|
obi_ant posted:I've been doing a little research into a new car and I'm a bit overwhelmed. I currently drive a 2 door VW GTI and since my family is getting bigger, the GTI isn't going to work for us anymore. My wife and I really like the GTI because of how the car drives, it's quick, it has some oomph and was fairly reliable (something major pops-up every 3 years or so). I have been gradually researching a possible Subaru purchase, and the single most consistent complaint about the Crosstrek is the lack of oomph. Forester to a lesser degree, too. Especially with passing at high speeds or on mountain roads. I haven't driven either, but since you listed that as a desired aspect I figured you should know. Edit: totally missed that this was just discussed above. Woops sorry.
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2019 03:45
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 19, 2024 20:17 |
|
|
I took mine on a trip from Nebraska up to northern Minnesota with a kayak on the roof and couldn't take the interstate when there was a headwind cause the car wouldn't go faster than 60. It wasn't that big of deal day to day though, and it's not like people haven't dealt with less powerful cars on the road. That said, I would not buy one again.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2019 04:16
|
|
|
If Subaru would made a turbo Crosstrek they would sell so god drat many of them. But they won’t, because they already sell every one of the slow ones faster than they can make them. Average person don’t care that it can’t get out of its own way. You should check out the Mazda CX-5. It’s on the bigger side of things compared to your list but it punches way above its price. And the new turbo version is seriously nice. Guinness fucked around with this message at 04:26 on Feb 9, 2019 |
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2019 04:23
|
|
|
Guinness posted:If Subaru would made a turbo Crosstrek they would sell so god drat many of them. I'd buy a turbo Crosstrek or an Outback with a modern engine immediately
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2019 04:34
|
|
|
shovelbum posted:I'd buy a turbo Crosstrek or an Outback with a modern engine immediately Likewise. I was really close to buying a WRX last year, but the lack of hatchback and low ground clearance ultimately killed the decision. I’d be first in line for a Crosstrek with a mild WRX treatment. Turbo and a 6MT for under 35k and my pre-order is guaranteed.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2019 04:41
|
|
|
Guinness posted:Likewise. I was really close to buying a WRX last year, but the lack of hatchback and low ground clearance ultimately killed the decision. I don't even need a manual I just wanna be able to fuckin pass or get a kayak up to 70
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2019 04:42
|
|
|
mariooncrack posted:What's your use case for getting a truck besides towing a boat? We're doing a lot of renovations, and I think that will probably continue for some time. I currently have a friend that gives me a hand with some materials or I rent a truck for a couple of hours from Home Depot or whatever. I also enjoy woodworking a bit so it could be handy for getting lumber. Honestly I'm fine with not getting a truck (or getting a beater off of craigslist). But if it can be had for a good price and around what I already wanted to spend, then I'm open to it.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2019 05:16
|
|
|
BIGFOOT EROTICA posted:We're doing a lot of renovations, and I think that will probably continue for some time. I currently have a friend that gives me a hand with some materials or I rent a truck for a couple of hours from Home Depot or whatever. Trucks are not well suited for most construction projects by the way. Unless you're transporting loads of small heavy items, like gravel or concrete or whatever comes on a pallet. Lumber, ladders and tools are going to need special attention unless you have some kind of racking system. And that could be mounted on anything, like a minivan or truck-based suv. I'm a carpenter, by the way. I've owned every flavor of work vehicle that exists before settling on designated body on frame work vans. I think you should take a long hard look at truck-based SUV, like Explorer or Tahoe. Seem like a fine middle ground to cover all your needs.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2019 13:56
|
|
|
Nitrox posted:I'm a carpenter, by the way. I've owned every flavor of work vehicle that exists before settling on designated body on frame work vans. "Just get a real van" seems to be a popular sentiment among carpenters and for good reason. With all of the general construction/remodel/moving heavy poo poo around work that I do I've settled on an SUV and a dump trailer. Yeah, sometimes it's a pain in the rear end to drag a trailer around, but it's so worth it to not be driving a pickup. Even an 8' bed is goddamn tiny in the perspective of moving things around, and if you do any kind of material hauling having a dump bed is just fantastic. Mine has ramps and can be used to move equipment as well. Clean/delicate/expensive stuff and tools in the back of the SUV, dirty stuff in the trailer.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2019 17:35
|
|
|
