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That's "I live in Orange County and commute to NYC" mileage.
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Sep 27, 2013 22:21
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PeterWeller posted:Too bad it is just plain awful looking. I will admit, however, that light colors like the white and yellow press cars sure don't do it any favors. It's much, much better in a dark color with a contrasting roof (which is what you see in the TV commercials). EnergizerFellow fucked around with this message at 22:37 on Sep 27, 2013 |
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Sep 27, 2013 22:31
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Linedance posted:100000 miles in 3 years? That's like regional sales rep mileage. And not a very good one either because he's putting in all that work and still hasn't got an audi. VikingSkull posted:That's "I live in Orange County and commute to NYC" mileage. Fleet vehicle? 
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Sep 27, 2013 22:46
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VikingSkull posted:Americans really do have a use for them and they aren't some pillar of decadence like they are made out to be. Same goes for Canada, or anyplace with miles of wide open terrain, straight roads, and hard usage rural applications exist. Personally, aside from the douchebags buying them to commute on mostly city roads, my problem with American-style pickups is the general design and look of them. There's the horrendous amount of chrome, of course. And why is anywhere other than the cab painted? Why are there no fold-down sides? Why the ridiculously high load height? If these pickups are ostensibly work vehicles, why aren't they designed as such? I'm talking modular beds constructed from plywood+steel or aluminum panels that can be replaced easily and aren't ruined by a single scratch. Everything's square, easy to work with, modular, easy to customize and inexpensive. Like for instance a Sprinter or Iveco work truck, as sold by the millions the whole world over, apart from America.
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Sep 27, 2013 22:58
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Even better is when contractors buy these already too tall trucks, put a lift kit and blingy wheels on them, and then take them to job sites. It's like they want to make their job harder.
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Sep 27, 2013 23:00
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KozmoNaut posted:Personally, aside from the douchebags buying them to commute on mostly city roads, my problem with American-style pickups is the general design and look of them. 
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Sep 27, 2013 23:12
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I also don't understand all the F450's and F350's I see with work beds on them that mean they couldn't possibly get anywhere close to needing a truck platform that big. What does animal control need with F450 chassis with a custom bed designed to carry like 10 dogs? Or here's the F650 we use to carry 2,000lbs worth of traffic cones.
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Sep 27, 2013 23:18
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Disgruntled Bovine posted:Best in class total cost of ownership (located on the dashboard). Not to mention cost of ownership numbers are pure conjecture unless they're giving you a 500000 mile bumper to bumper warranty. EnergizerFellow posted:What you're looking for, minus the sliding doors, is already available as the Fiat 500XL, complete with turbo 4 and a manual transmission. The 500XL really is a pretty amazing piece of engineering and a surprisingly good drive. I wasn't aware the US market was getting it. Even then, i'd have to be able to find more interior shots to believe it's the kind of thing i'm talking about. In an old caravan you could actually sort of stand up from the driver's seat and walk to the back seat without hurdling any seats or folding anything, and you could lay a 4x8 sheet of plywood down in a vehicle that was narrow on the outside and only weighed like 3400 lbs. I dont think there's any small van as close to a true box (which is a glorious thing on the inside) on the market currently.
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Sep 27, 2013 23:26
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Why aren't they all like that, then? You know, practical?
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Sep 27, 2013 23:28
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KozmoNaut posted:Why aren't they all like that, then? You know, practical? Because custom-made stuff is expensive and most people don't have specialized needs, they just want a general purpose vehicle that can hold stuff in the bed and tow.
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Sep 27, 2013 23:31
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KozmoNaut posted:Why aren't they all like that, then? You know, practical? Probably because other people buy them to tow things and carry a family in comfort and they want it with a bit of styling?
