26 PM
The thing about the Elantra Limited, that I don't like, is the low profile tires. The road noise is obnoxious, even at low speeds. There are other contributing factors to road noise, of course, but I've noticed the road noise from the higher-profile tires to be slightly less intolerable.

These are the rims I'm thinking of:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fst.motortrend.com%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F5%2F2013%2F02%2F2012-Hyundai-Elantra-Limited-wheels.jpg&hash=d886df819f484dab2aa5fcf31944d7c775779a50)
Actually, taller-sidewall tires create more road noise due to extra sidewall flex. If your current low-profile tires have more road noise than your old taller ones, that's because the tires are made of a different compound or have a different tread pattern that's creating the extra noise.

Typically the "Eco" tires and most All-Season tires are pretty loud because they're made of a harder compound with a knobbier pattern. The quietest tires are the high-performance summer tires with their soft rubber and unbroken "continuous" tread patterns.

Interesting!  One of the striking things I noticed when I first got my car was how quiet the ride was.  This fact about the tires probably had a lot to do with that!

Also I probably should have clarified that mine isn't a limited (so it's unlimited then?) but the points still stand.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 21, 2016, 11:05:57 PM
Quote from: 8.Lug on July 21, 2016, 10:49:19 PM
Actually, taller-sidewall tires create more road noise due to extra sidewall flex. If your current low-profile tires have more road noise than your old taller ones, that's because the tires are made of a different compound or have a different tread pattern that's creating the extra noise.

It's the fact that the ride is rougher -- that you can feel more bumps in the road. Thicker tires have a softer ride, and seem quieter to me.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Rothman on July 22, 2016, 08:32:51 AM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on July 21, 2016, 04:42:57 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 20, 2016, 02:58:05 PM
Just bought a 2013 Hyundai Elantra Limited.  Hey, it was cheap.

This is also my car.  lololololol  Very reliable, though, I'd recommend it to anyone...though they did have to switch out a faulty engine at 62,000 miles.  But it was covered under the phenomenal 100,000 powertrain warranty so meh lol
How many miles are on it?

38,000.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jwolfer on July 22, 2016, 06:33:04 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 06, 2016, 11:00:44 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 06, 2016, 12:15:40 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 05, 2016, 11:27:54 PM
Just out of curiosity, are you required to get the updates or will VW pull the warranty if you don't?  I would image that a lot of DOTs might get pushy with emissions regulations for owners who tried to refuse a fix.

Some of the legal proceedings I read seemed to indicate that the fix is not required, but some states (like those who use CARB standards, such as Washington) will place a block on registrations, such that the car will not be allowed to be re-registered until there is proof that the fix has been performed.

I thought about not getting the fix, based on the assumption that unfixed VW's will, in time, prove to be worth more. But I don't think I'll be able to do so.

Yeah on the east coast a lot of the states still don't have very strict emissions rules.  A buddy of mine picked up one of the diesels on the cheap out in Florida when that scandal hit.  He's not moving anywhere and he basically ended up with a brand new car that's hyper fuel efficient.
I would gladly pick up a TDI on the cheap
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 22, 2016, 07:20:20 PM
Quote from: jwolfer on July 22, 2016, 06:33:04 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 06, 2016, 11:00:44 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 06, 2016, 12:15:40 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 05, 2016, 11:27:54 PM
Just out of curiosity, are you required to get the updates or will VW pull the warranty if you don't?  I would image that a lot of DOTs might get pushy with emissions regulations for owners who tried to refuse a fix.

Some of the legal proceedings I read seemed to indicate that the fix is not required, but some states (like those who use CARB standards, such as Washington) will place a block on registrations, such that the car will not be allowed to be re-registered until there is proof that the fix has been performed.

I thought about not getting the fix, based on the assumption that unfixed VW's will, in time, prove to be worth more. But I don't think I'll be able to do so.

Yeah on the east coast a lot of the states still don't have very strict emissions rules.  A buddy of mine picked up one of the diesels on the cheap out in Florida when that scandal hit.  He's not moving anywhere and he basically ended up with a brand new car that's hyper fuel efficient.
I would gladly pick up a TDI on the cheap

Me too and that's saying a lot considering I've never owned anything but a domestic.  If someone is stupid enough to dump one of those cars on the cheap I might be there to take advantage.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jwolfer on July 22, 2016, 08:02:34 PM
When news first broke i checked CL for some eco activist with more money than sense who was giving a TDI away
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: AnchorGuy319 on August 28, 2016, 07:18:08 PM
My current car is 2004 Oldsmobile Silhoutte and it is about 129k mileage now.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: ET21 on August 28, 2016, 08:33:46 PM
2013 Dodge Dart RallyE
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on August 28, 2016, 08:47:31 PM
Quote from: ET21 on August 28, 2016, 08:33:46 PM
2013 Dodge Dart RallyE

Manual or Automatic? I've driven both and highly prefer the manual -- I really don't like FCA's automatics as of late.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: andrepoiy on August 28, 2016, 10:31:38 PM
I can't drive yet, but my mother owns a 2015 Volvo XC60 and my father owns a short-wheelbase 2009 Pontiac Montana SV6.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: capt.ron on August 29, 2016, 12:37:01 AM
2016 Acura ILX w/ tech. package. I love the paddle shifters! Gets decent mileage as long you don't hot foot it too much.
City driving will get you 25-28 mpg; highway driving 33 to 37 mpg. Mixed driving around 30-32 mpg.
Transmission is an 8 speed DCT w/ torque converter.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: ET21 on August 30, 2016, 12:15:03 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 28, 2016, 08:47:31 PM
Quote from: ET21 on August 28, 2016, 08:33:46 PM
2013 Dodge Dart RallyE

Manual or Automatic? I've driven both and highly prefer the manual -- I really don't like FCA's automatics as of late.

Mine is Power Manual (+/- on shifter) which is nice. So I can choose between auto or manual, depending on where I'm going or traffic conditions
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: KG909 on September 01, 2016, 10:59:26 PM
Currently sharing a car right now, a 2012 Toyota Camry XLE with 72k miles. Eventually getting myself a 9th generation Toyota Corolla S.

HTC Desire 510

Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on July 07, 2017, 11:29:38 PM
Bit of a bump, but I bought a car today. 2009 Acura TSX with a rare 6-speed manual transmission.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/gcr24sycjhlhodere2ov.jpg)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: JJBers on July 08, 2017, 02:28:49 AM
The new Air model by Nothing.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: 1995hoo on July 08, 2017, 11:24:34 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 04, 2016, 12:18:12 PM
I have a 2004 Acura TL and a 1988 Mazda RX-7 convertible. Picture was taken in May 2007 just after I'd detailed both of them, but I still have both cars. My wife has a 2003 Acura RSX Type-S. All three cars are manuals (well, DUH in the case of the RSX since the Type-S was six-speed only).

Ms1995hoo got a 2015 Acura TLX (the V-6 AWD model) over Memorial Day weekend. We kept the other three cars. When I drive the TLX it's a bit weird adjusting to the automatic shift, and I've used the shift paddles more often than I thought I might, mainly for things like going up hills when the automatic doesn't shift the way I expect.

No photo. While I've taken some, Photobucket blocked me from posting stuff here and I haven't yet set myself up on another site.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: LM117 on July 08, 2017, 11:46:47 AM
1999 Jeep Cherokee with the bulletproof 4.0L I-6. Got it in April 2007 with 80,000 miles from a used car lot (which I later found out was a glorified junk yard) during my senior year in high school. Now it has roughly 215,000 miles. Motor and transmission still going strong. Everything else...not so much.

Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Billy F 1988 on July 08, 2017, 04:04:03 PM
First one I drove was a 1979 Mercury Bobcat station wagon with a 6-cylinder 4-speed auto. My guess on the odometer reading had to have been somewhere in the 80,000 range. My current one is a 2002 Ford Escort with a 2.4 liter Split Port injection and 143,000 plus miles. When my dad and I got the Escort, it was at around 98,000. The only hiccups with the car are that I had to have the stupid childproof module removed, the stupid thing that would prevent the transmission from shifting unless the brake was applied first. The water pump last summer went gunny bags. Now I gotta figure out whether insurance will cover replacing the windshield. Other than that, the ole silver dog is running good.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on July 08, 2017, 06:15:19 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 08, 2017, 11:24:34 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 04, 2016, 12:18:12 PM
I have a 2004 Acura TL and a 1988 Mazda RX-7 convertible. Picture was taken in May 2007 just after I'd detailed both of them, but I still have both cars. My wife has a 2003 Acura RSX Type-S. All three cars are manuals (well, DUH in the case of the RSX since the Type-S was six-speed only).

Ms1995hoo got a 2015 Acura TLX (the V-6 AWD model) over Memorial Day weekend. We kept the other three cars. When I drive the TLX it's a bit weird adjusting to the automatic shift, and I've used the shift paddles more often than I thought I might, mainly for things like going up hills when the automatic doesn't shift the way I expect.

No photo. While I've taken some, Photobucket blocked me from posting stuff here and I haven't yet set myself up on another site.
My main gripe about the TLX is the push-button shifter. I'm not necessarily asking for a manual (considering my six-years-older TSX is a unicorn already), but that just seems a bit...sketchy.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: 1995hoo on July 08, 2017, 09:56:35 PM
My wife seems to be baffled by there being two buttons labelled "P" (one for the parking gear, one for the handbrake). I keep telling her that for the handbrake button it's like a normal handbrake where you push down to turn it off, pull up to turn it on. Doesn't seem to help.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: epzik8 on July 08, 2017, 11:10:28 PM
2004 Buick Century, my grandmother used to drive it.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: cjk374 on July 09, 2017, 01:35:15 PM
I had a 2011 Challenger. I gave it to my son for a graduation gift.

Now my regular driver is a '98 Ford Ranger with 260K miles on it.
My back up is a 2000 Saturn SL1 with 200K miles.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 09, 2017, 07:18:28 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 08, 2017, 09:56:35 PM
My wife seems to be baffled by there being two buttons labelled "P" (one for the parking gear, one for the handbrake). I keep telling her that for the handbrake button it's like a normal handbrake where you push down to turn it off, pull up to turn it on. Doesn't seem to help.

Emergency Brake or Parking Brake might be better terminology. The term "handbrake" is better reserved for when you physically pull to apply, rather than pull/push a trigger that does it electronically.

It'd be nice if all the electronic parking brakes operated the same, but they don't. Mercedes and Subaru's electronic parking brakes, situated below and to the left of the steering wheel, use push-on, pull-off technology. The pull-off part makes sense, since it's like releasing a parking brake that's floor-mounted. But pushing it on is less than intuitive IMO. When you drive cars all day, it's more than annoying trying to remember if you're supposed to push or pull to release.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 09, 2017, 07:21:11 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on July 09, 2017, 01:35:15 PM
I had a 2011 Challenger. I gave it to my son for a graduation gift.

Now my regular driver is a '98 Ford Ranger with 260K miles on it.
My back up is a 2000 Saturn SL1 with 200K miles.

Geeez, you got jipped! Why not give him the Power Ranger or the Saturn? Unless he graduated from like Harvard or Standford.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: cjk374 on July 10, 2017, 06:01:57 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 09, 2017, 07:21:11 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on July 09, 2017, 01:35:15 PM
I had a 2011 Challenger. I gave it to my son for a graduation gift.

Now my regular driver is a '98 Ford Ranger with 260K miles on it.
My back up is a 2000 Saturn SL1 with 200K miles.

Geeez, you got jipped! Why not give him the Power Ranger or the Saturn? Unless he graduated from like Harvard or Standford.

As a parent, you want to make sure your child has reliable transportation when they move far away.

And gives me good reason to buy a new Challenger one day soon.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 10, 2017, 07:40:26 AM
Quote from: cjk374 on July 10, 2017, 06:01:57 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 09, 2017, 07:21:11 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on July 09, 2017, 01:35:15 PM
I had a 2011 Challenger. I gave it to my son for a graduation gift.

Now my regular driver is a '98 Ford Ranger with 260K miles on it.
My back up is a 2000 Saturn SL1 with 200K miles.

Geeez, you got jipped! Why not give him the Power Ranger or the Saturn? Unless he graduated from like Harvard or Standford.

As a parent, you want to make sure your child has reliable transportation when they move far away.

And gives me good reason to buy a new Challenger one day soon.

SXT?
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: 1995hoo on July 10, 2017, 08:04:33 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 09, 2017, 07:18:28 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 08, 2017, 09:56:35 PM
My wife seems to be baffled by there being two buttons labelled "P" (one for the parking gear, one for the handbrake). I keep telling her that for the handbrake button it's like a normal handbrake where you push down to turn it off, pull up to turn it on. Doesn't seem to help.

Emergency Brake or Parking Brake might be better terminology. The term "handbrake" is better reserved for when you physically pull to apply, rather than pull/push a trigger that does it electronically.

....

It's not the terminology that confuses her, it's the two buttons marked "P" and the lack of a traditional handbrake lever or pedal. Bear in mind that all her cars have been manuals as well (until this one) for at least the past 25 years, so it's an adjustment for her too!
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 10, 2017, 02:48:45 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on July 10, 2017, 06:01:57 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 09, 2017, 07:21:11 PM
Why not give him the Power Ranger or the Saturn? Unless he graduated from like Harvard or Standford.

As a parent, you want to make sure your child has reliable transportation when they move far away.

I suppose only a Challenger will do!
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 10, 2017, 03:02:39 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 10, 2017, 08:04:33 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 09, 2017, 07:18:28 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 08, 2017, 09:56:35 PM
My wife seems to be baffled by there being two buttons labelled "P" (one for the parking gear, one for the handbrake). I keep telling her that for the handbrake button it's like a normal handbrake where you push down to turn it off, pull up to turn it on. Doesn't seem to help.

Emergency Brake or Parking Brake might be better terminology. The term "handbrake" is better reserved for when you physically pull to apply, rather than pull/push a trigger that does it electronically.

....

It's not the terminology that confuses her, it's the two buttons marked "P" and the lack of a traditional handbrake lever or pedal. Bear in mind that all her cars have been manuals as well (until this one) for at least the past 25 years, so it's an adjustment for her too!

IMO, you have a better chance of teaching her the thing if you don't relate it to what she's owned. These button-based gearboxes have no relation to manuals. She needs to forget everything she knows about changing gears, setting an "auxiliary" brake, hill starts, etc. None of it really matters quite like it did.

I'm not sure how Acura's electronic brake operates, but a lot of the systems operate automatically. Door open: aux brake set. Put into D: aux brake released. Shut off engine: aux brake set.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: cjk374 on July 10, 2017, 07:03:24 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 10, 2017, 07:40:26 AM
Quote from: cjk374 on July 10, 2017, 06:01:57 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 09, 2017, 07:21:11 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on July 09, 2017, 01:35:15 PM
I had a 2011 Challenger. I gave it to my son for a graduation gift.

Now my regular driver is a '98 Ford Ranger with 260K miles on it.
My back up is a 2000 Saturn SL1 with 200K miles.

Geeez, you got jipped! Why not give him the Power Ranger or the Saturn? Unless he graduated from like Harvard or Standford.

As a parent, you want to make sure your child has reliable transportation when they move far away.

And gives me good reason to buy a new Challenger one day soon.

SXT?

Nah....just a plain old SE. V6, no frills, no bells, no whistles. But I have to give my kid credit: he changed the 3 PITA sparkplug on the driver's side of the motor. I gave up on them. They had 163K miles on them when he pulled them out. He now gets the 26-28 MPG the car is rated for.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 10, 2017, 07:10:56 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on July 10, 2017, 07:03:24 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 10, 2017, 07:40:26 AM
Quote from: cjk374 on July 10, 2017, 06:01:57 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 09, 2017, 07:21:11 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on July 09, 2017, 01:35:15 PM
I had a 2011 Challenger. I gave it to my son for a graduation gift.

Now my regular driver is a '98 Ford Ranger with 260K miles on it.
My back up is a 2000 Saturn SL1 with 200K miles.

Geeez, you got jipped! Why not give him the Power Ranger or the Saturn? Unless he graduated from like Harvard or Standford.

As a parent, you want to make sure your child has reliable transportation when they move far away.

And gives me good reason to buy a new Challenger one day soon.

SXT?

Nah....just a plain old SE. V6, no frills, no bells, no whistles. But I have to give my kid credit: he changed the 3 PITA sparkplug on the driver's side of the motor. I gave up on them. They had 163K miles on them when he pulled them out. He now gets the 26-28 MPG the car is rated for.

Wasn't 2011 the first year for the 3.6 Pentastar replacing the 3.5L?  That's a pretty solid car to tote around college with for sure even with the miles.  Really I dig the 15-current body style more since it resembles the 1971 model which I always liked better styling wise.  There are some screaming deals out on R/Ts these days.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: cjk374 on July 10, 2017, 07:19:22 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 10, 2017, 07:10:56 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on July 10, 2017, 07:03:24 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 10, 2017, 07:40:26 AM
Quote from: cjk374 on July 10, 2017, 06:01:57 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 09, 2017, 07:21:11 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on July 09, 2017, 01:35:15 PM
I had a 2011 Challenger. I gave it to my son for a graduation gift.

Now my regular driver is a '98 Ford Ranger with 260K miles on it.
My back up is a 2000 Saturn SL1 with 200K miles.

Geeez, you got jipped! Why not give him the Power Ranger or the Saturn? Unless he graduated from like Harvard or Standford.

As a parent, you want to make sure your child has reliable transportation when they move far away.

And gives me good reason to buy a new Challenger one day soon.

SXT?

Nah....just a plain old SE. V6, no frills, no bells, no whistles. But I have to give my kid credit: he changed the 3 PITA sparkplug on the driver's side of the motor. I gave up on them. They had 163K miles on them when he pulled them out. He now gets the 26-28 MPG the car is rated for.

Wasn't 2011 the first year for the 3.6 Pentastar replacing the 3.5L?  That's a pretty solid car to tote around college with for sure even with the miles.  Really I dig the 15-current body style more since it resembles the 1971 model which I always liked better styling wise.  There are some screaming deals out on R/Ts these days.

Mine had the 3.5L in it. Maybe 2012?

Quick story about giving my kid the car: at his graduation party, I officially presented him keys to the Saturn as his first car. Then we gave him a new pair of shoes with the FOB hidden in them.

His first day to drive it as the new owner....he puts it in a ditch 1000' from the house. (Wet roads + taking the turn too fast = dumbass!). That was $4500 of damage the insurance paid...2 months after they had to pay $5500 for damage caused by a deer slamming into the same side of the car that the ditch tore up.

That poor Challenger. Thankfully I wrote the last note on it July 1. The title should be home soon.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: 1995hoo on July 12, 2017, 09:44:16 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 10, 2017, 03:02:39 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 10, 2017, 08:04:33 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 09, 2017, 07:18:28 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 08, 2017, 09:56:35 PM
My wife seems to be baffled by there being two buttons labelled "P" (one for the parking gear, one for the handbrake). I keep telling her that for the handbrake button it's like a normal handbrake where you push down to turn it off, pull up to turn it on. Doesn't seem to help.

Emergency Brake or Parking Brake might be better terminology. The term "handbrake" is better reserved for when you physically pull to apply, rather than pull/push a trigger that does it electronically.

....

It's not the terminology that confuses her, it's the two buttons marked "P" and the lack of a traditional handbrake lever or pedal. Bear in mind that all her cars have been manuals as well (until this one) for at least the past 25 years, so it's an adjustment for her too!

IMO, you have a better chance of teaching her the thing if you don't relate it to what she's owned. These button-based gearboxes have no relation to manuals. She needs to forget everything she knows about changing gears, setting an "auxiliary" brake, hill starts, etc. None of it really matters quite like it did.

I'm not sure how Acura's electronic brake operates, but a lot of the systems operate automatically. Door open: aux brake set. Put into D: aux brake released. Shut off engine: aux brake set.

As I already said, it's very simple, or at least I think so: There is a button marked "P" forward of the "R" switch. That's the parking gear, like "P" on a traditional automatic transmission lever. There is a separate switch marked with a "P" in a circle. That's the parking brake or handbrake, depending on your preferred term. To activate it, you pull up on the switch. To deactivate it, you push down on it. (Hence why I said it's the same as a conventional handbrake lever where you pull up to activate and push down to deactivate.)

Found a picture online. It's even the same colors as ours. In this picture, the parking gear button is to the far left and the parking brake switch is to the right next to "brake hold" (which prevents the car from doing that annoying roll-forward thing most automatics do if you take your foot off the brake while stopped).

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianautoreview.ca%2Fimages%2Fcar_photos%2F2015-acura-tlx-v6-elite-shawd%2Fnormal%2Facura-tlx-shawd-push-button-shifter.jpg&hash=a6b8f9febc900db927e009d4369c4fa46235693c)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 13, 2017, 03:29:07 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 12, 2017, 09:44:16 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 10, 2017, 03:02:39 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 10, 2017, 08:04:33 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 09, 2017, 07:18:28 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 08, 2017, 09:56:35 PM
My wife seems to be baffled by there being two buttons labelled "P" (one for the parking gear, one for the handbrake). I keep telling her that for the handbrake button it's like a normal handbrake where you push down to turn it off, pull up to turn it on. Doesn't seem to help.

