Another what car for me thread

[adrenalated]

Everyone loves to hate on Hyundai, and 15 years ago they did indeed suck, but the more recent ones are actually surprisingly good cars, especially considering the price and the warranty on a new one. A friend has had an 08 Santa Fe for a few years now and loves it, no issues at all with about 100k on the clock, and does just as well as any other AWD vehicle in the snow with good tires on it. Another friend bought a 16 Tuscon and I bought a 16 Accent and both have been great cars so far.

The Hondas and Toyotas and Mazdas are all also great vehicles, but you'll pay quite a bit more for them. Drive them all and see what you think, especially if you're buying new. I drove every compact hatch on the market that I could find with 3 pedals and though some were "better" than the Accent none were enough better to justify paying 15-25% more for them. If you're buying used and higher mileage, then yeah, Japanese is the way I'd go.

[Cocximus]

^^^not according to the EPA. The a4 gas is 21/28, which is in the low-mid ballpark of the others. And with an msrp of of 15-20K more, it is not like a more efficient car will save me money. I'm not a yuppie hippy with money to spend. Did you read the part where my current car is now worth nearly nothing?

I like the Audi, but like my original post points out, it is not is our price point.

I'm not actually a dentist. I just snuck in here.

The EPA is biased as fuck . I can get low 7L/100KM, but I dont have the patience. 8-10L/100 km is my usual.

Used audis are cheap, cheaper than comparable subbies. Their market usually goes for brand new, so the older used market is well priced. Maintenance wise they are cheap if you are the DIY type. I just upgraded my front brakes to the S4 brakes(calipers, carriers, disks and pads) for less than the dealer charges for a simple brake job. I actually enjoy working on them.

[Ottime]

What year/mileage do you own? I'll look into used market prices. That is actually the kind of pointer that I need.

I'm not much of an auto DYI. Is shop work much more expensive than other makes? The Subie I thought was not cheap. And it still blew up. If it had kept running well, it would have felt more worth it.

We had a ton of electrical issues with the outback. Hatch door electrical harness went, and would have cost $650 to replace. So we did bother having an electrical lock. I manual switched it from the inside panel.



The Hyundai Tuscon comes in similar to the cx5 marp.

[Stikki]

Most find it unattractive but the Honda Crosstour may check most of those boxes (close on the hwy mpg). Discontinued now but there are still discounted 2015s sitting on dealer lots, basically a V6 Accord hatchback with a slight lift. If Honda had offered a 4 cyl option and better looks (more wagon-y) they would've sold a lot more.

[Ottime]

^^^will take a look, but am attracted to mid high mpg vehicles.

Anyone have experience with the Nissan Rogue?

I liked the Rav4 when we drove it. I liked the drive of the CX-5 a bit better, but the finishes a bit less.

Anyone have experience with the Rav4 in snow? I'm a little concerned with the lower clearance of 6.4". Which is only one inch more than my TDI sportwagon.

Curious about both how the Rav4 handles in snow due to the much higher center of gravity than my Outback, as well as 2" less clearance. Also curious about the suspension. The test drive felt smooth. A little less dynamic than the CX5, but smooth. Not sure how that is at higher speeds, bumpier roads, etc. Guess I need to take another few test drives.

Anyone own a CX5? Seemed there was a good bit more road noise in the one I drove. Curious what others have found.

Other than shitting the bed, I really liked driving the Outback. Makes me want to look at Foresters and Crosstreks. Amy I just a glutton for punishment.

Looking at CPO purchase preferably.

[LightRanger]

Don't own either... but cargurus.com and truecar.com are your friends, if you didn't know.

[Sirshredalot]

^^^will take a look, but am attracted to mid high mpg vehicles.

Anyone have experience with the Nissan Rogue?

I liked the Rav4 when we drove it. I liked the drive of the CX-5 a bit better, but the finishes a bit less.

Anyone have experience with the Rav4 in snow? I'm a little concerned with the lower clearance of 6.4". Which is only one inch more than my TDI sportwagon.

