I run the Dunlop M3's on both my 330 and my wife's 530 in the winter--great snow tires. I've had Blizzaks and Arctic Alpins in the past and the M3's are my favorites--you'll love them.
The Phaeton is the best bet for a used luxury car bargain. No super luxury car depreciates faster not even a 760il and you can't even drive the 7 series in the snow.
I drove a W12 model that our VW dealership had and I was really impressed. A very understated looking car but great to drive and very comfortable. If you remove the speed limiter on the W12 model it will do nearly 200 mph as well.
and the looks of a jumbo Passat into the bargain! :-P
I'm just itching to buy something, but can't find anything I want to take for a whirl. The curent search is for used cars - found a really nice '85 Supra, 94K miles, absolutely BABIED, but the $6500 asking seemed a tad high.
Found a (claimed) show-quality '85 with 53K miles, claims to have been driven less than 2000 miles in the last 14 years, most recent award won was some show in Vegas. Asking $9500, says I won't regret it! Ummm, I think it's possible I might. :-P It's got the rare-ish fifth alloy wheel in the spare compartment, guy says it has never been out of the trunk. Pics look nice, but even if it is showroom quality, I dunno...$9500??
Am also trying to find an older Civic hatch in good shape - would take either the ultra-rare VX or a stock SI, another very rare beast as most were modded to death. Haven't found any of either with much promise so far...
Wouldn't mind getting an older SVX (another ultra-rare model, sheesh), but of course it was automatic-only, a big no-no... Or perhaps a turbo Legacy from the early 90s, but they weren't especially durable, and most surviving specimens are in pretty rough shape these days.
Pretty soon I am just going to have to scratch the itch by picking up another older Integra, maybe a '94-'96, but I am so hoping to find one of the other models.
:-(
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Definitely too much on those supras. I think the owners of the 80s supras somehow think the legendary status of the 90s supras magically drove their cars' values up. uhhhh... nope.
I could see wandering up to maybe $5k for a perfect driver, personally. So if that '85 is "all that and a bag of chips" maybe you could get the owner down to $5k. It seems nearly impossible to find one where the back hatch isn't showing signs of rotting away, though (although, being in CA, you'll probably have better luck).
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
A Toyota Cressida from the same era is lighter and has the same engine and basic platform. They are available as a manual but rare. If you just want weird 80s cars on your list, you can always look at a Mitsubishi Starion/Dodge Conquest (this isn't a recommendation). Digital this that and the next thing 80s style, or a Subaru XT Coupe turbo with its ability to raise and lower ride height... If you are Serious about the 90s Legacy Sport Sedan, you will also want to look at a Galant VR-4, which has 195hp vs the Subie's 165 and the Mitsu has a lot more aftermarket support in the US.
Wow--great looking car! I'm curious tho: did you have any qualms about buying an auto. trans. Corvette? (wouldn't bother me, but I know how a lot of owners of Vette's or Porsches, etc. would view that). And did you consider a Z06 version, or the Z51 option?
Oh, one more question, do you have an opinion on how the C6 compares with the C5 Vette?
VR4's are hard to find, and they are another car that people think are worth more than they are. Regarding the Cressida/Supra, great engine but it WILL blow a head gasket, guaranteed. Funny Supra story: my grandfather had a 87 Supra he bought new for reasons never figured out by the family. He thought it was a real sports car, was afraid to drive it, and thought it would be collectable some day. It sat in his garage in San Diego, mostly, for 15 years except to be cleaned or the occasional drive. I toyed with the idea of buying it from him, but was still in my euro stage. He finally traded it in on a Buick; had 8000 miles on it when traded. Come to think of it, I bet Buick dealers get some pretty funny trades.
While we're going for weird HJapanese 80's/90's stuff that's impossible to find, don't forget the 323GTX 4wd hatch, or the Suzuki Swift GT. True unobtanium, those.
Bought it in '94 with around 72K miles.. Turned out the transfer case had a big crack in it... held together by JB Weld... It just leaked a little, so I lived with that, but then I started losing compression in a cylinder...
Owned it for about 18 months... It was a blast.. The interior was very nice... reminded me of a VW..
How do I start a new discussion. Particularly it would be nice to talk about automotive related road trips, and places to visit like museums, great drives, races and so on. :shades:
The GTX was super desirable among the rally set for awhile and really hard to get. There were none left for the street. Thank goodness the Impreza 2.5RS came along break thru those 10 years of fun awd darkness.
Aww it wasn't that bad, we still had the diamond star cars and the celica all trac... The Eclipse didn't go totally secretary-mobile until 2000 and by then the Subie was here.
Wow, the red dash redux on that Supra is hot. Yikes.
I did forget about the Celica All-Trac. Namely because they were so expensive. Hard to find a good one of those too. I ended up with my 90 quattro 20v instead.
