Vehicles / bikes 🏍 Car Talk

[Doohickie]

I remember Daewoo's but never drove one. The worst make/model of car I ever drove was probably an AMC-Renault "Le Car" during driver's ed.

which occurs to me looks disturbingly similar to another notorious vehicle that followed in its wake a couple years later:

Looking at pictures of Yugos always breaks my heart as it reminds me of the exchange student I went to high school with during my senior year. She was from Yugoslavia. Found out years later she had been killed during their civil war.

Closest thing I ever owned to a Yugo was probably a Ford Aspire. This isn't mine but it pretty much looked like this.

 

[The Terminator]

Out of all cars in production in 2018, what would be the contemporary equivalent of the Yugo? I say the new Fiat 500s, although those arent exactly Econoboxes by price-point.

 

[arcplans]

Nice. If it's in good shape, no reason to take it off the road.

It's in great shape. No rust, a couple small dings here and there, and has a CD / USB / Tunner player.

Out of all cars in production in 2018, what would be the contemporary equivalent of the Yugo? I say the new Fiat 500s, although those arent exactly Econoboxes by price-point.

I would handily take a Fiat 500 versus a Nissan Versa or Mitsibushi Mirage. Those two are probably, coupled with the gasoline variants for Smart car fortwo are by far worse than the 500

 

[Planit]

Closest thing I ever owned to a Yugo was probably a Ford Aspire. This isn't mine but it pretty much looked like this.

I always thought that was a crappy name for a car - Aspire - does it aspire to even BE a car?

 

[Salmissra]

I bought a Ford CMax a couple years ago. Hybrid. Best car in a lot of ways!

-average 40 mpg
-has more room on the inside than appears at first glance
-comfy ride
-lots of space with the rear seats down - but not tall
-two full sized humans, or three skinny/friendly humans, fit in the backseat

But it's not a sexy/flashy car. Good for a planner, though!

In the past, I've driven Pontiac, Ford, Chevy, and Hyundai. Loved my Tucson - put over 100K miles on it - but repairs were killing me. New hybrid has been fun.

 

[Doohickie]

I always thought that was a crappy name for a car - Aspire - does it aspire to even BE a car?

My son, at first inadvertently and then with malice, used to call it the Expire.

The car was surprisingly decent. It was reliable, didn't need a lot of repairs and a lot of them I could do myself. Never got less than 30 mpg over a tank of gas. It was our second car when my kids were small. When my wife finally got her degree and started working I decided I was done with such a spartan ride and moved up to a Hyundai Elantra which was a great car for the price. When the Elantra went to my son a few years ago, I went back to a somewhat spartain Fiat 500. For my car I really don't demand much. Just start reliably, get me there, and hopefully the basic accessories work.

Out of all cars in production in 2018, what would be the contemporary equivalent of the Yugo? I say the new Fiat 500s, although those arent exactly Econoboxes by price-point.

I have one of those 500s and they're really not terrible cars. The front seats are quite roomy (I'm 6'-2", 225). If I had to pick a contemporary equivalent to the Yugo I think it would be the Mitsubishi Mirage.

 

[WSU MUP Student]

The local police and fire departments in the county use the large conference rooms in our office for various classes and meetings between themselves so there are always a ton of different police cars and fire department vehicles out in our parking lot. Usually they are just the same ole Ford Tauruses (Tauri?) or Tahoes or Impalas or whatever other generic vehicles governments are buying now for first responders but I was just out on my morning walk and one of the departments had a brand new Dodge Durango SRT with the 6.4 L Hemi 392 in it. I always thought the Durango was a pretty boring looking vehicle but this one just looked fast even sitting still in a parking lot. It was totally unmarked though. I wish it had said which department it belonged to.

I bought a Ford CMax a couple years ago. Hybrid. Best car in a lot of ways!

-average 40 mpg
-has more room on the inside than appears at first glance
-comfy ride
-lots of space with the rear seats down - but not tall
-two full sized humans, or three skinny/friendly humans, fit in the backseat

But it's not a sexy/flashy car. Good for a planner, though!

