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I assume by the "new" Fusion you mean the one that has been out since MY13? I drive the Fusion or a different midsize sedan every week, and they are perfectly fine for a midsize sedan which is a segment where fun goes to die. It's up against the Camry, Sonata, and Altima, for christ's sake. And yes, I have driven the Fusion Titanium top trim whatever the gently caress. If you actually care about owning a fun to drive car, don't buy a midsize sedan, and if you have to buy a fun midsize sedan, the only actual choice is the Mazda6. Edit: I think I can say without exaggeration that I have more aggregate seat time in the different MY14, 15 and 16 midsize sedan than anyone else in this thread with the exception of the Subaru Legacy.
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Aug 10, 2015 22:58
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Git Mah Belt Son posted:Have you guys actually driven the new Fusion? For a mainstream sedan, it's actually really fun to drive. I drove a poo poo ton of cars before buying my Fusion, and the current gen actually is really fun as long as you get the 2.0l with the stiffer suspension setup. I'm not trying to sell the guy on it, but he should at least test drive the thing to see if he likes it. It is not the same as the Fusion of old. I'm not crazy either, the reviewers all say the same thing. Why not just get a G37?
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Aug 10, 2015 23:42
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antiga posted:Is there a sweet spot for 'beater truck'? I'm looking for something to be used on weekends for craigslist items, furniture, etc (nothing exceptionally heavy and no boat towing) with the lowest possible total cost of ownership. I've watched Top Gear try to destroy a Hilux, is that the right answer? Old F150 or Ranger with 200,000 miles? How many weekends? Renting/Zipcar might be the most economical option.
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Aug 10, 2015 23:45
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antiga posted:Is there a sweet spot for 'beater truck'? I'm looking for something to be used on weekends for craigslist items, furniture, etc (nothing exceptionally heavy and no boat towing) with the lowest possible total cost of ownership. I've watched Top Gear try to destroy a Hilux, is that the right answer? Old F150 or Ranger with 200,000 miles? Rent a Home Depot truck for $20 and drive really fast?
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Aug 10, 2015 23:47
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Gamesguy posted:Why not just get a G37? I'm loving a sedan with a v6 that revs to 7500 and is rwd. It's pretty boss.
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Aug 11, 2015 00:20
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AreWeDrunkYet posted:How many weekends? Renting/Zipcar might be the most economical option. I was not under the impression that you can get a truck or something with towing capability from zipcar but I could be wrong. Last time I went to HD they wanted you to buy something to rent the truck but I guess that's a system that could be gamed pretty easily. Rentals are very expensive, five or six rentals add up to the purchase price for an older running Ranger or S10. Obviously there are other costs to consider, hence the question.
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Aug 11, 2015 03:37
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Is there any reason not to get a 2001 audi tt 225? Like some kind of horrible mechanical thing or glaring build quality issues? I don't want to be the guy that gets an rx8 without knowing how to maintain a rotary. https://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/cto/5155603090.html or https://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/cto/5136684961.html
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Aug 11, 2015 05:32
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Was the TT exempt from the terrible interiors and power windows that literally fell apart? Audi/VW from about 1995-2004 were complete garbage for the most part, at least on the Jetta/Golf end of the spectrum.
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Aug 11, 2015 05:37
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In that case, the RX8 is the reliable choice. It is a MkIV gti with fancy skin, maybe awd, and more electronic plus an audi tax.
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Aug 11, 2015 05:37
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Driving down the interstate on a normal day and suddenly the rear drivers side rear window just slips in to the door and shatters in to a million pieces inside the door.  gently caress my Jetta VR6 forever. I won't get in to the shenannigans about the VW dealership jury-rigging my hood latch closed and having it come loose on the highway 
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Aug 11, 2015 05:43
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thanks, same question about early 2000s bmws like 3 or 5 series. I'm just looking at awd/rwd manuals for around 5k and half of the selection is geman cars I don't know anything about. I'm leaning towards wrx. E: like what's up with this 2002 benz c230 kompressor https://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/ctd/5135208785.html ? HATECUBE fucked around with this message at 06:29 on Aug 11, 2015 |
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Aug 11, 2015 06:26
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Bacon Hat posted:thanks, same question about early 2000s bmws like 3 or 5 series. I'm just looking at awd/rwd manuals for around 5k and half of the selection is geman cars I don't know anything about. I'm leaning towards wrx. You like bad cars. Do not, under any circumstances buy an early 2000s Mercedes (or Audi). Seriously though a C230 is like the worst car germany has ever made. For 3 series BMWs look up subframe cracking and make sure they're good. For the non-M straight-6 manuals, they're reasonably solid otherwise. Except for the cooling system. WRX. Early ones are ridden hard and put away wet. 2.5L have ringland issue (aka, buy a new motor) edit: Look at the G35.