Curious about both how the Rav4 handles in snow due to the much higher center of gravity than my Outback, as well as 2" less clearance. Also curious about the suspension. The test drive felt smooth. A little less dynamic than the CX5, but smooth. Not sure how that is at higher speeds, bumpier roads, etc. Guess I need to take another few test drives.

Anyone own a CX5? Seemed there was a good bit more road noise in the one I drove. Curious what others have found.

Other than shitting the bed, I really liked driving the Outback. Makes me want to look at Foresters and Crosstreks. Amy I just a glutton for punishment.

Looking at CPO purchase preferably.

I've got a 2014 cx5. I've got no complaints about road noise, but I came to it from older rattle-trap subarus.

I've really liked the car, but I would still be happy to sell it to you because I no longer have a commute.

[bodywhomper]

are you looking at used vehicles?

as an fyi, with toyota (not sure about other brands), many (most?) will eventually require replacement of the rack and pinion. This is a wear and tear item and not on the maintenance list from toyota. They will all fail by design and will need to be replaced, which is not cheap. something to consider depending on how old of a vehicle you're looking to buy. the rack on my van has 110k on it and it's starting to show signs of failure. i test drove a land cruiser with 150k that needed the rack replaced; it was basically dripping fluid.

[Ottime]

I've got a 2014 cx5. I've got no complaints about road noise, but I came to it from older rattle-trap subarus.

I've really liked the car, but I would still be happy to sell it to you because I no longer have a commute.

Likely going CPO, but if that changes, and I get myself east to Ootah, maybe.

Which car did you prefer in snow? Why?

[adrenalated]

Anyone have experience with the Nissan Rogue?

I recently had one as a rental (with 20k miles on it, so probably a couple years old).

It was the biggest piece of shit I've driven in a long time. It was gutless, all of the interior materials, fit/finish and feel were terrible, the infotainment system blew. I'm not sure I can say anything good about it other than the e-brake worked.

[Cocximus]

What year/mileage do you own? I'll look into used market prices. That is actually the kind of pointer that I need.

I'm not much of an auto DYI. Is shop work much more expensive than other makes? The Subie I thought was not cheap. And it still blew up. If it had kept running well, it would have felt more worth it.

We had a ton of electrical issues with the outback. Hatch door electrical harness went, and would have cost $650 to replace. So we did bother having an electrical lock. I manual switched it from the inside panel.



The Hyundai Tuscon comes in similar to the cx5 marp.

Got my 04 A4 100k miles for $5000. I doubt shop rates are more than subbie rates if you find a good indie. Probably the biggest savings come from finding GOOD parts cheap. With lots of research there is a sweet spot between expensive Audi parts and shitty generic cheap parts. The 1.8s biggest issue might be blocked oil pickup strainer if oil changes were not done with synthetic oil on time. The 2.0 is a whole new engine with fuel pump camshaft follower issues. Not that big of a deal... When I first started looking for an AWD(real awd) wagon I was looking at subbies. My research indicated oil consumption and cracked head gaskets were way more prevalent on subbies than the audi known issues. They were also more expensive and rusty.

[Sirshredalot]

Likely going CPO, but if that changes, and I get myself east to Ootah, maybe.

Which car did you prefer in snow? Why?

They're both solid in the snow. My wife and I both prefer the Outback in the snow. Lower center of gravity and more predictable when it breaks loose and starts to slide. I actually prefer the way the Mazda drives on dry pavement, fwiw.

But we have Blizzaks on both and they both do plenty well in the snow.

[detrusor]

I've got a 2010 RAV4, absolutely soulless automobile without any real benefits. To small to haul any real amount of shit, to big to be fun to drive.

Best snow car we have is a Sienna clear awd minivan. You can put damn near anything in it and it gets great mileage. The only issue is when you really finally lose it, there is no getting it back. Just hang on

[CaliBrit]

Got my 04 A4 100k miles for $5000. I doubt shop rates are more than subbie rates if you find a good indie. Probably the biggest savings come from finding GOOD parts cheap. With lots of research there is a sweet spot between expensive Audi parts and shitty generic cheap parts. The 1.8s biggest issue might be blocked oil pickup strainer if oil changes were not done with synthetic oil on time. The 2.0 is a whole new engine with fuel pump camshaft follower issues. Not that big of a deal... When I first started looking for an AWD(real awd) wagon I was looking at subbies. My research indicated oil consumption and cracked head gaskets were way more prevalent on subbies than the audi known issues. They were also more expensive and rusty.

