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For sure, I just don't have anywhere to store snow tires in the off season.
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Feb 21, 2021 16:32
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What’s a good competitor to the Lexus ES series that includes AWD?
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Feb 21, 2021 16:35
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My wife's Scion is starting to get a bit worn, she's at 220K and things are starting to fall off. This has taken priority over me getting a new car. Proposed Budget: $12K-$15K. there is wiggle room New or Used: Used Body Style: (e.g. 2 door? 4 door? Compact/Midsize/Fullsize Sedan? Truck? SUV?) She would like a crossover or small SUV. Sometimes she has to fit several large storage bins into her car for work presentations. How will you be using the car?: (Do you tow things? Haul more than 5 people on a regular basis? Have a super long commute? How are you going to use this vehicle? Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?) She travels a lot for work, we live in Indiana and it's not unheard of for her to drive to Iowa or West Virginia. What aspects are most important to you? (e.g. reliability, cost of ownership/maintenance, import/domestic, MPG, size, style) She would like decent mpg, comfort, some gadgets (remote start, apple carplay). She wants AWD and we do plan on a set of snow tires. So, Subaru?
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Feb 21, 2021 16:42
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Jedi Knight Luigi posted:What’s a good competitor to the Lexus ES series that includes AWD? You mean, other than the Lexus ES AWD?
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Feb 21, 2021 16:47
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I guess I’ve only been looking at the 350 which is FWD. which one is AWD?
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Feb 21, 2021 16:52
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Jedi Knight Luigi posted:I guess I’ve only been looking at the 350 which is FWD. which one is AWD? Apparently all the non hybrid 4 cylinder ones? https://www.lexus.com/models/ES I knew you could get them with AWD but I didn't know they were AWD only.
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Feb 21, 2021 17:07
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DangerousSmells posted:For sure, I just don't have anywhere to store snow tires in the off season. Doesn't your local tire shop/change service offer to store off-season tires?
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Feb 21, 2021 17:12
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DangerousSmells posted:For sure, I just don't have anywhere to store snow tires in the off season. I’m probably going to run my snows all year on my Prius. They’ll obviously wear faster but I don’t need another set of wheels laying around. It’s super common for people to do that here in Colorado. I hear studded tires probably weekly all year long too.
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Feb 21, 2021 17:21
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fknlo posted:I’m probably going to run my snows all year on my Prius. They’ll obviously wear faster but I don’t need another set of wheels laying around. It’s super common for people to do that here in Colorado. I hear studded tires probably weekly all year long too.
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Feb 21, 2021 17:28
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mmkay posted:Doesn't your local tire shop/change service offer to store off-season tires? I've never heard of that around here, but I've also never asked about it. Seems unlikely because I live in a pretty densely populated area.
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Feb 21, 2021 20:54
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This dude says buying a used prius is a huge gamble, is he talking out his rear end? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxOM1deFcbw
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Feb 21, 2021 20:59
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mila kunis posted:This dude says buying a used prius is a huge gamble, is he talking out his rear end? It's Scotty Kilmer, so the odds are very high that he is. I've not watched that particular video, but he's not a very reliable source. ETA: Kilmer was a pretty good mechanic in his day, 40-50 years ago. He does not seem to have made the transition to modern computer controls and electronic diagnosis very well, though, so a lot of his skills are outdated. His YouTube videos are very popular because he yells a lot and they have clickbait titles. Most of them aren't very informative, unfortunately. Deteriorata fucked around with this message at 21:12 on Feb 21, 2021 |
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Feb 21, 2021 21:02
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mila kunis posted:This dude says buying a used prius is a huge gamble, is he talking out his rear end? Yes, obviously. This video was made to get more views for him by being ragebait, not to inform people. This seems to be typical of that guy. Let's be serious here: the bulk of the US cab fleet is now Prius. Just think about what that means.
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Feb 21, 2021 21:02
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DangerousSmells posted:I've never heard of that around here, but I've also never asked about it. Seems unlikely because I live in a pretty densely populated area. Is there a Discount Tire near you? My "local" one (40 miles away) offers it. I'd expect it more readily in densely populated areas as there would be more apartment dwellers without access to a garage/storage.
