Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

stickguy

I'm going out on a limb here, but I suspect his cost just a little bit more.

I like the VW. Definitely a "chick" car in that color. A dark color and some GTIish mods could be a fun unisex car!

Kirstie_H

stickguy said:

I'm going out on a limb here, but I suspect his cost just a little bit more.

A wee bit. I bought mine on a whim off Craigslist while he was out of town. I paid $2500 for it. 1998 with 117k miles on it, manual, and the top was recently replaced, so I figure that I'll get my fun value out of it, at least. It's the first car that I've had in ages that allows for amateur tinkering - lots of room to move around under the hood. The washer fluid pump was broken, and for about $16 (Rock Auto) and 5 minutes of effort, that was fixed. We've done a few other minor fixes as well, all pretty easy.

driver100

Kirstie_H said:

GREAT win for the Royals! They had so many "building" years, they were finally due.

While I'm here, I'll show off my not-very-new-at-all new-to-me vehicle. It's got a little bit of "project" in it, but runs great and was a lot of fun while the warmth still graced us with its presence:

Nice of you to drop in.........great to hear from you.

Great looking little car...they make great convertibles.

Is your VW a diesel?

Do you ever trade cars for a day with Mr K? That would be fun to see!

stickguy

sounds like a good deal to me. I would have bought it for that if it runs strong.

cdnpinhead

Kirstie_H said:

I'm around, one way or another.

Excellent! Good to hear from you.

Kirstie_H

driver100 said:

Nice of you to drop in.........great to hear from you.

Is your VW a diesel?

No, though I wouldn't have been opposed to a diesel if it just happened to be one. I've always wanted one of these, and they're starting to die out quickly. My focus was on the condition of the vehicle. I didn't care about much else - manual/automatic, diesel/gas, cloth/leather, etc. I just wanted to give a cute vehicle a loving home in its golden years.

PF_Flyer

I don't think it's going to happen in 2016, but we usually find a way to get new vehicles in Jan or Feb, so a lot of our car pictures have such a pretty white background to offset the perpetual gray skies!

Mr_Shiftright

Perfect choices for the KC winters.

explorerx4

@henryn,
What kind of mileage you getting with the 2.7?
I have the 3.5 and just filled up, had 49 miles left according to the DTE reading.
Got 16.3 mpg. Not bad. Cost me $90 to fill it with PUG.

henryn

explorerx4 said:

@henryn,
What kind of mileage you getting with the 2.7?
I have the 3.5 and just filled up, had 49 miles left according to the DTE reading.
Got 16.3 mpg. Not bad. Cost me $90 to fill it with PUG.

Well, I don't buy premium, not recommended or needed according to Ford. On the road, I get around 21 to 22, depending on the speed and traffic. Around town, about 16 or 17, which is really good. My 2013 F150 with the 5.0L would get as high as 20.5 strictly highway, and around 14 in town. When I'm commuting here in downtown Houston, my average MPH (not MPG, MPH) is around 16.

abacomike

henryn said:

@henryn, What kind of mileage you getting with the 2.7? I have the 3.5 and just filled up, had 49 miles left according to the DTE reading. Got 16.3 mpg. Not bad. Cost me $90 to fill it with PUG.

Well, I don't buy premium, not recommended or needed according to Ford. On the road, I get around 21 to 22, depending on the speed and traffic. Around town, about 16 or 17, which is really good. My 2013 F150 with the 5.0L would get as high as 20.5 strictly highway, and around 14 in town. When I'm commuting here in downtown Houston, my average MPH (not MPG, MPH) is around 16.

I'm glad no one has asked me what kind of fuel economy I've been getting on my new car.  I bought the car on November 23rd with 11 miles on it.  I "think" I have 28-29 miles on it now - just not not sure.  It's supposed to get 20 mpg city, 30 mpg highway and 23 mpg combined.  One of these days I'll know for sure.

