Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stickguy

surprised it took me this long to gravitate toward the WRX.

but what Subaru really needs to do (hey, between me and Bradd, they will sell 2!) is put the turbo motor in a Legacy sport, and include the stick shift option. That would be cool.

corvette

stickguy said:

surprised it took me this long to gravitate toward the WRX.

but what Subaru really needs to do (hey, between me and Bradd, they will sell 2!) is put the turbo motor in a Legacy sport, and include the stick shift option. That would be cool.

Back in the day, they offered a Legacy GT sedan and wagon with the turbo H4 and a stick (and probably some headgasket problems once the warranty expired, I'm just saying)...

Michaell

stickguy said:

surprised it took me this long to gravitate toward the WRX.

but what Subaru really needs to do (hey, between me and Bradd, they will sell 2!) is put the turbo motor in a Legacy sport, and include the stick shift option. That would be cool.

Make it three!

stickguy

I know. I always liked them. And at least last time I checked, they got silly money used.

breld

Years ago, shortly after I got a TSX, I was really pining for a Legacy GT wagon (manual). Almost traded the Acura for one, but my wife (at the time) wouldn't really go for it.

I'm not saying that's why we're not married anymore, but....

breld

They also had the manual offered on the Outback XT, which was cool.

Speaking of...

Used XT in CO

Michaell

breld said:

Years ago, shortly after I got a TSX, I was really pining for a Legacy GT wagon (manual). Almost traded the Acura for one, but my wife (at the time) wouldn't really go for it.

I'm not saying that's why we're not married anymore, but....

I can't picture you two with anybody else but each other.

I still shake my head knowing that she drove a PT Cruiser.

breld

Ha! I'm pretty sure she shakes her head as well thinking back to the PT Cruiser.

And yes, I definitely got it right the second time around.

Michaell

breld said:

Ha! I'm pretty sure she shakes her head as well thinking back to the PT Cruiser.

And yes, I definitely got it right the second time around.

Although - and let's be objective about this - she now drives a car that is smaller and slower that the PT. This is progress?

She got rid of the S3 for this? :laughing:

breld

Apparently, it's all about the character of the car.

And the color.

nyccarguy

breld said:

Apparently, it's all about the character of the car.

And the color.

For my wife, it's all about the color. She wants a blue car. If it happens to be an SUV, it better have a power lift gate this time around.

nyccarguy

stickguy said:

surprised it took me this long to gravitate toward the WRX.

but what Subaru really needs to do (hey, between me and Bradd, they will sell 2!) is put the turbo motor in a Legacy sport, and include the stick shift option. That would be cool.

1 stick in the stable is enough for me. Although I've driven the Prelude every day this week so far & (I say this now) I daily drove stick for 9 years & could totally do it again. We do car swap on a regular basis, so I need to get another automatic.

Michaell

nyccarguy said:

breld said:

Apparently, it's all about the character of the car.

And the color.

For my wife, it's all about the color. She wants a blue car. If it happens to be an SUV, it better have a power lift gate this time around.

The Outback has a power hatch. I've found it to be tremendously helpful. Wife, OTOH, has had problems with it. I think it's operator error. Dealer can find nothing wrong.

So far as I know, we're keeping it, however. I really like it.

This next story I mentioned this to @breld at lunch the other day; not sure I've told the story here.

Daughter is on her second MINI - first was a 2010 Cooper that got her through the last 1.5 years of college and her first job, now she drives a 2014 Countryman S ALL4. Big fan of the brand. Her and my wife alternate weeks for commuting - and the wife is not thrilled about the weeks that they're in the MINI. Daughter has a bit of a lead foot, brakes late, takes corners too fast, and the MINI - even though it's the "big" one - still rides pretty rough.

Last week, they were at a stop light behind two Infinitis - one sedan and one SUV. Daughter makes an off hand comment to the effect that she likes the shape of those, and could see herself driving one because it's 'curvy'. And, oh, by the way, the MINI ride is getting to be a bit stiff.