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Feb 21, 2021 21:24
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mila kunis posted:This dude says buying a used prius is a huge gamble, is he talking out his rear end? I decided to waste a few minutes and watch this. tl;dr: It's clickbait. He doesn't outright lie, but there are a lot of half-truths and exaggerations in there. His arguments: - Replacement battery packs are expensive for a full-new one, and it's not worth getting a refurb because it'll just go out soon. In reality: new OEM batteries are a few grand and can generally be expected to last to 200k+. Once one goes out, refurbs are maybe a grand plus some simple labor, will probably go another 75-100k or so, and come with a warranty. Batteries are a significant expense you don't have to worry about with a non-hybrid, but it doesn't outweigh all the other savings and reliability benefits in the rest of the system. - A motor/generator unit can go out, and it's expensive to fix. In reality: this is true; both MG units are complex mechanical parts that are in the middle of the drivetrain. But it's nowhere near as common as an alternator failure, like he describes. In fact, transmission failure is very rare on Priuses - that's a huge part of why they tend to be more reliable than other cars. And, if one does go out, and you need to fix it on the cheap, there are lots and lots of still-pretty-good junkyard transmissions out there, because failures are so rare. The whole horror story about the little old lady who had a broken transmission and no dealer who wanted to take the car would have played out just the same if it was a non-hybrid Camry with a broken torque converter automatic. But, 10 year old torque converter automatics go out a lot more than 10 year old Prius CVTs, because the Prius CVT is basically two electric motors, a differential, and some reduction gears. There are no clutch packs and brake bands to wear out, or complex hydraulic circuits to plug up. So, you can choose to trust this random youtube guy with terrible sunglasses, or you can ask every full-time Uber driver who's ever lived. People who depend on their car to keep running so they can pay rent and buy food drive a lot of Priuses. "The car's odometer won't go past 300k" is a common complaint on early second gens at this point. Toyota hybrids are not perfect, but they are incredibly reliable cars.
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Feb 21, 2021 22:32
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Nitrox posted:Just be aware of that snow tires will wear out in like 10,000 miles, while economy tires can go 60k and then some They can last way longer than that now. They've done a lot with the compounds over the past few years. They're obviously going to wear way faster than all seasons but a ton of people here run them year round. The real worry with something like a second gen prius that you pick up for $5k is that you can easily have like $3k worth of things go wrong via the battery and brake actuator going out in a short time period. You can DIY a replacement battery but gently caress dealing with the brake actuator. You'll also never have to gently caress with either of them again though. My brake actuator has been doing the barking thing that they do when going out for months now. fknlo fucked around with this message at 00:19 on Feb 22, 2021 |
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Feb 21, 2021 23:19
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What is all this crazy talk about batteries costing thousands of dollars? Multiple generations of Toyota hybrid battery packs are assembly of multiple smaller units. Those individual units cost between $30 and $50 for used, refurbished or no-name brand cells. The actual replacement procedure is no different than swapping batteries in the laptop. https://www.torquenews.com/1083/dont-buy-new-toyota-prius-hybrid-battery-have-it-repaired-instead When I went to look up the above article, I saw multiple advertisements of technicians who are willing to drive to your house and swap those cells in your driveway.
