What kind of car do you drive?

[webfil]

I mostly drive minivans.

Family car : 2004 Pontiac Montana Long wheelbase, 155 000 mi. Awesome powerful vehicle, good fuel consumption (17-23 MPG) good storage, also used as a camper (when 3rd seat row down), «minibus» (8 seating) and pickup truck (can handle electrical appliances, a student (large) dormroom content, construction material (dozens of 4'x8' plywood or gyproc panels), etc. Excellent radio system, independant rear heating/vent control, good lighting (vs. Dodge), good electrical system.

Working cars :
-2003 and 2005 SWB Dodge Caravan. The V6 3.3 L is pretty weak, but has a good fuel consumption (17-26 MPG), ok storage. Made about 10-15k miles this summer with those vehicle and got a sore back, the seating lacks of lumbar support. My first choice.
-2009 Dodge Journey, which has a weak |4 engine, combined with inadequate 4-speed automatic transmission, poor rear visibilty and mediocre storage. Bad, very bad lever commands disposition (e.g. turning on the headlights makes you unwantedly almost everytime spread loads of winshield washer, among others). The radio is awesome. I already miss SWB Caravans.
-2005 Hyundai Accent. Excellent car in the city, for its incredible cornering and parking capabilities (I'm used to parallel-park full-size minivans). Good acceleration when entering the freeway. Rust resistance seems to be an issue.

@Truvelo : I wish we could have that Diesel version of the Fusion (American Mondeo) down here... In fact, I wish we had diesel Fords all the way, especially Transit Connect with that 1.8L turbodiesel engine. Would be a great work vehicle.

[Alex]

1999 Dodge Avenger, 163000+ miles. Owned it since May of 2005 with 72,000 miles on it then. It clinched most of I-80 en route to San Diego and most of I-10 en route to Tampa. Was doing 20,000 miles a year in it, but now it mainly sits in the garage now, as I rent cars for major road trips. Had to put $2000 of work into it at the end of 2007, tie rod replacement, etc. etc. Looking to replace it this year, but no real urgency to do so. Car still runs well, but needs some work on the rotors and such.

Have used synthetic oil for years, and the most recent change used the oil rated for 15,000 miles.

Before that I had a 1994 Cavalier that I drove til 152,000 miles, it clinched all of I-70 on the way to San Diego in 2004.

[Takumi]

<shrugs> She didn't like the Prelude. She liked the RSX. We were originally planning to test-drive a Mazda RX-8, but when she got into the driver's seat she decided she didn't care for it. Actually she originally wanted a Mini Cooper, and we test-drove one and both enjoyed it, but I insisted we look at other cars before making a final decision and when we found the RSX it was an easy decision to go for that one. The thing I disliked about the Mini was that the moonroof shade was not opaque—it was a mesh screen that still let the sun through. It was entirely too warm in the car in mid-May, so I was quite concerned about how hot it would be in August. (Car and Driver had the same gripe about the Mini when they did a long-term test.) Sure was a fun little car, but the RSX is nicer and more practical. That DOHC engine can be a lot of fun when you open it up.

I can understand that. Preludes are more cramped than an RSX and harder to get parts for. I chose this Prelude because it has an engine from a Japanese Prelude Type-S (~220 hp stock) which was what i had in mind for a future project car. I am interested to see how this new Integra RSX ILX turns out. If it's just an expensive Civic, I'll stick with my original plan, but if it pays homage to its predecessors, I may aim to get one.

As far as oil goes, I use synthetic as well. The extra cost is worth the higher quality.

[Brandon]

Formerly I had a 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser that I bought new and put well over 181,000 miles on with the A/T and the 2.4L engine.  Now, I have a 2011 Dodge Caliber (also bought new) with the M/T and the 2.0L engine (yet it has more hp than the last engine - better mileage too).

[AsphaltPlanet]

I drive a 2009 Pontiac Vibe.  It's a 2.4L with a manual transmission, has low-profile tires (though I am on the second set), and a sunroof.  Most Vibe's come with an underpowered 1.8L engine, but my 2.4 is a blast to drive -- particularly since its a stick shift.  Plus, it's roomy which makes it great for road trips.  I can stick a tent, camping supplies and a mountain bike in the back with no trouble.

I rented a brand new Ford Fusion back in September and was really, really pleased with it.  The interior finishes were fantastic, decent fuel economy, and really comfortable for the 1500km I drove per day.  My only complaint was that the automatic transmission favoured fuel economy a little bit too much sacrificing some performance ... but I probably wouldn't have noticed if I didn't drive a stick shift normally.

[corco]

The Fusion is a nice car- I've driven a couple different ones, including a 1500 mile trek through northern Wyoming. It's a good car, fun to drive, feels well-built. I got 36 MPG in it in entirely highway driving. If I can find one with a stick (they're out there but fairly rare), there's a good chance that's my next car.

