Oh no doubt, but I do think that it is a viable option for some people and it hardly gets talked about. They are quite a bit nicer than the vans of old.
it stalled when we were crossing an intersection in a neighborhood, and there was a drainage ditch cut into the concrete, that was enough to stall it. we coasted to a safe place and it immediately started again
i need to go look at the Tiguan up close.
The debate right now is lease new vs. buy used. Can get a hell of a lot more car with a lease for less money.
The used car market here is appalling. 15k bare minimum for something with less than 75k miles and cargo space. And that includes rental fleet shit. For 5k more you can have a new base model Ford SUV
Oh no doubt, but I do think that it is a viable option for some people and it hardly gets talked about. They are quite a bit nicer than the vans of old.
yeah the new model of transit connect is a pretty nice re-design.
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BillyIdleWhat does "katana" mean?It means "Japanese sword."Registered Userregular
Things I love reading in car ads : Cleanest you will ever find!!! Salvage title.
Oh no doubt, but I do think that it is a viable option for some people and it hardly gets talked about. They are quite a bit nicer than the vans of old.
yeah the new model of transit connect is a pretty nice re-design.
It really is almost car-like now. Cheap car interior, but still more like a car than an old-school E series van.
The debate right now is lease new vs. buy used. Can get a hell of a lot more car with a lease for less money.
While true, with a leased car you have mileage restrictions, which may or may not be a concern for y'all. And of course the whole thing of paying towards a car you don't own and have to return in two years. On the other hand, if you lease you get a new car every other year.
My parents have been leasing my mom's last three or four cars, and there's pros and cons like with every decision.
If cost is the primary consideration, then yeah a lease sounds like the right choice for her/y'all. I'm assuming paying for your upcoming marriage is probably going to be the way more pressing concern, and there's plenty to be said for having zero worries about maintenance for a few years.
Affectionately know as the Saabaru. From my communications with the buyer everything looks on the up and up, but I'll still take a good look before handing over money.
Same day I pick it up I'll also get to learn how to drive stick, so I can make the 3 hour drive home. Going to be a fun filled father/son bonding weekend
Had the same thing in red. Still miss that car.
@Jasconius - Top in segment are Forester, CR-V and probably the CX-5. Since you're in Florida, you can probably cheap out and get the non-AWD version of the mazda if you want. Rav4 and Escape are also out there. It's really hard to buy a small SUV, as it's the hottest segment.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
i refuse to be involved in the purchase or use of a kia
Don't be so quick on that. Kia and Hyundai have made huuuuuuge strides in the last 3 or so years.
Kia are about caught up to where Hyundai were 5 years ago, which is just below Japanese makes like Nissan and Mazda. Currently there's really only slight quality differences in interiors between Hyundai and the better Japanese manufacturers like Honda and Toyota.
Some of the Chinese manufacturers like Geely are rapidly getting better with regards to quality and build.
Fiat/Chrysler is doing a conference over the details of their 5-year plan. The highlights so far:
- SRT as a brand is dead, the Viper returns to Dodge. Dodge focusing on being the performance brand.
- Hardcore Alfa Romeo 4C Quadrifoglio coming next year.
- AWD tubo Dart SRT-4 coming for 2017 model year, along with a redesign for the Dart in general.
- The Fiat Spyder is returning based on the upcoming Miata.
- The Jeep Grand Wagoneer is returning.
- A Chrysler 100 is coming.
- B-segment Dodge hatch/sedan in 2017.
- Dodge Journey SRT coming in 2017.
- No more FWD cars from Alfa Romeo.
- Plug-in hybrid Town and Country coming, supposed to get 75mpg overall.
Going with Fiat for the Miata double just seems like an odd choice, I had it pegged as a Dodge. At least around here, the only Fiat dealership has NO Fiats out in the front of the dealership. It's all Dodges or used cars from their other lots.
Well, some of that sounds good, but I'll not hold my breath for the five minutes it will take for the plans to change again.
Also, why in the name of all that's holy would they can the Alfa Spider based on the MX-5 for a Fiat who cares? No more FWD Alfas, but also no more lovely little RWD spider that would literally fly out of every showroom ever? It was the one good idea they had for the Alfa brand! The only good thing about 'no more FWD Alfas' is that maybe it gives a space for some premium/high performance FWD/AWD Lancias. If the 2017 Dart SRT-4 proves to be excellent, it could maybe be a base for a Lancia? Maybe? Please?
