Organic malfunction, not electronic or mechanical.
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/18/toyota-responds-to-video-of-highlander-ramming-house-w-video/
Here's a better looking car than the Evoque:
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The Automotive Discussion Thread
- Thread starter Zyzyxxz
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Organic malfunction, not electronic or mechanical.
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/18/toyota-responds-to-video-of-highlander-ramming-house-w-video/
Here's a better looking car than the Evoque:
chickdigger802
Banned
yeah... there a ton of different types of coupes you can get, and at 10k, I'm sure all of them have MT options.
chickdigger802
Banned
Organic malfunction, not electronic or mechanical.
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/18/toyota-responds-to-video-of-highlander-ramming-house-w-video/
Here's a better looking car than the Evoque:
lol now I get why the comments were disabled in the video. The lack of any brake lights was weird.
Driving 101, anything wrong, brakes first.
Organic malfunction, not electronic or mechanical.
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/18/toyota-responds-to-video-of-highlander-ramming-house-w-video/
Here's a better looking car than the Evoque:
What's with size of the mercedes badge in the front grill? Are the front of cars just going to be huge logos melded into the shape of a bumper pretty soon?
whatsinaname
Member
Something that handles well mainly. Good suspension would help with the bad roads here. The 350Z looked like something that would work but I saw a few posts in the last few pages that said it's a pain on bad roads.
chickdigger802
Banned
good as in stiff? stiff suspensions not so hot for shit roads, and I would be wary of a 10k 350z. If your current car is still decent, I'd recommend saving a bit more. Think ~15k is a good price spot for used cars.
Could grab a late model 240SX and freshen up the suspension for under $10k.
OR grab a Ford Focus SVT.
If you like working on cars and making them fast, get a turboed DSM with AWD.
opticalmace
Member
Perhaps a stupid question, but 4-5k per year or total? If the latter I would just keep what you have, 5k is nothing.
I'd recommend a E46 coupe for that price range. Best combination of ride and handling.
PseudoKirby
Banned
while were on the subject, can someone tell me the reasoning behind turning off Overdrive?
I hear you aren't supposed to do it when towing in a truck, but why do it in a car?
whatsinaname
Member
If I don't find any coupe that meets my price range, I might have to start looking at hatchbacks. (Unless I am mistaken and hatchbacks are generally more expensive?)
Smallish town and I bike to work in the summers. I would have loved to keep my present car, but I don't feel very safe taking it on the interstate anymore.
That is my dilemma. I don't put enough miles to really justify spending 10k or more but I can't do without a car either.
It looks like I have to get MY05 or older for my price range. Do I need to worry about maintenance costs for older BMWs?
chickdigger802
Banned
If you don't mind roadsters, miata are fun affordable and reliable.
Same as before, slopes. It just means limiting the transmission to 3rd of 4 gears instead of 2nd of 3 gears (in the case of O D 2 1 and D 2 1). So I guess they'd be slopes that are steep enough that you want some engine braking, but not steep enough to require 2nd.
Is water wet?
Of course you do, but any 10k coupe with MT would have maintenance costs...BMW's are actually reliable if you do all the maintenance properly. I'd go for at least a 2004 model E46 as that's when they had the face lift and the later models in a generation usually have all the kinks worked out.
I volunteered the BMW as it'd be a car you'd actually enjoy driving, and parts aren't so expensive if you can actually do the labor yourself.
YuriLowell
Member
Get an 03.5+. They all still have massive problems with the rear subframe, but some of the other issues were ironed out.
Is water wet?
Of course you do, but any 10k coupe with MT would have maintenance costs...BMW's are actually reliable if you do all the maintenance properly. I'd go for at least a 2004 model E46 as that's when they had the face lift and the later models in a generation usually have all the kinks worked out.
I volunteered the BMW as it'd be a car you'd actually enjoy driving, and parts aren't so expensive if you can actually do the labor yourself.
There's "normal" 10k car maintenance costs, and then there's "normal" 10k german-car maintenance costs.
Yeah but it gives forum people something to argue about when comparing cars.
whatsinaname
Member
Is water wet?
Of course you do, but any 10k coupe with MT would have maintenance costs...BMW's are actually reliable if you do all the maintenance properly. I'd go for at least a 2004 model E46 as that's when they had the face lift and the later models in a generation usually have all the kinks worked out.
I volunteered the BMW as it'd be a car you'd actually enjoy driving, and parts aren't so expensive if you can actually do the labor yourself.
I did mean to ask if it was more maintenance than I would expect from other cars. As an aside, what about the Minis? There seem to be 05-06 manuals available in the 10k range.
YuriLowell
Member
As an aside, what about the Minis? There seem to be 05-06 manuals available in the 10k range.