Vans have been the go-to for tradesmen in Yurop for, like, forever. I never understood the pickup craze myself, they’re a pita to get heavy poo poo in and out of, you can’t secure anything worth a gently caress, and adding toolboxes and racks further lowers capacity/makes loading/unloading a bitch. Like the other guy said, sand/gravel is the only thing they’re really good at, and a dump-trailer is better. Pickups are sort of a necessity for mechanics because forklifting dripping engines/trannies/diffs in and out of a van is going to gently caress up the doorframe in short order, plus coating the inside of a closed vehicle with 90w gear oil is a good way to make it permanently uninhabitable.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2019 18:21
|
|
|
Proposed Budget: $30,000, possibly more if its the right vehicle New or Used: Used Body Style: Truck, 4-doors, gas not diesel. Maaaaaaybe an SUV but wouldn't be preferred. How will you be using the car? Daily Driver, Occasional Work Vehicle Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos? I prefer something nice but I don't need all the gizmos What aspects are most important to you? Reliability. Exterior design/aesthetics, I won't drive something that looks like poo poo even if it's the best vehicle available. Don't care about all the newest safety tech but a backup camera would be good. Available in non-black/white/beige/grey. Mileage is a non-issue. USA Help me I don't know about trucks! For my whole life until last year, I've driven cars. Currently I have a VW GTI that is coming off lease in May. I also currently have a beater Jeep XJ that I bought because I occasionally have to travel to job sites that are located off-road and I need a 4wd vehicle to get in and out of them (yes, really. These places usually have track-hoes on-site to pull out stuck trucks). Thus, I have decided when it's time to get rid of the VW, I'll sell the XJ and get one vehicle that covers all my needs. The only thing I have really looked at so far is the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited ('15-'17 models) since I've really liked my XJ so far, but even the top trim level ones come with what I would still consider lovely Radio/Entertainment units. My buddy has a newer F-150 that has Carplay and I would honestly prefer something like that. Purchase will be made in the May-June timeframe. GentlemanofLeisure fucked around with this message at 00:33 on Feb 10, 2019 |
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2019 00:30
|
|
|
So what do you need a truck for?
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2019 05:20
|
|
|
Nitrox posted:So what do you need a truck for? GentlemanofLeisure posted:I occasionally have to travel to job sites that are located off-road and I need a 4wd vehicle to get in and out of them (yes, really. These places usually have track-hoes on-site to pull out stuck trucks). After reading over this thread, I thought my parenthetical would suffice to your line of questioning but I guess not. So, what vehicles that are not trucks would you recommend that have 4wd capabilities with enough ground clearance to drive through deeply rutted trails, over rocks and downed branches, and carry 4 people and 2 120-quart coolers and gear bags?
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2019 06:48
|
|
|
4Runner
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2019 06:58
|
|
|
An Explorer is an F150 that can sit more people and carry your cargo in covered comfort. Most truck makers have an SUV that's riding on the rugged truck chassis. 4runner is on top of that list. I haven't driven the newly redesigned Jeep, but the last version was nowhere near as comfortable, and new generation seen to have teething problems. Don't let your friend's fragile masculinity dictate your purchase. Most people who buy trucks, have no need for the 4-6' of empty space behind a cabin, but pay the penalty for having it. Keep in mind that you'd be shopping for a 4 door truck with actual seats in the back. The jump seats of an "extended" cab are usually less comfortable/convenient and not meant for long trips or ease of use. Having said that, a truck most likely to be a better value in the used vehicle market. They sell more F150's than Explorers and for less money. Just be aware of drawbacks. Nitrox fucked around with this message at 15:26 on Feb 10, 2019 |
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2019 15:19
|
|
|
explorer runs on a unibody platform these days, so it's not a good answer if you want something riding on a BOF platform. it really comes down to do you need a truck bed or not - it's preferable if you're carrying very dirty tools and equipment, loads that are palletized, or aggregate. otherwise SUV is almost always better, but that price point isn't effective, and GM stopped making their high ground clearance offroad versions of trucks, so if you are really getting in the mud, a Big 3 pickup with an offroad package is probably a good bet. i second the 4Runner if you decide that you don't need the bed and you can tolerate the pretty dire interior and infotainment situation pickup trucks are a much better used value than new. check up about individual engine/powertrain reliability combos - i don't know off hand most of the drivetrain problems but you can find that information fairly readily.
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2019 15:41
|
|
|
Comedy option: Lexus GX470 with mud terrains
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2019 16:48
|
|
|
Sits on Pilster posted:Comedy option: Lexus GX470 with mud terrains A newer 4-Runner might be something to look at but if I was going to go with one of those I may as well get a Wrangler.
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2019 17:42
|
|
|
Love my GX470. The rear door is dumb but it was cheaper than similar year 4runners in my area and super nice for the money.