The CMax Hybrid does seem like one of the most practical cars out there in terms of interior space and MPG once you factor in the price. Perfect for somebody who wants a bit more interior space but doesn't want the height or size of most of the SUVs or crossovers on the market. They never seemed to really catch on with mass appeal but I don't know anybody who has owned one who hasn't loved it. Three or four friends of mine from grad school drive them plus a couple of planners in my office. My next door neighbor drives one as well and it fits him perfectly: he is literally a world-renowned doctor and professor (I had no idea until I saw him in the news testifying in the Flint water case and decided to Google him to find out more about him) but also the epitome of practical and humble.

 

[arcplans]

The local police and fire departments in the county use the large conference rooms in our office for various classes and meetings between themselves so there are always a ton of different police cars and fire department vehicles out in our parking lot. Usually they are just the same ole Ford Tauruses (Tauri?) or Tahoes or Impalas or whatever other generic vehicles governments are buying now for first responders but I was just out on my morning walk and one of the departments had a brand new Dodge Durango SRT with the 6.4 L Hemi 392 in it. I always thought the Durango was a pretty boring looking vehicle but this one just looked fast even sitting still in a parking lot. It was totally unmarked though. I wish it had said which department it belonged to.

A lot of jursidictions, including the California Highway Patrol, have migrated to this bad boy. Than again, our lovely CHP deploys this guy in all white, and ridiculously hard to spot. I call it "super cop", a tip to Grand Theft Auto Vice City when you reached four star level outlaw.

 

[WSU MUP Student]

I saw a convertible Range Rover Evoque on my way back into the office this afternoon. Man, that is an ugly vehicle! Some vehicle shapes just don't lend themselves to being a convertible.

 

[Doohickie]

I saw a convertible Range Rover Evoque on my way back into the office this afternoon. Man, that is an ugly vehicle! Some vehicle shapes just don't lend themselves to being a convertible.

That's a car with an identity crisis for sure. Yuck.

Comparing the roofline to the hard roofline makes me wonder if the back seat in the convertible is usable.

Rovers just shouldn't try to be modern. They should look like this, always packed for safari:

 

[kjel]

A lot of jursidictions, including the California Highway Patrol, have migrated to this bad boy. Than again, our lovely CHP deploys this guy in all white, and ridiculously hard to spot. I call it "super cop", a tip to Grand Theft Auto Vice City when you reached four star level outlaw.

Many of our PDs have switched over to the SUVs as well.

 

[MD Planner]

3 grand for my transmission. The car isn't worth much more than that. Guess I'll be car shopping this weekend. Ugh.

 

[RandomPlanner]

I had a '93 Escort (part of the Second Generation Escort) which ran from the '91 to '96 models years. I think the second generation was the best for the Escort. Most of the reliability problems that plagued the 1981-90 models had been worked out. It had a manual transmission and could get 40MPG on the highway.(if you really got 50, that is just unreal) What was nice is that you could just downshift instead of using the brake on icy or snowy roads. It was a two-door hatchback and if you put down the rear seats you could but anything back there. It had more cargo room, defacto, than some small SUVs...

When I learned to drive, my dad was strict about keeping a car notebook. I wrote down my mileage every time I got gas and don't even remember what I was getting when I first bought the car. Then one day, on the way to my favorite community college for class, the car just quit and left me on the side of the road. I had it towed to my mechanic and he replaced the distributor cap. The car was full of gas.

I picked it up, it ran much better, and I carried on with my life as a normal 19 year old. One week went by, then another and the needle on my gas gauge didn't move. Great, I thought, now my gas gauge is broken too! So I stop at the gas station to fill her up. I go to the pump; I can put less than a gallon in the tank. How is that possible?, I think. So I move to another gas pump. Nope, this one also will not let me put gas in. WTH?!!

Screw it; I'm just going home! So, of course, I go talk to my dad... who's much smarter than me and tells me that my gas mileage has improved with the new distributor cap. Duh!

That little car maintained my 50 mpgs until I stupidly sold it within a year to buy something flashier. How dumb!

Well duh.

This ^^

That's a car with an identity crisis for sure. Yuck.

Comparing the roofline to the hard roofline makes me wonder if the back seat in the convertible is usable.

Rovers just shouldn't try to be modern. They should look like this, always packed for safari:

I actually really liked the Evoque non-convertible ,,, until they came out with the convertible which, I agree, is one of the ugliest vehicles out there. It reminds me of a PT Cruiser. Why would a Range Rover want to look like a PT Cruiser??!

 

[Doohickie]

I actually really liked the Evoque non-convertible ,,, until they came out with the convertible which, I agree, is one of the ugliest vehicles out there. It reminds me of a PT Cruiser. Why would a Range Rover want to look like a PT Cruiser??!

