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Space Gopher posted:On the west coast, "chains or AWD required" is a fairly common restriction when the first few snowflakes start hitting the passes. Checking that box is especially important for skiers and snowboarders, who like to go to mountain passes when it's snowing. This is a pretty good analysis and I agree these are likely reasons for the broad appeal. Also, Americans like Lifted Car and the Crosstrek fulfills that fine. The plastic cladding ticks even more trend boxes. As has been beaten to death, the vast majority of buyers do not care about drivetrain.
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Mar 26, 2021 23:45
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It’s amazing how the aztec almost had it all (if gm hadn’t built it on a minivan platform to save bucks)
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Mar 27, 2021 01:29
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Mr Interweb posted:credit unions help you find cars? The good ones do. Mine (SF Federal) uses Patelcos buying service and I guess works with the fleet sales departments at area dealerships. I’m a bit curious about the sport crosstrek. Then again of the constraints I had when I got ours - AWD for Tahoe, higher off the ground because wife wanted it, short for street parking - we don’t need to street park anymore.
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Mar 27, 2021 06:56
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Inner Light posted:This is a pretty good analysis and I agree these are likely reasons for the broad appeal. Also, Americans like Lifted Car and the Crosstrek fulfills that fine. The plastic cladding ticks even more trend boxes. As has been beaten to death, the vast majority of buyers do not care about drivetrain. I wouldn’t own one on a bet, but my parents(75yrs/76yrs) bought an ‘18, and it’s not too obnoxious - it has enough greenhouse that your not sitting in a bunker, and it’s relatively low compared to many other CUV’s. It’s just slow as hell, but I daily an old Ranger, so I’m used to slow. They’re popular as hell with old people around here, I see other elderly people with them everywhere.
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Mar 27, 2021 14:12
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Just how anemic is the Crosstrek? The post up thread of the guy saying he couldn't maintain interstate speeds with a kayak on the roof struck me as close to impossible. I move my 16ft canoe on my Focus and if it didn't project directly in my field of view I might forget it's there, if there's not a stiff crosswind, anyway. Like.. does it strain to go up 5 percent grades? The descriptions I'm hearing remind me of my wife's old CRV (1999 model, 12 years old at the time). With 4 people in that car there were a few times I didn't think we'd get up a hill. The closest modern vehicle to it I've driven was a rental kicks, which was super loving slow but never led me to believe I'd kill it. Separate discussion but what loving rear end in a top hat decided that piece of poo poo should be in a rental fleet? The range is absolutely pathetic and didn't even make my 300 (highway) mile trip on a full tank. Are they trying to acclimatize us to EVs? 
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Mar 27, 2021 14:56
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The Crosstrek has a slower 0-60 time than the 1999 CRV if that tells you anything (obviously age may have slowed yours, but still.) Just eyeballing the Kicks specs they're probably similar. Keep in mind that I'm in the land of 20 mph sustained winds 40 mpg gusts on a 70mph interstate. Under interstate speeds the kayak wasn't an issue and interstate speeds without it were also fine. I don't live in the plains though so can't say how high altitudes and steep grades would be.
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Mar 27, 2021 15:05
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They infest the streets of Colorado and I see them in the mountains all the time. My gen 2 Prius can supposedly do alright up all the passes once the battery is tapped out, the crosstrek can probably handle it too.
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Mar 27, 2021 15:08
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Yeah I’m sure it’s fine, the point being mostly that it doesn’t have many redeeming qualities. It’s not dangerous, just boring and less appealing than other options.
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Mar 27, 2021 15:13
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Math You posted:Just how anemic is the Crosstrek? The post up thread of the guy saying he couldn't maintain interstate speeds with a kayak on the roof struck me as close to impossible. If you’re not used to high winds, they’ll do a number on newer vehicles that use a stupid-tall overdrive on the freeway to try to extract maximum gas mileage. We had a very abnormal windstorm a week ago, and I had to drop out of overdrive in my stock V-6 Ranger(which is a dog anyway) to maintain 75 on flat ground. My buddy following me could only hold 70 in his older Jeep in fifth gear, and he has the torque-monster 4.0 in it. To be fair, anything over 70 in a wind-wall older Jeep is pretty miserable anyway.
