Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

dino001

The owner just apologized. He admitted nobody put a note in "the system", which is exactly what I thought was happening, probably for reasons Roadburner mentioned. Nothing is better than setting your competition (other salespeople) for a false lead, so they can lose same time you did when a prospect says no. Of course the fact you're just impacting your own company doesn't really matter, if you're going to quit or get fired in a few weeks, anyway...

dino001

ab348 said:

I don't disagree with anything you've said, but on this point - up here almost all the Mustang GTs on dealer lots are manuals. It is actually quite hard to find an automatic in stock. That means 1 of 2 things I guess: either all the automatics sell quickly and leave none in stock, or that manuals are what is preferred in this market.

I've seen that kind of thing. Those few Mini stores around are like that - one has not a single "S", no manual transmission, another store - big portion of each. Seems it's all up to the ordering manager, who has his/her own idea about the customer out there. Classic confirmation bias at work, where beliefs are in front of the actual data and the data is sorted to confirm the beliefs. In case of those Mini store, I'm sure one store manager will tell you "manuals don't sell, period", another will tell you, they do and do well, you just need to know how to market. Also - the guy with all autos probably orders an oddball manual, which probably sits there for weeks, which of course confirms his belief - the other one has multiple on the lot, different colors, models, lines, engines - and they all sell, as people come and see the choice.

This is the downside of instant gratification market, where people want to buy what's there, the stores oblige, carrying large inventory, but in turn they cut the choice to just those they believe can sell in large volumes, as inventory is retailer's worst enemy. This in turn creates those minority shoppers feeling slighted and disadvantaged and they settle most of the time for something they really didn't want, but got a "good deal". Which of course reinforces belief that "nobody wants those other things". The small percentage of those who want settle is also most likely particular about other aspects of the product, like options, color, etc. So they see one manual out there and still don't get it, cause it has things they don't want, or doesn't have things they do. People like me. I will order one from a dealer who is ready and equipped to take that order. What I would like to have is at least an opportunity to check out the most important mechanicals, such as engine/transmission and suspension. If they have some manual, but with basic engine, basic suspension, it doesn't help me at all. So again - they "don't sell", because there ain't any, and there ain't any cause they "don't sell".

Mr_Shiftright

Also dealers get certain cars pushed on them---if they want Best Seller X, they have to take Turkey Y into inventory as well.

dino001

Yeah, I read once that there were multiple bribery scandals in the past, involving several brands, where dealers would pay off regional reps for better model allocations.

Mr_Shiftright

Factory-dealer relations can be very adversarial.

Michaell

dino001 said:

Yeah, I read once that there were multiple bribery scandals in the past, involving several brands, where dealers would pay off regional reps for better model allocations.

Read the book "Arrogance and Accords", which describes in detail the Honda / Acura scandal of the late 80's and early 90's, written by a Honda insider.

Honda America sales reps had multiple schemes to bank extra money from the dealers - many of them went to jail when it was all said and done.

andres3

oldfarmer50 said:

stever said:

I haven't really trusted CR since they steered me wrong on a canoe back in 1974. I've relied much more on enthusiasts for advice since then (and that's a lot easier since the net came around).

Oh yeah, my latest ride is a Dodge.

That reminded me about my 86 Toyota which I choose over Nissan, Isuzu and Mitsubishi because of CR reviews. What a pile.

Don't worry, it's almost certain the Nissan, Isuzu, & Mitsubishi would have been even bigger piles than your old Toyota, not to mention potentially getting you killed.

Have any 4runner's or RAV4's ever been retired at any time anywhere? It seems every single one ever built is still on the road if it hasn't been crushed by a bad driver.

andres3

dino001 said:

ab348 said:

I don't disagree with anything you've said, but on this point - up here almost all the Mustang GTs on dealer lots are manuals. It is actually quite hard to find an automatic in stock. That means 1 of 2 things I guess: either all the automatics sell quickly and leave none in stock, or that manuals are what is preferred in this market.

