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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Prius prius prius prius prius prius Get a Prius prius time. Cool. I was thinking that a smaller fuel-efficient car of some sort would fit the bill, and the Prius is of course the archetype of the genre. I was just wondering if there were others that might have beaten it out in recent years. Any years/models that are more reliable than others? Prius? Prius C? Prius V? Plug-in? Third generation? Prius One/Two/Three/Four? So many variations, oof. I mean, I'll take a look, but are there any notable differences that might not be readily apparent?
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May 9, 2015 03:02
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VideoTapir posted:You can haul poo poo in a convertible, so long as it doesn't have to go into the driver's seat, just so you know. I'm sort of shocked that a car I want is actually not a terrible decision, and it looks like we'll be searching for a miata (alternatively s2000 or brz or frs) after we move. Gnossiennes fucked around with this message at 04:32 on May 9, 2015 |
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May 9, 2015 03:32
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I can't have one because I have a baby; so I need to live vicariously through everyone else.
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May 9, 2015 04:29
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Gnossiennes posted:I'm sort of shocked that a car I want is actually not a terrible decision, and it looks like we'll be searching for a miata (alternatively s2000 or brz or frs) after we move. Well if you want a Miata you should buy one but there are downsides, Miatas get pretty awful fuel economy for a tiny car that only seats 2, and require premium fuel. You can't easily carry friends that are very tall. The soft top is also more vulnerable to vandalism. If you don't actually like a Miata because it's a Miata (and you obviously do), then a regular subcompact car (Chevy Sonic, Ford Fiesta, Mazda2, they're all pretty good) is a better choice. If the SO likes the FIAT 500, can you look into leasing a 500e? Based on what I read on the internet, the government subsidies and whatnot in California basically make ownership of the 500e almost free for the term of the lease, and there are other benefits like access to the HOV lane, and FIAT will even give you a rental car for a few days for long trips. Your driving patterns and the fact tha tyou own another car seem to make you guys pretty good candidates for EV ownership. I don't live in CA so I have no idea about the details but I would at least look into it if I were you. Here's the first couple of hits that show up on google. http://www.autoblog.com/2015/03/22/for-some-getting-a-fiat-500e-last-week-was-almost-free/ http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323982704578453123010639156
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May 9, 2015 04:49
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Throatwarbler posted:Miatas get pretty awful fuel economy for a tiny car that only seats 2, and require premium fuel. I don't know about the NC, but the NA can get WAY better than EPA fuel economy if you have a light foot. Best I observed was 36 highway. Not gonna argue with you on the rest of that, though. She is in the enviable position of wanting only cars that she can in fact have. VideoTapir fucked around with this message at 05:23 on May 9, 2015 |
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May 9, 2015 05:19
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VideoTapir posted:I don't know about the NC, but the NA can get WAY better than EPA fuel economy if you have a light foot. Best I observed was 36 highway. How slow did you have to go for that? I just did 400 km of highways in my NB at below average speeds and only managed 8.5 l/100km (28mpg). Anyway the NC might be better though as it has an entirely different engine.
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May 9, 2015 08:48
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My NC would never get better than 24MPG combined, but I do drive my cars hard. Only way to drive the Miata though.
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May 9, 2015 14:51
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How useful are sites like http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/rankings/ The Rav4 ranks real low there which I found surprising given a Jeep is in the top 5.
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May 9, 2015 15:36
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Mitsuo posted:Cool. I was thinking that a smaller fuel-efficient car of some sort would fit the bill, and the Prius is of course the archetype of the genre. I was just wondering if there were others that might have beaten it out in recent years. Second gen and current are the best. The Prius and V are significantly better than the C. One/Two/Three/four is just trim level poo poo - higher trim levels means more poo poo to break but its generally not mission critical stuff.
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May 9, 2015 23:01
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Second gen and current are the best. The Prius and V are significantly better than the C. One/Two/Three/four is just trim level poo poo - higher trim levels means more poo poo to break but its generally not mission critical stuff. What's wrong with the Prius C?
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May 10, 2015 00:01
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silence_kit posted:What's wrong with the Prius C? Shittier, underpowered drivetrain that has worse fuel economy, a worse ride, and a less useful package due to size. Also not produced in trillions of numbers so the used market isn't all that good yet, which destroys its primary advantage of price.
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May 10, 2015 00:07
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From my research, it's the less powerful and smaller city-centric version - 1.5 L instead of 1.8 L. Also cheaper such that even a new one runs ~$20k. Not that that's too important to me, but is there another quality issue or something that places the C lower?
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May 10, 2015 00:08
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Mitsuo posted:From my research, it's the less powerful and smaller city-centric version - 1.5 L instead of 1.8 L. Also cheaper such that even a new one runs ~$20k. Not that that's too important to me, but is there another quality issue or something that places the C lower? You can get a gently used 3rd gen Prius Two for about the same price which is better at everything other than Being Smaller.