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Feb 22, 2021 01:04
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Proposed Budget: $22-25,000 CAD (looking at $8,000 CAD down payment and max 4 year financing) New or Used: New (I'm fine with Used too but we don't have enough liquidity to throw at it and I'm seeing offers of 6+% financing rates on models that are only a year or two old and a couple thousand less. Plus I would like to have the warranty packages. Body Style: Subcompact SUV / Crossover (both of us are tall and we like the sizes of these that aren't too big to be big behemoths with massive blindspots) How will you be using the car? Weekend/evening errands in the city, taking the dog to the park, once COVID is over some car-camping / glamping and maybe some road-trips with friends What aspects are most important to you? - Reliability and cost of ownership (both in terms of L/100KM and maintenance If you do not live in the U.S. you should probably say so because what's available can vary a lot Canada We've been looking at subcompact SUVs / Crossovers recently and have started to zero in on the 2021 Hyundai Kona. Local dealership had quoted us with 1.99% financing on a 48 month. I'm using the 20/40/10 rule to calculate my budget here and it looks like the FWD Essential package at $23,000 would hit our budget. If I follow the 10% of monthly rule (we've interpreted this rule of thumb to mean net income). We drove the Hyundai and it felt fine to us. I am not a car guy in any way so a "fun" car is irrelevant to me and I wouldn't really tell the difference in handling / speed so I don't care about power. AWD is fine but not worth the added gas mileage for us. We've also been eyeing the Mazda CX-30 as another contender too. We're also open to hatchbacks too but my partner really likes the idea of the subcompact so far, but I'm open to it. Any other models we should check out? Oh and I wouldn't mind some AI / goon approved blogs / review / YT sites that aren't complete paid off by the industry if any such exist. Oh and finally, couple payment type questions: 1 - What's the typical added fees we should be ready to pay for on a new car? Dealer mentioned delivery fees and others but I didnt get a good look at the paper she was waiving at me. 2 - Are those fees rolled into the financing of the car or do we need to account for cash? 3 - What are realistic things to negotiate for with the dealer? I imagine they have a range of what they're willing to let it go for (and probably depending on their monthly sales quotas), but I don't really even know where to begin with when it comes to negotiation here. I know most of their pressure tricks (listened to that This American Life podcast that followed salesmen at a dealership in the States) so I'm not too fazed or thrown off by it, but not actually sure what is a legitimate negotiation on my part and what is just blustering and looking like a moron. Oysters Autobio fucked around with this message at 02:29 on Feb 22, 2021 |
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Feb 22, 2021 02:27
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Prius.
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Feb 22, 2021 02:30
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Space Gopher posted:I decided to waste a few minutes and watch this. tl;dr: It's clickbait. He doesn't outright lie, but there are a lot of half-truths and exaggerations in there. Thank you! What's this thread's thoughts on the camry hybrid versus the prius, and how much more expensive would a camry hybrid tend to be?
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Feb 22, 2021 02:35
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Oysters Autobio posted:Proposed Budget: Alex on autos on YouTube is pretty good. Savageese is a favorite in AI and while he’s probably not lying about the cars I don’t really like his style of presentation
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Feb 22, 2021 02:37
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fknlo posted:The real worry with something like a second gen prius that you pick up for $5k is that you can easily have like $3k worth of things go wrong via the battery and brake actuator going out in a short time period. You can DIY a replacement battery but gently caress dealing with the brake actuator. You'll also never have to gently caress with either of them again though. My brake actuator has been doing the barking thing that they do when going out for months now. Welcome to the world of owning 10-15 year old $5k cars. Even the best ones are going to have things that might give up and cost you a grand or two in one bad day, because at that point, things that aren't considered normal wear items start wearing out. You can reduce the risk by looking for a well-taken-care of example and getting a pre-purchase inspection, but sometimes, old cars break. That generation Prius has three expensive failure points: the HV battery, the brake actuator/stroke simulator, and the digital dash. Only the battery is an "expected to wear out" item, and the car is still usable (if inefficient) with a dying battery. The brake unit going out completely is the only one that makes the car immediately unsafe to drive, and as you've noted, it tends to give warning signs well before that happens (and, even if it goes out completely, you still have direct hydraulic braking, although you have to push hard just like you would with a failed vacuum brake booster). It's a good default recommendation because it's efficient, very unlikely to strand you, and about as reliable as it gets for an older car. mila kunis posted:Thank you! The Camry is a bit more upscale than the Prius, and doesn't have the same image issues if you're in Alberta or Saskatchewan or something. It's not quite as efficient because it's hauling around more weight and a less aerodynamic chassis, and the trunk is kind of cramped thanks to the hybrid battery being shoehorned into a not-designed-for-a-hybrid chassis. But, overall, it uses the same basic drivetrain setup, it's similarly reliable, and it is still a Very Good Car. I'd expect to pay maybe 25-30% more for an older Camry hybrid over a Prius, assuming roughly equal mileage, condition, etc.