Not bad for a 330 hp V6 3.0 L twin turbo with 354 lb ft of torque.  Maybe on Sunday I can get to the car and get the feel of it from behind the wheel.  

explorerx4

@henryn,
The 2.0 Ecoboost makes more power and seems to run much smoother on PUG.
I'm pretty sure the book read the same for the 3.5, no 2.7 in 2014.
The dealer fill up tank was probably RUG, so I'm interested to see how PUG works out.

henryn

explorerx4 said:

@henryn,
The 2.0 Ecoboost makes more power and seems to run much smoother on PUG.
I'm pretty sure the book read the same for the 3.5, no 2.7 in 2014.
The dealer fill up tank was probably RUG, so I'm interested to see how PUG works out.

My 2.7L makes a lot of power (faster than my 2013 5.0L), and seems to run very smooth, all on RUG.

Hang in there, Mike, you will get the chance to drive your new car. This week I caught the 24 hour stomach bug, Wednesday morning about 1:30 a.m. I was lying on the bathroom floor in front of the toilet after heaving. My fever broke while I was asleep there on the vinyl floor, I woke up wringing wet, not sure where I was, how I got there, and why in the h-e-double-l I was soaking wet. A totally unpleasant experience, not near as bad as your present problems, but enough to make me truly appreciate the good health that I normally take for granted.

I was back at work on Thursday, and worked out at the gym today, fairly good recovery for an "old man". I will keep my fingers crossed for your speedy recovery as well.

abacomike

henryn said:

@henryn, The 2.0 Ecoboost makes more power and seems to run much smoother on PUG. I'm pretty sure the book read the same for the 3.5, no 2.7 in 2014. The dealer fill up tank was probably RUG, so I'm interested to see how PUG works out.

My 2.7L makes a lot of power (faster than my 2013 5.0L), and seems to run very smooth, all on RUG. Hang in there, Mike, you will get the chance to drive your new car. This week I caught the 24 hour stomach bug, Wednesday morning about 1:30 a.m. I was lying on the bathroom floor in front of the toilet after heaving. My fever broke while I was asleep there on the vinyl floor, I woke up wringing wet, not sure where I was, how I got there, and why in the h-e-double-l I was soaking wet. A totally unpleasant experience, not near as bad as your present problems, but enough to make me truly appreciate the good health that I normally take for granted. I was back at work on Thursday, and worked out at the gym today, fairly good recovery for an "old man". I will keep my fingers crossed for your speedy recovery as well.

Those gastro-intestinal bugs can cause untold discomfort, but they are usually short-term in terms of the suffering one sustains.  Sort of "here today, gone tomorrow", but while it's "here", it causes tremendous havoc to the intestinal tract.

Glad you are feeling better!  

imidazol97

I'm glad the afflictions many have talked about aren't contagious, at least over an internet connection. It's been a long time since I had a bathroom bout like @henryn just had. Knock on wood.

murphydog

Kirstie - very cool!

ab348

henryn said:

This week I caught the 24 hour stomach bug, Wednesday morning about 1:30 a.m. I was lying on the bathroom floor in front of the toilet after heaving. My fever broke while I was asleep there on the vinyl floor, I woke up wringing wet, not sure where I was, how I got there, and why in the h-e-double-l I was soaking wet. A totally unpleasant experience, not near as bad as your present problems, but enough to make me truly appreciate the good health that I normally take for granted.

Glad you're feeling better. I have been feeling lousy today but I think it is partly self-inflicted. I have to take pills for this hyperhidrosis I have had ever since the heart surgery. The pills are compounded at the local pharmacy, not premade. As a result they seem to vary in potency - sometimes not effective at all, sometimes very potent. A few times, like today, I get one that seems extra-powerful. The result is that I get a mouth as dry as cotton, some difficulty swallowing certain types of food, and a messed-up urinary system. It seems to be wearing off now so hopefully after tonight I will be back to normal. Not fun.

nyccarguy

Mike - Glad to see you are getting stronger by the day.  Don't push yourself too hard.  BTW, if you find you have trouble getting in & out of your beautiful, new, CLS 400, I'll gladly swap cars with you.  Ingress & egress from my Legacy will be MUCH easier 

Henry - that stomach bug is no joke.  Inevitably one of my kids comes home with it at least once during "the season."  It rips through the house & we all end up getting sick no matter how we try to contain it.  