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May 10, 2015 00:18
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:You can get a gently used 3rd gen Prius Two for about the same price which is better at everything other than Being Smaller. Yeah, saw your point about the used market not being big enough yet. I figure if I do get one, I probably will go for a used third-gen Two.
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May 10, 2015 00:23
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Mitsuo posted:Yeah, saw your point about the used market not being big enough yet. I figure if I do get one, I probably will go for a used third-gen Two. If you can find a Prius C in the price range and you like it, there's nothing specifically wrong with it to my knowledge. It's just not as good.
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May 10, 2015 00:24
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I was posting here a little while ago about my search for a compact truck. Budget: $4000 Use: Truck stuff, canoe trips, hauling my poo poo across the continent, helping my GF move, playing at 4x4 because I want to go off road on purpose for once. Yes, 4x4 is unnecessary and wastes fuel and temps idiots to bend their trucks in half, but I want it. Priorities: manual transmission, 4x4, not ruined by some idiot bro with a giant lift or questionable go-fast stuff I'm near Edmonton, Alberta, which seems to be a good place to shop for a truck. I looked up the fuel efficiency for a handful of trucks that are for sale at the moment, and found something weird: according to the US EPA, a 1994 Mazda B4000 4x4 gets 18mpg while a 2004 Ford Ranger 4.0 4x4 with the same engine (newer by 10 years) gets a measly 15mpg. Is this just an weird artifact of how the EPA calculates these things? Would a 2004 Ranger really get that much worse mileage than a B4000 that's 10 years older? I'm also looking at a Dodge Dakotas from that same year range, and while they seem to be about the worst for fuel economy I know with a truck I'm never going to see "good" mileage, but I don't know much about the Dodges - is that V6 (I'm not looking at V8) a total dog? The 2004 Ranger for sale is suprising to see for my budget; the owner is asking $3500 for a FX4 "level II" - which I can't find any solid information about - and states quote:Truck is registered as a rebuild, was bought that way. I've had it for 5 years, recently bought a new vehicle so I don't need this anymore.
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May 10, 2015 05:07
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ExecuDork posted:I was posting here a little while ago about my search for a compact truck. Yes, it's a salvage title. See also: Reconditioned. I would not buy it in your situation.
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May 10, 2015 14:38
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Proposed Budget: Under 10K Hopefully under 5K New or Used: Used Body Style: Pickup Truck. How will you be using the car?: I would be towing a 14' trailer on weekends. Most likely within my city but maybe on occasion up to 100 miles. It could have up to 1000 lbs of equipment in it so the towing capacity should be at least 3000 lbs. I would ideally like it to be a little more than that just for safety and in case I need to put a little extra in it. This isn't a daily driver or anything like that so it can be ugly as sin I guess I'm just looking for a powerful,reliable, and cheap pickup truck. If it's even possible....
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May 12, 2015 04:38
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A family friend has offered us a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer with ~68000 miles on it for $6000 cash, available in September. We were considering financing something in the $12-18k range but can pay for this outright. Assuming an inspection checks out, is this an ok deal or am I walking into a repair money pit? General use would be light town driving/errands + 1-2 ~1600mi round trips a year (5k-7500mi annually.)
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May 12, 2015 18:41
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http://www.truedelta.com/Chevrolet-TrailBlazer/reliability-63 It's possible your friend got a good example. Since the car's history might be known to you, it might be a good deal, but probably at a lower price.
