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blugu64 posted:Mind numbingly dull and yet I can't turn it off. This was exactly me last night. Also Alan Partridge.
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Jun 22, 2016 02:34
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Bastard Tetris posted:I think I'm pretty solid on most of the details, but is a Plug-in Prius worth it for an 8 mile commute? I heard a few things about higher failure rates and more expensive parts, but it didn't look like the plug-in option was too much more expensive, and running in EV only mode would probably save a lot of wear on the engine. Are you planning on driving this Prius to at least 250k miles? I doubt you'd see any significant difference in engine wear before then. The problem the plug in Prius has is that you only gain a very short amount of EV travel in a car that otherwise gets extremely high fuel mileage anyway. Unless you need a benefit like hov lane access, I'd base that decision entirely on the math about how long it will take you to pay off the increased purchase price by increasing your electric bill (a small amount) to save 1/5 of a gallon of gas each way.
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Jun 22, 2016 05:32
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I was hoping to get a full EV like a Leaf, but my charging options are pretty dumb and my current vehicle is quickly becoming a money pit. I'll do some more research but the smart choice looks like going for a Four or Five from 2013-2014 for the same price. Thanks!
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Jun 22, 2016 06:24
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Also, the prius doesn't use its gas engine that much compared to a regular car anyhow (another reason it is fairly reliable). I'd imagine the 8 mi isn't that big a difference unless you have serveal 8 mile drives a day with a way to charge between every drive. The prius will do 250k easy anyhow.
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Jun 22, 2016 06:34
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My wife won't let me get a minivan, so we are stuck getting a family SUV. We are looking at the Explorer, Pilot, and Highlander. She doesn't like Mazdas or the Hyundai (which her sister has so it's right out), and thinks the Outback is too small. I'm trying to stay as close to $30k or less as possible. $35k is the hard limit. Is the Highlander worth the extra upfront cost in the long run? We are going to keep this for 10 years. Is there anything else in that range I should look at?
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Jun 22, 2016 13:48
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Those are all things I've drove recently (for the same reason...wife ruled out minivan). Also take a look at the Durango...its my favorite out of the four with the highlander being my least favorite. I like the Durango the most because of seating position, interior quality, aesthetics and a great electronics interface. I'm sure a Highlander will last longer with lower maintenance purely by virtue of being a Toyota but it was my least favorite to drive and the most boring interior and exterior. The Honda was inoffensive and uninspiring. The Explorer is good, but it feels like you're driving something bigger than any of these with lower visibility.
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Jun 22, 2016 15:09
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If you don't use the 3rd row a lot, the Kia Sorento I thought was pretty nice for what it costs, it's smaller than most of the others by a good amount. Same with the 2017 Acadia, which looks nice but is the first year of a brand new GM vehicle so
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Jun 22, 2016 15:37
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Thermopyle posted:Those are all things I've drove recently (for the same reason...wife ruled out minivan). Also take a look at the Durango...its my favorite out of the four with the highlander being my least favorite. I haven't really considered Dodge. Has their reputation improved at all? Or is the Durango more like the Rams and less like the Chryslers? GM was kinda off my list because of Old GM - weird electronics issues, interiors falling apart, etc.
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Jun 22, 2016 15:43
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Heh, you sound just like me. I hadn't even really considered a Dodge because of feelings about it having a not so great reputation... I just looked at a used one on the lot I was already at on a whim. I mean I'm no car expert anymore (I used to be really, really in to cars), but the reading I've done indicate that it's fine nowadays and the Durango in particular gets good reviews.
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Jun 22, 2016 16:07
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Reviews don't really say a lot about reliability. A Durango is definitely not as reliable as a Toyota but the difference is basically something like 25 problems per 100 cars vs 10 problems, you're still much more likely to have no problems at all than not, especially if you avoid stuff like sunroofs and AWD that are more points to fail. Chrysler, like all carmakers, are better than they use to be, but they are still definitely behind Toyota and Honda generally. It varies between models, but if I had to guess, the new, untested Pilot with the same 9 speed auto that Chrysler uses would kind of make me wary even though its a Honda. I would have no concerns at all about the Highlander. Everything on it is pretty well-proven Toyota stuff. The Durango's trick is that it can tow a lot more than all the other competitors, especially if you opt for the V8 and RWD, and you can get it with a 2 speed transfer case. If you need to back your boat into the water then its the only choice other than a Tahoe or an actual truck truck and it's a lot nicer to drive than those. If you don't need that capability I don't really see what it does that a Toyota doesn't.