I'm guessing Rover was only vaguely aware of the PT Cruiser convertible, if at all. It's really just a characteristic of trying to put a convertible top on a wagon/SUV body style. I worked for a company that made OEM convertible tops in a past life, and there are inviolable rules you have to follow on a convertible top if you want it to fold flat in the car; you just can change that geometry. So every convertible SUV roof line is going to look about like that.

 

[WSU MUP Student]

My wife and daughter going for a ride in the '31 cabriolet yesterday morning:

The plan was for me, my MIL, and other daughter to follow them around town in the '30 coupe but it started backfiring horribly as we were warming it up so we never got it out of the driveway because I didn't want to be the one driving it if something significant went wrong with it.

FWIW - It was about 90º out and sort of humid so everybody in that cab was pretty sweaty and gross when they returned from their ride without any shade and then my wife burned her leg on the hot metal fender when she was trying to climb out of the rumble seat. :lmao:

 

[Big Owl]

I received a call from a guy inquiring about buying my old ford truck yesterday. Up until then I haven't thought about selling it. He wanted it because it was similar to the truck his grandfather had at one point in time. Ironically, I knew who bought his grandfather's truck because the guy who bought it offered to sell it to me a year ago. Long story short, he his going to buy the truck that was owned by his grandfather and I am not selling mine. It makes me feel good that I was able to help make that happen.

 

[The Terminator]

I looked at another 1991 Volvo 245 yesterday. I passed on it because:

-Wiring was all screwy, main engine wiring harness was visibly corroded and the car shut off whenever any interior electronics were toggled

-Motor had a pretty bad oil leak from the valve cover that I suspect indicates larger problems with the head, but it could have just been a valve cover gasket

-AC had been bypassed and the belt removed (so also no power steering)

-Steering wheel was full of holes, horn not working, and the plastic on the wheel itself was so degraded you risked breaking it off just by steering normally

-No rear lights, period.

-Leaky window seals causing interior moisture, ewww.

I decided to check it out because it was a Florida car with an otherwise rust free albeit battered to hell body. Also a car that the original owner still technically owns and still has titled/plated in FL and gave to his daughter who lives in NJ to learn to drive on. I was offered it for $500 but it was unsalvagable for what I am capable of on my current budget/with the workspace I have.

It wasn't a total loss of a day though because I got to explore some NJ Transit lines I previously hadn't taken and meet someone who bought a 240 in 1991, and ran it into the ground over 27 years and 340,000 miles. Just another testament to their build quality!

 

[The Terminator]

3 grand for my transmission. The car isn't worth much more than that. Guess I'll be car shopping this weekend. Ugh.

I can help you find a cheap hoopdi if you just want a car to commute in and dont care about cosmetics and dont want to break the bank. Something indestructible like a 1993-2001 Camry or a 1985-2000 Civic/Accord could be a great daily, especially if found with a 5 speed. I see plenty in decent shape for not allot of money on Baltimore Craigslist, which is usually a fruitful market for old Volvos too.

 

[MD Planner]

I can help you find a cheap hoopdi if you just want a car to commute in and dont care about cosmetics and dont want to break the bank. Something indestructible like a 1993-2001 Camry or a 1985-2000 Civic/Accord could be a great daily, especially if found with a 5 speed. I see plenty in decent shape for not allot of money on Baltimore Craigslist, which is usually a fruitful market for old Volvos too.

Thanks but I needed a new car a month ago I ended up buying a very nice two year old SUV with only 15K miles on it. It was a good deal and certified so it comes with plenty of protections and perks. I'm happy with my decision even though it came about 18 months sooner than I wanted to do it.

 

[RandomPlanner]

I received a call from a guy inquiring about buying my old ford truck yesterday. Up until then I haven't thought about selling it. He wanted it because it was similar to the truck his grandfather had at one point in time. Ironically, I knew who bought his grandfather's truck because the guy who bought it offered to sell it to me a year ago. Long story short, he his going to buy the truck that was owned by his grandfather and I am not selling mine. It makes me feel good that I was able to help make that happen.

Aww, I love this!! Well done, Big Owl!!

 

[gtpeach]

I most likely totaled my little 2013 Honda Fit yesterday. Everyone's okay, but I rear-ended a trailblazer in a congested area yesterday. Both my airbags deployed and my hood is crumpled up (although the car was actually still running afterwards).