I've seen that kind of thing. Those few Mini stores around are like that - one has not a single "S", no manual transmission, another store - big portion of each. Seems it's all up to the ordering manager, who has his/her own idea about the customer out there. Classic confirmation bias at work, where beliefs are in front of the actual data and the data is sorted to confirm the beliefs. In case of those Mini store, I'm sure one store manager will tell you "manuals don't sell, period", another will tell you, they do and do well, you just need to know how to market. Also - the guy with all autos probably orders an oddball manual, which probably sits there for weeks, which of course confirms his belief - the other one has multiple on the lot, different colors, models, lines, engines - and they all sell, as people come and see the choice.

This is the downside of instant gratification market, where people want to buy what's there, the stores oblige, carrying large inventory, but in turn they cut the choice to just those they believe can sell in large volumes, as inventory is retailer's worst enemy. This in turn creates those minority shoppers feeling slighted and disadvantaged and they settle most of the time for something they really didn't want, but got a "good deal". Which of course reinforces belief that "nobody wants those other things". The small percentage of those who want settle is also most likely particular about other aspects of the product, like options, color, etc. So they see one manual out there and still don't get it, cause it has things they don't want, or doesn't have things they do. People like me. I will order one from a dealer who is ready and equipped to take that order. What I would like to have is at least an opportunity to check out the most important mechanicals, such as engine/transmission and suspension. If they have some manual, but with basic engine, basic suspension, it doesn't help me at all. So again - they "don't sell", because there ain't any, and there ain't any cause they "don't sell".

I agree that dealerships ruin themselves with the chicken and the egg dilemma and which comes first by ordering only cars they think will sell, and not the ones they think will not sell.

Inventory is usually pretty poor. Want to see and drive a TTS without all the options? Good luck. Probably better off playing the lottery.

The more I think about it the more I think Tesla's sales model makes sense, since picky buyers like me find inventory to be miserable anyway. I have to go to 3 different dealerships just to begin to get an idea of what a model is working with. Sample pieces of colors/finishes are often way too small, and way inaccurate color approximations. All dealerships should have a 12" x 12" or larger sheet metal square painted in every available color. Same with interior finishes and color choices.

andres3

graphicguy said:

stickguy said:

I will still look, not having driven the Civic CVT, but I am still mad at them for not coming through and offering the stick on EX trim or above.

My son was interested in the "new" Civic hatches with the new turbo motors when he was shopping (and ended up buying the GTI). His issue...the way he wanted one equipped only came with the CVT. That was a deal breaker.

I find it odd that Honda, a company known for great manual transmissions, is pushing CVT's when Kia is doing dual clutch autos. Maybe they'll learn. Can't get that triple clutch automatic transmission they patented recently out fast enough! They need that thing like yesterday.

I suppose they've made a half-hearted effort at Acura. Wasn't too impressed with the TLX though, the base engine just isn't too Acura-like even with the better transmission.

ab348

dino001 said:

I've seen that kind of thing. Those few Mini stores around are like that - one has not a single "S", no manual transmission, another store - big portion of each. Seems it's all up to the ordering manager, who has his/her own idea about the customer out there. Classic confirmation bias at work, where beliefs are in front of the actual data and the data is sorted to confirm the beliefs.

I see the same thing here with dealer orders for stock when it comes to color. Usually only black, white, silver and gray. all with a black interior. "It's what sells" they say. Well of course it is since it is all they have on their lot.

sda

I haven't driven a TLX yet find it disappointing that there isn't that much difference in acceleration times as compared to the Accord 2.4 CVT. And it gripes me that the standard seat covering is faux leather where you can get a very nicely equipped Accord with leather and premium sound for thousands less. They both share the same chassis. I know it is the little stuff that is hard to quantify that makes a premium car which the Acura is.

