Vehicles / bikes 🏍 Car Talk

[dw914er]

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!

I test drove a Charger Scat Pack (392) several months ago for fun; I still think about how much of a riot that car was to drive. FCA isn't known for the greatest quality or reliability, but they do have some cool cars in their lineup.

 

[WSU MUP Student]

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.

I was sort of miffed that she didn't mention how cool it was to be riding around in my Jeep Wrangler Rubicon! :h:

I test drove a Charger Scat Pack (392) several months ago for fun; I still think about how much of a riot that car was to drive. FCA isn't known for the greatest quality or reliability, but they do have some cool cars in their lineup.

I was thinking about this the other day and I know a lot of project managers, program leads, and engineers from GM, Ford, and FCA and it's sort of funny that it feels like, up here in Detroit anyway, there is a sort of hierarchy among the engineers and designers and it feels less prestigious and less "cool" to work at FCA than it does either of the other two.

When my wife worked in auditing in public accounting FCA was one of her clients and she was in and out of the HQ/tech center all the time and she commented that everybody there seemed so depressed and sad to be working there, especially compared to some of her other large clients... of course this was in the depths of the Great Recession and FCA was hurting much more than the other two, but she still dreaded going in there because of how negative everything was... including the numbers!

 

[dw914er]

I was thinking about this the other day and I know a lot of project managers, program leads, and engineers from GM, Ford, and FCA and it's sort of funny that it feels like, up here in Detroit anyway, there is a sort of hierarchy among the engineers and designers and it feels less prestigious and less "cool" to work at FCA than it does either of the other two.

When my wife worked in auditing in public accounting FCA was one of her clients and she was in and out of the HQ/tech center all the time and she commented that everybody there seemed so depressed and sad to be working there, especially compared to some of her other large clients... of course this was in the depths of the Great Recession and FCA was hurting much more than the other two, but she still dreaded going in there because of how negative everything was... including the numbers!

Was she with FCA or pre-FCA Chrysler? The Daimler and Cerberus eras were pretty terrible for the organization and I heard it severely hurt morale there. The merger with Fiat has certainly added some appeal to their cars, but it was a terrible ship that needed to be turned around.

I will say that my experience test driving cars under FCA (the Charger, as well as a few Grand Cherokees when we were deciding on a vehicle for my wife) showed that their sales people seemed more passionate in the vehicles than salespeople working with other marques.

 

[WSU MUP Student]

Was she with FCA or pre-FCA Chrysler? The Daimler and Cerberus eras were pretty terrible for the organization and I heard it severely hurt morale there. The merger with Fiat has certainly added some appeal to their cars, but it was a terrible ship that needed to be turned around.

I will say that my experience test driving cars under FCA (the Charger, as well as a few Grand Cherokees when we were deciding on a vehicle for my wife) showed that their sales people seemed more passionate in the vehicles than salespeople working with other marques.

I had to go to Wikipedia to look up the timeline of when FCA took over, and she was there during the end of the the Daimler era and the start of Cerberus. For some reason, I thought Fiat had taken over earlier than 2014. She was actually there when they were going through bankruptcy. I remember hearing conversations among multiple accountants and industry analysts and people with inside knowledge who seriously doubted Chrysler would exist in any way, shape or form after too long. My office is just a few miles from the HQ which is one of the largest buildings in the country and we had a few informal, but serious, brainstorming sessions to discuss ideas on what to do with the property and how to market it if it should shut be vacatted.

FWIW, Chrysler has always been the worst managed of the Big 3 except maybe during the Iacocca era. My dad still talks about all the trouble they had with Chrysler back in the 80s when they were notorious for not paying their bills on time. The supplier he worked for manufactured filler necks and fuel injection systems for the Big 3 plus some foreign makers and they would go through periods where they would refuse to deliver to Chrysler unless they were paid ahead of time or upon delivery (which was unheard of in the industry) and he occasionally had to send their finance folks and accountants out to ride with the drivers who were delivering to the local Chrysler plants to make sure they received cash or a cashier's check. Chrysler was so bad at times and seemingly under constant threat of bankruptcy that the big suppliers who had some leverage wouldn't even accept corporate checks from them. There are numerous local stories of smaller (tier II and III) suppliers being put out of business because of how slow Chrysler was to pay their debts.