Also the 'no more SRT brand' thing about two years after 'SRT is the performance brand' decision was met by 'why isn't Dodge the performance brand' thing is amusing.
They've had 5 different plans to relaunch Alfa in the US. The latest was going to be spearheaded by the 4C but now that the rest of the Alfa line-up has been written off (as it's FWD) then it seems that they need something. Forgive my cynicism but they seem to announce a series of wildly different plans every year, some of which have some good points, only to completely write it all off the next year - including all the good bits. For sure the MX5/Miata would outsell it in the US, but in Europe it would sell gangbusters. In the US it would at least give it a healthy niche to build on, and if they combined dealers and messaging with Fiat then the two brands could grow together. Fiat Spyder on the other hand.. what does that bring to mind? There's the Barchetta, which was FWD and nice but not all that much fun; and the X1/9 which was mid-engined and so successful that Fiat dropped it and let Bertone have it all to themselves. Wow, such legacy, very evocative.
On the other hand, an new Alfa Spider could've been launched together with a remake of The Graduate starring some hott young things.
It looks like the Alfa Romeo Spyder is still on the table too. So there will likely be the Fiat Spyder as the entry-level version, the Alfa Romeo as the performance/luxury version. I can't find anything that says the Alfa is off the table.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
My thoughts on all of the Chrysler/Fiat info from today:
I think that Chrysler and Fiat have worked out a plan that really helps to delineate their brands. The only real cross-over now lies between Dodge and Alfa Romeo, but they are attacking the same market from different sides. Compared to Ford's essentially uni-brand strategy and General Motors' relative lack of differentiation between brands, Chrysler/Fiat seems more focused on the future and ensuring they cover every market with minimal product overlap.
So you have:
Fiat: Entry-level quirkyness with Italian flair.
Chrysler: Volume seller with near-luxury offerings, family vehicles.
Dodge: American muscle and youth-oriented performance.
Jeep: SUVs and Crossovers
Alfa Romeo: Pure performance, near-luxury.
Sure, not all of their ideas are straight away thrillers. I mean, no one gets all that excited over B-segment vehicles. But a plug-in hybrid minivan is forward thinking. An no-FWD Alfa Romeo is exciting! A WRX fighter is exciting! A cheap Toyobaru competitor is exciting!
So I made it eight days on the new tires until some yobbo dropped a screw onto the tarmac, which promptly found itself inside a tire. Tirerack gave me half off a replacement, so I'm only out an additional $101. Wooooooooo.
there's a hairpin on my route from lunch that is just great
the speed limit is 55, the top of 2nd gear is 57
downshift from 6th to 2nd by revmatching to 9000 (loud), take the corner at about 30, which puts me right at the start of the power band when I come out the other side, which is off camber and sandy, so plenty of wheelspin action if I want it
The Black HunterThe key is a minimum of compromise, and a simple,unimpeachable reason to existRegistered Userregular
Car battery dead
I checked and my lights, wipers etc were off, my inside light is on the door switch though, never doing that again. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't leave my car with the light on but hey shit happens.
What speed do those things top out at? I've done the electric indoor ones, and they go to 50KPH for average folks. If you have a memebership and have posted a certain level of times in a certain number of races they unlock a "pro" mode that goes to 70KPH.
unfortunately this weekend my kart suffered engine failure, and the backup was sour. finished 9th of about 17
one of the semi-pro drivers offered me some seat time in his kart, which is capable of 70+. So I might do that on Memorial Day
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UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
Wife tried to leave for work today, came back in and said the car wouldn't start. Had a friend come over to give us a boost, got it running, drove her to work and then drove around for a while to charge the battery.
Stopped for gas... And then it wouldn't start again. Tried to get another boost, this time it wouldn't start at all.
So guess who learned how to replace a car battery today? Yaaaaaaay.
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UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
Highlight of the day: being really grateful the gas station pumps were on a hill and lined up almost perfectly with some parking spots, so I could pop it in neutral and roll back to wait for attempted boost #2.
This was in stark contrast to pushing the vehicle out of our driveway up a slight incline, then trying to pull it up along the curb with my wife steering.
You should be proud. Do you know how many people don't know how to get their cars into neutral if it won't start? A fucking lot. Unless you have a stick in which case you could have just roll started it. Not to mention most people today don't know what driving with no power steering is like. You actually have to use some muscles.
I had a Fiero, which did not come with power steering, but that feels kind of like cheating. Being mid-engined, there really wasn't much weight over the front wheels anyway.