Remember the Camry All-trac? I saw one not that long ago for $1k with a stick!
If I can ever find me a white with black leather interior, 5-speed, Audi 20v A200 Quattro that is in mint condition, I honestly think I will buy it. Those engines were bullet proof and I've always been a fan of the interiors.
I had a 100 before I had the 90 20vQ; my friend had a pearl 200 20vQ. There were no quattros with auto trannys back then. V8 was the first. Great interiors but the worst climate control ever. A good Audi wrench makes all the difference...
I'm curious tho: did you have any qualms about buying an auto. trans. Corvette? (wouldn't bother me, but I know how a lot of owners of Vette's or Porsches, etc. would view that).
>> My ‘qualms’ were 2: 1 - anticipated reliability and 2 - I needed to confirm with a couple of test drives that the ‘manumatic’ implementation was acceptable. I am well aware that there are many ( 25% of ? ) Corvette drivers that still would not even consider any form of automatic. Though some seem open to a DSG-like or SMG-like device. So be it.
>> Since no one is forcing anyone to buy this trans., and GM is (clearly) not removing availability of their beloved Manual, I do not understand why so many people have and express such strong feelings against this being even offered on the Corvette. . .?
>> I owned and drove true manuals for many years. I will not buy one again. There are those of us that either have physical reasons for requiring an automatic and / or just a preference (or even a spousal preference) for an automatic. How can offering us this new choice be perceived as such a bad thing?
And did you consider a Z06 version, or the Z51 option?
>> Z06. No. More money than I want to spend. I do not happen to like the styling changes. And there is no automatic offered.
>> Z51. No. The ‘base’ suspension is already quite aggressively sprung & damped & wheel travel is already limited, due to how low the C6 is. Having driven my C6 over 200 miles I know that I was correct & I would not want the Z51. Others love it, of course. My dealer ( largest in the South East by far ) orders nearly all their C6s for stock with the Z51.
Oh, one more question, do you have an opinion on how the C6 compares with the C5 Vette?
>> I do not have any driving experience with any C5.
Yeah, don't get me started on Audis. I would probably go for a 92-93 S4 or 95 S6 but a good start is that 91 20v 200TQ. Better still would be lifting that 20v Turbo motor and dropping it in a Ur-Quattro!
I saw that one before ... i think it was on my local craigslist. The list of work needed is just too scary for me, add to that the body damage and it would take way more money to fix it up than its worth, IMHO.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
We never got the RS6 Avant in the US. Europe only. I was in Ingolstadt, where the Audi factory is, nearly 2 years ago. They had most models in a showroom near the entrance, but some guy parked his used RS6 wagon outside the front while he ran in to grab something. Everyone was checking out his car instead of the showroom! :P
I don't totally get the bashing of auto. trans. by some hard-core "enthusiasts" either. I'm guessing it's something about the "macho image", of Corvettes, Porsches, etc. (Which is not to say being a manual trans. fan isn't valid, of course it is).
Right now, if I were looking at an M5 to buy, or an E55AMG, I'd probably go for the M-B because of the automatic. Maybe it's age, maybe it's living in the "combat driving" environment of the Metro-Boston area, where I just want to mash down on the Right Pedal & go, when I need to.
Being an urban/suburban driver, w/o back country roads to appreciate, manual shifting seems to me just one more hassle of modern suburban life, that I don't need. Or, like using one of those old manual-crank washing machines. But that's just my personal bias at the moment......
Last night, as the missus and I were watching TV, a commercial for the Mercury Milan came on.
I actually like the looks of the Milan, and said so to the wife. She replied that it, like all other 4 door sedans, are a 'grampa car' - presumably this also includes my current ride, the Saturn L300.
I asked her what wasn't 'grampa' like .. as she thought about it, a commercial for the Mustang (the Shelby model, as it turned out) appeared. "That isn't a Grampa car" she stated.
I've started to think about what my next 'non grampa' car would be - BTW, apologies to all out there who might be grampas - and the Honda Accord Coupe came to mind.
Several months ago, the wife and I test drove the Pontiac G6 coupe. It was the GTP trim level and we both really liked it except for one issue - no height adjustable seat belts for the front passengers. As there is an 8 or 9 inch difference in height between us, it's sort of important.
Does anybody out there know if the Accord coupe has these or not? I've checked on the website, and there isn't any mention of it, and the pictures aren't clear either.
1. the Supra I want is the pre-'86, 2.8L engine. Never a problem with head gaskets, or anything else for that matter - an extremely durable engine.
2. I know the Cressida from that era has the same engine in it - it's kind of a hoot, but the seat material was not built to withstand the test of time - it was this kind of velvety stuff, totally falls apart, as do many other things in those Cressidas. And as was mentioned, finding a manual in that model is virtually impossible. The Supras' interiors were much more durable.