Despite the emotorcon, I'm keeping my mouth shut. As much as she loves her car, it'll be her decision to do something about it. If she wants my help or advice, I'm happy to oblige. We'll see. The Countryman has only 25K on it in 28 months, and that includes road trips to Salt Lake City and Santa Fe. It's a fun car to drive occasionally, but there's no way I could live with it as a daily driver. I want something sporty - and refined. The MINI is a bit rough around the edges for my liking.

Sandman6472

Though I do like the Mini, any of them, don't think it would be a wise move to be honest. The Golf is probably a better all around vehicle though just not as cool. But all the cons I'm reading make me think I should take it off my short list. Though I do love the size!

The Sandman

Sandman6472

Looks like we're going to get a rain event come Saturday/Sunday. That I can deal with, that and maybe 30 mph winds. Anything above that, not interested. Being without power isn't cool and one does find out who their real friends are!!

The Sandman

sda

While I like the WRX I prefer a more conservative exterior. My wife prefers a manual transmission. All the cars that she has owned have had a manual transmission until we leased our '03 Odyssey. At the time it seemed we packed the entire house when we travelled with our 2 year old. Fast forward to May '09. We were turning in our leased (after the Ody) '06 Pilot. This was when gas prices had spiked and were around $4(?). Daughter was older and a smaller vehicle would suffice. Wife wanted a car that got 30mpg and manual trans. We broke the lease cycle and bought an '09 Civic EX. Sadly it was an automatic as the dealer only had automatics.

nyccarguy

The no power lift gate on the Pilot is MY BAD. When we were SUV shopping back in 2011, the only Pilot that came with the power lift gate was the TOURING model. I didn't like the wheels on the Touring model, we didn't like the built in DVD player, & I didn't like the extra $2,000 + the touring cost. Of course by the time wifey started (ahem) politely mentioning that we should have gotten a Pilot with a power tail gate (which became standard on the EX-L starting in the 2012 MY), I told her it was too soon to ditch the Pilot & we'd get killed trading it in. Of course ever since then, every single person we know that has bought a new car (including my sister who borrowed $2K from us 2 years ago) has a power lift gate.

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

1 stick in the stable is enough for me. Although I've driven the Prelude every day this week so far & (I say this now) I daily drove stick for 9 years & could totally do it again. We do car swap on a regular basis, so I need to get another automatic.

I drove the ti to work yesterday. No electronics save the EFI and ABS. No driving nannies. No connectivity. You have to pay attention to the car to make rapid progress. When I give it some throttle on the curves in my gravel driveway it gracefully begins to drift at a 45 degree angle to the direction of travel.
Heaven.

graphicguy

roadburner said:

nyccarguy said:

1 stick in the stable is enough for me. Although I've driven the Prelude every day this week so far & (I say this now) I daily drove stick for 9 years & could totally do it again. We do car swap on a regular basis, so I need to get another automatic.

I drove the ti to work yesterday. No electronics save the EFI and ABS. No driving nannies. No connectivity. You have to pay attention to the car to make rapid progress. When I give it some throttle on the curves in my gravel driveway it gracefully begins to drift at a 45 degree angle to the direction of travel.
Heaven.

Funny....I was out in the Cobra earlier in the week. I had a similar feeling. No bluetooth, no driving nannies, no warning beeps. Have to keep aware of your surroundings at all times. Just put the top down. Turned the stereo off. Smelled the smells, listened to the sounds (particularly of the engine) around me, rowing through the gears, that's it.

Can't have much more fun than that with your clothes on.

stickguy

Bradd, I know you need an AT. I wanted the stick option for me, just in case.

And I might be in the minority, but I hate power lift gates. Especially silly on little cars like an X1.

rayainsw

'When I give it some throttle on the curves in my gravel driveway it gracefully begins to drift at a 45 degree angle to the direction of travel.'
Let's see, my driveway is about 2 car lengths long - and paved.
Wonder if I can do that...
- Ray
May read the results in the local newspaper.

Michaell

I drove the ti to work yesterday. No electronics save the EFI and ABS. No driving nannies. No connectivity. You have to pay attention to the car to make rapid progress. When I give it some throttle on the curves in my gravel driveway it gracefully begins to drift at a 45 degree angle to the direction of travel.
Heaven.

