I have fond memories of a Del Sol from back in the late 1990's. Unfortunately though it was too small inside and the shifter got in the way so we didn't get too much further than...oops, wrong forum! :surprise:
MINI owners seem to have fun zipping around in their go-carts. Aren't they all FWD? I could see a FWD Miata around here - there's 4" of snow on the ground. Hm, seems like the barn door one might come in an AWD flavor.
After reading Shifty's sagas, I rather be driving the Miata around town instead of driving the MINI to the shop. Finally (I think) talked my sister out of getting one.
If you want a performance hatch and want to buy "American", there's also the Fiesta ST. (Detroit News)
"Wow, I'm surprised no one commented on this part so I'll re-post:
the difference is significant. In 2010, Canadian autoworkers averaged $38.77 an hour in U.S. dollars, including benefits. Their U.S. counterparts averaged $33.46. Mexican autoworkers, in contrast, made just $3.75 an hour
That's frightening."
You know, at the end of the day I fall on the pro-free trade side of the fence (in theory), but I can't see how such an unaddressed issue as large as the autoworker's wage differential makes any sense to ANYONE.
Like you, I was surprised no one made any comments about it...
My wife has an 05 Mini convertible (non-S) she bought new. Chili red, black top, white stripes.
My only complaint with the car has been the RF tires, and at 70K miles, I convinced her to go with GFT's (her car has an actual spare). Sometimes the car felt like it was running on solid rubber tires, and they were incredibly noisy!
The ride is smoother, quieter, and I think (subjective, I know) that it handles better. Now that she has had a chance to experience the GFT setup, she likes it much better, too.
So far, she's had good luck with the car. No expensive repairs. Since its garaged both when its at home and when she is at work, the top is still in excellent condition. Coming up on 80K miles now, and she still loves the car.
Wow, I'm surprised no one commented on this part so I'll re-post:
the difference is significant. In 2010, Canadian autoworkers averaged $38.77 an hour in U.S. dollars, including benefits. Their U.S. counterparts averaged $33.46. Mexican autoworkers, in contrast, made just $3.75 an hour
I think a little research would level that out a lot. Canadians will pay nearly 50% of that in taxes. Mexico has a lot of worker protections from what I remember living down there. Like full years pay when laid off. HC paid by government. Not sure about pensions. I don't think workers retire in Mexico. Just keep working at something.
I've been reading early reviews of the Forester, and the turbo models go in to a step mode where it simulates 8 ratios.
That definitely sounds desirable. I can work with an 8 speed automatic. Wonder how the MPGs are on the new Forester, if I can get at least 30 MPG highway maybe that would be workable...
A WRX you get with a manual, though.
Not I. I realize it's sacrilege, but I'm a one-car family (of one, coincidentally, heh), and that one car has to cover all the bases. A clutch pedal is just too much of a pain in some of the traffic I get stuck in, and I find a shift-able automatic easier to deal with (so long as it's done right anyway).
Pocket rockets are fun but even then I'd take a WRX or EVO or something over a MazdaSpeed3 or Fiesta ST for the AWD.
I bought my MS3 in order to thoroughly learn the handling characteristics of a hot hatch. We're seeing more students bringing their GTI, Mini Cooper S, Si , etc. to our HPDEs, so I thought I should know what I'm talking about when I'm sitting in the right seat. But as I've said before, I'm "one and done" with FWD. I have a Wrangler(or I can steal my son's X3) in case the winter weather is really bad, so the rest of my garage is 100% RWD- thankfully!
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
"For the second year, Toyota and its luxury brand, Lexus, hold the top spots overall when it comes to resale value in Kelley Blue Book's predictions. And Honda and its Acura luxury division are the big winners in a similar survey by ALG, which also tracks expected car depreciation."
That looks pretty good overall. OT double or triple time. They would not likely work them more than the 40-45 hours per week. I think there is a lot of misconception about Mexican working conditions. The cost of living is way cheaper than here also.