Stay far far far away from any mini.
Horrible cars.
Premature clutch death, failing transmissions, replacing superchargers at 70k miles, replacing all suspension bits at 100k miles. The list goes on.
David Incorporated Esq.
Member
May is so absolutely correct about it, though, any sort of lap time focused pissing match between makes is going to hurt every-day refinement.
If you watch a lot of Chris Harris' reviews, you'll notice he almost always says he prefers to keep the car in the comfort setting if available.
Edit: I'm finally getting fed up with a) my Volvo and b) not having a 911. I'm leaning towards the mid 80s 3.2 but I'm going to take a look at an SC sometime this weekend. If you're paying attention, you'll notice I've brought up a few times that I'm considering this car or that car to replace the S40, but every time I really start looking at them I inevitably compare them to a 911. So fuck it, I've wanted an old 911 for a while, I'ma go buy one. Anyone have personal experience with the SC or 3.2? I've read plenty of stuff on both, but who doesn't like talking about old 911s?
I just hope the SC has enough creature comforts to make it okay for a primary, daily driver (I'm pretty sure it will).
whatsinaname
Member
What about the Mitsubishi Eclipse?
Oh, good thing I asked. Was really tempted, they look quite convenient. Thanks.
Oh, good thing I asked. Was really tempted, they look quite convenient. Thanks.
He's right!
Just toss in a couple cushions and maybe a doily for the dash? :\
buy one with as low mileage as possible, and if the owner is a member of the PCA, generally those guys are excellent owners and keep their receipts for work history.
33-Hit-Combo
Member
I had the opportunity to drive an F-Type V6 S (380 PS variant) today, AND BY GOD.
It was only for an hour, and I devoted all of that to driving and playing with the powertrain. This car sounds absolutely insane, it's essentially what you would get if you asked a 5 year old to perform a car impression. The downshifts at 4,000 RPM plus sounds like a wolf wailing in pain, and on the upshifts it's as though there is a dragon spitting out the tips. And then you put the roof down. I'm going to need some surgery to get this grin off my face.
The car does not actually feel that fast, but the numbers prove it is. It's very refined, giving you a very false sense of speed, even with the top down. Constantly had to check the speedo to stay under the speed limits. 380 PS is certainly enough for UK roads.
I can't make much of a comment on the bends as I didn't want to stack it, but in the few corners that had plenty of run off and visibility, it does a seemingly great job of keeping the wheels (18" standard) on the full contact with the tarmac, with very little body roll. It's just so wide that it absorbs it, this means the springs don't need to be tough as hell, giving a comfortable ride over bumps.
The steering was also great, good feedback and not quite as light as the system seen in the XJ and XF. It could be heavier, but my perception is probably skewed because my car's steering is fairly heavy. Again, as I did not approach the car's limits, it's hard to say how good it is when making progress on the road.
The ZF 8 speed auto was OK, but then I've not had much experience with 8 speed autos. In sport/manual mode it was a bit slow at downshifting in blocks, but single gear downshifts are pretty quick. The problem is that because there are so many gears, I found myself block shifting a little to avoid sitting at a screaming 7000 RPM all the time (why am I classing this as a negative?). The engine's strong enough such that you don't have to downshift for FULL FORCE, so in real life it's unlikely this would be a problem. In Drive mode the box is perfect, perhaps my senses were distracted by the audio glory and steering wheel feedback, but it seemed to shift seamlessly and reacted well under my limited usage (was in Sport most the time due to country roads).
Final comments, the fluffy bits. Build quality appeared to be spot on, everything was just so neat and modern. Of the surfaces I touched, the buttons I pressed and the tabs I flicked, it was all so 'tight'. You can see why it commands that money. Seats were great for hugging you (standard seats), with a ton of ways to contort around your body giving you a great driving position. I'm pretty short and skinny, but even I could find a way to sit such that my arms could go lock to lock quickly, operate both pedals with ease, and park it tightly without having to lean or sit up. This did mean getting in/out was a little undignified and will take a bit of practice, as my foot/feet would hit the dash, steering wheel, door, and/or sills. You could see that other people have the same issue as they were all scuffed with dirt by the end of the day.
That's about it for my main comments...
It was only for an hour, and I devoted all of that to driving and playing with the powertrain. This car sounds absolutely insane, it's essentially what you would get if you asked a 5 year old to perform a car impression. The downshifts at 4,000 RPM plus sounds like a wolf wailing in pain, and on the upshifts it's as though there is a dragon spitting out the tips. And then you put the roof down. I'm going to need some surgery to get this grin off my face.