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Sep 27, 2013 23:32
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Vigo327 posted:I wasn't aware the US market was getting it. Even then, i'd have to be able to find more interior shots to believe it's the kind of thing i'm talking about. In an old caravan you could actually sort of stand up from the driver's seat and walk to the back seat without hurdling any seats or folding anything, and you could lay a 4x8 sheet of plywood down in a vehicle that was narrow on the outside and only weighed like 3400 lbs. I dont think there's any small van as close to a true box (which is a glorious thing on the inside) on the market currently. Regardless, the 500L really is about the closest you'll probably find on American roads right now. Sadly the seats aren't removable van-style, but you can get pretty close to the proverbial 4x8 in there and the front passenger seat folds down too. It really is an impressive piece of packaging once you see one in person (things like a removable rifle-sized/shaped bin between the rear seats and spare tire, bins everywhere, very impressive visibility, etc). In a lot of ways it's what the Mazda5 should have been.
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Sep 27, 2013 23:37
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I'm honestly more excited about the upcoming Ram Promaster/ Ford Transit van battle than a person really should be. Like, Corvette vs. 911 levels of excited. We've had lovely old vans for a while now though. Edit: plus an extended wheelbase Transit in school bus yellow with an ecoboost V6 just sounds cool as hell. I'd take the thing to Livernois and make em tune the poo poo out of it. Mental Hospitality fucked around with this message at 23:43 on Sep 27, 2013 |
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Sep 27, 2013 23:40
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EnergizerFellow posted:There seems to be some segment of the population that has this visceral "OMG NO YUO!!1one" reaction to the 500L that I just don't get. Sure it isn't the epitome of automotive aesthetic design, but it's nowhere near as bad as some people make it out to be and there's only so much you can do with a big box. I'm not sure I agree with your characterization, but whatever. It's skinny, tall, and has a dorky front end. They took the styling of a cute little subcompact city car and tried plastering it on a mini van and it doesn't work. I'm sure it's as fine an automobile as any other Italian poo poo box, but if I'm gonna buy an Italian car, it had better be sexy.
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Sep 27, 2013 23:45
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Raluek posted:Even better is when non-contractors buy these already too tall trucks, put a lift kit and blingy wheels on them, and then try to drive them like a Porsche 911 GT3 at Laguna Seca and act like complete loving douchenozzles on the road. Fixed that....these idiots all over NorCal and are usually wearing a flat brim Red Bull hats and maybe use their trucks to do something "truck like" once per year and by that I mean go to Costco or Walmart and load up on Coors Light. I put loving 2x4x8 boards, drywall and backer board in or on my BMW more often than these dorks haul anything. I'll add there is nothing wrong with owning some gigantic lifted truck but don't drive like an rear end in a top hat or tailgate/cut off all the "faggoty BMW's" or complain about your 6,000 lb commuter car costing a lot to fill up. Keyser_Soze fucked around with this message at 00:19 on Sep 28, 2013 |
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Sep 28, 2013 00:17
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Keyser S0ze posted:Fixed that....these idiots all over NorCal and are usually wearing a flat brim Red Bull hats and maybe use their trucks to do something "truck like" once per year and by that I mean go to Costco or Walmart and load up on Coors Light. Agreed, but I can kind of see why someone would do that if they don't actually use their truck for work. It just boggles me when someone who works for a living has their truck set up to hinder their job.
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Sep 28, 2013 00:21
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Know what new car I'm excited for?? THE ŠKODA YETI!! Alright, not that excited, as I live in the U.S. where it doesn't exist, but it's a cool car, with a ringing endorsement by everybody's favorite show, Top Gear. The 2014 model gets a refresh and a new "outdoors" model or something. The biggest new feature? A rearview camera. They seemed pretty popular when I was in the Czech Republic a while back. Seems very utilitarian and practical, with a 5th-gen Haldex AWD for this new model at least and the usual array of VW group small gas & diesel motors & transmissions, including 6-speed DSG.    If I move to Europe I'm definitely getting one.
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Sep 28, 2013 04:50
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What a world we live in where American cars are stepping up their game, and Koreana and Czech manufacturers are turning out drat good product too.