Mine is all RWD or 4X4. FWD in snow is HIGHLY over rated. I had a Subaru FWD and Honda Accord FWD in snow country. I did not like them as well as RWD PU trucks with a little weight in the back. Probably the best is Rear Engine RWD. Like the old VW Bug. My GM 3/4 ton 4X4 trucks were the most stable on ice and great in snow.
I think there is a lot of misconception about Mexican working conditions. The cost of living is way cheaper than here also.
One of my friends, who is a restaurant manager, says that a lot of the Mexicans working there as dishwashers, busboys, cooks, etc, making maybe $8-10 per hour, end up pocketing most of it and sending it back home, where their families live in nice homes that would definitely be considered upper middle class in the US.
I think the key to saving all that money is that they'll often work 2-3 jobs, pulling down WAY more than 40 hours per week, even if they're not going into OT at any one job. And they'll share a rental with a bunch of others, so even if the rent is high, it's split so many ways it ends up being cheap.
So, they end up making fairly good money here in the US without having to spend a lot, and that money goes a really long way down in Mexico.
And, my Mexican Ram hasn't fallen apart yet, and all the body gaps are about as even as anything else out there, so apparently they've figured out how to build halfway decent vehicles....something that probably wouldn't happen if the working conditions were truly horrible.
they'll share a rental with a bunch of others, so even if the rent is high, it's split so many ways it ends up being cheap.
Legal and illegal immigrants are very good at living below what they make and saving. The sheriff raided a foreclosed house here with 23 illegals living in it with no power or water. It was a mess. I have to assume they were sending most of their money home to mama. The problem is there are only a few of the good auto making jobs in Mexico. People working on farms supplying our produce make a whole lot less money. NAFTA had a negative impact on farmers in Mexico.
apparently they've figured out how to build halfway decent vehicles
My 1998 Suburban built in Mexico was better than my 2005 GMC PU built here. I don't think the quality of workers is better in one location than another. I would say it is harder to get rid of a worthless worker in the USA than Canada or Mexico.
Right, you never see SUVs or trucks in the ditch when the snow flies. Especially the first snow.
That has nothing to do with the ability of the vehicle and everything to do with the NUT behind the wheel. For some reason people driving SUVs feel they are not subject to the laws of physics. My 1973 Subaru coupe FWD would start bouncing going up hill in only a couple inches of snow. That would cause it to pop out of gear. Of course the dealer in Anchorage was worthless diagnosing the problem. The 1978 Accord just never felt stable on ice. We went through some ice and snow with the 2005 Passat Wagon and it seemed to be fine.
That has nothing to do with the ability of the vehicle and everything to do with the NUT behind the wheel.
Absolutely. Short wheelbase SUVs can be dicey. But full-size long wheel base pickups and SUVs from my experience are far more stable in ice and snow conditions than any fwd car I've owned.
But from experience it's very easy to drive faster what's safe and they certainly can't stop any faster. I'd take the Expedition out in snow/ice any day over the Taurus or any of my wife's previous fwd family sedans, even if it wasn't 4wd. But it is kind of fun having the abilty to blast through 3' plus drifts and the front bumper/fascia on the Expe has a few battle scares to show for it too;)
One of my friends, who is a restaurant manager, says that a lot of the Mexicans working there as dishwashers, busboys, cooks, etc, making maybe $8-10 per hour, end up pocketing most of it and sending it back home, where their families live in nice homes that would definitely be considered upper middle class in the US.
My first job out of college, I worked for Kroger in a small town with a few small factories which employed lots of mexican workers. Every payday they'd be lined up in customer service to send money via Western Union to Mexico.
Legal and illegal immigrants are very good at living below what they make and saving.
What am I, chopped liver? You can get by okay if you don't blow your budget on cars and then drive them forever. And the heck with buying Hawaiian shirts at the thrift store - I'm wearing a soft merino shirt right now that I got for $2 at my thrift.
My American made cars may both be over 12 years old but I'd hop in either one tomorrow for a road trip.
What I should do is sell the Subie and get some winter tires for the FWD van and call it good. Save even more money.
Every payday they'd be lined up in customer service to send money via Western Union to Mexico.