Which car gets more attention at the dealer when you take it to work - the ti or the 2-series?

roadburner

Michaell said:

I drove the ti to work yesterday. No electronics save the EFI and ABS. No driving nannies. No connectivity. You have to pay attention to the car to make rapid progress. When I give it some throttle on the curves in my gravel driveway it gracefully begins to drift at a 45 degree angle to the direction of travel.
Heaven.

Which car gets more attention at the dealer when you take it to work - the ti or the 2-series?



The ti- definitely.

fintail

I hope to take the fintail out this weekend. No electronics, no EFI (it has MFI), no ABS, no connectivity past the AM-FM radio. Lap belts only, no headrests, so it's good to be attentive. Not a ton of hp or torque, so one needs to keep the revs up a little and mind the gear in order to move along. Also good to keep an eye on the gauges, just in case. All of the involvement makes it more fun than most modern cars.

The power liftgate thing is funny, most well equipped German cars from the past several years have a power trunk closer - one of those things you never imagined you'd want until you live with it.

nyccarguy

@roadburner - that's it for me too. No Bluetooth. I'm connected to the road by good old hydraulic power steering, a cable actuated throttle, a slick shifting 5 speed manual transmission, & a suspension that transmits excellent feedback. I love hearing the roar of the engine as it switches over to the VTEC cam as I blast onto the highway.

breld

Hmmm - I think we should have kept our ti longer. Not exactly easy to find one in nice shape.

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

@roadburner - that's it for me too. No Bluetooth. I'm connected to the road by good old hydraulic power steering, a cable actuated throttle, a slick shifting 5 speed manual transmission, & a suspension that transmits excellent feedback. I love hearing the roar of the engine as it switches over to the VTEC cam as I blast onto the highway.

The ti's engine has what BMW calls DISA- it switches between a long and a short intake tract. It switches over at around 4500. You feel a slight power boost when it switches, but nothing remotely like a VTEC equipped motor.

breld

nyccarguy said:

stickguy said:

surprised it took me this long to gravitate toward the WRX.

but what Subaru really needs to do (hey, between me and Bradd, they will sell 2!) is put the turbo motor in a Legacy sport, and include the stick shift option. That would be cool.

1 stick in the stable is enough for me. Although I've driven the Prelude every day this week so far & (I say this now) I daily drove stick for 9 years & could totally do it again. We do car swap on a regular basis, so I need to get another automatic.

I'm not missing the stick in the S4 as much as I thought I would. I appreciate the nice automatic that's in the SQ5 - still fun to drive but pleasant for most of my commuting.

I do see something like a Miata or Civic Si at some point in the future to have that fun stickshift for the occasional use. But I definitely need to pay down the debt on the Audi before that happens. Someone in our work garage just got a new red Miata and it sure is eye-catching.

Mr_Shiftright

nyccarguy said:

I've seen high HP Vipers embarrass 911 GT3s on a race track in the corners. They take the turns just slow enough and just wide enough so their V10's low end torque powers out of the turn. By the time the GT3s catch up, the Vipers pull the same thing around the next turn.

Also 700 lbs lighter than a Charger, massive rubber and more giddy-up.

breld

breld said:

nyccarguy said:

stickguy said:

surprised it took me this long to gravitate toward the WRX.

but what Subaru really needs to do (hey, between me and Bradd, they will sell 2!) is put the turbo motor in a Legacy sport, and include the stick shift option. That would be cool.

1 stick in the stable is enough for me. Although I've driven the Prelude every day this week so far & (I say this now) I daily drove stick for 9 years & could totally do it again. We do car swap on a regular basis, so I need to get another automatic.

I'm not missing the stick in the S4 as much as I thought I would. I appreciate the nice automatic that's in the SQ5 - still fun to drive but pleasant for most of my commuting.

I do see something like a Miata or Civic Si at some point in the future to have that fun stickshift for the occasional use. But I definitely need to pay down the debt on the Audi before that happens. Someone in our work garage just got a new red Miata and it sure is eye-catching.

Or maybe a used Mustang. There are a lot of those out there for what seems like reasonable prices.

andres3

breld said:

Apparently, it's all about the character of the car.

And the color.