Emergency Brake or Parking Brake might be better terminology. The term "handbrake" is better reserved for when you physically pull to apply, rather than pull/push a trigger that does it electronically.

....

It's not the terminology that confuses her, it's the two buttons marked "P" and the lack of a traditional handbrake lever or pedal. Bear in mind that all her cars have been manuals as well (until this one) for at least the past 25 years, so it's an adjustment for her too!

IMO, you have a better chance of teaching her the thing if you don't relate it to what she's owned. These button-based gearboxes have no relation to manuals. She needs to forget everything she knows about changing gears, setting an "auxiliary" brake, hill starts, etc. None of it really matters quite like it did.

I'm not sure how Acura's electronic brake operates, but a lot of the systems operate automatically. Door open: aux brake set. Put into D: aux brake released. Shut off engine: aux brake set.

As I already said, it's very simple, or at least I think so: There is a button marked "P" forward of the "R" switch. That's the parking gear, like "P" on a traditional automatic transmission lever. There is a separate switch marked with a "P" in a circle. That's the parking brake or handbrake, depending on your preferred term. To activate it, you pull up on the switch. To deactivate it, you push down on it. (Hence why I said it's the same as a conventional handbrake lever where you pull up to activate and push down to deactivate.)

Found a picture online. It's even the same colors as ours. In this picture, the parking gear button is to the far left and the parking brake switch is to the right next to "brake hold" (which prevents the car from doing that annoying roll-forward thing most automatics do if you take your foot off the brake while stopped).

http://www.canadianautoreview.ca/images/car_photos/2015-acura-tlx-v6-elite-shawd/normal/acura-tlx-shawd-push-button-shifter.jpg

No, no, no, no, no. I got all that! I'm a valet IRL. I'm very used to Honda & Acura's new button-based gearboxes. The new Ridgeline and Pilot have the same setups.

What I'm wondering is whether or not the parking brake/handbrake will automatically apply/de-apply itself under certain circumstances (bolded by you above).

Mercedes' operate like this. Turning the car off sets the parking brake. Putting the car into "D" will turn it off. Opening the door while in "D" automatically sets it (though only on newer models, and only at low speeds IIRC).
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: riiga on July 14, 2017, 02:30:46 PM
2004 Volvo S40 with 240K kilometers (150K miles) on it. Got it for $1750 last autumn. It has a 165 hp turbocharged 1.9 liter petrol engine, and I get about 0.9 L/10 km to 1.1 L/10 km (21 to 26 mpg). So far I've had to have the brake pipes replaced ($400) after vehicle inspection failed them for "too much rust". The new ones are copper though, so I doubt they'll get rusty anytime soon.

Only pic I have of it, from February:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FtNZmmSr.jpg&hash=ee78f1b452e75b7d18bef00bd6991ea713529e1c)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 14, 2017, 02:43:14 PM
I love the custom lamps on the grill. Must be helpful during those dark winters! Or to help spot large animals.

I've always preferred the first-gen S40, particularly the V40 variant, though I'm not sure any [V40's] made their way to US. The only one's I see are registered in BC; they appear to have been imported.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: riiga on July 14, 2017, 03:03:31 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 14, 2017, 02:43:14 PM
I love the custom lamps on the grill. Must be helpful during those dark winters! Or to help spot large animals.
The previous owner had mounted them as he lived in a rural area, but I agree, they've been very useful.

Quote from: jakeroot on July 14, 2017, 02:43:14 PM
I've always preferred the first-gen S40, particularly the V40 variant, though I'm not sure any [V40's] made their way to US.
It seems in the US only the sedan and cross-country/SUV models are popular. The original V40 never really caught on here either, the 850 and the V50/V60/V70 have been far more popular.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Brandon on July 14, 2017, 03:06:40 PM
Quote from: riiga on July 14, 2017, 02:30:46 PM
2004 Volvo S40 with 240K kilometers (150K miles) on it. Got it for $1750 last autumn. It has a 165 hp turbocharged 1.9 liter petrol engine, and I get about 0.9 L/10 km to 1.1 L/10 km (21 to 26 mpg). So far I've had to have the brake pipes replaced ($400) after vehicle inspection failed them for "too much rust". The new ones are copper though, so I doubt they'll get rusty anytime soon.

You'd love Illinois then.  Salted roads and the only inspection (in 8 counties) is for emissions.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 14, 2017, 05:28:00 PM
^^ though Sweden is on to something. The idea that I could potentially buy an '03 or '04.0 S40 with a rusty *whatever* is annoying to say the least, even if the car is legally road-worthy.

The fact that we have no road-worthiness test is a bit odd. Though I don't expect one to show up now, given how much more reliable cars are.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: 1995hoo on July 15, 2017, 05:26:16 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 13, 2017, 03:29:07 PM
No, no, no, no, no. I got all that! I'm a valet IRL. I'm very used to Honda & Acura's new button-based gearboxes. The new Ridgeline and Pilot have the same setups.

What I'm wondering is whether or not the parking brake/handbrake will automatically apply/de-apply itself under certain circumstances (bolded by you above).

Mercedes' operate like this. Turning the car off sets the parking brake. Putting the car into "D" will turn it off. Opening the door while in "D" automatically sets it (though only on newer models, and only at low speeds IIRC).

I was gonna look this up in the owner's manual last night and didn't get to it, but I got an answer via an alternate method this morning: We rode the Auto Train last night, and when the Amtrak employee brought our car out and parked it at the Sanford depot, he turned it off. I got in and started it and found the brake was not set, so there's our answer.

I bet that's what confused the guy taking the car onto the train yesterday in Virginia. He seemed confounded when he tried to move it and I'm sure they've seen Acura/Honda pushbutton transmissions before, so maybe he's not used to people who set the brake. I always set it, probably always will, due to almost 30 years of manual-shift habit.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: bulldog1979 on July 18, 2017, 12:42:03 AM
As of just a few hours ago, my current car is a 2017 Chevy Cruze LT; my 2003 Oldsmobile Alero is being retired in the near future.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 20, 2017, 03:11:12 AM
For 1995hoo...

I took this video earlier today. It's of the brand-new Chrysler Pacifica, and it has a rather unique electronic parking brake. Push on, push off. No confusion here...

https://youtu.be/g-W5Co0kFnA
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Sanctimoniously on July 22, 2017, 05:16:49 AM
My current vehicle is a 2014 Ford Fusion SE with the 1.5-liter EcoBoost and (somewhat sadly) six-speed automatic.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Forig15.deviantart.net%2F5b25%2Ff%2F2017%2F203%2F4%2F2%2Ffusion_by_sanctimoniously-dbh8dpk.jpg&hash=ab7528dcfa15e9a0894240b0c9e7546c07e3a229)

I also own a 1995 Volvo 960 wagon that I had planned to turn into a 24 Hours of LeMons race car with a Buick V6 swap, but I will be selling it off soon due to space and money constraints. Once things stabilize a bit more, I plan to buy another RWD Volvo wagon and turn it into a drift car.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Forig13.deviantart.net%2Fc305%2Ff%2F2017%2F203%2Ff%2F8%2Fvolvo_1_by_sanctimoniously-dbh8dtd.jpg&hash=2cb3b679dbeb948396fe2ef61d218cc29a10d235)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 22, 2017, 01:07:46 PM
Quote from: Sanctimoniously on July 22, 2017, 05:16:49 AM
My current vehicle is a 2014 Ford Fusion SE with the 1.5-liter EcoBoost and (somewhat sadly) six-speed automatic.

Seems like the 1.6 with the 6-speed manual gearbox is a rather rare beast. Not sure how well the engine performed, but Ford seems to make great manual transmissions (especially those with European heritage (wink wink Mondeo)).
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Sanctimoniously on July 22, 2017, 04:55:08 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 22, 2017, 01:07:46 PM

Seems like the 1.6 with the 6-speed manual gearbox is a rather rare beast. Not sure how well the engine performed, but Ford seems to make great manual transmissions (especially those with European heritage (wink wink Mondeo)).

The 1.6/manual is pretty rare because it was "special order only" (although some dealers stocked a handful), and killed off after the 2014 model year. When I bought the one I have now, CarMax did have a 1.6/6M but it was in Indianapolis, a $400 transfer fee away, and it was refrigerator white and the lesser SE package.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: davewiecking on July 22, 2017, 05:24:36 PM
Quote from: bulldog1979 on July 18, 2017, 12:42:03 AM
As of just a few hours ago, my current car is a 2017 Chevy Cruze LT; my 2003 Oldsmobile Alero is being retired in the near future.
My Cruze hatchback is about a month old; my 2005 HHR was rear ended in Feb and it took me awhile to conclude that the range anxiety of a pure electric was a problem, and that I didn't want a car with 2 engines. With the front passenger seat folded down (backwards, not flat like the HHR), the Cruze can carry 8' lumber or 10' pipe (with some flexing). Have yet to see if my 8' step ladder fits.
Great car, but my foot keeps sliding off the parking brake pedal...
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 22, 2017, 09:24:48 PM
I haven't hit on this thread in awhile...so some updates on my current cars with the 2014 Sonic LT and the 2016 Challenger R/T Scat Pack....

The Sonic has had a pretty rough go this year.  Right now I'm at about 64,500 miles and had numerous issues with the coolant hose this year.  For whatever reason my coolant clamps keep coming loose which results in slow leaks that progressively get worse.  I think that I have the issue sorted out finally with the last coolant clamp, but I do check the fluid levels far more regularly than I used to.

I also had some major issues with the brakes this year.  I was at 5mm of front pad and had really pedal feel that would shift from super loose to super firm, I also had rotor shutter from warping which was an easy fix with a good machining.  I just replaced the front pads, calipers, and had the brakes bled which has resolved pretty much all the issues I've been having.  I've been driving a ton of mountain roads the last two years and really been pushing the Sonic to its limits....it was really meant to be a suburban commuter.  So far 2nd and 3rd on down hill slopes has been a huge assets in terms of keeping the brake system cool.

The Challenger is about to take its biggest foray since US 66 from Ash Fork, AZ west to Barstow.  I'll be heading up to the Sierras this coming weekend with it to do a circuit of all the passes between Tioga Pass and Mount Rose.   I'll be doing a circuit of Lake Tahoe as well which is something that I've been really looking forward to.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 22, 2017, 09:30:29 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 22, 2017, 09:24:48 PM
The Challenger is about to take its biggest foray since US 66 from Ash Fork, AZ west to Barstow.  I'll be heading up to the Sierras this coming weekend with it to do a circuit of all the passes between Tioga Pass and Mount Rose.   I'll be doing a circuit of Lake Tahoe as well which is something that I've been really looking forward to.

How many miles you got on that rig now? Seems like you go on a lot of drives with it.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 22, 2017, 09:34:38 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 22, 2017, 09:30:29 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 22, 2017, 09:24:48 PM
The Challenger is about to take its biggest foray since US 66 from Ash Fork, AZ west to Barstow.  I'll be heading up to the Sierras this coming weekend with it to do a circuit of all the passes between Tioga Pass and Mount Rose.   I'll be doing a circuit of Lake Tahoe as well which is something that I've been really looking forward to.

How many miles you got on that rig now? Seems like you go on a lot of drives with it.

Actually only about 3,700 somehow.  Most of those miles have been pretty much on notable stuff with little to no commuting, the big trip with it this year was Kings Canyon/CA 180.  Once Pfieffer Canyon reopens in Big Sur I'll probably get it out to the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road and CA 1 up to Monterey. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 22, 2017, 09:35:37 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 22, 2017, 09:34:38 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 22, 2017, 09:30:29 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 22, 2017, 09:24:48 PM
The Challenger is about to take its biggest foray since US 66 from Ash Fork, AZ west to Barstow.  I'll be heading up to the Sierras this coming weekend with it to do a circuit of all the passes between Tioga Pass and Mount Rose.   I'll be doing a circuit of Lake Tahoe as well which is something that I've been really looking forward to.

How many miles you got on that rig now? Seems like you go on a lot of drives with it.

Actually only about 3,700 somehow.  Most of those miles have been pretty much on notable stuff with little to no commuting, the big trip with it this year was Kings Canyon/CA 180.  Once Pfieffer Canyon reopens in Big Sur I'll probably get it out to the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road and CA 1 up to Monterey.

Holy cow, it's basically brand new! You must use the Sonic for most of your other trips? (or rental cars)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 22, 2017, 10:10:48 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 22, 2017, 09:35:37 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 22, 2017, 09:34:38 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 22, 2017, 09:30:29 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 22, 2017, 09:24:48 PM
The Challenger is about to take its biggest foray since US 66 from Ash Fork, AZ west to Barstow.  I'll be heading up to the Sierras this coming weekend with it to do a circuit of all the passes between Tioga Pass and Mount Rose.   I'll be doing a circuit of Lake Tahoe as well which is something that I've been really looking forward to.

How many miles you got on that rig now? Seems like you go on a lot of drives with it.

Actually only about 3,700 somehow.  Most of those miles have been pretty much on notable stuff with little to no commuting, the big trip with it this year was Kings Canyon/CA 180.  Once Pfieffer Canyon reopens in Big Sur I'll probably get it out to the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road and CA 1 up to Monterey.

Holy cow, it's basically brand new! You must use the Sonic for most of your other trips? (or rental cars)

Pretty much, but you might be surprised at how little I actually drive in terms of mileage annually given how close I am to all the good stuff in California.  Usually I rent cars for the two/three big trips a year I do out of region like I just did with the Southeast, I also have access to a work vehicle from time to time.  The problem with the Challenger is that a lot of the stuff I go do might require winter chains, is a dirt surface, or is narrow...the Challenger excels at none of those things.  Basically I have to idle even on the smoothest dirt road in the Challenger or it will start to dig in with all the torque.  The low gear also can probably get you pretty close to 60 MPH, so using the transmission as a brake assist really isn't an option.  The Sonic on the other hand is just a commuter car that can take a beating, have new parts installed, and keep on driving all while on the cheap.  For those super crazy high grade roads it has just enough power to get up handily and a nice gearing set to descend slowly at a reasonable speed.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: riiga on September 13, 2017, 04:01:33 PM
A better view of the car, from last month.

(https://i.imgur.com/98t5rGR.jpg)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: pumpkineater2 on September 16, 2017, 02:49:49 PM
I have a 1997 Dodge Ram 1500. Lots of memories with this vehicle and still going strong, though as you can imagine with its age, it is not without problems. It recently had $1,200 worth of transmission work done and a new driveshaft put in.

I plan on taking it to Albuquerque in the next month or so, and to Las Vegas after that.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4422/37074928526_1019dca70d_c.jpg)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: riiga on March 24, 2018, 04:45:37 PM
I bought a new car today, a 2014 Mazda 3 with 35 000 km (21,750 mi) to replace my old Volvo (in the background). So far I like it a lot! (Though I would've picked red instead of black if I had the choice).

Over the past few weeks I've looked at the Volvo V40 and the Audi A3, but both were quite expensive and hard to find with petrol, it seems like 9 out of 10 were diesel. I also looked at the Seat Leon, but the seller at Seat seemed quite busy talking on the phone for 15 mins and overall quite uninterested. The Seat also didn't come with winter tyres, so that would be extra  :-|. A friend suggested I'd look at Mazda when I said I hadn't considered any Japanese cars yet.

(https://i.imgur.com/o3iQhZy.jpg)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on March 24, 2018, 05:30:10 PM
Quote from: Takumi on July 08, 2017, 06:15:19 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 08, 2017, 11:24:34 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 04, 2016, 12:18:12 PM
I have a 2004 Acura TL and a 1988 Mazda RX-7 convertible. Picture was taken in May 2007 just after I'd detailed both of them, but I still have both cars. My wife has a 2003 Acura RSX Type-S. All three cars are manuals (well, DUH in the case of the RSX since the Type-S was six-speed only).

Ms1995hoo got a 2015 Acura TLX (the V-6 AWD model) over Memorial Day weekend. We kept the other three cars. When I drive the TLX it's a bit weird adjusting to the automatic shift, and I've used the shift paddles more often than I thought I might, mainly for things like going up hills when the automatic doesn't shift the way I expect.

No photo. While I've taken some, Photobucket blocked me from posting stuff here and I haven't yet set myself up on another site.
My main gripe about the TLX is the push-button shifter. I'm not necessarily asking for a manual (considering my six-years-older TSX is a unicorn already), but that just seems a bit...sketchy.
Quoting myself, but I got a TLX as a loaner the other day while the TSX got some routine maintenance done. It was a brand new FWD V6 model in a lovely white pearl. I love how it looks. But driving it, in a word, sucked. The push-button shifter isn't as bad as I expected, but it does not handle as well as the TSX (I realize it has more weight up front) and feels quite sluggish. In manual mode, the transmission took about half a second to actually change gear, and 9 gears felt a bit overkill. Sorry, Acura, I'd rather have a Lexus if I were in the market.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/orueqtknnk4bpwvoi1zu.jpg)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on March 24, 2018, 07:32:30 PM
Quote from: Takumi on March 24, 2018, 05:30:10 PM
Quote from: Takumi on July 08, 2017, 06:15:19 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 08, 2017, 11:24:34 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 04, 2016, 12:18:12 PM
I have a 2004 Acura TL and a 1988 Mazda RX-7 convertible. Picture was taken in May 2007 just after I'd detailed both of them, but I still have both cars. My wife has a 2003 Acura RSX Type-S. All three cars are manuals (well, DUH in the case of the RSX since the Type-S was six-speed only).

Ms1995hoo got a 2015 Acura TLX (the V-6 AWD model) over Memorial Day weekend. We kept the other three cars. When I drive the TLX it's a bit weird adjusting to the automatic shift, and I've used the shift paddles more often than I thought I might, mainly for things like going up hills when the automatic doesn't shift the way I expect.

No photo. While I've taken some, Photobucket blocked me from posting stuff here and I haven't yet set myself up on another site.
My main gripe about the TLX is the push-button shifter. I'm not necessarily asking for a manual (considering my six-years-older TSX is a unicorn already), but that just seems a bit...sketchy.
Quoting myself, but I got a TLX as a loaner the other day while the TSX got some routine maintenance done. It was a brand new FWD V6 model in a lovely white pearl. I love how it looks. But driving it, in a word, sucked. The push-button shifter isn't as bad as I expected, but it does not handle as well as the TSX (I realize it has more weight up front) and feels quite sluggish. In manual mode, the transmission took about half a second to actually change gear, and 9 gears felt a bit overkill. Sorry, Acura, I'd rather have a Lexus if I were in the market.

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/orueqtknnk4bpwvoi1zu.jpg

So would a lot of people. Acura is falling apart. The transmissions are proving to be very unreliable (tarnishing the brand's reputation as a reliable alternative to the Germans beyond Lexus), and their line up just isn't as engaging as they used to be. If I were in the market for fun-to-drive luxury sedan, I'd get the A4 2.0 with the 6-speed manual (while you still can). Consumer Reports ranks Audi near the top in their rankings for reliability too (a far cry from ten years ago).

Quote from: riiga on March 24, 2018, 04:45:37 PM
Over the past few weeks I've looked at the Volvo V40 and the Audi A3, but both were quite expensive and hard to find with petrol, it seems like 9 out of 10 were diesel.

I gather diesel's attractiveness has been tarnished overseas more than I realise thanks to "dieselgate"? I'd be happy with a V40 or A3 diesel (especially the Sportback A3 -- luxury version of my Golf), assuming it met emissions standards without needing a defeat device to protect the engine.

Unrelated....

Diesels seem to be picking up steam again in the US market. The GMC Terrain and Chevy Equinox diesels are now on sale, and I've actually seen some on the road (at least the Chevy, since GMC doesn't advertise the engine type on the rear). The Ford Transit Connect (wagon and work van) will be available with a diesel soon (under Ford's new "EcoBlue" engine lineup -- a sign of things to come?), almost certainly the smallest van to offer a diesel in the US. It was previously gas-only. The half-ton trucks all now (or will soon) have diesels on offer, an improvement over none of them having the option five years ago. The Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe will be available with diesels within the year (the latter offering the three-row version only with a diesel -- a first AFAIK). BMW still sells many diesel vehicles (3, 3-wagon, 5, and X5), and Jaguar/Land Rover's entire lineup is available with diesel engines as the base offering. Most brands have no intent to bother with the engine type, at least for smaller vehicles (Toyota, Honda, Nissan, MB, Audi/VW (obviously)) but it's not all bad news for those of us who like a bit of clatter in the morning.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on March 24, 2018, 07:43:27 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on March 24, 2018, 07:32:30 PM
Quote from: Takumi on March 24, 2018, 05:30:10 PM
Quote from: Takumi on July 08, 2017, 06:15:19 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 08, 2017, 11:24:34 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 04, 2016, 12:18:12 PM
I have a 2004 Acura TL and a 1988 Mazda RX-7 convertible. Picture was taken in May 2007 just after I'd detailed both of them, but I still have both cars. My wife has a 2003 Acura RSX Type-S. All three cars are manuals (well, DUH in the case of the RSX since the Type-S was six-speed only).

Ms1995hoo got a 2015 Acura TLX (the V-6 AWD model) over Memorial Day weekend. We kept the other three cars. When I drive the TLX it's a bit weird adjusting to the automatic shift, and I've used the shift paddles more often than I thought I might, mainly for things like going up hills when the automatic doesn't shift the way I expect.