Much easier and cheaper now. They have ATMs in most Mexican cities. Deposit in a bank here and take out down there in Pesos. I used my debit card a lot in Mexico to get the best exchange rate. No long wait in the bank. Most employers prefer to do direct deposit. That is legitimate employers not paying cash under the table. There are 2.6 million illegals known working in CA. 800,000 filed income tax returns last year. I would assume to get a refund.
I think you could write a book on living life to the fullest on a budget. For me I don't like going more than 50 miles from home in the old Lexus. That is the limit on AAA towing. I have not owned a vehicle past its extended warranty for at least 25 years. I don't trust vehicles American, Japanese or German not to break. Last vehicle I had break down was the 2006 MB Sprinter RV on vacation in TX. The dealer gave us a loaner for the two days it took to install a new front spring. It was the Chrysler dealer in Boerne TX. Highly recommend them. I still have 2 years and 40k miles left on my Toyota Platinum warranty on the Sequoia. I will sell before it expires.
I think you could write a book on living life to the fullest on a budget. For me I don't like going more than 50 miles from home in the old Lexus.
The biggest risk I take each year is probably every August, when I drive my '67 Catalina convertible out to a classic car show in Macungie, PA. That's about 190 miles from home. My biggest worry is that a hot start, such as trying to re-start after stopping for gas, might put too much of a strain on the battery, so I always bring a spare with me. Haven't had any issues...yet.
Normally I drive my '79 5th Ave to the Mopar Nationals in Carilsle, about 130 miles away. It's never left me stranded, but in 2011 the power steering pump started to fail while I was up there, and in 2012 it started leaking gasoline. My mechanic says he's planning on having my '57 DeSoto road-ready by sometime in the Spring, so this year I could drive that one up to the Mopar show. I'm a bit leery of driving something that old that far...even though the mechanic insists that mechanically it's going to be like a brand-new car. I guess time will tell!
FWD is OK in snow until you have to climb a steep hill.
On level ground, roughly 60% of the weight is on the front axle. But climb a steep slope, and all the weight shifts to the rear axle, so the front wheels have no traction.
Momentum helps, of course, but come to a dead stop on a steep angle, and FWD will struggle to move forward.
Most of the guys around here have a flat bed trailer they haul their classics to the shows on. You got that new Ram, get a trailer. Less risk of some dodo hitting your prize possessions.
Most of the guys around here have a flat bed trailer they haul their classics to the shows on. You got that new Ram, get a trailer. Less risk of some dodo hitting your prize possessions.
Yeah, but with my luck I'd end up in some situation that takes out the Ram, the trailer, and the DeSoto! :surprise:
Vans aren't the greatest for going up steep driveways. My Tercel did fine in Anchorage for a long time. I carried chains just in case but can only recall using them twice in ~17 years.
I've been surprised at the number of Prii driving around the UP all year round (neighbor's kid lives in Illinois and drove back home after Thanksgiving in his, with six inches or so of new snow in town).
If you like American cars made in the US by American companies, there's probably not much use in going to the LA Car Show (The Street).
"For the first nine months of 2012, the list of the top 10 new car registrations in the Los Angeles area didn't include a single Detroit vehicle."
Most of the domestics I see are PU Trucks and SUVs. Though I would say in my part of San Diego the BMW X5 is most common SUV, then the various Japanese and Korean SUV/CUVs. We have plenty of D3 dealers. Just more foreign name plate dealers. Almost every Domestic dealer has a foreign name plate or two. Our largest and best Ford dealer also sells Hyundai and VW.
I drove my '66 Studebaker to South Bend, IN for the national meet this past summer. It's about a 4.5 hour drive in a modern car, on the turnpike. I took US 20 to the Indiana border, and the Indiana Toll Road the rest of the way in. The car ran well, but I was soggy when I got there, it was so freakin' hot!
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
"[P]oliticians will join Porsche officials this morning and welcome the car manufacturer as the first company in the Aerotropolis Atlanta business district.
The new headquarters is being built on the old Ford plant site near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport."