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Mar 27, 2021 15:21
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My money sink Mini finally died and I need to replace it, looking at 09-11 Honda Civics mostly around 70k miles at £4000. I've found a nice 2009 model with 58,000 miles and a relentless service history for £3900 which seems really nice to me, so I'm going after that. https://www.asmotorgroup.co.uk/used-honda-civic-worcester-worcestershire-3420825 Here in the UK we are on a Covid lockdown and showrooms are closed, test drives aren't permitted unless you are lucky and can jump through some hoops and have a solo one somehow, not sure how they work that. In different times I would test drive a car before buying because that's what you do. Personally I'm not into cars, so test drives have never really appealed - I don't really care about handling, feel, power, whatever info you're trying to get from a test drive. I cared very much about those things for motorbikes but I just want a car that will be reliable and not cost a fortune to keep on the road. That's really it for me. Any differences in operation I'll adapt to easily enough. Mechanical issues are different of course. There would be a 6 month warranty so I feel covered in that regard anyway, and the service history and mileage is a comfort. So the question is, given my above preferences, the warranty and service history, and the lockdown situation, am I being stupid for considering buying this used car without test driving it? If I wait until test drives are allowed again, the car would probably be taken by someone else who also doesn't mind so much about these things. Thanks for any advice you can give
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Mar 30, 2021 00:33
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Deketh posted:My money sink Mini finally died and I need to replace it, looking at 09-11 Honda Civics mostly around 70k miles at £4000. Yes. Assume the dealer will most likely try to find every single way to avoid fixing anything under warranty. They are not your friend. Can you take it to a mechanic to get it looked over?
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Mar 30, 2021 00:38
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Sanity check on big stupid SUV type things: I'm starting a new job in May that is absolutely in the middle of nowhere (full on '100km of literally nothing but trees and the occasional oil well to the next town, pop. 2000' middle of nowhere) so inevitably the temptation is to replace my big stupid highway barge car with a big stupid forestry-road tolerant landwhale. I will have a work vehicle for going to work since that's even more in the middle of nowhere and day to day service stuff will be in walking distance so this is basically a 'weekend toy bear-proof (ish) camper/moving van' kind of situation. Given around $5-10k (CAD, BC) spent this seems to look like: 4runners: will be 25 years old, may or may not come with an engine. very aesthetic but the toyota tax is real and strong and not my friend at all; Early 2000s Sequoias: somehow cheaper, probably rusting to death; Land Cruisers/Lexus Land Cruisers: $texas/missed the boat on getting the latter cheap, oh well; Mid-late 00s Pathfinders: generally underengineered as is the Nissan way but seem otherwise unobjectionable once the coolant->oil system pipeline is fixed; Earlier Pathfinders: can't be found under 300,000km; 2000 +/- 5 Tahoe/Yukon etc: seem to be pretty Sequoia-comparable, probably break more/fix cheaper, can be had cheap but also intergalactic mileage, seem to be owned exclusively by dirtbags; 2007 on Tahoe/Yukon etc: likewise, superficially fit the bill but all seem to have cylinder deactivation blowing things up; Mid-late 00s Explorers: V6 dodgy, V8 ok? - Anything obvious missing off that list? - do I just suck it up and buy a minivan? - do I ditch the 'no Chryslers' rule and buy a cheap Grand Cherokee? seems like a terrible idea, and yet...
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Mar 30, 2021 08:03
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mariooncrack posted:Yes. Assume the dealer will most likely try to find every single way to avoid fixing anything under warranty. They are not your friend. Can you take it to a mechanic to get it looked over? Fair enough, thanks. I don't know if that will be possible. There's no real window for contact in the process at the moment, seems like you do a live video "viewing" then you buy online and collect it from a location away from the dealer or get it delivered. Perhaps it's just not the right time to be buying. Frustrating
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Mar 30, 2021 09:17
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It should be possible. Call the local mechanic you plan to use and ask them if it's possible for them to pick the car up to do the PPI. You have to pay them, of course, but it's good money to spend.