No photo. While I've taken some, Photobucket blocked me from posting stuff here and I haven't yet set myself up on another site.
My main gripe about the TLX is the push-button shifter. I'm not necessarily asking for a manual (considering my six-years-older TSX is a unicorn already), but that just seems a bit...sketchy.
Quoting myself, but I got a TLX as a loaner the other day while the TSX got some routine maintenance done. It was a brand new FWD V6 model in a lovely white pearl. I love how it looks. But driving it, in a word, sucked. The push-button shifter isn't as bad as I expected, but it does not handle as well as the TSX (I realize it has more weight up front) and feels quite sluggish. In manual mode, the transmission took about half a second to actually change gear, and 9 gears felt a bit overkill. Sorry, Acura, I'd rather have a Lexus if I were in the market.

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/orueqtknnk4bpwvoi1zu.jpg

So would a lot of people. Acura is falling apart. The transmissions are proving to be very unreliable (tarnishing the brand's reputation as a reliable alternative to the Germans beyond Lexus), and their line up just isn't as engaging as they used to be. If I were in the market for fun-to-drive luxury sedan, I'd get the A4 2.0 with the 6-speed manual (while you still can). Consumer Reports ranks Audi near the top in their rankings for reliability too (a far cry from ten years ago).
Yeah, the only current Acura I like aside from the NSX (which has only a remote chance of ever falling into anything resembling my price range) is the RDX, and I don't want an SUV. If I were in the market I would probably buy a Lexus IS350. Though my next car will likely be a JDM import from the late 80s or early-mid 90s.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Eth on March 24, 2018, 09:33:31 PM
Quote from: riiga on March 24, 2018, 04:45:37 PM
I bought a new car today, a 2014 Mazda 3 with 35 000 km (21,750 mi) to replace my old Volvo (in the background). So far I like it a lot! (Though I would've picked red instead of black if I had the choice).

So you have my car, except four years newer (mine's a 2010). I knew as soon as I test-drove it (a month before I bought it) that it would be the car for me, and I still love it 8½ years and 64,000 miles later.

Incidentally, black was also my second color choice; I really wanted the bluish-gray one, but the dealer didn't have any in stock.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on March 24, 2018, 09:42:58 PM
Quote from: Eth on March 24, 2018, 09:33:31 PM
I still love it 8½ years and 64,000 miles later.

:-o

Somebody either has no commute, or a really short one! I'm nearing 50k on my 2.8 year old car.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Eth on March 24, 2018, 09:59:48 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on March 24, 2018, 09:42:58 PM
Quote from: Eth on March 24, 2018, 09:33:31 PM
I still love it 8½ years and 64,000 miles later.

:-o

Somebody either has no commute, or a really short one! I'm nearing 50k on my 2.8 year old car.

Yep, that would be no commute 3 days a week and one done by train (and a little walking) the other 2 days. Driving's much more enjoyable when it isn't something I have to do.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: riiga on March 25, 2018, 04:30:19 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on March 24, 2018, 07:32:30 PM
I gather diesel's attractiveness has been tarnished overseas more than I realise thanks to "dieselgate"? I'd be happy with a V40 or A3 diesel (especially the Sportback A3 -- luxury version of my Golf), assuming it met emissions standards without needing a defeat device to protect the engine.

It's a combination of several factors:
One of course is that thanks to "dieselgate" Sweden will give municipalities the ability to introduce low-emissions zones for cars and vehicles below 3.5 tonnes (currently only heavy vehicles can be regulated). This means most petrol cars will be allowed, but only the latest generation of diesel vehicles, as well as the possibility to allow only emission-free cars (electric, fuel cell, etc.) within a certain area.

Another is the fact that diesel cars are made for long-distance driving and I mostly do short trips (my commute is 5 km). Also my cars is parked outside in the winter, so a diesel would suffer a lot unless I got a fuel/engine heater. Petrol handles it a lot better.

And lastly diesel may be cheaper at the pump by 5 cents (per liter) or so, but owning a diesel is more expensive due to taxes (a diesel is usually twice a petrol car in road taxes), so if I'm not doing more than ~20 000 km per year, there's no savings to be made.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: J N Winkler on March 25, 2018, 12:31:24 PM
Daily driver--1994 Saturn SL2, photographed near sunset in the Great Divide Basin in September 2014:

(https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/29513307_10155121819171459_5533149233446872414_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&_nc_eui2=v1%3AAeE7qoh0Cpw2HKNkPoHi6L__j27P9lMrLvqC84OixU0xMaF-_UdXKOJBfjbJ9BwFqTPNssi_6RR-l1_TPV3t_0uRin1Z27e-RIcmY27cIDWjQw&oh=a2663cc8924be87c4f628df4c8fc7df7&oe=5B70BF95)

Roadtrip vehicle--2005 Toyota Camry XLE V6, photographed in a side street near I-94 in Minneapolis in May 2016:

(https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/29512443_10155121842416459_4825710736328788710_n.jpg?_nc_eui2=v1%3AAeHOWewFrmfLy0dH7YPE0vJeq4tEsB97mW4bLs6Ns8jxm8CRI8izw5Hb0DIe_YhtSLZ3i5kOHUVNwv1wZJ-mRqUipyWBQ0232zSPHkJl9E7WMA&oh=a94975a4a59f0a72ae41e01c0b195552&oe=5B6F876C)

Both vehicles are well equipped, though not "loaded" in the sense that they have every single option that was available in their respective trim lines.  Both have leather seats and leather-wrapped steering wheels, four-wheel disc brakes, ABS, VSC (just traction control for the Saturn), air conditioning, cruise control, and automatic transmission.  They have been extremely reliable, but both have issues that I am consciously living with instead of attempting to have resolved.  Since the Saturn is older, has higher mileage, sees rougher service, has history of being left ungaraged, and is much less valuable, it gets used as a guinea pig for detailing techniques and maintenance routines that are being considered for the Camry.

Key items on the Saturn's long list of problems:  oil consumption (1500 MPQ), peeling headliner, rips in driver's seat, transmission fluid leak (I'm 95% sure it's under the top cover and not critical since a top cover leak won't run the transmission dry of fluid), nonfunctional odometer, A/C still leaky after two repair attempts and now nonfunctional (I don't want to pay $70 to damage the environment with a recharge, I don't want to pay $150+ to buy the equipment it would take to do my own recharges, and I highly doubt either a professional or I can leakproof it for less than the car's scrap value).

Key items on the Camry's far shorter list of problems:  brittle single-stage paint (due to VOC reduction at the factory), headlamps that fog in UV like nobody's business, instrument panel glass fogged by overspray from an interior detailing chemical in 2013, front driver's floor mat hooks fallen through the carpet and now rattling between the carpet and the asphalt sound insulation.

Notwithstanding their problems, I say both cars are reliable since they have stayed clear of the shop for multiple years.  The Camry has never had an unscheduled failure other than one rear taillight.  The Saturn has had a more chequered history due to being assembled to lower reliability standards and a greater share of its components being close to end of life, but its last major shop visits were for a leaky water pump in 2014 (I didn't have time to study DIY replacement) and for catch-up repairs in 2012 that included a new radiator, A/C O-ring/gasket replacement and recharge, and new brake pads.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: 1995hoo on March 25, 2018, 12:37:36 PM
Quote from: Takumi on March 24, 2018, 05:30:10 PM
Quote from: Takumi on July 08, 2017, 06:15:19 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 08, 2017, 11:24:34 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 04, 2016, 12:18:12 PM
I have a 2004 Acura TL and a 1988 Mazda RX-7 convertible. Picture was taken in May 2007 just after I'd detailed both of them, but I still have both cars. My wife has a 2003 Acura RSX Type-S. All three cars are manuals (well, DUH in the case of the RSX since the Type-S was six-speed only).

Ms1995hoo got a 2015 Acura TLX (the V-6 AWD model) over Memorial Day weekend. We kept the other three cars. When I drive the TLX it's a bit weird adjusting to the automatic shift, and I've used the shift paddles more often than I thought I might, mainly for things like going up hills when the automatic doesn't shift the way I expect.

No photo. While I've taken some, Photobucket blocked me from posting stuff here and I haven't yet set myself up on another site.
My main gripe about the TLX is the push-button shifter. I'm not necessarily asking for a manual (considering my six-years-older TSX is a unicorn already), but that just seems a bit...sketchy.
Quoting myself, but I got a TLX as a loaner the other day while the TSX got some routine maintenance done. It was a brand new FWD V6 model in a lovely white pearl. I love how it looks. But driving it, in a word, sucked. The push-button shifter isn't as bad as I expected, but it does not handle as well as the TSX (I realize it has more weight up front) and feels quite sluggish. In manual mode, the transmission took about half a second to actually change gear, and 9 gears felt a bit overkill. Sorry, Acura, I'd rather have a Lexus if I were in the market.

It's definitely a car with a different target market, IMO. It's a fantastic car for driving long distances. I absolutely loved driving it on our trip to St. Louis last fall. Interstate cruising was terrific. On the twisties in West Virginia, somewhat less so, but I suspect anyone coming from a manual shift is going to have issues with most automatics on those roads. (Ours is the AWD model, BTW.)

Whatever. It's my wife's car and she remains very happy with it, so for me that's all that matters. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Jordanes on March 25, 2018, 01:47:45 PM
2005 Ford Focus. 275K miles  :bigass:
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on March 25, 2018, 01:55:19 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on March 25, 2018, 12:37:36 PM
Quote from: Takumi on March 24, 2018, 05:30:10 PM
Quote from: Takumi on July 08, 2017, 06:15:19 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 08, 2017, 11:24:34 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 04, 2016, 12:18:12 PM
I have a 2004 Acura TL and a 1988 Mazda RX-7 convertible. Picture was taken in May 2007 just after I'd detailed both of them, but I still have both cars. My wife has a 2003 Acura RSX Type-S. All three cars are manuals (well, DUH in the case of the RSX since the Type-S was six-speed only).

Ms1995hoo got a 2015 Acura TLX (the V-6 AWD model) over Memorial Day weekend. We kept the other three cars. When I drive the TLX it's a bit weird adjusting to the automatic shift, and I've used the shift paddles more often than I thought I might, mainly for things like going up hills when the automatic doesn't shift the way I expect.

No photo. While I've taken some, Photobucket blocked me from posting stuff here and I haven't yet set myself up on another site.
My main gripe about the TLX is the push-button shifter. I'm not necessarily asking for a manual (considering my six-years-older TSX is a unicorn already), but that just seems a bit...sketchy.
Quoting myself, but I got a TLX as a loaner the other day while the TSX got some routine maintenance done. It was a brand new FWD V6 model in a lovely white pearl. I love how it looks. But driving it, in a word, sucked. The push-button shifter isn't as bad as I expected, but it does not handle as well as the TSX (I realize it has more weight up front) and feels quite sluggish. In manual mode, the transmission took about half a second to actually change gear, and 9 gears felt a bit overkill. Sorry, Acura, I'd rather have a Lexus if I were in the market.

It's definitely a car with a different target market, IMO. It's a fantastic car for driving long distances. I absolutely loved driving it on our trip to St. Louis last fall. Interstate cruising was terrific. On the twisties in West Virginia, somewhat less so, but I suspect anyone coming from a manual shift is going to have issues with most automatics on those roads. (Ours is the AWD model, BTW.)

Whatever. It's my wife's car and she remains very happy with it, so for me that's all that matters. 
Yeah, it was nice to be turning as low RPMs at [redacted] MPH as it does, and it was pretty comfortable. And I have read that both the AWD version and the 4-cylinder version handle better. But the service guy at Acura told me multiple times that I should hold on to my TSX as long as I can, and I see why.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: 02 Park Ave on March 26, 2018, 01:47:54 PM
Can one perform engine braking (Jake's brake) with the Diesel engine in a motorcar or SUV or can that be accomplished only in one of the big rigs?
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: wolfiefrick on June 28, 2018, 01:45:22 AM
I know this thread is dead; let's revive it!


(https://i.imgur.com/eMHpR2y.jpg)


My main ride is a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta. It's small but very mighty. Deceptively fast. It's got a 2.5-liter straight-five in it and the VW standard narrow drivetrain makes it handle excellently. I've only had it for just over a month, but I've really grown attached to it! I'm hoping that once I've accumulated a bit more $$ I can try to go on some more exciting drives and maybe produce some video content of the freeways around St. Louis!


(https://i.imgur.com/KF1V47f.jpg)


If I'm not driving my lovely VW, I'm driving this. It's my dad's 2018 BMW 340i. He goes on business trips rather frequently so I drive this beauty as much as I can when he lets me. It's got a turbocharged V6 which performs like a V8 and the classic 3-series handling makes the car feel as though it's on railroad tracks.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: tradephoric on June 28, 2018, 09:37:05 AM
Quote from: wolfiefrick on June 28, 2018, 01:45:22 AM
I know this thread is dead; let's revive it!


(https://i.imgur.com/eMHpR2y.jpg)


My main ride is a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta. It's small but very mighty. Deceptively fast. It's got a 2.5-liter straight-five in it and the VW standard narrow drivetrain makes it handle excellently. I've only had it for just over a month, but I've really grown attached to it! I'm hoping that once I've accumulated a bit more $$ I can try to go on some more exciting drives and maybe produce some video content of the freeways around St. Louis!

Clean ride.  I like the tints but do the cops hassle you in St. Louis with them?  It looks like some clear coat is flaking off the A-pillar... when did that start?
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: wolfiefrick on June 28, 2018, 09:40:57 AM
Quote from: tradephoric on June 28, 2018, 09:37:05 AM
Quote from: wolfiefrick on June 28, 2018, 01:45:22 AM
I know this thread is dead; let's revive it!


(https://i.imgur.com/eMHpR2y.jpg)


My main ride is a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta. It's small but very mighty. Deceptively fast. It's got a 2.5-liter straight-five in it and the VW standard narrow drivetrain makes it handle excellently. I've only had it for just over a month, but I've really grown attached to it! I'm hoping that once I've accumulated a bit more $$ I can try to go on some more exciting drives and maybe produce some video content of the freeways around St. Louis!

Clean ride.  I like the tints but do the cops hassle you in St. Louis with them?  It looks like some clear coat is flaking off the A-pillar... when did that start?

It's been that way since I got it. It's a single owner used car and we got it for around $5000 so there were some things that couldn't always be perfect, but I can imagine it's been that way for some time. Cops actually haven't been too coarse about the tint, either.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: J N Winkler on June 28, 2018, 09:52:22 AM
Quote from: 02 Park Ave on March 26, 2018, 01:47:54 PMCan one perform engine braking (Jake's brake) with the Diesel engine in a motorcar or SUV or can that be accomplished only in one of the big rigs?

Wikipedia says no:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_braking

I am not sure how owners of diesel-equipped cars avoid burning out the brakes on long downhill grades.

For gasoline engines I also want to add, since this misinformation comes up from time to time on this forum, that compression braking is both possible and easy with a traditional hydraulically actuated automatic transmission, and does not add undue wear to the hard parts within the transmission provided the downshift is timed to minimize the amount of torque transferred:  in other words, you should downshift at the top of the grade, just before the car bites into it.  It tends to be CVTs that have trouble providing drivers with usable compression braking on downhill grades.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: tradephoric on June 28, 2018, 10:04:13 AM
Mine isn't this clean, this 1996 Impala SS supposedly had 35 miles on the odometer when it sold for $26,000 at Meecum in 2015, but this is the type of car i drive. I really need to take a good picture of mine after i get it detailed.  Also i just think these cars NEED black tints!

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDYvM1WVIAAZMlH.jpg)

Here's another one that sold in Vegas in 2017.  I just love those wheels.

(https://cdn1.mecum.com/auctions/ln1117/ln1117-297331/images/img3937-1505314630962@2x.jpg?1517953994000)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on June 28, 2018, 01:11:09 PM
Quote from: wolfiefrick on June 28, 2018, 01:45:22 AM
If I'm not driving my lovely VW, I'm driving this. It's my dad's 2018 BMW 340i. He goes on business trips rather frequently so I drive this beauty as much as I can when he lets me. It's got a turbocharged V6 which performs like a V8 and the classic 3-series handling makes the car feel as though it's on railroad tracks.
BMW uses inline 6s, not V6s.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: wolfiefrick on June 28, 2018, 01:12:12 PM
Quote from: Takumi on June 28, 2018, 01:11:09 PM
Quote from: wolfiefrick on June 28, 2018, 01:45:22 AM
If I'm not driving my lovely VW, I'm driving this. It's my dad's 2018 BMW 340i. He goes on business trips rather frequently so I drive this beauty as much as I can when he lets me. It's got a turbocharged V6 which performs like a V8 and the classic 3-series handling makes the car feel as though it's on railroad tracks.
BMW uses inline 6s, not V6s.
Ah, really? I thought maybe that was the case; my dad always told me it was a V6 so I just assumed that was the truth.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Roadgeek Adam on June 28, 2018, 01:46:43 PM
I have a 2015 Chrysler 200C that I love. I drove one as a rental car and fell in love with the car. Was so glad I could get one after hitting my Toyota Rav4 into a deer on IL 116.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on June 28, 2018, 02:48:06 PM
Quote from: J N Winkler on June 28, 2018, 09:52:22 AM
Quote from: 02 Park Ave on March 26, 2018, 01:47:54 PMCan one perform engine braking (Jake's brake) with the Diesel engine in a motorcar or SUV or can that be accomplished only in one of the big rigs?

Wikipedia says no:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_braking

I am not sure how owners of diesel-equipped cars avoid burning out the brakes on long downhill grades.

Turbo diesels seem to have more engine braking than non-turbo diesels. Personally, I pop my TDI down a few cogs on a long grade, and it definitely slows down. Granted, it's a manual, so obviously it's going to slow down if it's in fourth at 70, rather than sixth. But I certainly don't have to use my brakes. I frequently change down to fifth or fourth in freeway traffic to avoid using my brake lights/scaring the car behind me.

I will say that my last gasoline car, an Oldsmobile Bravada with the I6 and 4-speed auto had very good engine braking on hills. I don't know if this was due to the larger gear ratios or because it was a petrol engine, but I still need to tap my brakes in my TDI on long grades, even in a lower gear. Only taps, granted. But I usually can't forgo any brake use.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: paulthemapguy on June 28, 2018, 06:25:48 PM
Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on June 28, 2018, 01:46:43 PM
I have a 2015 Chrysler 200C that I love. I drove one as a rental car and fell in love with the car. Was so glad I could get one after hitting my Toyota Rav4 into a deer on IL 116.

On IL 116?  Where?
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on June 29, 2018, 01:17:23 AM
Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on June 28, 2018, 01:46:43 PM
I have a 2015 Chrysler 200C that I love. I drove one as a rental car and fell in love with the car.

Interesting. When I was a valet, the one car every valet consistently hated was the 200C with its 9-speed auto. Worst...transmission...ever. Might get better after warming up, but you'll have a headache by then since it throws you forward & back at every gear change or throttle stomp.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: DaBigE on June 29, 2018, 07:55:32 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on June 29, 2018, 01:17:23 AM
Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on June 28, 2018, 01:46:43 PM
I have a 2015 Chrysler 200C that I love. I drove one as a rental car and fell in love with the car.

Interesting. When I was a valet, the one car every valet consistently hated was the 200C with its 9-speed auto. Worst...transmission...ever. Might get better after warming up, but you'll have a headache by then since it throws you forward & back at every gear change or throttle stomp.

I didn't think there was something worse than Ford's PowerShift 6-speed in the 2012-17* Focus & Fiesta.

* It appears as they have finally found the right clutch pack that makes the shifts much more comfortable/reliable.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: roadman on June 29, 2018, 09:12:38 AM
Quote from: DaBigE on June 29, 2018, 07:55:32 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on June 29, 2018, 01:17:23 AM
Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on June 28, 2018, 01:46:43 PM
I have a 2015 Chrysler 200C that I love. I drove one as a rental car and fell in love with the car.

Interesting. When I was a valet, the one car every valet consistently hated was the 200C with its 9-speed auto. Worst...transmission...ever. Might get better after warming up, but you'll have a headache by then since it throws you forward & back at every gear change or throttle stomp.

I didn't think there was something worse than Ford's PowerShift 6-speed in the 2012-17* Focus & Fiesta.

* It appears as they have finally found the right clutch pack that makes the shifts much more comfortable/reliable.

I have a 2012 Focus with the PowerShift that I bought in 2014.  It had been given the updated software at the time.  So far, I haven't had any problems with the transmission like harsh shifts.  Then again, I researched it beforehand and know you're not supposed to drive it like you would a conventional automatic.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: PHLBOS on June 29, 2018, 09:31:59 AM
Quote from: roadman on June 29, 2018, 09:12:38 AMThen again, I researched it beforehand and know you're not supposed to drive it like you would a conventional automatic.
Out of curiosity, how does one drive this PowerShift 6-speed... like a manual, a type that many newer drivers aren't familiar with nor accustomed to?
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: abefroman329 on June 29, 2018, 10:35:08 AM
2013 Toyota Camry.  It's an automatic, for the same reasons I don't make copies on a mimeograph machine or grind coffee beans with a hand-cranked grinder.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: DaBigE on June 29, 2018, 10:47:07 AM
Quote from: roadman on June 29, 2018, 09:12:38 AM
Quote from: DaBigE on June 29, 2018, 07:55:32 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on June 29, 2018, 01:17:23 AM
Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on June 28, 2018, 01:46:43 PM
I have a 2015 Chrysler 200C that I love. I drove one as a rental car and fell in love with the car.