2 weeks ago my Dad went into the hospital for minor hernia surgery.  His doctor patched up the hernia on one side labroscopicaly, but the hernia on the other side required the doctor to cut him open the old fashioned way.  Once the doctor opened him up, he found scar tissue from a previous hernia wrapped around Dad's appendix.  So the appendix had to be removed.  When the doctor removed the appendix he nicked my Dad's colon.  Instead of an in & out ambulatory procedure, my Dad had to stay in the hospital for 3 days.  He was out if work for 2 weeks.

We have a very small family business that he is an integral part of.  To say that I was busy during the last 2 weeks is an underststen.  One of my employees came in on Monday not like himself.  I asked him how his weekend was & was everything OK.  He told me he woke up vomiting & also had the runs.  I stopped him right then & there & said:  "stomach virus.  Go home.  Now.  See you tomorrow."

roadburner

Good to see Mr.Kirstie is a REAL Man's Man- buying an SS rather than a hairdresser's V6!

tjc78

Haha, to this day I always make fun of my wife because when we met her Mustang was a V6 (although however it was optioned it certainly looked like a GT)

sb55

iluvmysephia1 said:

Hey, guys, with all of my over-enthusiasthma over the 2016 Scion iA, I failed ta mention that I switched from gecko-central car insurance to American Family Car Insurance Co. My agent is right here in Dodge City, KS, about a mile north of our apartment.

The real cool thing is, of course, pricing. Gecko-Central was charging me $172.27 a month for our '11 Kia Soul base clear white 5-speed. American Family Insurance: a whopping $82.98 a month! Same coverages, only we raised our comprehensive deductible to $500 from $100. But that was not a lion's share of that savings amount. Wow - more for a monthly car payment now...I..I mean look at those savings!

Wow! Why is Kansas insurance so expensive? I live in Northern VT and all 4 cars on my policy cost $1638. for the whole year. Our deductible is $500.00 and we have full coverage.

abacomike

sb55 said:

Hey, guys, with all of my over-enthusiasthma over the 2016 Scion iA, I failed ta mention that I switched from gecko-central car insurance to American Family Car Insurance Co. My agent is right here in Dodge City, KS, about a mile north of our apartment. The real cool thing is, of course, pricing. Gecko-Central was charging me $172.27 a month for our '11 Kia Soul base clear white 5-speed. American Family Insurance: a whopping $82.98 a month! Same coverages, only we raised our comprehensive deductible to $500 from $100. But that was not a lion's share of that savings amount. Wow - more for a monthly car payment now...I..I mean look at those savings!

Wow! Why is Kansas insurance so expensive? I live in Northern VT and all 4 cars on my policy cost $1638. for the whole year. Our deductible is $500.00 and we have full coverage.

I pay $1548 a year for my car and that was the Lady Liberty Company (one year policy).  The Gecko wanted $1700+ a year (6 month policies = $850).  So I fired the Gecko and hired Lady Liberty.  I have no tickets or claims or accidents in 20+ years.

We pay exorbitant rates here in south Florida.  My brother pays 1/2 what I pay in northeast Florida.  

sda

abacomike said:

sb55 said:

iluvmysephia1 said:

Hey, guys, with all of my over-enthusiasthma over the 2016 Scion iA, I failed ta mention that I switched from gecko-central car insurance to American Family Car Insurance Co. My agent is right here in Dodge City, KS, about a mile north of our apartment.

The real cool thing is, of course, pricing. Gecko-Central was charging me $172.27 a month for our '11 Kia Soul base clear white 5-speed. American Family Insurance: a whopping $82.98 a month! Same coverages, only we raised our comprehensive deductible to $500 from $100. But that was not a lion's share of that savings amount. Wow - more for a monthly car payment now...I..I mean look at those savings!