3. I would never even consider the very weird-looking, tech-heavy-and-always-breaking Subaru XT (if I could even find one outside a wrecking yard), and I'm not a big fan of the Misubishi VR-4s either, just because they burn themselves out. Actually, most Japanese turbo models more than a decade old are going to be big trouble, except for ones that were absolutely perfectly maintained.
4. That '89 Supra from e-Bay - ick! The bid is at $251, and even at that price the buyer is ripping off the bidder. The engine won't run, the paint is shot, the stereo is gone, the whole dash is done up in some seriously tacky trim with the ridiculous TRD emblem about a foot high on the passenger side, there's body damage, why even go on? Actually, Supras of any generation are very hard to come by that aren't either a wreck or enormously overpriced. The most-unimpressive '86-'92s in particular are so prone to falling apart, they all suck. I would however consider paying $3000-4000 for a very good condition pre-'86 driver.
I am discouraged enough to try and locate another 2nd-gen RX-7, even knowing the rigorous maintenance that car requires, not to mention all its quirks. I have such fond memories of my '88. :-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
The Coupe definitely has them. The Accord has been one of the few cars that we can both get comfortable in. Gee is 6'6 and I am only 5'2 on a good day.
You just about summed up the pros and cons of auto vs manual very well. It sure is like combat driving here in Toronto. What a hassle driving for 1 hour just for 20 miles. But what if they got rid of the clutch altogether but just kept the rowing mechanism as is? Is that the DSG? I might spring for something like that if it is available..
.. are finally looking good. Went to a dealer today to check out 07 altima. It was pretty darn good. Pics dont do justice to it. The silver with black leather 2.5 SL they had inside the showroom was handsome. All the lines come together and inside the materials were heck of a lot better. I liked the silver/titanium accents on the dash. More importantly, it had bose, bluetooth, navigation etc.. Salesman said that altima coupe is coming too at some point but I couldnt care less about coupes. They had 3.5 SEs as well but I am thinking 2.5 will do just fine with gas prices being unpredictable.
I think Nissan finally is getting my attention with their all new cars. 07 sentra leapfrogs its predecessor (they had 2.0 SL) with brown leather in it. Its bigger than the original altima (late nineties).
07 maxima is looking sweet as well since they improved the dash and made it more luxurious (read less bumps). However, I cant help but think loaded altimas are going to steal sales from big brother which is looking a tad bit redundant at this point.
Quest is redesigned slightly as well and the dash is looking more friendly than the previous tree trunk iteration. Added a little wood here and there but its a mini bus at the end of the day. Might wind up with a minivan someday if my wife has her way.
Rest I dont care for much including the X-trail, murano (except for its wide roomy back seat) and Pathfinder (Quest is a way better choice if needing the third row). Ofcourse, I dont go mud plugging so Xterra is of no interest to me either but its nice for what it is... an offroad suv.
Overall, I gotta say that Nissan may finally start competing with Toyota and Honda.
to check out the new Altima, and geez! Is Nissan ever getting into CVTs in a big way! What did they do, buy stock in a CVT company?! So the only auto available for Altima now is the CVT, and of course the only transmission PERIOD for the Maxima is the CVT.
I do agree the car looks better, and seems to have nailed the power and fuel economy class-leaders. Plus they have kept the weight down, which I guess wasn't so hard considering they reduced the car's size from the last model (I read someplace).
Me, I would probably stick with the Accord, but I do wish Honda had a 6-speed for that thing....
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
No no, Nissan DOES have a 6-speed manual. The 4-cyl Accord's manual is a 5-speed. The 4-cyl is more than enough in both these cars (I am extrapolating for the Altima - I haven't driven it, but it weighs less and has more power than the Accord), I wouldn't buy the gas-waster engine.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
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I don't know all the details of this, because the person who did this trade didn't seem to know either(?). But, she traded an '03 or '04 Volvo V40 wagon with moderate miles, for an '06 V50 AWD auto. wagon with 6K miles. Paid $33K for the V50, got $10K for the V40, =$23K "difference".
Doesn't even know whether or not the V50 is a Turbo T5(??). Oh, & also just gave the dealer her 2 y.o. snow tires & rims(?), & she just moved to N.H. (Assumes snows aren't needed with AWD, I guess).
I think the trade-in for the V40 was OK, because they seem to be so unpopular. But I just saw a: 2006 VOLVO V50 T5 AWD AUTO CD HEATED SEATS ONLY 7K Miles on feebay with a "BIN" of $23,500.00 (makes paying $33K for a similar one seem a wee bit extravagant, to me).