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Mar 30, 2021 13:26
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Is there some definitive way to show what features/gimmicks/bells & whistles a 2018 Accord EX-L has/does not have compared to a 2018 TLX Technology? e.g. TLX has the electronic steering wheel lift up/down, etc.?
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Mar 31, 2021 02:59
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You can find PDFs of the brochures that should list what comes on the trim levels. Edmunds seems pretty comprehensive, too, but I can't vouch for the accuracy.
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Mar 31, 2021 03:07
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Generally pretty accurate. It's all publicly available information and the OEMs want you to have it.
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Mar 31, 2021 11:27
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MJP posted:electronic steering wheel lift up/down, etc.? Why would you need this? Like how often are you adjusting your steering wheel? It’s just another expensive motor mechanism to break in 5 years
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Mar 31, 2021 18:35
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Bouillon Rube posted:Why would you need this? Like how often are you adjusting your steering wheel? It’s just another expensive motor mechanism to break in 5 years We have multiple people of various height driving the same vehicle and that steering height was adjusted once, when the car was bought. This seems like a solution in search of a problem
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Mar 31, 2021 19:21
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Nitrox posted:We have multiple people of various height driving the same vehicle and that steering height was adjusted once, when the car was bought. This seems like a solution in search of a problem My wife and I share cars and our desired wheel positions (and general seating positions) are pretty different. The car that has an electronic adjustment with memory is a lot more convenient. It's not a must-have but if it's available I'll take it. edit: that mechanism is also on a 20 year old German car so if it didn't break on that I figure they're pretty reliable. Bouillon Rube posted:Why would you need this? Like how often are you adjusting your steering wheel? It’s just another expensive motor mechanism to break in 5 years It sounds like you don't usually have other people driving your car. In that case, fully agreed!
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Mar 31, 2021 19:44
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I'm also assuming that the OP meant that more as an example of a non-headline, down the list feature and not their number 1 must have in a car thing. Both of our cars are 10+ years old with electronic adjusters that work fine. They also retract the steering wheel when you turn off the car and at first I though it was annoying but now I kinda like it.
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Mar 31, 2021 21:55
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powderific posted:I'm also assuming that the OP meant that more as an example of a non-headline, down the list feature and not their number 1 must have in a car thing. But yeah even with the threat of nut smashing when the seat is all the way forward and wheel all the way down, I kinda appreciate having that space clear when getting in.
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Mar 31, 2021 22:10
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:It sounds like you don't usually have other people driving your car. In that case, fully agreed!  I’m with Nitrox on this, my wife is 10 inches shorter than me and neither us us ever touch the wheel position in each other’s cars.I guess I’m just averse to unnecessary motorized components. One of my buddies had an Audi A6 that had a motorized infotainment screen that would pop up when you start the car and recede into the dashboard when you turned it off. It was completely pointless, since obviously 90% of drivers want their infotainment stuff available while they’re driving. I joked with him that it would break a few months after his warranty expired, which is exactly what happened.
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Mar 31, 2021 22:54
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does one of you just like driving all hosed up or something
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Apr 1, 2021 01:31
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I like my steering wheel tilted all the way up like a bus driver. Power adjustable steering wheels are good.
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Apr 1, 2021 01:33
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I’m a bus driver and always adjust my wheel to tilt forward like a car.  Fake edit: just kidding, I could play jenga on that thing.
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Apr 1, 2021 02:22
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luminalflux posted:Join a credit union with a car buying service. That poo poo owns, i just emailed a very nice person with what I wanted and they let me know what they found at what price and when do I want it delivered to my door??? I've never seen this advertised anywhere, not even seeing it at Patelco. Is it just something you get if you're doing a loan through them, or will they still help you if you're buying cash? I'm in the latter category and I was considering shopping through Costco's program. But I'm a member of a few credit unions, so if it's an option from them I could try that to? Either way, I would very much like to avoid dealer bullshit while also not taking the risk of buying from a total rando. I want to sell my 2013 Honda Accord coupe and use the resulting money to replace it with something more practical. I don't mind selling it myself. What is the best way to figure out what this thing is actually saleable for in my area (Tampa Bay)?