It's perfect sized for my height (5' 10)to sleep in comfortably too- I spent 2 of 4 nights in it to save money on hotels. Just fold the back seat down, put your feet iin the trunk and your head in the back and it's a fairly flat floor without the obnoxious crevices and hard plastic pieces that can make car-floor sleeping uncomfortable.

[US71]

I have a 2003 Dodge Caravan aka the War Wagon

[Henry]

1997 Chevy Tahoe (my wife has a 2004 Honda Accord)

[tchafe1978]

I drive a 1997 Pontiac Trans Port minivan. My wife drives a 2002 Chrysler Town & Country. Both have about 125-1300,000 miles. I like the Chrysler van, it's been pretty good to us. My Pontiac, not so much. The thing drives like a tank. It has a broken sway bar, which wasn't disclosed to us when we bought it, so if I drive in any kind of crosswind, it's a major chore to control. It also doesn't corner well at all. I need to get that fixed, but it hasn't been a high priortity, as I mainly drive it back and forth to work which is only 7 miles. It also had to have a complete transmission redo about a month and a half after we bought it. I guess that makes up for the good deal we got on the purchase price. The dealer must've known something.

My favorite car I have owned was the very first car I owned. A 1991 Ford Escort. It was bare bones, didn't even have A/C. I added a nice stereo system to it. I love it becuase it was great for a college student at the time--great gas mielage, low maintenance, and best of all, it was a 5-speed manual. WHen it was time to replace it, I was forced to get an automatic so the wife could drive my car if she needed to, even though I had the car before her!

[formulanone]

How often do you have to change oil in the U.S.?

My current car has a 7,500 mile maintenance interval for oil changes. With synthetics, I could easily go way past that with no issues. Before this car, I did it every 6 months regardless of mileage and had no issues, including a 94 Camry that was at 250k miles when I got rid of it.

Many Americans will quote you 3,000 miles as a hard rule, but that's a myth created by the oil change places like Jiffy Lube who put a sticker on your windshield with a "change at" mileage written on it.

Many auto manufacturers went to 3000 miles to prevent internal engine problems in the mid-1970s as a way to tout the improved emissions and reliability of their cars/trucks. And some manufacturers stuck with it for years...only recently, Dodge/Jeep/Chrysler ditched the 3K interval for 5K, same with Honda, Ford, and Nissan (3750 miles). Many of them switched to a 5,000 mile minimum interval for a "severe" schedule and 7,500 for a "normal" schedule. The problem was that almost all drivers are in the severe schedule based on those "one of the following criteria" exceptions (prolonged 90-degree temperatures, dust, snow, short trips, et cetera), whether they drive like a proverbial little old lady or a stunt driver. Many of them have since dropped the Normal Schedule, because soon people had lubrication-related engine problems again.

With the advent of synthetic oils and oil-monitoring systems, some manufacturers have allowed for prolonged distances between oil and filter changes, but not all. Many independent shops and even dealerships still take the old tack of offering the same interval to one and all, which is misleading, but there are also a handful of people who A) ignore the "stupid warning light", B) don't bother to read the owner's manual, and C) the excitement of maintaining your car falls somewhere between going to the dentist and cleaning out storm gutters. Yes, that leads to the two people I've dealt with that have destroyed their luxury cars' engines by pushing it 40,000+ miles on the original oil and filter before they required a major customer-paid overhaul, thanks to their incompetence. It was only when they saw smoke, they figured there was a "problem".

There are actually people who will still ignore all the warnings, friendly advice, and coupons and still sludge their engine. There's also those who believe the manufacturers are onto some sort of incomplete conspiracy because Mercedes-Benz lets you go 10,000 miles on a oil change (synthetic, with a pricey filter to boot), and Mazda wants it every 5,000 miles; thus, only a fool would change it at 5,000...right? They wait until the dashboard lights up like a Christmas tree to do anything about it, and they'll still bitch to the zone manager about what a crappy product they manufacture. So to protect their posteriors from the few people who don't take basic care of their car, many regulars get railroaded into just taking car of their car the old fashioned way...every 3,000 miles. You want protection? Do it exactly what the manual says to do it at, that's my best advice; if you have a problem, you have a leg to stand on, because they essentially have their written guarantee, warranty information, and name on it. When you think about it, few people actually ever bring anything else for warranty repairs others than automobiles, even though the Magnusson-Moss Act was designed for all types of products, and sets forth the differences between stated and implied warranties.