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2019 17:42
|
|
|
A Land Cruiser or GX is going to be both more comfortable and more capable off road then a big 3 pickup for anything other than actual rock crawling. And maybe even then since you're not likely to find solid axles up front unless you go really old. So I don't think that's a comedy option at all. The real comedy option looks more like this:  (and I love it so much)
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2019 18:07
|
|
|
Proposed Budget: $10-60,000 (Could go more, but want to see what my options are in this range.) New or Used: Either works. Body Style: 2 door. How will you be using the car?: Loading it onto a trailer to take to tracks around the southeast for weekend fun. What aspects are most important to you? Mostly fun to drive. I won't be using it as a daily driver ever so all the extra stuff means basically nothing here. 3. I do live in the US. Basically I'd just be working on this with my dad (He's the real car nut, knows way more about this stuff than I feel like I ever will) on the weekends we both happen to be free, but we're both pretty busy people so something that isn't going to require lots of hours up front to even get really 'ready' just for some casual fun would be nice. I'm just looking around for recommendations (And will obviously ask him, too) and I figured "Why not ask goons!" because you know that's never not gone well or anything.
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2019 19:29
|
|
|
Miata Is Always The Answer
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2019 19:36
|
|
|
Motronic posted:A Land Cruiser or GX is going to be both more comfortable and more capable off road then a big 3 pickup for anything other than actual rock crawling. And maybe even then since you're not likely to find solid axles up front unless you go really old. So I don't think that's a comedy option at all. That is awesome. I called the GX a comedy option more because it sounded like he wanted to go bigger/newer/more pickupy. But it's what I would look at seriously if I had to spend a bunch of time in something that needed to be capable and reliable off-road. Just be prepared for 14 mpg and it needing premium gas. Edit: also be prepared to have to replace the rear air suspension.
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2019 20:57
|
|
|
Motronic posted:Miata Seconded, unless you happen to be particularly tall - and even then there are mods to be had for this. Strongly recommend buying one that's already been track prepped. Of course with a budget that wide there's no shortage of fun, trackable cars to be had - but literally all of them will cost more to keep on the track than a Miata of any generation. Assuming you want a minimum of prep before the first time: C5 Z06, C6 Z51 or Z06, Cayman, 911, M3, Lotus Elise. Possibly also the various higher end trims of a Camaro / Mustang / Challenger, though I think most of those will need some cooling mods in order to support track use without overheating.
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2019 21:32
|
|
|
Sits on Pilster posted:That is awesome. Is the suspension something that people replace with standard shocks and springs on failure like they do on old Range Rovers?
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2019 21:52
|
|
|
IOwnCalculus posted:Seconded, unless you happen to be particularly tall - and even then there are mods to be had for this. Strongly recommend buying one that's already been track prepped. Going to second this, Spec Miata is the way to go.
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2019 22:10
|
|
|
GentlemanofLeisure posted:Is the suspension something that people replace with standard shocks and springs on failure like they do on old Range Rovers? Depends if you want to retain the adjustability of the air system. It's fairly simple to replace the bags but a lot of the off-road crowd elects to swap it for traditional shocks and springs. There are several options out there for retrofitting. Also, the air suspension system is pretty reliable compared to others out there. But the bags do fail eventually, just like any suspension system, and aren't that expensive to replace. The expensive piece is if the air compressor fails, which is much less common as far as I could tell when I was researching it.
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2019 22:40
|
|
|
IOwnCalculus posted:Seconded, unless you happen to be particularly tall - and even then there are mods to be had for this. Strongly recommend buying one that's already been track prepped. Hey, thanks! We're both pretty tall, I'm 6'4" and he's 6'1" so I'll take that into consideration. And thanks to others for the suggestion, I'll definitely see if I can hit up any of the local clubs to sit in one that's been modded for tall people already. I know Miatas seem real popular. I'm not too worried about overall upkeep cost, but no particular reason to just burn money to burn it.
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2019 02:11
|
|
|
GentlemanofLeisure posted:After reading over this thread, I thought my parenthetical would suffice to your line of questioning but I guess not. I love my 18 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk. I tried out the explorer, 4 runner, Wrangler, Highlander, envoy, and drove a GC to specifically eliminate it. But I'd price it out with the extended lifetime warranty because, well, FCA.
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2019 03:27
|
|
|
Are the new land cruisers or GX's really that good? I thought there was a general trend in new vehicles generally being considerably heavier than the previous generation of 4x4s?
