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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeno's_paradoxes
So, in between that top and bottom how many ratios could you NOT count..?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeno%27s_paradoxes...?
On the Focus boards one of the salesman is claiming 40% of their SE's have a stickshift and they can't keep them on the lots. Not sure if that is 100% correct, but nice to hear. Maybe people are flocking to the few MT's left now that some companies are dropping them.
If the Fusion proves to be reliable...they stumbled a bit with Fiesta and Focus. Though not the true manuals, to be fair.
New Fusion looks great, should do serious damage in that segment.
Now you can get a manual in the top model, kudos! :shades:
Even BMW does this.
You have to wonder if that's a supply- or demand-based decision.
Personally, I think if tomorrow all automakers ceased to make manual transmissions, aside from we cranks and a few letters to the editor in small town newspapers, nobody in America would protest for long or very loudly....sad to say, but there you go--that's what i think.
Past Fusions have been pretty reliable, but the small displacement turbo does concern me a little.
EcoBoost is so far, so good. The issues were with the semi-automatic trans.
I have ridden in some chipped, tuned, bigger injectors and fuel pump modified, etc etc., VW Jetta TDI's that have put out 300 # ft of torque + from a fairly strong 155# ft oem. Naturally it made a lot of sense to upgrade the clutch systems to handle @ least 325# ft.
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Honda made manual CRV's until 2006 and they just sat and sat on the lot to the point most stores wouldn't order any.
There is some demand for manual Fits and Civics but not much.
So from my point of view, the verdict is still out (after 32,000 miles/175,000) on whether I prefer the new power (236# ft of torque) which is virtually on all the time vs the 155# ft of torque. @ 90 mph I get 40/42 mpg vs 48-50 mpg. Now I really have to say it feels good to have 236# ft vs 155# ft. The obvious trade off is mpg. Another, the more powerful one has DSG and the less powerful one has a 5 speed manual. Additionally one can see there are certain apples to oranges comparisons.
However my experiences after 175,000 miles have been tires going till 112,300. The second tire set (different make) is on track for another 120,000 miles Brake pads and rotors @ 175,000 miles are projected to go to 250,000+ miles. I will change the lifetime manual transmission fluid for grins @ 250,000 miles. I run 20-30,000 miles OCI's (last two have been 30,000+). I run air filters app 100,000 miles. Alignments last easily 100,000 miles. I have original struts shocks and springs and will probably change the shocks and struts for grins @ 250,000-300,000 miles. I am on my 2nd windshield due to stone shots. The windshield wipers are going on 9 years old and of course 176,000 miles.
I can compare and contrast a 04 Civic @ like miles, but I am afraid the above paragraph has bored most folks already.
Unfortunately, the touch of most other people makes them fail in pretty much every possible way.
We'll see with the new MINI tires. I think maybe I drive too fast around corners....
Some cars are born tire-eaters. If you get more than 10,000 miles on the right front tire on a Saab 900 turbo, you're doin' something right!
My brand new Scion xA went about 35,000 on tires but man, they were DONE and past done.
When I was shopping three weeks ago, the two nearest dealers did not have a single manual Fit or Civic between them. When I asked I was told that manual Civics were "just plain unavailable" and manual Fits were "a special order item". This was despite the fact that I was obviously a serious customer and ready to buy.
So today the new car in my driveway is a Toyota instead. (5 speed stick)
When Toyota gives up on the manual, as it inevitably will, I guess I will be stuck buying Mazdas and Subarus, not the worst thing in the world! ;-)
And hey, maybe the manual will see a resurgence at Ford, it sure is looking a bit like that right now.....maybe Chevy too - I hear the turbo Sonic is ONLY available as a stick, or something like that?
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
176,000 miles on wiper blades???
If I don't change mine twice a year the streaking drives me nuts!
Maybe it doesn't rain where you live?
I do have to imagine what the clean side looks like, albeit I don't really see it that much from the clean side. The design is such that I can see the clean side further past the clean side of the air filter. It is ALWAYS clean. I normally use a damp white cotton rag to check for dirt and it is literally clean. It also can be checked with a UOA (silicon particles reading) Indeed one of the tricks is not to open the air box, (aka seal the silicon seal once).
The air box design is indeed, .... WELL DESIGNED. I know this is rather arcane so hesistate to go on, as to do not bore you or most folks to tears or distraction.