Interesting. When I was a valet, the one car every valet consistently hated was the 200C with its 9-speed auto. Worst...transmission...ever. Might get better after warming up, but you'll have a headache by then since it throws you forward & back at every gear change or throttle stomp.

I didn't think there was something worse than Ford's PowerShift 6-speed in the 2012-17* Focus & Fiesta.

* It appears as they have finally found the right clutch pack that makes the shifts much more comfortable/reliable.

I have a 2012 Focus with the PowerShift that I bought in 2014.  It had been given the updated software at the time.  So far, I haven't had any problems with the transmission like harsh shifts.  Then again, I researched it beforehand and know you're not supposed to drive it like you would a conventional automatic.

You apparently are one of the lucky ones. OTOH, my wife's '13 Fiesta went thru 3 clutch packs in less than a 2 year period (all on Ford's dime, luckily). We were fully-aware of how it would/should behave; it did not and the service department completely agreed. It wasn't just hard shifts, it was extremely delayed shifts and slippage. I'm not sure of the exact year range, but Ford has extended the warranty on certain transmission components of the PowerShift because of said issues.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: roadman on June 29, 2018, 11:39:29 AM
Quote from: PHLBOS on June 29, 2018, 09:31:59 AM
Quote from: roadman on June 29, 2018, 09:12:38 AMThen again, I researched it beforehand and know you're not supposed to drive it like you would a conventional automatic.
Out of curiosity, how does one drive this PowerShift 6-speed... like a manual, a type that many newer drivers aren't familiar with nor accustomed to?
The Powershift, also called a dual clutch transmission or DCT is more akin to a manual transmission than an traditional automatic with a torque converter.  The only difference between a DCT and a manual is that, instead of a foot clutch to change gears, it uses computer driven solenoids to drive a pair of internal clutches that control the gears.

In researching the Ford Focus and the DCT transmission, it was emphasized that the best way to drive the car was to treat it as if it were a traditional manual transmission.  Principally, this means avoiding sudden or harsh changes in acceleration and deceleration.  These actions can often confuse the computer, thus affecting gear shifts.

And yes, I've been on the forums and am well aware that many Foci have problems with the DCT that go beyond driver behavior.  However, just as many (if not more) Foci with the DCT run perfectly fine (like mine - so far). 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: J N Winkler on June 29, 2018, 12:27:30 PM
I frankly don't understand why people would take on the technological risk of a DSG transmission when a traditional hydraulically controlled automatic transmission that has overdrive in every gear except first (e.g., the Saturn TAAT, or the five-speed automatic in the US-spec second-generation Honda Fit) offers better launch behavior and, if properly maintained, is more robust.  DSGs offer the prospect of reduced pumping losses, but IMV this is outweighed by the far greater likelihood of expensive replacement of hard parts.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on June 29, 2018, 12:44:00 PM
Quote from: J N Winkler on June 29, 2018, 12:27:30 PM
I frankly don't understand why people would take on the technological risk of a DSG transmission when a traditional hydraulically controlled automatic transmission that has overdrive in every gear except first (e.g., the Saturn TAAT, or the five-speed automatic in the US-spec second-generation Honda Fit) offers better launch behavior and, if properly maintained, is more robust.  DSGs offer the prospect of reduced pumping losses, but IMV this is outweighed by the far greater likelihood of expensive replacement of hard parts.

Unless you drive stick, Ford's only automatic gearbox option was a dual-clutch. The last Ford I considered was a Fiesta 1L, with the 5-speed manual (one of the few cars where there was no automatic option). It was a lot smoother than the other Fiesta's with their dual-clutches! Ford's newer automatic gearboxes are much better, but they also aren't dual clutches. For a while, Ford's dual-clutch gearbox was second only to Chrysler's implementation of the ZF 9-speed in terms of worst gearbox ever.

Now, I have heard of reliability issues beyond dual-clutch gearboxes. ZF's 9-speed has been pretty renowned for not being very reliable, despite being a traditional automatic. It seems you can't win these days, unless you're lucky enough to buy a car with an in-house gearbox, or a car with less than 9 gears (though I will say that Ford's new 10-speed's are pretty good).
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: J N Winkler on June 29, 2018, 02:21:32 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on June 29, 2018, 12:44:00 PMNow, I have heard of reliability issues beyond dual-clutch gearboxes. ZF's 9-speed has been pretty renowned for not being very reliable, despite being a traditional automatic. It seems you can't win these days, unless you're lucky enough to buy a car with an in-house gearbox, or a car with less than 9 gears (though I will say that Ford's new 10-speed's are pretty good).

I think it has been a brave new world since the industry began moving to new-generation lower-viscosity transmission fluids in 2005.  Previously, unless the transmission had really serious design weaknesses, one could extend life by using a fluid that was more shear-stable than the factory fluid.  Owing to semi-synthetic formulations, the newer fluids shear down less, so there is less scope for improving performance by using a boutique synthetic fluid.  And pretty much anything an automaker can do to try to improve efficiency in an automatic transmission also compromises NVH performance.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on June 29, 2018, 05:33:16 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on June 29, 2018, 12:44:00 PM
Quote from: J N Winkler on June 29, 2018, 12:27:30 PM
I frankly don't understand why people would take on the technological risk of a DSG transmission when a traditional hydraulically controlled automatic transmission that has overdrive in every gear except first (e.g., the Saturn TAAT, or the five-speed automatic in the US-spec second-generation Honda Fit) offers better launch behavior and, if properly maintained, is more robust.  DSGs offer the prospect of reduced pumping losses, but IMV this is outweighed by the far greater likelihood of expensive replacement of hard parts.

Unless you drive stick, Ford's only automatic gearbox option was a dual-clutch. The last Ford I considered was a Fiesta 1L, with the 5-speed manual (one of the few cars where there was no automatic option). It was a lot smoother than the other Fiesta's with their dual-clutches! Ford's newer automatic gearboxes are much better, but they also aren't dual clutches. For a while, Ford's dual-clutch gearbox was second only to Chrysler's implementation of the ZF 9-speed in terms of worst gearbox ever.

Now, I have heard of reliability issues beyond dual-clutch gearboxes. ZF's 9-speed has been pretty renowned for not being very reliable, despite being a traditional automatic. It seems you can't win these days, unless you're lucky enough to buy a car with an in-house gearbox, or a car with less than 9 gears (though I will say that Ford's new 10-speed's are pretty good).
On the flip side, Honda uses the ZF 9 in some of its V6-powered offerings (the TLX and Pilot, to name two), and it's probably an improvement over an in-house one, given their history of building automatic transmissions for V6s... (full disclosure: I had a TLX with said transmission as a loaner this week, and it wasn't too bad with AWD.)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on June 29, 2018, 06:49:12 PM
Quote from: Takumi on June 29, 2018, 05:33:16 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on June 29, 2018, 12:44:00 PM
Quote from: J N Winkler on June 29, 2018, 12:27:30 PM
I frankly don't understand why people would take on the technological risk of a DSG transmission when a traditional hydraulically controlled automatic transmission that has overdrive in every gear except first (e.g., the Saturn TAAT, or the five-speed automatic in the US-spec second-generation Honda Fit) offers better launch behavior and, if properly maintained, is more robust.  DSGs offer the prospect of reduced pumping losses, but IMV this is outweighed by the far greater likelihood of expensive replacement of hard parts.

Unless you drive stick, Ford's only automatic gearbox option was a dual-clutch. The last Ford I considered was a Fiesta 1L, with the 5-speed manual (one of the few cars where there was no automatic option). It was a lot smoother than the other Fiesta's with their dual-clutches! Ford's newer automatic gearboxes are much better, but they also aren't dual clutches. For a while, Ford's dual-clutch gearbox was second only to Chrysler's implementation of the ZF 9-speed in terms of worst gearbox ever.

Now, I have heard of reliability issues beyond dual-clutch gearboxes. ZF's 9-speed has been pretty renowned for not being very reliable, despite being a traditional automatic. It seems you can't win these days, unless you're lucky enough to buy a car with an in-house gearbox, or a car with less than 9 gears (though I will say that Ford's new 10-speed's are pretty good).

On the flip side, Honda uses the ZF 9 in some of its V6-powered offerings (the TLX and Pilot, to name two), and it's probably an improvement over an in-house one, given their history of building automatic transmissions for V6s... (full disclosure: I had a TLX with said transmission as a loaner this week, and it wasn't too bad with AWD.)

Yikes! That's not saying much good about Honda's previous transmissions, if the ZF 9-speed is an improvement. I seem to recall reading about quite a few issues with the ZF sourced gearboxes. Oh how I yearn for the days of manual Honda's galore. At least the HR-V still has the option.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on June 29, 2018, 08:40:22 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on June 29, 2018, 06:49:12 PM
Quote from: Takumi on June 29, 2018, 05:33:16 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on June 29, 2018, 12:44:00 PM
Quote from: J N Winkler on June 29, 2018, 12:27:30 PM
I frankly don't understand why people would take on the technological risk of a DSG transmission when a traditional hydraulically controlled automatic transmission that has overdrive in every gear except first (e.g., the Saturn TAAT, or the five-speed automatic in the US-spec second-generation Honda Fit) offers better launch behavior and, if properly maintained, is more robust.  DSGs offer the prospect of reduced pumping losses, but IMV this is outweighed by the far greater likelihood of expensive replacement of hard parts.

Unless you drive stick, Ford's only automatic gearbox option was a dual-clutch. The last Ford I considered was a Fiesta 1L, with the 5-speed manual (one of the few cars where there was no automatic option). It was a lot smoother than the other Fiesta's with their dual-clutches! Ford's newer automatic gearboxes are much better, but they also aren't dual clutches. For a while, Ford's dual-clutch gearbox was second only to Chrysler's implementation of the ZF 9-speed in terms of worst gearbox ever.

Now, I have heard of reliability issues beyond dual-clutch gearboxes. ZF's 9-speed has been pretty renowned for not being very reliable, despite being a traditional automatic. It seems you can't win these days, unless you're lucky enough to buy a car with an in-house gearbox, or a car with less than 9 gears (though I will say that Ford's new 10-speed's are pretty good).

On the flip side, Honda uses the ZF 9 in some of its V6-powered offerings (the TLX and Pilot, to name two), and it’s probably an improvement over an in-house one, given their history of building automatic transmissions for V6s... (full disclosure: I had a TLX with said transmission as a loaner this week, and it wasn’t too bad with AWD.)

Yikes! That's not saying much good about Honda's previous transmissions, if the ZF 9-speed is an improvement. I seem to recall reading about quite a few issues with the ZF sourced gearboxes. Oh how I yearn for the days of manual Honda's galore. At least the HR-V still has the option.
Yeah, Honda doesn’t exactly have a good track record when it comes to building automatic transmissions for its V6s. Around the turn of the century was the worst, but I think improvement has only been marginal since then. The only issue I’ve heard of on the V6 TLX with the ZF 9-speed is that some of the first-year models would roll away when in park; there was obviously a recall but a temporary solution for that was simply putting the parking brake on. Manual Hondas aren’t as common as they were 15-20 years ago, but it’s still available on the Fit, Civic (in fact, the Si and Type R are only available with a manual), and even the new Accord. No more manual Acuras though; the last one available was the 2015 ILX. Since 2016 the ILX (and the 4-cylinder TLX, which exists for some reason unbeknownst to me) has only been available with a Honda-built 8-speed DCT, which, no surprise, has had issues.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Brandon on July 14, 2018, 05:26:08 PM
A 2017 Jeep Renegade Altitude.  1.4L in-line 4 cylinder turbo engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.  It's just the FWD version, but it seems to sip fuel, getting 32-36 mpg on average. This last tank is at 38 mpg so far.  With A/C on, and going 75 mph.  I'm up to 45,000 miles already.

My last one, as many of you at the roadmeets saw, was a 2011 Dodge Caliber with a 2.0L engine and 5-speed manual.  Got that puppy up to 261,000 miles before the trade-in, on the original clutch.

My first car (and the last of the three) was a 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser with a 2.4L engine and 4-speed automatic.  At trade-in it had 178,000 miles.

All are/were bought new, and all miles are mine.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Brandon on July 14, 2018, 05:37:46 PM
Quote from: paulthemapguy on June 28, 2018, 06:25:48 PM
Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on June 28, 2018, 01:46:43 PM
I have a 2015 Chrysler 200C that I love. I drove one as a rental car and fell in love with the car. Was so glad I could get one after hitting my Toyota Rav4 into a deer on IL 116.

On IL 116?  Where?

IIRC, Adam hit the deer somewhere around Hanna City or Farmington on the way back to Macomb (WIU) from the 2016 Battle Creek meet.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 14, 2018, 10:42:04 PM
Quote from: Brandon on July 14, 2018, 05:26:08 PM
A 2017 Jeep Renegade Altitude.  1.4L in-line 4 cylinder turbo engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.  It's just the FWD version, but it seems to sip fuel, getting 32-36 mpg on average. This last tank is at 38 mpg so far.  With A/C on, and going 75 mph.  I'm up to 45,000 miles already.

I commend your decision to opt for the manual. It looks like you would have anyway, based on your history, but I've heard nothing but bad business with those FCA automatics.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Mr. Matté on July 16, 2018, 10:43:08 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/TLBoyg6.jpg)
though most of my roadgeeking is done on the vehicle in the foreground
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: oscar on July 16, 2018, 11:02:35 PM
Quote from: oscar on July 05, 2016, 06:05:30 AM
The other one is my 2006 Nissan Titan pickup truck, with an aftermarket walk-in camper shell. Even though I've owned it longer, it has fewer miles on it (over 145,000 miles), due to its sucky gas mileage. I use it mainly for road trips in the winter or taking me off-pavement when its 4x4 might come in handy, and also for camping.

I pulled the plug on the Titan in December, with about 182,000 miles, after three breakdowns during last summer's 25,000-mile cross-country mega-road trip. Basically, would've cost more than it was worth to keep it running, and I didn't trust it for any more long road trips.

In May, I bought the replacement vehicle, a 2018 Subaru Forester, which has all-wheel-drive and high ground clearance while fitting better into inner-suburban parking spaces that had been a tight squeeze for the Titan. It's already been on one major road trip, to Colorado and back.

I still have the 2008 Prius I mentioned upthread, now over 306,000 miles. I've fixed some hybrid-related mechanical problems that had relegated the car to local use, though it still has some annoying problems in its old age (right now, the rear hatch won't open, so it's going to the dealer for a fix). I expect the Forester will become my new road-trip vehicle, and ultimately my only vehicle when the Prius bites the dust.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 17, 2018, 12:51:47 AM
Quote from: oscar on July 16, 2018, 11:02:35 PM
In May, I bought the replacement vehicle, a 2018 Subaru Forester, which has all-wheel-drive and high ground clearance while fitting better into inner-suburban parking spaces that had been a tight squeeze for the Titan. It's already been on one major road trip, to Colorado and back.

A few months ago, I really seriously considered trading in my Golf for a 2018 Forester with a 6-speed manual (not a fan of CVTs). I ended up not pulling the trigger, but it remains one of my favorite vehicles with a manual due to its size; "large" vehicles with manual transmissions just don't exist anymore. Since the 2019 model is doing away with the option, the closest now is probably the Golf SportWagen, or the Kia Soul (and until last year here in the US, the Mazda CX-5). I'll probably end up buying the SportWagen at some point in the future.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on July 17, 2018, 10:42:49 AM
I’m in the process of selling the TSX and picking up something with an automatic. I’ll still have the Prelude for when I feel like rowing my own.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 17, 2018, 01:42:03 PM
Quote from: Takumi on July 17, 2018, 10:42:49 AM
I'm in the process of selling the TSX and picking up something with an automatic. I'll still have the Prelude for when I feel like rowing my own.

I'm pretty sure that, in order to "save the manuals", one must not own an automatic.

Left foot getting tired?
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: AsphaltPlanet on July 17, 2018, 02:05:06 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 17, 2018, 12:51:47 AM
Quote from: oscar on July 16, 2018, 11:02:35 PM
In May, I bought the replacement vehicle, a 2018 Subaru Forester, which has all-wheel-drive and high ground clearance while fitting better into inner-suburban parking spaces that had been a tight squeeze for the Titan. It's already been on one major road trip, to Colorado and back.

A few months ago, I really seriously considered trading in my Golf for a 2018 Forester with a 6-speed manual (not a fan of CVTs). I ended up not pulling the trigger, but it remains one of my favorite vehicles with a manual due to its size; "large" vehicles with manual transmissions just don't exist anymore. Since the 2019 model is doing away with the option, the closest now is probably the Golf SportWagen, or the Kia Soul (and until last year here in the US, the Mazda CX-5). I'll probably end up buying the SportWagen at some point in the future.

The problem with the Forester is that you can only get the manual gear box in the 2.5L engine configuration.  While most manufacturers offer a 2.5L option for that size vehicle, that engine size generally only offers about 170hp,  so it's not a very powerful drivetrain.

I test drove a Forester when I bought my Escape a couple of years ago, and while I really liked it, you need to go with the 2.0L turbo option to really get any sort of feeling of power.

My 2.0L Escape is actually pretty fun to drive.  There is a touch of turbo-lag, but otherwise the car really accelerates nicely.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 17, 2018, 02:20:20 PM
Quote from: AsphaltPlanet on July 17, 2018, 02:05:06 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 17, 2018, 12:51:47 AM
Quote from: oscar on July 16, 2018, 11:02:35 PM
In May, I bought the replacement vehicle, a 2018 Subaru Forester, which has all-wheel-drive and high ground clearance while fitting better into inner-suburban parking spaces that had been a tight squeeze for the Titan. It's already been on one major road trip, to Colorado and back.

A few months ago, I really seriously considered trading in my Golf for a 2018 Forester with a 6-speed manual (not a fan of CVTs). I ended up not pulling the trigger, but it remains one of my favorite vehicles with a manual due to its size; "large" vehicles with manual transmissions just don't exist anymore. Since the 2019 model is doing away with the option, the closest now is probably the Golf SportWagen, or the Kia Soul (and until last year here in the US, the Mazda CX-5). I'll probably end up buying the SportWagen at some point in the future.

The problem with the Forester is that you can only get the manual gear box in the 2.5L engine configuration.  While most manufacturers offer a 2.5L option for that size vehicle, that engine size generally only offers about 170hp,  so it's not a very powerful drivetrain.

I test drove a Forester when I bought my Escape a couple of years ago, and while I really liked it, you need to go with the 2.0L turbo option to really get any sort of feeling of power.

My 2.0L Escape is actually pretty fun to drive.  There is a touch of turbo-lag, but otherwise the car really accelerates nicely.

That would be the reason that I strongly prefer turbo diesel engines when the option presents itself (low-end torque + turbo). Otherwise, I generally don't mind the smaller engines. I don't drive manual because it's faster (it's usually not, unless paired against a CVT, or some automatics, with the same engine). I drive manual because it's fun. It keeps me engaged, and focused on what's ahead. Since I do drive a lot in traffic, manuals allow me to drive closer to someone without using my brakes all the time, reducing the chance of that "rubber-band braking effect" that tends to cause jams.

As far as a quick car with a manual that has lots of room? Probably any "hot hatch". Hell, my Golf TDI nearly fits the bill.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on July 17, 2018, 03:33:58 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 17, 2018, 01:42:03 PM
Quote from: Takumi on July 17, 2018, 10:42:49 AM
I'm in the process of selling the TSX and picking up something with an automatic. I'll still have the Prelude for when I feel like rowing my own.

I'm pretty sure that, in order to "save the manuals", one must not own an automatic.

Left foot getting tired?
No, I just neglect the Prelude because the TSX does the manual-Honda thing so much better. By getting an automatic car I'll end up driving the Prelude more when I want to just go driving.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Brandon on July 17, 2018, 04:12:00 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 14, 2018, 10:42:04 PM
Quote from: Brandon on July 14, 2018, 05:26:08 PM
A 2017 Jeep Renegade Altitude.  1.4L in-line 4 cylinder turbo engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.  It's just the FWD version, but it seems to sip fuel, getting 32-36 mpg on average. This last tank is at 38 mpg so far.  With A/C on, and going 75 mph.  I'm up to 45,000 miles already.

I commend your decision to opt for the manual. It looks like you would have anyway, based on your history, but I've heard nothing but bad business with those FCA automatics.

I learned to drive on a 1981 Dodge Aries that had the 2.2L engine mated to a 4-speed manual.  Ever since, manuals just seem right for driving, and automatics seem so odd and strange.  I find myself looking for the clutch pedal with my left foot while grabbing the gear selector with my right hand in an automatic (someone else's or a rental).
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Gulol on July 17, 2018, 05:25:55 PM
Working for an auto manufacturer has me rotating cars out frequently ... for now it's a 2018 Dodge Durango.  That's my ride for many of the states that I have to drive out to for work.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 18, 2018, 02:13:04 AM
Quote from: Brandon on July 17, 2018, 04:12:00 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 14, 2018, 10:42:04 PM
Quote from: Brandon on July 14, 2018, 05:26:08 PM
A 2017 Jeep Renegade Altitude.  1.4L in-line 4 cylinder turbo engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.  It's just the FWD version, but it seems to sip fuel, getting 32-36 mpg on average. This last tank is at 38 mpg so far.  With A/C on, and going 75 mph.  I'm up to 45,000 miles already.