The V50's look really nice, & I've actually toyed with getting a V50 T5 AWD myself. I'm getting the strong feeling that they depreciate terribly tho.....as bad as the previous version S40/V40's.
And would I really sell a low-mileage E-39 5 series wagon to buy a V50? The AWD would be nice, but personally I think I'd trust a 6 y.o. low-mileage 5 series more than a V50. Or a Subaru 2.5XT; even if it's not as stylish as the V50.
Oh well, I was interested in the V50 for the last day or 2, about how long most affordable car obsessions last with me.....it's like a 24 hr. virus type of thing.....
I'm betting the turbo Subaru would be more fun, and less of a repair headache.
I've driven a non-turbo V50, and it was enjoyable, but nothing to write home about. Volvo depreciation is pretty bad, but I think the previous-generation S40 was worse than usual because it was extremely uninspiring and derived from a Mitsubishi--not a real Volvo. Of course the current one is based on the Euro Focus and Mazda3. I know they're not using Mazda's electrical system or engines, so that may not be much of an advantage in terms of reliability.
My roommate traded her Tahoe for a beige 2007 CR-V AWD EX-L yesterday--she's pretty thrilled with it.
My roommate traded her Tahoe for a beige 2007 CR-V AWD EX-L yesterday--she's pretty thrilled with it.
I'll bet she'll be even more thrilled the first time she goes to fill the gas tank.
My sister went from a Yukon Denali to a Pilot earlier this year, so I can understand where your roommate is coming from.
Been getting a lot of unsolicited phone calls and mail from the Saturn dealer(s) where we've bought our last few cars .. $750 loyalty bonus, reduced financing rates, stuff like that.
For grins and giggles, I ran my L300 through the "what's my trade in worth?" utility on the dealer website. Of course, I had to provide a phone number and a model that I was "interested" in to do this, but did it anyway.
Website (black book?) came back with a number between $8300 and $10K. Upon more poking around the website, I found that the dealer already has two L300's for sale -- one at $13,999 and the other at $14,999.
About 10 minutes later, my phone rang. Yep, internet specialist from the Saturn dealer. We spoke for a few minutes, told her I was not in the market at the time, but was trying to get a sense of what my car might be worth in trade.
She told me a base of $9400, before options ... as my car is fully loaded, I suspect I could easily get north of $10K for it ... at this dealer.
Kind of a shame that Saturn doesn't really have anything that I like well enough to trade my car in on. I do like the ION 3, fully loaded with the 2.4L engine and 5 speed, but it would probably run me $16-18K for one equipped the way I like.
Periodically I think I want a Volvo, & then I look up the repair charts in CR, & the mood passes.
It seems like the car mags are usually pretty enthusiastic about turbo Subarus. The sort of proletarian image, & interiors, might be a bit of an adjustment to someone used to more expensive cars, but Subarus keep coming up on my list of 5 or 10 affordable cars I might actually buy.
You drove the 2007 CR-V, I think? Did the lack of hp bug you? I keep thinking that (roughly) for the price of a 4 cyl. CRV, one could get the V6 Rav4 that is very quick., 0-60 in less than 7 seconds I think. But no NAV on the RAV......& from the pics the new CR-V looks really nice, without that outside spare tire that to me looks kind of odd on the RAV4. Hard to find fault with an AWD vehicle that has leather, S/R, NAV, & side airbags for $28,500, list.
Sick pup I am tho, 5 min. after I decide to buy a new CRV, I want a Taco 4wd TRD ext-cab P/U (not sure yet if I want the TRD Off-Road Package, or Sport Package, or Indigo Ink Pearl, or Radiant Red).....
You drove the 2007 CR-V, I think? Did the lack of hp bug you?
It was okay in normal driving, but I think the lack of HP holds the car back from being truly fun. The engine is smooth and quiet if you're easy on it, but will make a lot of noise during an enthusiastic takeoff. Nav won't be available until December, and getting the nav guarantees you will get an Ohio-built car, not one built in Japan, where they have a few months' experience building them. (Normally I would argue that there is no difference between a US-built and Japan-built car.)
I would probably be looking at a FWD EX-L without nav, as I can get a Garmin Nuvi for less than the $2,000 price tag of the Honda nav system (which does include a back-up camera, on a car that's only 178" long). Also, the FWD model gets slightly higher mileage, should perform slightly better, and doesn't have the VTM fluid that has to be changed at every other oil service. There's not enough torque on tap to make torque steer a serious issue. I see a lot more AWD models available in my area than FWD models, though.
The spare tire on the RAV bugs me--you'd think, by the third generation, they'd figure out how to mount it somewhere else. Instead, they added an optional third row that is useful only for children that are so small they should be in booster seats anyway--and I'd bet a booster seat won't fit back there. Also, the interior on the RAV feels cheaper, and reviews say that the V6 transmission is jerky. I haven't driven one.
