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Twerk from Home posted:It's a 556 horsepower station wagon, extremely low production numbers, and wagons tend to be perceived as exotic by American car guys because we don't really get them here. Re GT500 love: I have not driven many high performance cars yet so I had no expectations. I'm sure I'd be just as smitten by anything else that roars and goes fast. I have not driven a Boss 302. I still haven't even driven a Corvette or Camaro ZL1 yet. Don't get me wrong; I'm not experienced in this side of the car world so I am open to explore any suggestions people have. I greatly appreciate the input I've gotten so far! After poking around various articles about the CTS-V (wagon) that my interest in that vehicle is growing. The wagon style is growing on me a little bit. It's still hard to completely accept, though; coupes are so sexy! The only other turn-offs are probably going to be complaints about a small (for a wagon) interior room and the "meh" interior build quality. I wouldn't MIND more storage space (especially since there is a small chance I may move to TN and I'd like to take my pups with me) but it's not a deal-breaker. e: I forgot to respond to you, sorry! KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:How do you feel about a Cayman? It's not "big power" in the same way as some of the other cars that have been suggested but it is very quick and pretty good around a track out of the box. I would be worried about the maintenance/repair costs. Foreign high-end cars always seemed like they would be really expensive to maintain. KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Due to price increases you would have a difficult time getting one but I can't help but think you have GT-R written all over you, except maybe the manual thing. I'd love to own one, but they are just way too expensive for me. Maybe sometime in the future. Pardon my ignorance: are GT-Rs no longer manual or something? NO BROS FOR HOES fucked around with this message at 17:18 on May 8, 2014 |
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May 8, 2014 17:11
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Define what "entertaining/pleasurable to drive" means to you. Basically does it make me go "weeeee" the Fiesta ST suggestion is the first thing that came to mind but figured it was worth an ask to see if I'm missing something.
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May 8, 2014 17:18
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Makky posted:Re GT500 love: I have not driven many high performance cars yet so I had no expectations. I'm sure I'd be just as smitten by anything else that roars and goes fast. I have not driven a Boss 302. I still haven't even driven a Corvette or Camaro ZL1 yet. Don't get me wrong; I'm not experienced in this side of the car world so I am open to explore any suggestions people have. I greatly appreciate the input I've gotten so far! Like most high end cars like Ferrari's they only come in paddle shifters (i.e. electronic clutch).
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May 8, 2014 17:32
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HolyDukeNukem posted:Like most high end cars like Ferrari's they only come in paddle shifters (i.e. electronic clutch). Yeah, a true manual transmission is getting harder and harder to find these days, and honestly some of the newer transmissions outperform even the best drivers on a manual transmission. I honestly don't miss having a manual transmission anymore. The sport mode and control with the flappy paddles suits my needs at this point.
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May 8, 2014 17:52
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skipdogg posted:Yeah, a true manual transmission is getting harder and harder to find these days, and honestly some of the newer transmissions outperform even the best drivers on a manual transmission. I honestly don't miss having a manual transmission anymore. The sport mode and control with the flappy paddles suits my needs at this point. I wouldn't mind paddle shifters as long as the car doesn't think I forgot because I go over a certain RPM and shifts for me.
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May 8, 2014 17:55
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Makky posted:I wouldn't mind paddle shifters as long as the car doesn't think I forgot because I go over a certain RPM and shifts for me. No, most of the higher end one's you see on like the GT-R are manual transmissions with an electronic clutch. So you control the gear changing completely, you just don't have to control the clutch since the computer will deal with it. They've switch to this since a lot of the electronic clutches can switch in a a matter of 100-200 milliseconds.