I commend your decision to opt for the manual. It looks like you would have anyway, based on your history, but I've heard nothing but bad business with those FCA automatics.

I learned to drive on a 1981 Dodge Aries that had the 2.2L engine mated to a 4-speed manual.  Ever since, manuals just seem right for driving, and automatics seem so odd and strange.  I find myself looking for the clutch pedal with my left foot while grabbing the gear selector with my right hand in an automatic (someone else's or a rental).

I find driving auto funny after only three years behind the wheel of a manual. I can't even begin to image how bizarre an automatic would be after driving manual for 30+ years! Of course, at the rate manuals are disappearing, I'm sure an automatic will be in my future at some point. But I'll be damned if I'm gonna choose an automatic in a car that offers a manual, even if it means choosing the shittier engine.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on July 18, 2018, 11:54:57 AM
The car I’m buying (2012 Acura TL) actually only offered the manual with the better engine (and exclusively AWD), but they’re extremely rare, even more so than in my outgoing TSX, and it wasn’t available with the options I wanted.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 18, 2018, 09:57:37 PM
Quote from: Takumi on July 18, 2018, 11:54:57 AM
The car I'm buying (2012 Acura TL) actually only offered the manual with the better engine (and exclusively AWD), but they're extremely rare, even more so than in my outgoing TSX, and it wasn't available with the options I wanted.

I thought I was in the same boat searching for a CX-5 with a manual, but then one day, one just popped up at a dealer 20 minutes away. The guy was desperate to sell it, but I don't know why. People around here love manual. Someone would buy it; it was gone the next day.

A manual gearbox in a rare vehicle always sucks for buyers, because the sellers know that it's unusual, and they're gonna charge for it. Can't really blame you for giving up. Even if you found one, you'd end up paying quite a bit I'm sure.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: riiga on July 19, 2018, 03:57:52 AM
Funny how it is the other way around here. Automatics are more expensive and harder to come by, and people will charge extra for it unless it's an older car as old automatics aren't known for their reliability.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 19, 2018, 04:27:29 AM
Quote from: riiga on July 19, 2018, 03:57:52 AM
Funny how it is the other way around here. Automatics are more expensive and harder to come by, and people will charge extra for it unless it's an older car as old automatics aren't known for their reliability.

Well, if you're selling to some schlob who doesn't know right from left, you're probably gonna have to reduce your sale price if you're selling a manual here. On the other hand, ethusiasts seek out manuals, so if you have an unusual manual, you can charge more in the used market because there are buyers looking specifically for those cars who will pay extra for the stick, vs an automatic of the same type. A future classic will probably be the Cruze Hatch Manual Diesel. Chevy is dropping the manual this summer, so that combo was only sold for like a year and half; it's also an extremely rare combo period. Guaranteed any used models will be private party sold well above any other combo for that car.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on July 19, 2018, 11:37:05 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 18, 2018, 09:57:37 PM
Quote from: Takumi on July 18, 2018, 11:54:57 AM
The car I'm buying (2012 Acura TL) actually only offered the manual with the better engine (and exclusively AWD), but they're extremely rare, even more so than in my outgoing TSX, and it wasn't available with the options I wanted.

I thought I was in the same boat searching for a CX-5 with a manual, but then one day, one just popped up at a dealer 20 minutes away. The guy was desperate to sell it, but I don't know why. People around here love manual. Someone would buy it; it was gone the next day.

A manual gearbox in a rare vehicle always sucks for buyers, because the sellers know that it's unusual, and they're gonna charge for it. Can't really blame you for giving up. Even if you found one, you'd end up paying quite a bit I'm sure.
Exactly. The TL I'm buying has the Advance package (which adds things like blind-spot detection and ventilated seats, as well as some good-looking wheels), which wasn't available with the manual. I also have only ever seen one manual 4th gen TL for sale.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on July 21, 2018, 11:21:13 PM
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/nkys976qfh93seb2k2oq.jpg)
Finally bought this yesterday. 2012 TL SH-AWD Advance.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 22, 2018, 02:46:45 AM
Those mid-Atlantic earthquakes have really taken a toll on Richmond. Your car is upside-down!

How much you pay? If you don't mind saying.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on July 23, 2018, 01:08:08 AM
Huh, it renders fine for me. Car was $19k before all the taxes and such. A bit above average for them, but it has fairly low mileage.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on July 23, 2018, 01:39:50 AM
Quote from: Takumi on July 23, 2018, 01:08:08 AM
Huh, it renders fine for me. Car was $19k before all the taxes and such. A bit above average for them, but it has fairly low mileage.

Sometimes you gotta pay a little to get a little. Sounds pretty reasonable to me!




I've seen this happen before. No idea what causes it. Probably on my end.

(https://i.imgur.com/CfDqDvG.png)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: J N Winkler on July 23, 2018, 10:21:26 AM
The picture is upside down for me too.  The car still looks sweet, though.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 23, 2018, 03:49:51 PM
My fiancé has a 2018 Subaru Forester with the 2.5 Flat four.  For what it's worth I've found the off road capability to be adequate, really the best trait is that there is a ton of cargo room.  I got a 80 inch long grand father clock to fit with about an extra foot left to spare.  The 2.5 seems fine to me given how light the Forester is, I'm having a hard time seeing why it's bagged on so much.  The CVT seems okay but I haven't really tried it on a Hill with a huge grade yet. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: oscar on July 23, 2018, 04:13:14 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 23, 2018, 03:49:51 PM
My fiancé has a 2018 Subaru Forester with the 2.5 Flat four.  For what it's worth I've found the off road capability to be adequate, really the best trait is that there is a ton of cargo room.  I got a 80 inch long grand father clock to fit with about an extra foot left to spare.  The 2.5 seems fine to me given how light the Forester is, I'm having a hard time seeing why it's bagged on so much.  The CVT seems okay but I haven't really tried it on a Hill with a huge grade yet.

Compared to the sportier-looking Subaru Outback (longer but not as tall), the Forester does have that soccer-mom-mobile look to it, which might be why my sister got hers. At the Colorado hot springs resort I visited earlier this month, there were a lot of Outbacks (in keeping with Subaru's popularity with the hiking/outdoors community), but there were a few Foresters besides my own.

I had to travel about a dozen miles on unpaved county roads to get there and back. I was comfortable with that, though it helped that before the trip I had purchased a full-sized mounted spare, since the standard donut spare is probably pretty worthless on gravel. My next road trip might include a few hundred miles of gravel roads, which will be a better test of the Forester's bad-road capabilities.

I found the 2.5 engine and CVT adequate for mountain driving.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 23, 2018, 04:36:35 PM
Quote from: oscar on July 23, 2018, 04:13:14 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 23, 2018, 03:49:51 PM
My fiancé has a 2018 Subaru Forester with the 2.5 Flat four.  For what it's worth I've found the off road capability to be adequate, really the best trait is that there is a ton of cargo room.  I got a 80 inch long grand father clock to fit with about an extra foot left to spare.  The 2.5 seems fine to me given how light the Forester is, I'm having a hard time seeing why it's bagged on so much.  The CVT seems okay but I haven't really tried it on a Hill with a huge grade yet.

Compared to the sportier-looking Subaru Outback (longer but not as tall), the Forester does have that soccer-mom-mobile look to it, which might be why my sister got hers. At the Colorado hot springs resort I visited earlier this month, there were a lot of Outbacks (in keeping with Subaru's popularity with the hiking/outdoors community), but there were a few Foresters besides my own.

I had to travel about a dozen miles on unpaved county roads to get there and back. I was comfortable with that, though it helped that before the trip I had purchased a full-sized mounted spare, since the standard donut spare is probably pretty worthless on gravel. My next road trip might include a few hundred miles of gravel roads, which will be a better test of the Forester's bad-road capabilities.

I found the 2.5 engine and CVT adequate for mountain driving.

I've been meaning to try it on the Sierra Scenic Vista Byway which includes gravel and dirt segments.  New Irdia Road and Panoche Road are also on the short list for when the weather cools.  Personally I still prefer how the Forester looks over the Crosstrek.  Essentially there isn't much difference but the Crosstrek has styling that screamed Soccer Mom to me.  Either way it's pretty much perfect for my significant other.  I'm considering looking at an Impreza once the Sonic has reached the end of it's useful life to give me some breathing room on chain control zones in the winter.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: cjk374 on August 25, 2018, 12:56:17 PM
Well...I finally bit the bullet. I bought a new Challenger:

(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1848/30389024808_c700f93ef2.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NinGkA)The new car. (https://flic.kr/p/NinGkA) by Jess Kilgore (https://www.flickr.com/photos/130771900@N08/), on Flickr

Not exactly the color I would have chosen for myself, but when it is the lowest priced Challenger on the lot, you instantly become a fan of the color.  :bigass:

The note is $8 less per month than what I was paying for the other Challenger (2011). Same interest rate as before, so I will pay a little less for this one than I did for the last one.

It is just a plain-jane, no-frills SXT model. It had 80 miles on it, and they let me use it to pick up my wife from work...65 miles one way! I hope it will provide many miles of trouble-free road scholaring.

SO....can I interest anyone in a used 2000 Saturn SL1 or a 1998 Ford Ranger?   :biggrin:  Both are for sale at a VERY reasonable price!
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on August 25, 2018, 01:43:36 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on August 25, 2018, 12:56:17 PM
Well...I finally bit the bullet. I bought a new Challenger:

(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1848/30389024808_c700f93ef2.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NinGkA)The new car. (https://flic.kr/p/NinGkA) by Jess Kilgore (https://www.flickr.com/photos/130771900@N08/), on Flickr

Not exactly the color I would have chosen for myself, but when it is the lowest priced Challenger on the lot, you instantly become a fan of the color.  :bigass:

The note is $8 less per month than what I was paying for the other Challenger (2011). Same interest rate as before, so I will pay a little less for this one than I did for the last one.

It is just a plain-jane, no-frills SXT model. It had 80 miles on it, and they let me use it to pick up my wife from work...65 miles one way! I hope it will provide many miles of trouble-free road scholaring.

SO....can I interest anyone in a used 2000 Saturn SL1 or a 1998 Ford Ranger?   :biggrin:  Both are for sale at a VERY reasonable price!

Nice, how does it compare to the 2011?  I know both cars had the 3.6L but it felt like the fit, finish, and handling performance of the Challenger took a significant leap forward after the 2015 quasi-1971 model refresh.  I noticed there is some guy at the same gym as me that has a Plum Crazy Challenger but it's an SXT...I thought that was odd that all colors were on all trims now. 

Speaking of current cars despite my best efforts to keep a good 3-4 month detail on my daily driver Sonic the roof is starting to fade.  I'll probably be giving the top surface of the car a good spot buff later in the month but it's almost like putting lipstick on a pig with close 100k on the engine and a current assessed value of only $3,500-$4,000.  I'll probably be dropping collision coverage soon and saving the money up for a new car which should be coming up in about two years when I hit 150k.

To that end I was looking at the Impreza but I'm not sure how well the CVT will do on downhill slopes and I really don't want a manual for a daily driver.  To that end looks like I'll be shopping the Sub-Compact/Compact a little more than I have in the past.  Really my only stipulations are a light paint color and cruise control.  I really liked my 2012 Fiesta but I don't know how well the 2018 stacks up since I believe the transmission changed. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: cjk374 on August 25, 2018, 02:34:18 PM
So far it feels just like my 2011 Challenger when it comes to handling. The technology upgrade is the biggest change in 7 years. It has a back up camera in the spoiler, and a big in-dash screen (9 inches) with a crystal-clear picture. There are all kinds of buttons to push on the screen with the u-connect thing. I am not really a friend of technology, so I probably won't hardly use any of it.

Now there is something really cool in the options screen behind the steering wheel: a 0-60 timer & a braking distance gauge. Can't wait to try those out.

There was this environmental spray fee on my invoice for about $600. The dealership told me that on my car purchase anniversary for the next 3 years, they will spray on a new coat of clear coat on the car. I also get free oil changes for the next 2 years every 6000 miles.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on August 25, 2018, 06:32:39 PM
Do either of y'all get claustrophobic driving the Challenger? When I drove the Challenger and Camaro at my last job, I got it really bad. Sometimes gave me a headache.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on August 25, 2018, 06:41:13 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 25, 2018, 06:32:39 PM
Do either of y'all get claustrophobic driving the Challenger? When I drove the Challenger and Camaro at my last job, I got it really bad. Sometimes gave me a headache.

Definitely not in the Challenger but my fifth generation Camaro felt like I was riding some sort of gun slot.  The Camaro has all sorts of sight-lined; namely over the hood and straight out the back.  I used to back into places with my door open because the sight line was so bad out the back, definitely felt like the kind of car back up cameras were meant for.  There was also little to no head room and I'm only six feet tall. 

The Challenger on the other hand is a lot bigger car and feels like it inside. What I find interesting is that despite the size it's easy to tell where the hood ends due to the body slope up front.  I have a back up camera but usually stick to my mirrors back into my garage. 

What I found interesting was how comfortable the SXT Challenger was in Seattle.  I had no trouble getting into right parking spots with the sight lines.  The suspension was definitely more oriented towards ride comfort than my Scat Pack.  My SS Camaro had a really firm suspension that got tossed around really easily on bad roads. 

Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: cjk374 on August 25, 2018, 06:43:30 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 25, 2018, 06:32:39 PM
Do either of y'all get claustrophobic driving the Challenger? When I drove the Challenger and Camaro at my last job, I got it really bad. Sometimes gave me a headache.

It is the roomiest car I have ever owned. The driverside seat (electrically) slides all the way against the backseat.


Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 25, 2018, 01:43:36 PM
I noticed there is some guy at the same gym as me that has a Plum Crazy Challenger but it's an SXT...I thought that was odd that all colors were on all trims now.   

Plum crazy, black cherry, and the darker blue are beautiful on Challengers, but I too noticed these were assigned to trim packages. Maybe the guy at the gym special ordered his?
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on August 25, 2018, 06:44:53 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on August 25, 2018, 02:34:18 PM
So far it feels just like my 2011 Challenger when it comes to handling. The technology upgrade is the biggest change in 7 years. It has a back up camera in the spoiler, and a big in-dash screen (9 inches) with a crystal-clear picture. There are all kinds of buttons to push on the screen with the u-connect thing. I am not really a friend of technology, so I probably won't hardly use any of it.

Now there is something really cool in the options screen behind the steering wheel: a 0-60 timer & a braking distance gauge. Can't wait to try those out.

There was this environmental spray fee on my invoice for about $600. The dealership told me that on my car purchase anniversary for the next 3 years, they will spray on a new coat of clear coat on the car. I also get free oil changes for the next 2 years every 6000 miles.

The performance pages are an absolute blast to play with.  The best I've been able to do on my Scat Pack was 4.6 seconds to 60 but I definitely couldn't do better on good asphalt or a drag strip.  The U-Connect is actually pretty good but I don't find myself driving my Challenger enough to use it much...either way it's better than MyLink.  Mine actually has a launch control menu I've only had the chance to use twice so far. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on August 25, 2018, 06:47:39 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on August 25, 2018, 06:43:30 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 25, 2018, 06:32:39 PM
Do either of y'all get claustrophobic driving the Challenger? When I drove the Challenger and Camaro at my last job, I got it really bad. Sometimes gave me a headache.

It is the roomiest car I have ever owned. The driverside seat (electrically) slides all the way against the backseat.


Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 25, 2018, 01:43:36 PM
I noticed there is some guy at the same gym as me that has a Plum Crazy Challenger but it's an SXT...I thought that was odd that all colors were on all trims now.   

Plum crazy, black cherry, and the darker blue are beautiful on Challengers, but I too noticed these were assigned to trim packages. Maybe the guy at the gym special ordered his?

It's definitely made for a big person and the underpinning the E-Class are pretty obvious.  One of the people I work with out in Washington got an SXT just for the comfort of a big car.  I want to say Chrysler made all the special colors normal options on all trims.  I saw a Sublime Green SXT floating around the other day as well.  The colors might be a limited run still though. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on August 25, 2018, 06:55:06 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on August 25, 2018, 06:43:30 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 25, 2018, 06:32:39 PM
Do either of y'all get claustrophobic driving the Challenger? When I drove the Challenger and Camaro at my last job, I got it really bad. Sometimes gave me a headache.

It is the roomiest car I have ever owned. The driverside seat (electrically) slides all the way against the backseat.

I'm not saying it's not roomy. It's the size of a tank. But, the roof line is quite low, making the windows quite short. That was the problem I had. Felt like I was being closed in on.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: cjk374 on August 25, 2018, 07:01:05 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 25, 2018, 06:55:06 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on August 25, 2018, 06:43:30 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 25, 2018, 06:32:39 PM
Do either of y'all get claustrophobic driving the Challenger? When I drove the Challenger and Camaro at my last job, I got it really bad. Sometimes gave me a headache.

It is the roomiest car I have ever owned. The driverside seat (electrically) slides all the way against the backseat.

I'm not saying it's not roomy. It's the size of a tank. But, the roof line is quite low, making the windows quite short. That was the problem I had. Felt like I was being closed in on.

I understand what you mean now.  I am 6'4" tall, and I have my driver's seat all the way down and all the way back. The ceiling is just above my head to almost touching. Looking out the back windows before changing lanes can be a challenge as well. But I don't get claustrophobic.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on August 25, 2018, 07:13:14 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on August 25, 2018, 07:01:05 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 25, 2018, 06:55:06 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on August 25, 2018, 06:43:30 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 25, 2018, 06:32:39 PM
Do either of y'all get claustrophobic driving the Challenger? When I drove the Challenger and Camaro at my last job, I got it really bad. Sometimes gave me a headache.

It is the roomiest car I have ever owned. The driverside seat (electrically) slides all the way against the backseat.

I'm not saying it's not roomy. It's the size of a tank. But, the roof line is quite low, making the windows quite short. That was the problem I had. Felt like I was being closed in on.

I understand what you mean now.  I am 6'4" tall, and I have my driver's seat all the way down and all the way back. The ceiling is just above my head to almost touching. Looking out the back windows before changing lanes can be a challenge as well. But I don't get claustrophobic.

Dimension wise I'd say the Challenger has more in common size wise at 197 inches with the old Personal Luxury Couple segment versus the Pony Car segment.  The Challenger definitely dwarves the Camaro and Mustang in regards to size dimensions.  I almost feel small sitting in mine by myself sometimes, I shutter to think how it would feel in a 210-220 inch long cars that used to be fairly common place. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: cjk374 on August 25, 2018, 07:14:48 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 25, 2018, 07:13:14 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on August 25, 2018, 07:01:05 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 25, 2018, 06:55:06 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on August 25, 2018, 06:43:30 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 25, 2018, 06:32:39 PM
Do either of y'all get claustrophobic driving the Challenger? When I drove the Challenger and Camaro at my last job, I got it really bad. Sometimes gave me a headache.

It is the roomiest car I have ever owned. The driverside seat (electrically) slides all the way against the backseat.

I'm not saying it's not roomy. It's the size of a tank. But, the roof line is quite low, making the windows quite short. That was the problem I had. Felt like I was being closed in on.

I understand what you mean now.  I am 6'4" tall, and I have my driver's seat all the way down and all the way back. The ceiling is just above my head to almost touching. Looking out the back windows before changing lanes can be a challenge as well. But I don't get claustrophobic.

Dimension wise I'd say the Challenger has more in common size wise at 197 inches with the old Personal Luxury Couple segment versus the Pony Car segment.  The Challenger definitely dwarves the Camaro and Mustang in regards to size dimensions.  I almost feel small sitting in mine by myself sometimes, I shutter to think how it would feel in a 210-220 inch long cars that used to be fairly common place. 

And those old land yachts always felt like you were riding on a cloud. These newer cars don't even come close to that feel.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on August 25, 2018, 07:25:07 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on August 25, 2018, 07:14:48 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 25, 2018, 07:13:14 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on August 25, 2018, 07:01:05 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 25, 2018, 06:55:06 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on August 25, 2018, 06:43:30 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 25, 2018, 06:32:39 PM
Do either of y'all get claustrophobic driving the Challenger? When I drove the Challenger and Camaro at my last job, I got it really bad. Sometimes gave me a headache.

It is the roomiest car I have ever owned. The driverside seat (electrically) slides all the way against the backseat.

I'm not saying it's not roomy. It's the size of a tank. But, the roof line is quite low, making the windows quite short. That was the problem I had. Felt like I was being closed in on.

I understand what you mean now.  I am 6'4" tall, and I have my driver's seat all the way down and all the way back. The ceiling is just above my head to almost touching. Looking out the back windows before changing lanes can be a challenge as well. But I don't get claustrophobic.