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Jun 22, 2016 16:22
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Oh man, that's a knock against the Honda then, as I'm driving a rental Renegade right now. The Chrysler 9 speed is annoying as hell. It lurches between first and second, and again between second and first. Actually I hate the Renegade. It's all the bad parts of a Jeep without the utility of being a real Jeep. 22 mpg in mixed driving on something this small is abysmal. I'm definitely not against used. I'm into checking out brands that depreciate quickly with something like 30k miles on it. So that's worth a look to save some cash. I figured the Toyota and Honda, might as well go new.
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Jun 22, 2016 16:28
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The base model Pilot still has the Honda 6 speed, the 9 speed is an option, but you know with Hondas they're all packages and you probably need to have the 9 speed if you want leather seats or a backup camera or some such nonsense.
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Jun 22, 2016 16:32
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I'm not sure if there are enough new Pilots on the road for an accurate sample yet but the TLX was the first Honda implementation of the ZF 9 speed and it's not looking great. http://www.truedelta.com/Acura-TLX-vs-Honda-Accord-reliability-comparison,1286-108 http://www.truedelta.com/Acura-TLX/problems-1286/2015
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Jun 22, 2016 16:41
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Throatwarbler posted:Reviews don't really say a lot about reliability. This isn't exclusive to automobiles, it's basically a problem with all "professional" reviews for all products. I just made the exact same observation last week in a gadget thread in IYG. However, here I was specifically talking about perusing owner reviews and comparing relative number/severity of complaints. That's a noisy operation with all sorts of biasing effects, of course. Also, you can glean some useful information from stuff like long term tests these various car mags do and professional reviewers will often make comments like "unlike the Manufacturer X of the past, Manufacturer X of the past few years have had a much better reliability record"...or something to that effect. Of course the whole reliability thing is difficult in general. As you mention, quality and reliability can vary from model to model under one make...and then there's the fact that for many models manufacturers put out newly developed versions every few years, so who knows for sure what the reliability of that model is going to be going forward. Or, of course, we could all drive a Prius.
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Jun 22, 2016 16:56
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FogHelmut posted:My wife won't let me get a minivan, so we are stuck getting a family SUV. We are looking at the Explorer, Pilot, and Highlander. She doesn't like Mazdas or the Hyundai (which her sister has so it's right out), and thinks the Outback is too small. I had the same requirements as you and got a Sorrento and we love it. 35k will get you a nice trim level. Not expert advice but there you go. Edit Also Sorrento has a third row. euphronius fucked around with this message at 17:48 on Jun 22, 2016 |
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Jun 22, 2016 17:07
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FogHelmut posted:Oh man, that's a knock against the Honda then, as I'm driving a rental Renegade right now. The Chrysler 9 speed is annoying as hell. It lurches between first and second, and again between second and first. Actually I hate the Renegade. It's all the bad parts of a Jeep without the utility of being a real Jeep. 22 mpg in mixed driving on something this small is abysmal. Through EX-L includes the 6 speed automatic, Touring and up include the 9 speed automatic.
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Jun 22, 2016 17:50
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Throatwarbler posted:I'm not sure if there are enough new Pilots on the road for an accurate sample yet but the TLX was the first Honda implementation of the ZF 9 speed and it's not looking great. I had a TLX loaner a few months ago. All it does is shift. And it does so poorly. It was really, really annoying to drive. I have to assume it was not broken as it had only about 4000 miles on it. Slight elevation change? SHIFT Large elevation change? SHIFT SHIFT SHIFT Right foot has an itch? SHIFT Think about how much it's shifting? SHIFT Motronic fucked around with this message at 18:48 on Jun 22, 2016 |
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Jun 22, 2016 18:46
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Motronic posted:I had a TLX loaner a few months ago. All it does is shift. And it does so poorly. These posts have prompted me to check out the Chrysler 200 forums and apparently theres a big TSB that came out last month with a software update that significantly improves the shift quality in lower gears and everyone in that thread who has had it done says the car shifts better now than it did new. So I booked an appointment at the dealer tomorrow to get it done.  A car company that isn't Chrysler would probably have just flipped the "shift like garbage" switch to off before the car leaves the factory but this is the car company we have.