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Sep 28, 2013 05:40
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Can we post about test drives in this thread too? I drove a new 2014 Mazda 3 hatchback today. It's sooo good. The one I drove is a 2.5 Auto in the top Grand Touring trim. It looked exactly like the one in the press photos.   Best things about the car: - The interior is gorgeous for the most part. The metallic and gloss black trim pieces are really nicely done details. The gauges look great, the climate control knobs and dials are well done and solid. The iDrive-like knob for the nav/stereo is solid. - The center screen is a touchscreen, so you can control it that way if you don't want to use the knob. I generally prefer the knob for reasons outlined here, but the touchscreen is nice if you're stopped and want to type in a street address. - The system is really responsive. Probably because it's SD card based, it brings up my street name in about a second. The same operation in my MINI's DVD-based system takes 10+ seconds. - Excellent power from the 2.5L engine. I think this engine makes more power than most of its competitors while the car is lighter. You can tell. - The six speed auto is very good. It's responsiveness reminds me of a DSG. It doesn't shift as quickly as a DSG, but it's also smoother when starting or stopping. - Great steering. It's responsive and has a bit of feel. It isn't as weighty or as planted as a Focus, though. - The blind spot monitoring system is neat. It's a feature that I don't need but would like everyone else driving around me to have. In addition to the usual orange light in the side mirrors to let you know that something is there, the system will sound a short audible alarm if you signal or steer in the direction of the obstruction. The system will also warn you of cross traffic when backing out of a parking space. Very handy, and it comes standard on all but the basest trim level. Things I didn't like: - The paint quality seems rather poor. I know modern water-based paints have issues with orange peel, but this is more excessive than anything else I've looked at recently. The clear coat looked thin and dull. To add insult to injury, this shade of red actually costs $300 extra. - I thought the heads up display was kind of gimmicky and it'll probably get old fast. The display reminds me of those green CRT screens from the 80s. It only shows your speed and limited navigation instructions- distance to and direction of next turn. The screen opens and closes when you turn on and shut off the car. I imagine the mechanism is full of plastic gears and it sits on what will be the hottest part of the interior. There's so much that can go wrong considering the minimal benefit of this feature. - The headliner is so amazingly poor compared to the rest of the interior materials. - I like the styling of the new front and rear end, but I wish they had kept the more upright wagon profile of the previous models. The tall front end and sloping rear can look really awkward from some angles:   Really, did they just put the new front and rear on top of the old parts?The one I drove was $27k. My first thought was that is too much money for a compact Mazda. But having actually driven it and used some of the features, I'd say the price can be easily justified. My dad has a 2012 Focus hatchback and it's beyond competent in pretty much every way. The Mazda is too, but it's a lot more polished and it seems like every little thing has just had a little more thought put into it. I'd like to try one in a lower trim level with the 2.0; my guess is for 22-24k you can be just as happy and have the most significant toys. TheGoatTrick fucked around with this message at 07:32 on Sep 28, 2013 |
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Sep 28, 2013 07:26
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I don't know if you had the opportunity to see but did you get any impression of the noise level in the car, especially at freeway speed? That's something that's not that great on my 2006. I see the parking brake is closer to the driver, now. edit: Umm 
Kia Soul Enthusias fucked around with this message at 08:00 on Sep 28, 2013 |
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Sep 28, 2013 07:56
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Well those are rather bleak numbers... The profile view of the new Mazda3 is really killing it for me. I like the front and rear views but the profile just does NOT work for me.
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Sep 28, 2013 08:19
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CharlesM posted:I don't know if you had the opportunity to see but did you get any impression of the noise level in the car, especially at freeway speed? That's something that's not that great on my 2006. One thing I did notice on the freeway is that sixth gear is rather tall. At 70 MPH, the engine is turning only 2,000 RPM.
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Sep 28, 2013 09:21
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Vigo327 posted:The profile view of the new Mazda3 is really killing it for me. I like the front and rear views but the profile just does NOT work for me. In profile it almost looks like a shrunken, slammed Infiniti EX crossover.
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Sep 28, 2013 14:14
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You just killed any chance of me looking at that car. That freaking nose. Why is it so long? All I can see when I look at it is how it SHOULD be shaped.
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Sep 28, 2013 14:21
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I like the new 3 hatch and am putting serious thought to replacing my A3 with one, especially if they come out with a turbo variant.
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Sep 28, 2013 14:27
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I hear a lot of guff about the length of the nose on the new Mazda 3, and yet almost every roadster ever made (including the MX-5 and S2000) and a lot of 2+2 coupes have noses that are almost half the vehicle's length.