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May 8, 2014 18:01
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Makky posted:I would be worried about the maintenance/repair costs. Foreign high-end cars always seemed like they would be really expensive to maintain. All high-end cars have higher maintenance costs. You can control costs somewhat by going with an independent mechanic instead of getting your services at the dealership. You can play around with edmund's "true cost to own" calculator to figure what your ongoing costs would be for the different cars you're considering. It itemizes by types of cost, so you can see the estimated maintenance costs for five years as well. So, for example, in my own zip code, it thinks a 2014 Cayman S coupe will cost me a total of $94k over five years, with $9200 of that in maintenance and $3500 in repairs. By contrast, it thinks a 2014 Shelby GT500 Coupe will cost me a total of $83k over five years, with $7200 of that in maintenance and $1k in repairs. So Edmunds certainly thinks the porsche costs more to maintain and repair, but only by about $4500 in the first five years. A 2013 Corvette Z06 Coupe has a TCO estimate of $94k over five years, the same as the Cayman S. The 2014 CTS-V Wagon comes in at $91k. Leperflesh fucked around with this message at 19:30 on May 8, 2014 |
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May 8, 2014 19:27
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The distinction between repairs and maintenance is a good one, and one that is not made nearly enough. It really puts "reliability" and TCO in perspective. People who are "into" cars, or at least are knowledgeable about them, tend to recognize the importance of maintenance and tend to be A LOT more diligent about it. Sometimes excessively so. A Camry or Accord needs regular maintenance, too, and it is not cheap. Cheaper than a Porsche, sure, but not cheap. I always cringe when someone says something like "yeah I've had an Accord for ten years and I've done literally nothing to it but put gas in the tank! cheapest and most reliable car ever!"... except for those 10 years of deferred maintenance that all pile up. Then something finally breaks to the point that the car can't drive, it finally gets taken to a mechanic, and turns out that it needs several thousand dollars in back-maintenance, PLUS the repair. And then you have people saying that their car isn't worth fixing and is "on its last legs" and then go buy a new car and repeat the cycle. Whereas if you just kept up on the annual $500-1500 in annual maintenance you'd be in great shape on a 10 year old Accord. Brake pads/rotors/fluid, tires, oil, air/oil/fuel filters, transmission/differential fluid, timing/accessory belts, spark plugs/wires/coilpacks, shocks/struts, engine/transmission mounts, and various other things are maintenance items on ALL cars and the costs are not all that different between a Honda and a BMW when done by an independent mechanic or DIY. If you don't tend to them on schedule they WILL pile up. Some cars will accept the abuse of deferred maintenance for a little longer than others (see: Honda vs. BMW), but sooner rather than later it will bite you on any car.
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May 8, 2014 19:49
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Where can you find scheduled maintenance info?
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May 8, 2014 21:17
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Very useful information; that's pretty eye-opening. I've been doing scheduled maintenance on my car so I doubt that's going to change. I guess I won't sweat it too much if there's little difference when it comes to independent mechanics. On the paddle-shifters discussion, do the (newer) Corvettes function in a similar manner? It would explain why I see so many automatics and very, very few manuals.
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May 8, 2014 21:43
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IRQ posted:Where can you find scheduled maintenance info? Yea I need a maintenance for dummies. I know start at the owners manual but seems like there's more I'm missing like regular tune ups
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May 8, 2014 21:50
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Mazda.com allows you to sign up and they send you reminders for all scheduled maintenance. Or you can just log in and look at the full maintenance schedule.
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May 8, 2014 21:56
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cheese eats mouse posted:Yea I need a maintenance for dummies. I know start at the owners manual but seems like there's more I'm missing like regular tune ups The owner's manual, really. A lot of mechanics will also helpfully send you reminders based on their estimate of your mileage, but their data is not always accurate for your specific make/model/year/options so always defer to the owner's manual. There sometimes are updates or bulletins from a manufacturer to modify the recommended maintenance, though, so as Rhyno suggests, you can use their website, or you can call a dealer and ask if there are any bulletins for your car. On another note: colloquially, people use the phrase "tune up" to mean "my car needed some maintenance work done" but it's a misuse of the term. Technically and historically, "tune up" means adjusting the valve timing, idle speed, fuel/air mixture, carburetor balance, spark plug and distributor point gaps, and ignition timing of the engine, and those are things something most (all?) cars made today and for like the last twenty or thirty years don't need to be done regularly. Mostly the car's computers take care of that stuff. Timing may need to be checked when the timing belt is changed if the mechanic didn't keep the engine/cam positions steady during the process, or if major components of the engine are replaced (valves, cams), but outside that, the need to have your engine "tuned" is one of those pieces of wisdom from old men that you need to ignore (along with the "change oil every 3000 miles" thing, the "drive a new car gingerly for 1000 miles to break it in" thing, etc. Of course if you are deliberately modifying your engine, such as to gain power at the expense of fuel economy, to install a more aggressive cam, etc., then you will probably be "tuning" your engine, but that's not what most people are doing with their cars when they go get a regular service done at a mechanic. Leperflesh fucked around with this message at 22:09 on May 8, 2014 |
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May 8, 2014 22:06
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Makky posted:I would be worried about the maintenance/repair costs. Foreign high-end cars always seemed like they would be really expensive to maintain. No manual, automated manual only. On the Porsche front, you can find a gently used 996 for extremely cheap, and they're pretty fun if you can stomach the styling. Purists hate them but that just means they're good dollar value. Have you considered a more idiotic flat brimmed hat car like an STi or something like that?