Wow! Why is Kansas insurance so expensive? I live in Northern VT and all 4 cars on my policy cost $1638. for the whole year. Our deductible is $500.00 and we have full coverage.

I pay $1548 a year for my car and that was the Lady Liberty Company (one year policy).  The Gecko wanted $1700+ a year (6 month policies = $850).  So I fired the Gecko and hired Lady Liberty.  I have no tickets or claims or accidents in 20+ years.

We pay exorbitant rates here in south Florida.  My brother pays 1/2 what I pay in northeast Florida.  

As you qualify for discounts for your car purchases from USAA--have you tried them for a quote for car insurance? I have found them to be very reasonable and their service is top notch.

abacomike

@sda said;

"As you qualify for discounts for your car purchases from USAA--have you tried them for a quote for car insurance? I have found them to be very reasonable and their service is top notch."

I try them all the time - USAA wanted $2100+ a year for auto insurance.  They are the most expensive of all the insurance companies here in south Florida.  They are just not competitive here.

graphicguy

Kirstie_H said:

GREAT win for the Royals! They had so many "building" years, they were finally due.

While I'm here, I'll show off my not-very-new-at-all new-to-me vehicle. It's got a little bit of "project" in it, but runs great and was a lot of fun while the warmth still graced us with its presence:

Kirstie_H said:

And Mr. Kirstie_H's new-to-him vehicle. I bought mine FIRST, so his need to have a convertible was a total copycat move.

Twice the cool factor. Like them both. Big ups. When did you add them to the fleet? Can we add them to the punch list this year?

snakeweasel

carnaught said:

Not minimizing the seriousness of it, but what Mike had was not surgery, but a procedure. May sound like semantics, but it is not done by a surgeon, rather an Interventional Cardiologist.

Not trying to be technical here but surgery is a procedure. And what Mike had was surgery as defined as a treatment in which a doctor cuts into someone's body in order to repair or remove damaged or diseased parts. Surgery can be as minor as removing a mole or extraction of a tooth and is not necessarily done by a surgeon.

graphicguy

So, finally made it home late last night from a marathon set of business that took me from Cincinnati, to Orlando, to Denver in the span of 4 days.

Last car I rented in Denver was a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I'm noticing that the more I rent from Hertz, the more likely they are to put me in a "step up" model for the price of the company preferred "compact".

Anyway, pretty darned impressed with the JGC. I'll assume mine was a base model as it wasn't all leathered up and there were plenty of hard plastics all around. But, the V6 Pentastar motor moved it smartly and didn't sound like a John Deere knock off. Assuming the trans was Chrysler's 9 speed, it performed admirably. No hunting and searching, mostly shifting without me noticing it much. And, it kicked down a cog or two when I wanted it to.

Seats were comfortable, and again, I think they were the base seats. Suspension was solid, even though it was clear I was driving a relatively heavy vehicle. It did push through the corners, but not as badly as I expected.

The ride and handling is what I'd call giving a very solid feeling. No thumps, twists, skips, just solid feeling overall pavement types. Base "uconnect" was simple and easy to use, especially given I had never used such a system....EVER! Screen didn't have Nav and was small, but connecting my phone was easy. Speedo, tach etc were clear and easy to read, even with sunglasses. Might have even been a digital number. Good information shown between the speedo and tach....MPG, tire pressure, DTE, radio station, etc.

For the 3 days I had it, and 1/2 tank gas, I got 22 MPG in mixed driving, and I wasn't easy on it.

Pretty impressive. Last real SUV I had driven was my much loved Tahoe, but that was a decade old. If I were in the market for a luxury SUV and didn't need a huge one, I'd put the JGC as a "must consider" with the likely candidates from Lexus, Acura, etc.

snakeweasel

Mr_Shiftright said:

It's funny. Hardly anyone in America raises a peep about the incredible sums of money given away to defense contractors, but let an automaker put out his hat for a handout, and oh man, the wrath of god is upon them.