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Aug 11, 2015 06:45
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nm posted:You like bad cars. This. Almost anything sporty, and especially Euro and sporty, for 5k is going to be a nightmare. There's a reason the answer for a 5k sports car is always Miata -- because it's cheap and reliable and a very very high fun-to-dollar ratio. Nothing else comes close. quote:For 3 series BMWs look up subframe cracking and make sure they're good. For the non-M straight-6 manuals, they're reasonably solid otherwise. Except for the cooling system. Also true. Older 3 series are generally pretty solid if they've seen regular scheduled maintenance, but a cheap one could easily be a basket case of deferred/neglected maintenance. They do have a huge following so there's a ton of resources online for their handful of well-known and well-documented problem areas. That said, they they are really meant for a) enthusiasts who will do some DIY or b) people with deep pockets who don't give a gently caress. I love my 3 series to death, but I'd never recommend it to an ordinary "not a car guy" person. It'd have cost me 2-3x in upkeep and maintenance if I didn't DIY the easy to medium difficulty stuff. Guinness fucked around with this message at 06:57 on Aug 11, 2015 |
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Aug 11, 2015 06:51
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I just don't fit in miatas, at least the NB and NC I've been in. I really wanted miata to be the answer. I also do a lot of highway driving and like to buy cheap cars from craigslist and drive them until they explode. I know there's some good poo poo to be had because I'm willing to put up with the easy DIY stuff, but I haven't been into cars long enough to know historically which cars were really good or not, like the miata. Those G35s look nice though
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Aug 11, 2015 07:45
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Why don't you buy a new edge Mustang?
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Aug 11, 2015 08:27
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nm posted:You like bad cars. My '02 A6 was an amazing vehicle with zero problems (with the exception of things in the undercarriage, thanks to us salting the roads up here). I bought it with lower miles, but it was beautiful inside and out, and I drove the gently caress out of it. Cost of maintenance is stupid high though, unless you know an independent audi shop that doesn't suck and doesn't rip you off, or can do the work yourself.
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Aug 11, 2015 09:36
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Thanks again kyoon. You gave enough info to get what i want. My fun car will be a european delivery m235i (with all thr bells and whistles i want) followed by a performance center delivery. 1k over invoice 7x security deposit, good mf, 3 year lease, etc. This will happen when the weather is nice in Germany so i can most enjoy the experience. Plus that means the road trip from the performance center wont be in winter. For current transportation im picking up a honda pilot ex-l close to full deprecation with low miles. The dealer is cool with my mechanic looking at the car first and giving me all the numbers up front (i had to go through a lot of dealers to find somebe who would say yes to that). I figure the two cars will compliment each other pretty well and it will prevent stress of needing a car should one dissapear. Sadly, vacation and second car included, the m235 with more options is around the same cost as the original 228 deal you strayed me away from. diadem fucked around with this message at 13:28 on Aug 11, 2015 |
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Aug 11, 2015 13:01
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antiga posted:Is there a sweet spot for 'beater truck'? I'm looking for something to be used on weekends for craigslist items, furniture, etc (nothing exceptionally heavy and no boat towing) with the lowest possible total cost of ownership. I've watched Top Gear try to destroy a Hilux, is that the right answer? Old F150 or Ranger with 200,000 miles? http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3732427&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1 Old Toyotas can be reliable if you can wrench a bit. And they can be had for cheap if you keep your eyes open.
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Aug 11, 2015 13:43
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diadem posted:Thanks again kyoon. You gave enough info to get what i want. Good on ya, you're getting a much better car in the M235i and you get to go to Germany. Think about the alternative - you could have fewer cars, the one car would be less lovely, and you wouldn't go to Germany, all for the same price. Glad I could help, and I hear ED is pretty neat. If I were to ever buy a new Nazimobile I would definitely do that.
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Aug 11, 2015 15:22
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I'm looking into buying a new car, want a hatchback (could go for a CUV if it works too), budget mid 20s or so. So far I've obviously been directed to the Mazda 3, some have also pointed to the Focus as a cheaper option to test-drive. Some people love VWs, but I hear really not great things about their reliability and cost of repair. Is that still true, and if not should I also look into some of the Golf variants? My dad had an '01 Passat that totally fell apart on him, and the repair bills were atrocious. But, from the sounds of this thread that was kind of a 90s to early 2000s things for VWs, right?