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UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
You should be proud. Do you know how many people don't know how to get their cars into neutral if it won't start? A fucking lot. Unless you have a stick in which case you could have just roll started it. Not to mention most people today don't know what driving with no power steering is like. You actually have to use some muscles.
Automatic, with power steering. And yeah, it took some hauling on the wheel to turn. My wife said she almost would have rather done the pushing than the steering. It does feel good to get it working myself though, not unlike the first time I had to snake out a clogged drain after becoming a homeowner. My dad's been out of town every time something like this has come up though, I think he's starting to feel robbed of opportunities for fatherly teaching moments.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
Wife tried to leave for work today, came back in and said the car wouldn't start. Had a friend come over to give us a boost, got it running, drove her to work and then drove around for a while to charge the battery.
Stopped for gas... And then it wouldn't start again. Tried to get another boost, this time it wouldn't start at all.
So guess who learned how to replace a car battery today? Yaaaaaaay.
Next up - time to give that engine an MO!
(Major Overhaul)
(Your hands are going to get WAY dirtier than they did swapping out the battery)
(It's lots of fun though)
(Buy a bunch of ziplock baggies and some 1 gallon containers)
A girl I went to high school with just put pictures of her wedding up on Facebook. Her dad has a reputation for amassing Volvos and reselling them. Turns out he has a P1800ES he breaks out for special occasions. I kind of want to crash the reception and ask him to sell it to me. Such a beautiful car.
That railroad crossing is about 8 blocks or so from my house. According to people very close to the driver (whom I went to high school with) she was texting while driving at the time of the incident. She has an infant son that luckily was not in the car at the time, because that accident would have ended so much worse if he would have been.
Posts
Can't be beaten on a size:cost ratio, but will always be agricultural and coarse in every way compared to a modern compact SUV.
it stalled when we were crossing an intersection in a neighborhood, and there was a drainage ditch cut into the concrete, that was enough to stall it. we coasted to a safe place and it immediately started again
i need to go look at the Tiguan up close.
The debate right now is lease new vs. buy used. Can get a hell of a lot more car with a lease for less money.
The used car market here is appalling. 15k bare minimum for something with less than 75k miles and cargo space. And that includes rental fleet shit. For 5k more you can have a new base model Ford SUV
Don't be so quick on that. Kia and Hyundai have made huuuuuuge strides in the last 3 or so years.
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
It really is almost car-like now. Cheap car interior, but still more like a car than an old-school E series van.
Jalopnik just ran an article about them.
While true, with a leased car you have mileage restrictions, which may or may not be a concern for y'all. And of course the whole thing of paying towards a car you don't own and have to return in two years. On the other hand, if you lease you get a new car every other year.
My parents have been leasing my mom's last three or four cars, and there's pros and cons like with every decision.
higher quality vehicle, way lower maintenance requirements, lower payment, lower upfront costs
it would take many years for a straight buy to start to pay off over a lease right now
frankly, I think she would probably just take the option to buy the car after the lease is over. right now, her obstacle is just getting IN the car
mileage restraints not a big deal. 12k/yr is plenty
Had the same thing in red. Still miss that car.
@Jasconius - Top in segment are Forester, CR-V and probably the CX-5. Since you're in Florida, you can probably cheap out and get the non-AWD version of the mazda if you want. Rav4 and Escape are also out there. It's really hard to buy a small SUV, as it's the hottest segment.
Kia are about caught up to where Hyundai were 5 years ago, which is just below Japanese makes like Nissan and Mazda. Currently there's really only slight quality differences in interiors between Hyundai and the better Japanese manufacturers like Honda and Toyota.
Some of the Chinese manufacturers like Geely are rapidly getting better with regards to quality and build.
- SRT as a brand is dead, the Viper returns to Dodge. Dodge focusing on being the performance brand.
- Hardcore Alfa Romeo 4C Quadrifoglio coming next year.
- AWD tubo Dart SRT-4 coming for 2017 model year, along with a redesign for the Dart in general.
- The Fiat Spyder is returning based on the upcoming Miata.
- The Jeep Grand Wagoneer is returning.
- A Chrysler 100 is coming.
- B-segment Dodge hatch/sedan in 2017.
- Dodge Journey SRT coming in 2017.
- No more FWD cars from Alfa Romeo.
- Plug-in hybrid Town and Country coming, supposed to get 75mpg overall.