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2019 04:45
|
|
|
I'm sick of my 2008 Fiat Grande Punto 1.2. It's done 126k miles and is slowly falling apart after being neglected by 4 owners (including me). I'm sure soon it'll cost more to repair than the car is worth to sell. Location: Nottingham, UK. Proposed Budget: Around £10k. Maybe pushing up to £12k if something's really worth it. New or Used: Probably used. I'm just looking for value for money. Body Style: 5-door hatchback, or smaller crossover/4x4. How will you be using the car?: Commuting 45min each way daily in the city, parallel parking on-street. Motorway journeys (300-mile round trips) 5-10 times a year. Transporting a family in the next few years. What aspects are most important to you?: Cost - insurance, MPG. Luggage space, ideally with flat-folding back seats. AC and Bluetooth. Noise level - would love to hear the radio/not shout over the noise to talk when driving at 70mph. Either a screen to display Google Maps from my phone, OR a USB charging point so I can just use my phone in a cradle and not care about destroying my battery by having my phone screen on for 3-5 hours on long trips. Basic things like usable cupholders would be nice. In my punto, it starts to interfere with changing gears if I use them to store anything bigger than a 330ml can. I don't really care about speed/power beyond having 'just enough' to make the car not hate me when driving at 70mph, my Punto pegs itself at 4k revs and screams the entire time. I like the look of the Skoda Fabia 2015+ (SE trim, 90bhp 1.2 TSI), but it looks expensive for insurance, at £900+ instead of my current £490 per year. I've been looking for alternatives but there's honestly just too many models, generations, and trim levels within each of those for me to be able to feel like I'm making anything other than a totally random decision. I know nothing about cars beyond what I've read in the last few days. Help me, goons~
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2019 14:42
|
|
|
I'm hoping someone here can help me make a final decision on this: I recently got a new, decent job, and I'm sick of riding the bus every morning, so it's time for me to start driving again. I'm mostly looking at smallish, fuel efficient hatchbacks, and I've gotten down to wanting either a Honda Fit or a Nissan Versa. I'm aware enough to know that Hondas tend to be more reliable, which is my number one concern, and that means they're a bit more pricey because of that. With the Versa, I've been reading that they seemingly ALL have major transmission issues, which is something I don't want to deal with, but, and I admit this probably sounds idiotic, I'm seeing them all over the place for very cheap so I'm curious, would it be safe buying an '08 or '09 with higher mileage rather than say, a 2015 with low mileage (sub 80k)? My reasoning on that is that from reading it seems like transmission problems tend to occur around the 60-80k mile mark, so an older model with higher mileage would more likely have had the transmission replaced. Furthermore, are there any other obvious choices I'm missing from other car makers? My budget is 5000 and I'm looking for a reliable, fuel efficient car to drive to work everyday and to New Jersey/Massachusetts every few months (I live in CT). I'd prefer a smallish hatchback if possible, but if it was super reliable I'd drive a powerwheels for all I care.
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2019 14:53
|
|
|
Senor P. posted:Are the new land cruisers or GX's really that good? I thought there was a general trend in new vehicles generally being considerably heavier than the previous generation of 4x4s? The 200 series hasn't significantly changed since 2008. It's about 400 lbs heavier than the 100 series which didn't change much throughout it's model run starting in 1998. The 80 series was a significant 600-700 lbs less than this, starting in 1990. So just how old are we talking? Things you get with the 200 series for that weight as compared to the 80 series: 8" in length, +2 cylinders, +141 horsepower, + 143 torque, modern airbags (lol, actually just "airbags, as the 80 series introduced them mid-model run), modern electronic locking diffs and transfer case, off-road "crawl control", off road turning assistance (to make up for the bulk it will drag the inside rear wheel and make the thing pivot around a corner quite impressively), radar adaptive cruise control, rain sensing wipers, heated and ventilated seats and all the other things expected on a modern luxubarge SUV including a cooler box in the console. Whether those make it better or worse for your use case totally depends on the use case. But it's comfortable, capable for overlanding type duties as well as more technical stuff and tows really well with it's big rear end cast iron block V8 that bring all the torques way down low in the RPM range (it's the same thing they put in the pickups, and suited really well to that type of service). I personally don't find them comfortable (compared to other modern vehicles in their class the seats are middle of the road and the suspension is very trucky - I think the lexus version take care of this with the air suspension) or particularly exciting. But my wife absolutely loves hers and I'm impressed with with it can do, how it's built and how reliable it is. Motronic fucked around with this message at 16:12 on Feb 11, 2019 |
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2019 16:10
|
|
|
Motronic posted:The 200 series hasn't significantly changed since 2008. It's about 400 lbs heavier than the 100 series which didn't change much throughout it's model run starting in 1998. The 80 series was a significant 600-700 lbs less than this, starting in 1990. Tundra and Landcruisers all have aluminum block UR engines now. Land Cruiser/LX now also has 8 speed trans.