Dimension wise I'd say the Challenger has more in common size wise at 197 inches with the old Personal Luxury Couple segment versus the Pony Car segment.  The Challenger definitely dwarves the Camaro and Mustang in regards to size dimensions.  I almost feel small sitting in mine by myself sometimes, I shutter to think how it would feel in a 210-220 inch long cars that used to be fairly common place. 

And those old land yachts always felt like you were riding on a cloud. These newer cars don't even come close to that feel.

Some of those power steering pumps so powerful that you could steer with your pinky.  I drove a 7th Gen Eldorado once at a car show for my brothers Step Dad, it had a bad pump on it.  I've never to wrench a car so hard hand over hand to even get it to turn slight.  I don't recall if it had a 425 or 500 but I think it was the former. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: abefroman329 on August 26, 2018, 02:59:08 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 25, 2018, 06:32:39 PM
Do either of y'all get claustrophobic driving the Challenger?
Not at all, though I never owned one, just rented one on several occasions. If anything, it felt like piloting a small speedboat, the sort JFK might have owned.

My wife and I are in love with the car, though the ship has probably sailed on ownership, since you probably can't fit a carseat in the back.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: cjk374 on August 26, 2018, 03:34:55 PM
According to the owners manual, it has anchors to hold a child seat in the car. Someone up front may not have much leg room.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Thing 342 on August 26, 2018, 04:31:53 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/iEmpzqQ.jpg)

I'm currently driving a 2008 Honda Accord EX-L with about 135K miles that I received from my dad in 2016 at about 105K (pictured above). While it's a solid machine that will likely go well past 200K with proper maintenance, it's also got a nagging oil burn problem and the leather interior is starting to tear, plus it lacks a lot of the nicer features found in newer cars.

I'll be graduating college largely debt-free (Thanks to a combination of savings, work-study, and penny pinching), so I'm interesting in getting even more debt a new car as a present to myself when I graduate in May. I'd prefer buying new, though would consider buying used for the right price. I'm currently looking at the newest generation of Accords, as well as the new Honda Insights (or one of the new Volvo XC40s if $10K suddenly fell into my lap :/), my budget largely predicated on where I can find a job after college.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on August 26, 2018, 05:13:52 PM
My former TSX, which has a slightly more aggressively tuned version of the same engine as that Accord, had the same oil burning problem. I didn't find it a big deal, just topped it off regularly. Interestingly, my TL is known to commonly have an oil-burning issue, but mine does not.

A recent photo of the TL, with a proper camera.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/elpugawraee20o86abp9.jpg)

And an in-depth review after a month of ownership:
https://oppositelock.kinja.com/2012-acura-tl-sh-awd-advance-the-oppositelock-review-1828569183
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: PHLBOS on August 26, 2018, 05:15:52 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 25, 2018, 07:25:07 PMI drove a 7th Gen Eldorado once at a car show for my brothers Step Dad, it had a bad pump on it.  I've never to wrench a car so hard hand over hand to even get it to turn slight.  I don't recall if it had a 425 or 500 but I think it was the former. 
For those that don't know; 7th Generation = '71-'78 vintage, which were well over 220 inches long; the '71-'76 models had the 500, the '77-'78 had the 425.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Thing 342 on August 26, 2018, 05:28:17 PM
Quote from: Takumi on August 26, 2018, 05:13:52 PM
My former TSX, which has a slightly more aggressively tuned version of the same engine as that Accord, had the same oil burning problem. I didn't find it a big deal, just topped it off regularly. Interestingly, my TL is known to commonly have an oil-burning issue, but mine does not.

A recent photo of the TL, with a proper camera.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/elpugawraee20o86abp9.jpg)

And an in-depth review after a month of ownership:
https://oppositelock.kinja.com/2012-acura-tl-sh-awd-advance-the-oppositelock-review-1828569183
What was the consumption rate of your TSX? I have to put another quart in my Accord every thousand miles or so. While it's not a huge expense ($8-ish every month or so won't break the bank) it's still something I'd rather not deal with.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: riiga on August 26, 2018, 05:35:01 PM
Quote from: Thing 342 on August 26, 2018, 04:31:53 PM
I'd prefer buying new, though would consider buying used for the right price. I'm currently looking at the newest generation of Accords, as well as the new Honda Insights (or one of the new Volvo XC40s if $10K suddenly fell into my lap :/), my budget largely predicated on where I can find a job after college.
Buy a 2 or 3 year old car with only one previous owner, preferably one with few miles. It will save you a lot of money, you'll get most of the new features, and if it's an Asian car the warranty will (most probably) still be there. No idea about each state, but if you're covered by laws for hidden defects (lemon law?) in used cars, it's about as safe as buying a new car.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on August 26, 2018, 06:00:14 PM
Quote from: PHLBOS on August 26, 2018, 05:15:52 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 25, 2018, 07:25:07 PMI drove a 7th Gen Eldorado once at a car show for my brothers Step Dad, it had a bad pump on it.  I've never to wrench a car so hard hand over hand to even get it to turn slight.  I don't recall if it had a 425 or 500 but I think it was the former. 
For those that don't know; 7th Generation = '71-'78 vintage, which were well over 220 inches long; the '71-'76 models had the 500, the '77-'78 had the 425.

I asked it was a 77 and therefore a 425. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: J N Winkler on August 26, 2018, 06:07:50 PM
My 1994 Saturn SL2 has the same oil-burning problem as virtually all other Saturn S-Series cars, which is the result of an engineering decision to accept slow drainback to mitigate the low film strength of the 5W-30 oils that were available in the late 1980's when the engine was being designed.  The slow drainback results in the oil heating up until it cokes and causes the piston rings to stick so that they sweep oil off the cylinder walls less efficiently.

I have managed to hold the consumption rate at 1500 MPQ by using synthetic oil with an extra-long oil filter (200 mL of added oil capacity) and deliberately overfilling the crankcase by 200 mL.  This gives me almost half a quart of working room before the oil goes below nominal full capacity, and I usually find myself topping off just before every second fillup (tank range is about 300 miles for mostly-city driving).

Four-bangers tend to be designed for high specific output, so I frankly don't trust them not to develop oil burning issues similar to my Saturn.  The other four-banger in the family, a 2009 Honda Fit, is starting to burn oil as well.  It used to get about 15,000 MPQ but at the last oil change this had gone down to about 10,000 MPQ, so I think it is time to start systematically overfilling the crankcase.  (There is not really enough room in front of the oil filter mount to use an extra-long filter.)

The 2005 Camry (roadtrip vehicle) has a V6 with zero observable oil consumption.  (There is some up-and-down fluctuation when I check the oil level, which I suspect is due to variation in how much oil ends up trapped in the VVT solenoid assemblies.)  I don't hear much about V6s burning oil, and the last V6 I owned (1986 Nissan Maxima) didn't seem to burn any oil even when it had more than 200,000 miles.  Meanwhile, Camry four-bangers (2AZ-FE engine) are notorious for burning oil.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on August 26, 2018, 09:12:48 PM
Quote from: Thing 342 on August 26, 2018, 05:28:17 PM
Quote from: Takumi on August 26, 2018, 05:13:52 PM
My former TSX, which has a slightly more aggressively tuned version of the same engine as that Accord, had the same oil burning problem. I didn't find it a big deal, just topped it off regularly. Interestingly, my TL is known to commonly have an oil-burning issue, but mine does not.

A recent photo of the TL, with a proper camera.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/elpugawraee20o86abp9.jpg)

And an in-depth review after a month of ownership:
https://oppositelock.kinja.com/2012-acura-tl-sh-awd-advance-the-oppositelock-review-1828569183
What was the consumption rate of your TSX? I have to put another quart in my Accord every thousand miles or so. While it's not a huge expense ($8-ish every month or so won't break the bank) it's still something I'd rather not deal with.
It was about the same, maybe a little less. I had it for a year and put about 9,000 miles on it, did one oil change and was about halfway to another when I traded it in. A quart per thousand is supposedly the threshold for normal use according to Honda and Acura.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: TheStranger on August 27, 2018, 12:53:49 AM
My 1997 Thunderbird I bought a year and a day ago:

(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1896/30426479198_9601f44ca8_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NmFEdW)r82517tbird (https://flic.kr/p/NmFEdW) by Chris Sampang (https://www.flickr.com/photos/csampang/), on Flickr

Got it at 82K miles, now at 95K miles.  (Also, many fixes later too lol)  I've explored some back roads in the Bay Area that I hadn't driven before (namely 84 west of 280, 35 between 92 and 84, and Skyline Boulevard in Oakland) in this thing, and have taken one long roadtrip so far (SF-Fresno).  Going to take it down to Monterey in a  few weeks en route to the Porsche weekend at Laguna Seca.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Thing 342 on August 27, 2018, 01:17:32 AM
Quote from: riiga on August 26, 2018, 05:35:01 PM
Quote from: Thing 342 on August 26, 2018, 04:31:53 PM
I'd prefer buying new, though would consider buying used for the right price. I'm currently looking at the newest generation of Accords, as well as the new Honda Insights (or one of the new Volvo XC40s if $10K suddenly fell into my lap :/), my budget largely predicated on where I can find a job after college.
Buy a 2 or 3 year old car with only one previous owner, preferably one with few miles. It will save you a lot of money, you'll get most of the new features, and if it's an Asian car the warranty will (most probably) still be there. No idea about each state, but if you're covered by laws for hidden defects (lemon law?) in used cars, it's about as safe as buying a new car.
Good advice, though most of the models I'm looking at ('18 Accord, '19 Insight, '19 VW Jetta) have received refreshes in the current model year.

I'm currently very interested in the newest generation of the VW Jetta. A fairly low starting MSRP plus heavy incentives from VW mean that you can pretty much get most of the major tech features of an Audi (such as the Digital Cockpit) in a roughly $24K package. VW certainly seem very keen on pushing this car towards millennials, as they bought up a lot of advertising during the World Cup during a time when sedans are pretty rapidly losing ground to small SUVs (a weak point in VW's lineup, IMO). The darn things are hard to find though, as I couldn't find a drivable one in the SEL trim anywhere in Hampton Roads, and the closest to me here in Blacksburg is an SEL Premium in Winston-Salem.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: J N Winkler on August 27, 2018, 10:51:33 AM
Quote from: Takumi on August 26, 2018, 09:12:48 PMIt was about the same, maybe a little less. I had it for a year and put about 9,000 miles on it, did one oil change and was about halfway to another when I traded it in. A quart per thousand is supposedly the threshold for normal use according to Honda and Acura.

There is enough variation in thresholds for normal oil consumption to prompt the suspicion that they are driven primarily by commercial considerations (specifically, the manufacturer's willingness to accept liability for repairs, traded off against goodwill for future purchases) rather than engineering.

*  Saturn S-Series:  acceptable oil consumption of 2000 MPQ, per a service bulletin issued to address the ring coking problem.  1500 MPQ is the breakpoint between two suggested remedies:  lower is treatable with a factory-approved piston soak procedure (people now use Kreen since GM's own chemical has been withdrawn from the market for environmental reasons), while higher requires disassembly for ring replacement.

*  Toyota Camry (2AZ-FE engine):  acceptable oil consumption of 1200 MPQ, per the terms of the extended warranty coverage for the oil-burning problem specific to this engine.  A sealed dipstick test is used to verify eligibility for repairs under warranty.

My personal view, having had to maintain an oil topoff regime for one car and design one for another, is that any observable oil consumption is too much.  The cylinder/ring aspect of the break-in process is still poorly understood, but since the 1920's at least automakers have known what design choices typically result in engines that offer good durability without noticeable oil consumption, so any engine that does burn oil is typically consciously engineered to do so.  I decline to endorse such decisions with my car-buying dollar.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on August 27, 2018, 01:40:04 PM
One contributor, at least for newer cars, is the comparatively thinner oils they use vs. older ones. On my TL, for example, there two engines, based on whether the car is FWD or AWD. The FWD version has a 3.5L V6 that takes 0w-20 oil from the factory, while my AWD TL has a 3.7L V6 that takes 5w-20 (also the same weight my TSX took). Reading on Acura forums, switching to 5w-30 in the AWD TL reduces oil burning but also lowers fuel economy. It's also worth noting that the 3.5 in the FWD version does not have the oil burning issue due to having a less complex variable valve timing system than the AWD, but I wanted the AWD version for its performance advantages, and, selfishly, its far more imposing factory exhaust note.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on September 02, 2018, 12:29:55 PM
Just swapped out my 2014 Chevy Sonic LT Turbo for a 2019 Subaru Impreza Sedan:

(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1874/44363029592_d59a6c0d6c_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2aAd87y)IMG_0289 (https://flic.kr/p/2aAd87y) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr

(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1858/30544257128_9ae81fcf68_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Nx6iuU)IMG_0290 (https://flic.kr/p/Nx6iuU) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr

(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1875/44363021522_0ab7421ae0_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2aAd5Hq)IMG_0295 (https://flic.kr/p/2aAd5Hq) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr

(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1887/44412978681_b6b34fe4e3_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2aEC8eK)IMG_0297 (https://flic.kr/p/2aEC8eK) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr

(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1856/44363018642_684397b168_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2aAd4RL)IMG_0299 (https://flic.kr/p/2aAd4RL) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr

Anyone who reads my posts on Pacific Southwest probably can gather I was after better dirt road and bad weather capability with AWD.  To that end I'll be ordering snow cables from the dealer later this week, it should mitigate some concerns I had with the Sonic in R2 chain control areas.

Aside from that I really wanted a compact sized car that had four-wheel disc brakes which the Impreza comes with.  The front discs are vented 10.9 inches while the rear are conventional 10.8 inch discs.  It definitely should help with the warping issues I had with the Sonic, even copious amounts of low gear didn't help at times. 

I like the feel of the Subaru flat-fours, but I will admit I can feel the difference in power between the 2.0 in the Impreza versus my fiance's 2.5 Forester.  Aside from that the only thing that I didn't like on the base model was hubcaps, I'll probably take them off to show the steelies.  I didn't really care to get additional options but I've heard good things about Subaru Eyesight.  The sedan is only 182.1 inches long which is plenty short enough that I didn't bother to pay the premium on the 175.6 inch long hatchback.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: cjk374 on September 02, 2018, 03:54:34 PM
Congrats on the new ride Max. The legroom looks like it is lacking....especially when compared to the Challenger. Is this true or is the picture just not doing the cab justice.

BTW...I like peanut M&Ms too.  :-D
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on September 02, 2018, 04:10:48 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on September 02, 2018, 03:54:34 PM
Congrats on the new ride Max. The legroom looks like it is lacking....especially when compared to the Challenger. Is this true or is the picture just not doing the cab justice.

BTW...I like peanut M&Ms too.  :-D

It's actually pretty comfortable.  I was sitting in the back being being driven around the block last night and there was some minor headroom issues.  Up front things are way more spacious than the Sonic was. 

Yes, I agree the Challenger feels like cavernous compared to the Impreza or Sonic...I would say it's more roomy than many SUVs up front. 

I was preparing to go into Costco after I bought the Impreza, there was no way I was dealing with those crowds on an empty stomach.  I prefer the peanut butter M&Ms but finding the small bag is difficult sometimes. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: J N Winkler on September 03, 2018, 11:43:40 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 02, 2018, 12:29:55 PMAside from that I really wanted a compact sized car that had four-wheel disc brakes which the Impreza comes with.  The front discs are vented 10.9 inches while the rear are conventional 10.8 inch discs.  It definitely should help with the warping issues I had with the Sonic, even copious amounts of low gear didn't help at times.

I wonder if that had to do with a low ratio of engine displacement to curb weight.  The vehicles I have taken into the mountains have generally had curb weights of 1000-1250 pounds per liter of engine displacement (1986 Nissan Maxima:  1046 lb/L; 1994 Saturn SL2:  1205 lb/L; 2005 Toyota Camry with V6: 1142 lb/L), though on a 2012 roadtrip to Colorado I obtained satisfactory control of speed on downgrades through engine braking alone from a vehicle with a much less favorable ratio (2009 Honda Fit:  1659 lb/L).  However, it seems yours was even further away from the ~1100 lb/L cluster (2014 Chevy Sonic LT:  2086 lb/L).

Probably the trickiest vehicle I have used for hill descents is the Saturn, which is not allowed on the Mount Washington auto road because it lacks a selectable 1 range.  However, it has satisfactorily handled Ebbetts Pass (maximum grade 26%, none sustained for significant length) and the Pikes Peak toll road (average grade about 7%, steep grades near summit manageable in 2 range with braking at hairpins only, instant clearance from brake-cooling "penalty box").
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on September 03, 2018, 12:10:17 PM
Quote from: J N Winkler on September 03, 2018, 11:43:40 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 02, 2018, 12:29:55 PMAside from that I really wanted a compact sized car that had four-wheel disc brakes which the Impreza comes with.  The front discs are vented 10.9 inches while the rear are conventional 10.8 inch discs.  It definitely should help with the warping issues I had with the Sonic, even copious amounts of low gear didn't help at times.

I wonder if that had to do with a low ratio of engine displacement to curb weight.  The vehicles I have taken into the mountains have generally had curb weights of 1000-1250 pounds per liter of engine displacement (1986 Nissan Maxima:  1046 lb/L; 1994 Saturn SL2:  1205 lb/L; 2005 Toyota Camry with V6: 1142 lb/L), though on a 2012 roadtrip to Colorado I obtained satisfactory control of speed on downgrades through engine braking alone from a vehicle with a much less favorable ratio (2009 Honda Fit:  1659 lb/L).  However, it seems yours was even further away from the ~1100 lb/L cluster (2014 Chevy Sonic LT:  2086 lb/L).

Probably the trickiest vehicle I have used for hill descents is the Saturn, which is not allowed on the Mount Washington auto road because it lacks a selectable 1 range.  However, it has satisfactorily handled Ebbetts Pass (maximum grade 26%, none sustained for significant length) and the Pikes Peak toll road (average grade about 7%, steep grades near summit manageable in 2 range with braking at hairpins only, instant clearance from brake-cooling "penalty box").

I actually managed Pikes Peak in a rental lacking a low gear selector a couple years ago by stopping every 2,500 feet to let it cool which worked out since I was taking photos of the downhill grades anyways.  The only roadway in the Sierras that I'm aware of that absolutely requires 2nd or 1st gear is Mineral King Road.  Most of the other roadways in the Sierras that have high grades don't have them sustained for very long but Mineral King lasts around 15-20% for several miles between 5,500 feet and 2,700 feet.  Mineral King Road actually has signage telling drivers which gear to select whereas State Highways in California only have such restrictions for truckers.  I found Ebbetts Pass on CA 4 to be probably the most difficult State Highway grade by a large margin, CA 108 was slightly higher at 26% but doesn't last very long.

To that end using low gear in the Sonic would yield about 15 MPH at 3,500 RPM in 1st and 25 MPH in 2nd.  Usually the roadways that would require 1st or 2nd weren't an issue given they were generally one or one and half lanes somewhere up in the Sierras.  3rd gear was a bigger issue because because it would easily go all the way up to red line if I let it due to the gear ratios and had minimal effect on engine braking the car.  I warped the brakes (which were obviously unvented) both times on a 8% grades which were on CA 63 south from CA 180 (which I suspect wasn't helped by the fact I had built up heat coming down CA 180) and CA 190 heading west down Towne Pass.  The only place I ever found 3rd gear all that useful was roads like Tioga Pass on CA 120, CA 89 south off of Monitor Pass, or the east end of CA 155 where 45-50 MPH could be sustained without much effort.

So in that regard the Impreza does have a low gear selector but I found it kind of lacking when I was doing a test drive.  Given I was using the low gear selector on a flat grade in a parking lot I'll be curious to see how it handles something like the Generals Highway if i can get out there this week.  If I were to compare I would say the low gear selector had a similar feel to 2nd gear in the Sonic, but again I'll have to try it in the real world to determine a feel better. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: J N Winkler on September 03, 2018, 03:16:43 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 03, 2018, 12:10:17 PMThe only roadway in the Sierras that I'm aware of that absolutely requires 2nd or 1st gear is Mineral King Road.  Most of the other roadways in the Sierras that have high grades don't have them sustained for very long but Mineral King lasts around 15-20% for several miles between 5,500 feet and 2,700 feet.  Mineral King Road actually has signage telling drivers which gear to select whereas State Highways in California only have such restrictions for truckers.  I found Ebbetts Pass on CA 4 to be probably the most difficult State Highway grade by a large margin, CA 108 was slightly higher at 26% but doesn't last very long.

I was very nervous about Ebbetts Pass before I drove it (in the Saturn, west to east) and ended up finding it somewhat anticlimactic.  There are actually three summits along the one-lane section, and the only drop I found worrisome was the sequence of hairpins from the third summit down to near Markleeville.  Mostly I stayed in 2 range and there were maybe just two or three places where the car was trying to run away from me.

My gold standard for difficult hill descent in California is Marin Avenue in Berkeley (https://www.google.com/maps/@37.8947947,-122.2651352,3a,75y,358.28h,94.91t/data=!3m5!1e1!3m3!1sVw0fFRZFajCLrbaWlqByxA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DVw0fFRZFajCLrbaWlqByxA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D191.08821%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100) (between Grizzly Peak Boulevard and the Arlington circle).  Grade is not posted, but is probably around 25%.  I have only ever attempted it in the 1986 Nissan Maxima, which came close to holding speed in 2nd on a cold engine (I had a friend who lived nearby on Grizzly Peak Blvd., so I ended up tackling the hill several times right after a cold start--in retrospect, not great for the bearings) but came close to running away in 1st on a warm engine.