The car ran well, but I was soggy when I got there, it was so freakin' hot!
Now that I think back on it, I believe temps at Carlisle broke into the low 100's during the Mopar show in July. Fortunately, I did most of my driving in the morning and then the afternoon/evening, so I wasn't baking in the car during the hottest part of the day.
The a/c in the 5th Ave doesn't work, but thankfully it's somewhat bearable because of the light colors, both inside and out.
The car ran well, but I was soggy when I got there, it was so freakin' hot!
That is the only downside to my 1975 2002- the lack of A/C. other than that it is one of my most favorite cars to drive. It even gets 24 mpg at a 75-85 mph cruise- not bad for a SOHC four cylinder with a Weber 2V carburetor and a three speed autobox with a direct top. I'm about ready to find an older fuel injected model with A/C and a stick...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Comments
And, who could blame you?
Lol!
If you want a performance hatch and want to buy "American", there's also the Fiesta ST. (Detroit News)
2. This is the Northeast. AWD would be preferable.
I could probably get a jeep for near nothing, but you get what you pay for.
the difference is significant. In 2010, Canadian autoworkers averaged $38.77 an hour in U.S. dollars, including benefits. Their U.S. counterparts averaged $33.46. Mexican autoworkers, in contrast, made just $3.75 an hour
That's frightening."
You know, at the end of the day I fall on the pro-free trade side of the fence (in theory), but I can't see how such an unaddressed issue as large as the autoworker's wage differential makes any sense to ANYONE.
Like you, I was surprised no one made any comments about it...
My only complaint with the car has been the RF tires, and at 70K miles, I convinced her to go with GFT's (her car has an actual spare). Sometimes the car felt like it was running on solid rubber tires, and they were incredibly noisy!
The ride is smoother, quieter, and I think (subjective, I know) that it handles better. Now that she has had a chance to experience the GFT setup, she likes it much better, too.
So far, she's had good luck with the car. No expensive repairs. Since its garaged both when its at home and when she is at work, the top is still in excellent condition. Coming up on 80K miles now, and she still loves the car.
Or skip all those and shop Freeze/Breeze (FT86), soon in roadster form. Will debut at Geneva, actually.
Dart and Cruze aren't sold as hatches here, unfortunately.
The Juke isn't half bad with a CVT though.
I've been reading early reviews of the Forester, and the turbo models go in to a step mode where it simulates 8 ratios.
I'd have to try it before judging. I did not like the CVT in a Lancer rental, but certain Nissans were OK to me (vs. an automatic).
A WRX you get with a manual, though.
the difference is significant. In 2010, Canadian autoworkers averaged $38.77 an hour in U.S. dollars, including benefits. Their U.S. counterparts averaged $33.46. Mexican autoworkers, in contrast, made just $3.75 an hour
I think a little research would level that out a lot. Canadians will pay nearly 50% of that in taxes. Mexico has a lot of worker protections from what I remember living down there. Like full years pay when laid off. HC paid by government. Not sure about pensions. I don't think workers retire in Mexico. Just keep working at something.
That definitely sounds desirable. I can work with an 8 speed automatic. Wonder how the MPGs are on the new Forester, if I can get at least 30 MPG highway maybe that would be workable...
A WRX you get with a manual, though.
Not I. I realize it's sacrilege, but I'm a one-car family (of one, coincidentally, heh), and that one car has to cover all the bases. A clutch pedal is just too much of a pain in some of the traffic I get stuck in, and I find a shift-able automatic easier to deal with (so long as it's done right anyway).
http://www.mexicolaw.com/LawInfo11.htm
I bought my MS3 in order to thoroughly learn the handling characteristics of a hot hatch. We're seeing more students bringing their GTI, Mini Cooper S, Si , etc. to our HPDEs, so I thought I should know what I'm talking about when I'm sitting in the right seat. But as I've said before, I'm "one and done" with FWD. I have a Wrangler(or I can steal my son's X3) in case the winter weather is really bad, so the rest of my garage is 100% RWD- thankfully!