I do wish the Accord didn't have the CVT. It is efficient and kind of reminds me of the 2 speed Jetaway transmission that was in my grandmother's '68 Cutlass. It will rev and pull and then reduce down to low rpms--kind of like a rubbery shift from 1-2. I miss the shifts from gear to gear, though give credit to the CVT because it is responsive and doesn't seem to hinder acceleration when it is needed. All considered, the car is decently quick, just not in a sporty way.

andres3

sda said:

I haven't driven a TLX yet find it disappointing that there isn't that much difference in acceleration times as compared to the Accord 2.4 CVT. And it gripes me that the standard seat covering is faux leather where you can get a very nicely equipped Accord with leather and premium sound for thousands less. They both share the same chassis. I know it is the little stuff that is hard to quantify that makes a premium car which the Acura is.

I do wish the Accord didn't have the CVT. It is efficient and kind of reminds me of the 2 speed Jetaway transmission that was in my grandmother's '68 Cutlass. It will rev and pull and then reduce down to low rpms--kind of like a rubbery shift from 1-2. I miss the shifts from gear to gear, though give credit to the CVT because it is responsive and doesn't seem to hinder acceleration when it is needed. All considered, the car is decently quick, just not in a sporty way.

I'd give credit for the quickness to the great 2.4 from Honda, not the CVT. It is a pretty smooth CVT though, and does somewhat mimic an automatic if you want it to. However, in an Acura, as good as the 2.4 is, I'd want/prefer an upgraded engine A slight tweak of the VTEC isn't enough for me.

cdnpinhead

Rubberband transmissions can now be compared to the PowerGlide (powerslide?) two-speed that GM blessed cars with back in the '60s. I just completed over 4K miles on a rental (Hundai) with such a transmission, and it was "interesting." Mostly it was okay, and it certainly returned good fuel mileage, but there were times when it was odd. Most of the appliance buyers could care less, but I'm not sure yet I approve. That said, if I want a Subaru, I'd better get used to it.

PF_Flyer

Yea, had one of those 2-speed beauties in my '73 Vega (that makes me shiver just to think about it)

Useless safety tip of the day... NEVER try to see how fast a Vega will go on a straight stretch of interstate... not unless you took your Momma's advice and had clean underwear handy!

andres3

My test drive of the naturally aspirated 2.4 in the '16 Kia Optima LX FE with a 6-speed auto made me almost cross it off my list as it was huffing, puffing, making a lot of noise going up a hill, but with little to no forward thrust or momentum.

The 1.6T mated to a 7-speed dual clutch is much improved. And it wasn't the 6-speed automatic transmission's fault entirely, the engine was mostly to blame. With a much lightened up car, including the small lightweight 1.6 in front, the Optima is toss-able in the corners.

PF_Flyer

Tesla 'on autopilot' crashes on German Autobahn: police

In what is certainly a candidate for "statements that make no sense", you have to love this one... (my emphasis added)

A Tesla spokesperson however said in a statement that "we have spoken to our customer, who confirmed that Autopilot was functioning properly and that his use of Autopilot was unrelated to the accident.

Uh huh...

sda

PF_Flyer said:

Yea, had one of those 2-speed beauties in my '73 Vega (that makes me shiver just to think about it)

Useless safety tip of the day... NEVER try to see how fast a Vega will go on a straight stretch of interstate... not unless you took your Momma's advice and had clean underwear handy!

That had to be slow! I thought Chevy replaced the powerglide in '73 with a better 3 speed automatic. I guess both were available. I had a '71 Vega GT with the 4 speed manual. It wasn't quick either.

PF_Flyer

sda said:

PF_Flyer said:

Yea, had one of those 2-speed beauties in my '73 Vega (that makes me shiver just to think about it)

Useless safety tip of the day... NEVER try to see how fast a Vega will go on a straight stretch of interstate... not unless you took your Momma's advice and had clean underwear handy!

That had to be slow! I thought Chevy replaced the powerglide in '73 with a better 3 speed automatic. I guess both were available. I had a '71 Vega GT with the 4 speed manual. It wasn't quick either.