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2019 16:31
|
|
|
Biff Rockgroin posted:With the Versa, I've been reading that they seemingly ALL have major transmission issues, which is something I don't want to deal with, but, and I admit this probably sounds idiotic, I'm seeing them all over the place for very cheap so I'm curious, would it be safe buying an '08 or '09 with higher mileage rather than say, a 2015 with low mileage (sub 80k)? My reasoning on that is that from reading it seems like transmission problems tend to occur around the 60-80k mile mark, so an older model with higher mileage would more likely have had the transmission replaced. If you can drive and find a manual transmission Versa you'd be golden. Whatever you do don't buy one with a CVT transmission, Nissan's CVTs are the worst in the bunch. Wikipedia says they also came with a 4 speed automatic, check the fluid and test-shift as much as possible imo. If you can spring for the Fit or a Toyota you'd probably be better off in the long run. Hell checkout what hatchbacks KIA and Hyundai have in your price range.
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2019 16:32
|
|
|
Throatwarbler posted:Tundra and Landcruisers all have aluminum block UR engines now. Land Cruiser/LX now also has 8 speed trans. And to my reliability point, you see how much I've had to pay attention to this thing. Engine? Yep, still under there. I saw it the last time I filled up the washer fluid or changed the oil. And yes, the trans is worth calling out. It's actually pretty nice. I've driven 8 speeds that hunt a lot and this doesn't. That may have more to do with having adequate torque pushing it, but for whatever reason it actually works well.
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2019 16:48
|
|
|
Surprise T Rex posted:euro car words Good news, there's a bunch of stuff that ought to fit the bill. Looking first at general requirements. Basically everything produced post... 2012? has a USB port for charging your phone. Some stuff will have CarPlay/Android auto Cars with smaller engines on balance turn higher RPMs at motorway speeds. If you want a quieter and lazier ride, you need a bigger engine, which goes against your fuel economy question. You will have to balance these two to some degree. Diesel cars are still quite popular. You will pay more to purchase but less in fuel. The car will be slower. Newer cars that are worth more are more expensive to insure than your Punto - i know gently caress all about relative UK insurance rates but you should be able to compare without too much issue. Small crossovers have not been very popular in Europe until quite recently so the used market is not as favorable to the buyer. You mention wanting a bigger car, and although the Fabia is the biggest car in the B segment, it's still the same segment size as your Punto. The Clio is also fairly overgrown for the B segment and as a result makes a good choice. Good B segment cars: Ford Fiesta (common, good), VW Polo and friends (SEAT Ibiza, Skoda Fabia are all on the same underpinnings), Vauxhall Corsa (cheap!), Peugeot 208 HDi (do not buy gas engine), Renault Clio For my money in the B segment if you can find a good post 2012 Clio dCi 90 or tCe 120. These are my go to B segment rentals and they're well mannered, decently designed, good features, and good space for passengers. Luggage space sucks with the back seats up, but this is true for all B segment. Good C segment cars if you want more space: Ford Focus (common, decent), VW Golf, SEAT Leon, Citroen C4 (diesel only), Mazda3, Renault Megane No strong opinions. The Golf rules the segment for a reason but you can get a better value on other stuff.
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2019 17:30
|
|
|
Surprise T Rex posted:I'm sick of my 2008 Fiat Grande Punto 1.2. It's done 126k miles and is slowly falling apart after being neglected by 4 owners (including me). I'm sure soon it'll cost more to repair than the car is worth to sell.
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2019 17:49
|
|
|
My wife and I are trying to decide between either a used Forester or CRV. Does anyone have experience with the EyeSight stuff on the Forester or the Honda Sensing on the CRV to tell me if it is worth it or not? A lot more options are opened up for both cars if we opt out of those features, but my wife seems pretty insistent on them. e: We have a 2.5 year old and one on the way, which is why my wife thinks these features are so important. Chaitai fucked around with this message at 20:21 on Feb 11, 2019 |
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2019 20:16
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 19, 2024 20:17 |
|
|
My folks have a CR-V with most of the options listed on this page: https://automobiles.honda.com/sensing The adaptive cruise control I kinda like. Cross traffic and brake warning both work as intended. I kinda hate the lane keep assist; doesn't work well in the dark, at all with snow (unsurprising), and I've had weird shadows trip it up and it subtly try to steer me into danger two or three times. Haven't had a chance to test the automatic braking crash mitigation, thankfully.
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2019 20:25
|
|