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Apr 1, 2021 15:35
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Unsinkabear posted:I've never seen this advertised anywhere, not even seeing it at Patelco. Is it just something you get if you're doing a loan through them, or will they still help you if you're buying cash? I'm in the latter category and I was considering shopping through Costco's program. But I'm a member of a few credit unions, so if it's an option from them I could try that to? Either way, I would very much like to avoid dealer bullshit while also not taking the risk of buying from a total rando. What exactly do you mean by more practical? Search cargurus.com, or autotrader for similar vehicles and you should get a broad price range. Craigslist can be good for private party sellers. Private party sales are generally less than what a dealer would charge. NADA black book is what my credit union uses for values, not sure anyone uses KBB anymore.
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Apr 1, 2021 16:02
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skipdogg posted:What exactly do you mean by more practical? The two big pain points I have with the Accord Coupe are storage and clearance. I am a bad driver who is very, very good at finding curbs with the front end of that car, and I would like something that sits slightly above them. I also need a bit more storage space for bikes and beach gear. I can pop the front wheel off of my bike and slide it in there, but thanks to the small size of the passthrough hatch and the janky fold-down seats, it's a real pain in the rear end to do. It also only works if nothing else is in the trunk, and I like to keep beach chairs, towels, hammocks, etc back there in case of adventure. It also has doors that close on you constantly, which is something I loving loathe. Give me car doors that yearn to open and stay open, I don't care if it means I have to move mountains to close them. Lower-priority factors: I would like to eventually put an external rack on it to be able to carry more than one bike, so I guess a hitch might also be handy? Not an expert there, if there are better solutions lmk. Collision warning beeps and lane drift have been a literal life saver, so I would like to retain those, and I love that the Accord yells at me to change the oil because I always forget poo poo like that. AWD might be nice, because my partner and I have big roadtrip dreams and snow scares us. I don't care about size, body style, or styling at all, I have no kids or pets and I just want the best driving appliance I can get for the money. Unsinkabear fucked around with this message at 16:59 on Apr 1, 2021 |
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Apr 1, 2021 16:26
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Unsinkabear posted:I've never seen this advertised anywhere, not even seeing it at Patelco. Is it just something you get if you're doing a loan through them, or will they still help you if you're buying cash? I'm in the latter category and I was considering shopping through Costco's program. But I'm a member of a few credit unions, so if it's an option from them I could try that to? Either way, I would very much like to avoid dealer bullshit while also not taking the risk of buying from a total rando. GTE Financial is a Tampa-based credit union that has a car shopping service.
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Apr 1, 2021 16:31
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King of False Promises posted:GTE Financial is a Tampa-based credit union that has a car shopping service. Thanks! It looks like they and two other credit unions that I'm already a part of all use TrueCar. Is there any difference from one place to the next, in that case?
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Apr 1, 2021 16:45
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bicievino posted:Proposed Budget: Ended up getting a prius, new (all the used ones seemed way more expensive than I expected a used car to be?!). Holy moly compared to my 98 subaru legacy this thing is so fancy.
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Apr 1, 2021 16:59
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Unsinkabear posted:I want to sell my 2013 Honda Accord coupe and use the resulting money to replace it with something more practical. I don't mind selling it myself. What is the best way to figure out what this thing is actually saleable for in my area (Tampa Bay)? Carvana generally gives you a good baseline offer for late-model used cars like your Accord.
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Apr 1, 2021 17:03
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Unsinkabear posted:I am a bad driver who is very, very good at finding curbs with the front end of that car, and I would like something that sits slightly above them. Frankly, these aren't the solutions to these two problems. Taller cars have bigger fenders and it's just as hard to see, though I find a backup camera with guidelines really helpful when reversing near a curb. There are also some cars that tilt the passenger mirror toward the ground when you go into reverse for this purpose. AWD helps you going if you're stuck, but doesn't do poo poo for handling or braking. It could let you have a false sense of security. You probably won't be driving anywhere it's not plowed unless you are going far out of the way (dunno about driving in the mountains, to be fair). It's kinda unavoidable if buying an SUV, though.