It wasn't exactly fast, but when it got to around 70 mph, it sorta felt like the whole thing was going to come apart so I eased off to get the car back in its comfort zone

Mr_Shiftright

It wasn't "like".......It was actually coming apart

explorerx4

Speaking of Neon's
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cops-maine-teen-tyler-barrow-caught-doing-nearly-150-mph-in-a-dodge-neon/

imidazol97

explorerx4 said:

Speaking of Neon's
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cops-maine-teen-tyler-barrow-caught-doing-nearly-150-mph-in-a-dodge-neon/

That just shows that Neons are much better than some have let on!

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

graphicguy said:

1) selling a manual transmission anything is difficult for dealers as fewer and fewer people know how to drive them. Therefore, they don't put many on the lot. In the case of the Mustang, the salesman actually admitted he had to get a lot boy to pull it from the back lot as he didn't know how to drive a manual trans car.

I don't disagree with anything you've said, but on this point - up here almost all the Mustang GTs on dealer lots are manuals. It is actually quite hard to find an automatic in stock. That means 1 of 2 things I guess: either all the automatics sell quickly and leave none in stock, or that manuals are what is preferred in this market.

When they first came out locally last year there were no automatics to be had. I had no desire to be driving around and never get out of 4th gear without speeding and modern manuals seem like video game toggles to me. Took forever to find an automatic set up how I liked.

Probably will find out some day that my "dream" car was a lot queen that the dealer figured no one would ever want.

Congrats on the M4. I'm impressed.

jpp75

andres3 said:

I find it odd that Honda, a company known for great manual transmissions, is pushing CVT's when Kia is doing dual clutch autos. Maybe they'll learn. Can't get that triple clutch automatic transmission they patented recently out fast enough! They need that thing like yesterday.

I suppose they've made a half-hearted effort at Acura. Wasn't too impressed with the TLX though, the base engine just isn't too Acura-like even with the better transmission.

I spent a few days visiting my friend with the V6 TLX with that horrible 9-speed transmission. He's almost at 15,000 miles and the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts are rougher than ever.

I asked him why he hadn't complained and he said it's a lease, he can't wait to get rid of it and the dealer is too far away to bother.

I've yet to read or experience one good thing about that 9-speed.

jpp75

Mr_Shiftright said:

It wasn't "like".......It was actually coming apart

+1

andres3

imidazol97 said:

explorerx4 said:

Speaking of Neon's
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cops-maine-teen-tyler-barrow-caught-doing-nearly-150-mph-in-a-dodge-neon/

That just shows that Neons are much better than some have let on!

Sounds like the "Your Honor I'm driving a clunker Neon that can't possibly go 146 MPH" defense would work here.

driver100

PF_Flyer said:

Yea, had one of those 2-speed beauties in my '73 Vega (that makes me shiver just to think about it)

Useless safety tip of the day... NEVER try to see how fast a Vega will go on a straight stretch of interstate... not unless you took your Momma's advice and had clean underwear handy!

That would make a good topic. What car am I most ashamed I ever bought......Vega must be up there.

Mine was a 1974 Mustang II we bought for my wife to use. A Pinto with lipstick. It was kind of cute inside, but slow and awkward....Ford must have thrown that idea together and got it out of the gate as fast as possible.

snakeweasel

karhill1 said:

We visited Hawaii in June, Maui. Overall, we were not impressed. Nice island but far, far too many tourists. Rained every day in the interior of the island.

That would be typical of a larger island. Haleakala tops out at just over 10K feet, when that warm moist Pacific air climbs that volcano it cools off (cold up there) and all that water condenses and drops. Maui can get over 100 inches of rain a year. The leeward side of the island can have near desert like conditions. Most islands are like this.

stickguy

my most embarrassing buy was the 1975 Opel Manta. expensive lesson learned.

snakeweasel

graphicguy said:

Two things I learned....