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Feb 22, 2021 04:05
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Even if you buy a $5k Prius and have to spend $2k on something, you'll sell it for at least $5k when you're done with it if you kept the receipt from the repair so you're not out that much.
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Feb 22, 2021 04:53
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The Camry hybrid has a lot more power than the Prius because it has a much bigger engine (2.5l v 1.8l). No replacement for displacement.
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Feb 22, 2021 05:23
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Oysters Autobio posted:Oh and finally, couple payment type questions: For negotiating on the price of the car itself, you should be able to find an invoice price - which isn't exactly what the dealer pays for the car, but it's fairly close. Between that and the manufacturer's suggested retail price, you should have some decent data points to figure out what you can get off the sticker. In the US, I'd use the Edmunds website; they don't have a Canadian service, but you should be able to find a similar service to give you an invoice price breakdown. You should definitely get a good look at the paper, and look up each line item. Fees will almost always be rolled into what you're borrowing. In general, never ever ever negotiate on the monthly payment, because there are a lot of moving parts there and an extra few bucks a month doesn't seem like much but adds up. Look at the cash price and handle financing separately. Common fees and add-ons (at least in the US, I assume Canada is similar): - Sales tax. Non-negotiable, obviously. You can easily check the rate you should be paying. - Excise taxes and fees. You should be able to look up what's mandatory in your province. You have to pay that, but anything over it should be taken off. Keep an eye out for the dealer sneaking extras in here - for instance, your - Manufacturer destination/delivery/freight charges. This covers shipping the car from the factory to the dealer and isn't really negotiable. You should be able to look this up at the manufacturer's website through a "build and price" type tool that gives you an MSRP and price breakdown. For instance, looks like the Hyundai Canada charge for getting a Kona to a BC dealership is $1,825. - Extra dealer delivery/freight charges, for things like "dealer prep." If these are listed on the manufacturer website, they're non-negotiable and you should know how much to expect. If they're not listed by the manufacturer, or over the listed amount, they're negotiable and should be zero or close to it. - Registration and title. Covers the actual - "Documentation" and "admin" fees. This is supposed to cover the cost of drawing up all the sales paperwork, actually submitting the registration, etc. Negotiable. You might not get this to zero, because it's traditional and expected dealer bullshit that dates back to when forms had to be filled out longhand instead of printed out pre-filled in 30 seconds, but it's still dealer bullshit. - Manufacturer-produced, dealer-installed accessories. These might be things you want - say, an engine block heater or vehicle-specific roof rack. They might also be kind of pointless - say, door sill inserts that have a manufacturer logo on them, or footwell lighting that illuminates your muddy floormats. Lots of these are removable if you don't care about them, and they're always negotiable. Things you might see and should not pay for: - Extended warranty. Don't ever buy this on a new car. If they give you a hard sell you can always drop the "are you saying this car is so unreliable the manufacturer's warranty isn't enough? Maybe I shouldn't buy it then" routine on them. - Dealership maintenance packages. This might theoretically save money but you'll end up locked to the dealership for everything, so, no. If they offer "free oil changes for X years" type things, there's a possibility you can knock that off for a discount. - Paint protection, rustproofing, "environmental protection packages" (another word for rustproofing), VIN etching, wheel locks, nitrogen tire fill, etc. These are almost universally useless, and huge profit centers for dealers, who can use them to throw an extra $500 - I mean, only a couple dollars a month - onto a loan when everybody's worn down from negotiating the actual car. If you do want one of them, then find a detailing shop and pay a lot less than what the dealer charges the day after you buy the car. Throatwarbler posted:The Camry hybrid has a lot more power than the Prius because it has a much bigger engine (2.5l v 1.8l). No replacement for displacement. This is technically true, but if you are buying either a Prius or a Camry hybrid to go fast, then you should re-evaluate your choices.