So now I'm looking at getting a used SUV. I found a 2017 Nissan Rogue for $16,500 that I like with 44,000 miles. There are some older vehicles with lower mileage, but I'm a high mileage driver, so I don't think I need to be as concerned about the mileage aspect of it. I'm looking at purchasing through a dealership, but this is honestly not at all my forte. The most likely scenario would be for me to go in, test drive the car, review the Carfax report, and then agree to pay the price posted online (which according to the website does reflect an almost $3,000 bonus right now). I already checked the KBB listing, and it's definitely within the fair market value. Aside from reviewing the Carfax report, anything else I should be aware of? Questions to ask? Other things to consider? Known problems with the Rogue I should be aware of?

I'm planning on test driving it this evening. I'll need to wait until my insurance confirms my other vehicle is totaled, but I also want to be prepared for replacing it since I'm pretty sure I already know its fate.

 

[AG74683]

I most likely totaled my little 2013 Honda Fit yesterday. Everyone's okay, but I rear-ended a trailblazer in a congested area yesterday. Both my airbags deployed and my hood is crumpled up (although the car was actually still running afterwards).

So now I'm looking at getting a used SUV. I found a 2017 Nissan Rogue for $16,500 that I like with 44,000 miles. Aside from reviewing the Carfax report, anything else I should be aware of? Questions to ask? Other things to consider? Known problems with the Rogue I should be aware of?

I'm planning on test driving it this evening. I'll need to wait until my insurance confirms my other vehicle is totaled, but I also want to be prepared for replacing it since I'm pretty sure I already know its fate.

Well that sucks, sorry to hear that!

A lot of Rogues were used in the fleet market. It's probably rare to see a used Rogue at a standard dealership be a fleet car, but a huge portion of Carmax's Rogues were fleet.

 

[gtpeach]

Well that sucks, sorry to hear that!

A lot of Rogues were used in the fleet market. It's probably rare to see a used Rogue at a standard dealership be a fleet car, but a huge portion of Carmax's Rogues were fleet.

The guy at the dealership did send me the Carfax report and it said it was a rental vehicle. That explains why the mileage is kind of high, but it should also mean that it has been fairly well maintained as far as getting all the inspections and stuff. I would assume?

 

[Whose Yur Planner]

I was seriously looking a Rogues until I decided to stay with Camry's. Oddly Camry's have more room, an important consideration when you are tall. Sorry to hear about the car.

 

[AG74683]

The guy at the dealership did send me the Carfax report and it said it was a rental vehicle. That explains why the mileage is kind of high, but it should also mean that it has been fairly well maintained as far as getting all the inspections and stuff. I would assume?

Hit or miss really. Some people like to abuse rental cars. I doubt a Rogue would get the same abuse as something like a Mustang. Most miles on a rental are highway though, so that's a plus.

 

[Michele Zone]

I most likely totaled my little 2013 Honda Fit yesterday.

Well, suckitude to the max.

Both my airbags deployed and my hood is crumpled up (although the car was actually still running afterwards).

They don't build 'em like they used to. One of the ways they have improved mileage over the years is by making cars lighter weight. What used to genuinely be a "fender bent" leaving you with a dinged fender can now crumple in the front end and require thousands of dollars worth of work.

I received a call from a guy inquiring about buying my old ford truck yesterday. Up until then I haven't thought about selling it. He wanted it because it was similar to the truck his grandfather had at one point in time. Ironically, I knew who bought his grandfather's truck because the guy who bought it offered to sell it to me a year ago. Long story short, he his going to buy the truck that was owned by his grandfather and I am not selling mine. It makes me feel good that I was able to help make that happen.

My parents had a car for the longest time that was bought either the year before or the year after I was born. In my teens, someone walked up to us in a parking lot and offered to buy our "classic" vehicle.

It's nickname was The Tank because of how heavy it was. See the above comment about they don't build 'em like they used to. 8-!

 

[dw914er]

The guy at the dealership did send me the Carfax report and it said it was a rental vehicle. That explains why the mileage is kind of high, but it should also mean that it has been fairly well maintained as far as getting all the inspections and stuff. I would assume?

I would personally avoid a former rental car. The maintenance is done so that the car can keep earning money for the rental operation, but is not necessarily the best care. Some renters tend to bash on the car, resulting in the car having a harder life than it would otherwise.