Well for one defense contractors do provide physical equipment that is cutting (and even bleeding) edge technology so it can be costly. Secondly People do complain and complain a lot about how much money defense contractors are paid.

snakeweasel

houdini1 said:

suydam said:

Stents are not invasive surgery but they still require a cardio rehab program. Don't usually require a nursing home recovery stay but the other health problems seem to be delaying a normal recovery.

houdini's definition of minor surgery...Surgery that is performed on someone else !

“Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.” - Mel Brooks

snakeweasel

stever said:

No one uses rollers any more? Been years since I had a set, but it was more entertaining than the cheap trainer I had.

People still use rollers and you can still buy them. I know Performance Bicycle sells them.

stever said:

That reminds me, I need to relist my unicycle on craigslist. Maybe someone would like it for Christmas. They could then enjoy the surgical experience in January, lol.

We used to ride unicycles back in high school. We called ourselves the OWTT (One Wheel Touring Team), we had T-shirts that read "Because two wheels are for wimps".

snakeweasel

abacomike said:

I was able to walk to the trash bin on my floor and empty my garbage.  I then took my mail downstairs (by elevator) and mailed it.  Then returned to my apartment. I was tired but I used a cane.  Caught my breath sooner and it would appear I am getting a little stronger.

I would think I will be able to go to my cardiologist appointment next week and my eye doctor appointment.  I just need to take things slow.

Thanks all for your support and suggestions.

Little by little you are getting better. Take it slow and listen to your body, it will tell you when to slow down.

Take care we want you around for a long time.

snakeweasel

Mr_Shiftright said:

Chrysler and GM did go into bankruptcy, chapter 11, restructure of debt. If you are suggesting that Chapter 7, which is liquidation, would have allowed GM or Chrysler to survive, all I can say is would you buy a car from a liquidated company? One doesn't see a new Pontiac or Oldsmobile driving around. And even if you did, how can a company continue after selling off most of its infrastructure? GM and Chrysler would have had to become something else, possibly a small branch of a Japanese or German company, making parts or some such.

No I mean a proper Chapter 11, one where the government doesn't take ownership of a majority stake in the company. GM and Chrysler had a Chapter 11 in name only. What they had was more of a government takeover where the government mandated several things. In a true Chapter 11 the courts would have mediated a restructure of debts.

driver100

graphicguy said:

Pretty impressive. Last real SUV I had driven was my much loved Tahoe, but that was a decade old. If I were in the market for a luxury SUV and didn't need a huge one, I'd put the JGC as a "must consider" with the likely candidates from Lexus, Acura, etc.

Glad you liked the Jeep. My last two D3 cars were Jeeps...a 95 and 2000. I really liked them a lot at the time. However, once I got a bmw X3, there was no going back.

But, if I was looking for a good solid SUV in the price range I would certainly consider a Jeep....bailout or no bailout!

snakeweasel

Kirstie_H said:

GREAT win for the Royals! They had so many "building" years, they were finally due.

While I'm here, I'll show off my not-very-new-at-all new-to-me vehicle. It's got a little bit of "project" in it, but runs great and was a lot of fun while the warmth still graced us with its presence:

Nice looking ride, hope you have plenty of warm sunny days to use it.

And welcome back.

snakeweasel

Kirstie_H said:

And Mr. Kirstie_H's new-to-him vehicle. I bought mine FIRST, so his need to have a convertible was a total copycat move.

Does he know you call him Mr. Kirstie?

henryn

graphicguy said:

Last car I rented in Denver was a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I'm noticing that the more I rent from Hertz, the more likely they are to put me in a "step up" model for the price of the company preferred "compact".

Anyway, pretty darned impressed with the JGC. I'll assume mine was a base model as it wasn't all leathered up and there were plenty of hard plastics all around. But, the V6 Pentastar motor moved it smartly and didn't sound like a John Deere knock off. Assuming the trans was Chrysler's 9 speed, it performed admirably. No hunting and searching, mostly shifting without me noticing it much. And, it kicked down a cog or two when I wanted it to.