Rumor is that the '17 S3 is vastly improved over the '16 S3. They fixed the handling, the AWD, and more. Essentially offering more of a TTS like experience from what I read.

andres3

nyccarguy said:

I've seen high HP Vipers embarrass 911 GT3s on a race track in the corners. They take the turns just slow enough and just wide enough so their V10's low end torque powers out of the turn. By the time the GT3s catch up, the Vipers pull the same thing around the next turn.

I would say that fast American cars can be very fast, but it takes a skilled experienced driver to do so. I see a lot of beginners that just don't have the you know what to push a Corvette hard in the turns. Also, if there's water on the ground, forget it.

Lastly, what do you think the spin-out/off-track ratio is from the Viper to the GT3's? I would say the Porsche's definitely find themselves spun out and off-track more often than the forgiving and tolerant AWD Audi's.

andres3

roadburner said:

Michaell said:

I drove the ti to work yesterday. No electronics save the EFI and ABS. No driving nannies. No connectivity. You have to pay attention to the car to make rapid progress. When I give it some throttle on the curves in my gravel driveway it gracefully begins to drift at a 45 degree angle to the direction of travel.
Heaven.

Which car gets more attention at the dealer when you take it to work - the ti or the 2-series?

The ti- definitely.



That was part of my problem with the 2-series, it looks like a sheep. I know it's more like a wolf underneath, but it is most definitely a sleeper.

Mr_Shiftright

If you doubt that the Viper is a handful, go to Hemmings Motor News and check on the Viper ads, and then notice how many are being sold wrecked.

stickguy

so, I need to try out a WRX for myself, to see how rough it really is. I want smaller and sharper handling, but don't want to go overboard! Pretty sure it won't enthuse the wife either.

actually, if they would just reintroduce a legacy GT with the turbo motor out of the Forester (just use the new sport model as the basis), and sharpen up the handling a touch, and should have a nice compromise of fun, quick, safe and comfy!

nyccarguy

stickguy said:

so, I need to try out a WRX for myself, to see how rough it really is. I want smaller and sharper handling, but don't want to go overboard! Pretty sure it won't enthuse the wife either.

actually, if they would just reintroduce a legacy GT with the turbo motor out of the Forester (just use the new sport model as the basis), and sharpen up the handling a touch, and should have a nice compromise of fun, quick, safe and comfy!

Let me know your impressions!

stickguy

might not be for a while of course. Though I could call it research for my son.

28firefighter

Just got back from a business trip in Indiana. I was about 40 minutes away from where those Tornados hit last night. Suffice to say I'm happy to be home. 

My colleague ended up being upgraded by Avis to an Infiniti QX70. Looked great, but man was it sluggish and it guzzled gas. 

Got back tonight and was able to snap a picture of the two German cousins parked together.

stickguy

street parking. I could never do that. It just wouldn't work.

28firefighter

Unfortunately with a one car garage and shared driveway, I don't have much choice. Wife gets the garage.

roadburner

I took an X5 M Sport on an 80 mile round trip today. I have to say I'd rather have the X5 over an F10 5 Series; neither one is particularly sporty, but at least the X5 doesn't pretend to be a sports sedan. The truck had all of the bells and whistles you could order and it was a genuinely pleasant interstate cruiser.

Michaell

I'll be in the Bay Area next week on business; I've got a "standard" class rental from Hertz lined up. I get the impression that could be a Jetta similar to the one that's parked in my driveway.

I will, as always, try to get a picture of whatever I'm driving.

Sandman6472

Drove a '16 Passat yesterday and thing was quite peppy to say the least, had no trouble merging with traffic on the interstate. Nice large interior with gobs of back seat room so surprised these puppies don't sell in greater numbers! Too big for our needs at this point but when the kids were small, would've been a nice alternative to the Olds Cutlass Supreme we had. Luckily, that vehicle was a gift my wife got from her mom and dad who also picked up the insurance.
No word on any transfer as of yet but not holding my breath as our area manager has to approve it and being that our office is short drivers, don't think I'll be going anywhere anytime soon. No biggie really, just looking to cut down on the commute a bit.