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
"For the second year, Toyota and its luxury brand, Lexus, hold the top spots overall when it comes to resale value in Kelley Blue Book's predictions. And Honda and its Acura luxury division are the big winners in a similar survey by ALG, which also tracks expected car depreciation."
Mine is all RWD or 4X4. FWD in snow is HIGHLY over rated. I had a Subaru FWD and Honda Accord FWD in snow country. I did not like them as well as RWD PU trucks with a little weight in the back. Probably the best is Rear Engine RWD. Like the old VW Bug. My GM 3/4 ton 4X4 trucks were the most stable on ice and great in snow.
For that to happen GM must make their vehicles less easy to criticize. :P
One of my friends, who is a restaurant manager, says that a lot of the Mexicans working there as dishwashers, busboys, cooks, etc, making maybe $8-10 per hour, end up pocketing most of it and sending it back home, where their families live in nice homes that would definitely be considered upper middle class in the US.
I think the key to saving all that money is that they'll often work 2-3 jobs, pulling down WAY more than 40 hours per week, even if they're not going into OT at any one job. And they'll share a rental with a bunch of others, so even if the rent is high, it's split so many ways it ends up being cheap.
So, they end up making fairly good money here in the US without having to spend a lot, and that money goes a really long way down in Mexico.
And, my Mexican Ram hasn't fallen apart yet, and all the body gaps are about as even as anything else out there, so apparently they've figured out how to build halfway decent vehicles....something that probably wouldn't happen if the working conditions were truly horrible.
Right, you never see SUVs or trucks in the ditch when the snow flies. Especially the first snow. :P
Andre, workers in Mexico always seem to work two or three jobs too.
Toyota stock has been on a tear the last week. The rumor mill thinks the yen may be devalued.
If that happens, Toyota and Honda may cut back on plans to expand production in North America.
Legal and illegal immigrants are very good at living below what they make and saving. The sheriff raided a foreclosed house here with 23 illegals living in it with no power or water. It was a mess. I have to assume they were sending most of their money home to mama. The problem is there are only a few of the good auto making jobs in Mexico. People working on farms supplying our produce make a whole lot less money. NAFTA had a negative impact on farmers in Mexico.
apparently they've figured out how to build halfway decent vehicles
My 1998 Suburban built in Mexico was better than my 2005 GMC PU built here. I don't think the quality of workers is better in one location than another. I would say it is harder to get rid of a worthless worker in the USA than Canada or Mexico.
That has nothing to do with the ability of the vehicle and everything to do with the NUT behind the wheel. For some reason people driving SUVs feel they are not subject to the laws of physics. My 1973 Subaru coupe FWD would start bouncing going up hill in only a couple inches of snow. That would cause it to pop out of gear. Of course the dealer in Anchorage was worthless diagnosing the problem. The 1978 Accord just never felt stable on ice. We went through some ice and snow with the 2005 Passat Wagon and it seemed to be fine.
Absolutely. Short wheelbase SUVs can be dicey. But full-size long wheel base pickups and SUVs from my experience are far more stable in ice and snow conditions than any fwd car I've owned.
But from experience it's very easy to drive faster what's safe and they certainly can't stop any faster. I'd take the Expedition out in snow/ice any day over the Taurus or any of my wife's previous fwd family sedans, even if it wasn't 4wd. But it is kind of fun having the abilty to blast through 3' plus drifts and the front bumper/fascia on the Expe has a few battle scares to show for it too;)
My first job out of college, I worked for Kroger in a small town with a few small factories which employed lots of mexican workers. Every payday they'd be lined up in customer service to send money via Western Union to Mexico.
What am I, chopped liver? You can get by okay if you don't blow your budget on cars and then drive them forever. And the heck with buying Hawaiian shirts at the thrift store - I'm wearing a soft merino shirt right now that I got for $2 at my thrift.
My American made cars may both be over 12 years old but I'd hop in either one tomorrow for a road trip.
What I should do is sell the Subie and get some winter tires for the FWD van and call it good. Save even more money.