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Aug 12, 2015 12:15
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MechaFrogzilla posted:I'm looking into buying a new car, want a hatchback (could go for a CUV if it works too), budget mid 20s or so. So far I've obviously been directed to the Mazda 3, some have also pointed to the Focus as a cheaper option to test-drive. Some people love VWs, but I hear really not great things about their reliability and cost of repair. Is that still true, and if not should I also look into some of the Golf variants? First time VW owner here with a 2011 Golf TDI that we bought Feb 2014. I've always sworn off VW for the same reasons but now I would absolutely consider VW as long as it's fairly new. My golf is extremely comfortable and lots of fun to drive, and I hear the mk7 tdi is even better!
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Aug 12, 2015 13:18
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LeeMajors posted:http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3732427&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1 Thanks, this is the kind of thing I was looking for. Rangers are a lot cheaper and obviously prevalent but I'll keep my eyes open. Any other recommendations, I'd be interested to hear it.
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Aug 12, 2015 14:12
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Thinking of buying a new car, wondering if what I'm looking for has a name that I can search for to find options. My last 3 cars have been manual Nissan v6 sedans, which has worked great for me and I'd like a car with the same "feel", but I also go wilderness camping quite a lot, and primarily I'd like something with a little more ground clearance and optional four wheel drive. I say optional because I think just 2 wheel drive has better fuel economy for regular highway driving right? Essentially, I want a 4 door sedan thats a little more rugged, but nowhere near SUV territory, and still a reasonably economic choice for a commuter car. Does that kind of car exist? Does it have a name? King Gonorrhea fucked around with this message at 15:55 on Aug 12, 2015 |
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Aug 12, 2015 15:52
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King Gonorrhea posted:Thinking of buying a new car, wondering if what I'm looking for has a name that I can search for to find options. It has a name, and that name is "Subaru Outback"!
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Aug 12, 2015 15:54
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King Gonorrhea posted:Thinking of buying a new car, wondering if what I'm looking for has a name that I can search for to find options. What's your budget? There are plenty of AWD sedans, but more rugged is a bit vague. Something like an Allroad (though a wagon) or maybe a WRX sedan? You're not going to find a sedan with an optional, user selectable 4WD system. It'll be a full time system like Subaru or a Quattro which will primarily drive one set of wheels unless it needs to move power.
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Aug 12, 2015 15:56
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I'm not particularly strapped to a certain budget. 15k would be comfortable, more would be ok. I've never shopped for something like this, I expect they'll be more expensive. Also, not looking for brand new, couple years old is fine. When I say rugged, I really do mean just more clearance and 4WD
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Aug 12, 2015 15:59
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King Gonorrhea posted:Essentially, I want a 4 door sedan thats a little more rugged, but nowhere near SUV territory, and still a reasonably economic choice for a commuter car. Does that kind of car exist? Does it have a name? I think the name for that is Subaru Outback or Crosstrek.
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Aug 12, 2015 16:06
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Comedy option: Volvo S60 Cross Country
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Aug 12, 2015 20:16
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King Gonorrhea posted:Thinking of buying a new car, wondering if what I'm looking for has a name that I can search for to find options. Well you should probably get an Outback but they are kind of pricey. Really I think you might be talking past the rest of us when you say "SUV". The Subaru Forester is essentially a similar vehicle to the Outback, it's slightly shorter (but with a taller greenhouse) and cheaper, but for some reason people say it's an "SUV" while the Outback isn't? These days "SUV" doesn't just mean body-on-frame live axle Chevy Suburban or Jeep Wrangler, every carmaker today offers some kind of lifted compact or midsize wagon that they call an "SUV" but are essentially what you are looking for (manual transmission is getting rarer though), because the world is filled with insecure women who basically have the same needs as you but can only buy a vehicle if the carmaker calls it an SUV.
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Aug 13, 2015 02:47
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I'm no car expert but I've driven lots of outbacks and they don't feel anything like a v6.
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Aug 13, 2015 02:52
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My Aunt loves Outbacks and has owned like six of them, so I thought I was pretty familiar with them. Yesterday I walked by one in a parking garage, and good god when did they get so huge?two_beer_bishes posted:First time VW owner here with a 2011 Golf TDI that we bought Feb 2014. I've always sworn off VW for the same reasons but now I would absolutely consider VW as long as it's fairly new. My golf is extremely comfortable and lots of fun to drive, and I hear the mk7 tdi is even better! Thanks, that's interesting. I may give them a look. I'll have to keep taking in info on them, although my fiance is convinced that they're all finicky money pits. shirts and skins fucked around with this message at 12:02 on Aug 13, 2015 |
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Aug 13, 2015 12:00
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Bovril Delight posted:What's your budget? Are you seriously suggesting a $15k Allroad?