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Sep 28, 2013 14:35
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I think it's because long noses on hatchbacks look bizzare. Look at the 2008-2011 impreza.
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Sep 28, 2013 14:45
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The King of Swag posted:I hear a lot of guff about the length of the nose on the new Mazda 3, and yet almost every roadster ever made (including the MX-5 and S2000) and a lot of 2+2 coupes have noses that are almost half the vehicle's length. I think they're talking more about the front overhang than the length of the hood overall. Combine it with the short rear overhang and short axle-to-dash, and the whole car looks a little off-balance.
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Sep 28, 2013 14:47
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Yep, a disproportionate amount of that nose length is overhang and that's the issue with it.
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Sep 28, 2013 14:49
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As an example, compare this to a RWD platform car with fairly similar styling:
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Sep 28, 2013 14:52
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Ok, I didn't think about that and I'll buy it as a reason people don't like it.
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Sep 28, 2013 15:00
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It's front overhang + how the fender curve makes it look like the front's higher over the wheel and then curves down to meet the windshield - exactly the sort of thing Infiniti SUVs have to look muscular, which looks out of place on a hatchback where most other styling elements are subdued.
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Sep 28, 2013 15:15
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TheGoatTrick posted:Can we post about test drives in this thread too? Thanks for posting this, it was helpful.
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Sep 28, 2013 16:06
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I think former Mazda3 hatch owners who also have medium-sized dogs that chill in the rear are going to be pissed about the new version. The last gen had already taken some of that space away, so maybe those buyers will just be pushed to something else instead of the urban hipster new version. Keyser_Soze fucked around with this message at 16:19 on Sep 28, 2013 |
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Sep 28, 2013 16:14
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TheGoatTrick posted:Can we post about test drives in this thread too? Appreciate this post. I'm a big fan of the the new Mazdas. I test drove a Mazda 6 Touring with 6MT a few weeks ago and liked it a lot. When I searched Mazda's website it was the only one I found in a 200 mile radius. Power was adequate for me and the gearbox felt good. After considering it thought I just couldn't justify owning another sedan. If Mazda would only sell the wagon here in the US I'd be all over it. The hatchback 3 is a close second and with the same motor minus 200lbs should make it pretty fun to drive. I'm glad to hear someone who has driven the 2.5, the dealers around me have only gotten the 2.0 in so far. I heard they were going to offer the 6MT with the 2.5 early next year so I might look into that when they show up.
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Sep 28, 2013 20:33
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The Mazda 3 hatch is seriously approaching clown shoe territory, the front end looks hilariously long for a FWD hatch.
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Sep 29, 2013 00:18
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I think the other thing is that they use a lot of the styling tricks taht other brands use to make their fat cars look less fat. Except it's already a relatively low and lean car (especially for a hatchback), so instead it just looks squashed.
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Sep 29, 2013 00:30
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CharlesM posted:Know what new car I'm excited for?? THE ŠKODA YETI!! Yes! I hired one in Albania recently, I was keen to drive it after seeing Top Gear go on about it. Positives? It rides really well, the interior is spacious and it's very well constructed. I love the styling too. Not so great was the DSG - too slow to change in both manual and auto mode. Also not the greatest materials inside but that could be that the Albanian market doesn't get the best trim levels as standard. What was most surprising, I was doing some pretty fast overtakes and flying up mountains and was raving to my (unimpressed) girlfriend about the pulling power of the 1.8 litre petrol, only to find when I dropped the car back that it was the 1.2. A really, really impressive car.
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Sep 29, 2013 01:20
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Keyser S0ze posted:I think former Mazda3 hatch owners who also have medium-sized dogs that chill in the rear are going to be pissed about the new version. The last gen had already taken some of that space away, so maybe those buyers will just be pushed to something else instead of the urban hipster new version. Hmm, that is how I transport my dog (with a protective barrier).
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Sep 29, 2013 03:50
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Doesn't look too bad to me - I guess all the 407 'wagons' around here have made me used to extremely long noses (the Mazda is far less awkward looking)
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Sep 29, 2013 03:57
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