 

[Super Amputee Cat]

My daughter is 18 and is been avidly looking at cars.

Here are two that she is most interested in both about the same price.

Car 1. 2012 Nissan Versa SL $4,900. 75K miles. Clean title. Just traded in to a dealership on Saturday

It has a few scuffs on the doors and bumpers. The interior in clean but could use a vacuum or detail. Maybe the dealer will freshen it up for us.

File photo





Car 2. 2009 Ford Focus SE. 37K miles $4,995

Actual photo.

The Focus has a rebuilt title. Old photos from punching the VIN into Google reveal that it once had rear end damage. (I did notice that the rear bumper looked newer and was kind of loose). Despite having only 37K miles, it does have above average wear, such as some staining on seats. Maybe the previous owner was hard on the car. In fact, there were so many key scratches around the door handle, that the previous owner must have been drunk a lot, trying to put the key into the slot. Also, black is not my favorite color for a car.

Personally, I like Focus's better and it is a little larger and safer car. I used to own one. But the rebuilt title is a concern. I really know nothing a Versa's at all but evidently they do have issues with the CVT. Reviews are mixed. My daughter personally likes the Versa more, but she also is tempted by the Focus's low mileage.

She will be test-driving the Versa tomorrow.

Anyone ever own a Versa? As for the Focus, is a rebuilt title a red flag enough to stay away from such a low mileage car? Which looks like the better deal?

 

[Bubba]

I'd steer clear of any vehicle with a rebuilt title unless you have the car checked by a mechanic you trust and you don't see anything else that gives you pause (like the items you've already listed).

 

[mendelman]

I'd steer clear of any vehicle with a rebuilt title unless you have the car checked by a mechanic you trust and you don't see anything else that gives you pause (like the items you've already listed).

Dittos. The Versa is likely the better option.

 

[WSU MUP Student]

I'm with Bubba and would stay away from the Focus with the rebuilt title. "Rebuilt" doesn't always mean trouble but I'd be more weary of it in a small econo-box car like a these (though I have no empirical evidence to back up my reasoning).

 

[DVD]

Yep, around here rebuilt titles are only good for farm vehicles that you know how to fix yourself and you'll run into the ground. You can't resell them for much and you know they're going to have problems.

 

[dw914er]

I would avoid a rebuilt title, and unless your daughter is into car detailing, I would avoid black as well.

That said, the price seems high for the Focus - we sold our clean title focus (with 80,000ish miles) for less than what you have listed. It was a decent car for what it was.

 

[giff57]

My ex had a Versa and had a few issues with it. If the front plastic gets the slightest impact the whole thing comes off, but thats true of most of today's cars. She did have the transmission go out. She wouldn't be hard on a car, so a little research should tell you if its a common problem. I believe that hers was the same year and model as the one you're looking at. I'm still hearing about recommending a Nissan because of their reliability.

 

[Super Amputee Cat]

Thanks for everyone's great responses I've never seen such a consensus on a subject as rebuilt titles.

Yeah, the more I think about rebuilt titles, the more it seems like a red flag, especially being an "econobox" as someone mentioned. As for the Versa, my daughter test drove it today and she mentioned that the transmission did have problems going from 2nd to 3rd gear. The dealer said it might be an easy fix and could be done by a Nissan dealer for free. I'm skeptical though because when I did research on this car it said that it the CVT transmission was prone to failure.

