General Auto Chat

@YMO - jUsT OrGaNiZe uR LiFe !1!!

For real though - I'm driving what is functionally a 2 seater (2 useless vestige seats in the back...) and leave a few spare things in my trunk all of the time - I'm still able to go to Costco, road trips, etc. with my car. The only thing I can't really do is fit very long objects (think lumber or something...) or move a lot of boxes at once. None of which a small SUV (or most other vehicles) can do anyways. Or if I had 4 kids or something, maybe a stroller for 4 wouldn't fit, but I'd have a van by then.

I don't have any problems with hatchbacks or wagons though given that they're pretty much just cars with a taller and "connected" trunk. Similarly, I have no problem with trimming cars down instead of keeping prices up via too many value adds and cash grabs which seems to be the current trend. As a matter of fact, I wish these were both more common. But going out of the way to dumb down most cars, make them bigger / heavier, less aero, higher center of grav / balance, slower due to (functionally) same small engine as before, numb/dead handling, etc., all with no improved safety or $ saving benefits, doesn't make getting from A to B any easier.

With all of the above being said, I won't say I can't be wrong, but having tried several small SUVs, both "economy" and "luxury" brands, I really just don't get it for most of the above reasons.

Anyways, enough of the complain train detour.

Back to fun new cars - has anyone in regions with the Corolla GR already available driven one yet? Also, has anyone driven the Taycan somewhat extensively - does it still feel "as heavy" after a while?

 

This post is lanced in virginism.

You could said this:

Agreed with your post for the most part, but the market is going to give what most people want. People like to sit in a higher position and carry more stuff than a standard car with a trunk. I was close in pulling the trigger on a Subaru Forester since I have a real need of a hatchback door and pulling the rear seats down for cargo purposes (dead bodies, car sex, etc.), but dunno if I want to pay for one now.

My future SIL and my brother are looking at getting a CRV for more cargo and a SUV for their upcoming family (having @YMO being an Uncle is scary as f**k). Both of them are driving Honda Accords which as brown bag as you can get (but still works in high mileage).

I'm going to be keeping my Honda Fit as long as I can. But most likely in one-two years I'll need another car and give the GF my Fit. If I can't get a cheap hatchback I'll guess I get a regular car and call it a day.

 

Lol I need to stop posting after long sessions of dodging clueless and confused drivers on the road.

I complain b/c I legitimately believe that having driving so dumbed down is at the root of a lot of the issues we are having now. It seems like before it would be stall your car out, crash, or any other number of bad experiences, etc which ultimately forced people to competent or just quit. Case in point - how did generations of Americans up to the mid 2000's manage without SUVs and how did drivers on average just seem less dumb in the past?

As for the Accord, not exciting, but has legitimately been a great car for a long time. Distinctly remember going to a cars and coffee and how many people, myself included, internally or externally say "don't buy this car modern fake German engineering BMW or MBZ / super fun Porsche / favorite JDM-mobile here / exotic or big $ whatever / etc if you actually need a good car to get you from A to B every day, buy an Accord instead".

 

I recently went to a museum. Well there were two vans on display, the 60-ties/70-ties Volkswagen Van and a compact Suzuki Camper-Van.

When I need a practical car for moving things in the future, those Japanese Camper-Vans are first on the list for me. I do not care about status and size. They are small from the outside but big on the inside. Then add the gadgets, such fun vehicles.

 

Bought this SL600 a bit ago for $6k. Been driving and fixing it. Right now replacing a coolant hose to the heater core that broke

 

^Are those the V12 monsters people where people mod the exhaust to scare people because they are so loud?

They are so solid and such great cruisers. That one looks so nice...

 

Earlier in the year I bought an '87 944 entirely because of the colour (milk chocolate with a red-pinstripe interior).

I didn't drive it much at first because I was doing a lot of work on it. I've also been rebuilding a salvage suspension for it on the bench (that way I can just swap it over in one go once it's ready).

Anyway, it's running well now so I figured I should get a real feel for it so I can tell what improvement new rubber in the suspension has. So I've been driving it a good bit.