They don't build 'em like they used to. One of the ways they have improved mileage over the years is by making cars lighter weight. What used to genuinely be a "fender bent" leaving you with a dinged fender can now crumple in the front end and require thousands of dollars worth of work.

That is not accurate; cars are heavier than they were before. That said, a lot of the weight has been added to accommodate a variety of safety features, with the premise that it's better to kill the car than to kill the occupants or pedestrians. I'd rather have a totaled Honda Fit if it means I walked away from the accident.

 

[gtpeach]

I'd rather have a totaled Honda Fit if it means I walked away from the accident.

I will say that I literally do not have any pain from the impact. My arm's scraped up from being in the way of the airbag, but as far as residual neck or back pain that I was expecting to wake up with today, there is absolutely nothing. So in that respect, I am thankful for my car.

 

[Michele Zone]

That is not accurate; cars are heavier than they were before. That said, a lot of the weight has been added to accommodate a variety of safety features, with the premise that it's better to kill the car than to kill the occupants or pedestrians. I'd rather have a totaled Honda Fit if it means I walked away from the accident.

That isn't what I recall from actual life experience and from college classes I have taken. I just had this debate with someone else on the internet recently and can't find that discussion, nor can I find the citations I recall using -- though maybe I looked them up, decided to not bother to argue with them. (shrug).

Federal law directing increases in fuel economy became necessary because oil consumption had been steadily escalating, in large part due to the relative stagnation in CAFE standards, the doubling of annual vehicle miles traveled in the previous 25 years, and a sizable increase in the market share of less efficient SUVs and light trucks.

Source

So, maybe vehicles are heavier because we have generally moved towards larger SUVs and trucks. But their parts tend to be lighter than what I grew up with and cars tend to be lighter than what I grew up with. I didn't say anything about safety features. Older cars sometimes lacked basics like safety belts.

I guess I can see where you are getting that inference, but I honestly wasn't suggesting older cars were safer. Just heavier. A lot of that crumpling of the front end that happens these days disperses kinetic energy that wasn't dispersed when fenders got dinged but held their ground, so to speak.

I mean, feel free to come up with charts for historic vehicle weights or whatever proving me wrong, but that isn't how I understand it.

 

[Whose Yur Planner]

I will say that I literally do not have any pain from the impact. My arm's scraped up from being in the way of the airbag, but as far as residual neck or back pain that I was expecting to wake up with today, there is absolutely nothing. So in that respect, I am thankful for my car.

Your guardian angel must have earned some bonus points for that one.

 

[kms]

I will say that I literally do not have any pain from the impact. My arm's scraped up from being in the way of the airbag, but as far as residual neck or back pain that I was expecting to wake up with today, there is absolutely nothing. So in that respect, I am thankful for my car.

I’m glad you’re ok. It’s tough buying a car unexpectedly.

 

[dw914er]

That isn't what I recall from actual life experience and from college classes I have taken. I just had this debate with someone else on the internet recently and can't find that discussion, nor can I find the citations I recall using -- though maybe I looked them up, decided to not bother to argue with them. (shrug).



So, maybe vehicles are heavier because we have generally moved towards larger SUVs and trucks. But their parts tend to be lighter than what I grew up with and cars tend to be lighter than what I grew up with. I didn't say anything about safety features. Older cars sometimes lacked basics like safety belts.

I guess I can see where you are getting that inference, but I honestly wasn't suggesting older cars were safer. Just heavier. A lot of that crumpling of the front end that happens these days disperses kinetic energy that wasn't dispersed when fenders got dinged but held their ground, so to speak.

I mean, feel free to come up with charts for historic vehicle weights or whatever proving me wrong, but that isn't how I understand it.

An example of a cheap economy car is a geo metro, which was under 2,000 lbs, whereas a new Nissan Versa weighs close to 2,500 lbs. A Toyota Camry weighed 2,900 lbs in 1995, and is now over 3,200 lbs. My 73 Porsche is 2,000 lbs, a new Boxster is almost 3,000 lbs. You are correct in that technology has recently allowed automakers to do more strengthening with less weight, which is helping to alleviate the growth in weight, but cars are still bigger and heavier than their older counterparts (unless you are going back to the Model T era cars, which they were far more simpler in terms of design). Its fun to compare old cars to their new contemporary versions (see a 1964 Porsche 911 vs. a new 2018 one as an example of the size differences).