I'm thinking I either get yet another sports sedan (or wagon), or get the CR-V and plan to get a "weekend" car in a year or so.
Anony brought home a Crew-Cab Titan 2WD. It was a hoot doing local trips. But I really didn't know how big the gas tank was. So I decided to take it down to South Atlanta to my sister's house. I filled it up close to home on the way down at a cost of $30 for regualar. My sister is about an hours drive on the interstate. I burned nearly half a tank of gas on the round trip. I filled it up again at the same gas station on the ride back. IT WAS ANOTHER 20$. Needless to say, the Titan went back the next day. No more trucks unless that Toyota 6-speed Tacoma turns up. Or I need one to haul something.
But I really didn't know how big the gas tank was.
Not big enough!! Actually the Titan has a 28 gallon tank and the gas gauges are usually pretty deceptive. On both of mine they would read E with 8 gallons left in the tank. I averaged 10 mpg in the winter and 14 mpg in the summer, that's mixed driving. The best I ever got empty was 19 mpg on a long trip and the worst was 9 mpg in the city. Towing was about 7-8 mpg.
The diesel I drive now is quite a bit different, I average 14 mpg in the winter and an easy 19 mpg in the summer. Towing it hangs between 12 and 14 mpg depending on what I'm towing. Of course its no where near as much fun to drive, lol, but it is pleasant and reliable.
I drive Hondas one regular basis. Heck, my TSX can get in the 30's in mixed driving if I can avoid zinging too often. $20 worth of gas in one trip was shocking. Heck, the Pilot wasn't that bad.
I'm thinking I either get yet another sports sedan (or wagon)
I assume you've considered some of the usual small-wagon suspects: Audi, bmw, subaru (I'm leaving out Volvo & VW). If I remember most of those don't have dealers close to you? But a subaru might be reliable enough that that might not be a huge issue (?).
I'm starting to rule out the RAV & the CR-V for myself, partly because I don't want to look like a yuppie/suburban/housefrau. I figure Subarus aren't that sexy looking either, but if I got a turbo AWD wagon or Forester, the performance aspect would hopefully make up for a lot. And the snow capability.
But not saying anyone else shouldn't get a RAV or CR-V of course. Altho I'd definitely get AWD or 4wd on any vehicle that offered it, at least anywhere that gets snow on a regular basis.....I'm guessing resale would be better too.
I'm loving this car more & more everyday. It scouts around town with good low end torque and very smooth shifts. Much better car than the Sentra I had before. It's a hoot to drive with gas mileage averaging around the low 30's with just 3650 on the odo. I'd bet I'll see some mileage improvement around the 7k mark. This is my 1st Honda and I'm loving it!
Comments
Actually:
P R N D S
S = Sport mode = higher RPM shifts and quicker shifts, by itself, and also activates the steering wheel mounted up \ down shifting mechanisms.
- Ray
Many smiles in the first 175 miles . . .
I drove a W12 model that our VW dealership had and I was really impressed. A very understated looking car but great to drive and very comfortable. If you remove the speed limiter on the W12 model it will do nearly 200 mph as well.
I'm just itching to buy something, but can't find anything I want to take for a whirl. The curent search is for used cars - found a really nice '85 Supra, 94K miles, absolutely BABIED, but the $6500 asking seemed a tad high.
Found a (claimed) show-quality '85 with 53K miles, claims to have been driven less than 2000 miles in the last 14 years, most recent award won was some show in Vegas. Asking $9500, says I won't regret it! Ummm, I think it's possible I might. :-P
It's got the rare-ish fifth alloy wheel in the spare compartment, guy says it has never been out of the trunk. Pics look nice, but even if it is showroom quality, I dunno...$9500??
Am also trying to find an older Civic hatch in good shape - would take either the ultra-rare VX or a stock SI, another very rare beast as most were modded to death. Haven't found any of either with much promise so far...
Wouldn't mind getting an older SVX (another ultra-rare model, sheesh), but of course it was automatic-only, a big no-no...
Or perhaps a turbo Legacy from the early 90s, but they weren't especially durable, and most surviving specimens are in pretty rough shape these days.
Pretty soon I am just going to have to scratch the itch by picking up another older Integra, maybe a '94-'96, but I am so hoping to find one of the other models.
:-(
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Definitely too much on those supras. I think the owners of the 80s supras somehow think the legendary status of the 90s supras magically drove their cars' values up. uhhhh... nope.
I could see wandering up to maybe $5k for a perfect driver, personally. So if that '85 is "all that and a bag of chips" maybe you could get the owner down to $5k. It seems nearly impossible to find one where the back hatch isn't showing signs of rotting away, though (although, being in CA, you'll probably have better luck).