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May 12, 2015 20:44
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Proposed Budget: I could pay cash up to about $10k, otherwise my credit is good. Looking for value, and willing to pay more than that. That said, my dream car is something like a Fiesta ST (insert 'dream big' joke about a turbo econobox here), but my practical side doesn't like spending 20-25k on a car with a house down payment to save for. In the midwest USA. New or Used: Probably used, but would consider a new compact/subcompact Body Style: Small hatchback How will you be using the car?: 20 mile commute, occasional longer trips. Intending to keep the car for a good long while. Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?: Definitely not. Aux port (or the ability to put one in) required, bluetooth a nice bonus. Apart from that, basic is good. What aspects are most important to you? I can do my own work, but I'm not a mechanic, so ease of maintainability/cost of parts matter. Small car, but versitility to haul stuff. Good MPG, but we don't drive enough to pay a premium for it. I tend to favor domestics due to cheaper parts, but not a zealot. Why not a Prius?: I'd like something that is at least a little tiny bit fun to drive, and we both prefer manuals. It's probably the right car in a pure min/max kind of way, and that is normally the way I think about this, but I'd like to be just a little bit less practical. Only a little bit though. We currently are a 1 car household with a 2003 Focus Sedan with ~180k miles (bought at ~115k for $3600 in 2009 on advice from this thread!). It has served us well, but we're both out of school and gainfully employed now. There have been a few weird electrical issues lately, and we're looking for something that can haul a bit more (but not nearly enough to consider a truck). We'd be selling the Focus on craigslist after buying whatever. Neither of us are looking for anything fancy, but a hatchback would be nice for better hauling, possible dog and house in the nearish future. I have been watching the usual Fiesta/Focus/Mazda3/Fit manual hatchback sales on craigslist and autotrader. Any other suggestions? I'd like something sort of fun to drive, but in a cheap and cheerful kind of way, not a sports/muscle car kind of way. We both pretty strongly prefer manuals (Taught her how to drive a manual, and what's that saying about the converted are the most zealous?). Thoughts on http://madison.craigslist.org/cto/5009913617.html ? It is a base model fit with aftermarket cruise added. There's some body damage that I'd like to look at in person, but it seems cosmetic, and looks like a good car otherwise, and at a good price due to the damage. It isn't a salvage title. Fits are usually a bit more expensive than say, fiestas, but for the mileage, this one isn't. He has a 100 mile 1 way commute, so they're highway miles. We're comfortable with higher mileage anyway, and compared to what we have now, this is just a baby. Any Fit specific questions I should ask? Are parts as cheap as I'd expect for an econobox? Anything else? Grumpwagon fucked around with this message at 17:00 on May 13, 2015 |
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May 13, 2015 16:55
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Mazda 2 is extremely fun to drive if you can deal with 100hp. The interior is spartan, though the Touring comes with a leather steering wheel and red stripe on the seats! Aux in is standard in all (I think) and bluetooth was a dealer installed option in 2013 (dunno about earlier models). They are great to drive though as they are only 2300lbs (waking up that 100hp a bit), have a great shifter, the steering is amazing, and they actually paid attention to suspension tuning. It is basically the Fiesta superleggera (same chassis and my car has more fomoco stamped bits than mazda). Be warned that mazdas do have a rep for rust, but then, so do hondas. Get it in green unless you hate fun. nm fucked around with this message at 17:52 on May 13, 2015 |
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May 13, 2015 17:03
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Grumpwagon posted:Proposed Budget: I could pay cash up to about $10k, otherwise my credit is good. Looking for value, and willing to pay more than that. That said, my dream car is something like a Fiesta ST (insert 'dream big' joke about a turbo econobox here), but my practical side doesn't like spending 20-25k on a car with a house down payment to save for. In the midwest USA. If you're willing to do some basic work yourself and overlook some quirks, find the best used GTI you can. It's the archetypal hot hatch for a reason, and your budget gets your out of the dark years of the early 2000s. Great cars, very good mix of practical and cheerful to drive. You will be replacing some bits and bobs that you wouldn't have to on a Japanese car, though. A Fit would be a great pure economy play, and if you're looking for something in between the Fit and GTI be sure to include Mazda 3 in your search. Good luck! Edit: Oh yeah, Mazda 2s are great, and if you're just looking for things to round out your search the Chevy Sonic 1.4T is weirdly good to drive and extremely cheap to buy because of Chevy depreciation. Faster through a slalom than an FRS too! http://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/sonic/2012/long-term-road-test/2012-chevrolet-sonic-ltz-sonic-vs-fr-s.html Edit again: Probably faster than an FR-S from a dig, also. Not bad for something that stickered at ~$16,500 new. Twerk from Home fucked around with this message at 17:11 on May 13, 2015 |
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May 13, 2015 17:06
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Proposed Budget: Under $20k, preferably 15ish? New or Used: Used Body Style: Need 4 doors because of impending infant How will you be using the car?: Mainly city driving with the occasional road trip. Will probably be a commuter on and off. What aspects are most important to you?: MPG is important as is safety and general reliability. I know that Prius is probably going to be the answer and I'm not at all opposed to a Prius, but I'm ever so slightly concerned about buying a used hybrid. Is that rational? The internet seems to tell me it is generally safe to buy a used hybrid, but I'm interested in what AI thinks. The wife and I are into Passats as well, but I tend to lean Prius because of MPG. I wonder if there's a great car I'm not considering. TIA!
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May 14, 2015 21:32
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BUY A PRIUS No there is nothing wrong with used ones as long as you follow the thread title.
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May 14, 2015 21:45
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A used 2nd or 3rd gen Prius is basically the safest used car bet. Way safer than a loving used VW. Other brands hybrids may be less reliable than Toyota, but Toyota has done an amazing job.
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May 14, 2015 23:07
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AhhYes posted:I know that Prius is probably going to be the answer and I'm not at all opposed to a Prius, but I'm ever so slightly concerned about buying a used hybrid. Is that rational? The internet seems to tell me it is generally safe to buy a used hybrid, but I'm interested in what AI thinks. The wife and I are into Passats as well, but I tend to lean Prius because of MPG. I wonder if there's a great car I'm not considering. TIA! Buy a Prius I bought an 07 w/ quasi-low mileage last year (61k) and it's been an absolute tank. Super safe, very functional, runs like a top.