Some secrets that I have found to the WWB. Use the pot side scrub side of a scotch brite pad dipped in either dishwashing dilution or car wash soap and run it up and down the blade (lengthwise in a V). It not only cleans the blade, it also removes the non performing rubber. Streaks then are minimal at most. I always make it a point to change blades out when it begins to tear.
I tend to drive in a fairly spirited manner, yet I still generally manage to get manufacturer-spec life out of them. That's not saying much next to ruking1's double of that (or more).
Changing the flat on the interstate wasn't the most fun. I really should buy a new car just to get the TPMS - likely would have saved me from ruining two tires in the last 5 months.
The last set of high tread wear tires I had on the van lasted well, but were lousy in the wet; rather have softer treads with more all weather grip.
By the time we're finally ready to dump our two last century rides, no one will be selling a manual transmission car in the US.
As for tires, with the number of miles you put on your rigs, I'd say buying high-mileage tires will likely not serve you well. Once tires are more than ~5 years old, they don't perform as well as they should. Even though I prefer not to incur the expense of "new shoes," I target my daily drivers for tire replacement every four years, at about 7500 miles a year (I have two sets of tires for each car, so about 7500 miles over six months). So, I want a tire that I expect to last at least 40,000 miles, which gives me confidence I can get a reliable four years of quality performance out of them before the next planned replacement.
I don't think I'll ever drive an automatic, or even semi-auto, unless I was disabled or something.
How about your home air filters? I change ours about four times a year and they are always pretty dirty. I suppose I could let them go and just breathe dirty air.
Yep... Its amazing how a chronic lower back injury can change your opinion on driving a car with an automatic.
Ask me how I know...
Home air filters (furnace and AC, I am assuming) are off topic.
However, my mechanic noted that to do it "right" by the VW/Audi book, it really takes a bit over 1.5 hours, and the correct DSG oil is uber expensive. Fortunately, I think 5 quarts does the trick.
It's not that big a deal as you can easily go with 30K intervals even in severe use.
I don't need to hook up some kind of a meter to determine my air flow. All I need to do is look at my old filter and spend the 10.00 for a new one.
I don't know how your car can possibly run as well with a dirty air filter than a new one but you seem to have this concept figured out.
Also, some dirt is going to get through that dirty air filter into the engine.
The same WOULD apply to a home system.
Actually neither do I, so I think we agree? . I know the (oem) design is well designed and spend $10 for a new one, albeit @ 80,000 to 100,000 miles. I would agree with you that these things are R/R items, and are made to be durable and reliable.
Perhaps you should really research the issue further yourself. Evidently my explanations and multiple car good runnings are anathema to you.
Incidently , my Honda mechanic has had the engine apart (for the 110,000 miles TB/WP change @ 120,000 miles and valve adjustments, etc. etc.) He was almost gushing in praise of how clean this car was/ IS and remains (innards) . Again on this one I run 20,000-25,000 miles OCI's. The oil filter is probably slightly smaller than a major league baseball. They cost app $2.25 each at WalMart's. Most of the cost of the filter is probably the metal casing, good looking paint, and job, structure and silicon seals, which as you know has little to do with filtering. Air filters are on a 80,000 to 100,000 miles interval. The air filter box on the Honda is not as well designed as the VW Jetta TDI's, nor is as much overkilled designed to flow 3 to 5 times more air. I think it was due to space limitations among others.
Well I pretty much have said that with the references to the UOA silicon particles measurement. Again if you think a brand new air filter will give a ZERO (silicon particles) readings you would be incorrect. It actually lets in MORE silicon particles than a (slightly) USED air filter. Actually another reason why I change it at a longer interval rate. Statisically, it is probably a nit. However, why let in more dirt (silicon particles) and @ higher costs than LESS dirt (silicon particles AND are far lower costs?
An air filter is either dirty or it's not. I know what mine looked like after 25,000 miles.
If you want to use 2.25 cheap Wal Mart filters that's fine for you to do.
I use factory filters. I've seen them cut in half compared to the well known "orange" filters and there is no comparsion as to what is inside.
I change oil and filters at around 5000 miles but maybe that's over kill if, in fact, your engine was as clean inside as you say it was.
I'll just ask the crowd..Would you rather buy one of my used cars at 150,000 miles or one that ruking1 has kept and maintained?