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Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)
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And I have to agree about the Tahoe, that thing has very little interior space. Don’t get me wrong, I owned one, and liked it. But it is most definitely not a “junk hauler”.
Seriously though, to carry 10 foot lengths of pipe, you need a pipe rack. There is no other good answer.
Hatches worked for me....the afore mentioned Saab, I had a Corolla GTS hatch that was loads of fun. Drove it back and forth to the grocery store and work during the week...autox on weekends. That's the closest I ever got to a minivan.
Had a Tahoe for a long period....previous generation. I used to tow a boat and haul tech equipment for work in it. Probably one of the best ownership experiences I ever had. No trouble from the time I drove it off the dealer's lot, until I sold it 5 years later with about 80K miles. Tires, oil changes, brakes, gas (lots and lots of gas). That's all it took.
VW fudging EPA testing....that's just crazy! U.S. smells blood and will fine them big dollars. Why VW/Audi would risk that by so flagrantly flaunting the regulations is beyond stupid.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Good thing the air is so clean up in FBX so it won't be an issue in your valley.
From Forbes opinion piece - "the only way to reprogram the engine to get NOx emissions to acceptable levels will be to reduce engine power and torque. That means on-the-road performance will be compromised. The reprogramming could mean that the diesel engines’ outstanding fuel economy – the primary reason most people buy a diesel – also will be reduced."
It will be interesting to see what the fallout is - but seems pretty darn significant to me. I imagine there will be an official "adjustment" to the EPA ratings and perhaps the hp/tq numbers for those TDIs. Didn't Hyundai have to pay some hefty fines based on EPA "cheating" a few years ago?
Regarding minivans, I will say the wife and I really like the Kia. Between me driving it all around town to baseball workouts, games and tournaments, and my wife driving it to San Diego and back, we are very pleased with our choice. Still think it's by far the best looking van out there, inside and out. I wouldn't mind a bit more grunt from the engine, and the transmission seems to be a bit slow to anticipate your intentions, but these don't amount to anything too aggravating. And for that matter, it does offer "tiptronic" shifting which I've used here and there when I needed a bit more input on the gear selection.
As you may recall, we strongly considered replacing the Odyssey with an SUV, but as we looked at them, we just couldn't get over the sacrifice made in functionality and overall interior room, at a higher cost.
As a blended family, we have all the kids together every other weekend - so it's not every day that we need the van. But when we do, getting 4 kids, ages 10, 12, 17 and 19, into the vehicle is immensely easier (and comfortable) with the minivan than pretty much any SUV out there.
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Sure, change the new ones out there to limit overall exposure, but reinventing the past is a lot of wasted time and effort that won't amount to a hill of beans.
2025 Toyota Crown Signia Hybrid, 2022 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.4 Hemi, 2007 Mazda MX-5 Miata PRHT
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
At least it will bring some spice to the diesel thread...;)
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
And I have to agree about the Tahoe, that thing has very little interior space. Don’t get me wrong, I owned one, and liked it. But it is most definitely not a “junk hauler”.
Seriously though, to carry 10 foot lengths of pipe, you need a pipe rack. There is no other good answer.
How sure are you that you need a big camper shell? I put a BAKFlip G2 trifold cover on my '13 F-150, created the lockable trunk you mentioned, have made minimal changes to the appearance, and in the end have something flexible enough that it has multiple configurations and never has to be removed for taller loads. About $750 purchased on Amazon and installed at a local truck accessory place.
2024 Ram 1500 Longhorn, 2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2019 Ford Mustang GT Premium, 2016 Kia Optima SX, 2000 Pontiac Trans Am WS6
Yesterday, I had 400 pounds of tile mortar in the back of my Elantra. Made the sluggish acceleration even worse, as you can imagine.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
talking about Bermuda. Interesting changes in the last 30-40 years. in the old days, it was mostly English cars (lots of Fords and BMC). Now, almost all Asian.