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May 8, 2014 23:43
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Makky posted:I'd love to own one, but they are just way too expensive for me. Maybe sometime in the future. Pardon my ignorance: are GT-Rs no longer manual or something? Well whatever you do, don't drive one, because you'll immediately start rationalizing about how you can afford one. The only thing I've been in at launch that compares to a GT-R is that Top Drag roller coaster at Cedar Point.
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May 9, 2014 00:21
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I want to start looking for deals from local dealerships (or Toyota of course) on new Priuses, before my current lease ends in September. Short of monitoring toyota.com, local dealership sites, or (God forbid) giving my email to a salesman, are there any other websites or lists I can clap eyes on for coupons, financing offers or whatever else?
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May 9, 2014 00:47
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Edmunds usually tracks offerings but seriously buyatoyota.com is going to be your best resource or like GST's equivalent or SET's equivalent if you live in one of the states covered by the importers.
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May 9, 2014 01:29
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:No manual, automated manual only. Eh. Extremely cheap? They still seem pretty expensive to me for a 10 year old car with less power than a V6 Mustang. I suppose you'll want the Turbo S or GT3 in any case to avoid the IMS problems. 
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May 9, 2014 02:11
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Edmunds usually tracks offerings but seriously buyatoyota.com is going to be your best resource Thanks for this. Right now in my area they've got 0% APR financing for 60 months + $500 "retail cash" (whatever that means, probably Toyota funbux), or $2000 cash back. Those seem pretty good, but how good are they relatively speaking? Am I likely to see better in the next few months?
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May 9, 2014 15:58
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Towards mid/late summer, you may see more incentives as dealers burn off 2014 inventory.
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May 9, 2014 17:26
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Throatwarbler posted:Eh. Extremely cheap? They still seem pretty expensive to me for a 10 year old car with less power than a V6 Mustang. I suppose you'll want the Turbo S or GT3 in any case to avoid the IMS problems. poo poo, depreciation is ridiculous on them and yeah you gotta go Turbo S
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May 9, 2014 17:27
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Towards mid/late summer, you may see more incentives as dealers burn off 2014 inventory. So you would say my gf's plan of testing cars now and then buying in August is a good one, then?
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May 9, 2014 17:41
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Towards mid/late summer, you may see more incentives as dealers burn off 2014 inventory. Thanks, I'll keep my eyes peeled. My lease doesn't end until September 27 I think, but I guess if I can cop an especially good deal, no reason I couldn't get the car early, I would think. REALLY don't want to go through another summer in a black car in las vegas. god, what was I thinking
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May 9, 2014 18:40
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Makky posted:Very useful information; that's pretty eye-opening. I've been doing scheduled maintenance on my car so I doubt that's going to change. I guess I won't sweat it too much if there's little difference when it comes to independent mechanics. skipdogg posted:Aww hell, when did that happen? skipdogg posted:If he's interested in track days I'd go Corvette to be honest. I'm not sure there's a more track ready car from the factory than a Corvette. (Special edition models like the new Z/28 don't count). Maybe the new Mustang with the track pack. ilkhan fucked around with this message at 03:08 on May 10, 2014 |
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May 10, 2014 02:34
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I'm in a bit of a pickle and trying to decide if it makes more sense to repair our current car or buy a new one. The car in question is a 2005 Chrystler Sebring Coupe, with 135,000 miles. For those who don't know, the coupe model is a Mitshubishi Eclipse sold under the Sebring name. We bought it for $5000 cash four years ago. We dropped $2600 on repairs and new tires for it back in early December. Option one: Repair Cost: $1150 (including labor and taxes). This will replace the AC compressor, a couple of random hoses and a belt. Struts and mounts will need to be replaced eventually as well (not included in estimate). Pros: We have a car and can avoid dipping into emergency savings fund. Cons: We bought this car without any research when our lives were a lot different--no kids and a half-length commute. A two-door is terrible for getting kids in and out of (to say nothing of their drat car seats) and something with better gas mileage would be a real plus (gas is $3.50 here and climbing). The Eclipse is also not well-known for reliability, so we fear we're reaching the point that repairs will become more and more common (and expensive) Option two: Buy a new car Cost: $10,000? Pros: We would have a car with four doors that got more than 21 mpg/city and presumably would require less than $4000 in repairs in a year. Cons: We would likely have to dip into emergency reserves. Assuming we took $1000 from general savings and $1000 from the emergency fund, we would have $2000 plus trade-in for all of the upfront costs. Our monthly payments would be $290, assuming a $10,000 loan at 2.74% interest for 36 months. This would be doable, but we'd have to live and die by the budget. Also, just to head off the question: we live on the surface of the sun. In the summer, we're talking 115F. A working AC is a must.