Just change that timing belt.

[CaliBrit]

CPO X1 rwd biased. Super super. Will handle a snowy road.

[Ottime]

My wife is reluctant to purchase any tier 2 cars. That, and we want AWD. I know plenty of cars handle snow fine. I think my rwd taco does just fine. I fee up in upstate ny and know how to drive in snow. But we want a vehicle that is compliant with the chain control laws. Not really needing to be the guy who gets hit by another driver in chain control country with a 2wd and no chains on and having to deal with some cop having a shitty day.

So far the cx5 or another Subie (looking at xtrek, forester and outback) is looking likely. Still need to visit a Honda and Hyundai dealership. Pretty sure we won't go for a RAV4.

Leaning toward the larger size and thinking of replacing our TDI with a smaller commute car.

[Cocximus]

Good news, I found out the cayenne came with a 6 speed in NA. How awesome is that???

[bodywhomper]

maybe not in the price range or mpg needs, but how about one of the smaller 4wd lexus', like an rx.

a lot of people love the generation 9 toyota corolla, ~2000-2008, very reliable, bland, low maintenance.

[Huck_Schmuck]

My wife loves her 2015 Nissan Rogue. We tested the usual comparison cars: RAV4, Tuscon, CX?, CRV and settled on the Rogue.

It's compact, comfortable and IMO quite good looking. I'm not such a fan of the older body shape.

[Rokjoxx]

I see this thread everywhere, different names.

I always say the same thing, and nobody ever listens.

I think I picked up you are from Kali? So you are car fucking crazy stupid?

I have made a dozen posts telling everybody about how awesome a ugly old Ford Aerostar can be. AWD, 6 speed auto, V6 cyl. 4 liter engine, not a tiny four the size of a beer box; the chassis equivalent to an F150 with a little less ground clearance, but makes a Frigging Outback look like the midget clown car it is.

Most of the cars mentioned already are tiny things, sit with your feet pressed together, put the pack in the rear behind the seat, 'cause you have no choice. If you actually Do want to sleep in those, every piece of your kit needs to be thrown out and then you cannot actually get two humans asleep INSIDE unless you are both the size of a Grey alien. You got to leave the hatch open even if it rains or blows. And if you want to "mess around" you climb out onto the roof.

An Aerostar is BIG, everything plus a dog INSIDE where it is harder to steal, and it STAYS indoors. You can buy seats that fold flat (backwards) from a junkyard CHEAP (if it doesn't already have one) or throw one or more seats out and use the interior as a clubroom. Or a second row set of NOICE Captains chairs is available EASY at $25 a seat. One or two, they are COMFY for the rear seat passengers, armrests, etc., not a frigging torture rack stuffed in behind the drivers seat on a teeny bench with nine inches for your legs. Or get TWO full size fold flat seats, store stuff underneath, use a couple Ice chests between the rear row and the back liftgate and you got an almost perfect platform that two can easily screw around on. Lay down the seat and your gear is hidden too. Three rows of seats if yo need them. 8 guys EASY.

They also make a fold DOWN (forwards) 2/3 seat, off center, makes easier access to the rear and it makes a flat solid table (hard-back seat) when folded. Buy them all and use them as you need them, it doesn't take a wrench to swap any of them. Twenty year old car seats are pretty cheap...



My first one was a red 94 Eddie Bauer with electronic dash and all that neat gas Mileage stuff built into the dash. But pre-3rd tail-light...




20+ gallon tank, you can drive PAST Nevada if you don't like the gas prices. (This shows rear seat in middle posistion)

The second one I got was a '97, better vehicle overall, cost me $250 dollars TOTAL, then I replaced the radiator and water pump and the hoses, etc. Myself. Easy. New cheap tires and front brake pucks and I was on the street for well under a thousand. INCLUDING REPAIRS AND NEW TIRES!!



