Read about a new car? Thats the 2024 Giant Piece of Shit

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Read about a new car? Thats the 2024 Giant Piece of Shit

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david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Dave Inc. posted:

In the past four or five track days I've been to, two 86s have crashed, one totaled another car and the other resulted in a full session getting black flagged (my session, just after the first lap, fucker). Basically, 86s driven by people under 25 shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a track.

Is there anything special about that car that causes this, or would those people have the same issue in a Miata or something totally different like a Mustang?

# ¿ Sep 15, 2015 15:21

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 10:17

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

PT6A posted:

Question: how many people actually give a poo poo about their interior beyond functionality? My parents' cars are works of art on the inside, if you care to look at them, but I don't. I want the radio and HVAC controls to be trivial to find and use, the gauges to be clear to read, a good place to set my drink, an ashtray if any modern manufacturers can be bothered, and that's about it. I don't think I could tell you what materials my car's interior is made out of, or even draw a reasonable approximation of anything but the gauge cluster. Everything else is only important insofar as I can manipulate it without having to look at it.

The interior is the part you actually see when you use the thing so I think it's very important. I get depressed sitting in other people's cars that are a mess inside. I was sort of cross-shopping a Mini and a GTI but once I sat in a GTI the Mini was no longer in the running. I don't know if that Mini is one or two generations old by now, but the interior was pretty drat bad with these stupid air vents and goofy switches and that dumb center-mounted speedometer etc etc.

# ¿ Oct 14, 2015 02:56

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

iwentdoodie posted:

Yeah, I loving hate Subaru interiors but front leg room is NOT lacking. In my friends WRX I always feel like I have entirely too much room, and he's 6'5" and doesn't have the seat even close to all the way back.

The WRX must have more room than the Legacy then. A coworker has a Legacy (probably a generation old) and the legroom in the front passenger seat is incredibly snug. Granted, I'm 6'7", but this is among the worst I've sat in. Part of it is that the glovebox is too low so I can barely get my legs under it.

# ¿ Oct 14, 2015 14:14

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

I'm still amazed that Kid Rock is a big enough thing in 2015 to get a garish special edition truck. Is he still a musician or did he turn into a "lifestyle brand" or something?

# ¿ Nov 4, 2015 21:07

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Are there any modern sporty cars that don't have good automatic transmissions? It seems like a solved problem as long as the manufacturer is willing to pay for it, which apparently is not the case for some of the cheapo sedans and stuff.

# ¿ Jan 18, 2016 19:06

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Sagebrush posted:

FMVSS 208 actually does state outright that the airbag system be designed to save the life of an unbelted occupant of the vehicle. No other country in the world does this. In Europe and Japan, they say "if you're so stupid to drive around unbuckled, you've forfeited your life anyway. The airbags won't save you on their own. Wear your goddamned seat belt." That kind of government interference wasn't acceptable in the United States of America, where you should be allowed to drive without a seat belt if you feel like it. So US federal airbags deploy faster and with more force than those in other countries, because they might be the only thing keeping you from being thrown out of the vehicle. It was also a major push behind making everything in the passenger cabin into an airbag unit, because who knows where the occupants might actually be?

See also: American cars that explain in the manual how to permanently disable the seat belt warning chime.

Can the force of airbag deployment be varied in the car, or is that something built into the design of it? IE could it sense that someone is sitting and wearing their seatbelt and adjust the force?

# ¿ Jan 30, 2016 19:49

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Several sites are claiming that Tesla employees at the event said that the dash setup (or lack of one) was final, for what it's worth.

# ¿ Apr 2, 2016 03:54

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

It had one of those floor ones that are even easier to ignore.

# ¿ Jun 21, 2016 02:39

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

sanchez posted:

The 6F35 transmission in the Fusion Sport has a bit of a varied history, I wonder how well it'll hold up in a high torque/power application like this.

According to Wikipedia the Sport uses a 6F55 instead (same as the Taurus SHO).

# ¿ Jul 5, 2016 19:43

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Powershift posted:

There was actually a major refresh in 2015. you'd have to be blind to not notice.

It looks... vaguely apologetic? :blush:

# ¿ Aug 4, 2016 02:52

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Minnesota Mixup posted:

To boost the oil sector all cars will be required to get less than 10/14 mpg town/highway. Anything less than 8 cylinders will be outlawed.

# ¿ Dec 18, 2016 03:21

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

BloodBag posted:

After owning thirsty Mazda after thirsty Mazda, all this talk of great fuel economy from their cars is surprising. I had two proteges, two miatas, and a v6 mazda 6 and they all got lovely mileage. The 6 in particular had the distinction of being both thirsty and slow. Granted, my newest mazda was an 08, so there you go.

The Mazda6 V6 was some old Ford engine.