Seats were comfortable, and again, I think they were the base seats. Suspension was solid, even though it was clear I was driving a relatively heavy vehicle. It did push through the corners, but not as badly as I expected.

The ride and handling is what I'd call giving a very solid feeling. No thumps, twists, skips, just solid feeling overall pavement types. Base "uconnect" was simple and easy to use, especially given I had never used such a system....EVER! Screen didn't have Nav and was small, but connecting my phone was easy. Speedo, tach etc were clear and easy to read, even with sunglasses. Might have even been a digital number. Good information shown between the speedo and tach....MPG, tire pressure, DTE, radio station, etc.

For the 3 days I had it, and 1/2 tank gas, I got 22 MPG in mixed driving, and I wasn't easy on it.

Pretty impressive. Last real SUV I had driven was my much loved Tahoe, but that was a decade old. If I were in the market for a luxury SUV and didn't need a huge one, I'd put the JGC as a "must consider" with the likely candidates from Lexus, Acura, etc.

@graphicguy, thanks for the mini-review, well written and informative. I have to admit, though, based on all of the reports I have read about problems with the Jeep Grand Cherokee, most particularly that new transmission, I would be very leary of owning one. Very, very leary.

There do seem to be a lot of brave people here in these forums, though. Witness @qbrozen buying that used Land Rover. The very thought is enough to give me the heebie jeebies!

snakeweasel

tjc78 said:

Haha, to this day I always make fun of my wife because when we met her Mustang was a V6 (although however it was optioned it certainly looked like a GT)

I for one would opt for the V6 in a Mustang. Really I wouldn't race the darn thing and the V6 has more than enough power for normal daily driving. Really a V8 would be a waste in 99% of my driving.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

Glad you liked the Jeep. My last two D3 cars were Jeeps...a 95 and 2000. I really liked them a lot at the time. However, once I got a bmw X3, there was no going back.

But, if I was looking for a good solid SUV in the price range I would certainly consider a Jeep....bailout or no bailout!

This brings up a question, would you do any serious off roading with the X3?

roadburner

I drove my wife's(now my son's) 2004 X3 across an 18" deep river of mud that had washed across our driveway; I had no choice, it happened while we were at church. The truck plowed right through the muck without any problem whatsoever- although I did have to spend over $5 worth of quarters at the car wash to clean off the undercarriage. As an aside, the press kit for the E83 states that the truck was designed to operate in up to 24" of water.
Is the GC more capable? I'd say yes- but only if it's fitted with the options that earn it a "Trail Rated" badge. In any event, if I'm going to do some serious off-roading I wouldn't take a GC or an X3- I'd take my Jeep TJ.

stever

@snakeweasel, paddlers do that too - whitewater canoers are always telling kayakers "twice the paddle, half the paddler).

Mr_Shiftright

Well I wasn't referring to being paid for some product they produce. I meant being given money for research that often never pans out. Governments invest in keeping their country's critical businesses in good order. I rather doubt the government would let Lockheed or Boeing just go down the drain with a wave of the hand.

snakeweasel said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

It's funny. Hardly anyone in America raises a peep about the incredible sums of money given away to defense contractors, but let an automaker put out his hat for a handout, and oh man, the wrath of god is upon them.

Well for one defense contractors do provide physical equipment that is cutting (and even bleeding) edge technology so it can be costly. Secondly People do complain and complain a lot about how much money defense contractors are paid.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

Good to see Mr.Kirstie is a REAL Man's Man- buying an SS rather than a hairdresser's V6!

The 69 Camaro my future wife was driving when we met was a 6cyl. that couldn't even spin the wheels (believe me I tried). She was a secretary so I guess it was a good fit.

I like that vert VW. I've been thinking about getting a convertible but can't quite justify having two summer cars.

oldfarmer50

henryn said:

graphicguy said:

Last car I rented in Denver was a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I'm noticing that the more I rent from Hertz, the more likely they are to put me in a "step up" model for the price of the company preferred "compact".