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Jun 22, 2016 19:10
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Motronic posted:I had a TLX loaner a few months ago. All it does is shift. And it does so poorly. The new 1000 speed automatics are all like this in my experience with rentals. Turning off "eco" mode makes it way less aggressive on shifting, you just won't get the EPA mpg which is obviously the only reason they have so many gears and stall the engine at a full stop.
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Jun 23, 2016 17:07
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So is TrueCar a bunch of poo poo run by dealers?
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Jun 23, 2016 17:10
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FogHelmut posted:So is TrueCar a bunch of poo poo run by dealers? No, it's a legit service. It typically gets you a "pretty good" price, but not necessarily the very best price if you want to spend some hours dealing with it yourself. But do be warned, use a throw away email address and a Google Voice phone number because you will get spammed by every dealer that you get a quote from. Made that mistake once and only once.
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Jun 23, 2016 17:31
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Also, at least in my area, the inventory is pretty limited.
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Jun 23, 2016 18:15
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FogHelmut posted:So is TrueCar a bunch of poo poo run by dealers? It *is* run by dealers, or funded by them anyway. I think the average paid by others info is pretty neat.
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Jun 23, 2016 18:21
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My understanding is within the last year Truecar has made a bunch of dealer friendly changes which make it far more bullshit than it used to be.
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Jun 23, 2016 19:23
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It's vaguely useful for discovering ballpark pricing on a vehicle you're looking at. That's about it. I would definitely not walk in the door and buy thinking that whatever TrueCar quote you get is the best price. I paid $2k less than the Truecar lowest last time I bought a car.
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Jun 24, 2016 00:23
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H110Hawk posted:The new 1000 speed automatics are all like this in my experience with rentals. Turning off "eco" mode makes it way less aggressive on shifting, you just won't get the EPA mpg which is obviously the only reason they have so many gears and stall the engine at a full stop. Yeah, all the new fleet vehicles I service are like that. Between the little cars coming with limp-dick CVT's and the larger cars having ridiculous numbers of superfluous gears, my latest bitches are generally transmission-related. I mean....it's fun to have a low first for snappy acceleration, and a nice tall cruise gear makes for quiet highway driving, but six gears seems to be about optimum, any number above that just hurts drivability around town without tangible benefits.
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Jun 24, 2016 00:38
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I went car browsing with my wife tonight. I wasn't planning on buying anything and didn't even have my wallet. I forgot that and talked the dealer down from 28k to 25.5k (tax included, in KS) on a new 2016 Prius Two Eco before coming to my senses. Is that a good price or should I be aiming a lot lower? Looking for feedback because I feel like I'm not very good at negotiating. I'm not sure how much you need to negotiate car prices now.
LLSix fucked around with this message at 04:07 on Jun 24, 2016 |
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Jun 24, 2016 03:21
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LLSix posted:I went car browsing with my wife tonight. I wasn't planning on buying anything and didn't even have my wallet. I forgot that and talked the dealer down from 28k to 25.5k (tax included, in KS) on a new 2016 Prius Two Eco before coming to my senses. Is that a good price or should I be aiming a lot lower? Looking for feedback because I feel like I'm not very good at negotiating. I'm not sure how much you need to negotiate car prices now. What is your tax rate?
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Jun 24, 2016 04:39
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H110Hawk posted:What is your tax rate? 7.725% (State & County combined)
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Jun 24, 2016 13:08
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LLSix posted:7.725% (State & County combined) Does that include all of your documentation as well, and does it include the OEM $1500 cash on hood/zero percent offer? It seems like a decent but not fantastic price, all things considered. $24,5 including your documentation should be doable. The starting point of $28k is hilarious considering that including D&D the MSRP on the 2 Eco is like $25,5.