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May 14, 2015 23:24
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The 2nd gen Prius is about the most reliable car ever built. Sure, in the event that the battery pack goes out of warranty, you'll spend a few grand on the repair. The odds of this happening are low. The battery replacement is the only major fault, and the car works fine with a severely degraded battery at the cost of fuel economy. Meanwhile, the VW will eat its gearbox because you didn't feed it the correct $140 magic fluid and then you're spending 2.5k on a replacement unit.
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May 15, 2015 13:03
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:The 2nd gen Prius is about the most reliable car ever built. Sure, in the event that the battery pack goes out of warranty, you'll spend a few grand on the repair. The odds of this happening are low. The battery replacement is the only major fault, and the car works fine with a severely degraded battery at the cost of fuel economy. Plus some of the most common battery failures are fixable for from zero to a couple hundred bucks. Also a Prius feels like the goddamn future even if they're 15 years old.
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May 15, 2015 14:46
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VideoTapir posted:Plus some of the most common battery failures are fixable for from zero to a couple hundred bucks. Gen 1 priuses don't feel like the future though?
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May 15, 2015 15:52
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A hoverprius can't exist because how would you do regenerative braking? It ain't the future until I can do sick hoverburnouts. With jets or something, no tires.
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May 15, 2015 15:55
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Is it worth considering a Prius if you have a short (<5 mile) commute and it can get really cold in the winter? My understanding is that the MPG would drop significantly in those conditions.
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May 15, 2015 18:37
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Positronic Spleen posted:Is it worth considering a Prius if you have a short (<5 mile) commute and it can get really cold in the winter? My understanding is that the MPG would drop significantly in those conditions. The Prius is recommended here mostly for its absurd reliability, not just because of fuel economy. A Prius is probably more reliable than whatever other car you were considering driving and will take far less money in maintenance and repairs.
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May 15, 2015 18:39
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Yeah, but what about extreme cold? Most "the prius is fine in cold" reports are from people who think "it snows here sometimes" means it's cold. I've yet to see anyone talking about how their Prius worked just fine when it was so cold that it can't snow.
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May 15, 2015 18:45
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VideoTapir posted:I've yet to see anyone talking about how their Prius worked just fine when it was so cold that it can't snow. Rather than spending money on a car, you should move to somewhere that isn't an inhospitable wasteland. I do imagine that extreme cold temps would be hard on the batteries (like they are on all batteries), but hopefully you at least have a garage if you live on the dark side of the moon?
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May 15, 2015 18:53
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You can keep them warm with a block heater, as an add-on. Apparently in places like Alberta they're more or less a standard Dealer add-on. They're not expensive. Here is a post someone made about how their Prius performed in extreme cold. It's going to run on gas and its going to spin the engine hard if you want to keep the inside of the cabin warm. If you can stand the cold cabin, you can run in eco mode and it'll work off of the batteries, even at -35c. Leperflesh fucked around with this message at 19:00 on May 15, 2015 |
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May 15, 2015 18:57
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Can anybody with firsthand experience tell me how supercharged Audis hold up in the long run? My dad is looking at luxury cars in the ~$40k range which honestly doesn't go very far new but is a great range to shop used. I see a tremendous number of A7s locally with less than 30,000 miles for that range, but he puts miles on at a good clip and hangs onto cars long enough that he'll probably own it past 100k miles. Is Audi's current supercharged V6 likely to be a time bomb like some of their previous engines have been? Or are A7s likely to make it to 140k miles without any unplanned repairs over $2,000 at once?
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May 15, 2015 19:12
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^^^^^^^^ HA hahahaha VideoTapir posted:Yeah, but what about extreme cold? Most "the prius is fine in cold" reports are from people who think "it snows here sometimes" means it's cold. I've yet to see anyone talking about how their Prius worked just fine when it was so cold that it can't snow. They work fine in Minnesota, but they consume more fuel in the winter. Edit: If your commute is only 5 miles and you live somewhere with massively subsidized electric cars, consider leasing one of them. And yes, lease one because with the advancements in electric cars there's a good chance that in 3 years current ones that aren't teslas will be worthless. nm fucked around with this message at 19:24 on May 15, 2015 |
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May 15, 2015 19:21
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nm posted:They work fine in Minnesota, but they consume more fuel in the winter. How about interior Alaska, or Siberia?
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May 15, 2015 19:28
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VideoTapir posted:Yeah, but what about extreme cold? Most "the prius is fine in cold" reports are from people who think "it snows here sometimes" means it's cold. I've yet to see anyone talking about how their Prius worked just fine when it was so cold that it can't snow. Nothing works well in extreme cold without a block heater.
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May 15, 2015 19:30
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