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Feb 22, 2021 05:29
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Space Gopher posted:I decided to waste a few minutes and watch this. tl;dr: It's clickbait. He doesn't outright lie, but there are a lot of half-truths and exaggerations in there. Not only that, lots of people can now diagnose the battery and just replace the dead cells.
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Feb 22, 2021 07:11
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Is the Mazda3 (turbo specifically) still considered a good choice for a fun-ish compact? Looking for something fun with 4 doors, around $30k (baby on the way so the Camaro is no longer feasible). I test drove a Stinger 2.0 last week and was pretty underwhelmed with it in terms of features and tech (also, the dealer was loving horrible from the start)
Bouillon Rube fucked around with this message at 15:16 on Feb 22, 2021 |
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Feb 22, 2021 15:14
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Bouillon Rube posted:Is the Mazda3 (turbo specifically) still considered a good choice for a fun-ish compact? Looking for something fun with 4 doors, around $30k (baby on the way so the Camaro is no longer feasible). I test drove a Stinger 2.0 last week and was pretty underwhelmed with it in terms of features and tech (also, the dealer was loving horrible from the start) Yeah, the Mazda 3 is still the choice for people who need practicality with a bit of driving enjoyment. It's not Prius-tier on reliability, maintenance, or gas mileage, but still very good on all plus it handles and accelerates. It's not a sports car but it can scratch the itch a bit while also giving you some family-grade utility. An excellent set of compromises all around.
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Feb 22, 2021 16:06
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The back seat of a Mazda3 is pretty small, unless they’ve redesigned the interior in the recent update. When test driving, you should check and see if it will be a problem for you or not.
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Feb 22, 2021 16:10
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silence_kit posted:The back seat of a Mazda3 is pretty small, unless they’ve redesigned the interior in the recent update. When test driving, you should check and see if it will be a problem for you or not. Thanks, my wife and I are both on the short side (I’m 5’7” and she’s 4’11”), so leg room shouldn’t be a big issue.
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Feb 22, 2021 16:43
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The Camry is significantly faster, quieter, more comfortable, and better to drive. It also has a regular interior and a regular exterior. The downside is that it is a foot longer, has less usable cargo space, is less fuel efficient, and costs more to buy compared to the Prius Where you fall on the tradeoffs is up to you.
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Feb 22, 2021 22:43
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How much would a 2021 Prius compare to a 2021 Insight? I know the Prius is the go-to for the reliable/good-mileage/price priorities but i've been driving Honda's since 2003 which have also been super reliable. I'm comparing a base Insight model with a AWD Prius (Similar price, Prius is 1k more), they seem to review near identically, and nothing seems to make the choice any easier between them. I'm in the Canadian prairies so I intend to get snow tires for next winter. Is the AWD that much of a difference maker? I'm upgrading from a 2006 Civic so even the basic features of both are a luxurious upgrade for me. Are there any baseline features that jump out to take into consideration? I've got a test drive with the Insight tonight and I plan to make one with the Prius later this week.
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Feb 22, 2021 23:50
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Bouillon Rube posted:Is the Mazda3 (turbo specifically) still considered a good choice for a fun-ish compact? Looking for something fun with 4 doors, around $30k (baby on the way so the Camaro is no longer feasible). I test drove a Stinger 2.0 last week and was pretty underwhelmed with it in terms of features and tech (also, the dealer was loving horrible from the start) My recollection of the current-gen 3 is that the sedan has the more useful cargo area for carrying a stroller. You should also really bring a car seat with you on the test drive because that back seat is tight. I'd look at the GTI and Civic too. I was in a GTI recently and the interior packaging was better than the Mazda 3. Just don't get a sunroof if you get a GTI. The Civic is in a weird spot right now; the Si is taking 2021 - the last year of the current generation - off so you'd have to snag a leftover 2020 off a dealer lot. Rear seat and trunk space is excellent in the Civic.