I had a first-gen Mazda3 and the mileage was pretty good but not spectacular. I think the mileage really got a boost when they rolled out the SkyActiv engines/transmissions.

# ¿ Jan 19, 2017 15:50

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

McTinkerson posted:

It's not just the engine/trans either for the sky active cars. Look at the weight of a Mazda 3/6 vs. the competition as well. They're always the lightest in their respective class now.

I don't think it's a coincidence that they all get dinged in reviews for a lot of road noise. I went to an auto show recently and the 3/6 doors felt noticeably lighter than competitors.

# ¿ Jan 19, 2017 20:11

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

For what it's worth, my 2008 GTI gets worse mileage than what the dash says. Sustained interstate driving it might claim 35+ (in the right weather with no AC) but I think the absolute highest I've measured for a tank with predominantly that type of driving is like 33.

# ¿ Jan 20, 2017 05:26

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Disgruntled Bovine posted:

What the hell does "speed assistance systems" even mean? I would say a 5.0 V8 is a pretty good speed assistance system, or were they testing the V6?

I'm guessing adaptive cruise control (which is an option) and/or those optical sensors that tell you the current speed limit.

# ¿ Jan 25, 2017 18:23

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

chupacabraTERROR posted:

yea they're just upside down

those are called "ditches"

# ¿ Jan 28, 2017 02:25

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Kraftwerk posted:

What other options do I have for a fun to drive car that won't make me the service manager's gimp. It has to survive all weather conditions and be suitable enough for 10 minute commutes, city driving and occasional road trips.

Have you driven an IS? If Consumer Reports calls it "not sporty" there's unfortunately probably some truth to your friends words.

Take your situation but add the wrinkle that you're 6'7'' and you have my world. I have a GTI that I fit in fine but it's not fun for longer trips and I'm a bit worried about long-term reliability.

Have you driven a V6 Accord? I'm serious. The biggest hurdle you'll have is getting over the image. Its reliable, faster than you think, and has decent handling. Unfortunately for me it's lacking about 2 inches of headroom and the seatbelt went across the side of my arm instead of my shoulder, otherwise I would have seriously considered it.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2017 14:51

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

BloodBag posted:

Looks like I'm still 40 years too young to consider a Buick. What an oppressively bland vehicle.

I think this model looks infinitely better than their previous designs. The current ones are too bulbous and boring to overcome the brand image but at least this one looks... modern? Sorta reminds me of a Volvo (older ones) or the new Continental.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2017 16:35

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

I don't really mind the Hondas; I find most of the Acura designs to be worse. Both are still light years away from Toyota. I saw a new Prius in side profile today that looked like it had been rear-ended, but when I got closer I realized that all the weird wrinkles were completely intentional.

# ¿ Apr 6, 2017 03:46

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

BloodBag posted:

To get a car that resembles a balloon animal?

I honestly think the Q60 looks good (Q50 isn't bad either):

If course, I can't fit in it, so whatever.

# ¿ Apr 21, 2017 14:05

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

travisray2004 posted:

How is it a decade into the 21st century and there still are manufacturers that can't get such basics down flawlessly?

Electronic items normally fail in a U-curve: either right away or only after several years. That's one of the reasons why modest extended warranties for stuff like TVs/Blu-Ray players are a cash cow for electronics retailers.

If we're sharing random VW anecdotes, the only off-warranty issue my 2008 GTI (bought with CPO warranty in 2012) has had is the high-pressure fuel pump going bad (apparently a very common VW issue). I had some trade-in appraisals done out of curiosity since I've been looking around at cars I can actually fit in and the amounts are so drat low I'll probably hold on to it until it starts falling apart for real.

# ¿ May 16, 2017 16:14

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

tetrapyloctomy posted:

The trick with minivans is that they have to be your first car, or your car in college, so even though they're rear end you forever associate them with freedom and good times. Even Chrysler can't gently caress up nostalgia.

I don't follow. Do minivans really end up as hand-me-downs to the kids? I mean, "my" first car was our 1986 Nissan Maxima station wagon with 286,000 miles on it, but I don't remember any kids driving around in busted vans at college.

# ¿ May 23, 2017 14:07

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Somebody at work was talking about converting his Outback to a Legacy Wagon. He claimed that they literally just put taller shocks in it (and the obligatory black plastic cladding), so it's an easy switch.

# ¿ May 23, 2017 22:52

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Wistful of Dollars posted:

That's... interesting.

I can't imagine there's a technical reason why their systems wouldn't/couldn't work with a gas engine. I can only assume they've decided it's not worth the effort.

Would Mazda have to put the 2.5 turbo in there to make it work? I'm assuming the diesel has more torque than the NA 2.5. Somebody was saying earlier how on cars like the Genesis G80 the AWD option murders the V6 fuel economy because of the added torque required while the V8 only drops by 1-2 mpg.