Anyway, pretty darned impressed with the JGC. I'll assume mine was a base model as it wasn't all leathered up and there were plenty of hard plastics all around. But, the V6 Pentastar motor moved it smartly and didn't sound like a John Deere knock off. Assuming the trans was Chrysler's 9 speed, it performed admirably. No hunting and searching, mostly shifting without me noticing it much. And, it kicked down a cog or two when I wanted it to.

Seats were comfortable, and again, I think they were the base seats. Suspension was solid, even though it was clear I was driving a relatively heavy vehicle. It did push through the corners, but not as badly as I expected.

The ride and handling is what I'd call giving a very solid feeling. No thumps, twists, skips, just solid feeling overall pavement types. Base "uconnect" was simple and easy to use, especially given I had never used such a system....EVER! Screen didn't have Nav and was small, but connecting my phone was easy. Speedo, tach etc were clear and easy to read, even with sunglasses. Might have even been a digital number. Good information shown between the speedo and tach....MPG, tire pressure, DTE, radio station, etc.

For the 3 days I had it, and 1/2 tank gas, I got 22 MPG in mixed driving, and I wasn't easy on it.

Pretty impressive. Last real SUV I had driven was my much loved Tahoe, but that was a decade old. If I were in the market for a luxury SUV and didn't need a huge one, I'd put the JGC as a "must consider" with the likely candidates from Lexus, Acura, etc.

@graphicguy, thanks for the mini-review, well written and informative. I have to admit, though, based on all of the reports I have read about problems with the Jeep Grand Cherokee, most particularly that new transmission, I would be very leary of owning one. Very, very leary.

There do seem to be a lot of brave people here in these forums, though. Witness @qbrozen buying that used Land Rover. The very thought is enough to give me the heebie jeebies!

If you are into Jeeps I can put you into my SIL's 2005 Liberty "mechanic's special" real cheap. As I was trying to advise her on possible repair options for her blown head gasket my niece, the princess, just had to drive it to the boyfriend's house and blew the motor completely.

Several knowledgeable friends tell me the Jeep 3.7L engine is a lousy design not worth fixing. Hope that Penstar is better. Anyone know why they stopped using the in-line 6 in Jeeps. That thing was bulletproof.

oldfarmer50

snakeweasel said:

tjc78 said:

Haha, to this day I always make fun of my wife because when we met her Mustang was a V6 (although however it was optioned it certainly looked like a GT)

I for one would opt for the V6 in a Mustang. Really I wouldn't race the darn thing and the V6 has more than enough power for normal daily driving. Really a V8 would be a waste in 99% of my driving.

Unless tjc78 met his wife after 2005 wasn't the V6 Mustang powered by that unreliable Ford 3.8L? If you're talking about a modern version then yes, 300hp is fine especially for a convertible where raw performance isn't the objective. I'd even consider a 2005 era 4.0L 6 convertible if the price was right.

Mr_Shiftright

They stopped I think because the in-line 6 was a gas hog of sorts. You might find a used 3.7 for about $1000--it would be high mileage but run and tested at least.

roadburner

oldfarmer50 said:

The 69 Camaro my future wife was driving when we met was a 6cyl. that couldn't even spin the wheels (believe me I tried). She was a secretary so I guess it was a good fit.

A while back I was driving my MS3 and encountered an older guy(well, older than me anyway- I still remember when the earth was cooling) at a stop light. He was driving a newer V6 Camaro- complete with hood stripes and fuzzy dice(!) hanging from the rearview mirror. I guess he wanted to show that little furrin' station wagon who owned the road, so when the light turned green he floored it. You've heard that you shouldn't bring a knife to a gunfight? That old dude learned that you don't bring a plastic spatula to a thermonuclear exchange.
I used my usual technique; I let him pull just slightly ahead(giving him false hope) and then I nailed the throttle and pulled away like he had shifted into reverse.
I love Q-ships!!!

tjc78

oldfarmer50 said:

Haha, to this day I always make fun of my wife because when we met her Mustang was a V6 (although however it was optioned it certainly looked like a GT)

I for one would opt for the V6 in a Mustang. Really I wouldn't race the darn thing and the V6 has more than enough power for normal daily driving. Really a V8 would be a waste in 99% of my driving.