Also, the markets have shifted a bit. It was far more common to see large land yachts roaming the streets in the US in the 60s and 70s, but due to the gas prices and other issues starting in the mid 70s, those particular types of vehicles have since disappeared. However, I would argue that large trucks seem to be the modern day equivalent, and the loaded fullsize trucks are heavier than the land yachts of yore.

 

[Michele Zone]

An example of a cheap economy car is a geo metro, which was under 2,000 lbs, whereas a new Nissan Versa weighs close to 2,500 lbs. A Toyota Camry weighed 2,900 lbs in 1995, and is now over 3,200 lbs. My 73 Porsche is 2,000 lbs, a new Boxster is almost 3,000 lbs. You are correct in that technology has recently allowed automakers to do more strengthening with less weight, which is helping to alleviate the growth in weight, but cars are still bigger and heavier than their older counterparts (unless you are going back to the Model T era cars, which they were far more simpler in terms of design). Its fun to compare old cars to their new contemporary versions (see a 1964 Porsche 911 vs. a new 2018 one as an example of the size differences).

Also, the markets have shifted a bit. It was far more common to see large land yachts roaming the streets in the US in the 60s and 70s, but due to the gas prices and other issues starting in the mid 70s, those particular types of vehicles have since disappeared. However, I would argue that large trucks seem to be the modern day equivalent, and the loaded fullsize trucks are heavier than the land yachts of yore.

I was born in 1965. I was absolutely speaking of old land yachts.

I haven't driven in over a decade. Your reply makes me wonder what happened to car weights between the 1960s and, say 2000. It makes me wonder if there was a long trend of reducing weights, followed by a more recent trend of increasing weights.

No one needs to answer that and I probably can't be arsed to look it up. I just hate running into internet comments that make me feel like everything I ever knew was wrong. In some cases, it's not wrong. Just out of date and in need of some updated info.

 

[Maister]

Oh the weight of cars has dropped notably since I was a kid. We had a 1969 Buick Electra 225 (my dad worked at the Buick plant in Flint) that weighed around 4,500 lbs. Fast forward several decades and a comparable luxury model car is easily going to weigh a quarter ton less. People didn't drive SUV's back when I was a kid. Or if they did they were actually driving around Africa on safaris and not I-75.

 

[gtpeach]

I had SO MUCH FUN at the car dealership yesterday. That sounds super weird, but the sales manager was fantastic. He was friendly and he clearly worked hard to create a fun and inviting environment. He told me that his philosophy was that buying a car shouldn't be stressful.

It turns out that he was on the road where I wrecked on Sunday and had driven by it. He said he was cussing at me that afternoon. Haha. So we were joking about how it ended up working out okay for him in the end. We took a selfie of us together so he could send it to his wife. He kept telling me how I had such a great personality and response to the wreck. He probably gave me four hugs. I also ended up running into some former co-workers that were looking at a different car, so that was super random.

I still have to wait to hear back from my insurance company, but assuming that it's totaled, I'm getting the Nissan Rogue. I felt comfortable driving it, it's in good shape, and I can get an extended warranty for just a few dollars a month that will cover it bumper to bumper for another 50,000 miles or so, which I think is worth it for a used car.

 

[MD Planner]

Make sure you're getting the best price on the warranty. You don't have to buy one from the dealer who usually gets a cut. There are plenty of reputable ones you can find online that are usually cheaper. I know you like the guy but bidness is bidness.

 

[AG74683]

Most dealerships have what they call CPO vehicles (certified pre-owned). These generally extend warranties, mostly drivetrain related from what I've found. The CPO cars undergo a "rigorous 1XX point check" to make sure they are up to the manufacturer standards. These cars seem to sell for more both at the dealership and in the private market. It would be worth it to get one with the CPO.

 

[Michele Zone]

Oh the weight of cars has dropped notably since I was a kid. We had a 1969 Buick Electra 225 (my dad worked at the Buick plant in Flint) that weighed around 4,500 lbs. Fast forward several decades and a comparable luxury model car is easily going to weigh a quarter ton less. People didn't drive SUV's back when I was a kid. Or if they did they were actually driving around Africa on safaris and not I-75.

Thanks. Nice to know I'm not crazy, just old.