It handles pretty well if you keep your foot on the gas, gun it and it goes where you point it. A HELL of a lot better than a Subie anything. And what good is it to actually GET someplace if the car is too small to carry your shit?

I REGULARLY got FIVE guys, FIVE full size backpacks, FIVE mountain bikes (with wheels ON, just LOAD "EM UP!), FIVE DOGS AND an ice chest big enough for everyone, INSIDE the car. No screwing around leaving the dogs in some boxes filling up the truck bed, crammed in beside the bikes rusting in the rain. No cringe/howling when it pours in frozen sleet and a 70 MPH breeze is freezing your mutt into a coma either. Your dogs go INSIDE with the gear. And everyone is comfortable compared to an Outback.



And you get a BIGASS SLIDING SIDE DOOR. (Fucking SWEET when you add a little canopy. Or when its HOT!) Raise the rear hatch, tape a tarp to it and you got an instant enclosed bathroom for yer shitter or a place to stand behind your coleman stove like a kitchen area. Etcetra, excetra, excetera... (Very popular with Kidnappers, too)

When you get wherever you are, you got ACTUAL room inside and can access the control cabin without leaving the safety of the cab. This was useful when the Hells Angels showed up at our campsite in Joshua Tree at 2am. Or when some dickwad is scoping pickup trucks and cars with those cracker jack little ski boxes on the top, planning to steal every damn thing you got while you are at the crag yelling "CLIMB!" You can lose your skis inside an Aerostar, they are that big.

And if it breaks down, fuckling leave it where it stopped. David Carradine had the right Idea. If you can actually afford a car, when it runs out of gas or gets stuck in a FAMOUS Kali traffic jam, you can walk off and get on a bus. Sorry, I had an "emergency"... (had to pee).

Get smart; insurance on a second or third car is dirt cheap if you claim you only drive it on Sundays to the crag. 50 miles a month...max, eh? Registration is dirt cheap on a 20 year old car, too. Save yourself a thousand, right there.

You know why NO actual cowboy has ever owned/driven a Subie? You got no room for your hat. And it won't tow even a single cow for that matter. Beyond the design specs. An Aerostar has a full on tow package, throw the subie on a rack behind you if you gotta have it. Full size ball. Tow your horse trailer. And the hay. With a full size man driving, not some little Jap guy.

Your big mistake is wanting some car to be a commuter AND an adventure wagon. When you have a separate beater you DON'T insure it for anything but liability, and you can afford to drive it offroad through cactus and under trees at full speed (Natures' own pin striping), you can let rock chips hit it and you can even offroad it THROUGHLY, who the hell cares if you break it, it cost under One Thousand Bucks! Chicken feed. And you can get a running one cheaper, I just like mine enough to fix it up.

Fuck dudes, you Kalis are fucking car stupid. Tell me how cool your POS subie is as I run you off the road driving up the the parking lot on Mt. Adams or pass you doing twenty miles an hour faster on a snow floor. The Ford handles that stuff like a tractor with tanktreads. I can see OVER a subie easy, too. I know whats coming up ahead. Can you say that behind ME?

Having a dedicated throwaway beater will beat shit out of ANYONE with a $30,000 hogshit overhyped SUV, all day long. I don't have a car payment either, I can AFFORD to put gas in my rig and drive 1000 miles into Baja. A dent costs me NOTHING. Just positive character points. So? I'm not gonna chicken if the lanes tighten down to one lane, you better let me by.

I got another 10 paragraphs on how to improve and even lift the body (CHEAP Gabriel Hijacker Adj. lift shocks... installation is easy) for under what your second months car payment will likely be on something else.

But if you are from Kali, you will most likely be deaf, you gotta have something that LOOKS like a yuppiemobile. Something your dumshit boss will be impressed with. You think your subie is a popular car? Look up how many of Them were EVER MADE. They made 3 MILLION Aerostar vans. ((American made, too. Keep your money in America, why you supporting Japs rather than Americans???)) And every mechanic in N. America knows how to work on them. They may not like them, but they are damn well easier to deal with than the average minivan. AND more horsepower, AND more ground clearance, AND 60/40 ratio full time rear wheel drive.