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Insane I say.
If you just want weird 80s cars on your list, you can always look at a Mitsubishi Starion/Dodge Conquest (this isn't a recommendation). Digital this that and the next thing 80s style, or a Subaru XT Coupe turbo with its ability to raise and lower ride height...
If you are Serious about the 90s Legacy Sport Sedan, you will also want to look at a Galant VR-4, which has 195hp vs the Subie's 165 and the Mitsu has a lot more aftermarket support in the US.
Oh, one more question, do you have an opinion on how the C6 compares with the C5 Vette?
While we're going for weird HJapanese 80's/90's stuff that's impossible to find, don't forget the 323GTX 4wd hatch, or the Suzuki Swift GT. True unobtanium, those.
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
Bought it in '94 with around 72K miles.. Turned out the transfer case had a big crack in it... held together by JB Weld... It just leaked a little, so I lived with that, but then I started losing compression in a cylinder...
Owned it for about 18 months... It was a blast.. The interior was very nice... reminded me of a VW..
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2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
The Eclipse didn't go totally secretary-mobile until 2000 and by then the Subie was here.
I did forget about the Celica All-Trac. Namely because they were so expensive. Hard to find a good one of those too. I ended up with my 90 quattro 20v instead.
Remember the Camry All-trac? I saw one not that long ago for $1k with a stick!
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
Rocky
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
>> Thanks!
I'm curious tho: did you have any qualms about buying an auto. trans. Corvette? (wouldn't bother me, but I know how a lot of owners of Vette's or Porsches, etc. would view that).
>> My ‘qualms’ were 2: 1 - anticipated reliability and 2 - I needed to confirm with a couple of test drives that the ‘manumatic’ implementation was acceptable. I am well aware that there are many ( 25% of ? ) Corvette drivers that still would not even consider any form of automatic. Though some seem open to a DSG-like or SMG-like device. So be it.
>> Since no one is forcing anyone to buy this trans., and GM is (clearly) not removing availability of their beloved Manual, I do not understand why so many people have and express such strong feelings against this being even offered on the Corvette. . .?
>> I owned and drove true manuals for many years. I will not buy one again. There are those of us that either have physical reasons for requiring an automatic and / or just a preference (or even a spousal preference) for an automatic. How can offering us this new choice be perceived as such a bad thing?
And did you consider a Z06 version, or the Z51 option?
>> Z06. No. More money than I want to spend. I do not happen to like the styling changes. And there is no automatic offered.
>> Z51. No. The ‘base’ suspension is already quite aggressively sprung & damped & wheel travel is already limited, due to how low the C6 is. Having driven my C6 over 200 miles I know that I was correct & I would not want the Z51. Others love it, of course. My dealer ( largest in the South East by far ) orders nearly all their C6s for stock with the Z51.
Oh, one more question, do you have an opinion on how the C6 compares with the C5 Vette?
>> I do not have any driving experience with any C5.
- Ray
[ Very ] Happy C6 driver . . .
It was a sedan so I assume a new one since the previous RS6 models were all wagons/estates?
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
They have a great museum and tour there.
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
Right now, if I were looking at an M5 to buy, or an E55AMG, I'd probably go for the M-B because of the automatic. Maybe it's age, maybe it's living in the "combat driving" environment of the Metro-Boston area, where I just want to mash down on the Right Pedal & go, when I need to.
Being an urban/suburban driver, w/o back country roads to appreciate, manual shifting seems to me just one more hassle of modern suburban life, that I don't need. Or, like using one of those old manual-crank washing machines. But that's just my personal bias at the moment......
Enjoy the C6, I am envious.
I actually like the looks of the Milan, and said so to the wife. She replied that it, like all other 4 door sedans, are a 'grampa car' - presumably this also includes my current ride, the Saturn L300.
I asked her what wasn't 'grampa' like .. as she thought about it, a commercial for the Mustang (the Shelby model, as it turned out) appeared. "That isn't a Grampa car" she stated.
I've started to think about what my next 'non grampa' car would be - BTW, apologies to all out there who might be grampas - and the Honda Accord Coupe came to mind.
Several months ago, the wife and I test drove the Pontiac G6 coupe. It was the GTP trim level and we both really liked it except for one issue - no height adjustable seat belts for the front passengers. As there is an 8 or 9 inch difference in height between us, it's sort of important.
Does anybody out there know if the Accord coupe has these or not? I've checked on the website, and there isn't any mention of it, and the pictures aren't clear either.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
1. the Supra I want is the pre-'86, 2.8L engine. Never a problem with head gaskets, or anything else for that matter - an extremely durable engine.
2. I know the Cressida from that era has the same engine in it - it's kind of a hoot, but the seat material was not built to withstand the test of time - it was this kind of velvety stuff, totally falls apart, as do many other things in those Cressidas. And as was mentioned, finding a manual in that model is virtually impossible. The Supras' interiors were much more durable.
