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Comments
****taking three giant steps BACKWARD******
NOT volunteering for duty, sir !!
(don't know where it disappeared to ....)
But I would be
1. MB r-class 320 diesel.
2. BMW 335 xi or STi. The older I get the more appealling the Bimmer gets. Less racer-boy and all that. Of course I wouldn't have to fight with Dra over who drove the STi so it has it's side benefits.
Jim
And I wouldn't have to step down to a non-S Boxster or a non-350 SLK, either.
That would work.
Please Santa, I've been really good! :shades:
The 2007 Cadillac CTS-V ($46900)
2008 Chevy Corvette Z06 ($76000)
A tiny bit over the $120K limit, but what the heck- it's Christmas time
Mark
Let's start with an Airstream Basecamp trailer classic aluminum exterior, only 12' long and nicely equipped for $30k.
For looks I'll take a nicely equipped Volvo C30 in Barents Blue for $33k (since I'll still have my old Mercedes gullwing from last year's wish list, of course).
For family I'll take a 7-pass Tribeca in Diamond Gray for $34k.
For commuting I'll take a Civic hybrid in Opal Silver Blue for $23k.
...and all that's $120k on the dot. :shades:
Yeah, the Volvo looks great (wish the image was turned a little to show the rear hatch), but it's the one over-priced item on my list, IHMO. Not a good value like the others, but hey, it's not my money.
I love it!
I got to do a very close inspection of the 09 STi today.... Here are the long and short....
o Hood Struts, ala SVX
o Tilt/Telescopic wheel
o Nav/Stereo, pretty cool
o Seats, Black w/Alcantra
o Mirrors -Nice and big
o Rear Spoiler, well done, not too crazy
o Fit-finish, at least on par with my Legacy GT, maybe better.
o VDC- 3-mode Off, On, On w/lite intervention
o Center Diffy- Auto-2mode, Manual, Lock
o S-drive, Intelligent Mode- reduces throttle max to 60%, reduces boost
Sport- Standard Mode
Sport Sharp- Increases throttle response and boost, not sure of %
o Black Brakes, very classy
o LED tails, not as bad as they look in pics, very suttle.
o No more parking light switch on top of column, instead the stalk allows you to turn them on, as soon as you touch the key, the lights come on
o Quad Exhaust pipes very classy looking
Overall I was extremely impressed by it. I should get to drive it this coming week and I'll report back.
-mike
Nice to see they are re-contenting a bit after the de-contenting that was the trend in the 90s.
-mike
-mike
I wouldn't necessarilly be surprised by the need to replace pads and skim rotors at 30k for a pensioners daily driver. If you spend a little time with older drivers you will often find their driving style is substantially different from the target market - brakes are ridden more, clutches take a hammering and transmission do not get warm enough to operate efficiently.
I have found it interesting to travel with my now eighty year old mum who drove many thousands of miles each year in the course of her job. She was an assertive, not aggressive driver, who would cut it in any city in her prime. As she ages, she recognizes her limitations, leaving bigger safety margins, riding the brakes more and being generally more conservative in her driving. She is still plenty safe enough to drive but is being more careful in her surrounds. In turn, the vehicle is taking more wear. I'll trade off some servicing costs for her mobility.
Any rubber drive belt where a ealer recommedns replacement sems a good idea to me. Rubber degrades over time and through wear.
Cheers
Graham
I was assuming that it was the regular belts. If it was the timing belt it would not need replacing before 105k and if they in fact did replace it before 105k it would be under warranty as it is covered under the emission warranty.
-mike
We've accumulated $1300 as of now, and I spent $400 earlier for body work and accessories. It adds up fast.
Things like that will end up being free.
-mike
I went to a Ford dealer to look at a GT500. Inside is pure American PLASTIC! But the engine is a work of art. Handmade and signed by the 2 guys that put it together, and it sounds wonderful (if you like big v-8s)
Price- $45k sticker, $30k second sticker. Yes. That's right. $30k. I told them they were nuts and walked out. At $45k it might be ok, but I'd say $75k for any modern mustang is insane.
No wonder Ford is in trouble. I could almost get 2 STis.
It'll be interesting to hear your opinions on the new STi Mike, most of the reviews have been very favorable.
Rather than the Shelby GT500, is one GTR worth 2 STis?
tom
Let's face it, a Honda Fit will meet most enthusiasts needs, and it's fun to drive a slow car fast. So $15k is all the money you truly need to spend, and even that is only if you must buy new.