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May 10, 2014 18:49
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Brennanite posted:I'm in a bit of a pickle and trying to decide if it makes more sense to repair our current car or buy a new one. The car in question is a 2005 Chrystler Sebring Coupe, with 135,000 miles. For those who don't know, the coupe model is a Mitshubishi Eclipse sold under the Sebring name. We bought it for $5000 cash four years ago. We dropped $2600 on repairs and new tires for it back in early December. Normally I'd say fix the car, but I'm pretty sure the Eclipse is a terrible terrible car. Maybe someone more knowledgeable will say otherwise, so don't sell on my word alone. Neither option is great. To add another option, you could also buy a more reliable model of car for around 3-5k instead of either. Still, at that price, there are no sure things. At least around here, there are plenty of 4 door ford focuses you could buy for that money. Not sure if that would really solve the problem though. In that price range, there's always going to be work, and if you're not doing it yourself.... well, focus parts are cheap.
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May 10, 2014 19:55
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Yeah, my view is sell the sebring for like $3k or whatever you can get for it buy something for like $4-5k in a car like a later year 1st gen focus.
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May 10, 2014 20:03
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It's almost always cheaper to save your current car but 1) Sebring and 2) 2 door with kids would have me dump that car and buy something that works better for your situation. It sounds like any compact sedan would work if you're doing it in a Sebring coupe.
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May 10, 2014 22:41
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I hadn't even thought of selling it and buying a Focus for $5000. That actually seems like it makes the most sense. Thanks for the perspective.
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May 11, 2014 03:39
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Brennanite posted:I hadn't even thought of selling it and buying a Focus for $5000. That actually seems like it makes the most sense. Thanks for the perspective. Make sure to buy one with a Zetec or Duratech engine. The CVH (early models who's trim didn't start with "Z") is a piece of poo poo.
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May 11, 2014 03:48
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Proposed Budget: 12,000 - 18,000 USD (really though, cheap as possible) New or Used: New, but I'm easy Body Style: Must be 4-door...Compact Sedan-ish is what I'm looking for. How will you be using the car?: To and from work, maybe long road trips. Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos? No, all I need is AC and Power Windows/Locks. What aspects are most important to you? #1: Price #2: MPG #3: Reliability. If you do not live in the U.S. you should probably say so because what's available can vary a lot. Live in Hawaii. Bottom line, I want low as possible price and high as possible MPG, while being a 4-door and having A/C, Power Windows and Locks. I do not care about style at all however I'm also looking at reliability, so iffy on old used cars. Two cars are on my radar, the Nissan Versa and Mitsubishi Mirage. I was able to get a dealer to go $13,375 for a new Automatic 2014 Mirage (40 MPG Average) with all that I wanted, however I wanted to know if there were other options available or if I'm making a stupid decision buying new and should be looking elsewhere. Thank you for the help. Tchasa fucked around with this message at 11:44 on May 11, 2014 |
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May 11, 2014 09:16
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If you must have a new car at that price range is there any reason you aren't looking at a Focus? I certainly would.
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May 11, 2014 18:57
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Tchasa posted:Proposed Budget: 12,000 - 18,000 USD (really though, cheap as possible) Both those cars suck. You're better off getting a gently used slightly larger car - Civic, Corolla, Cruze, Focus, Mazda3, Fit, etc
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May 12, 2014 01:17
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Tchasa posted:Proposed Budget: 12,000 - 18,000 USD (really though, cheap as possible) You live in Hawaii. I get that gas is expensive, but how many miles a year can you possibly be doing? I suspect if you do the math you'll realize that a 35mpg car is only going to save you a couple hundred bucks a year over a 25mpg car. On the other hand, you'll be doing a lot of short trips at 45mph (because nobody in hawaii drives faster than that, holy poo poo it's a loving nightmare driving anywhere there, it's the only place I've ever seen "minimum speed" signs on the freeway, and haha it was like a 10 mile freeway) so it's an ideal situation for a shorter-range vehicle like an electric car. On the gripping hand, your biggest problem in Hawaii is that every car is near the beach and therefore rusts like a motherfucker. So if I were you, I'd prioritize "doesn't rust so much" as #1, "decent mileage and/or a hybrid or electric vehicle" as #2, and then maintenance on the basis that probably maintenance costs more in Hawaii because everything costs more in Hawaii. So... I think you should buy a used Prius with no rust, and then have it treated with rust prevention stuff. If your budget was higher I'd say buy a Nissan Leaf but I don't think there's many of those on the used market yet. A Versa is not a bad idea if you absolutely must have a new car instead of a used car, but it's one of the cheapest new cars you can buy, and that's for a reason. It is not a fun car to drive, it has a very cheap interior. I think you should avoid Mitsubishi. Graded on a scale of "reliable" to "unreliable", the Japanese carmakers go: ...Honda/Toyota.....Nissan/Mazda...........................Mitsubishi................ They're not horribly unreliable, you're still probably better off than buying a german car, but lean more towards the left side of that chart if you can. And at your budget, if you'll consider lightly-used cars, you'll be able to afford a much nicer car. Leperflesh fucked around with this message at 01:29 on May 12, 2014 |
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May 12, 2014 01:24
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I've got a 2012 ford focus I bought a few years ago and recently finished paying off. Is it worth it to buy an extended service plan for an extra couple of grand? (I want to say no.)