3. I would never even consider the very weird-looking, tech-heavy-and-always-breaking Subaru XT (if I could even find one outside a wrecking yard), and I'm not a big fan of the Misubishi VR-4s either, just because they burn themselves out. Actually, most Japanese turbo models more than a decade old are going to be big trouble, except for ones that were absolutely perfectly maintained.
4. That '89 Supra from e-Bay - ick! The bid is at $251, and even at that price the buyer is ripping off the bidder. The engine won't run, the paint is shot, the stereo is gone, the whole dash is done up in some seriously tacky trim with the ridiculous TRD emblem about a foot high on the passenger side, there's body damage, why even go on? Actually, Supras of any generation are very hard to come by that aren't either a wreck or enormously overpriced. The most-unimpressive '86-'92s in particular are so prone to falling apart, they all suck. I would however consider paying $3000-4000 for a very good condition pre-'86 driver.
I am discouraged enough to try and locate another 2nd-gen RX-7, even knowing the rigorous maintenance that car requires, not to mention all its quirks. I have such fond memories of my '88. :-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I think Nissan finally is getting my attention with their all new cars. 07 sentra leapfrogs its predecessor (they had 2.0 SL) with brown leather in it. Its bigger than the original altima (late nineties).
07 maxima is looking sweet as well since they improved the dash and made it more luxurious (read less bumps). However, I cant help but think loaded altimas are going to steal sales from big brother which is looking a tad bit redundant at this point.
Quest is redesigned slightly as well and the dash is looking more friendly than the previous tree trunk iteration. Added a little wood here and there but its a mini bus at the end of the day. Might wind up with a minivan someday if my wife has her way.
Rest I dont care for much including the X-trail, murano (except for its wide roomy back seat) and Pathfinder (Quest is a way better choice if needing the third row). Ofcourse, I dont go mud plugging so Xterra is of no interest to me either but its nice for what it is... an offroad suv.
Overall, I gotta say that Nissan may finally start competing with Toyota and Honda.
I do agree the car looks better, and seems to have nailed the power and fuel economy class-leaders. Plus they have kept the weight down, which I guess wasn't so hard considering they reduced the car's size from the last model (I read someplace).
Me, I would probably stick with the Accord, but I do wish Honda had a 6-speed for that thing....
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061112/BUSINESS01/611120630/10- 14/BUSINESS01
Rocky
In Japan they even have some fairly large RWD sedans with a CVT tranny.
Doesn't even know whether or not the V50 is a Turbo T5(??). Oh, & also just gave the dealer her 2 y.o. snow tires & rims(?), & she just moved to N.H. (Assumes snows aren't needed with AWD, I guess).
I think the trade-in for the V40 was OK, because they seem to be so unpopular. But I just saw a: 2006 VOLVO V50 T5 AWD AUTO CD HEATED SEATS ONLY 7K Miles on feebay with a "BIN" of $23,500.00 (makes paying $33K for a similar one seem a wee bit extravagant, to me).
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220049796824&fromM- akeTrack=true
The V50's look really nice, & I've actually toyed with getting a V50 T5 AWD myself. I'm getting the strong feeling that they depreciate terribly tho.....as bad as the previous version S40/V40's.
And would I really sell a low-mileage E-39 5 series wagon to buy a V50? The AWD would be nice, but personally I think I'd trust a 6 y.o. low-mileage 5 series more than a V50. Or a Subaru 2.5XT; even if it's not as stylish as the V50.
Oh well, I was interested in the V50 for the last day or 2, about how long most affordable car obsessions last with me.....it's like a 24 hr. virus type of thing.....
So, yeah, she overpaid.
And I saw in your post on the RWTIV board that she paid something near $30k for the V40 when she bought that, too. Also overpaid.
So it sounds like the volvo dealer LOVES when she comes in.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I've driven a non-turbo V50, and it was enjoyable, but nothing to write home about. Volvo depreciation is pretty bad, but I think the previous-generation S40 was worse than usual because it was extremely uninspiring and derived from a Mitsubishi--not a real Volvo. Of course the current one is based on the Euro Focus and Mazda3. I know they're not using Mazda's electrical system or engines, so that may not be much of an advantage in terms of reliability.
My roommate traded her Tahoe for a beige 2007 CR-V AWD EX-L yesterday--she's pretty thrilled with it.
I'll bet she'll be even more thrilled the first time she goes to fill the gas tank.
My sister went from a Yukon Denali to a Pilot earlier this year, so I can understand where your roommate is coming from.
Been getting a lot of unsolicited phone calls and mail from the Saturn dealer(s) where we've bought our last few cars .. $750 loyalty bonus, reduced financing rates, stuff like that.