1) selling a manual transmission anything is difficult for dealers as fewer and fewer people know how to drive them. Therefore, they don't put many on the lot. In the case of the Mustang, the salesman actually admitted he had to get a lot boy to pull it from the back lot as he didn't know how to drive a manual trans car.

I know I mentioned before that in high school I was a "lot boy" so talking from experience I can definitely say that many a lot boy learned to drive a manual on the dealership inventory. So all you buying cars with manual transmissions be aware that the gears of your brand new car might have been grinded by the lot boy.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

Cruising? No thanks. Been on one, that was enough. Line up for this, line up for that. Be back at a certain time or see ya.

Talked to a guy who went to Costa Rica...it was his dream fantasy vacation. Came upon a secluded beach....went in, enjoyed it for about 4 minutes before being bitten by a sting ray.

Got carried to the local doctor who's office was a small shack. Didn't feel very well for a few days and came back early.

He said, his first clue should have been when he saw the beach was secluded....he should have known there was a reason.



On our last cruise we stopped in Honduras where the cruise line had their own private beach. Not many people off the boat went there and it was great.

snakeweasel

nelsonf said:

The M4 I'm picking up tomorrow has a manual. I tried to find one in Seattle, but couldn't, so I ended up ordering one from an out of state dealer. They had an allocation, and let me spec it out how I wanted.

Dual clutch autos shift faster than you can shift in a manual, but it's not as fun!

I'll likely never own another manual again, the traffic on my commute makes a manual pure torture. Our retirement plans have us at a retirement community where people get around in golf carts, so it will be one car, a golf car a pair of bicycles and a scooter (in case I need to go further and the wife has the car). Now with just one car and my wife not able to drive a manual it will be an automatic.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

I find it odd that Honda, a company known for great manual transmissions, is pushing CVT's when Kia is doing dual clutch autos. Maybe they'll learn. Can't get that triple clutch automatic transmission they patented recently out fast enough! They need that thing like yesterday.

I really think that the CVT is the future with transmissions, with the way the government is pushing higher and higher CAFE figures CVT's are best for getting better mileage. As for the triple clutch transmission they will really have to take their time and get it right. And even there it will be a hard sell for many people as the cost and complexity of it is greater then the DCT for very little improvement.

snakeweasel

PF_Flyer said:

Yea, had one of those 2-speed beauties in my '73 Vega (that makes me shiver just to think about it)

Useless safety tip of the day... NEVER try to see how fast a Vega will go on a straight stretch of interstate... not unless you took your Momma's advice and had clean underwear handy!

Didn't the Vega have a top speed of about 100 MPH?

When I was in high school a friend of mine had an older brother who was trying to cram a small block V-8 into a Vega. Can't remember if he ever succeeded.

ab348

snakeweasel said:

I really think that the CVT is the future with transmissions, with the way the government is pushing higher and higher CAFE figures CVT's are best for getting better mileage. As for the triple clutch transmission they will really have to take their time and get it right. And even there it will be a hard sell for many people as the cost and complexity of it is greater then the DCT for very little improvement.

I imagine many Ford Focus/Fiesta owners wish they had a CVT instead of the problematic DCT box that Ford foisted on customers that has seldom worked properly.

stickguy

seems like what they really need is someone to reinvent/upgrade/perfect the CVT. Seems like a great concept, with a few flaws, that could really be dialed in with some creative tweaking. Though I guess at some point, people said the same thing about the Wankel!

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

imidazol97 said:

explorerx4 said:

Speaking of Neon's
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cops-maine-teen-tyler-barrow-caught-doing-nearly-150-mph-in-a-dodge-neon/

That just shows that Neons are much better than some have let on!

Sounds like the "Your Honor I'm driving a clunker Neon that can't possibly go 146 MPH" defense would work here.