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Feb 23, 2021 02:26
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Seeing how big my sis' stroller was and how small my GTI's trunk was, I'd be wary of it doing baby duty, at least full time. (I still miss the GTI and I could pack an amazing amount of stuff in there... with the seats folded.)
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Feb 23, 2021 03:16
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Rynyin posted:How much would a 2021 Prius compare to a 2021 Insight? I know the Prius is the go-to for the reliable/good-mileage/price priorities but i've been driving Honda's since 2003 which have also been super reliable. I'm comparing a base Insight model with a AWD Prius (Similar price, Prius is 1k more), they seem to review near identically, and nothing seems to make the choice any easier between them. The Insight is quite nice and is basically a Civic hybrid. It's going to be more normal than the Prius. Buy whichever one you like. I don't think AWD is that much of a difference maker. The Corolla hybrid is also worth checking out.
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Feb 23, 2021 04:16
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hi thread, so we moved to middle of nowhere michigan about a mile off the nearest paved road, and even when they do plow it may be a day or two. I currently drive a fiesta st which is great for fun, but so far in winter is incredibly impractical. i have been driving my wifes mazda cx-5 which is fine, but i wouldnt mind driving something that has 4wd or awd. my budget is like eh 30-40k but its flexible and i have pretty darn good credit. i (hopefully) am starting a new job soon thats gonna require me to be able to drive to work even when is loving sucks outside, on unpaved unplowed roads in some cases. looked at wranglers, and the new bronco thingy, are there any good decent ground clearance, pull myself out of a ditch if i have to vehicles that im not looking at?
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Feb 24, 2021 15:57
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You're not going to pull yourself out of a ditch unless you have a winch and even then, only if you ended up in the ditch at a specific angle near something you can tie to. Don't drive into a ditch. Edit: I would give you more advice but I don't offroad. Everyone won't shut up about how good the new Defender is at both commuting and offroading, but it's outside your budget by 10 grand. Wranglers are absolute garbage vehicles for anything except rock crawling and you will hate yourself if you have to commute in one. KillHour fucked around with this message at 16:06 on Feb 24, 2021 |
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Feb 24, 2021 16:02
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kinda was thinking a winch. and yes i know wranglers are garbo. trust me i like little fun cars so this is all entirely out of my wheelhouse, and i have like seen so many locals all stuck on the side of the road during a poo poo storm, just trying to avoid and pre plan for as much as possible is all.
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Feb 24, 2021 16:13
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sneakyfrog posted:kinda was thinking a winch. and yes i know wranglers are garbo. trust me i like little fun cars so this is all entirely out of my wheelhouse, and i have like seen so many locals all stuck on the side of the road during a poo poo storm, just trying to avoid and pre plan for as much as possible is all. To be fair, the fact you think it's likely/possible/reasonable to pull yourself out with a winch means you absolutely don't have enough experience to do it safely or probably even effectively. You should listen to the people telling you "this isn't a reasonable expectation for your use case". Preparing a wincing point for your own vehicle, which is almost certainly in head first and needs to go backwards, typically involves shovels, pulleys, potentially a hitch mounted winch, etc. Very likely hours of work in some situations. You would need to fill the entirety of the storage space in a Wrangler, and then some, with equipment to even consider covering most winching scenarios like this. It's just not a practical replacement for a cell phone or two way radio that can produce another vehicle and a tow strap.
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Feb 24, 2021 16:17
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| # ? Jun 12, 2024 02:43 |
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sneakyfrog posted:kinda was thinking a winch. and yes i know wranglers are garbo. trust me i like little fun cars so this is all entirely out of my wheelhouse, and i have like seen so many locals all stuck on the side of the road during a poo poo storm, just trying to avoid and pre plan for as much as possible is all. Base model defender is probably the best compromise out there for new cars, if you can swing it. There's an offroading thread that might have some better suggestions, too: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2755109 Edit: ^^ OP should tow a crane behind him when he goes to work  Double fake mega special combo edit: Snowmobile 
KillHour fucked around with this message at 16:23 on Feb 24, 2021 |
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Feb 24, 2021 16:19
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