# ¿ Jun 22, 2017 02:54

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

skipdogg posted:

I think Mazda makes a good car, but they don't blow me away. We had a Mazda 6 rental probably around 2013 and I wasn't impressed with it. The biggest thing I noticed is the doors felt hollow and the ride was a touch noisy.

I think those two things are related. By modern standards they really try to keep the weight down which means skimping on some of the insulation. I noticed the doors felt insanely light in the 6 I recently test drove. Apparently they only managed to tame highway road noise in the 2017 model.

If the 6 was a little bit roomier and had a bit more oomph I would consider it. I certainly liked it better than the Optima I test drove because at least the interior was merely a bit plain and not aggressively cheap looking, and it felt a lot more planted than the Optima which swayed disturbingly under spirited driving.

# ¿ Jul 6, 2017 03:39

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Sadi posted:

They could have it that far back to protect it during low speed crashes. If cars take a lot of money in damage in low speed wrecks it makes them really expensive to insure. Alternatively I know Nissan was advertising forward facing radar that could "bounce" the radar off the ground to see stopped vehicles in front of the vehicle in front of you. That's all I can think for why you'd mount low and far back.

All this driving tech is so new and there are so many styles, I imagine in 3-4 years we will see the market settle more on what technology they want to use. I think Subaru is all digital imagine correlation, where as I think Merc is primarily radar. I don't know if any one is using lidar on a production vehicle.

I did read a Bosch white papers a while back discussing the number of sensors needed for new cars, it was enlightening.

The new Audi A8 they just announced is the first car to use lidar.

# ¿ Jul 22, 2017 02:25

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

drgitlin posted:

Drove the Regal GS, albeit only for about 10 mins and we weren't allowed to take it above 50. (I hit 60mph, please don't hate me, Buick.) it was actually really decent. Looking forward to getting some proper time with one.

But, it's not a hell of a lot cheaper than the A5 Sportback, although the cheap one of those doesn't come with 310hp.

Did it have more headroom than the A5? From sitting in them I think it's A5 < A4 < A6 with the A6 being the first one that actually comfortably fits me.

# ¿ Jul 23, 2017 03:54

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

drgitlin posted:

Seemed fine to me but I'm only 5'7".

Add a foot to that and you have to be a bit more picky

I have a (very) short list of cars that I can both fit into and would be interested in owning, so I'm always looking for another potential option.

# ¿ Jul 23, 2017 04:29

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Ultimate Mango posted:

I'm in the same boat. The A7 was pretty good for a tall driver. Back seat not so much.

Really? Isn't the roof lower than the A6?

# ¿ Jul 23, 2017 06:34

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Olympic Mathlete posted:

I feel like people not privvy to the sort of creature Gove is should watch this short video of him clapping and failing to look like a human being.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcReFnnWReI

Holy gently caress the aliens really need to step up their infiltration game

# ¿ Jul 27, 2017 18:18

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Monkey Fracas posted:

So like then when someone says "autos are faster-shifting than manuals now" you can't really apply it to the average consumer car, yeah? So in general when you want more control and quicker shifts in a car that isn't an exotic sports car that costs more than what you make in a year you'd still take the manual?

I'm not sure it's that easy; it's more about how much the company cares about that aspect. The Mazda SkyActiv auto is very fancy and something like a VW GTI with a DSG isn't exactly an exotic. The current six-speed auto in the Mustang is already preferred for drag racing and the new ten-speed is supposed to be even faster. I also don't think the average manual driver is getting anywhere close to the fastest possible shift times.

# ¿ Aug 9, 2017 16:35

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Monkey Fracas posted:

I mean sure there are going to be examples of good, responsive, quick autos but wouldn't you say they're the exception rather than the rule? The GTI and maayyyybe the Mustang? are "enthusiast" cars

I haven't driven enough cars to say one way or another. I would expect any upscale vehicle to have a good one. For cheap cars, it's all up to whether the manufacturer cared to spend a bit extra in that area. I don't think there's any reason in 2017 that a cheap car can't have an excellent auto but if you're making an appliance vehicle where the buyer won't notice or care, why spend any extra design budget on it, however minuscule that amount might be?

# ¿ Aug 9, 2017 18:41

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

TheWevel posted:

What are everyone's thoughts on the Pacifica or the Pacifica Hybrid? Or the 2018 Odyssey for that matter? The discounts are greater on the non-hybrid Pacifica (as in, dealers only sell the Hybrid at MSRP) but I don't know how I feel about Chrysler.