I do believe the top speed of a Neon is just under 150 MPH, so while 146 is pushing it's limits it is doable.

oldfarmer50

andres3 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

stever said:

I haven't really trusted CR since they steered me wrong on a canoe back in 1974. I've relied much more on enthusiasts for advice since then (and that's a lot easier since the net came around).

Oh yeah, my latest ride is a Dodge.

That reminded me about my 86 Toyota which I choose over Nissan, Isuzu and Mitsubishi because of CR reviews. What a pile.

Don't worry, it's almost certain the Nissan, Isuzu, & Mitsubishi would have been even bigger piles than your old Toyota, not to mention potentially getting you killed.

Have any 4runner's or RAV4's ever been retired at any time anywhere? It seems every single one ever built is still on the road if it hasn't been crushed by a bad driver.

Maybe in CA but here in salt country I literally had fenders flapping in the wind. Same with Rav 4s

fintail

Toyotas can rust here in the PNW, but it seems to take 30++ years for it to really set in.

ab348

I should take some pics of rusty cars here in Nova Scotia. Would be quite the rogues gallery.

qbrozen

Most embarassing was our Forester. And not because it was a bad vehicle but because I made the mistake of not preparing myself and we overpaid big time.

nyccarguy

qbrozen said:

Most embarassing was our Forester. And not because it was a bad vehicle but because I made the mistake of not preparing myself and we overpaid big time.

I didn't know you had a forester at one point

oldfarmer50

fintail said:

Toyotas can rust here in the PNW, but it seems to take 30++ years for it to really set in.

Mine took 3.

qbrozen

nyccarguy said:

Most embarassing was our Forester. And not because it was a bad vehicle but because I made the mistake of not preparing myself and we overpaid big time.

I didn't know you had a forester at one point

Yup. A '98 that we bought in 2000. Traded on the '03 Pilot right when that came out.

graphicguy

I know when I was buying Acura TLs pretty regularly, I would always complain to the GM it would be nice to find one that didn't have black interior. He said "that's what we sell the most of". Kind of a self fulfilling-prophecy. Black interiors are all you sell because that's all you order. It's sad to hear all these complaints about the TLX transmission. Usually I'll defend Acura. But, even some of the trade rags are complaining about it. Not sure Acura has done anything to fix it, either. What makes it even more frustrating is they have a very nice 8 speed auto for their 4 cyl version.

I still stay in touch with my Acura sales person. Super nice guy and very, very good at his job (which is why he's been at the dealership for nearly 20 years). He had no car experience at all when he took the sales job. He was a front desk clerk manager at a local hotel. What a transition that had to be. He said things had really bottomed out in '08, where he survived only by selling used cars. Now, uncharacterstically, he sells more SUVs than cars. Being at the forefront of the Japanese luxury car movement, not sure how or why Acura lost their way. Still, I'd be interested in the next iteration of the TL/TLx/ Legend, whatever they call it if/when it comes out.

Manual vs automatic trans......I think automatics have become so good, and new drivers (with texting dominating their driving focus) not being willing to learn to drive a manual, it's harder and harder to find them. I probably wouldn't have even bought the Cobra if it was an automatic.

I had a 4 Runner about 20 years ago. It's still on the road as I sold it to a guy who installed pools, and I see it on the road with his business logo painted on it around town. I sold it with about 50K trouble free miles on it (I know, a rarity for me). I can't even fathom how many miles it has on it, now. It is rusting arond the wheel wells, though. It rode like a truck, handled like a truck, steered like a truck, etc. It was not a family friendly vehicle like today's 4 runners are.

PF_Flyer

snakeweasel said:

PF_Flyer said:

Yea, had one of those 2-speed beauties in my '73 Vega (that makes me shiver just to think about it)

Useless safety tip of the day... NEVER try to see how fast a Vega will go on a straight stretch of interstate... not unless you took your Momma's advice and had clean underwear handy!

Didn't the Vega have a top speed of about 100 MPH?