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 03, 2018, 12:10:17 PMTo that end using low gear in the Sonic would yield about 15 MPH at 3,500 RPM in 1st and 25 MPH in 2nd.  Usually the roadways that would require 1st or 2nd weren't an issue given they were generally one or one and half lanes somewhere up in the Sierras.  3rd gear was a bigger issue because because it would easily go all the way up to red line if I let it due to the gear ratios and had minimal effect on engine braking the car.

All of the cars I have tackled hills with have been automatics, with four or five forward gears, and I never felt any of them offered much "bite" in terms of engine braking in 3rd gear.  Mountain roads designed for high operating speeds (~50 MPH) are more difficult anyway because there is less margin for error and also less tolerance of high side friction demand.

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 03, 2018, 12:10:17 PMI warped the brakes (which were obviously unvented) both times on a 8% grades which were on CA 63 south from CA 180 (which I suspect wasn't helped by the fact I had built up heat coming down CA 180) and CA 190 heading west down Towne Pass.

I have done the SR 63 "drop" down to Visalia as well as SR 190 over Towne Pass both ways, in the Saturn.  I think I dropped down all the way to 2 range for both.  I don't remember having to use the brakes to any significant extent.  My preference, if I have to choose, is to coast down in the highest gear that allows the car to hold a legal speed through engine braking alone, even if this results in the car settling down to a speed that is slightly less than the speed limit or the speed that would be chosen by following drivers with greater knowledge of the road or comfort with higher speeds.  (I try to turn out to allow such drivers to pass.)  When a car's transmission has fixed gear ratios and the driver is set on not using the brakes at all, there are inevitably some combinations of downhill grade and operating speed that are more inconvenient than others.

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 03, 2018, 12:10:17 PMSo in that regard the Impreza does have a low gear selector but I found it kind of lacking when I was doing a test drive.  Given I was using the low gear selector on a flat grade in a parking lot I'll be curious to see how it handles something like the Generals Highway if i can get out there this week.  If I were to compare I would say the low gear selector had a similar feel to 2nd gear in the Sonic, but again I'll have to try it in the real world to determine a feel better.

On downhill grades I suspect it will feel a lot like the 2009 Honda Fit, given the similar weight/displacement ratio (~1500 lb/L for the Subaru).  But much will depend on how the CVT is programmed to implement engine braking.  I gather you have six "manual gears" that are selectable through paddle shifters.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on September 03, 2018, 04:44:53 PM
It's actually just the standard shift over from "D"  to "L"  with no selectable gears.  To that end the engine starts to tug at 2,500 RPM when it hits about 20 MPH.  I'll see how it does hopefully this week, the Generals Highway at 8% downhill at 25 MPH should be a good analog. 

Really at the end of the day picking a car to pile 20,000-30,000 miles on a year that was on the affordable side but is somewhat capable will generally require a compromise somewhere.  To that end I plan on tackling some of the high grade Eastern Sierra roadways next summer, the vehicle at home I use is presently up in the air. 

That's interesting to see your accessment on Ebbetts, I always thought the third drop was the easiest and the drop Pacific Grade Summit was the worst. 

Speaking of the Bay Area there is a huge dip on Conzelman Road in the Marin Headlands that was way steeper than it looks.  There is a sign posted for 18%, it's actually featured on several car commercials.  The Bay Area in general has some massive grades, really the only other metro areas I recall being like that were Seattle, Duluth, and Pittsburg. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on September 03, 2018, 10:05:52 PM
Just got back from a 70 mile drive up California State Route 168 and Auberry Road.  CA 168 from Academy to Prather has a bunch of curves whereas Auberry Road has a brief 10% grade.  Here on my observations on the Impreza after spending some time in it mountain driving:

-  In regards to "L" selector on mountain grades it seems to kick down to the next ratio.  No matter the speed I was traveling it seemed like dropping from D to L would kick down to whatever was effective for engine braking.  Really my concerns were abated given I made the shifts at 20, 30, 35, and 40 MPH.  With 7 speeds on the CVT it seems like there is a lot to work with.

-  Holy crap the chassis is neutral.  I'm not sure how things were being aided by the AWD but I was able to pretty much take sharp curves any way I wanted.  I noticed there is hardly any body roll which is a substantial difference from the Sonic or even the Forester.  My Fiance's niece usually gets motion sick on 168 in the Sonic or Forester but was fine today.  I'd be interested to see a weight distribution chart on the Impreza, I haven't see one yet. 

-  Power is a little underwhelming heading up big grades which is a common complaint I've heard about the 2.0 flat four.  The torque curve seem to be pretty low in the rev band but rapidly disappears by 3,500 RPM comes around.  I'd be curious to see a dyno pull if I could find one online.  I did like the low end torque on the dirt roads in the Mono lands which really pushed well over rough terrain. 

-  The brakes were really solid with minimal input to stop the car or pivoting into a quick turn.  The vented front discs were very apparent on down hill grades as they didn't really heat up all much.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Throckmorton on September 12, 2018, 01:54:45 PM

I'm a little late for the party but, hey...you asked.

So, if it's not obvious, the car in these pictures is not mine. But my car looks exactly like this one except it has beige interior and license plates.


(https://s.aolcdn.com/dims-global/dims3/GLOB/legacy_thumbnail/788x525/quality/85/https://s.aolcdn.com/commerce/autodata/images/USC40VOC181F021001.jpg)

(https://s.aolcdn.com/dims-global/dims3/GLOB/legacy_thumbnail/788x525/quality/85/https://s.aolcdn.com/commerce/autodata/images/USC40VOC181F021006.jpg)

Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on September 13, 2018, 01:05:31 AM
👍👍

Nothing better than a Volvo wagon!
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: riiga on September 13, 2018, 11:32:27 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on September 13, 2018, 01:05:31 AM
👍👍

Nothing better than a Volvo wagon!
Seconded! 👍
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: lordsutch on September 13, 2018, 03:19:43 PM
Last month I traded in my 2009 Nissan Altima for a brand-new 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid (https://photos.app.goo.gl/G7zubdpYLhCPT9EA7) (full model information (https://automobiles.honda.com/clarity-plug-in-hybrid)).

I've been getting 45-50 miles on electric-only, and I can do most of my weekly driving on electric so my visits to the gas station have become pretty rare except on long trips: I've put just over 7 gallons in the car since August 20, and have gone over 1,000 miles in that time. I wouldn't even have needed that gas if there was a charging station at or near the campus I commute to twice a week.

I do need to stop every 3-4 hours on the Interstate to fill up (the tank only holds 7 gallons, and I get about 40 mpg on the highway when the batteries are "empty") but at my advancing age I really can't drive much further without needing a restroom break anyway.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Thing 342 on September 14, 2018, 01:16:50 PM
Quote from: Throckmorton on September 12, 2018, 01:54:45 PM

I'm a little late for the party but, hey...you asked.

So, if it's not obvious, the car in these pictures is not mine. But my car looks exactly like this one except it has beige interior and license plates.


(https://s.aolcdn.com/dims-global/dims3/GLOB/legacy_thumbnail/788x525/quality/85/https://s.aolcdn.com/commerce/autodata/images/USC40VOC181F021001.jpg)

(https://s.aolcdn.com/dims-global/dims3/GLOB/legacy_thumbnail/788x525/quality/85/https://s.aolcdn.com/commerce/autodata/images/USC40VOC181F021006.jpg)
Nice! I've been looking at Volvo wagons recently, and was wondering how they drive, as well as reliability.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on September 14, 2018, 08:15:34 PM
Quote from: Throckmorton on September 12, 2018, 01:54:45 PM

I'm a little late for the party but, hey...you asked.

So, if it's not obvious, the car in these pictures is not mine. But my car looks exactly like this one except it has beige interior and license plates.


(https://s.aolcdn.com/dims-global/dims3/GLOB/legacy_thumbnail/788x525/quality/85/https://s.aolcdn.com/commerce/autodata/images/USC40VOC181F021001.jpg)

(https://s.aolcdn.com/dims-global/dims3/GLOB/legacy_thumbnail/788x525/quality/85/https://s.aolcdn.com/commerce/autodata/images/USC40VOC181F021006.jpg)


With your username I would have assumed a skateboard as your primary transportation.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Throckmorton on September 14, 2018, 10:08:08 PM


Quote from: Takumi on September 14, 2018, 08:15:34 PM
With your username I would have assumed a skateboard as your primary transportation.

Perhaps I should have researched that before using it here. I just thought it was a geeky sounding name. Is there some embarrassing connotation connected with it? The skateboarders I see on YouTube are pretty sophomoric.

Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on September 15, 2018, 03:18:40 PM
Quote from: Throckmorton on September 14, 2018, 10:08:08 PM


Quote from: Takumi on September 14, 2018, 08:15:34 PM
With your username I would have assumed a skateboard as your primary transportation.

Perhaps I should have researched that before using it here. I just thought it was a geeky sounding name. Is there some embarrassing connotation connected with it? The skateboarders I see on YouTube are pretty sophomoric.


(https://pics.me.me/sorry-my-cousin-w-h-o-example-7-4-speed-at-28919748.png)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: MikieTimT on October 13, 2018, 11:37:22 PM
http://shiftinglanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/2013-WRX-Hatch-1-1024x713.jpg (http://shiftinglanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/2013-WRX-Hatch-1-1024x713.jpg)
Not my car, but looks the same except for no driving lights and sunroof.

Mine is a 2013 WRX base model with only the short throw shifter and factory cat back exhaust.  Don't really need anything else anyway.  Just adds weight and complexity and detracts from the driving experience.  Pretty fun to drive on twisty and hilly Arkansas 2-lanes.

Other vehicle is a 2000 Dodge 3500 4x4 extended cab diesel 6-speed manual.  Had a Lance 1161 camper that sat in the truck bed and made it look tiny and had a 4 ft. receiver extension so that I could pull the boat behind that as well.  Had Jacobs brake and running boards installed as well as spray on bed liner.  That setup held me, my wife, 2 dogs, and went all over pretty much every state west of the Mississippi and up into British Columbia, not to mention along all of the Gulf Coast states.  29 state stickers affixed to the back in all.  Camper died a tragic death in a tornado with me, my wife, 2 dogs, and newborn son 11PM one night, but we all made it out with some cuts and my newborn son taking a cabinet door across an eye when the camper collapsed from a tree falling on it while we were just turning in for bed.  We were starting to outgrow a truck camper as a family despite it being the nicest one available at the time.  Even had a slideout, which was unusual back then.

Wife has a 2006 Honda Odyssey.  I consider it her vehicle since it's an automatic and has no soul.  It is useful for road trips with the family and in-laws pulling a box trailer, though.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: corco on October 13, 2018, 11:53:01 PM
Quote from: MikieTimT on October 13, 2018, 11:37:22 PM
http://shiftinglanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/2013-WRX-Hatch-1-1024x713.jpg (http://shiftinglanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/2013-WRX-Hatch-1-1024x713.jpg)
Not my car, but looks the same except for no driving lights and sunroof.

Mine is a 2013 WRX base model with only the short throw shifter and factory cat back exhaust.  Don't really need anything else anyway.  Just adds weight and complexity and detracts from the driving experience.  Pretty fun to drive on twisty and hilly Arkansas 2-lanes.

Other vehicle is a 2000 Dodge 3500 4x4 extended cab diesel 6-speed manual.  Had a Lance 1161 camper that sat in the truck bed and made it look tiny and had a 4 ft. receiver extension so that I could pull the boat behind that as well.  Had Jacobs brake and running boards installed as well as spray on bed liner.  That setup held me, my wife, 2 dogs, and went all over pretty much every state west of the Mississippi and up into British Columbia, not to mention along all of the Gulf Coast states.  29 state stickers affixed to the back in all.  Camper died a tragic death in a tornado with me, my wife, 2 dogs, and newborn son 11PM one night, but we all made it out with some cuts and my newborn son taking a cabinet door across an eye when the camper collapsed from a tree falling on it while we were just turning in for bed.  We were starting to outgrow a truck camper as a family despite it being the nicest one available at the time.  Even had a slideout, which was unusual back then.

Wife has a 2006 Honda Odyssey.  I consider it her vehicle since it's an automatic and has no soul.  It is useful for road trips with the family and in-laws pulling a box trailer, though.

You have excellent taste in automobiles
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: MikieTimT on October 14, 2018, 02:19:12 PM
Quote from: corco on October 13, 2018, 11:53:01 PM
You have excellent taste in automobiles

Thanks!  I prefer to row my own and love to drive.  We're binge watching Dukes of Hazzard on Prime Video right now so that my kids can learn why daddy straightens the curves.  Not much hill flattening, but we do occasionally almost catch air on some of the Arkansas backroad tickle belly hills just to liven things up.

Do quite a bit of driving in my IT consulting business, but don't live up to the WRX stereotype since I don't vape.

The truck is for hauling large loads of household goods helping church families move around the area and also for hauling deer carcasses when I actually do get a chance to hunt these days.  The van is for hauling large quantities of humans, and the car is just for hauling ass.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on October 14, 2018, 02:29:12 PM
God bless you, sir. #savethemanuals

Drove a 6-speed Cummins Ram a few years back. I've never felt more American. Fuck it was cool
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: MikieTimT on October 14, 2018, 02:44:30 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on October 14, 2018, 02:29:12 PM
God bless you, sir. #savethemanuals

Drove a 6-speed Cummins Ram a few years back. I've never felt more American. Fuck it was cool

First gear is hardly used as on my truck with its gearing would redline at 15MPH.  4-Low it would redline at 7MPH.  Just used to get 6 tons worth of trailer moving.  Since I didn't have one, but had 4200 lbs. worth of truck camper in the bed, just really needed it to start up hills.  Even starting in 2nd gear on level ground without a load doesn't require giving it any gas to get things moving.  It is useful for ripping stumps out of the ground and leveling the occasional old barn, though.  Truck needs a new rear fender, paint job, steering wheel cover, dashboard, and seat cover, but the Cummins and New Venture Gear tranny still are rock solid.  Wife keeps asking me when we're going to stop spending money on keeping it going, but I just tell her that I could spend $10,000 on that truck to keep it going and not lose sleep.  The only new vehicle I ever bought in my life, only because you couldn't find a used diesel back in 2000.  That was 4 years before diesel got more expensive than gas.  A new replacement for that truck now would be just south of $70,000, twice what I paid for it back in the day.  I'd still trust it to go cross country, and one day we'll get a travel trailer to go behind it once I have a place to park one and the budget to swing it again.  Dang, 3 kids sure are expensive!  Sure will be glad when they start making a hand around here.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: kphoger on October 14, 2018, 04:38:36 PM
2006 Nissan Pathfinder SE 4WD
approx. 191k miles

(https://i.imgur.com/cIzSt8a.png)

This picture is from our 2017 summer vacation.  Monarch Pass, after having driven the last 570 miles with no pressure cap on the cooling system.  Oops.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on October 14, 2018, 05:29:42 PM
Quote from: MikieTimT on October 14, 2018, 02:44:30 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on October 14, 2018, 02:29:12 PM
God bless you, sir. #savethemanuals

Drove a 6-speed Cummins Ram a few years back. I've never felt more American. Fuck it was cool

First gear is hardly used as on my truck with its gearing would redline at 15MPH.  4-Low it would redline at 7MPH.  Just used to get 6 tons worth of trailer moving.  Since I didn't have one, but had 4200 lbs. worth of truck camper in the bed, just really needed it to start up hills.  Even starting in 2nd gear on level ground without a load doesn't require giving it any gas to get things moving.  It is useful for ripping stumps out of the ground and leveling the occasional old barn, though.  Truck needs a new rear fender, paint job, steering wheel cover, dashboard, and seat cover, but the Cummins and New Venture Gear tranny still are rock solid.  Wife keeps asking me when we're going to stop spending money on keeping it going, but I just tell her that I could spend $10,000 on that truck to keep it going and not lose sleep.  The only new vehicle I ever bought in my life, only because you couldn't find a used diesel back in 2000.  That was 4 years before diesel got more expensive than gas.  A new replacement for that truck now would be just south of $70,000, twice what I paid for it back in the day.  I'd still trust it to go cross country, and one day we'll get a travel trailer to go behind it once I have a place to park one and the budget to swing it again.  Dang, 3 kids sure are expensive!  Sure will be glad when they start making a hand around here.

I noticed the same behavior when I drove the Ram. Tried first gear the first time, realized it lasts for about half a second...never bothered again.

Diesel is still pretty cheap here in WA (same price at many stations at the moment). I have a Golf TDI, and made up the extra cost of the diesel engine within a year. Now I'm flying around with mid to upper 40s MPG. Too bad VW had to shoot themselves in the foot. I'd buy another VW diesel in a second. I mostly start in second when driving with others. Plenty of torque.

Keep it going! Alternatively, if you decide to abandon ship, at least you can still get a 3/4+ ton Ram with a manual these days. Obviously left over from the last refresh, but given it's class exclusivity, it might stick around for the next redesign. I couldn't possible afford such a truck myself (sounds like you couldn't either), so maybe the new half ton ecodiesel will give me my need-for-clatter, should I ever need a truck. Then again, I really only need something the size of the Colorado, so maybe its diesel would be sufficient.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: kphoger on October 15, 2018, 01:26:23 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on October 14, 2018, 05:29:42 PM
Quote from: MikieTimT on October 14, 2018, 02:44:30 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on October 14, 2018, 02:29:12 PM
God bless you, sir. #savethemanuals

Drove a 6-speed Cummins Ram a few years back. I've never felt more American. Fuck it was cool

First gear is hardly used as on my truck with its gearing would redline at 15MPH.  4-Low it would redline at 7MPH.  Just used to get 6 tons worth of trailer moving.  Since I didn't have one, but had 4200 lbs. worth of truck camper in the bed, just really needed it to start up hills.  Even starting in 2nd gear on level ground without a load doesn't require giving it any gas to get things moving.  It is useful for ripping stumps out of the ground and leveling the occasional old barn, though.  Truck needs a new rear fender, paint job, steering wheel cover, dashboard, and seat cover, but the Cummins and New Venture Gear tranny still are rock solid.  Wife keeps asking me when we're going to stop spending money on keeping it going, but I just tell her that I could spend $10,000 on that truck to keep it going and not lose sleep.  The only new vehicle I ever bought in my life, only because you couldn't find a used diesel back in 2000.  That was 4 years before diesel got more expensive than gas.  A new replacement for that truck now would be just south of $70,000, twice what I paid for it back in the day.  I'd still trust it to go cross country, and one day we'll get a travel trailer to go behind it once I have a place to park one and the budget to swing it again.  Dang, 3 kids sure are expensive!  Sure will be glad when they start making a hand around here.

I noticed the same behavior when I drove the Ram. Tried first gear the first time, realized it lasts for about half a second...never bothered again.

Diesel is still pretty cheap here in WA (same price at many stations at the moment). I have a Golf TDI, and made up the extra cost of the diesel engine within a year. Now I'm flying around with mid to upper 40s MPG. Too bad VW had to shoot themselves in the foot. I'd buy another VW diesel in a second. I mostly start in second when driving with others. Plenty of torque.

Keep it going! Alternatively, if you decide to abandon ship, at least you can still get a 3/4+ ton Ram with a manual these days. Obviously left over from the last refresh, but given it's class exclusivity, it might stick around for the next redesign. I couldn't possible afford such a truck myself (sounds like you couldn't either), so maybe the new half ton ecodiesel will give me my need-for-clatter, should I ever need a truck. Then again, I really only need something the size of the Colorado, so maybe its diesel would be sufficient.

I first learned about the unused low gear when I borrowed my friend's pickup to grab something from home during a track meet in high school.  He asked if I could drive stickshift, and I said yes.  He owned a 1971 Dodge Ram, and I learned stick in a Toyota Camry.  Not at ALL the same!  Took me about five minutes to back out of the parking space, too.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: MikieTimT on October 15, 2018, 09:54:38 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 15, 2018, 01:26:23 PM
I first learned about the unused low gear when I borrowed my friend's pickup to grab something from home during a track meet in high school.  He asked if I could drive stickshift, and I said yes.  He owned a 1971 Dodge Ram, and I learned stick in a Toyota Camry.  Not at ALL the same!  Took me about five minutes to back out of the parking space, too.

The amount of gas applied and when and how much clutch release is completely different between a Cummins 6-speed and a WRX 5-speed.  Comes down to the prodigious torque of the Cummins.  Unloaded, you can't really kill the truck with poor footwork, but you sure can with a gas 4-cylinder.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Paulinator66 on October 16, 2018, 03:34:07 PM
https://www.flickr.com/photos/137981280@N02/31546353490/in/album-72157660881978407/ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/137981280@N02/31546353490/in/album-72157660881978407/)My truck
https://www.flickr.com/photos/137981280@N02/27232472258/in/album-72157667623115449/ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/137981280@N02/27232472258/in/album-72157667623115449/)My car  #savethemanuals
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: kphoger on October 16, 2018, 03:41:15 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on October 14, 2018, 02:29:12 PM
#savethemanuals

Quote from: Paulinator66 on October 16, 2018, 03:34:07 PM
#savethemanuals

I don't understand why anyone would throw the manual away.
I read my car's manual from cover to cover when I bought it.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: kphoger on October 16, 2018, 03:43:36 PM
Quote from: J N Winkler on September 03, 2018, 11:43:40 AM
the Saturn ... lacks a selectable 1 range.