What irks me is that Toyota/Scion/Lexus all offer a warning system that says "Maintenance Required" every 5000 miles, yet someone in the service department just adds 3000 miles to whatever the odometer reads, which shows that dealers don't want to lose out on your service. Mazda did the same thing to us...they wrote 4000+ from the mileage I brought it in at. Mind you, they don't make much (if anything) on that basic $25.00 oil and filter change, after all the bills and payroll is paid out to the valet, technician, service advisor, manager, fixed-operation director, et cetera are given a cut of the profit (do the math, it isn't much unless you agree to some up-sells), so getting an extra couple of bucks out of you on a completely separate visit is a traffic builder, but only if you have a few problems or require extended maintenance at major intervals (see the owner's manual again) do they actually stand to gain much from your visits.

So knowing this, why do I take it to the dealership? Because they have the right tools for the job...literally. The Scion has a wacky cartridge oil filter that requires a 64mm cap wrench, and because the screw-on housing with a hard-plastic 14-sided cap. I don't have one, and I don't want it stripped over time by someone who doesn't have the right part (surprise...64mm isn't standard). As for Mazda, their cartridge filter has a recessed incuse hex screw that is easy to accidentally leave only 90% torqued, which is enough for 90% of the oil to drain out in a very short period of time. I'd rather shift the burden of responsibility to the professionals, who have to step up to the plate when/if they goof up.

Anyhow, I work in the automotive service industry every day, and nearly every dealer does this sort of thing, because they want to protect their reputation, and save themselves from the handful of individuals who couldn't save themselves from a wet paper bag with both hands and a road map.

The truth is that engines are really like snowflakes, and they are all manufactured differently, put to varying usage throughout time, installed in different types of bodies/chassis, put through different types of abuse, designed with differing goals in mind (performance? quiet/low-NVH? reliability? sound?) and don't require the same sort of maintenance between one make/model and another, even if it's on a similar part of the automotive spectrum.

[corco]

I'd rather shift the burden of responsibility to the professionals, who have to step up to the plate when/if they goof up.

That's the huge advantage of having a mechanic do work- I can figure out how to do most of the service myself,but unless the car is a piece of junk I'd rather pay $30 for the privilege of holding someone else accountable if something goes awry. I had a 1990 Dodge Colt for a couple years that I did everything on myself because it was only worth about $600 anyway (that car was like tchafe's Escort, totally basic, just a four on the floor and a tiny engine but it was a hoot to drive- I miss it), but beyond that I nearly always go to a mechanic.

[Takumi]

I have a mechanic who's a friend of the family, with a shop within walking distance from my house. I've always preferred to have them take care of the cars, especially the fragile '91. The engine in it (Honda B21A1) is notorious for burning oil, so I always had it changed more frequently, about 2500-3000 miles.

[formulanone]

That's the huge advantage of having a mechanic do work- I can figure out how to do most of the service myself,but unless the car is a piece of junk I'd rather pay $30 for the privilege of holding someone else accountable if something goes awry. I had a 1990 Dodge Colt for a couple years that I did everything on myself because it was only worth about $600 anyway (that car was like tchafe's Escort, totally basic, just a four on the floor and a tiny engine but it was a hoot to drive- I miss it), but beyond that I nearly always go to a mechanic.

I will say from experience, that once a car reaches a certain age or mileage, technicians will rarely offer to do much in the way of additional repairs, because everything inside the engine bay becomes weak and fragile, due to aging and wear-and-tear on the car (mainly, because nearly everything besides the short and long block are made of plastic).

Technicians are generally wary that one repair may lead to another, and then another, and possibly a mis-diagnosis to boot. While to the customer, it may sound like the "mechanic doesn't know what he's doing" or the "service rep is a thief", much of the underhood of a 10+ year-old car is akin to peanut brittle, and they have to remove a single peanut with the precision of a surgeon.

If the customer is aware of this, generally the older cars (say, pre-1996/2002 [ODB-II/CAN]) are also a lot easier to work on, and in many cases, the parts are a lot cheaper and availability is almost ubiquitous for popular models.  There's a lot less sensors, computers, and other gimcrackery to mess up or allow to be left to chance.

[J N Winkler]

That's the huge advantage of having a mechanic do work- I can figure out how to do most of the service myself, but unless the car is a piece of junk I'd rather pay $30 for the privilege of holding someone else accountable if something goes awry.

The other side of the coin is that if I have the time, skills, and infrastructure for the job, I'd rather do it to make sure it is done right, rather than chase someone else's mistakes after they have had time to do real damage.  My last car was a 1986 Nissan Maxima with an air filter secured by six screws and since air filter inspection was always a standard part of an oil change at the quick-lube places, quite often the filter screws would turn up missing.  I knew that my standard biannual tuneup regime would take care of the air filter and other things that are checked at the quick-lube places, and the Maxima had a very standard oil drainplug and external filter arrangement (no cartridge filters!), so I just changed the oil and filter myself.  After the first few times I did it I was skilled enough at it that I could do it in less time than it would have taken me to drive to a quick-lube shop, and I could also do it on the road.