Much easier and cheaper now. They have ATMs in most Mexican cities. Deposit in a bank here and take out down there in Pesos. I used my debit card a lot in Mexico to get the best exchange rate. No long wait in the bank. Most employers prefer to do direct deposit. That is legitimate employers not paying cash under the table. There are 2.6 million illegals known working in CA. 800,000 filed income tax returns last year. I would assume to get a refund.
Yeah I'm sure, my experience with it was back in the mid 90's.
Probably chopped Sirloin. :shades:
I think you could write a book on living life to the fullest on a budget. For me I don't like going more than 50 miles from home in the old Lexus. That is the limit on AAA towing. I have not owned a vehicle past its extended warranty for at least 25 years. I don't trust vehicles American, Japanese or German not to break. Last vehicle I had break down was the 2006 MB Sprinter RV on vacation in TX. The dealer gave us a loaner for the two days it took to install a new front spring. It was the Chrysler dealer in Boerne TX. Highly recommend them. I still have 2 years and 40k miles left on my Toyota Platinum warranty on the Sequoia. I will sell before it expires.
The biggest risk I take each year is probably every August, when I drive my '67 Catalina convertible out to a classic car show in Macungie, PA. That's about 190 miles from home. My biggest worry is that a hot start, such as trying to re-start after stopping for gas, might put too much of a strain on the battery, so I always bring a spare with me. Haven't had any issues...yet.
Normally I drive my '79 5th Ave to the Mopar Nationals in Carilsle, about 130 miles away. It's never left me stranded, but in 2011 the power steering pump started to fail while I was up there, and in 2012 it started leaking gasoline. My mechanic says he's planning on having my '57 DeSoto road-ready by sometime in the Spring, so this year I could drive that one up to the Mopar show. I'm a bit leery of driving something that old that far...even though the mechanic insists that mechanically it's going to be like a brand-new car. I guess time will tell!
On level ground, roughly 60% of the weight is on the front axle. But climb a steep slope, and all the weight shifts to the rear axle, so the front wheels have no traction.
Momentum helps, of course, but come to a dead stop on a steep angle, and FWD will struggle to move forward.
Yeah, but with my luck I'd end up in some situation that takes out the Ram, the trailer, and the DeSoto! :surprise:
You really need a full blown car hauler.
Hills, ice and snow are a challenge for FWD. I guess the early Prius were real bad with the no slip system.
I've been surprised at the number of Prii driving around the UP all year round (neighbor's kid lives in Illinois and drove back home after Thanksgiving in his, with six inches or so of new snow in town).
If you like American cars made in the US by American companies, there's probably not much use in going to the LA Car Show (The Street).
"For the first nine months of 2012, the list of the top 10 new car registrations in the Los Angeles area didn't include a single Detroit vehicle."
A battery under the back seat or in the trunk of a FWD car would likely mean poor traction, though, especially up hills.
Tesla's chassis is pretty cool, look how low the battery pack sits:
http://gtcarlot.com/news/photo.php?id=59858722
Considering how hot this summer was I imagine you sweated out a few pounds;)
The gas model hardly uses much fuel, you'd probably have to drive this to a million miles to break even.
The new headquarters is being built on the old Ford plant site near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport."
Porsche breaks ground on new Georgia headquarters (Detroit Free Press)
Now that I think back on it, I believe temps at Carlisle broke into the low 100's during the Mopar show in July. Fortunately, I did most of my driving in the morning and then the afternoon/evening, so I wasn't baking in the car during the hottest part of the day.
The a/c in the 5th Ave doesn't work, but thankfully it's somewhat bearable because of the light colors, both inside and out.
That is the only downside to my 1975 2002- the lack of A/C. other than that it is one of my most favorite cars to drive. It even gets 24 mpg at a 75-85 mph cruise- not bad for a SOHC four cylinder with a Weber 2V carburetor and a three speed autobox with a direct top. I'm about ready to find an older fuel injected model with A/C and a stick...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I wonder if they will build an assembly plant for the Cayenne/Touareg?
I don't find sales figures for Porsche. Must not be into the numbers game. Quality trumps quantity for Porsche...