If you need a towncar that can get you from home to Dennys next to the interstate on a rainy day, get a Subie or some Rav junk. You want something that will drive dirt with a foot of mud and snow carrying a half ton of crap; that you can RAG on, has room for you AND your old lady AND all that EXPENSIVE shit you want to haul around, get a beater truck (if you are only got two guys) or get a beater van like the Aerostar, and put EVERYBODY into the party, Inside. Much better if you ever do shuttle trips too.

Step outside the little box, see what a BIG box can do.

[Below Zero]

Anyone own a CX5? Seemed there was a good bit more road noise in the one I drove. Curious what others have found.

My wife has one. We have a 2014 CX-5 Grand Touring. I like it. I've driven it city, highway, dirt roads, 12"+ snow. No complaints, except the tire pressure monitor, but I don't think any of those work correctly. I haven't really noticed the road noise, although I drive a 2002 WRX which has a ton of road noise. The CX-5 is pretty popular here in Denver. When we bought it, no one had one; but now I see them all over Denver.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

In the meadow dust, I park my Aerostar:

[Rokjoxx]

PS: You want to show real car smarts?

Take the 30 grand you are gonna spend and buy yourself another house. Thats an actual investment, not some lying pretense of an "investment". Cars are not worth anything like a high fraction of a house, spending a lot of money on them is the most common mistake most people make. Cars are a high profit item, high turnover and many people spend many times on cars what they spend on their homes over a lifetime.

Americans are car crazy idiots. If you are not at LEAST a millionaire (yet), you are far better off spending your money on property... ANY property. There is a reason they call it "Real Property, Real Estate" and such. Cars are a sucker bet, the banks and the dealers become millionaires, you become a Mark; a Sucker; you become prey.

And I never met an honest mechanic, they don't even know what the word means, their eyes are wide shut. Maybe a fleet mechanic, but a private mechanic gets corrupted pretty damn fast. Flat rate ("Motors Flat Rate Manual", I.E. "book rate") is twice the time what a job actually requires a decent mechanic, the parts cost them LESS than it does you, they get a markdown and don't pay sales tax either. An often double markup on something that costs them nothing extra, (just a phone call to their wholesale supplier and the shit gets DELIVERED NOW!) . They just pass the doubling price onto you. Hourly rates get abused too.

Flat rate is also VERY subject to miscalculation. Overlap is endemic. Replacing a water pump already has removing the radiator built in. But the shop will usually charge you for both if you ask for an itemized reciept, nonetheless. Then show you the book, "See?" What the hell do you know? CAN you spot the duplication, the "overlap" as they call it in the industry? Most likely not. And if you can, they will act like thats the first time that has ever happened, nobody ever even HEARD of that "overlap" happening before!

Selling you cars you don't need, with equipment you also don't need is one of THE biggest businesses in America. The Bank, the dealer, the car manufacturer make billions. You make butkus, then get convinced that the machine SHOULD actually wear out in 5 years. And you are HAPPY when they give you 20% of what you paid for it, and then sell it for three times that.... Suckers.

The second post has a guy saying his F350 diesel 2006 is perhaps so old and worn out that he needs a new one, the assumption unspoken that its no-longer going to be economic or efficient to repair and operate because its got what --190000 miles, did he say? That truck must of cost over 50,000 especially with the interest and taxes and the registration fees, dock fees and all the rest! What, a giant ass modern truck can't do what a 70's truck can do? They can't hand you a truck that can last ten years EASY for $50 grand?? Either someone is being overcharged, over marketed and being handed machinery with some damn serious design flaws, or the repair market is a overpriced sham. And of course, all that is true, there is no "either".

Gas taxes, all the bullshit, equates into the biggest scam for con artists ever. Institutional creative insanity to generate tremendous cash flow from people who aren't even feeding themselves well. they will sell a car to ANYBODY in America. Stupidest drug-dealing gang bangers on the planet got FINE Chyslers.