Also, why in the name of all that's holy would they can the Alfa Spider based on the MX-5 for a Fiat who cares? No more FWD Alfas, but also no more lovely little RWD spider that would literally fly out of every showroom ever? It was the one good idea they had for the Alfa brand! The only good thing about 'no more FWD Alfas' is that maybe it gives a space for some premium/high performance FWD/AWD Lancias. If the 2017 Dart SRT-4 proves to be excellent, it could maybe be a base for a Lancia? Maybe? Please?
Also the 'no more SRT brand' thing about two years after 'SRT is the performance brand' decision was met by 'why isn't Dodge the performance brand' thing is amusing.
On the other hand, an new Alfa Spider could've been launched together with a remake of The Graduate starring some hott young things.
Meh.
The 4C is already a really neat little bit of kit, I hope they don't fuck it up.
Could be pretty cool!
Really? The BRZ/FT-86 poops on the Miata.
*retching noises*
*retching noises*
*retching noises*
*retching noises*
This. If they get this right, then this is it. Just this. This is what I care about. This.
Meh.
"No more FWD cars from Alfa Romeo."
Edit: Also, the Jeep SRT-8 remaining as the only non-Dodge SRT vehicle because it apparently sells like crazy. The 300 SRT-8 is dead.
I think that Chrysler and Fiat have worked out a plan that really helps to delineate their brands. The only real cross-over now lies between Dodge and Alfa Romeo, but they are attacking the same market from different sides. Compared to Ford's essentially uni-brand strategy and General Motors' relative lack of differentiation between brands, Chrysler/Fiat seems more focused on the future and ensuring they cover every market with minimal product overlap.
So you have:
Fiat: Entry-level quirkyness with Italian flair.
Chrysler: Volume seller with near-luxury offerings, family vehicles.
Dodge: American muscle and youth-oriented performance.
Jeep: SUVs and Crossovers
Alfa Romeo: Pure performance, near-luxury.
Sure, not all of their ideas are straight away thrillers. I mean, no one gets all that excited over B-segment vehicles. But a plug-in hybrid minivan is forward thinking. An no-FWD Alfa Romeo is exciting! A WRX fighter is exciting! A cheap Toyobaru competitor is exciting!
but mostly because I hate Chrystler Group and with the exception of a few specific models, I find their entire lineup to be an affront to cars
the speed limit is 55, the top of 2nd gear is 57
downshift from 6th to 2nd by revmatching to 9000 (loud), take the corner at about 30, which puts me right at the start of the power band when I come out the other side, which is off camber and sandy, so plenty of wheelspin action if I want it
best part of my automotive week
I checked and my lights, wipers etc were off, my inside light is on the door switch though, never doing that again. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't leave my car with the light on but hey shit happens.
10 or 12 beaked out 20-somethings in 9HP karts with bumpers and F1 track barriers under the lights
get the advil ready
*edit*
the last night race they did. I'm somewhere in here but I can't remember where. this guy was super fast but locked up his rears
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yQFxBDcsdE
I never finish anyth
unfortunately this weekend my kart suffered engine failure, and the backup was sour. finished 9th of about 17
one of the semi-pro drivers offered me some seat time in his kart, which is capable of 70+. So I might do that on Memorial Day
Stopped for gas... And then it wouldn't start again. Tried to get another boost, this time it wouldn't start at all.
So guess who learned how to replace a car battery today? Yaaaaaaay.
This was in stark contrast to pushing the vehicle out of our driveway up a slight incline, then trying to pull it up along the curb with my wife steering.
Automatic, with power steering. And yeah, it took some hauling on the wheel to turn. My wife said she almost would have rather done the pushing than the steering. It does feel good to get it working myself though, not unlike the first time I had to snake out a clogged drain after becoming a homeowner. My dad's been out of town every time something like this has come up though, I think he's starting to feel robbed of opportunities for fatherly teaching moments.
Next up - time to give that engine an MO!
(Major Overhaul)
(Your hands are going to get WAY dirtier than they did swapping out the battery)
(It's lots of fun though)
(Buy a bunch of ziplock baggies and some 1 gallon containers)
http://m.wsbt.com/driver-miraculous-survives-amtrakcar-crash/26065662
That railroad crossing is about 8 blocks or so from my house. According to people very close to the driver (whom I went to high school with) she was texting while driving at the time of the incident. She has an infant son that luckily was not in the car at the time, because that accident would have ended so much worse if he would have been.
Don't text and drive please.