When I was in high school a friend of mine had an older brother who was trying to cram a small block V-8 into a Vega. Can't remember if he ever succeeded.

That may have been the spec, but that would have to be test track conditions, not real world

driver100

Update on my accident 081616.
Briefly, I stopped for yellow light, big waste truck plowed into us....his excuse, he thought I was going thru the yellow light so he kept going. Cop thought this made sense and didn't charge him.

Insurance company tried to offer me about $3000 less than a replacement car would cost. They found a dealer who left off an option that included LED headlights, enhanced hi beam features, top view camera, that were all on the 2015 car. Insurance company asked for an invoice from my dealer, that was 2 weeks ago, haven't heard anything from them. Maybe they are shopping around to see if they can buy it for less somewhere. It has been 2 weeks since they requested the information.

In a way it is better because they are still paying for the rental car, once they pay me, they won't pay for the rental. BTW...this little X1 is a great handling little car.....and is actually a lot of fun to drive. Steering is super firm though - but, you get to like it. If anyone wants to know what a difference driving something that is fun is, try one of these. I would buy this over that Chryco 300 anytime.

I got a call from the Supervisor of Collision Reconstruction. He said they have science and can reconstruct what happened and there is no way I should be blamed in any way for the accident. He assured me my insurance rates would not be affected since I was not at fault on the collision report. He said the cop did not do his job properly, he will have to rewrite the collision report, and he will be monitored going forward. They can't charge the truck driver after the fact and he couldn't discuss the truck drivers driving record - which leads me to believe there could have been past problems. I can take it further but I got nothing to gain at this point....I think everyone learned something and hopefully the system will be better for it.

driver100

PF_Flyer said:

snakeweasel said:

PF_Flyer said:

Yea, had one of those 2-speed beauties in my '73 Vega (that makes me shiver just to think about it)

Useless safety tip of the day... NEVER try to see how fast a Vega will go on a straight stretch of interstate... not unless you took your Momma's advice and had clean underwear handy!

Didn't the Vega have a top speed of about 100 MPH?

When I was in high school a friend of mine had an older brother who was trying to cram a small block V-8 into a Vega. Can't remember if he ever succeeded.

That may have been the spec, but that would have to be test track conditions, not real world

snakeweasel said:
» show previous quotes
Didn't the Vega have a top speed of about 100 MPH?

There are a lot of cars out today that I wouldn't go 100 mph in....SmartCar and Fiat come quickly to mind for a start.

fintail

One good thing about this region, little rust - old cars survive. I see 70s or 80s Japanese cars virtually daily, and even older domestics are not uncommon either.

oldfarmer50 said:

Mine took 3.

fintail

I wonder if a normal Smart or normal non-Abarth 500 can do 100. I bet the Fiat can get to 110-120. Many modern mainstream cars can hit 120-140, at least when in good condition. I think my fintail was originally given a top speed of 106. I wouldn't want to try that today, but when in good tune and everything maintained, they are the kind of old cars that can do 85 all day without complaint.

driver100 said:

There are a lot of cars out today that I wouldn't go 100 mph in....SmartCar and Fiat come quickly to mind for a start.

henryn

Back in the day, I saw quite a few Vegas with a small block Chevy V8. There were kits available that made it a fairly easy transplant. I remember seeing one Vega with a rat motor (big block Chevy V8). I can't imagine trying to drive that!

The CVT transmission appeals to the logical side of my brain. In theory, it is the perfect transmission. I haven't had enough experience with one to render a verdict, only short test drives, I've never even had a rental car equipped with the CVT. I will say, my recent experiences with the DSG in this 2013 Passat TDI have convinced me that I don't want to own one long term. My daily commute involves a lot of stop and go traffic, driving a manual transmission in this nightmare would require a masochist. And the wonky behavior of the DSG in low speed, stop and go traffic is NOT something I want to live with.

And speaking of "in theory", in theory the rotary engine is far, far superior to a reciprocating piston engine. But we all know the reality of that one.