Unless tjc78 met his wife after 2005 wasn't the V6 Mustang powered by that unreliable Ford 3.8L? If you're talking about a modern version then yes, 300hp is fine especially for a convertible where raw performance isn't the objective. I'd even consider a 2005 era 4.0L 6 convertible if the price was right.

Yes Oldfarmer her Stang was an 04 with thr 3.8.  My 06 Avalon smoked it!!  As for Snakes comment the new ones with the V6 are plenty quick, although I'd have to have the V8.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

oldfarmer50 said:

The 69 Camaro my future wife was driving when we met was a 6cyl. that couldn't even spin the wheels (believe me I tried). She was a secretary so I guess it was a good fit.

A while back I was driving my MS3 and encountered an older guy(well, older than me anyway- I still remember when the earth was cooling) at a stop light. He was driving a newer V6 Camaro- complete with hood stripes and fuzzy dice(!) hanging from the rearview mirror. I guess he wanted to show that little furrin' station wagon who owned the road, so when the light turned green he floored it. You've heard that you shouldn't bring a knife to a gunfight? That old dude learned that you don't bring a plastic spatula to a thermonuclear exchange.
I used my usual technique; I let him pull just slightly ahead(giving him false hope) and then I nailed the throttle and pulled away like he had shifted into reverse.
I love Q-ships!!!

I hear that GM 3.6L is nice but the weight on the Camero was something like 3900lbs. That's gotta slow it down.

For what it's worth my Mustang weighs 3635 according to the registration.

iluvmysephia1

Wow! Why is Kansas insurance so expensive? I live in Northern VT and all 4 cars on my policy cost $1638. for the whole year. Our deductible is $500.00 and we have full coverage.

sb55 - we were told by the Gecko Central Rep. that Kansas has a lotta "uninsured motorists." I've been in one accident that I've caused in my life when I totalled Dad's '66 VW Fastback by sliding in the snow in to a boulder in landscaping in a furniture store parking lot. That was in December of 1975. The other 3 were the other driver's faults and the last one was in Burlington, WA, in 2000. No accidents since 2000 and the last ticket I got was in November of 1982. I got stopped for going 50 in a 40 mph zone coming in to Gold Bar, WA, on Highway 2.

So it wasn't my driving record. Mrs.iluvmysephia1 doesn't drive, either, for additional information. So I knew something was smelly and rotten in Kansas, and it wasn't from all the cattle around here!

Didn't check any other insurance companies out - was referred to American Family by 2 or 3 friends from all over the place. The little green gecko was messin' wid us. :@ Hard for y'all ta believe, I know.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

Glad you liked the Jeep. My last two D3 cars were Jeeps...a 95 and 2000. I really liked them a lot at the time. However, once I got a bmw X3, there was no going back.

But, if I was looking for a good solid SUV in the price range I would certainly consider a Jeep....bailout or no bailout!

This brings up a question, would you do any serious off roading with the X3?

The X3 isn't much of an off road vehicle at all. It is an SAV, Sports Activity Vehicle as opposed to SUV - Sports Utility Vehicle. That means you can use it to carry your sports gear, like skis or bike, but not for off-roading. The Jeep is definitely good for off roading, and in the 10 years I had my Jeeps I drove them off road once.

There was snow on the ground, we were trying to find a small church out in the country, for a funeral, realized we were going the wrong way, turned into what I thought was a driveway but it was a huge pile of snow that accumulated in the ditch. Took awhile but the Jeep got out of it - probably one of the few vehicles that would have done it....and we got to the funeral just at the last moment.

Since then, I have had a lot of respect for Jeeps.

Their current repair track record isn't great, but, I think they got the transmission problems sorted out.....and I think they may actually hold up pretty well over the long term.