Oh my god, is this thing a hoot. Not hugely powerful, but you can chuck it around like you wouldn't believe. Sort of like a Miata with an engine and more grip. I haven't had this much fun in a car in a long time....

 

The author Justin Banner has more faith in NHTSA and other federal bureaucracies than seems warranted, but otherwise a good overview of the situation:

https://www.motortrend.com/news/tes...t-video-demand-removal-child-safety-concerns/

On another note, I have noticed that Motortrend is at times a bit more balanced/critical of the EV trend, whereas Car and Driver/Road and Track seem all in with it, California's take on ICE, etc.

What's the SBAF of the car media world?

 

C&D under Brock Yates.

 

I laughed for a week when this came out:

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15133335/2004-dodge-ram-srt-10-road-test/

 

Yeah same engine. I think the one I have seen is the S600 sedan though.

I love it. Sounds great, drives great, really cool car. Hopefully new coolant hose will arrive this week and I can get it fixed. Going to be hard top weather soon though

 

My 92 Celica sadly got a head gasket leak....so time to get rid of it.

That means I sadly need to get another car (and giving the GF my ole Honda Fit). Leaning heavily on crossovers since I need that hatchback space for transporting storage, dead bodies, and junk. Downside is more and more cars are pushing moonroofs, which is something I do not want.

Oh well, time to spend my money on crap that I hate. Doing a test drive on these soon:

Subaru Outback
Honda HRV
Toyota RAV4
Toyota Corolla Cross

I still don't trust Kia's/Hyundai's. Someone I know got a new Kia Soul and the upholstery is already falling apart. Goal is to get something that won't get the GF get sick when she is in the passenger seat. Should do a sedan, but the standard sedan trunk won't work for me since I like to haul ass.

 

Wait, what? If it truly is just the head gasket -- and if the leak is small and recent -- fixing it is pretty trivial. Unless 92 Celicas are different from other cars somehow.

Consider station wagons, too. If you're buying new, the options are a little limited -- Audi, Volvo, MINI, Mercedes, and some unbelievably ugly Porsches -- but there are more choices if you're buying used. The Outback counts as well, I guess, although its SUV pretensions might make it ride less smoothly than a wagon that knows it's a wagon.

 

Fix it.

 

I test-drove the previous gen, and the CVT killed any interest. Noisy & slow. Pretty sure the current one has the same.

 

Bleh. When you know people IRL who keep having issues with their Kias and Hyundais, makes you bias. Also I'm going for more of their basic models and not their pricey models that I personally found to be useless for my needs.

Just wasn't too impressed with them, but I can still consider trying them out if they have something that isn't cheap.

When it was checked by more than one mech, they believe the leak was big where the whole engine would need to be taken apart. For the few places locally to me that will still work on the Celica, they were quoting me $2k-$3k to get the job done and advised it will be a full engine repair job since timing is everything. Most mechs in my neck of the woods will not work cars older than 25+ years old.

Real issue with the Celica is the car isn't a good match for my GF (Celica too low on the ground, doesn't like convertibles since the recently replaced roof keep leaking, etc.). Also car has other issues: Power Steering is fucked (bad for GF, not a problem for me), AC is broken, popup lights are fucked, other misc issues. This was my first car that I learn how to drive, so its been with the family for years. It's time to move on into a boring car since long term GF and I will be driving a lot daily and the Celica is not a good fit for a good commuter car.

The real station wagons are overpriced for my needs, which is quite sad since I like them a lot. Outback is shocking a cheaper station wagon that is lifted up. I test drove it once and I like it for what it is.

See above.

Noisy and slow was never a problem on my current Honda Fit, which the last gen HRV was just a Honda Fit lifted up with a higher price tag. Then again, Noisy and Slow is also on the Honda Fit's engine.

I don't care for speed, or if engine is noisy, as long as it gets the job done I don't care. After having my 2015 Fit for almost eight years, it's a very solid engine that's easy to work on.

 

If you have to pay someone to do it, it will cost more to fix than the car would be worth even if it had no problems.

 

If you'd consider used: VW Golf Sportwagen (last US availability 2019). 6-speed auto, 1.8l turbo, lots of space in the back with the seats down. Thought I'd miss the GTI but I remain very happy with this.