 

[dw914er]

Oh the weight of cars has dropped notably since I was a kid. We had a 1969 Buick Electra 225 (my dad worked at the Buick plant in Flint) that weighed around 4,500 lbs. Fast forward several decades and a comparable luxury model car is easily going to weigh a quarter ton less. People didn't drive SUV's back when I was a kid. Or if they did they were actually driving around Africa on safaris and not I-75.

I wouldn't be so sure; a new Mercedes s450 is also 4,500 lbs, and is heavier with the 4matic awd system. A modern day equivalent* to your old Buick, the Encore, is 4,400 lbs. A Suburban weighed 4,800 lbs in the 70s, and is now a whopping 5,600 lbs. A 69 camaro is in the low 3,000lbs, depending on engine option, and is now a few hundred pounds more in the 6th generation (the 5th generation was close to 4,000 lbs, but luckily shed weight with the current alpha platform). My comment is to say that modern cars are not some dinky, insubstantial versions compared to those in the past. They are bigger than people realize, but are also more capable and safer compared to their older counterparts. Technology and better materials should help to shed some lbs in the future though.

*There isn't exactly a modern sedan land yacht like there was in the past; they have been replaced by CUVs and trucks. You won't see a sedan like 74-76 Cadillac Fleetwood 75, being 21 feet long, in vogue again.

 

[dw914er]

I had SO MUCH FUN at the car dealership yesterday. That sounds super weird, but the sales manager was fantastic. He was friendly and he clearly worked hard to create a fun and inviting environment. He told me that his philosophy was that buying a car shouldn't be stressful.

It turns out that he was on the road where I wrecked on Sunday and had driven by it. He said he was cussing at me that afternoon. Haha. So we were joking about how it ended up working out okay for him in the end. We took a selfie of us together so he could send it to his wife. He kept telling me how I had such a great personality and response to the wreck. He probably gave me four hugs. I also ended up running into some former co-workers that were looking at a different car, so that was super random.

I still have to wait to hear back from my insurance company, but assuming that it's totaled, I'm getting the Nissan Rogue. I felt comfortable driving it, it's in good shape, and I can get an extended warranty for just a few dollars a month that will cover it bumper to bumper for another 50,000 miles or so, which I think is worth it for a used car.

IIRC, Carmax is known for having a good warranty. Doug Demuro, an automotive journalist, had a pretty good experience with their bumper-to-bumper warranty with his old Range Rover, which are known for being particularly unreliable vehicles.

 

[MD Planner]

Most dealerships have what they call CPO vehicles (certified pre-owned). These generally extend warranties, mostly drivetrain related from what I've found. The CPO cars undergo a "rigorous 1XX point check" to make sure they are up to the manufacturer standards. These cars seem to sell for more both at the dealership and in the private market. It would be worth it to get one with the CPO.

I just bought a new (to me) car last month and it's a CPO. Lots of nice perks, checks and warranties. I doubt Peach's Rouge would meet the criteria being a rental because age and mileage are some of the qualifiers. I spent a little more than I had intended but I think it's worth it to have a newer vehicle that is still covered by the certified program.

 

[AG74683]

IIRC, Carmax is known for having a good warranty. Doug Demuro, an automotive journalist, had a pretty good experience with their bumper-to-bumper warranty with his old Range Rover, which are known for being particularly unreliable vehicles.

Doug is freaking hilarious, and the Range Rover bumper to bumper was one of his funniest articles. He also tried to trade in a Ferrari to Carmax once.

I just bought a new (to me) car last month and it's a CPO. Lots of nice perks, checks and warranties. I doubt Peach's Rouge would meet the criteria being a rental because age and mileage are some of the qualifiers. I spent a little more than I had intended but I think it's worth it to have a newer vehicle that is still covered by the certified program.

It could, just depends on the manufacturer I think. One big thing about CPO's is that it needs to come from a certified dealer. So if you're at a Honda dealer and they have a Chevy for sale with a CPO, it's most likely a third party CPO, and not verified, nor backed up, by Chevrolet. You can also request the CPO checklist that details what they looked at and how well it passed. I didn't know you could get the checklist until recently.

 

[gtpeach]

It could, just depends on the manufacturer I think. One big thing about CPO's is that it needs to come from a certified dealer. So if you're at a Honda dealer and they have a Chevy for sale with a CPO, it's most likely a third party CPO, and not verified, nor backed up, by Chevrolet. You can also request the CPO checklist that details what they looked at and how well it passed. I didn't know you could get the checklist until recently.