Anyway, she will know more by Friday, because the dealer still has to do paperwork and give it a thorough inspection

While were on the subject, another model we have been looking at is the Pontiac Vibe. We haven't gone out and seen any yet, only clicked a few on Car Gurus or Craigslist. I think they are really great cars but everyone I've seen has tons of miles. When I did a search on Car Gurus for my area, none were under 98K miles except rebuilds. I've seen some as high as 250K miles, which is good in a way I guess because that means they last a long time. But I still want to keep it below 80K if I can.

It's strange that some models get tons of more miles then others, model year being equal. Perhaps Vibe owners love their cars so much they drive them everywhere.

Anyone own a Vibe or it's twin the Toyota Matrix?. Perhaps you could offer some insight on why it's so difficult to find any low-mileage cars for sale

 

[Super Amputee Cat]

My ex had a Versa and had a few issues with it. If the front plastic gets the slightest impact the whole thing comes off, but thats true of most of today's cars. She did have the transmission go out. She wouldn't be hard on a car, so a little research should tell you if its a common problem. I believe that hers was the same year and model as the one you're looking at. I'm still hearing about recommending a Nissan because of their reliability.

Did she have to get a new transmission. If so, do you know how much it cost?

 

[WSU MUP Student]

Anyone own a Vibe or it's twin the Toyota Matrix?. Perhaps you could offer some insight on why it's so difficult to find any low-mileage cars for sale[/IMG]

I don't own either and have never driven either but have ridden in a few different Vibes - two or three coworkers drive them and a family friend had one for about a year. The family friend who had one is actually an engineer on the small car platform at the GM Tech Center (which is an architectural masterpiece if you are so inclined) and he actually went out and leased a Vibe for his wife after having one as a company test car for a few months. I think that's a pretty strong endorsement.

I've ridden with a coworker in hers on multiple occasions and the ride is pretty good for a car of that size. She is our event planner and is constantly driving around to workshops and various meetings and I was really impressed with how much stuff she can fit into her car. She can very easily fit in multiple cases of water, large sandwich board type signs, a bunch of boxes, etc. all in the same trip.

I have no insight as to why it's hard to find low-mileage used cars, especially small cars, but that always seems to be an issue. Maybe it boils down to who is primarily buying them originally: young people who are prone to put a lot of miles on their cars because of their "active lifestyle", people who drive a lot for work and want something small and fuel efficient, or people who don't drive much and want something small and inexpensive but hold onto the car for a long time and drive it into the ground?

 

[Bubba]

Didn't Pontiac fold about seven or eight years ago? Not sure I'd go that route...

 

[AG74683]

Have you looked at the Toyota Yaris yet? Not a bad entry level vehicle, and it's a Toyota so it has that going for it.

 

[Suburb Repairman]

Thanks for everyone's great responses I've never seen such a consensus on a subject as rebuilt titles.

Yeah, the more I think about rebuilt titles, the more it seems like a red flag, especially being an "econobox" as someone mentioned. As for the Versa, my daughter test drove it today and she mentioned that the transmission did have problems going from 2nd to 3rd gear. The dealer said it might be an easy fix and could be done by a Nissan dealer for free. I'm skeptical though because when I did research on this car it said that it the CVT transmission was prone to failure.

Anyway, she will know more by Friday, because the dealer still has to do paperwork and give it a thorough inspection

While were on the subject, another model we have been looking at is the Pontiac Vibe. We haven't gone out and seen any yet, only clicked a few on Car Gurus or Craigslist. I think they are really great cars but everyone I've seen has tons of miles. When I did a search on Car Gurus for my area, none were under 98K miles except rebuilds. I've seen some as high as 250K miles, which is good in a way I guess because that means they last a long time. But I still want to keep it below 80K if I can.

It's strange that some models get tons of more miles then others, model year being equal. Perhaps Vibe owners love their cars so much they drive them everywhere.

Anyone own a Vibe or it's twin the Toyota Matrix?. Perhaps you could offer some insight on why it's so difficult to find any low-mileage cars for sale

A friend of mine bought a Toyota Matrix in 2004 as a graduation present to himself. He is still driving it, approaching 200,000 miles. He hasn't had a single issue of significance, though he is religious about maintenance. The only transmission issue he had was a solenoid replacement. He has taken the step of doing some aftermarket technology upgrades mainly because it was the only thing tempting him to get a new car.