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May 12, 2014 02:01
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Senor P. posted:I've got a 2012 ford focus I bought a few years ago and recently finished paying off. Is it worth it to buy an extended service plan for an extra couple of grand? (I want to say no.) Is it a manual or automatic. Generally, I'd say absolutely not, but the fancy, somewhat buggy DSG system in those scares me. That said, most of them cost way too much anyhow, so generally no.
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May 12, 2014 02:17
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Proposed Budget: $17,000 - $22,000 New or Used: New Body Style: Leaning toward 4 door sedan, but will take suggestions. I need to have room for easy removal of a car seat in the back, and enough trunk space to hold small tool bag, assorted test equipment (not much - o-scope, radiation dosimeter), and hopefully enough room a Rubbermaid tub filled with assorted circuit boards/parts. How will you be using the car? Almost exclusively for work driving. I work as a field engineer, so what this means is that I will be putting approximately 30,000 mixed miles a year on it - city, highway, stuck in traffic not going anywhere. Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos? No, but would like to have Bluetooth connectivity because I'm on the phone with customers all the drat time. What aspects are most important to you? 1. Reliability - 30,000 miles a year 2. MPG 3. Safety So here's the scoop. I currently drive a lease vehicle company car. My company's lease program is undergoing changes that make it highly disadvantageous to keep driving the lease vehicle -- I'll be paying at a minimum $100 a month + have a certain amount of my driving added to taxes at the end of year as taxable income. So I've decided to go with the company's personal vehicle reimbursement program. What this entails is that I'll receive a monthly fixed payment of $500 dollars a month for a vehicle/insurance, gas will be reimbursed at the going rate for a vehicle with a 23mpg average (meaning if I get something with better mpg, I pocket the difference), and maintenance and and tires will be reimbursed at 8.5 cents a mile. For this reimbursement program, the car must: 1. Be less that 5 years old 2. Have an MSRP of more than $22,028 (That's MSRP, not the actual sale price) 30,000 miles a year adds up, and I want to have as few maintenance issues as possible, so reliability is far and away my biggest concern. I'm open to a used vehicle, but note the less than 5 year old stipulation, and I feel a new vehicle would present less issues in the long run. That being said, I'm definitely leaning towards a Toyota Camry or a Honda Accord. I can get either of these for a lot less than $500 a month, and they should get better than the 23MPG average, so I can pocket the difference. In addition, I'm pretty sure either of these would have enough trunk space for my needs. I've looked into the Camry, and both the LE or SE trims look to fit my bill any big differences between the two? Like I've said, I'm leaning towards a mid-size sedan for the MPG considerations, but am open to any suggestions you guys might have. Sorry for the long post, thanks for your help!
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May 12, 2014 02:49
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Bucky_Grid posted:Proposed Budget: $17,000 - $22,000 I think the car recommendation thread standard 'get a Prius' response fits here pretty well.
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May 12, 2014 03:20
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Yeah, it seems like it'd be silly not to get a Prius.
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May 12, 2014 04:30
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^^^ Have to agree a Prius sounds ideal for this guy's situation.HolyDukeNukem posted:No, most of the higher end one's you see on like the GT-R are manual transmissions with an electronic clutch. So you control the gear changing completely, you just don't have to control the clutch since the computer will deal with it. They've switch to this since a lot of the electronic clutches can switch in a a matter of 100-200 milliseconds. And do you also have the option to turn it into fully-automatic mode, when you're on city streets for instance? Michael Scott fucked around with this message at 15:26 on May 12, 2014 |
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May 12, 2014 15:23
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