This is probably the most annoying feature an automatic can have, in my opinion.  I'd say 70% of the time I need to select a gear other than 'D', I need low gear only.  20% would be selecting '2', and the remaining 10% would be selecting something higher.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: J N Winkler on October 16, 2018, 03:50:18 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 16, 2018, 03:41:15 PMI don't understand why anyone would throw the manual away.  I read my car's manual from cover to cover when I bought it.

#SaveThePDFFactoryServiceManuals

Quote from: kphoger on October 16, 2018, 03:43:36 PM
Quote from: J N Winkler on September 03, 2018, 11:43:40 AMthe Saturn ... lacks a selectable 1 range.

This is probably the most annoying feature an automatic can have, in my opinion.  I'd say 70% of the time I need to select a gear other than 'D', I need low gear only.  20% would be selecting '2', and the remaining 10% would be selecting something higher.

I think the mix for me would be more like 34% 3 range, 65% 2 range, and 1% 1 range in the vehicles I have driven that were equipped with ranges selectable all the way down to first gear.  But I drive almost exclusively on paved roads and use lower gear ranges primarily to avoid pedal input (either brakes or accelerator) while descending hills.  I hardly ever downshift for launch on slick surfaces, for example.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: kphoger on October 16, 2018, 03:57:01 PM
Quote from: J N Winkler on October 16, 2018, 03:50:18 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 16, 2018, 03:43:36 PM
Quote from: J N Winkler on September 03, 2018, 11:43:40 AMthe Saturn ... lacks a selectable 1 range.

This is probably the most annoying feature an automatic can have, in my opinion.  I'd say 70% of the time I need to select a gear other than 'D', I need low gear only.  20% would be selecting '2', and the remaining 10% would be selecting something higher.

I think the mix for me would be more like 34% 3 range, 65% 2 range, and 1% 1 range in the vehicles I have driven that were equipped with ranges selectable all the way down to first gear.  But I drive almost exclusively on paved roads and use lower gear ranges primarily to avoid pedal input (either brakes or accelerator) while descending hills.  I hardly ever downshift for launch on slick surfaces, for example.

For me... if it's not pure ice or a downgrade steep enough to burn up my brakes, then I generally just leave it in 'D'.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on October 16, 2018, 04:52:34 PM
Speaking of current cars and low gears, I did have an opportunity to test my low gear selector on my Impreza over the Sierras this past weekend.  Overall I came out pretty pleased, shifting from D to L often had me the correct gear to ride down 5-9% grades without having to touch my brakes.  The vented front discs and rear discs were a massive improvement over the disc/drum set up in my previous Sonic.  I hit roads like; CA 88, CA 89, NV 431, I-80, and CA 20 on this past trip which all has sustained grades.  Coupled with the results I got on CR J37 last month I'm pretty happy with what I have.  The suspension oddly cushions bumping and/or dirt roads in a way that almost felt truck like, way more soft of a ride than I'm used to. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on October 16, 2018, 08:19:43 PM
How does the CVT work with low gears? Emulation?
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on October 16, 2018, 08:25:23 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on October 16, 2018, 08:19:43 PM
How does the CVT work with low gears? Emulation?

Apparently it has 7 speeds and kicks it down to the next lowest when you shift into L.  Some Subaru's also have a multimatic function with the CVT.  I went bargain basement on my car and got the base model.   
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on October 16, 2018, 08:50:47 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 16, 2018, 08:25:23 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on October 16, 2018, 08:19:43 PM
How does the CVT work with low gears? Emulation?

Apparently it has 7 speeds and kicks it down to the next lowest when you shift into L.  Some Subaru's also have a multimatic function with the CVT.  I went bargain basement on my car and got the base model.

I usually go for the same thing, although usually that means 'manual'.

Is the shifter leather-wrapped? I seem to remember the old Subie auto shifters having a lot of plastic.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on October 16, 2018, 09:20:31 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on October 16, 2018, 08:50:47 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 16, 2018, 08:25:23 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on October 16, 2018, 08:19:43 PM
How does the CVT work with low gears? Emulation?

Apparently it has 7 speeds and kicks it down to the next lowest when you shift into L.  Some Subaru's also have a multimatic function with the CVT.  I went bargain basement on my car and got the base model.

I usually go for the same thing, although usually that means 'manual'.

Is the shifter leather-wrapped? I seem to remember the old Subie auto shifters having a lot of plastic.

Mine is wrapped in vinyl.  I thought about a manual but they had the base car on the lot with the CVT which was fine with me once I was convinced on the test drive the L shift would function adequately for low gear.  I was a little surprised that the Impreza still can be bad with hubcaps.  There are some Subaru oddities still like the car not locking automatically and certain lights having to be switched on/off. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: 7/8 on November 26, 2019, 05:49:13 PM
As of today, I have a 2016 VW Golf GTI! It's my first car purchase and I'm very excited :).

Also, I just noticed that my new licence plate matches my area code.

(https://i.imgur.com/lUwWXSTl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/SDXQmZdl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/v1RU1xJl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/LijFFdsl.jpg)
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: ozarkman417 on November 26, 2019, 09:52:10 PM
Had I known this thread existed (and if it didn't require a one year bump), I would have simply put some pictures of my hand-me-down car that I put here (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=25657.0) instead.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on November 26, 2019, 11:13:55 PM
Quote from: 7/8 on November 26, 2019, 05:49:13 PM
As of today, I have a 2016 VW Golf GTI! It's my first car purchase and I'm very excited :).

Also, I just noticed that my new licence plate matches my area code.

Niiice! 15-year-old me would have compained about the decision to go DSG, but given the lack of interest in small cars generally, I'm happy to see anyone in a Golf (or, hell, any small car), no matter what transmission.

I'm currently very interested in the next GTI (to replace my Mk7 TDI), or perhaps the ID Space Vizzion (an electric wagon), whenever that comes to fruition.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: 7/8 on November 27, 2019, 07:19:26 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on November 26, 2019, 11:13:55 PM
Quote from: 7/8 on November 26, 2019, 05:49:13 PM
As of today, I have a 2016 VW Golf GTI! It's my first car purchase and I'm very excited :).

Also, I just noticed that my new licence plate matches my area code.

Niiice! 15-year-old me would have compained about the decision to go DSG, but given the lack of interest in small cars generally, I'm happy to see anyone in a Golf (or, hell, any small car), no matter what transmission.

I'm currently very interested in the next GTI (to replace my Mk7 TDI), or perhaps the ID Space Vizzion (an electric wagon), whenever that comes to fruition.

Haha, my 23-year old brother is disappointed I didn't go manual. I did think about it, but I know my other family members will need to use it from time to time and only my Dad can drive a stick shift. Also, I wasn't sure if I wanted to commit to a manual, since I've only driven my brother's car a few times. At least this has the option to use paddle shifters (though my brother would still say it's not the same lol).

Personally I think the car size is right for what I need, since I usually drive solo anyway, but the back seats are still good for fitting 4 people. It also fits in the garage, which is crucial  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Henry on November 27, 2019, 09:35:02 AM
It's now been six months since I bought my 2019 Equinox, and I love it! While I miss my old Tahoe, I'm glad that I made my decision to downsize to something more economic that can still fit my road-trip needs.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: crt08 on December 31, 2019, 05:37:29 PM
A year ago I got a new to me car, which is a 2016 Ford Taurus Limited. Only had 13k miles on it, now it has 21k.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on February 29, 2020, 10:46:57 PM
Well, I've acquired two more project cars since the last time I was here.

First off, I got a 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT back in August. It was free...it's been sitting for a long, long time. Inspection sticker was dated 2002.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/piztj0fjkrnnbkd25t21.jpg)

It's a very long term project, since it needs absolutely everything, but I'm planning to put a supercharged Buick 3800 in it and do track days with it. Someday.

Second project car is a 2004 Lexus GS300, bought in December, which I've recently rebadged under its Japanese identity, the Toyota Aristo.
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/jdvbljhwmrghclypp3et.jpg)

Plans for it are a little less ambitious than the Fiero, given that it actually runs and drives. Plans are to upgrade the suspension, then go turbo on the engine. I may buy another engine to do that.

Still have my TL and Preludes, though I'm planning on selling the latter.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on February 29, 2020, 11:37:36 PM
^^^

Even a naturally aspirated later Buick 3.8L would be a screamer in that Fiero. 

The new issue of MotorTrend came in a couple days ago, almost all of it is about electrics and hybrids.  I still not finding very much interest personally given the price and limited range but they do seem to be finally edging to the mainstream. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Takumi on March 01, 2020, 01:10:43 AM
Yeah, I just feel like if I'm doing all the work needed to get a 3800 to fit into a Fiero, I might as well get the L67. I could always go a bit simpler and get a 3.4, but that's not as fun and I don't like the sound as much. The GS is kind of me getting my feet wet working on cars again as it's been a good 5 years since I've done that regularly. It has most of the common GS problems, which are all relatively simple but time-consuming fixes. I just wanted an FR Toyota for a few years, and the GS was really the last affordable example aside from the sensory deprivation chamber that is the LS400. Plus those 2JZs will fly...
https://youtu.be/vRKWIpXScPE
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: TravelingBethelite on March 01, 2020, 12:31:21 PM
My last car needed too much work to be worth my while to keep. I've switched now to an '04 Hyundai Elantra GT hatchback. Bright blue paint job, which I love (super easy to find in the parking lot). My one gripe is that 2.0 I4 it has under the hood can seem a little under-powered at times. You have to give it a lot of gas to get up to highway speed. That said, I can't complain about its gas mileage. It's averaging 32 to 33 mpg in the month or so I've had it. Currently has about 173.5 k on it and I hope to put a lot more on it. 4-speed automatic does the job, because I can't be arsed to learn stick.

EDIT: can someone explain to me the popularity of manuals among the car enthusiast community?
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on March 01, 2020, 12:47:20 PM
Quote from: TravelingBethelite on March 01, 2020, 12:31:21 PM
My last car needed too much work to be worth my while to keep. I've switched now to an '04 Hyundai Elantra GT hatchback. Bright blue paint job, which I love (super easy to find in the parking lot). My one gripe is that 2.0 I4 it has under the hood can seem a little under-powered at times. You have to give it a lot of gas to get up to highway speed. That said, I can't complain about its gas mileage. It's averaging 32 to 33 mpg in the month or so I've had it. Currently has about 173.5 k on it and I hope to put a lot more on it. 4-speed automatic does the job, because I can't be arsed to learn stick.

EDIT: can someone explain to me the popularity of manuals among the car enthusiast community?

Until recent memory cars with manuals were quicker and got better gas mileage.  That largely has gone away with computer controlled transmissions and extra gears.  Manuals for the most part used to be cheaper slightly than automatics but that trend has begun to reverse.  In the driving enthusiast crowd they tend to believe driving a manual makes you a more skilled driver...I find that notion laughable given how many of those people roast clutches. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: riiga on March 01, 2020, 01:00:27 PM
Quote from: TravelingBethelite on March 01, 2020, 12:31:21 PM
EDIT: can someone explain to me the popularity of manuals among the car enthusiast community?
Traditionally manuals are cheaper (a broken automatic is very expensive to fix) and have better mileage while also giving you more control of the car since you decide what gear to use. Manuals are also better suited for slopes, get unstuck from snow or mud, etc. Now, modern automatics are quite good and when they have more gears than a manual the mileage could be even better than driving stick. With the eventual phase-out of the internal combustion engine in favor of electric cars, the manual will probably go away as electric motors provide linear power and thus don't use gears so all you need is a switch between P/N, D and R.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: J N Winkler on March 01, 2020, 01:31:21 PM
Quote from: TravelingBethelite on March 01, 2020, 12:31:21 PMEDIT: can someone explain to me the popularity of manuals among the car enthusiast community?

Being able to work a manual is associated with greater fluency in driving.  It also gives you more options for dealing with low-traction conditions (e.g., ice on a hill).  In some jurisdictions, passing a driving test with a manual is necessary to obtain a driving license that is not restricted to automatics only.  A car with a manual is considered harder to steal because potential thieves are less likely to know how to drive it (stick shift = "millennial anti-theft device"), and in many model lines is considered a better candidate for a high-mileage fixer-upper because the clock can be reset on a lot of abuse under previous owners simply by replacing the clutch.

Aside from that, there are few real advantages over automatics now that the latter are more likely to come with higher counts of forward gears.  A well-designed automatic will also last forever if it is well maintained, which typically involves either frequent fluid changes or the use of very shear-stable (usually full-synthetic) fluids to limit viscosity loss in service.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on March 01, 2020, 01:42:05 PM
I actually did try to find a manual Impreza on the lot when I bought my 2019, all they had was automatics.  I do a lot of driving with big down hill grades in the Sierras which would have made the manual useful.  The emulated low gear function works fine but I have to trick the computer to staying in its lowest ratio by coming to a stop.  Fortunately the roads I tend to frequent really can be driven safely over 10-15 MPH anyways so it hasn't been a big deal.  For reference the automatic Imprezas are CVTs.

Surprisingly my Challenger loves to Coast in lower gears down hill.  The Challenger has a gear selector which gives it just as much functionality on steep downhill grades as a manual. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on March 01, 2020, 04:09:45 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 01, 2020, 01:42:05 PM
The Challenger has a gear selector which gives it just as much functionality on steep downhill grades as a manual.

I've always found those manual selectors to be more likely to ignore your inputs and change gear anyway. Those in larger trucks, off-roading vehicles, and relatively-expensive sports cars seem quite happy to lend you full control and will stay in the gear you ask (probably a good thing when towing or rock-climbing). But then again, my manual sure as hell won't change gear on its own, so all they've done is make it "as good" as a manual. Personally, apart from very specific situations, I would never use manual modes on a vehicle, simply because the automatic is good enough for 99% of situations.

Quote from: J N Winkler on March 01, 2020, 01:31:21 PM
A car with a manual is considered harder to steal because potential thieves are less likely to know how to drive it (stick shift = "millennial anti-theft device")

At this point, automatics have been prevalent for so many years that it's not just millennials, but a good chunk of everyone. Manual sales dipped sharply between the early 90s and early 2000s, and declined slowly after that; the earliest millennials (born 1981) had barely left primary school when the trend started. Further, it's not like it's easy for us to find them. Most millennials I know simply drive automatics because manuals are so hard to find. Many of us actually want to know how to drive manual, but where do you learn apart from driving off the lot in one? That's how I ended up learning.

Just to show how much things have changed: when I bought my Golf TDI in the Seattle area in 2015 (nearing the end of regular TDI sales), more than half of the TDIs on the lot (apart from the Touareg) were manual -- it was a very popular combination -- but, returning to look at cars during services, manuals are nowhere near as popular with the gas engine. The only time I really see manuals now are at "urban" dealers (those deep within the city, such as Carter VW or University VW, both in tightly-packed urban areas of Seattle), where they still make up a sizeable chunk (about 1/3, judging by inventory) of Golf Alltrack sales. Even that trend seems limited to "outdoorsy" metro areas, such as Seattle, Portland, or the Northeast.




I would also like to point out that driving is not "fun" for most Americans, but rather a chore. We have to drive for most things, depending on where we live. Never mind traffic. What's the advantage of a manual in traffic, when an average American's wage will pay for the option of an automatic?
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on March 01, 2020, 04:27:58 PM
Regarding manual mode the Challenger seems to be willing to let you hold gear until redline.  I don't know if you can actually push it beyond redline in manual mode but I would speculate without reading the manual that the answer is no.

The Impreza even in low ratio seems pretty willing to staying there until you shift back to drive.  I kind of speculate that probably has something to do with the whole dirt road mission statement that seems to go hand in hand with Subaru more than anything.  My Sonic would fight me to shift to the next gear in manual mode around 3,500-4,000 RPM.  Granted I don't think GM had places like the 24% downhill grade in mind when they were building the Sonic...at least in anything that wasn't an RS. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Paulinator66 on March 03, 2020, 03:12:57 PM
Quote from: TravelingBethelite on March 01, 2020, 12:31:21 PM
EDIT: can someone explain to me the popularity of manuals among the car enthusiast community?

I've had at least one vehicle with a manual transmission in my "fleet" for the last 30 years and I've noticed that, until recently, there were 4 main reasons why people chose a manual over an automatic transmission:

The advantages in #1, #2, and #3 have been largely been erased by today's modern automatics.  Which is why automatics are gaining in popularity. However, #4 will never be negated.  It'll always be more engaging to drive a manual than an automatic and, no, paddle shifters aren't good enough. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on March 03, 2020, 03:27:58 PM
^^^

I'd counter point four in traffic.  "Engaging"  quickly becomes annoying and frustrating in urban traffic.  Driving a manual in urban surface traffic and large hills can be brutalizing in terms of frustration. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: 1995hoo on March 03, 2020, 04:28:13 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 03, 2020, 03:27:58 PM
^^^

I'd counter point four in traffic.  "Engaging"  quickly becomes annoying and frustrating in urban traffic.  Driving a manual in urban surface traffic and large hills can be brutalizing in terms of frustration. 

Funny, it's never bothered me in the least. I've had a driver's license since 1989 and my "permanent address" has been in the DC area for that entire time ("permanent" denoting I did spend four years attending college in Charlottesville and three attending law school in Durham), and every car I've ever owned has been a manual. Driving a manual in heavy traffic has never bothered me at all. My left leg doesn't get fatigued from the clutch so much as my right leg gets fatigued from being on the brake all the time, but that would happen with an automatic as well.

When I drive my wife's automatic-shift car, I sometimes use the paddle shifters, especially going uphill, and what irks me is that it doesn't hold the gear I just selected for long enough.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: Max Rockatansky on March 03, 2020, 05:02:54 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on March 03, 2020, 04:28:13 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 03, 2020, 03:27:58 PM
^^^

I'd counter point four in traffic.  "Engaging"  quickly becomes annoying and frustrating in urban traffic.  Driving a manual in urban surface traffic and large hills can be brutalizing in terms of frustration. 

Funny, it's never bothered me in the least. I've had a driver's license since 1989 and my "permanent address" has been in the DC area for that entire time ("permanent" denoting I did spend four years attending college in Charlottesville and three attending law school in Durham), and every car I've ever owned has been a manual. Driving a manual in heavy traffic has never bothered me at all. My left leg doesn't get fatigued from the clutch so much as my right leg gets fatigued from being on the brake all the time, but that would happen with an automatic as well.

When I drive my wife's automatic-shift car, I sometimes use the paddle shifters, especially going uphill, and what irks me is that it doesn't hold the gear I just selected for long enough.

It's probably just a preference thing...or my overwhelming disdain of commuting and traffic jams.  I mostly drove stick on AZ 101 when it opened and a lot of the luster of a manual was lost slamming through gears on bumper to bumper traffic.  I'm glad that's what I learned on, I do agree with the opinion that learning how to shift manually makes one a better driver. 
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: jakeroot on March 03, 2020, 05:59:05 PM
I usually just find a semi to sit behind in traffic. Manual + traffic is probably something that no one loves, but few true enthusiasts actively hate either. 30 years ago, I think you saw more "I can't wait to get rid of this manual...I hate traffic"; now, it's more "I want a manual, and I really don't care about traffic". At least for me, life is bigger than sitting in traffic. 90% of the time, I'm driving in free-flow conditions. I'm not going to buy an automatic for that 10%.
Title: Re: Your current car!
Post by: formulanone on March 03, 2020, 07:27:51 PM
Quote from: Paulinator66 on March 03, 2020, 03:12:57 PM
Quote from: TravelingBethelite on March 01, 2020, 12:31:21 PM
EDIT: can someone explain to me the popularity of manuals among the car enthusiast community?

I've had at least one vehicle with a manual transmission in my "fleet" for the last 30 years and I've noticed that, until recently, there were 4 main reasons why people chose a manual over an automatic transmission:

  • Manuals are more fun.  Driving a manual engages you more completely than an automatic.  It connects you with the car in a more personal way. You feel more like a part of the whole mechanism that is propelling the car forward.

This is pretty much the main reason left to drive a manual. I still enjoy a manual transmission and clutch in a world of reduced tactile control and automation of everyday objects. Another reason is that gear choices are left to the driver's discretion, which is preferable for climbing or descending hills and tackling corners. Another preference that's long gone is that you used to have 3 or 4 forward gears in the 'box, whereas a 5-speed was an increase in either acceleration performance or fuel economy (depending on the gear ratios).

Automatics vary a lot in shift control and logic; some are more responsive or designed for driver input than others, though far from ubiquitous. I'll concede that much as improved over the years. Some also allow a range of drive modes from sporty to economical, others seem to have selections of forward, low, and reverse. Even CVTs are starting to mimic a variety of driver habits, instead on one-gear-fits-all.

Here's my '09 Scion xD, 96K on the clock and hasn't missed a beat:

(https://live.staticflickr.com/829/41820916421_299ae61954_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26Hz8r8)