A consultant I know quite well has been driving a Pontiac Vibe as his primary commute/travel car for work for 9 years, which he purchased new when it was announced the Pontiac brand was ending (he practically stole it off the lot for some obscene amount below MSRP). He pointed out that it is basically a Toyota underneath all of the body panels, making it very reliable. He likes it because he can easily carry two coworkers, fold down half of the backseat, and fit everything they would ever need for a public meeting or display. No idea on mileage, but I know it is north of 150,000. He has had no issue getting parts or getting repairs, GM dealership or 3rd party. One thing on Pontiacs is that the little stuff will break and annoy you. I had a Pontiac Grand Am GT 2-door that loved to consume window motors (I think they were undersized for the weight/span of the glass). Interior finishes on the Vibe tend to wear more easily than its Toyota cousin, but those can be opportunities to give it some personality.

I think you see high mileage in these largely because they don't get traded and people like my consultant friend bought them purely on the basis of them being a comfortable road car with lots of utility and decent MPG without jumping up to the SUV market.

 

[Bubba]

I had a Pontiac Grand Am GT 2-door...

That was one of the two popular chick cars when I was in high school (the other being VW Rabbit convertibles). NTTAWWT.

 

[Whose Yur Planner]

I'm on my second Toyota. I'm also not a car person. I'm impressed with them. They have a well deserved reputation of being hard to kill, relatively low maintenance and very, very reliable..

 

[DVD]

My wife always drove Grand Ams (see Bubba's post above). Both 2 and 4 door models ate window motors. I remember doing a couple for her in the short time we were married and still had a Grand Am.

 

[Suburb Repairman]

That was one of the two popular chick cars when I was in high school (the other being VW Rabbit convertibles). NTTAWWT.

It was my attempt at reliable transportation after suffering with the MGA for two years in high school. Jet black with 18" rims. It was actually an easy vehicle to modify. Did just about everything you could do without crossing over into complex turbos and supers (it would've been custom--no kits were ever made for grand ams or grand prixs). It couldn't keep up with the hardcore ricers, but I was a helluva lot more comfortable. I also had the bigger back seat...

 

[Gedunker]

I hope y'all are right about hard to find low mileage small cars: I drove a 2017 Mazda 3 Sport (6-spd manual/five door) off the lot with 6 miles on it in May of 2017 and today have not yet turned over to 5,900 miles. I may trade it next year for a CX-5 since getting into/out of the 3 is getting harder on my knees.

 

[AG74683]

I hope y'all are right about hard to find low mileage small cars: I drove a 2017 Mazda 3 Sport (6-spd manual/five door) off the lot with 6 miles on it in May of 2017 and today have not yet turned over to 5,900 miles. I may trade it next year for a CX-5 since getting into/out of the 3 is getting harder on my knees.

It's true. The other hard part is finding small cars at reputable dealerships.

The CX-5 is nice, but if you've got a lot to haul, check out the CX-9. It's fantastic.The 5 feels a little small to me. Interior is nice though, the seats are a little hard.

 

[Doohickie]

I have no insight as to why it's hard to find low-mileage used cars, especially small cars, but that always seems to be an issue. Maybe it boils down to who is primarily buying them originally: young people who are prone to put a lot of miles on their cars because of their "active lifestyle", people who drive a lot for work and want something small and fuel efficient, or people who don't drive much and want something small and inexpensive but hold onto the car for a long time and drive it into the ground?

I think it comes down to for a large percentage of people who purchase fuel efficient vehicles, they do so because the know they'll be driving a lot and want to pay a minimum to fuel them up.

 

[giff57]

Did she have to get a new transmission. If so, do you know how much it cost?

No, she got a different car instead of fixing it. I would guess that $2,500 would cover it though.