Stop playing their game, play the system. Lots of better ways to go than to drive onto a car lot with a stupid look on your face..


I used to be a mechanic, and I worked for a GMC dealership. Everybody but the mechanics wore fucking NICE clothes and none of them EVER got sweaty. VERY FAT, but not sweaty, and a dealership has a LOT of salesmen and "closers". They get rich, yo not.

Biggest con in America.

[Cocximus]

I see this thread everywhere, different names.

I always say the same thing, and nobody ever listens.

I think I picked up you are from Kali? So you are car fucking crazy stupid?

I have made a dozen posts telling everybody about how awesome a ugly old Ford Aerostar can be. AWD, 6 speed auto

You had me up to auto

[Cocximus]

PS: You want to show real car smarts?

Take the 30 grand you are gonna spend and buy yourself another house. Thats an actual investment, not some lying pretense of an "investment". Cars are not worth anything like a high fraction of a house, spending a lot of money on them is the most common mistake most people make. Cars are a high profit item, high turnover and many people spend many times on cars what they spend on their homes over a lifetime.

Americans are car crazy idiots. If you are not at LEAST a millionaire (yet), you are far better off spending your money on property... ANY property. There is a reason they call it "Real Property, Real Estate" and such. Cars are a sucker bet, the banks and the dealers become millionaires, you become a Mark; a Sucker; you become prey.

And I never met an honest mechanic, they don't even know what the word means, their eyes are wide shut. Maybe a fleet mechanic, but a private mechanic gets corrupted pretty damn fast. Flat rate ("Motors Flat Rate Manual", I.E. "book rate") is twice the time what a job actually requires a decent mechanic, the parts cost them LESS than it does you, they get a markdown and don't pay sales tax either. An often double markup on something that costs them nothing extra, (just a phone call to their wholesale supplier and the shit gets DELIVERED NOW!) . They just pass the doubling price onto you. Hourly rates get abused too.

Flat rate is also VERY subject to miscalculation. Overlap is endemic. Replacing a water pump already has removing the radiator built in. But the shop will usually charge you for both if you ask for an itemized reciept, nonetheless. Then show you the book, "See?" What the hell do you know? CAN you spot the duplication, the "overlap" as they call it in the industry? Most likely not. And if you can, they will act like thats the first time that has ever happened, nobody ever even HEARD of that "overlap" happening before!

Selling you cars you don't need, with equipment you also don't need is one of THE biggest businesses in America. The Bank, the dealer, the car manufacturer make billions. You make butkus, then get convinced that the machine SHOULD actually wear out in 5 years. And you are HAPPY when they give you 20% of what you paid for it, and then sell it for three times that.... Suckers.

The second post has a guy saying his F350 diesel 2006 is perhaps so old and worn out that he needs a new one, the assumption unspoken that its no-longer going to be economic or efficient to repair and operate because its got what --190000 miles, did he say? That truck must of cost over 50,000 especially with the interest and taxes and the registration fees, dock fees and all the rest! What, a giant ass modern truck can't do what a 70's truck can do? They can't hand you a truck that can last ten years EASY for $50 grand?? Either someone is being overcharged, over marketed and being handed machinery with some damn serious design flaws, or the repair market is a overpriced sham. And of course, all that is true, there is no "either".

Gas taxes, all the bullshit, equates into the biggest scam for con artists ever. Institutional creative insanity to generate tremendous cash flow from people who aren't even feeding themselves well. they will sell a car to ANYBODY in America. Stupidest drug-dealing gang bangers on the planet got FINE Chyslers.

Stop playing their game, play the system. Lots of better ways to go than to drive onto a car lot with a stupid look on your face..


I used to be a mechanic, and I worked for a GMC dealership. Everybody but the mechanics wore fucking NICE clothes and none of them EVER got sweaty. VERY FAT, but not sweaty, and a dealership has a LOT of salesmen and "closers". They get rich, yo not.

Biggest con in America.

Book times are based on worse case scenario. People want a flat rate, so the shops have to cover their ass in case something goes wrong. If the customer was offered a best case scenario rate and something went front there would be serious bitching.