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Jun 24, 2016 16:01
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So here's a stupid question. We need another car, so obviously, buy a used Prius. How in the gently caress do I go about finding a good deal on a used Prius and avoid getting screwed? I've read the guide in the OP, but I haven't been involved in shopping for a used car for over a decade, so I'm hoping for a little more info on buying used. I can afford to buy a new car (willing to spend up to, say, $25k), but I would rather save if possible. The main reason to go new for me is to avoid the hassle and potential pitfalls of selecting a used car. That, and I can get all the modern safety gizmos in a Mazda3 or a Accord within my maximum budget. That said, I'd be happy with something reliable, and with a low cost of ownership that simply gets good crash test results. Any advice? (Should I consider a used Volvo or is it going to cost me thousands in repairs over the next several years?)
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Jun 25, 2016 06:34
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Edmunds.com true market value is a decent starting point. Just plug in all the specifications condition etc and away you go.
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Jun 25, 2016 12:24
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Looking to replace my slowly dying car with something newer. I know very little about cars. Budget: Around the 10k mark. 8-12k I guess for a range. Type of car: Sedan, doesn't really matter though. Location: Florida, so no snow concerns. I'd say I drive an average amount. Not very much. So fuel efficiency isn't a big deal. Any recommendations on what to look for? I've seen good deals online for certain cars but I have no idea which ones to avoid.
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Jun 25, 2016 23:01
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The sounds of "toyota Prius" echo through the Land
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Jun 25, 2016 23:08
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The Darlok posted:Looking to replace my slowly dying car with something newer. I know very little about cars. Take the cars you've been looking at, and look them up on Truedelta.com to get some idea of reliability, IIHS to get some idea of safety, and probably Consumer Reports for what it's worth because you sound like their target audience. Narrow your list down, and come back to this thread to ask what you should look for on those specific cars when test driving, and to find out about any model-specific problems that might not be noticed on a test drive. The 2nd generation Prius has lovely seats (which are not easily replaced), which is one of the two reasons I'm unlikely to ever buy one. If you're okay with the seats, you probably should forget everything else and buy one.
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Jun 26, 2016 00:15
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Day one of test driving: 1. Mazda CX-9 is everything. Only concern is that I feel like I'm in a tub, not a lot of width for me to manspread. Also first model year concerns. 2. Dodge Durango is way better than expected. Cheap interior, yet well put together and drives great. 3. Toyota Highlander is poo poo. Felt like a boat. Dealership couldn't give a gently caress. So busy and fancy, felt like I was in a mall. Also felt like "gently caress you it's a Toyota why wouldn't you buy it." Still got Honda, Ford, Chevy, and Subaru to go. FogHelmut fucked around with this message at 01:20 on Jun 26, 2016 |
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Jun 26, 2016 01:14
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Does anyone have personal experience with high mileage mid 2000's Chrysler minivans? They're pretty cheap and I'm looking to get one to use as parts hauler. Mostly curious as to how well drivetrain components hold up. Thanks This is a pretty standart price in my area http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/5652047934.html
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Jun 26, 2016 02:05
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Nitrox posted:Does anyone have personal experience with high mileage mid 2000's Chrysler minivans? They're pretty cheap and I'm looking to get one to use as parts hauler. Mostly curious as to how well drivetrain components hold up. Thanks The best thing you can say about them is that they are better than Ford or GM vans from the same era. Try to get one that has had the transmission properly maintained I guess, and avoid examples with tow hitches because that's a sure sign that the PO has been using it to tow some massive boat up and down the rockies. The brakes are terrible for the most part. I mean they're not "good" vehicles in any objective sense but really nothing from the Detroit 3 from that era was and for $2k what were you really expecting.
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Jun 26, 2016 02:32
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Great advise, thank you. I'm dismissing AWD and tow hitches, because gently caress Chrysler transmissions. Is 2008 a new chassis or just a face lift?
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Jun 26, 2016 02:44
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Nitrox posted:Great advise, thank you. I'm dismissing AWD and tow hitches, because gently caress Chrysler transmissions. 08-present day is new. The vans never got any of the really bad Chrysler engines, the pushrod 3.3/3.8 and the SOHC 4.0l are all pretty solid. The SOHC does need a timing belt/water pump though.
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Jun 26, 2016 03:04
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