 

[kjel]

Ruby the Subie got broken into last Thursday and I picked her up from the shop this morning. It was likely a drug addict looking for change-they got about $1 but left me the pennies, stole my phone charger, and asthma inhaler. The driver side window was busted, the window trim and rubber gasket was damaged, and the managed to dent the door as well.

The Hyundai Veloster rental I had was kinda fun to drive for a few days but I vastly prefer my Outback and I am happy to have her back. There's a small commercial property on my block with a small gated delivery yard and the owner has agreed to rent me a space in it for $80/month. I live in a 120+ year old rowhome that doesn't have parking so this is better than parking on the street.

 

[The Terminator]

Ruby the Subie got broken into last Thursday and I picked her up from the shop this morning. It was likely a drug addict looking for change-they got about $1 but left me the pennies, stole my phone charger, and asthma inhaler. The driver side window was busted, the window trim and rubber gasket was damaged, and the managed to dent the door as well.

The Hyundai Veloster rental I had was kinda fun to drive for a few days but I vastly prefer my Outback and I am happy to have her back. There's a small commercial property on my block with a small gated delivery yard and the owner has agreed to rent me a space in it for $80/month. I live in a 120+ year old rowhome that doesn't have parking so this is better than parking on the street.

What year outback do you have? Is it stick?

Ive never had any of my cars broken into and Ive driven, and I go to all sorts of hoods all over the Northeast for Business and Pleasure (Punk houses tend to be in areas Punks can afford). I chalk it up to mostly very good luck, never leaving anything visible in the car ever and a general benefit of only driving stick shift hoopdi's that skells generally dont seem to want to boost or break into (Older subaru's, Volvo 240s) and never having owned a car newer than 1999.

I've had cars vandalized: mirrors broken, dents, scratches, stickers placed on them, parking damage etc. but nothing that really ever bothered me or cost me an arm/leg to fix. Why drive something nice when your not driving in nice places? Also f*** a car payment.

@Gedunker: Aww, that sucks your knees are making you get rid of an ultra low mileage 6 speed 3! 3 Pedals is the way to go!

 

[Gedunker]

@Gedunker: Aww, that sucks your knees are making you get rid of an ultra low mileage 6 speed 3! 3 Pedals is the way to go!

I have only been the principal driver of 1 automatic in my life and I truly, completely, wholly hated it. I really wish I could find a manual SUV - that would be awesome!

 

[kjel]

What year outback do you have? Is it stick?

Ive never had any of my cars broken into and Ive driven, and I go to all sorts of hoods all over the Northeast for Business and Pleasure (Punk houses tend to be in areas Punks can afford). I chalk it up to mostly very good luck, never leaving anything visible in the car ever and a general benefit of only driving stick shift hoopdi's that skells generally dont seem to want to boost or break into (Older subaru's, Volvo 240s) and never having owned a car newer than 1999.

I've had cars vandalized: mirrors broken, dents, scratches, stickers placed on them, parking damage etc. but nothing that really ever bothered me or cost me an arm/leg to fix. Why drive something nice when your not driving in nice places? Also f*** a car payment.

@Gedunker: Aww, that sucks your knees are making you get rid of an ultra low mileage 6 speed 3! 3 Pedals is the way to go!

I have a 2014. It's been parked on the street in the general vicinity of my house for the past 4 years without any issues. It's not even the nicest car on the block. I don't keep anything in sight either except for the phone charger which blends in and is worth $5. I chalk it up to the increase in heroin addicts circulating in our neighborhood and proximity of the "pharmaceutical" pop up. It is what it is. I don't have a payment not that it matters. It's an automatic because my daughter drives it sometimes and she cannot drive a stick, I'd probably find the clutch on the GSP if she were driving one.

I have only been the principal driver of 1 automatic in my life and I truly, completely, wholly hated it. I really wish I could find a manual SUV - that would be awesome!

Subaru Crosstreks and Foresters have a true manual option.

 

[AG74683]

Subaru Crosstreks and Foresters have a true manual option.