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Apr 1, 2021 18:02
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I mean ground clearance does help you not slam your front valence into parking stones and such, which is definitely something I have to be cautious of in my little two door coupe with <5" of clearance but don't have to think about in a CUV.
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Apr 1, 2021 18:08
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Fair.
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Apr 1, 2021 18:10
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Guinness posted:I mean ground clearance does help you not slam your front valence into parking stones and such, which is definitely something I have to be cautious of in my little two door coupe with <5" of clearance but don't have to think about in a CUV. This is exactly what I'm talking about, yeah. Uthor posted:Frankly, these aren't the solutions to these two problems. Taller cars have bigger fenders and it's just as hard to see, though I find a backup camera with guidelines really helpful when reversing near a curb. There are also some cars that tilt the passenger mirror toward the ground when you go into reverse for this purpose. I read that AWD helps with straight-line traction in addition to getting going. As someone who lives in the Land of the Hydroplane, that appeals to me, especially since we had considered places like the Blue Ridge mountains for those trips. CR did make a note of the braking and handling thing so I would be nervously keeping that in mind on the road. I'm fine letting the AWD go if I have to, though. The clearance thing is less negotiable, and Guinness hit the reason why on the head. I agree with you on the value of a backup camera with guidelines; the Accord has that and I'm actually going to add it to the list of things I'm looking for because I love it. But that doesn't help spare the front valence, keep me from bottoming out on my driveway apron, or save the undercarriage when I drive over the corner of a curb and then drop down onto it (which has happened, twice). I honestly don't know where to start between hatchback, CUV, or SUV. It seems like the distinctions get blurrier every year. I'm not against legit SUVs if there's something that's a strong value and checks all my boxes, but they're probably more than I need. I guess roadtrips mean I'm looking for balance between mileage and carrying capacity for two? Unsinkabear fucked around with this message at 18:57 on Apr 1, 2021 |
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Apr 1, 2021 18:46
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AWD improving straight line safety on a degraded surface is a half truth because they generally get The Fancy Diffs and brake controllers and that technically helps maintain continuous contact. Don't get it for rain on pavement though. AWD is meant for degraded surfaces, I'd say primarily snow, slush on pavement or dirt. Rain on pavement is degraded but it's a very easy problem to solve more simply. I mean wet pavement only degrades traction when you make bad choices about tires or travel speed. Definitely don't treat it as a hydroplane preventer: hydroplaning is no traction at any tire so all the fanciest diffs and brakes in the world aren't going to find it any sooner. But yeah being in the CUV market myself currently you might get it anyway depending on the model and trim you're looking at. If you're talking about opening up doors for road trips, an extra set of rims so you can be ready with both all season and winter tires is the simpler investment if you have a choice to get FWD instead. Legit snow tires get you everywhere except back country park roads or mountain passes in which case you need chains or AWD. If you're not from around where you need AWD or chains you're probably not gonna do it as a tourist because just stay off the road at that point.
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Apr 1, 2021 19:15
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Godzilla07 posted:Carvana generally gives you a good baseline offer for late-model used cars like your Accord. Thanks for this! Are their offers actually worth taking, or did you mean take it as a baseline and then add like 15%? zedprime posted:AWD improving straight line safety on a degraded surface is a half truth because they generally get The Fancy Diffs and brake controllers and that technically helps maintain continuous contact. To clarify, I just mean that growing up somewhere hydroplanes are common makes me value traction, not that I thought AWD would address them. I keep my tires up to date and don't drive like a psycho so I very rarely experience that nowadays. Was mostly thinking about snow. An extra set of rims is an interesting thought, but once I add the tires at trip time won't that be just as expensive? Edit: Nevermind, comment below about extra fail points is a good one. Screw it, then. Unsinkabear fucked around with this message at 19:25 on Apr 1, 2021 |
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Apr 1, 2021 19:16
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don't get AWD. you've named zero situations where AWD would be useful and it's going to increase cost, increase the number of points of failure, and decrease your fuel economy. I think the solution to the problem is mostly "git gud" and stop driving all the way over curbs but if you want more ground clearance there are plenty of options. FWD CX-5 would be my personal pick for the use case.
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Apr 1, 2021 19:18
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