Only a few true US cars. Police use Jeep patriots, and I saw 1-2 civilian. And a Wrangler unlimited jacked up (a construction company had that). And the weirdest of all, a PT cruiser. Why?
closest thing to a British car was a Mini!
other than that, a boatload of Suzukis. Man, that company makes a huge array of Tiny and just small boxy cars. Loved the APV. super space efficient. SteveR would love it!
and coolest to me, an assortment of Euro iron. Peugeot (206 and 307?), Citroen, Renault. many I did not recognize. And hatchbacks rule.
oh, there were other US models: full sized tractor cabs. With LHD even. I could not imagine driving something that big on those tiny roads with zero shoulders. From the wrong side (since they drive on the left) of the cab!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
We are down to the last day of the renovations to the new house ... movers are set to come tomorrow. It's been a hectic couple of days trying to get everything done. Hoping to wrap up the important stuff today - install bathroom vanity in daughter's bath, rehang all the doors (whether they've been painted or not), finish tile work, install over the range microwave, attach baseboards throughout the whole house (that project was started last night, so I don't know how much got done), etc, etc, etc.
The punch list is a page long in my notebook. Some of it will get done during the upcoming week.
Good news - the carpet got installed yesterday and the TV/Internet/Phone folks will be here this morning so I'll have Wifi in the new house.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
I traded the Elantra and now own a 2016 Forester premium all weather in white with light gray interior. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. Mostly nervous about extending my car loan, but at least my apr is pretty low and I will be able to add to the payments, hopefully long term.
I cross shopped this with Tucson, encore, trax, outlander sport. It was down to encore and forester and I just feel roomier and safer in forester and the gas mileage is better for AWD. I will have the storage and passenger space when needed. Supposedly the retained value is high with the Subaru which is A plus for me.
It practically drives itself and will serve me well in all seasons here in NJ. I will need a nice soft broom to push snow off the roof though. It's pretty high.
I would love to keep this beyond my last payment but I guess I'm in the wrong forum for that
I think the height may be related a bit to the ground clearance. Subaru excels in that area.
Heresy to the true believers, but we'd be more interested in another Subaru if there was a FWD option for one.
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
a stick shift FWD Legacy wagon. There is something you will never see new again!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
My sister's '05 Forester is pushing 200k. She just drove it to TN from VA and back a week ago. She's about as bad as me; been threatening to get a new car for a few years now. Her Subaru won't die.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
When driven hard, the WRX’s 268-hp flat-four is a riot. But when driven in traffic, the boosted engine requires elevated concentration and a careful right foot to keep things smooth. Wide spreads between the gear ratios make it a challenge to shift without subtle bucking. At part throttle, the engine surges and jerks as it delivers power to the wheels.
It's why I ended up with the Mazda3 instead (not that it really mattered apparently what I had ended up with then
In contrast, the S4 is surprisingly smooth in stop and go traffic. It creeps along well in 1st gear, only requiring the clutch to be depressed at a complete stop.
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
As for the clearing snow, I have an old shop broom (I think it's about 30" wide?) that I use for sweeping off my truck and trailer beds in the summer, which doubles as a snow clearer in the winter. One swipe across the windshield, two across the hood, and two down the length of the roof, and the car is good to go on most days!
Congrats on the punch!
My car is all ready for winter (just put the winter tires on yesterday).....
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
You just HAD to go there....
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Actually this is really my car (the '10 is my wife's). The dealer told me it is a 2008 Flex, low miles, in perfect condition. Was I mislead?
Wasn't there a Cadillac or something back in the day that was rigged to turn off the HVAC during emissions testing?
The corporate apologies do ring slightly less hollow than the missive issued by Amazon's CEO after the New York Times story about both blue-collar and white-collar working conditions broke.
Same story in '98 against diesel semi engine makers. (Jalopnik) The EPA settled for a billion in that one.
Trying to clarify for myself things I value in a car. Here goes:
1. Reliabilty
2. Safety
3. Visibility
4. MPG
5. Performance
6. Sound System
Given those requirements, and especially Visibility, I don't see any choice but the Honda Accord as a replacement. The only car I can think of that has visibility as good as the Accord is the BMW 3-series. But a comparably equipped 3-series costs c. $10k more than a Honda Accord. Since I'm not rich, I need that 10k for other things—like college money for kids, retirement, etc.
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,