For grins and giggles, I ran my L300 through the "what's my trade in worth?" utility on the dealer website. Of course, I had to provide a phone number and a model that I was "interested" in to do this, but did it anyway.
Website (black book?) came back with a number between $8300 and $10K. Upon more poking around the website, I found that the dealer already has two L300's for sale -- one at $13,999 and the other at $14,999.
About 10 minutes later, my phone rang. Yep, internet specialist from the Saturn dealer. We spoke for a few minutes, told her I was not in the market at the time, but was trying to get a sense of what my car might be worth in trade.
She told me a base of $9400, before options ... as my car is fully loaded, I suspect I could easily get north of $10K for it ... at this dealer.
Kind of a shame that Saturn doesn't really have anything that I like well enough to trade my car in on. I do like the ION 3, fully loaded with the 2.4L engine and 5 speed, but it would probably run me $16-18K for one equipped the way I like.
It seems like the car mags are usually pretty enthusiastic about turbo Subarus. The sort of proletarian image, & interiors, might be a bit of an adjustment to someone used to more expensive cars, but Subarus keep coming up on my list of 5 or 10 affordable cars I might actually buy.
You drove the 2007 CR-V, I think? Did the lack of hp bug you? I keep thinking that (roughly) for the price of a 4 cyl. CRV, one could get the V6 Rav4 that is very quick., 0-60 in less than 7 seconds I think. But no NAV on the RAV......& from the pics the new CR-V looks really nice, without that outside spare tire that to me looks kind of odd on the RAV4. Hard to find fault with an AWD vehicle that has leather, S/R, NAV, & side airbags for $28,500, list.
Sick pup I am tho, 5 min. after I decide to buy a new CRV, I want a Taco 4wd TRD ext-cab P/U (not sure yet if I want the TRD Off-Road Package, or Sport Package, or Indigo Ink Pearl, or Radiant Red).....
It was okay in normal driving, but I think the lack of HP holds the car back from being truly fun. The engine is smooth and quiet if you're easy on it, but will make a lot of noise during an enthusiastic takeoff. Nav won't be available until December, and getting the nav guarantees you will get an Ohio-built car, not one built in Japan, where they have a few months' experience building them. (Normally I would argue that there is no difference between a US-built and Japan-built car.)
I would probably be looking at a FWD EX-L without nav, as I can get a Garmin Nuvi for less than the $2,000 price tag of the Honda nav system (which does include a back-up camera, on a car that's only 178" long). Also, the FWD model gets slightly higher mileage, should perform slightly better, and doesn't have the VTM fluid that has to be changed at every other oil service. There's not enough torque on tap to make torque steer a serious issue. I see a lot more AWD models available in my area than FWD models, though.
The spare tire on the RAV bugs me--you'd think, by the third generation, they'd figure out how to mount it somewhere else. Instead, they added an optional third row that is useful only for children that are so small they should be in booster seats anyway--and I'd bet a booster seat won't fit back there. Also, the interior on the RAV feels cheaper, and reviews say that the V6 transmission is jerky. I haven't driven one.
I'm thinking I either get yet another sports sedan (or wagon), or get the CR-V and plan to get a "weekend" car in a year or so.
Not big enough!! Actually the Titan has a 28 gallon tank and the gas gauges are usually pretty deceptive. On both of mine they would read E with 8 gallons left in the tank. I averaged 10 mpg in the winter and 14 mpg in the summer, that's mixed driving. The best I ever got empty was 19 mpg on a long trip and the worst was 9 mpg in the city. Towing was about 7-8 mpg.
The diesel I drive now is quite a bit different, I average 14 mpg in the winter and an easy 19 mpg in the summer. Towing it hangs between 12 and 14 mpg depending on what I'm towing. Of course its no where near as much fun to drive, lol, but it is pleasant and reliable.
I assume you've considered some of the usual small-wagon suspects: Audi, bmw, subaru (I'm leaving out Volvo & VW). If I remember most of those don't have dealers close to you? But a subaru might be reliable enough that that might not be a huge issue (?).
I'm starting to rule out the RAV & the CR-V for myself, partly because I don't want to look like a yuppie/suburban/housefrau. I figure Subarus aren't that sexy looking either, but if I got a turbo AWD wagon or Forester, the performance aspect would hopefully make up for a lot. And the snow capability.
But not saying anyone else shouldn't get a RAV or CR-V of course. Altho I'd definitely get AWD or 4wd on any vehicle that offered it, at least anywhere that gets snow on a regular basis.....I'm guessing resale would be better too.
Can't/won't deal with another VW/Audi product. I'm leaning toward a CR-V plus weekend car option, but that's just what I'm thinking today...
The Sandman