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Aug 13, 2015 13:50
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When buying a car from a private seller on Craigslist, how are the logistics of a requested pre-purchase inspection handled? Does the seller typically drop the car off at the mechanic himself, or is it handled some other way? Or is it really just up to the preference of the seller?
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Aug 13, 2015 14:08
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Are you seriously suggesting a $15k Allroad? No, trying to get an idea of what they define as "rugged". A lot of people would associate plastic cladding as rugged.
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Aug 13, 2015 16:02
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silence_kit posted:When buying a car from a private seller on Craigslist, how are the logistics of a requested pre-purchase inspection handled? Does the seller typically drop the car off at the mechanic himself, or is it handled some other way? Or is it really just up to the preference of the seller? Like easily 50% will just flat out refuse. You can safely walk away from those. Among the rest, generally you should show some level of commitment. See the car, negotiate on price based on what you see, and tell the seller you want to have the car inspected, which you will pay for. The mechanic you select should be nearby and convenient to the seller. Usually you'd both go, most sellers won't just let you drive off with the car, but possibly the seller drops off the car at the agreed-upon mechanic. If the car gets a clean bill of health you should be ready to buy it for the agreed price. If there are issues, you can negotiate based on the issues but unless something serious comes up, you shouldn't back out. That said, if somehting serious comes up, and the seller won't budge, then you can of course still walk away from the deal, although be prepared for the seller to be furious about you "wasting their time."
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Aug 14, 2015 06:55
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MechaFrogzilla posted:I'm looking into buying a new car, want a hatchback (could go for a CUV if it works too), budget mid 20s or so. So far I've obviously been directed to the Mazda 3, some have also pointed to the Focus as a cheaper option to test-drive. Some people love VWs, but I hear really not great things about their reliability and cost of repair. Is that still true, and if not should I also look into some of the Golf variants? I recommend the 4D hardtop. Has a surprising amount of storage space with the seats folded down, and the back seats are actually quite usable. Gets good mileage, and the engine shuts off when you stop (can turn that off easily) to save gas. Also has a selector for sport/mid/green modes and the auto has a sport+ transmission mode, and manual shifting as well. http://www.miniusa.com/content/miniusa/en/model/hardtop-4-door.html The non-S base model has a pretty slick turbo 3 cyl and isn't bad at all. I was in a similar position to you - looking at Focus, Mazda3 and VW, but none of my test drives sold me, until my Mini test drive. SLOSifl fucked around with this message at 17:05 on Aug 14, 2015 |
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Aug 14, 2015 16:58
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SLOSifl posted:You can get a Mini Cooper S 2D or 4D for "mid 20s or so" depending on options. Remove the S and you can pretty much go all out. He said that he doesn't want something that falls apart with atrocious repair bills, though.
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Aug 14, 2015 17:02
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Minis are not know for reliability.
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Aug 14, 2015 17:33
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Dik Hz posted:I grew up in rural Minnesota and drove all sorts of vehicles in all sorts of conditions there. Same, without snow tires, and with no accidents in the years I lived there. But in hindsight I would've liked to have tried them though. There's this concept of a traction budget you don't seem to get, where +5 traction actually IS a useful thing. Driving's not some discrete function where if you do X properly you will not have an issue, or if you do have an accident while doing the right thing it must've been unavoidable. When things go haywire it's a big messy combination of traction, safety behaviors, other drivers' behaviors, not all of which are under your control. You follow at a decent distance to give yourself a safety budget for the unlikely event the guy in front of you slams on his brakes. You run your headlights in grey weather to very slightly reduce the odds of someone not seeing you and doing something stupid. And when you have the option of increasing your traction in an element where you sometimes run out of it, it's ridiculous to argue that's not a good thing.
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Aug 14, 2015 17:43
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antiga posted:Thanks, this is the kind of thing I was looking for. Rangers are a lot cheaper and obviously prevalent but I'll keep my eyes open. Any other recommendations, I'd be interested to hear it. At least here where old Toyotas last forever (no rust in AZ), the Toyota tax on them is so high that when I was buying in 2011, a $2500 Toyota was at least 10-15 years older and in rougher shape than a $2500 Ranger. The only vehicle I've ever owned that's given me less poo poo than my '98 Ranger did (and most of said poo poo was PO fuckery) is my CR-V which is still too new to even comprehend the idea of a mechanical failure. If I had found a similar age / condition Tacoma for similar money to that Ranger, I'd probably have gone with it, but I just don't see the value in the Toyota tax.
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Aug 14, 2015 17:49
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