I spent 7.5 hours in a rental one yesterday. The front passenger seat isn't the roomiest thing in the world, but it's probably fine for people who are not massively tall. I only spent about 10 minutes driving it but the throttle mapping seemed pretty aggressive. Didn't seem like it was starved for power or anything, though. It is surprisingly easier to park than you would think. The nav system isn't very good (surprise) and the touch screen seemed poorly calibrated. Out of the four rentals I rode in/drove during this trip it was by far my favorite; least favorite was the Jeep Cherokee that I rode out in. The seats were horrible and it had really obnoxious suspension, pounding over ever bump and wobbling in any turn.

# ¿ Sep 15, 2017 01:25

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Mr. Apollo posted:

The C43 and S4 are direct competitors. Most people seem to slightly prefer the S4's interior and I think the S4 is a tiny bit larger but deciding on one or the other will come down to personal preference.

The C63 is a whole other car altogether. You'd have to compare it to the RS5 coupe or sportback. The C63 has more power but is also heavier so 0-60 times are really close between the two. The RS5 is marketed as a GT (as opposed to the sports car marketing if the C63) and is the more "civilized" of the two.

I sat in a C-series a few days ago and it seemed to have much more room for the driver. I had to tilt my head a bit in the A4 I sat in but the C-series had very generous head and legroom (I'm very tall so your mileage may vary - the smallest Audi car I seem to fit in is the A6).

# ¿ Sep 26, 2017 12:58

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Edit: oops, wrong thread

# ¿ Dec 30, 2017 15:54

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Are you the same guy with the friend who insisted on driving Audi�s because they weren�t �cuck cars� or whatever?

# ¿ Jan 7, 2018 23:42

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Exactly how roomy is the front seat? Do you think there�s a chance that a 6� 7�� behemoth would fit? I haven�t bothered going to the dealership since it�s still frigid here.

Right now the set of cars that I can fit in and would be interested in owning consist of the Audi A6 and... the Mustang(!). I think it�s the lack of a sunroof and the joke of a rear seat that lets me fit in the Mustang; the sunroof kills off more mundane cars that you wouldn�t think have a lack of room like the Mazda 6 and Accord. Going to the new car show the last two years was very depressing.

# ¿ Jan 10, 2018 04:32

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Sagebrush posted:

In other news, today I saw the following license plate on a Tesla:

S★TRGEN

(you can get stars and other symbols in your license number in California)

I know the Tesla owner's agreement says that you have to get a smug electricity pun license plate when you buy one, but I can't figure this one out. The best guess I can come up with is "starter-gen[erator]", which would make sense on a Prius or something, where the traction motor is also the starter and a generator. Doesn't make sense on a Tesla but it's possible that they took it off their old car (Priuses used to require smug electricity puns until the plebs got ahold of them) and that's what it means.

Anyone have any other guesses?

Estrogen?

# ¿ Feb 25, 2018 06:01

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

The local Kia dealer here seems pretty chill, but that might just be white male privilege speaking. When I stopped by to test drive a Stinger they just photocopied my license and handed me the keys; it was like 2 minutes from stepping into the place (no ride-along either). I test drove an Optima last year (I was casting my net far and wide) and it was the same thing.

The Stinger was very nice; too bad I can't fit in it

drat those low roofs.

I think the two cars I've currently whittled down to are the Audi A6 and Genesis G80. The G80 test drive I had was very lame (a boring loop with the sales guy), but that was one of the Hyundai-corner dealers. There's also a full-blown Genesis dealer nearby that I want to check out.

# ¿ Feb 27, 2018 04:49

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 10:17

david_a: Apr 24, 2010; Megamarm

Christobevii3 posted:

Sat in a bunch of new cars at the OKC new car show. What in the hell is going on with vehicles. They Honda Odyssey had so little room in the front that my knees are on the dash and head on the headliner where the windshield meets. I would instantly get decapitated in a wreck and pelvis crushed. It was basically Charger, full size truck, or random small cars I could fit in the front and not worry about serious injury and only a couple in the back seat. I'm only 6'3".

Also, lol at $72k fwd based Lincoln car.

Yeah it�s far worse when you�re 6�7�. Even something as mundane as an Accord is too small for me.

I took a long test drive in a Genesis G80 Sport this weekend, which is one of the few cars that I can fit in and that I wouldn�t hate owning. The car was very nice but I�m not used to luxury cars so I felt a bit disconnected. I think I was basically always driving faster than I normally would because it�s pretty quick and you don�t really notice the speed at all.

I�m thinking of going back and seeing how big of a difference the normal V6 model is. One idea that popped into my head was to maybe get the normal one and keep my GTI, since it�s not worth much anyway and it�s probably the smallest/cheapest sporty car I can even fit in.

# ¿ Mar 12, 2018 03:38

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Read about a new car? Thats the 2024 Giant Piece of Shit

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