The 2018 Crosstrek just went through a significant body change, mostly adding interior space to the rear of the vehicle. Exterior still remains mostly the same. The pre '18 models swoop down way too low in the back and as a result the interior hatch opening is just really small.

Most of the lower level trim packages on Jeep vehicles offer a true manual option. The Compass, Renegade, and Wrangler all have MT options. The Honda HR-V has a manual option, but it's really more of a small crossover than a full SUV. The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport also has a full MT option.

 

[RandomPlanner]

I have only been the principal driver of 1 automatic in my life and I truly, completely, wholly hated it. I really wish I could find a manual SUV - that would be awesome!

Agreed. I have only ever purchased one automatic vehicle (not including a 4-wheeler) as my daily driver and I MUCH prefer a standard. Back in the day, I bought a new SUV (the only one I've owned) and had to order it because I wanted it fully loaded with a stick. The dealer thought I was crazy.

Now, I stick with used vehicles so it takes SO much more time to find the one I want. Luckily, I like car shopping... :-$

 

[The Terminator]

Almost bought an automatic 240 Wagon. It was a clean powder blue '91. I was fully invested in the idea until I crunched the numbers and realized it would cost me at least another $1500-2500 to properly swap the drivetrain to a Manual set up - including transmission itself, adding the 3rd pedal, clutch fork and cable and ripping the 3.31 ratio rear end from my sedan to put in the wagon, because a manual conversion in a 240 that keeps the Automatic geared rear end will make it so youre revving at 4500 RPMs at 70 mph, I dont want that

Also my '92 sedan (the 244) would have to be the donor car, and it is an actual rust free, 140k original mile, one owner car and an amazing New York daily with the 5 speed. I cant justify hacking it apart.

So the hunt continues, I know i'll find a good Manual wagon by the end of the Fall. Ill even be able to to afford to bring one back East from Seattle or Cali by than should all go according to plan!

Patience is a virtue.

@Gedunker: I highly recommend you check out the Crosstrek or Honda H-RV. Stick with manual, its a dying art form. 3 pedal mafia for life!

 

[DVD]

Love my stick shift, but the one place I would go with an automatic is off road. When your engine stalls while climbing a waterfall it's really nice not having to work a clutch. At the same time I loved my 3 on the floor Jeep.

 

[Suburb Repairman]

My spouse steadfastly refused to learn to drive stick, so unless I have a 3rd vehicle, all primary vehicles must be automatic.

I keep considering trading my motorcycle for something fun on four wheels. If/when I do, it will be a stick and she won't get to drive it.

 

[kjel]

The 2018 Crosstrek just went through a significant body change, mostly adding interior space to the rear of the vehicle. Exterior still remains mostly the same. The pre '18 models swoop down way too low in the back and as a result the interior hatch opening is just really small.

Most of the lower level trim packages on Jeep vehicles offer a true manual option. The Compass, Renegade, and Wrangler all have MT options. The Honda HR-V has a manual option, but it's really more of a small crossover than a full SUV. The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport also has a full MT option.

Yeah that was the one thing I didn't like about the Crosstrek when I was shopping for a car. Ended up with the '14 Outback. It's been one of the best cars I've ever owned.

 

[Whose Yur Planner]

I've had sticks before, but prefer automatics. It's one less thing to fool with when driving.

 

[Super Amputee Cat]

I've had sticks before, but prefer automatics. It's one less thing to fool with when driving.

Yeah, now that I'm older (53), it's just one more thing to engage me. (As if there aren't enough distractions). But I do miss my old Ford Escort and being able to downshift on icy roads. Plus manual transmissions are so much less susceptible to failure than their automatic counterparts

 

[WSU MUP Student]

I was outside early this morning getting ready to go on a run. I pulled out my cell phone to turn my music on and I accidentally opened up the settings and WiFi connections and one of the available networks was "Dori's Acadia" I know the Dori in my neighborhood who drives an Acadia (I cannot imagine there are many Doris who also own an Acadia nearby so I am assuming it's the one I know) but she lives at least a quarter mile away and it was barely 5:00 a.m. so I don't imagine she was driving past at the moment. I wonder how strong the range is on a car's WiFi network? That seems like it was coming from really far away. Now I'll probably check the networks every morning to see if it always shows up or if it was just a fluke.