I went to a Nissan dealership to look at it, but none of the dealerships had a large number of CPO vehicles. Most of them only had one or two listed.

 

[arcplans]

I went to a Nissan dealership to look at it, but none of the dealerships had a large number of CPO vehicles. Most of them only had one or two listed.

I know you have your heart set on a rouge, I just had a terrible experience with nissan (my first car purchase was a Nissan Sentra SE-R). Have you thought about a used Honda HR-V? My ex-wife drives that thing and it was a wonderful car the whole umm 10 times i drove it. The seats fold all the way down, it has a Civic engine, great on gas, and tons of safety features. The 2016 models (first model year out) should be hitting dealerships as used cars. My local dealership offered to buy back her (my vehicle payment) vehicle. She said no.

 

[dw914er]

I know you have your heart set on a rouge, I just had a terrible experience with nissan (my first car purchase was a Nissan Sentra SE-R). Have you thought about a used Honda HR-V? My ex-wife drives that thing and it was a wonderful car the whole umm 10 times i drove it. The seats fold all the way down, it has a Civic engine, great on gas, and tons of safety features. The 2016 models (first model year out) should be hitting dealerships as used cars. My local dealership offered to buy back her (my vehicle payment) vehicle. She said no.

I think the Honda competitor to the Rogue should be the CR-V. I think the Nissan Kicks is the same size/class as the HR-V.

 

[gtpeach]

I know you have your heart set on a rouge, I just had a terrible experience with nissan (my first car purchase was a Nissan Sentra SE-R). Have you thought about a used Honda HR-V? My ex-wife drives that thing and it was a wonderful car the whole umm 10 times i drove it. The seats fold all the way down, it has a Civic engine, great on gas, and tons of safety features. The 2016 models (first model year out) should be hitting dealerships as used cars. My local dealership offered to buy back her (my vehicle payment) vehicle. She said no.

I actually looked at the Honda HR-V and CR-V. They just didn't have the same deals as the Rogue.

 

[arcplans]

I think the Honda competitor to the Rogue should be the CR-V. I think the Nissan Kicks is the same size/class as the HR-V.

Did the Kick replace the Juke? It's a Juke Kick :lmao:

 

[WSU MUP Student]

Yesterday afternoon I picked up my daughter and her friend from another friend's house and while driving them home we passed a new Dodge Ram and my daughter's friend went on this spiel about how it was a Dodge Ram "Rebel" edition and how awesome it was and then how awesome the Dodge Charger and Challenger are and how much power they have and blah blah blah. Keep in mind that this is an 8-year-old girl. I mentioned this to my wife yesterday evening and she said this girl did the same thing when my wife was driving them around one day. It turns out her dad works in marketing at Chrysler. I guess he has at least one convert!

 

[DVD]

Yesterday afternoon I picked up my daughter and her friend from another friend's house and while driving them home we passed a new Dodge Ram and my daughter's friend went on this spiel about how it was a Dodge Ram "Rebel" edition and how awesome it was and then how awesome the Dodge Charger and Challenger are and how much power they have and blah blah blah. Keep in mind that this is an 8-year-old girl. I mentioned this to my wife yesterday evening and she said this girl did the same thing when my wife was driving them around one day. It turns out her dad works in marketing at Chrysler. I guess he has at least one convert!

You'll have to mess with her. Yes, the Challenger has great horsepower, probably the best in class. Of course what Dodge doesn't talk about is the weight ratio which allows Ford Mustangs to consistently blow away the Challenger and keep going in that vein about the aluminum block and whatever else Ford marketing puts out.

 

[AG74683]

You'll have to mess with her. Yes, the Challenger has great horsepower, probably the best in class. Of course what Dodge doesn't talk about is the weight ratio which allows Ford Mustangs to consistently blow away the Challenger and keep going in that vein about the aluminum block and whatever else Ford marketing puts out.

The Challenger is one of my favorite looking cars of all time. IMO the best classic reboot made to date. I sat in one at Carmax a few months ago, and it's a freaking boat. It is a big big car, and like you said, very heavy. It goes well in a straight line, but anymore than that is asking for too much. The Challenger also has a pretty high resale value. You'd be hard pressed to find the R/T trim under 25k. The SRT is all over the place at reasonable prices, but the SRT just doesn't have what I was looking for.