[signalman]

I drive a 2006 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V.  I bought is almost 2 years ago and I love it.  It's a blast to drive and is great on gas on the highway.  Around town fuel economy is kinda poor.  It corners exceptionally well with the summer stock tires (215/45/ZR17).  In the winter I put on 15 inch snow tires.  It's not nearly as fun to drive this time of year    But, atleast I can go places in the snow, since I can't afford a second vehicle.

I have a mechanic for major repairs.  I haven't needed any so far, thankfully.  Although, I will be taking it to him this week.  My rear brake pads need replacing and the rotors cut.  I noticed the thin rear pads when I was puting my snow tires on and I can feel the warped rotors when I apply the brakes.  General maintenance I do myself.  I just changed the oil this morning.  I use full synthetic and change it every 7500 miles.  The filter is a screw on type and easy to get at.  I also changed the air filter and flushed the radiator a few months ago.

[Duke87]

2009 Ford Focus. Got it brand new in June of '09, currently has *checks notebook* 39,491.5 miles on it. It's been to 20 states and 2 Canadian provinces.

Since I've moved to Queens I'm not using it on a day to day basis anymore, though. Now I only use it if I need to go somewhere for work not accessible by the subway, or if I'm leaving the city.

[Dr Frankenstein]

I drive a 2004 Pontiac Sunfire with 179,790 kilometres (111,716 miles) on it. I bought it at around 80,000 km (~50,000 miles), during the summer of 2009.

My strategy was to call and make an appointment for an oil change after around 6,000 km, and tell them I'm not in a hurry, which usually ended me up getting an appointment about two weeks after the call. Now I have my brother change my oil and filter instead.

[bassoon1986]

1997 Chevy Lumina. It's got about 230,000 on it and it's the better car than my wife's 2001 Pontiac Sunfire. That thing has been awful. It probably has half the mileage but it has given us so much trouble.

[allniter89]

2000 Buick LaSabre, Gramma willed it to me. Grams only put 25,235 miles on it until I got it in 2010.
I've put an additional 22,234 since. 
26.5 mpg, I can live with it.

[ARMOURERERIC]

I hear you Nexus :0

Got a 1992 Brougham, 5.0 with 155K on, still runs strong, and is comfy as all get out.  AND it gets better gas milage (17city, 26hwy) than either my:

1998 Grand Caravan with 130K
3.3 V6
or my
2003 BMW Z3 with 76K

[broadhurst04]

I don't drive anything right now, actually, since I'm in Afghanistan and my 2007 Jeep Liberty Sport got totalled while I was here. I'm looking at replacing it with a Ford Flex.

First, thank you for your service. (I assume you're in Afghanistan on a military deployment. Please correct me if I'm wrong). Second, sorry to hear your Jeep was totalled. I think the Flex would be a cool replacement.

[broadhurst04]

I drive a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT. Only real hiccup has been having to replace all the brakes at 16,000 miles but that was due to defective parts so no money out of my pocket. Interesting fact: my Dodge has heated leather power seats up front, a backup camera and an entertainment system that will play DVDs with the car in Park. My mother's Cadillac SRX has  none of these....

[xcellntbuy]

For work, a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am, (95000 miles).

For enjoyment, a 1985 Pontiac Firebird (always garaged, original owner, only 56000 miles) and a 2002 Chevrolet Corvette (always garaged, National Corvette Museum member delivery, original owner, 9800 miles).  I recently inherited my father's 1999 Mercury Marquis (always garaged, only 38500 miles).

[Sanctimoniously]

2000 Buick LaSabre, Gramma willed it to me. Grams only put 25,235 miles on it until I got it in 2010.
I've put an additional 22,234 since. 
26.5 mpg, I can live with it.

Gotta love the big cars that can hold their drink. I had a 2004 Buick LeSabre myself. There's a reason they made the 3800 V6 for over twenty years.

[vtk]

I'm definitely a Chevy fan.  The primary cars I've had:
'87 Celebrity 4-door, white – 2000—03
'02 Cavalier 2-door, red/tan – 2002 (two cars loaned from the dealership in a car-for-good-grades deal)
(In the gap after the Celebrity died, I drove my mom's '93 Pontiac Bonneville when necessary)
'89(?) Corsica 2-door, red – 2004—07
'93 Beretta 2-door, red – 2007—10 (The first one that was legally mine, and the first one I didn't have until it died)
'00 Cavalier 2-door, red – 2010—present

Incidentally, red Krylon Rustoleum is a perfect match to my Cavalier's red paint, and red Duck brand duct tape is pretty close.