 

[Doohickie]

One of the specific reasons I bought my Fiat 500 is that it has a stick shift. I figure the days of the stick shift are numbered as internal combustion for propulsion is phased out in favor of electrics. And even the cars that will have ICEs in the future will probably be heavily controlled by electronics including the transmission. In another 5 or 10 years, I expect stick shifts will only be available on high end performance cars.

 

[gtpeach]

I picked up the new Nissan Rogue today. It took this long for the insurance to officially deem it totaled. We had a pretty major storm event two weeks ago, right after I had the accident, and a ton of cars were flooded. But, I'm riding in style now. I'm excited for the Bluetooth and the back-up camera and the 4WD. Not so excited to start making car payments again, though.

 

[AG74683]

One of the specific reasons I bought my Fiat 500 is that it has a stick shift. I figure the days of the stick shift are numbered as internal combustion for propulsion is phased out in favor of electrics. And even the cars that will have ICEs in the future will probably be heavily controlled by electronics including the transmission. In another 5 or 10 years, I expect stick shifts will only be available on high end performance cars.

How do you like the 500? I've toyed with the idea of getting an Abarth one for a while. They are DIRT cheap and apparently a freaking blast to drive.

 

[Whose Yur Planner]

I picked up the new Nissan Rogue today. It took this long for the insurance to officially deem it totaled. We had a pretty major storm event two weeks ago, right after I had the accident, and a ton of cars were flooded. But, I'm riding in style now. I'm excited for the Bluetooth and the back-up camera and the 4WD. Not so excited to start making car payments again, though.

I've enjoyed both bluetooth and back up camera, though the backup camera took some getting used to.. I also like the synching with your phone. I've only listened to my cds couple of times since getting it. It also makes talking a whole lot easier.

 

[Doohickie]

How do you like the 500? I've toyed with the idea of getting an Abarth one for a while. They are DIRT cheap and apparently a freaking blast to drive.

Mine is not turboed, but it's still a lot of fun to drive. I don't know that I wanted full-on Abarth, but I wish I would have gotten the Sport Turbo (which has a muffler, not headers, and a few less HP than the Abarth). I was leery of the brand - Fiat - because they had only recently returned to the US. Dealer support has been okay; some dealers are better than others. Most Dodge/Ram/Chrysler dealers don't want to touch Fiats. My purchasing dealer was fantastic, but after the dealership has been sold 2 or 3 times, not so much. They now try to up-sell me useless stuff when I come in for basic maintenance. The car itself has been pretty bullet-proof. It runs as advertised pretty much all the time, no major repairs in 50,000 miles. Oh, and I'm 6'-2" and fit in the front seat fine. The back seat was pretty much useless; I just took mine out and covered it over with a carpet mat.


If you're thinking about an Abarth, I'd say go for it, just make sure you check the Carfax first.

 

[The Terminator]

Mine is not turboed, but it's still a lot of fun to drive. I don't know that I wanted full-on Abarth, but I wish I would have gotten the Sport Turbo (which has a muffler, not headers, and a few less HP than the Abarth). I was leery of the brand - Fiat - because they had only recently returned to the US. Dealer support has been okay; some dealers are better than others. Most Dodge/Ram/Chrysler dealers don't want to touch Fiats. My purchasing dealer was fantastic, but after the dealership has been sold 2 or 3 times, not so much. They now try to up-sell me useless stuff when I come in for basic maintenance. The car itself has been pretty bullet-proof. It runs as advertised pretty much all the time, no major repairs in 50,000 miles. Oh, and I'm 6'-2" and fit in the front seat fine. The back seat was pretty much useless; I just took mine out and covered it over with a carpet mat.