The car does not actually feel that fast, but the numbers prove it is. It's very refined, giving you a very false sense of speed, even with the top down. Constantly had to check the speedo to stay under the speed limits. 380 PS is certainly enough for UK roads.
I can't make much of a comment on the bends as I didn't want to stack it, but in the few corners that had plenty of run off and visibility, it does a seemingly great job of keeping the wheels (18" standard) on the full contact with the tarmac, with very little body roll. It's just so wide that it absorbs it, this means the springs don't need to be tough as hell, giving a comfortable ride over bumps.
The steering was also great, good feedback and not quite as light as the system seen in the XJ and XF. It could be heavier, but my perception is probably skewed because my car's steering is fairly heavy. Again, as I did not approach the car's limits, it's hard to say how good it is when making progress on the road.
The ZF 8 speed auto was OK, but then I've not had much experience with 8 speed autos. In sport/manual mode it was a bit slow at downshifting in blocks, but single gear downshifts are pretty quick. The problem is that because there are so many gears, I found myself block shifting a little to avoid sitting at a screaming 7000 RPM all the time (why am I classing this as a negative?). The engine's strong enough such that you don't have to downshift for FULL FORCE, so in real life it's unlikely this would be a problem. In Drive mode the box is perfect, perhaps my senses were distracted by the audio glory and steering wheel feedback, but it seemed to shift seamlessly and reacted well under my limited usage (was in Sport most the time due to country roads).
Final comments, the fluffy bits. Build quality appeared to be spot on, everything was just so neat and modern. Of the surfaces I touched, the buttons I pressed and the tabs I flicked, it was all so 'tight'. You can see why it commands that money. Seats were great for hugging you (standard seats), with a ton of ways to contort around your body giving you a great driving position. I'm pretty short and skinny, but even I could find a way to sit such that my arms could go lock to lock quickly, operate both pedals with ease, and park it tightly without having to lean or sit up. This did mean getting in/out was a little undignified and will take a bit of practice, as my foot/feet would hit the dash, steering wheel, door, and/or sills. You could see that other people have the same issue as they were all scuffed with dirt by the end of the day.
That's about it for my main comments...
chickdigger802
Banned
So in terms of history of cars... what is the consensus of buying brand new 1st gen cars. Had a real blast driving a friends brz... but yeah. I know you shouldn't buy a car the year of a refresh, but yeah is it a common thing of 1st year model of a new car having long term issues or does it really not matter much?
Great write-up!
David Incorporated Esq.
Member
The BRZ and FR-S had a number of minor issues at release. They're worth checking into but shouldn't dissuade you from going after one if you like it a bunch (though at this point wait a few months for the 2014).
I think the most frequent thing is that cars have little upgrades throughout the years so it's better to get a late model one. Probably has fixes for stuff you wouldn't even think about.
33-Hit-Combo
Member
Thanks! Though it's only my strictly unprofessional opinion.
It does make me wonder again what'll happen if they reduced the luxury department though, elimination of the pop up vents, downgrading the 6-way seats to poverty spec 2-way seats, drop the 2-zone climate, reduce the cabin materials to light weight plastics and skin it with a some sort of film to retain image, get rid of the parking sensors and camera (oh the reverse camera was pretty poor quality, like VGA cam style, but that might be because infotainment screen was HUGE), go to a TFT screen like the XJ, forged alloys, fixed or no rear wing. A bare bones model could be very tempting, not like it'd cost much to invest in given that it's just a load of deletes.
I've been reading about how it has 50:50 distribution, or is it 52:48? What happens when they go coupe? More front heavy bias? The manual option will help, so perhaps those who choose the auto will have to eat the disadvantage.
chickdigger802
Banned
Yeah... I should look into those... gonna see if the little things gonna be worth the price difference of a 2013 when 2014 is out.
The ring has more applicability to the real world than most test tracks, which are shorter and smooth. It's a great test of durability and performance in a variety of conditions.
What does get old is the masturbatory war of lap times from the ring.
Use it as a tool for development of a better street car rather than shooting for absolute peak times using overpriced, difficult to obtain, bespoke tires.
ShadyLurker
Member
I bought a Dodge Dart that has the same drivetrain as those things I believe. I don't really like the transmission in it. It's kind of clunkier than I hoped. It beat my friends Eagle Talon so I was glad it shut him up
CF_Fighter
Member
So I've started test driving new cars for myself over the last two days. Drove the 2013 Ford Mustang and Fusion. While the Mustang was quite fun it was too cramped for me. I just enjoyed the Fusion a bit more, not to mention all the extras the Fusions comes with at the price range I'm looking at (30K is my barrier).