The Sandman

Sandman6472

Thank G-d, looks like we dodged a big bullet down here in South Florida. No major storm anymore just a rain event it seems. Very pleased and we do need the rain. But I was ready with our supplies and got everyone to fill up their rigs just in case there was a power outage. After Wilma, most stations had to get backup generators so the supply of petrol would still be available if power did go out. There were severe issues after Wilma with even getting petrol all over this area. So glad we dodged a bullet!!!

The Grateful Sandman

houdini1

breld said:

nyccarguy said:

stickguy said:

surprised it took me this long to gravitate toward the WRX.

but what Subaru really needs to do (hey, between me and Bradd, they will sell 2!) is put the turbo motor in a Legacy sport, and include the stick shift option. That would be cool.

1 stick in the stable is enough for me. Although I've driven the Prelude every day this week so far & (I say this now) I daily drove stick for 9 years & could totally do it again. We do car swap on a regular basis, so I need to get another automatic.

I'm not missing the stick in the S4 as much as I thought I would. I appreciate the nice automatic that's in the SQ5 - still fun to drive but pleasant for most of my commuting.

I do see something like a Miata or Civic Si at some point in the future to have that fun stickshift for the occasional use. But I definitely need to pay down the debt on the Audi before that happens. Someone in our work garage just got a new red Miata and it sure is eye-catching.

Uh oh ! Someone who describes their car, wife, or girl friend as "pleasant", may not be totally in love !

nelsonf

Michaell said:

I'll be in the Bay Area next week on business; I've got a "standard" class rental from Hertz lined up. I get the impression that could be a Jetta similar to the one that's parked in my driveway.

I will, as always, try to get a picture of whatever I'm driving.

I just had a Hertz 'standard' category car last week. They gave me a Passat in "rental white" of course. Tons of back seat leg room. Not a bad driving car overall.

One thing I didn't like, is that you have to push on the brake pedal to start the car. Being an automatic, I'm not sure what the point is. It was close to 100 degrees, and it would have been nice to reach in to start the car so it could cool a bit before getting in the seat.

The last VW I had was a 2008 R32, and you didn't need to push on the brake to start it.

Not a deal breaker, just an annoying First World problem.

stickguy

I got a white Passat from hertz my last rental too. 2 years ago at this point. Was huge inside.

graphicguy

nelsonf said:

Michaell said:

I'll be in the Bay Area next week on business; I've got a "standard" class rental from Hertz lined up. I get the impression that could be a Jetta similar to the one that's parked in my driveway.

I will, as always, try to get a picture of whatever I'm driving.

I just had a Hertz 'standard' category car last week. They gave me a Passat in "rental white" of course. Tons of back seat leg room. Not a bad driving car overall.

One thing I didn't like, is that you have to push on the brake pedal to start the car. Being an automatic, I'm not sure what the point is. It was close to 100 degrees, and it would have been nice to reach in to start the car so it could cool a bit before getting in the seat.

The last VW I had was a 2008 R32, and you didn't need to push on the brake to start it.

Not a deal breaker, just an annoying First World problem.

nelson...you may find that most, if not all, recent vintage cars require you to put your foot on the brake before starting. It may even be a Federal requirement here in the states.

Michaell

nelsonf said:

Michaell said:

I'll be in the Bay Area next week on business; I've got a "standard" class rental from Hertz lined up. I get the impression that could be a Jetta similar to the one that's parked in my driveway.

I will, as always, try to get a picture of whatever I'm driving.

I just had a Hertz 'standard' category car last week. They gave me a Passat in "rental white" of course. Tons of back seat leg room. Not a bad driving car overall.

One thing I didn't like, is that you have to push on the brake pedal to start the car. Being an automatic, I'm not sure what the point is. It was close to 100 degrees, and it would have been nice to reach in to start the car so it could cool a bit before getting in the seat.

The last VW I had was a 2008 R32, and you didn't need to push on the brake to start it.

Not a deal breaker, just an annoying First World problem.

Thanks for the update ... yes, I have to have my foot on the brake pedal to start my new Jetta, as well.

suydam

Any push button start car requires foot on the brake first. It's a safety issue. But you can remote start many of them from outside the car. No need to reach in! First World problem solved!