If you're thinking about an Abarth, I'd say go for it, just make sure you check the Carfax first.

People keep telling me the new Fiat's are better than the Fix It Again Tony cars of the 80s. But I just cant allow myself to believe it.

I just dont like the 500 aesthetically, although I respect that its still offered with a Manual - which is very important.

 

[AG74683]

If you're thinking about an Abarth, I'd say go for it, just make sure you check the Carfax first.

Can you fit golf clubs in it? Seats down maybe?

I just dont like the 500 aesthetically, although I respect that its still offered with a Manual - which is very important.

This is my major hang up with buying one. It's....not the best looking car. I don't think it's the worst either though.

 

[SlaveToTheGrind]

New Subaru owner

Just bought (75 payments and this baby is mine!) 2018 Subaru Outback. Wife wanted AWD for winter use with her now commuting to nursing school twice a week. I've been threatening to put a Browning sticker on the back window since that is not something you normally see on a Subaru. She has shot me down.

 

[The Terminator]

Just bought (75 payments and this baby is mine!) 2018 Subaru Outback. Wife wanted AWD for winter use with her now commuting to nursing school twice a week. I've been threatening to put a Browning sticker on the back window since that is not something you normally see on a Subaru. She has shot me down.

HAHAHA Do it.

Subaru has cornered the Liberal market through appeals to practicality, good design and appropriate marketing, the same customer base pre-1998 Volvo appealed to. Ford owned Volvo tried to catch up with the XC models, but lack of stick shifts available in North America, upmarket pricing and an inferior AWD drivetrain compared to Subaru (as well as abandoning RWD models altogether) tanked them. Its also not a Swedish brand anymore, a bastard American/Chinese hybrid hedge fund for cars with ceremonial Scandinavian involvement.

Ive always felt the 240's spiritual successor if anything is the Forester. Nothing Volvo as made after the sale to Ford even resembles what the brand used to be all about.

Subaru on the other hand has stayed true to the Boxer Engine/AWD concept, even in its modern models.

I actually just placed my mom in an Ascent.

 

[AG74683]

I actually just placed my mom in an Ascent.

The Ascent just had a major recall. I doubt your moms will be one (it only affected 243 Ascents worldwide, and only 9 were sold), but I'd still check. Apparently there was a software issue with the B-pillar welding machines for a brief run and it missed some spot welds. If it's an affected car, Subaru is straight up replacing it.

 

[WSU MUP Student]

This weekend was the annual "Dream Cruise" here in our fair city with thousands of classic cars and tens of thousands of spectators. Saturday morning we walked the couple of blocks from the playground to an ice cream place we like along the main drag and saw some cool cars. My two-year-old doesn't care about the specific cars but she really likes hearing the engines rev and always points out when she sees Jeeps or motorcycles. The parking spots along the road in front of the ice cream place had all been occupied by an AMC club so there were some really cool old Matadors and Javelins out there, including an old AMX.

There were a couple of stories in the newspaper about a woman from Chicago who was here for the Cruise and had brought her 1964 Mustang, which had recently undergone an extensive restoration and was reportedly the very first Mustang ever sold. She was the original owner and bought it a day or two before they officially went on sale. I was tempted to go see it but we didn't have time. Last year (or maybe it was 2016?) the very first Camaro manufactured was on display in our downtown and I did go see that but only because I happened to be walking past when they were setting up the display on the morning of the Cruise. But I like old Mustangs better than Camaros and if the Mustang had been in our downtown this year I would have definitely gone to see it (it was a couple miles further south).

 

[Planit]

My brother bought a GMC Envoy and he was showing it to me. I made a comment that he should be glad he bought it now instead of getting hit by tRump's tariffs.

He was confused. I told his vehicle was made in Canada. He said he didn't realize I knew so much about cars and asked how I knew that. I told him there was a sticker on the door jam that said "Made In Canada"