Today I drove a Hyundai Sonata 2.0T Limited and the Azera. The Sonata was fun, but way too plastic inside for my tastes. The Azera on the other hand was quite enjoyable, but the price was out of my range (apparently the Azera doesn't get any dealer discounts in initial pricing).
As of now I'm leaning towards the Fusion with the EcoBoost engine, it seems to be hitting more notes for me than any of the others I have tried. But I'm not done yet I want to go see some other manufacturers. My trade in will be a 2002 Toyota Sonata 2.4 L with the premium packaging at 133K miles so KBB will probably say it is "Fair" and it gives me about $2,600 for trade-in.
Anyone have experience with any of these vehicles (especially the 2013 Fusion), what are they like after driving them for a bit?
Today I drove a Hyundai Sonata 2.0T Limited and the Azera. The Sonata was fun, but way too plastic inside for my tastes. The Azera on the other hand was quite enjoyable, but the price was out of my range (apparently the Azera doesn't get any dealer discounts in initial pricing).
As of now I'm leaning towards the Fusion with the EcoBoost engine, it seems to be hitting more notes for me than any of the others I have tried. But I'm not done yet I want to go see some other manufacturers. My trade in will be a 2002 Toyota Sonata 2.4 L with the premium packaging at 133K miles so KBB will probably say it is "Fair" and it gives me about $2,600 for trade-in.
Anyone have experience with any of these vehicles (especially the 2013 Fusion), what are they like after driving them for a bit?
Mazda6 SkyActiv > Ford Fusion Ecoboost.
185HP/185TQ for the Mazda versus 175HP/175TQ for the Fusion, and 25/37 MPG versus 22/34 MPG. Cheaper car, too.
chickdigger802
Banned
So why automatic a thing in us while manual tran is a thing like every else in the world? Cultural thing?
wat.
A lot of North Americans don't know how to drive. Throw manually shifting gears into the mix and you have a recipe for disaster. Plus with automatics they can text, tweet and update their Facebooks.
Sorry for the generalization.
Probably started because the automatic was invented in the US.
chickdigger802
Banned
oh yeah, when i was driving around in the brz... fuck is the nav/audio system thing is awful. I think its resistant screen with tiny laggy buttons + a sporty suspension means I'm gonna drive off the road someday trying to the change the radio.
Are there any car entertainment/nav systems that don't suck (first party or aftermarket) and are affordable? Or would it just be better to DIY on a nexus 7 to your car and use that for music and nav?
Are there any car entertainment/nav systems that don't suck (first party or aftermarket) and are affordable? Or would it just be better to DIY on a nexus 7 to your car and use that for music and nav?
ShadyLurker
Member
Strangely enough when I was shopping for my Dodge Dart, every one was MT. Pretty unusual for Canada.
That's why I ordered my limited without the screen (the basic stereo isn't that great either). I'm using a sony 7" with mirror link (pulls nav info from my galaxy s3). You'll need to install a filler on both sides of the unit but it looks much better in my opinion.
What is your price range?
I've always liked the double din Pioneer units.
Pioneer double din units are great value and a great feature product all in one.
You get a great car with character that is fun to drive and a hobby!
Seriously, you can get intimately familiar with your vehicle and that might bring the ownership experience to a whole new level if you WANT to work on your own car. There is a ton of DIY info for E46s and you can do a lot with a decent tool starter kit and picking up random other tools as you need them.
The self satisfaction of working on your own car and saving a ton of cash can't be denied.
I was all ready to do my oil filter housing gasket today and I think my oil leak has stopped... Couldn't find any fresh oil anywhere and my oil level hasn't dropped in a month and a half so I just cleaned the protection panel, bottom of the car/engine and the waffle grooves of the housing and going to see if it comes back.
Definitely need to replace the subframe bushings on mine. Not going to DIY that one unless I can rent the tool to remove the bushings without having to take the subframe off. Have light clunking over bumps and when engaging the clutch in higher rpm ranges. The main diff bushing was done 11k miles a go and looks great and I noticed some cracks in two of the subframe bushings but no floor cracks. The smaller diff bushings looked fine.
Going to change the diff oil tomorrow and every fluid will have been changed in the last 1.5 years (10K miles).
I have spent $1084 since I have had mine (09/2012) doing maintenance and replacing parts so far including 400 for the cooling system overhaul I did when my thermostat went bad. BMWs are notorious for cooling system issues so it should be standard maintenance IMO.
chickdigger802
Banned
interesting didn't know you can do a brz without the touchscreen system. Does the car come out cheaper?
Wonder if this functionality comes with the limited trim.
Over here (middle east) we got to order the car with whatever options we want before they come out of the factory. Mine is a limited without the nav system and no rear spoiler.
AlphaSnake
...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
Probably meant Solara.
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