Step up to $20k and you get some nice FWD pocket rockets. Quite a bit faster and better handling too.
Step up to $25k and you can get AWD in a WRX that will get you in trouble with the law if you aren't disciplined enough. Or a RWD Mustang GT if you prefer that sort of thing. Either one is way too fast for US driving conditions and speed limits, if you really think about it.
$35k gets you an STI with added performance you're likely to explore only on a track.
$70k, plus whatever huge markup for the GT-R, mostly buys you bragging rights for a car that reaches 60mph in 3.3 seconds. They should sell a $30,000 "get out of jail free card", because you realistically can't use half the power it has without drawing the attention of Mr. Law.
Honestly, beyond the $20-25k class, where nowadays you get plenty of performance, it's mostly all about luxury and/or bragging rights. There is no practical justification for more than 250hp on public roads.
Beyond that it's never really worth it to a rational-minded consumer.
This is why, if I were rich, I would donate food and supplies to starving children in Somalia.
After I get my GT-R and STI, that is.
Well you really can't blame Ford for the $30K ADM. That's the dealer responding to what is a perceived extra demand in the marketplace.
Trust me - if an STi warranted an ADM sticker, there are plenty of dealers willing to add one.
The only American muscle car that has ever done much for me is the Viper. Raw unadulterared power with no additional frills
-Frank
Just my opinion though. I'm sure Ford doesn't care.
Juice, to your list I think I'd like to add a Ferrari F430 spyder. Then I think I'd have everything I need.
Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!!
tom
All manufacturers apply some pressure but in the end, dealerships are independent businesses who are allowed to set their own prices and that includes both adding ADM and discounting. Would you be as critical if Ford told dealers not to go below MSRP on these Shelbys even if the market could not support MSRP?
Yes people will get a bad impression of Ford but that's how it goes in the auto world. I'm sure many folks in the Southeast get mad at Toyota for the required paint protection and accessories added to all Toyotas and Lexus' in that region although Toyota has no control over that - it's their distributor that does it.
I have a few friends who went to school out at UMich. One of them bought an SVT Cobra and had horrible problems with it. So he drove to the assembly plant, and asked the secretary "could you call so-en-so and so-en-so up here, I want to thank them for my car" She was so estatic and she did. When they got up there, he told them what a POS their workmanship was and made them fix it!
He has never bought another Ford....
I was dieing when he told me the story!
-mike
I know the manufacturers provided the vehicles to Edmunds whom, presumably, had no choice in which trim they received, but I found it odd that the review didn't mention the STi is available without the Navigation system. That reduces the price by about $1,800 which, IMHO, puts one more check-mark in the STi's column.
-mike
I need help diagnosing it.
First thing I noticed was my heater is not working properly. Even after the engine warmed up, it would blow cold air. That was the first symptom, and has been happening for a week or two.
Today, for the first time, the temp gauge was pinned, all the way hot. I got some mild steam from the engine, but nothing spectacular, just a little.
I limped to work, putting very little load on the engine and with the heat on full blast to try to vent heat from the engine bay. It basically got me to work, but oddly there was still zero heat coming from the vents.
But now I have to get it home, 12 mile drive. At least it's cold.
Haven't checked the radiator level yet, but I will soon.
I also got a Check Engine light, just before I got to work, again for the first time.
So what do you guys think?
Bad water pump?
Bad thermostat? The clue here is I had NO heat whatsoever, even when the engine was overheating, cold air was coming from the vents.
Help?!
1993 Miata, 1.6l engine
71k miles
If no leaks, I'd say it's probably the T-stat which is the cheapest thing to try.
I had not checked the level since the 60k service probably. The overflow tank looks full even though it isn't.
I topped off both, started it (this after I'd let it cool for a few hours), then topped off the radiator again with water.
I hope that's all it was. Shame on me, I guess I should have looked further into it when I first notice the no-heat issue.
I have to drive 12 miles home, so let's see if it reverts back to normal operation. If not I'll be back for more advice.
-mike
-Frank
It made it home OK, then I took a short drive, just a couple of miles, and it still ran OK, never letting the temp gauge go more than half way, which is just about normal.
How odd. I'll see if I lose any more coolant, and check it regularly. This weekend I'll have to flush the radiator because it's mostly water in there and it will freeze, in fact I drove the van today because we had some frost and I didn't want to risk it.
I park it in the same spot and never noticed any coolant on the ground. Weird.
-Brian